The Enchanted Skean – Book I of The
Chronicles of Lifthrasir is a 430-page, Young Adult
fantasy novel filled with action, adventure, and magic. 14-year old Beck
Conleth is living a quiet life in the seaside town of Queen's Weather when his
grandmother sends him on a journey to Ulfwood to retrieve his father's bones
and a family skean (dagger). After reaching Ulfwood, Beck discovers the skean
is magical, and that it answers only to him. Soon the enchanted skean and its
owner attract the attention of dark mages, goblins, and worse. Helped on his
journey home by wisewomen, warriors, shape-changers, and the other good folk of
Lifthrasir, Beck faces death, danger, and the theft of his skean.
Accompanied by his best friend, Beck
stows away on a ship, takes back his skean, befriends a dragon, and escapes
with a troop of retrievers of stolen items. After reaching a dock in West
Arnora, the company heads for the fortress of Ravens Haunt. As Beck and his
companions face a hideous Skullsoul and an army of ogerhunches, he realizes
there is a developing confrontation between good and evil, and he and his
enchanted skean have a role to play.
INTERVIEW
What is your name, where were you born
and where do you live now?
My name is Vonnie Winslow Crist. I was
born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and currently reside in a rural area in
Maryland.
Do you work another job as well as your
writing work?
In addition to being a writer, I'm also an illustrator. I do both
cover and interior art for books and magazines. While my favourite subjects are
fantasy and science fiction, I've illustrated everything from cookbooks to
life-style books to poetry collections.
What is the name of your latest book,
and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
The Enchanted Skean is a Young Adult/ Cross-Over fantasy novel filled with action,
adventure, magic, and memorable characters. Here's a link for readers who'd
like to read a 3-chapter excerpt: http://vonniewinslowcrist.com/books/the_enchanted_skean_excerpt
Who is your publisher? or do you self
publish?
The publisher of The Enchanted Skean
is Mockingbird Lane Press, but my books have had different publishers. My
speculative short story collections, The Greener Forest and the
soon-to-be-pulished Owl Light, and my two ebooks, Blame it on the Trees
and For the Good of the Settlement, are from Cold Moon Press. Both of my
myth-based poetry collections, River of Stars and Essential Fables
were published by Lite Circle Books. And my children's book, Leprechaun Cake
& Other Tales, was published by the VRGroup. I think writers and
readers need to remember that each press has their own book preferences and
focus.
How long does it usually take you to
write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It varies. As far as The Enchanted
Skean, it took me less than five months to write more than 95,000 words.
But the book has gone through several rewrites and edits since that first
draft. The editing process took much longer than getting the story down on
paper.
What can we expect from you in the future?
ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
Even as I type this, Owl Light, a
collection of speculative stories with a pinch of poetry and illustrations is
in the final stages of production. I have another YA novel, which I've been working
on that I'd like to complete prior to writing the sequel to The Enchanted
Skean. It's actually a science-fiction novel with a female protagonist. It
features colonies of dragon-like creatures called bodaway, the balance
between honoring old traditions and new ideas, guild members who harvest nests
from caves, and murder. I've got about 15,000 words written that I'm pleased
with, and more words written that I'm less than pleased with!
What genre would you place your books
into?
Speculative – meaning my books are
either fantasy, science-fiction, or myth-based.
Do you have a favourite out of the books
you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
I try not to have a favourite book –
it's like picking a favourite child! That being said, I think I'm always “in
love” with the project I'm working on. When it's first published, I think:
“Now, this is my best book.” But of course, as soon as I start working on the
next story or book, then that new project becomes my favourite.
Do you read all the reviews of your
book/books?
Yes, I read all the reviews of my books
that I'm aware of. Each is the opinion of a reader – and whether they're
posting on Goodreads or Amazon or publishing a review in a well-known journel,
as an author, I can learn what one person thought about my book. Perhaps that
reader will give me insight into how to make my next book better.
Would you ever ask a reviewer to change
their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
Never. A reader
is entitled to their opinion, and even if I don't agree with it, I must
acknowledge that it is true for them.
How do you come up with the Title and
Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
I title my books during the writing
process, and haven't been asked to re-title any book yet. As far as cover
design, I usually do a piece of artwork that I think would be appropriate for
the cover and send it to the publisher (but remember, I am an illustrator). The
publisher and/or art director make the design decisions. In fact, the cover of The
Enchanted Skean is actually the third painting I did at the request of the
publisher. It might not be my favourite painting – but it was the publisher's
favourite, so it's the one that was used on the cover.
Do you choose a title first, or write
the book then choose the title?
I begin writing the book first. The
“right” title will eventually emerge from the manuscript. I don't think I'd be
comfortable selecting a title and trying to mold the manuscript to fit the
title.
Is there a certain Author that
influenced you in writing?
I've enjoyed reading myths, legends,
fairytales, folklore, and fantasy since I was young, so there are many authors
who influenced me. But if I had to choose a few, they'd be JRR Tolkien and his The
Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, CS Lewis and his The Chronicles
of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe remains my
favorite), Andre Norton and her Witch World series, Anne McCaffrey and
her Dragons of Pern series, and JK Rowling and her Harry Potter
books. The thing all of these writers have in common is they created
one-of-a-kind, believable, well-developed, magical worlds that readers want to
inhabit. I was one of those readers, and now, I'm hoping to build my own
magical universe for other readers to enjoy.
Do you think ebooks will ever totally
replace printed books?
I hope not. I think there is something
quite special about holding a book in your hands, feeling the weight of it,
hearing the rustle of the pages, feeling the paper, smelling the scent of library
or bookstore, and gazing at a “real” page. Ebooks are convenient, but I find
them lacking.
Do you have a treasured book from your
childhood? If yes, what is it?
I
still have a stack of fairytale booklets
from the 1930s published by Platt & Monk Co. The booklets were given to me
one-by-one by an older family friend to keep me entertained each time we came
for a visit. The stories were magical and the illustrations were charming. I
think those booklets probably had a lot to do with where I've ended up in my
writing and illustration career.
What do you think about book trailers?
Mockingbird Lane Press produced a book
trailer for The Enchanted Skean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-8C9OkyJCU It's my first experience with a book trailer,
but the more of them I see, the better I like the concept. I think they might
convince movie-minded people to read a book.
What piece of advice would you give to a
new writer?
Believe in yourself. Read. Write. Revise. Then, repeat as
necessary. The writers who suceed are those who persisted.
Where can readers follow you?
Website: http://vonniewinslowcrist.com
Website: http://vonniewinslowcrist.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/VonnieWCrist
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/vonnie_winslow_crist
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/VonnieWCrist
Buy Links: Amazon- http://tinyurl.com/Vonnie-Winslow-Crist-Amazon ,
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