-- World of Writing --
Here's another installment of our World of Writing interview series - these are in Q&A format. Scroll through the archives to find this series and learn information from other people in the industry.
* Shout out to Denise Thompson, Assistant to the Publisher - with Absolute Love Publishing - who sent a query our way for today's guest.
Today we are featuring Steven Schatz, author of: Adima Rising - The Adima Chronicles Book 1. Steven has been a cook, tour guide, manager, comic, and university professor. He hitchhiked around the country for two years, seeing how people have figured their path through life. Through it all, he has written – poems, short stories, songs, and books. Adima Rising is his first published novel, and it falls under the genre of "young adult". Find out more via: http://www.
Q: Give us a brief synopsis of your novel...
A: For millenia, the evil Kroledutz have fed on the essence of humans and clashed in secret with the Adima, the light weavers of the universe. Now, with the balance of power shifting toward darkness, time is running out. Guided by a timeless Native American spirit, four teenagers from a small New Mexico town discover they have one month to awaken their inner power and save the world.
Q: When you started your book, did you plan on writing it as a series, or did it just grow into one?
A: Adima Rising started with a single idea for a single book. However, as the characters and worlds grew and filled out, I wanted to find out more. The series, The Adima Chronicles, touches on questions we all ask – "Why am I here? What’s my purpose? What is most important to me?"
Q: What age group did you write for?
A: I wrote it for ages 13 – 20, a time when you are trying to find your place in the world. However, I’ve had people in their 60’s rave about it.
Q: Why did you write for this particular age group?
A: Books take on their own life during the writing. Adima Rising started as an adult book, morphed to a tween and found its home in YA. At that age, you don’t analyze and distance yourself from the experience, you jump on and enjoy the ride. I also wanted to show some of the real choices we all face without being preachy, a romance, or something about European beasties.
Q: Did you find it difficult to choose the right language, images and writing style for reaching this age group?
A: I didn’t try to use the latest slang. Besides, after a while, the characters are real enough that they talk for themselves.
Q: How do you plan to promote this book (or series)?
A: We’ll reach out to lots of blogs and online interview shows – both YA and diversity focused. I’m starting to contact YA, diversity, fantasy and consciousness conferences. I do readings on my youtube channel, SteveWrites. Finally, I hope that the book is interesting and useful enough that each person who reads it tells their friends.
Q: Is there anything in your book that is based on a real life experience?
A: I grew up in New Mexico. We went to several pueblos – both alive and ruins. I remember going into a reconstructed kiva and sitting in alone for a long time. I actually dug a hole about the size of Rory’s kiva. The rest was either from my head or guided by spirit of the book.
Q: Why did you feel this book needed to be written?
A: I think it’s crucial that each of us create what is sacred and important to us, not turn that responsibility to someone else. To be an Adima means to take intentional, creative, action and take responsibility for it. Finally, as Belecha says, “If you see darkness, light a candle. If that’s not enough, light a torch.”
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