A to Z Challenge: Interview - Corinne O'Flynn

Today I welcome fellow A to Z challenger and and Fantasy author Corinne O'Flynn to our Friday Interviews.  As part of the A to Z Blog Challenge, I encourage you to visit her on corinneoflynn.com  and say hello.

Her official bio says:

Corinne O'Flynn is a native New Yorker who now lives in Colorado and wouldn't trade life in the Rockies for anything. She loves writing flash and experimenting with short fiction. Her novel, THE EXPATRIATES (Oct. 2014) is a YA fantasy adventure with magic and creatures and lots of creepy stuff. HALF MOON GIRLS (April 2015) is a murder mystery/police procedural set on Kauai and was written as part of the launch of Toby Neal's Lei Crime Kindle World. She is a scone aficionado, has an entire section of her kitchen devoted to tea, and is always on the lookout for the elusive Peanut Chews candy.

When she isn’t writing, Corinne works as the executive director of a nonprofit. She is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. You can find her online at her website, Facebook, or Twitter @CorinneOFlynn.

I had some fun chatting with Corinne about several nifty things:

CO'F: Thanks for having me on your blog. I've just released a new novella and I'm hosting a contest for anyone who reads and reviews on Amazon, they can enter to win $25 amazon gift cards or ebook copies of my YA novel. Contest details here: http://www.corinneoflynn.com/a-giveaway-to-celebrate-a-new-release/

Cool! We love contests. Y'all have one more week to enter. 

Corinne writes YA Fantasy. Her first book The Expatriates: Song of the Sending is out now. I quite enjoyed it.

HWK: In "The Expatriates: Song of the Sending", James has lived most of his life on Earth. His mother kept the reason for that a secret from him. Having read the book, I understand the wisdom of her decision. That's a hard choice to make. What was going through her head or her heart when she initially made that choice?

CO'F: When his family made the choice to hide Jim, it wasn't a unanimous decision. Without revealing spoilers, I will say that Jim's mom wasn't interested in the greater good or anything political as it would relate to doing this. In fact, she abhorred all of those things. Her choice was driven by the "mama bear" instinct to protect her child and give him the best shot at a decent life, everyone else be damned! If you read the story, you'll know that ends up.

HWK: The Sweetwater clan hid on earth in plain sight as a travelling circus. Was this part of their camouflage, or did the clan have a deeper connection to the performance arts?  Do you have any circus connections?

CO'F: Oh, how I wish I had circus connections, in the fantastical non-animal abuse, nostalgic way! Didn't we all want to run away and join the circus at some point in our childhoods? No, when I think of the circus, it's a romantic, magical place. In The Expatriates, the Sweetwater clan lives in a traveling carnival as a way to stay on Earth without arousing the suspicion of the locals. They aren't the first ones from Bellenor on Earth, and previous clans have been doing this for ages. Since many of them have special abilities, a nomadic life was the best protection. There are carnival clans that live on Bellenor, the world where they are from. It's a part of the culture for these people and, at this point, is a planned feature in future books.  

HWK: What do you love most about publishing in the 21st Century? 

CO'F: Aside from the fact that the barrier to publication no longer exists for anyone willing to do the work, I think the coolest thing about publishing today is the ability to try new things. For example, I was invited to write a novella to help launch Toby Neal's new Lei Crime Kindle World. Half Moon Girls launched last week! The whole concept of Kindle Worlds and the ability to license fan fiction in this way is possible in many ways because of how publishing has changed. I love that the short-story is making a comeback, and anthologies. Indie publishing has made a huge impact there as well. I am fan of publishing in all is flavors. But the changes are empowering, for sure.

HWK: What one writing tool do you wish you had?

CO'F: I wish I had a gigantic visual, wall-sized touchscreen for plotting and outlining. A dynamic flowing beauty like we see in sci-fi and futuristic movies. That would be the one writing tool I'd love to have. Like, right now, please. 

HWK: Your neighbors stage a protest march on your street. What are they protesting and would you join them?

CO'F: Hmmm. There are so many causes igniting passions these days. I could list a dozen. Instead I'll share one that I was talking about just yesterday. Something that's going on around here in Colorado that is troubling many people is the mass-murder of prairie dogs to make way for new development. While many see the prairie dog as vermin, the fact is prairie dogs are what is known as a keystone species--their existence contributes to local wildlife diversity and should they become extinct, that would result in the extinction of species dependent upon it for survival. I love their cousin... the squirrel. I *love* them. I have a pinterest board dedicated solely to the delightful squirrel. And based on that alone, I would absolutely join that march!  

My pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/corinneoflynn/squirrel/

HWK: Preach it! If you could convince the world of one thing--anything--what would it be?

CO'F: Oh man... that's a huge question! If I have to pick one thing, I'd like to empower people: It is possible for one person to make a difference in the world. And if you're passionate about something, do it! Don't listen to the people who would hold you back. No matter who they are!

HWK: Thanks for spending some time with us on Romance Spinners.

BUY LINKS:

The Expatriates:



Amazon.com • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Smashwords • Goodreads • Kobo

Half Moon Girls: Kindle Worlds Novella
A kidnapping and murder mystery/police procedural set in Toby Neal's Lei Crime Series



Amazon • Goodreads

Links to info re: Toby's Kindle World - other writers can write in it if they want!
http://tobyneal.net/kindleworlds/

Girls Don't Spoil It. Others Spoil It for the Girls.

I recently read this thought-provoking article by Kelly Jensen about "Girls Ruin Everything: Stephenie Meyer, Lois Duncan, and Childhood Nostalgia".  You need to read it too.

She opens with reference to some others' opinions about Stephenie Meyer producing films of other author's work, those opinions being that Meyer's "reputation" will "ruin" the works.  Jensen disagrees with them and so do I.

Really, people?  Honestly? Meyer's reptuation is so bad it will ruin another author's? Are you serious? Or are you just being stupid?

I've seen quite a bit of Meyer hate being flung about the past few years, but not from me. Never from me. I'm no Twi-hard; I confess I'm rather indifferent to her books (maybe one of the few people in the world who is), but I admire her as a fellow author who managed, much to the surprise of her critics, to influence a surprisingly high number of reader.

That's cool in my books.

Sometimes I wonder where all this vitriol comes from? 

Is it because she writes YA?  (There's a bit of a YA kneejerk movement going on in some obscure corner of the Internet. They just don't get it.) 

Is it because she's a woman who's going about empowering other women's dreams?  (You know, that whole feminist thing is pretty scary stuff.  And Meyer comes from a culture with a two hundred year history of feminism.) 

Is it because she's a Latter-Day Saint (aka Mormon)?  (Just ignore the fact that Mormons tend to be highly-successful people on the whole with a reputation for generosity & honesty who tend to live about ten years longer on the average.) Personally, I'm rather fond of Mormons.

Is it because she's a successful author? Quite probably. Jealousy often brings out the worst in people, sometimes without them realising it.  Is she hogging the limelight?  Heck, no! Just like JK Rowling isn't hogging the spotlight (despite the fact that others have accused her of that, and suggest she should back down and let others "have their chance").

That must be it. After all, the publishing industry isn't exactly a meritocracy. It's an industry of sheer dumb luck. So Meyer hit the market at the right time and right place with the right product.  If anything, her success is evidence in my eyes that Rowling wasn't a Once-in-a-Lifetime miracle.

If Meyer can do it after Rowling did it, maybe I can.

Okay, the reality is I'll end up as a midlister with a small core of rabid ne'er-say-die fans whom I'll love to bits, but because lightning's struck twice, that gives me hope.

Some day I'll be one of those household name authors (shh... let me dream) and when I am, I, like Meyer, will take my earnings and turn them to the benefit of others. She's producing movies. (I watched Austenland and enjoyed it.)  Me, I'm going to hit the crowdfunding sites and hand out scholarships. I'm going to hit the microloan sites and fund worthy causes.

And when I do these things (make it big and dole out cash), am I to be the target of disgruntled green-faced people with no sense of nobility and too much time on their hands?

Probably.

Just letting you know now it's them, not Meyer, not Rowling and not me.

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Her Grace might not hit it that big, but she will still find a way to fund scholarships.

My Novel Known as Aunt Sophie

Christian Nauck could do the graphic novel.

Everyone needs a crazy aunt who can drag them into adventure. For Denise Fagmilia-and-Paterfamilias, that's her Aunt Sophie.

When her mother Madre dies, apparently of illness, Denise Fagmilia is sold into indentured servitude. This is dreadfully unfair, and rather illegal, as Denise does have a living father. Somewhere.

"IF you had a father," she's told, "He wouldn't want you. You have no Talent."  It's true. In all her twelve years, Denise hasn't shown a single scrap of magical Talent.

Before she is sold on, her Aunt Sophie comes to rescue her. Aunt Sophie also brings with her the suspicion that Madre might have been murdered.  In her grief, Denise discovers she does have a talent.She can scry the dead.

As an epidemic sweeps the kingdom and political factions threaten civil war, Aunt Sophie takes Denise from the streets of Hometown to the Palace and audience with the King himself. With her Talent discovered, lots of people want Denise.

Sophie agrees with Denise on one vital thing; Denise needs to be reunited with her father, albeit for reasons other than what Denise believes.  Denise simply wants a family. But Aunt Sophie knows that Denise will help stop a civil war--or start one.

TNKAAS is a NaNoWriMo novel with magic and steampunky flavour. It's sit quite nicely on the shelf next to some Scott Westerfield.

I wrote the first half in a November, and then finished the draft some time after that.  Right now it feels like a YA, but I don't know if I want it to be a YA. It's a little too heavy for a MG. Some readers balk at the thought of an adult novel with a child protagonist. And for further thought, who's the true protag? Sophie or Denise? The novel is from Denise's POV, but Aunt Sophie is very much the mover and shaker here.  I'll have to do another draft and see if I can change the mood.

A note: When I'm drafting something, I'm terrible with names. Completely terrible. I can't even come up with a title. So terrible, I'll concoct these rich, round characters with histories and baggage and goals and dreams, but I can't tell you their name.  Aunt Sophie and her partner Mathu are the only ones in this series who have proper names. Everyone else is named with placeholders.  That's why the two families are called Fagmilia and Paterfamilias.  Even Denise's name is a punnic placeholder.  Eventually I'll source names when I need to. Until then, this is what they're called.

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Her Grace is happy to let this one age for a while. But it does have potential, if written the right way.

My Contemporary YA Novel: Mormon Molly

Thought I'd attempt a contemporary YA novel. Attempt is a very good word for it.  I completely failed this one by being totally boring with boring characters, boring plot, blatantly preachy and everything else that can turn off a reader.  Happy for this one to remain in the trunk.

Besides, better Molly Mormon novels have been written.

Molly grew up in Utah, she and another half-million Mormons.  As the dominant culture, everyone tried to look like everyone else.  Such was life behind the Zion Curtain.

One day a new girl started at Molly's high school.  She was not from Utah and she was not Mormon!  
Could it be possible that someone not Mormon could be a good person?  [Well, duh, yes. Molly learns several Valuable Life Lessons. Why am I boring you with this crap?]

I can't believe I once thought writing contemporary YA was a good idea. What was I thinking?

To make up for such a bad book idea, here's some pictures of cats, Mormon-themed:

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Her Grace solemnly swears never to attempt a contemporary YA novel ever again.  Ever.