Author Interview with Emlyn Chand!
Author Interview with Emlyn Chand!
1. What (and how many books) have you released? What are they about? Farsighted is my first published novel. It’s of the Paranormal YA genre, but the paranormal is a bit more on the normal side. Here’s my mini teaser: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider.
2. Which, if any, character do you feel has the most of your characteristics (or acts like you do)? None of the characters are like me, per say, but Shapri is probably the closest. She’s the kind of the person I wish I could have been back in high school. She’s strong, always true to herself, and won’t let anyone disrespect her. Sure, she has fears, but we all do. Shapri is the kind of girl I would love to be friends with. You know she’ll always go to bat for you when you’re too tired to step up to the plate.
3. How did you get the idea for your work? What lured you to your topics? Farsighted started with a single image—my face in these tacky oversized sunglasses reflecting out at me from the car’s side mirror. I was daydreaming while my husband drove us across Michigan for my sister’s wedding. Something about my image really struck me in an almost horrific way. I felt the glasses made me look blind but found it so weird that there was still a clear image within them; it seemed so contradictory. At the time, my book club was reading The Odyssey, which features the blind Theban prophet, Tieresias. I started thinking about what it would be like to have non-visual visions of the future and began forming a modern Tieresias in my mind. Lo and behold, Alex Kosmitoras was born. I didn’t want him to be alone in his psychic subculture, so I found other characters with other powers to keep him company. Thank God for my poor fashion sense.
4. Which scene was the most intense, or most visual, for you to write, personally? Definitely, definitely the big show-down scene at the end. I can’t say more, or it’ll give the story away!
5. If you could cast any actor/actresses to play your main characters, who would you select? Oh man! I wouldn’t mind having Taylor Lautner play Alex. As for the others, it’s just so hard to say. I wrote the entire book with only vague ideas of what they looked like, since the story is told from Alex’s point-of-view, and he’s blind. I guess I’m pretty open to the others. Definitely Taylor Lautner for Alex though ;-)
6. If you could meet anyone or see anything from your novel, characters or otherwise, what and/or who would you choose? I would enjoy getting to know Miss Teak and hearing more about her back story. She’s so mysterious as the name implies. Who wouldn’t want to get to know a real-life palmist?
7. How did you go about selecting your cover? I have the great fortune of owning a book marketing company that employs one of the most talented and hard-working graphic artists in existence, Lee Libro. Lee and I talked about ideas and she created several rough concepts. Then I chose the one I liked best, and we worked back and forth, back and forth to tweak and get it exactly how I wanted it. Lee blogged about the process for Novel Publicity’s blog. Having a designer who understands you and is willing to work to bring your vision to life is a writer’s dream come true!'
8. What, if any, is/are your next upcoming project(s)? When can we expect them? Farsighted is a 5-book series. Each book will be told from a different character’s point-of-view, so in book #2, we’ll actually be able to see what Grandon looks like! Next up is Open Heart. I hope to have that ready by the middle of next year.
9. Why did you become (or decide to become) an author (or start writing)? I was born with a fountain pen grasped firmly in my left hand, at least that’s what my Twitter bio says. But seriously, I do believe writers are born into the craft—we haven’t got much choice, but it’s a great calling to have. As a child, I always had a story to tell. I also loved illustrating my own books and comics. I first became a writer writer when I began doing a book review column for the local paper. That taught me the importance of deadlines and letting the words flow out even when I had no idea what direction they’d take me in.
10. What do you love the most about being an author? My favorite part of writing this book or any book is getting to know my characters. They start out as vague concepts, but with time and effort, they actually begin to feel real. That process of literally bringing someone else to life is unbelievable. Yeah, it may give us writers a bit of a God-complex, but it’s so much fun!
11. What or who inspires you to write? India is my eternal muse for this and everything I write. Farsighted in particular was heavily influenced by the prophecies of Nostradamus (as you’ll see in the epigraph for part III). I also drew a good deal from Zoroastrianism and its core concept of dualism—all light contains dark, and all dark contains light. Oh, and coffee. I was influenced by the desire to go to the coffee shop and order a gigantic latte with extra chocolate sauce, all in the name of writing.
12. What is the top cause you champion? Helping authors navigate the stormy sea of self promotion through my free advice blog on Novel Publicity and by running karmic initiatives to help them build their social media presences. I like to support and encourage new authors in whatever way I can!
13. What advice do you have for anyone who is interested in becoming an author? My advice is this: Have fun with your writing. Don’t put pressure on yourself or your story and don’t try to fit either into some type of mold. Not every work HAS to be published, but every work will teach you something, and it will make you a better writer. Find the joy in writing, and you won’t go wrong.
14. What is the one thing your readers should know about you? I’m weird, but good weird ;-)
15. What is the one thing you want your prospective readers to know about your book? First and foremost, I hope that readers will enjoy getting into Farsighted. My primary goal is to tell an interesting story that people will find entertaining and be glad they read. Secondly, I’d like to infuse contemporary Young Adult fiction with a bit more diversity and teach readers about the beauty of other cultures and other ways of life. I also hope that Farsighted is a book that leads to introspection—what would I do if put in Alex’s place? Did Alex ever have a choice or was this path his destiny? What would it be like to see the world the way he sees the world?
16. If you could do anything (for a career), besides being a writer, what would do? I shudder at the thought of a world that would deprive me of my desire to write. Fortunately, I have two tremendous passions—one is writing and the other is book marketing. I have my own author PR firm and love the work I do there. I’d still have half of my happiness, half of myself as long as I was able to market.
17. Aside from writing and reading, what are your hobbies? Watching Glee and eating Taco Bell. I also run a 400-member book club that reads the classics.
18. What is…?
…your favorite author?
…your favorite book or series?
…your biggest literary inspiration?
Ooo. JK Rowling, Suzanne Collins, and JD Salinger are classic faves. I’m currently reading Matched by Ally Condie and am absolutely loving it. As a child, my favorite book was Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson. It opened my eyes to the world that could exist if only I was willing to create it—I think it’s what encouraged me to be a writer in the first place. As an adult, it’s A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, definitely. The novel has so many layers and entertains on so many levels. Also the characters in that novel seem more real than those from any other I’ve ever read. It’s just beautiful—that’s the only word for it.
Where To Find Emlyn Chand:
Where to Find Farsighted:
THE BOOK: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday).
THE CASH PRIZES: Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That’s right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you’ll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.
THE GIVEAWAYS: Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you’d like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.
THE AUTHOR: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!
MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer!
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Ricochet Reviews:
Thank you so much for being with us, Emlyn! What a wonderful interview - too funny! My review for Farsighted will be posted tomorrow!
First of all - yey! Emlyn Chand! Of course, Ricochet Reviews is honored to have any of our featured authors, but this post is expecially cool, because she's awesome, Farsighted is awesome, and this blog tour is huge - which means you, my dear and cherished readers (pardon me, as I pat heads), get goodies! Yes, goodies! Yey for goodies!
In the "Blog Tour Notes" section of this post, skim through until you hear about the giveaway on Goodreads, an autographed postcard from the author, and cash prizes! Fun! And to learn how to vote for Ricochet Reviews, of course! Expecially because there are so many super-awesome things going on, I strongly encourage everyone to follow this book tour (if you're not already) and participate! There is some really awesome stuff going on that you don't get find everyday!
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