Author Bio
Feel free to share a little about yourself in your own words.
How did you get into writing?
I wrote stories when I was in school for fun. As I got older and started a family, I pushed it aside. I kept reading though. I happened to stumble across a book I loved and found the author’s group on Facebook. That lead to more groups, more authors, and more books. I started thinking that if they could do it, maybe I could too. So I sat down and started typing out a story I’ve had in my head for a long time.
What can you tell us about your daily routines that help you focus and your creative habits? So, for example how do you come up with some of your ideas and inspiration for your book?
I’m pretty free form, I guess you could say. I don’t have a strict schedule. That being said, I do need music when I write or I end up just staring at the screen trying to string words together. My ideas tend to come randomly. There might be a commercial on televison that has a waterfall in it, and that sparks an idea for a hidden fairy race. I got the idea for the next series I will be doing by hearing a phrase that people use.
I have a little notebook that I jot them down in or I’ll put it in my notes on my phone if it’s not with me. Then I leave it. If it keeps popping into my head, I start fleshing it out more as I’m doing my normal daily routine. Once I feel like it has a pretty good base, I make a loose outline.
Is this book very personal for you? If so, how?
In some ways it is. The idea for Twisted Flames came when I had trouble sleeping. I would tell myself different stories to get my mind to stop thinking about a billion things. Her story kept coming back to me so I added on a bit more every night or changed things when I felt they weren’t quite right.
Everly herself it a bit of all of the women I know. Well, except for the magic part. She’s a bit broken and taped back together. She’s also protective and willing to help.
So I guess in some ways it is.
Twisted Flames
How did you come up with the book title?
This part stumped me. I had the titles for the next two series I have planned, but I couldn’t find anything that clicked with me. I ended up asking some author buddies to help and we went back and forth.
Plot and Synopsis
Can you describe what the book plot and give a detailed synopsis of the book, of course without any spoilers?
Everly is an ancient being. She doesn’t know what she is or where she came from. She just knows that’s she’s always been.
She had something horrible happen to her many many years before the book begins, but the effects are still there.
She happens upon some information that piques her interest and discovers that demons are gathering which is highly unusual.
Then four hunters show up asking for her help. The problem is that they work for the very same men that had a hand in her capture.
Ultimately, she decides to keep her enemies close and agrees to help. She must fight to keep herself safe and keep the man who is forming an army from taking her friend.
Oh, and she also has to figure out what to do with the foul mouthed, whiskey drinking baby goat that showed up.
Is there any movie, book, or television series that you can somewhat liken your story to? So for example, some books you can say are like Game of Thrones or Star Wars, what mainstream and popular movie do you think your book somewhat “feels” like? Did you want this to be the case?
I can’t think of any, but I’m not a big television watcher either.
Themes or Messages
What themes and deeper meanings or messages can we expect to find in this book if any? Is there any deep meanings or philosophical questions being explored in the book?
I think any book can have a deep meaning if the reader sees it. There’s a lot of trust issues , secrets, and fighting against one’s self within the story. If a reader sees that, or even a different message, then that’s great. If they just want a fun read, that’s also great.
Off the wall question, but would some of the issues being explored in the book relate to us here in the real world?
Absolutely. I think most people have at least a small degree of lack of trust. Secrets are also a very real thing as are the consequences of them. Not all secrets are bad, but they all have an effect. I also think that there are very few people in the world that by adulthood hasn’t struggled with something internally.
Setting
What can you tell us about the setting that we will be seeing in this book?
The setting is Earth. I made up a town and stuck fantasy characters and places in it. A lot of it takes place at her home which is an older farmhouse outside the city. We also get to see a bar that is run by witches that’s pretty cool. There’s also a hotel and a few other spots that most people would have an idea of what it is.
What cultures or societies can we expect to see and can you tell us about how you came up with creating these societies? Was it difficult to get deep into how the societies function?
Since it is an urban fantasy, I didn’t have to build an entire world from the ground up. I borrowed a lot of things from our everyday lives, exaggerated it, and applied it to their lives. The Council is the governmental body and just like corruption occurs in real world government, so does it in the book only on a grander scale. I took some lore that is already around and put my own twist on it.
Tell us about the history of the land or world or worlds that we will be exploring through out the book?
Well, most people already know a general history of Earth. There’s also parts that I can’t say because it would spoil the ending. I will say that supernaturals were here evolving right alongside humans. They once ruled, but as the human population began to outnumber them, they were forced to blend in. There was also more things before the dinosaurs and such that man doesn’t know about, but Everly does.
Characters
What can you tell us about some of the main characters and villains in this book?
Everly is the main female character. She’s of unknown origin and race. She prefers to keep people at an arm’s length but is always willing to step in and help those who need it.
Torin is one of the hunters. He’s the team leader and as a bear berserker, he has serious rage issues that he deals with every moment of his life.
Rendell is second in command. He’s quiet and analytical. He’s a dire wolf who takes care of their computer and logistical needs.
Kohana is a thunderbird. He was orphaned as a child and has a deep need to care for everyone around him. He keeps an eye on their mental health and is usually the spokesman.
Dixin is the baby of the group and a qilin. He joined the group after he watched his father murder his mother. He was forced to kill his father when he was also attacked. He covers the pain and depression with jokes. He’s the healer of the group.
Willy showed up on the porch one day. His daughters were taken and he was turned into a baby goat. He asks Everly for help in finding his girls. He is a grouchy, foul mouthed little goat who drinks a lot of whiskey to numb the pain of losing his wife and his girls.
Shadow Dragon is the “bad guy” who is gathering demons and other supernaturals. No one knows his ultimate goals, but his methods are reprehensible. The connections they find astound the group of hunters.
Promotional Links:-
Website: http://asternorth.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asternorthauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asternorthauthor/
How to buy:-
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Flames-Anomaly-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07S3KLRMG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45890884-twisted-flames
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