Young Adult Paranormal Romance/ Sci-Fi
Date Published: 10/11/2013
For Aislinn Moore, attending college at seventeen isn’t a big deal. Not when compared to the difficulties associated with seeing ethereal beings and having prophetic dreams.
As Aislinn learns to surmount the obstacles of her talents, she awakens something inside herself—an ancient memory, long forgotten. She senses there are reasons for her gifts, but remains unable to understand them.
When Alexander Welch enters her life, she learns of the Ewlishash—the hope bringers—and thinks she may have found her answer. Alexander is sexy, sweet, and his talents are like something straight out of a Sci-Fi flick. Aislinn wonders if she may be like him, but the more she tries to fit his mold, the more her instincts scream that her destiny holds something even greater.
INTERVIEW:
In a hundred words or less, how would you describe Heart-Shaped Emblor?
AE: The
Heart-Shaped Emblor is about finding your voice, overcoming fear, and learning
how to follow your heart. Aislinn’s world includes witches, prophetic dreams,
psychics, other dimensional beings, and what ties it all together is string
theory. Acts of integrity and compassion raise the characters’ vibrations,
allowing them special abilities in order to help those who’ve lost hope. Most
of all, this novel is about love. Not just any love, but a cosmic connection
that extends beyond the here and now, and across the multiverse.
How long did it take for you to write this novel, generally? Do you normally
plan a lot ahead of time or just see where your writing goes?
AE: This novel took
about a year and a half to complete because it began as a YA, then I rewrote it
as a New Adult, then took it back to a YA again when asked to do so by my
publisher. Normally it takes about three months for me to complete a full-length
manuscript. This one just had several versions. Even now the first version is
like reading a completely different book.
Out of
all the characters that you developed, which is your favorite? Which one that
held the most difficulty?
AE: I think my
favorite is actually Aislinn since I can relate to her so much. She’s lost, has
no sense of who she is or what she’s capable of. Trapped in a world of lies and
false relationships that are based on social status. The difficulty of writing
a character like this is that she appears weak or easily swayed, and for a
while, she is. When you have no sense of identity, it’s too easy to adopt what
everyone else tells you and be a push over. The challenge was to find a way to
show this about her, but also reveal her growth as she began to trust her own
instincts over others. This first novel in the series really covers a lot of
her personal growth and becoming the person she’s meant to be.
Have
you always held an interest in the paranormal genre? Are there any other genres
you enjoy writing about?
'
AE: I really enjoy
cross genre stuff. This series is technically young adult, paranormal, and sci
fi, but with a tone of romance. I have even dipped into some fantasy. So yes, I
do write multiple genres and I usually tie more than one into a novel.
If any
one character from Heart-Shaped Emblor could come alive in person, and you
could have a conversation with them, which character would you choose?
AE: Oh wow, good
question. This is a tough one because if it was based on hotness factor, I would
choose Alexander. But for asking questions, I think I would rather it be one of
the Celestial Guardians. In the story, they represent the highest form of love
and compassion, as well as, have knowledge of all the cosmos. So it would
definitely be one of them.
In
Heart-Shaped Emblor, Aislinn has prophetic dreams. What is thecraziest or most
interesting dream that you’ve had?
AE: I once had a
dream where I traveled to a rainbow planet and met thousands of different
species of intelligent life, all hanging out and socializing together. It was
called The Healing Planet, and everything was translucent and the water
iridescent. The crazy part of this dream was that I dreamt this when I was
pregnant and later, my son informed me that before he went into my tummy he
traveled past a rainbow planet with his other daddy. It was an odd experience!
Have
you always wanted to be a writer? If not, when did you first hold an interest
in writing?
AE: I used to love
writing and wrote lots of short stories when I was younger. Then I got into
high school and a teacher told me never to write for a career. He was brutal,
and sadly, I gave up writing. It wasn’t until later in life when I got the
sudden itch to begin writing again, that I realized the teacher was a jerk and
I should have used the opportunity to prove him wrong. Or at least taken his
insults as a challenge and chosen to rise above them. This is why we should
never give up on our dreams, no matter what people tell us.
What thoughts went through your mind when you first became a published
author?
AE: My publisher is
crazy. That’s about it! I was happy and appreciative, but it’s hard for me to
accept sometimes that people believe in me. As more people read the novel and
tell me what they think or how it impacted them, I know my publisher saw
something in me that I just didn’t yet. I feel grateful every day for the
opportunities given to me.
What
are some songs you would include on a playlist for Heart-Shaped Emblor? Do you
enjoy music or prefer silence when writing?
AE: I’m a mood
person, so if I need to write an action scene, I pick something that relates to
that scene. Some of the songs I’ve used are “Gravity of Love” by Enigma, “We
Are Here To Change The World” by Michael Jackson, “Resistance” by Muse, “Ten
Thousand Fists” by Disturbed, and for romantic types scenes I use a lot of
Enya. Sometimes I prefer silence, but it really just depends on how the scene
is flowing.
Who are
the authors that have inspired you the most?
AE: I think a lot
of authors have inspired me, but I really connect with Jean M. Auel, Tad
Williams, and for YA, Stephanie Meyer. I’m one of those silly girls who totally
loved the Twilight Series.
When
not writing or reading, what do you enjoy doing?
AE: My need to
always be creating something keeps me pretty busy. I make jewelry, dream
catchers, bookmarks, and I paint, draw, love taking black and white photos,
making videos, and dancing, I can’t forget that!
What
projects are you currently working on?
'
AE: I’m on draft
two for the Ewlishash series, working on book two for a dystopian romance
series I have, and a YA fantasy romance too. Plus several short stories. I like
to move back and forth between projects to keep my ideas flowing.
Lastly,
what advice would you give to aspiring writers or those who are considering
publishing a novel of their own?
AE: Know your
market. This is one people kept telling me, and because I love crossing genres,
I’ve learned that the issue isn’t with people not loving to read stuff like
that. The problems come in when a larger publisher is trying to fit your work
into the display at the store. There aren’t sections where you can cross this
stuff, so knowing what your novel fits in best is helpful in your pitch to an
agent or publisher. Unless you’re self-publishing or going to be getting most
sales from eBooks. Then you can have the book displayed in several areas at
once.
Most
importantly, don’t give up. If you need help, attend writers workshops. I am
part of Cascade Writers and being a part of that group has really helped me
clean up my writing and making it stronger. I also met several published
authors and an agent through the group, and I’m still in contact with some of
these people. Network, keep writing, and don’t give up.
Her first novel, The Heart-Shaped Emblor, releases October 11, 2013 with Evil Girlfriend Media. The novel is the first in the Ewlishash Series. Read more about Alaina at www.alainayewing.com.
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