Today is my blog spot with the Empyreal Fate tour hosted by AToMR Blog Tour. :) I was lucky enough to have Rachel Hunter, the author of Empyreal Fate to sit down and do an interview with. Let's begin shall we?
About
you as an author:
When
did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I
breathe words, so I truly think the aspiration lies in my genes. Ever
since I was but a child, I’ve wanted to write. It began with
reading. My father read to me often, and the fascination with winding
vibrant tales thus began. In fact, I started writing before I could
even spell my own name! Curious, is it not? But I remember – quite
vividly – when I would sit down (stand… I don’t like sitting),
and I would think of a story I wanted to write, and then I would ask
my parents how to spell each and every word. It was painstaking –
let me tell you - but that’s where it all began. I would say I
wanted to write since the womb, but, in truth, childhood hits the
mark.
Where
do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
They
speak to me, honestly. I hear their whispers against my ear – as if
the wind were telling me secrets. But they are no secrets; they are
my characters - begging to be written, telling me things that I must
jot down or remember for the next time I write. It is the Muse
speaking, and the Muse is not the same from day to day. Yet, like
with all things, it must be maintained – preferably with a healthy
dose of reading, game playing, and music listening. Such activities
are the essence of ultimate creativity.
How
do you decide what you want to write about?
Again,
the Muse flows through me as it will; I cannot always know the way it
will influence me any given day. Some days, I am inspired to write
the fantastical; others, a gritty mechanical world. Yet,
in all things, I tend to have a penchant for poetry; ‘I dance with
words,’ as some may say. And as a poet, I have incorporated my
fascination of speech within Empyreal
Fate,
thereby bringing to light the lofty language and mystical tongue of
an epic world. Every sentence I wrote flowed through my head along
with a beat, and I recounted my tale accordingly. Thus, I wish to
share with all the beauty of words and the unique way in which they
breathe. This is style I adore, and this is the style I hope to
instill upon the reader. The specifics of what I write about are
ever-changing.
About
you as a person:
What
books have most influenced your life?
All
books have influenced me in a way – whether for good or for ill.
Most particularly, speculative fiction works have inspired me the
most, including fantasy and science fiction novels. Tolkien’s
elves, as portrayed with a regal, majestic air, have always captured
my fancy. The
Lord of the Rings is
an epic classic that will forever win my heart.
What
is the first book you remember reading by yourself?
Oh,
goodness! Nostalgia is my curse. But, if I must reveal such, I do
recall quite clearly how proud I was to read PJ
Funny Bunny well
before kindergarten. A close second was The
Little Engine that Could. These
are classics for me to look back on, and I cherish every memory,
every turn of the page.
What
are you reading right now?
Currently,
I am reading “I Will Fear No Evil”, by Robert Heinlein.
Fascinating fellow, he. Intriguing work.
What
do you like to do when you are not writing?
Well,
when I’m not studying or plotting my next attempt at world
domination, I’m searching for various ways to expressive myself or
connect with the divine. I find that nature is a great place to tune
in to the Muse, so I take advantage of opportunities to bike, kayak,
walk, or scale the occasional mountain. I also like to learn, so I
often research the most random of subjects. But typically, one can
find me reading, writing, painting, attempting to draw, whipping out
the next role-playing game, doing yoga, or constructing an
obnoxiously large puzzle. (I’ve recently completed and hung up an
8,000-piece puzzle of Raphael’s The
School of Athens). I
also want to try my hand at glass blowing, but from what I hear,
great caution must be made in the endeavour.
What
do you think makes a good story?
Vivid
words and breathing characters. Regardless the genre and regardless
the message, if these crucial elements are for lack, the tale will
hardly hold together. Fantasy-speaking, I do well enjoy political
references and spiritual subtleties. In fact, when I wrote Empyreal
Fate,
I sewed in some ties of my own spiritual quandaries. I would
definitely say that having read other works throughout my life has
inspired me to intertwine such concepts. The most important part I
gleaned was how – despite the message or whether I truly believed
it– the influence or ‘readability’ of the characters was key.
In fact, I believe The
Shannara Series
– by Terry Brooks – was the first truly epic fantasy collection I
read, and I was immediately intrigued by the character dynamics.
Without that connection, the inner workings of the novels would not
have been as profound.
Who
would you consider your favorite author and why?
I
don’t have a favorite, but as I mentioned above, JRR Tolkien
inspired me with his epic prose. How one man contained so vast a
world within his head will ever astound me.
What
book, if any, do you read over and over again?
Rather
than reread books over and over, I try to branch out and read as much
of as many different works as I can. Mostly, I explore the
speculative fiction genre, though I do enjoy dabbling a bit in almost
anything.
I recently finished Empyreal Fate, and although I got off to a slow start, the book soon latched onto me and took me under like a gator in a death spin. I was completely immersed--a feeling I hadn't had for decades. Ms. Hunter is an incredible writer, and I look forward to reading all of her future books. I met her not long ago at a sci-fi convention, where we traded books, and I want you to know she is also an incredible person. You couldn't help but like her if you met her--she is absolutely enchanting.
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