Interview with Elaine Ouston, author of The mystery of Nida Valley
Today I am hosting Elaine Ouston on her blog tour. Elaine Ouston's
latest fantasy book, The Mystery of Nida Valley,
a
tale
of
magic, time-travel and adventure for readers aged 10+ has just been
released. It is the first book in a series about a hidden valley full
of ancient animals, dinosaurs, and much more.
What authors/books did you read as a child?
As a beginning reader, I loved the fantasy of Enid Blyton's books like
The Magic Faraway Tree, but by about ten, I had switched to her
adventure stories. I read most of the series of The Famous Five,
The
Secret Seven, and anything I could get my hands on in the same ilk.
From my teens on my taste changed and I started to read fantasy. The
Lord
of
The
Rings is my all time favourite.
When did you first become interested in being a writer?
At school, I loved writing compositions (short stories) in English
class, and would send hours dreaming up interesting plots for them.
Did you consider a career in writing?
In year eight - the year we finished lower school then - I was told by
the guidance office that I had the potential to study either art or
writing - to become a graphic artist or journalist. It was a hard
decision, but I choose art and worked in the industry for over twenty
years. But I never lost my desire to write. During this time I also
studied creative writing. My writing at that time was advertising
related - advertising copy writing, newsletters, press releases
etc.
Name authors or books that have influenced or inspired your own
writing
in some way?
As I have already mentioned, J. R. R. Tolkien is my all-time favourite
author. Enid Blyton, C. S. Lewis and The Bronte sisters, follows him
closely but there are so many current novelists who also inspire me. I
am fortunate enough to have most of them as my Facebook friends. The
few I haven't yet met are Maria V. Snyder, Matthew Reilly and Tim
Winton.
If you were travelling and were told you could only take one book
with
you, what book would it be and why?
I wouldn't be able to decide - that's why I'm taking an eBook reader to
Europe with me - so I can take a whole library.
What do you hope your readers will take away from reading your books?
Except for knowledge of the megafauna, I want my readers to be totally
absorbed in the world I've created, as if they too have journeyed to
the valley. To share the laughter, tears and fears my characters feel.
To remember the courage of my protagonists as they faced danger and
take that courage into their own lives. I want them to finish reading
my book with a satisfied feeling, but with a desire to share more
adventures with my characters. I want them I want them like it so much
they recommend it to their friends. Is all that too much to hope for?
What advice could you give aspiring authors about the process of
writing and self-publishing?
I believe writing fiction is 70% imagination and 30% knowledge and
skill. However, that 30% is vital to have before you start your story.
Be sure to read anything that you can get your hands on about writing
or do some formal study. If you decide to self-publish, make sure that
you have the manuscript appraised and edited to ensure it is ready. I
had two published authors, and many friends read my story first. I
listened to their advice and re-wrote the scenes that weren't working,
then sent it off to an editor and a proof-reader before publication.
Why did you decide to offer your books as e-books?
As many children are more interested in electronic gadgets than books,
I hoped it would pick up a few more readers. I think it is the way of
the future, unfortunately.
Where can we buy your book The Mystery of Nida Valley?
Hopefully, in your local bookshop. Dennis Jones and Associates is
distributing it so if it is not in stock, just ask the store to order
it for you. Or, you can get a cheaper, signed, dedicated printed copy
from my website. eBooks in
many formats
are also available there. Payment is via PayPal.
In conjunction with this blog tour, you can go in the draw to win one
of three copies of the book. Go to
http://themysteryofnidavalley.wordpress.com
and check out the Collector
Cards page. Then answer this question: What megafauna animal
would you like to see in the flesh and why?
The competition will close at midnight on May 15th 2011. The answers
will be assigned a number, and that number will be put in a draw. The
winners will be notified by email. The winners will also be eligible to
enter the Code Cracker Game.
Pat Pledger