Today, I'd like to introduce you to Rowena Redman, who is an independent fantasy romance author and recently published her book, which is part of a collection. She is also dyslexic but doesn't let it hold her back.
What got you into writing your own stories? I have always been making up stories since I was a young child playing with Barbies and beanie babies. As I grew up I enjoyed re-writing my favourite books and playing around with different endings. Later on, I began to create stories of my own. This was all just for fun until suddenly I had written a novel. It wasn't particularly good but I realised I wanted to learn more so I studied creative writing at University hoping one to become a published author.
Tell us about your WIP.
I am currently working in the next three books in my collection. I hope to be ready to publish the second book at some point this year.
How would you describe your writing style?
George R R Martin describes two types of writers Architects and Gardeners. Architects have every detail planned out before they have even written a word. Gardeners have a general design which they begin but then allow the story to grow and develop as they write it. I am Gardener.
What comes more easily, plot or characters?
For this collection, I would say the plot came easier there were certain scenes and chapters that came to me so clearly as soon as I thought of the book idea. However, the character where much more nebulous and developed along the way.
Do you cross over genres or do you only stick to one?
For the moment I am only writing within the one genre but I do have book ideas that would branch into different genres.
What is your "writer's den" like?
I don't have a den at present. I wish I did and certainly hope to in the future but for now it is just me and my laptop. I write in different places, at home, at work, and in the garden while on holiday with my family. Wherever I happen to be I will find somewhere comfy to settle to my writing.
How do you get into the flow for writing? Do you have any rituals?
Every book I write has a notebook to accompany it. Here I flesh out character bios, draw maps and buildings and plan my plot. For my first draft, I just write chapter by chapter without any critical breakdown that comes later. Before I begin I write a chapter breakdown in my notebook to help me focus on what I want to happen in each section of the chapter to help the story flow. When the first draft is complete I always do at least one complete read through to play around and develop the book before sending it to the editors.
What is your personally most significant achievement as a writer, and why? Definitely finding the courage to publish my book. Being dyslexic the thought of sharing my story with anyone was terrifying. I had redrafted my book many times and had taken it as far as I was able but I had no idea if it was at all good. Finding the strength to publish my book took some time but overall the experience has been a positive one. I look forward to publishing the rest of my collection.
What would be the greatest achievement for you to aim for as a writer if anything were possible? Right now as an indie author, I am focusing on small achievable goals so that I can be proud when I do. My current goal is to earn enough from my first book to pay to publish the second. It won't take much but I still have a long way to go.
What are you most grateful for as a writer? The friends and supporters I have made since being published. I never knew there was such a community of writers online but I have discovered this in these past months. I could not have kept going or achieved as much as I have without their help.
Do you have a day job? What is it? I work for the NHS, I am a receptionist for the chest clinic at my local hospital.
Has a real-life experience informed your writing? Share the scene it inspired. So far no real-life experience has influenced my work knowingly. I have previously thought about writing more personal stories but currently they remain unwritten and unplotted.
Do you read the same genre you write? Why, or why not? I read a lot of different genres, certainly fantasy but I also a lot read Historical fiction and romance books. Recently I have also started exploring Sci-Fi which is a relatively new genre for me.
Do you read fellow indie authors' works? Why or why not? I have only just begun exploring indie author's work. Until recently I hadn't discovered many independently published titles but becoming an Indie author myself recently has opened my eyes. I am now exploring quite a few books eagerly.
Is there an author who inspires you? That is a very tough question to answer, and the truth is it changes at different points in my life. Growing up with sisters, I have always liked the books of Louisa May Alcott, but as an adult, I do love the Agatha Christie Mystery. However, if I had to choose one that has inspired me to write. I would say George R R Martin. I don't have his level of skill or talent but I felt challenged to write an epic fantasy collection.
Give us three fun facts about yourself.
Fact one I have a terrible sense of humour according to my husband, so the facts below are not necessarily fun.
Fact two I am currently pregnant with my second child and due next month.
Fact three I am named after a character in a Walter Scott book.
What's one of your funniest experiences? This is probably not a funny haha story but when I was growing my family and I used to take a lot of long road trips. Whether it was just a day out or a longer trip to visit relatives I remember these car journeys a lot. We listened to audiobooks, sang loudly to music and often argued but still, I remember those memories fondly. So much so that years later when I was away from home for university I actually asked to do this for my birthday. I didn't care where we went in fact I can't even remember any other part of the day just the five of us together in the car.
What is something about you that few people know? I was a member of St John's Ambulance as a volunteer first aider for two years and still support them. I am still a trained first aid and the organisation means a lot to me.
Do you have any hobbies? I enjoy swimming and going for walks. I am also very crafty and enjoy sowing and making things for my children from cards to mobiles.
What's your favorite holiday destination?
I love both Italy and Scotland. I have visited both and even lived in Scotland for a time. Yet there is much and more I would love to see in both these lands.
What's your favorite season?
Autumn, I just love all the colours and watching the leaves fall.
Featured Book: Kingdoms of Parvery; The Survivor book 1
A village with seemingly no enemies is reduced to a ghost town with no warning after all the inhabitants are killed bar one. Myrbeth the daughter of a murdered family seeks answers whilst she contemplates her future as the adopted daughter of King Trevard. She knows there can be no hope of future with Prince Frederick the king’s son but she cannot help loving him. The king himself has never been satisfied with answers on the attack and must now strike out on his own in search of a culprit. However, with the return of the Black Knights he might discover more than he had wished to. As events unfold Mercy a member of the Black Knights present at that long ago massacre, ponders on but one thought as he weighs up whether he truly belongs with them.
“What difference could one survivor make?"
"I would first like to congratulate the author on their first published book. This story has a lot of room to grow and develop and I look forward to seeing how it does. The book starts really well. It has a great hook! Who wouldn't be hooked by the death of an entire village, What a way to start and I was keen to know why. It was here I was also introduced to the character who became my favourite quite quickly: Mercy." ~ continued on Goodreads.
Who was your favorite character to write and why? I suppose it ought to be my main character, the Survivor Myrbeth but while I do love this character, my favourite character is Mercy. I don’t want to say too much about why because it will give a lot about his character journey, but Mercy is a mercenary whom readers meet in the first chapter. He is a complex character that readers will really get to know. I am sure they will soon learn why he is my favourite.
What was your favorite scene to write and why? I think my favourite chapter to write was chapter two. For the first several drafts of my novel the second chapter was actually the first chapter in the book. This only changed when added the character of Mercy who was not a character I had ever imagined writing. The second chapter is the chapter where the survivor Myrbeth first arrives and is accepted into the king's household. As this chapter was originally designed to be the first chapter it needed to grip readers so naturally I spent a lot of time on it. When it later became the second chapter I was even happy about this as it allowed me to put more detail in about the King and Queen and some of the Kingdom of Hollthen's traditions that I was sure about adding to the first chapter. I won't say more but I love how this chapter came out, however as a side note you can read the first chapter for free on my website.
What was the spark that started this book? The idea for my first book the survivor began with the love story that is featured within its pages. Once I started to plan the plot further a much larger story point became clearer to me and it is that greater plot that has driven the collection. However, The love story of Frederick and Myrbeth is an important a powerful part of the story I am telling. They are pivotal and will shape the events in Parvery that are to come but I won't say more at this time.
What was the most interesting random fact you researched for this book? I am not sure it is interesting or random but I did of lot of research into topography and geography to help me construct my fantasy map, which is featured in the book. One fact I did discover is that a source of water is the most vital point when a settlement is being constructed. It is around these water sources that towns and villages are built. Water therefore is the heart of Kingdom.
What's the message you worked into this book?
There is a larger message that is worked into my collection but it only begins in the first book and to reveal it would give away too much of the story ahead, I'm afraid.
Is there anything else readers should know about your book?
Yes as a final note, I would like to say that believe beautiful artwork should be part of a fantasy novel. Some of my favourite authors have had some beautiful illustrations created for their novels or artist inspired by fantasy novels have created some amazing artwork. This is why when I decided to self-publish I chose to work with an artist to include some illustrations of my own.
"They were like the monster under the bed or the shadow in the cupboard. You try to convince yourself that it’s not real, that you have nothing to be frightened of. But this monster is real and I am afraid."
Check out The Survivor here.
Want to find out more? Connect with Rowena here.
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