Make a wish? Win a book!
My good friend Michelle Lowrey Combs has a wonderful Genie book that she wrote in the first person present form for the Young Adult crowd. It's such an enjoyable book filled with heart warming moments, scientifically modified MOM food (Shrimp Mac-n-cheese?) , and a Terrible Twosome. You better go read her book to find out! It's called "Heir to the Lamp: Genie Chronicles Book 1" and is available on ebook/paperback format. Hop on over to Amazon to purchase either! Links are Provided below!
Michelle and I have known each other for a year now, and she is a wonderful friend, mentor, and all around person. Her unique writing style is unlike any other. It seems that I want to compare her work to another author in reality there isn't one that shares a style quite like hers. She was published in the "Something Else" at Jacksonville State University where she won first place as well as a publication credit. This just goes to show that her powerful writing skills caught people's attention and still does to this day. She is a flourishing young author that I know will continue to spread her magic on paper.
Do you enjoy reading about the lives of authors? Well, I've got a treat for you! Here is an interview with Michelle
1: Have you won any awards/achievement in the writing world?
I’m a huge proponent of writing contests for aspiring authors because of the way they encourage a writer to tackle a piece with a uniquely-honed, ultra-discerning eye. If you’re submitting with the assumed goal of winning a contest, then you want the work to be as good as possible, as finely polished as it can be. The same is true for querying agents and submitting to publishers.
I’ve won three awards for an historical fiction novel I’m working to complete, and I truly believe the experience and recognition ultimately played a part in getting my YA fantasy novel requested by publishers.
2: When did you first consider yourself a writer? Is there an appropriate level of seniority that one has to reach before one can be considered a writer?
If you write, you’re a writer. I’ve come to embrace that, though before I was published I often thought, If I can just sell my manuscript , I’ll feel like a real writer. After Heir to the Lamp was released, I’d be at conventions and literary events with authors who’ve had published five, ten, fifteen titles and I’d think, If I only had something else out, I’d feel like a real writer. It’s easy to get caught up in that. If you’re writing, plotting, talking to your characters in the shower and in the car, you’re a writer. If you’re making money at it, great—you’re a writer. If you’ve not earned a dime at it yet, guess what—you’re still a writer!
3: What or whom inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always loved books. My early favorites were The Boxcar Children and Muppets stories my mother read to my younger sister and me. I was always sorry to hear the last pages of the books, so I began to write little fanfiction pieces so the stories didn’t have to end. So, I guess you would say having a mother that read to her children made me a writer.
4: What is your biggest goal in life aside from your writing career?
Being a parent is probably the most challenging and rewarding responsibility that I’ve ever undertaken. I hope that when my children are all grown up that they’ll say I gave being their mother my all and that I truly loved them with my whole heart. I don’t always know what I’m doing when it comes to being a parent, but I try to approach it with love and humor. Producing adult children that are happy, appreciative, centered and ready to take on the world is my ultimate goal in life.
5: Do you have a specific writing style? What author would you say are you most relatable to?
For fiction, I tend to prefer to tell a story in first-person POV. It’s how I think I’m best at exploring a character and making him/her relatable to a reader. My genie series is written in present tense, which stylistically is rather uncommon, but I found it to be very effective in keeping with the action of the story.
I’ve been compared to other writers in reviews and features, but I don’t know. I think a lot of Alan Bradley, who writes the Falvia Deluce mystery series. I try to channel his attention to detail and flare for the snarky quip when I’m writing Ginn Lawson’s adventures for the Genie Chronicles. When writing my blog where I chronicle the day-to-day adventures of writing, parenting, etc, I hope I sound a little like my favorite Southern humorist Jill Connor Browne of The Sweet Potato Queens fame.
6: How did you come up with the titles for your books?
Titles are, I think, one of the most difficult aspects of writing a novel. It’s one of the things I envy about writers with some of the bigger houses where that kind of detail isn’t left up to the author. I definitely think titles are important, though, almost as important as great cover art. In the end, I titled my first novel in the Genie Chronicles after the hub of the story, a magical lamp bequeathed to a teenage girl by her 3,000 year-old genie ancestor.
7: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to focus on?
On the surface my novel is about a teenage girl discovering her otherness. However, it’s also a story about family, a story that asks the question, Who ultimately helps to shape us into our true selves: those we come from…or those we willingly open our hearts to forever? It’s also a story about how even through all the chaos of growing up in a large, obnoxious, sometimes embarrassing family, there is room for love. Ginn’s family makes her nuts sometimes, but she learns that no one else has her back quite like they do.
8: How much of the book is realistic/false?
The Genie Chronicles are peppered with stories from the experiences of my five children (six, counting the cousin that lived with me during his high school years). They have proven to be a rich source of material for my writing. I’ve also drawn from young cousins, nieces and nephews in hopes that a wide range of young people will be able to see something in a character that reminds them of themselves or someone they know.
My primary setting for Heir to the Lamp is a fictionalized version of the small, rural town where I live. Its sequel Solomon’s Bell is set almost entirely in 16th Century Prague, and I’ve done a tremendous amount of research on to hopefully capture the essence of that time and place accurately…though with a small hoard of genies thrown in.
9: What is your favorite movie and why?
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Harry Potter films. My dream is that there will one day be a cable network that streams all things Potter all day, every day. I’ll forever stand in awe of JK Rowling’s world building skills.
10: Is there a character that you would potentially write a novella about or want to include more in the main story?
There’s a powerful but mysterious djinni in Solomon’s Bell called Frizzle. She takes the form of a tawny mountain lion with orange eyes that glow like jack-o-lanterns. I’ve had a lot of fun writing her and wouldn’t mind exploring more of her story some day.
11: What books have most influenced your life? Did you make any life changes because of it?
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns had a huge impact on me as a teenager and did a lot to shape my religious/spiritual beliefs. Toni Morrison’s books, including The Bluest Eye and Beloved have both shaped my views on race and helped me to understand why even one hundred and fifty years after the abolishment of slavery, our country still has so much to atone for.
12: What book are you reading now or was the last that you've read?
I recently finished Help for the Haunted by John Searles. The eerie tale of Sylvester and Rose Mason, a "demonologist" couple providing assistance to the haunted and possessed with their children Sylvie and Rose Jr. in tow, captured my imagination from the start. The fate of those girls upon their parents' deaths tugged at my heart and kept me turning the pages to see what would become of them. The twist-of-an-ending was surprising and satisfying and left me hating that my time with the Masons was at an end.
13: Are there any new/archaic authors that have grasped your interest? Why?
I’m seeing a lot of great works coming from indie authors right now. Self/Independent publishing has come a tremendous way in the past five years or so, resulting in some impressive work. Sarah Ashley Jones, for example is an up and coming NA (New Adult) author. I’ve enjoyed her Promise Me series. AB Harms is a MG (middle grade) author whose Bewildered made my list of book recommendations for 2014.
14: What are your current projects?
I’m finishing up a final edit of Solomon’s Bell before sending it off to my publisher World Weaver Press. Afterward, I hope to begin a discovery draft for the third installment while devoting some time to my historical fiction WIP Daddy’s Girl.
15: Who is your role model in the writing world?
I have a kind of mentor/sister writer that I share a publisher with. Her name is Susan Abel Sullivan and she’s an incredibly gifted storyteller that juggles writing and her family/professional life in a way that I hope to better emulate. I also have a tremendous appreciation for Neil Gaiman and his ability to tell a story with the most captivating dialogue and description.
16: Who would you say backs you up the most besides your family?
Soon after finishing the manuscript of Heir to the Lamp, I joined a local writers’ group that has done so much for keeping me motivated and inspired. I’ve made some great friends within the group, including the WORLD’S BEST PERSONAL ASSISTANT that has made conference and convention appearances both wildly fun and successful.
17: Do you see writing as a career if not then what is your main focus in the working world?
I’d love to one day be a career writer, but I think that’s something happening for less and less people these days. I suppose a girl can dream, though.
18: If you had to rewrite any of your books, would you? Why, or why not?
Most authors will tell you that they are never 100% satisfied with their work, even when it’s on bookstore shelves. Maybe that’s the mark of a good writer, forever seeking a better, more perfect sentence or alternate ending.
19: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Interest in reading?
Again, it goes back to the love of stories…not being ready for THE END.
20: Can you share a little of your current work or a work will that be launching soon?
Heir to the Lamp is about Ginn coming to terms with her otherness while thwarting a dangerous enemy in the form of the Order of the Grimoire. In Solomon’s Bell, Ginn learns that the influence of the Grimms stretches all the way back to 16th Century Prague, and with the help of an enchanted book she travels there (with Caleb from Book One and a new character named Haley), seeking answers to problems at home. Here’s an excerpt from their arrival:
The stars shine like diamonds in the clear night sky and a fat full moon glows milky white near the horizon. The City of Prague lies ahead of us, the colored glass windows of its legendary castle and cathedrals glowing like fiery jewels. It’s an enchanting sight that makes the breath catch in my throat.
When I’d opened The Golem of Prague to the black and white sketch of the ancient cityscape near the beginning of the book, I’d wished with everything in me to somehow be there. And then the book had grown very large, or we’d grown very small—I wasn’t sure which—and as the air around us had rippled and changed, we’d walked into its pages and found ourselves in 16th Century Prague.
“The Hanushes called it The City of a Hundred Spires,” Haley says. She stands beside me, and while I gape at the scenery, she points to the tops of the cathedrals stretching like long dark fingers into the sky. I’m happy to see that she feels so much better. She’s over the worst of the imp attack and she’s held up to the journey of over four hundred years into the past well. “Come on—I think it’s this way,” she tells me.
Caleb and I follow our small but fearless leader, walking in shadow as much as we’re able. Haley seems confident as she leads us along the magnificent city walls—some of them looking so new it’s easy to believe the mortar between their hefty stones is still wet—and I wonder just how many times she’s read The Golem of Prague.
In the near distance, Prague Castle glows with life. I hope it’s where we’re going, and for a while I think it must be even though it’s got to be the most dangerous place for three 21st Century travelers to turn up; however, it’s soon clear that Haley is keeping us well away from the castle. We skirt its outer walls instead.
“Haley, where’s the big clock?” I ask as quietly as possible.
“Huh?” She answers after checking around the next corner.
“The Orloj?” I say.
“Oh, it’s across the square, but it isn’t working right now.” She rechecks the corner before waving Caleb and me to follow.
“It isn’t working? Since when?” I ask, hurrying to catch up to her.
“I don’t know—a century or so.”
I grunt. “Well that sucks. We’ve come all this way—I wanted to at least take a peek at it.”
“Don’t worry; it’ll be working again before we leave.”
“It’s been broken a hundred years and you think it’s going to be fixed in the next few hours?”
“Call it a hunch,” she says before turning down a narrow cobbled street.
The shuttered shops and tiny painted houses crammed along both sides of the street look more suited for dwarves than people. In the full-moon light, I can see smoke rising from some of their chimneys. It’s as peaceful a sight as I could wish for, but I’m not at ease. Ahead of me, Haley has stopped in front of a leaning blue-grey structure and it isn’t the off-kilter look of the place that worries me most. A yellow fog boils from under the black painted door and out into the street. There is a djinni behind this door, a djinni whose essence is the color of mustard flowers.
21: If there is, then what do you find most challenging when you put pen to paper? What is the easiest part when you write? What was your favorite scene that you've ever written?
Plotting has always been hard for me. Characters, they’re attributes, strengths, weaknesses, etc…that’s the fun part. Developing the conflict and resolution the characters will undergo is the challenge.
There’s a scene in Heir to the Lamp where Ginn turns into a bear and transforms her enemy Lucretia Grimm into a trout, all for the purpose of sending a message to the Grimms that Ginn will not be bullied. That was particularly fun to write.
22: What superhero is your favorite and why? What super power would you add?
Superman…all the way. I’d love to be able to fly.
23: Who is your favorite author and what is the reasoning for enjoying their books? How would you describe their writing style?
Rick Bragg. He writes of people and places that I know, and he approaches it all with so much love. His subject matter can be dark: in part he writes about abject poverty, alcoholism and domestic violence; but all with a measure of love for the characters…even the “bad guys”. His stories are about people overcoming the worst in their nature and even their culture because they strive for a better life, if not for themselves than for their children.
24: What age group do you mostly write to? What age group has mainly responded in the most positive way to your work?
I write mainly with a YA audience in mind, but a lot of my feedback and best reviews have come from adults. I enjoy reading YA myself for a lot of different reasons, and I’ve been happy to hear that readers of all ages have enjoyed my work.
25: Have you been on book tours and if so, what was your experience? Conventions? Workshops?
I try to attend a couple of writing workshops every year because I strongly believe in one continuing to polish their craft. The knowledge, experience and contacts I’ve made at these events has been invaluable to my success as a writer.
I also attend a number of fantasy conventions and literary events every year to connect with fans and build a wider readership. They are a tremendous amount of fun!
Below are some pictures from the Geek Gathering 2014!
26: Who designed the covers? Which is your favorite?
My publisher World Weaver Press designed the cover for Heir to the Lamp. I was allowed to see a few versions that they were considering, and I truly liked something from each of them. The final version was the only proposed cover that didn’t feature a model, and for that reason it stood out most to me. I love the beautiful purple smoke, a nod to Ginn whose essence burns purple whenever she uses magic.
27: Do you have any specific advice that you want to get across to your readers that want to pursue a life of writing?
My advice is simple: be well-read in your genre and write, write, write.
28: Do you remember the first book you read or caught your attention the most?
I memorized the story of Briar Rabbit when I was in Kindergarten. My mother was so impressed that she called other relatives into a room and had me “read” the book to them. Someone caught on that I wasn’t actually reading but had only memorized the story word for word. I loved it that much.
29: What book, to your knowledge, made you laugh/cry the most?
A couple of years ago I met a writer named Beck McDowell at a writers’ conference. She had a new book out from Penguin called This is Not A Drill and I purchased it at the conference. The book is the story of two high school students caught up in a school shooting that takes place at an elementary school where they volunteer as tutors. The book came out one week before the Sandy Hook shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Anyway, there’s a scene in the book where one of the first grade students starts to sing Edelweiss as the deranged gunman holds his class hostage and I remember reading that scene and crying for hours! So poignant and heartbreaking, that book!
30: Is there one author that you wish you could co-author with then who is it? Why?
I believe co-authoring has got to be one of the most difficult undertakings in writing. I know it can be done and done well—I have a close friend that has written with a partner for years—but I don’t know if I could manage it.
31: What genre do you want to write that you haven't written yet?
Romance! Lol. I’d definitely like to give it a try someday.
32: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?
I coach youth league soccer and basketball and enjoy both. There’s nothing like exercise and some good old fashioned competition to clear the mind.
33: Do you have a go to comfort food?
I love carbs. All of them. When writing I try to keep a bag of baby carrots close by so that I don’t eat something crazy like a box of Little Debbie cakes.
34: If you could live fictional (book or movie) world, what would it be? What character would you be most like?
I want to live at Hogwarts. I’d even be a lunch lady alongside the liberated house elves. I’ll do anything!
35: Do you still read a book regardless if a review has given away an important piece of the book? Do you still read a book regardless of the positive/negative reviews? Do you ever give away spoilers to others when you read.
I try to avoid spoilers if I can. It’s the tension of not knowing what’s going to happen that keeps me turning pages. If I figure it out on my own or someone gives it away, I may not finish a book. I try to keep that in mind when writing reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. As far as whether a work has received positive or negative reviews, I don’t let that determine whether or not I’ll give a book a chance. Some of my favorite movies have been unjustly slammed by critics …I try to keep that in mind when choosing books to read as well.
There's more at stake then you know! You better attend my giveaway to find out what adventures lie in front of Ginn! Can she win against the evil Grimm's or do more malevolent beings exist that she has to face off against?
Links:
Author page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Michelle-Lowery-Combs/1513665142211838
Amazon:
ebook 3.99$:
http://www.amazon.com/Heir-Lamp-Genie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00DX5YHDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422380022&sr=8-1&keywords=heir+to+the+lamp
paperback 10$:
http://www.amazon.com/Heir-Lamp-Genie-Chronicles-Volume/dp/0615813429/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1422380022&sr=8-1
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7082385.Michelle_Lowery_Combs
Thanks for having me! Best of luck to the giveaway registrants. Wish Big!
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me host! It was a lovely interview!
DeleteFabulous!
ReplyDeleteLove the interview.... Keep it up you are getting better with each one.....
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Madeline!
DeleteI'm glad that you enjoyed it Amy!
ReplyDeleteIdk which supernatural creature I'd like to be. I used to want to be a vampire but not anymore. I hate blood lol BUT I do have a favorite supernational book character (my #1 book boyfriend) and that is Asher from The Revelation Series by Randi Cooley Wilson and he is a gargoyle. I LOVE LOVE LOVE him!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats GenGenBookBlog, you are the winner for the signed paperback copy of "Heir to the Lamp"! I'll message you with all the details concerning your book. :)
ReplyDelete