AUTHOR INTERVIEW - CAROL MARRS PHIPPS + GIVEAWAY

1. 1.  

Where were you born and Where do you live now?

I was born in Trenton, Missouri. My husband and I currently have dual residences in Kentucky and Illonois.

What is the name of your latest book? and if you had to summarise it in less than twenty words What would you say?

My book which I wrote with my husband ? Co-Author, Tom is called Elf Killers. Elf Killers depicts the struggle of the peaceful elves to survive against the brutal trolls who hunt them for food.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Yes my husband/co-author and I are about to be working on a book that we plan to call The Reaper Witch. It will be the fifth volume of a series we have named The Heart of The Staff. The first four volumes are already complete.

How long have you been writing? and What or who inspired you to write?

I have been writing since I was in eighth grade. I'd have to say that my eighth grade teacher inspired me when he gave the class an assignment to write an essay on a period of time in history we had been studied. We were to be characters in the essay ourselves. I chose to be the Alamo. My essay proved to come easily to me and I soon discovered I had a love of writing and a talent I had not realised I had. My teacher read my essay aloud to the class after I turned it in, much to my surprise and embarrassment. He gave me an A+  and a few years later when my sister took his class he asked her if I still had the essay I wrote. He wanted to use it as an example to his future classes. I had kept that essay and gave it to him to use and he never returned it.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?

No, if a reader chooses to do a review for my book it is purely their own idea. I do not feel it is appropriate to offer readers bribes. Our book will have to stand or fall on its own merits.

How did you come up with a Title and Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the Cover for your book/books?

The title of Elf Killers simply came to me in a flash of insight, I suppose you could say. The other books tom and I have written were pretty much a product of brainstorming between the two of us. The Cover Design for Elf Killers was decided between out publisher (Dawn Blinkley, Hellfire Publishing) and the artist (Dara England) based on input from Tom and me.Since the books to our series are as yet  unpublished, no cover designs have been created.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?

Loosely, I would have to say it has been more of basing a character on the personality of someone I have known, rather than on that actual person. Our characters and events are all purely fictive.

Is there a certain author that influenced you in writing?

I am an avid reader of a great many fantasy writers, so it is quite likely that a good number of them have influenced me in writing in one way or another. To narrow down to who would be far too tedious, I fear.

Which format of book do you prefer? (ebooks,paperback, or hard cover)

Ah,must I prefer one over the other?I find that each format excels for certain purposes, you see. In my opinion hardbacks are for collectors and for books one considers real keepers. Paperbacks are easy to read , carry about from place to place and satify that need some people call for a real book. Ebooks however are just as easily transported, if one has an e-reader and has the advantage of not becoming damaged or frayed in the reading as a paperback might. All in all, I, personally, feel there is room in our society for all three formats.

What is your favourite book and why? Have you read it more than once?

I have far too many favourites to name here, and I love each one for its own particular appeal. have I read these favourites more than once? I confess , I always re read my favourites and many, unfortunately look sorely abused for it.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is your favourite/worst book to movie transfer?

Rarely, I have yet to see a movie that conveys all the nuances and details that are richly expressed in a book from which the film was adapted. That said my favourite book to movie transfer is Lord of the Rings. My worst book to movie transfer is Eragon.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it? (ebook,paperback or hardcover)

I just finished reading an ebook, Bloodbreeders; Living in Darkness by Robin Renee Ray, which I did enjoy very much. I have just started a paperback, Dragons Kin by Anne McCaffrey and Todd mcCaffrey, which I am also enjoying a great deal.

Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but know you will just never finish?

I've no doubt there are a great many books I will never read, but to name one specific one, but no specific comes immediately to mind.....As for a book or books I just couldn't finish ...most certainly, but what is simply not my cup of tea for one reason or another may be just the very thing someone else may truly enjoy. Therefore I prefer to leave such judgements and choices up to each individual.

What do you think about book trailers?

Book trailers seem to be on the rise, and though I can see that they do seem to be grabbing the attention of at least the younger audience. I am not sure how enamoured of them I am. In a way it seems like book trailers are capitalizing on flash and sensationalism to sell their book the way movie previews do these days. however I have noticed that those movie previews and now book trailers tend to pull out some of the most powerful images from their particular medium and once you have seen all the highlights, the book/movie tends to be anti-climatical. Just my personal opinion here.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

If writing is truly your passion, then write and keep writing until you have reached your goal. It won't be easy and it rarely is quick, but it is definitely worth the doing.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?

My pen name is simply a combination of my married and maiden names, Carol Marrs Phipps.

Where can readers follow you?

Your blog details?  http://heretherebefantasies.blogspot.com/
Your web site ?
Your facebook page? http://wwww,facebook.co/carol.phipps3/
Your Goodreads author page?
Your Twitter details?  @Car01am

Thankyou for taking time out from your busy writing schedule to do this interview, and giving us a glimpse into your world of writing.

It is the very worst time to be in the woods.

Oisin’s plan is to come with his bow to help Aedan and Doona lead a party of children into the forest to gather the maidenhair seedlings his people would take across the sea as they flee the trolls who hunt them as prey. Maybe he can be back in time for supper.

Dyr's plan is an early evening head smash for the foolish Elves who think they can steal away to the sands of the endless eye sting water and build their strange float huts. They will make a glorious feast.

But on the way, Dyr's brutes stumble across Oisin's gathering party and attack, leaving Aedan mortally wounded and scattering Doona and the children to flee in terror into the dark mountain woods, only to be run down and captured by the bloodthirsty trolls.

Can Oisin find the bonfires of the trolls and rescue them before it’s too late? And what then? Will any of them live long enough to reach safety? 

Would you like to win an Ebook copy of Elf Killers, Carol has agreed to giveaway away a copy of her book to 3 lucky winners. So what do you need to do? Follow my blog and leave a comment at the bottom of this post. The 3 winners will be chosen by random.org on 16th September!