Welcome my guest today, Amanda, a fantasy writer from the island of Newfoundland.
Amanda Labonté
lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she gets much of the inspiration for
the characters and places about which she writes. As the co-owner of an
educational business and mother of two she spends much of her day with kids of
all ages. They give her some of the best reading recommendations.
Interview
1.
Tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a writer and business owner living in St. John’s, Newfoundland on
Canada’s far east coast. I have two awesome kids and a husband who also doubles
as my beta reader. My first novel, Call of the Sea, is a YA fantasy
which has recently been picked up by Engen Books as a series. In addition to
writing, I also enjoy reading and reviewing books, avoiding house cleaning, and
discovering new shows to binge watch on Netflix.
2.
What made you want to become a writer?
I knew I wanted to become a writer from the time I was in
eighth grade. I had a wonderful English teacher who thought I had potential and
encouraged me to write. Even though I didn’t always get positive feedback on my
creative writing, this early interaction really helped set me on a path to
wanting to share my writing with others.
3.
Tell us something about how you write? i.e. are
you a plotter or a pantser? Do you have any weird or necessary writing habits
or rituals?
Probably the weirdest thing I do is when I have really bad
case of writers’ block or a plot point is really bugging me, I go take a
shower. I know it sounds strange, but it can really help sort out my thoughts,
especially when I am under a deadline.
4.
Do you think people have misconceptions about
the speculative fiction? Why do you think it is a worthwhile genre?
I think the misconceptions about
speculative fiction come from within the writing community, rather than the reading
community. Fans of speculative fiction are amongst the most dedicated and
voracious readers. I love writing for this audience.
One of the main misconceptions
about speculative fiction is that these writers don’t have to work as hard,
since they are making up a new world or using magic as part of their plot. I
would say that this might make speculative fiction more fun to write, but it
doesn’t make it easier. Consistency is just as important, and just as
problematic, in an alternate reality as it is in our own.
As for the value of speculative
fiction, I think that’s most easily seen in how deeply readers feel about books
written in genres like fantasy and science fiction. These stories resonate
deeply with readers and have proven lasting power.
5.
What gives you inspiration for your book?
My inspiration for Call
of the Sea came from my surroundings. Though the specific communities are
fictional, the setting of the story is a very real place. The Cape Shore is a
beautiful area with breathtaking sea views. It’s exactly the sort of place
you’d expect to find fantastical beings.
6.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
By far, the hardest part of writing this book was balancing my time. My
daughter was very young when I was trying to get the Call of the Sea
manuscript ready to submit. Then, when I did manage to carve out some time, I
had to fight the self-doubt that I think plagues all writers. Is this any good?
What if no one ever reads it? I still have to fight the self-doubt demons, I
think it’s something all writers have to deal with.
7.
Tell us a little about your plans for the future. Do you have any other books in the works?
I have been working on an e-book serial called Supernatural Causes. It’s a paranormal
medical mystery about a university student who moonlights as an intern at a
hospital for vampires, werewolves, and witches. Supernatural Causes will be released in four parts, which we’re
calling ‘episodes’, starting in April, 2017. I am also working on Return to the Sea, the sequel to Call of the Sea, which will be made
available April 2018 through Engen Books.
Where can we find you online?
(please cut and paste links):
Website: https://engenbooks.com/
Twitter:
@amlabonte
Call of the Sea
While twins
Alex and Ben are at sea, they get into a fight, and Ben disappears suddenly
from the boat without so much as a ripple in the water. Determined to find his
brother, Alex begins the biggest adventure of his life, armed only with a
mysterious musical talent and the help of a local girl named Meg. But his best
hope for finding his brother might come from the alluring and dangerous girl he finds
amidst the frothing ocean waves.
Excerpt
Come to me, she called, she
called.
Come to me my one, my only…
The melody played at the edges
of his consciousness. The gentle sound of woodwind instruments with the
occasional infusion of something deeper, a low, sonorous percussion. He floated
along on the feeling of a familiar dream — until it became louder, more
pronounced, overpowering his other senses.
Come to me my one, my only…
Alex sat up in bed, his heart
racing, and looked toward the open window. This was not how he’d envisioned his
first night home after being away for almost a month. Knowing exactly where the
sound was coming from and what he had to do, he ducked out from under the lower
bunk and fumbled in the dark for a T-shirt. He pulled the stretch cotton over
his head while sneaking into the hallway, making as little noise as possible so
as not to wake the household.
He paused halfway down the
stairs as the wooden clock in the living room chimed the hour. One … two …
three … four. Far too early to be up. Moving on, he used the light over the stove
in the kitchen to find his sneakers and was almost to the back door when he
heard Poppy muttering.
Doubling back to the first
floor bedroom, he listened outside the door and thought about checking on him
but decided against it. Poppy frequently woke in the middle of the night, but
he didn't wander. Anyway, the music was getting louder, giving him a headache.
He needed to get moving.
He left through the back,
careful not to let the screen door swing shut. The predawn air was pleasantly
warm, and the walk would have been almost welcome if Alex wasn't hearing a song
to which everyone else remained deaf. He followed the driveway out onto the
main road and down the hill that led to the beach path.
Oddly, as he got closer, the
music became softer, as though some cosmic power had been shouting for his
attention, and now that he'd answered, it was all right for it to whisper. By
the time his feet slid onto the beach rocks, the melody had blended so subtly
with the sound of the waves that he might have imagined it.
Except that if he turned back
now, he knew it would start all over again.
The tide was out, revealing the
narrow strip of sandy beach that was actually a piece of the ocean floor. It
made a path to the horned rock, nicknamed for the horn-like appendages that
protruded from the ocean side of the boulder. The novelty of the rock was that
when the tide was in it was surrounded by water, but when the tide was out it
was completely accessible. The trick was not to get caught when the tide
changed.
He sank down on the strip of
sand, facing the ocean, and felt the sense of relief that came with answering
the music’s call. It was a clear night, and he could see the stars and the
crescent moon. He took a deep, cleansing breath, tasting the salt air. The
music had completely dissipated now, and it was easy to think that it had all
been an illusion. Closing his eyes, he listened to the natural, rhythmic sound
of the waves.
He’d missed the ocean while
he’d been away.
Tell me what you think in the comments below.
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