I'm here introducing Elsie Park, a debut author and a friend whose book Shadows of Valor is coming out September 7, 2013.
Rachel - Before we talk about your
writing, tell me a little about yourself.
Elsie – First of all, Rachel, thank you so much for having me
as a guest on your blog. I’m both honored and grateful *smile*.
I grew up in a small town outside Yosemite National Park,
California, U.S.A. I enjoy playing soccer and the piano, reading, writing, art
and spending time with family. Years ago I spent 18 months in Italy teaching
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Seeing the castles and old Roman cities enhanced my
fascination for ancient and medieval culture (unfortunately, my Italian is now a
little rusty). In college I studied zoology, botany and criminal justice. I've
worked as a wildland firefighter, security guard and a police officer, but I am
currently a stay-at-home mother of three. I love thinking up new ideas for
interesting stories and composing musical scores to go with them.
Rachel - You have had quite the
career experiences in firefighting, law enforcement, and lately as a
stay-at-home mom. How did you decide you wanted to be an author and how did you
come up with the idea for your story?
Elsie - After leaving my careers behind to be a mother, it
didn’t take long after having my first baby that I got antsy to do something
more than just dishes, changing diapers and grocery shopping. I’ve always loved
books, reading and watching good movies (especially historicals), so when some
adventurous medieval scenes started invading my head, I thought, “Hey, those
would make a good movie or excellent story if coupled with a good plot, but can
I really write a full-length novel? I’ve
never done anything like that before. Hmm.Yes. Yes, I could . . . or at least I
could try.” So on a whim I jotted my ideas down and my first step to writing Shadows
of Valor was taken.
Rachel - What is “Shadows of Valor”
about?
Elsie - Taking place in 1300 A.D. England, The Shadow (aka
Sir Calan), a knight-spy working under the direction of King Edward I, hunts
down and arrests smugglers who defy the law and evade paying their taxes. The Shadow’s
duty is fueled by vengeance from a childhood experience against smugglers.
Dealing with society at its worst, The Shadow becomes cynical and struggles to
rein in his desire to execute lethal justice before turning the perpetrators
over to local authorities. He feels his soul turning black with hate in his continual
fight against evil. A childhood acquaintance, Lady Elsbeth, enters his life
years later, bringing light to his soul once again, but in an effort to keep
his identity and duty secret, he must also deceive her. This creates distrust
and uncertainty between them, as she accepts another man as her suitor.
Smugglers infiltrate the area and The Shadow must discover who they are before
Elsbeth and others are hurt or killed.
Rachel - What made you decide to
place your story in the medieval time period?
Elsie - I have always loved fantastical and historical
stories about princesses, knights, pirates, Vikings, wizards, dragons, and
anything adventurous in another time. I don’t dislike contemporary stories, but
since I’m already living a contemporary life, I often want to read about times
and places far from my own. I like to get lost in unknown worlds . . . places I
don’t experience everyday. I chose 1300 A.D. England because I like the
clothing, and King Edward’s wool tax causing some people to smuggle their goods.
Created a great backdrop for an exciting story. Also drawn to the poems in The
Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings written by J.R.R. Tolkien, I also wrote
ballads into my story, even composing the written music for them. I’ve included
a medieval recipe in there as well. My awesome publisher gave me the unique
opportunity to compile two of my songs into a 2-minute score for my visual book
trailer too. I was flattered and elated to take part in it.
Rachel - Do you have a favorite
character in your book and what makes him/her your favorite?
Elsie – Besides my two main characters being my obvious
favorites, I also like one of my minor characters, Sir Giles. He brings a
lighter feel to the story with his humor and easy-going manner. He constantly
has some sort of food in hand as he’s ever snacking on victuals or looking for
the next meal – a tribute to all those who, like my husband, can eat and eat
but never gain weight. Unfortunately, I don’t fit into that special category,
never gaining weight *smile*. Maybe I’m living a dream through that particular
character *laugh*.
Rachel - Help me see inside your
daily life. When do you work on your writing and what is your process like?
Elsie – Wow, I’m no authority on finding time to write. With
the addition of two kids since I first started Shadows of Valor (I have
a total of three now), I’ve had less time to dedicate to writing. But this is
what I TRY to do: After taking my oldest to school and then working out for an
hour, I spend a half hour to an hour on social media before attacking my house
chores. After the dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, feeding the kids and
putting the youngest down for a nap, I feel I can jump on the computer again to
beat out a few pages of manuscript. This doesn’t always happen as distracting
things tend to pop up, but this is what I try to do. I sometimes stay up after
the kids have gone to bed and write a bit, but I lose a lot of sleep and tend
to be a cranky, tired mommy the next day, so I don’t do that very often.
Rachel - What is the hardest part
of being an author? What is the best part?
Elsie – For me, the hardest part about being a debut author
is getting my name known, but with social media and gracious people and friends
who allow other authors to answer interview questions on their blog, it makes
this task easier. The best part about being an author is imagining fun and
exciting stories and writing them out so others can read and share the
adventure with me.
Rachel - What have you found that
helps you out the most in the editing process?
Elsie – My secret editing weapon is my sweet mother, who
majored in journalism, worked as a reporter for the Deseret News before she was
married, and proofread all my rewrites. She’s a saint! But when I’ve edited on
my own, I’ve found sticking to the basic rules of grammar is the most helpful.
I also listen to what seasoned authors suggest about grammar and editing, and I
apply their knowledge. When I sit down to edit (something an author doesn’t ever
look forward to) I just DO IT, even though I know the process will take a while.
Some things I try to avoid in my writing is the overuse of “–ly” verbs, the
word “that”, similes and clichés. I also love the “find” and “change” option on
my writing program so I can find and change certain words within seconds throughout
the entire manuscript. I also print out my manuscript at some point and read it
on paper. Things just look different on paper than they do on the computer
screen, and I catch mistakes on paper that I didn’t catch on the screen. I also
read my manuscript aloud at some point to see how well my sentences flow while
speaking them. If they don’t flow, seem too wordy, or I stumble over the
syntax, I change it up.
Rachel - Can you tell me a little
about what you’re working on now?
Elsie – I’m working on another story that takes place several
years after Shadows of Valor. I’ve taken a minor character from Shadows
of Valor and have weaved a story around him. The story takes place in
England again, but ventures into Scotland as well, drawing on the historical
happenings and battles that took place between the countries at that time. You
don’t need to read Shadows of Valor to read my next book. Though they
share a common character, it’s not a sequel. It’s a separate story.
Rachel - Do you have a favorite
author?
Elsie – Oh boy, this is a hard one because I love so many
authors. No, I don’t have ONE favorite author, but there are some who stand out
in my mind as writers who have produced stories that are unforgettable to me. I
love these authors and their timeless stories: Jane Austin, JRR Tolkien, and
Charles Dickens.
Shadows of Valor will be released September 7, 2013
through Jolly Fish Press. It can be ordered from any bookstore including Barnes
and Noble and Amazon and will be available in hard cover, paperback and
e-readers (including Kindle, Nook, and Kobo e-readers, and can be downloaded to
any tablet, smartphone, or computer). I’m excited over the release of Shadows
of Valor, and I hope people will love the story and my music as much as I
loved writing and composing it.
Elsie Park’s contact information:
E-mail – elsie_rees@hotmail.com
Facebook – Elsie Park https://www.facebook.com/authorelsiepark
Twitter - @elsiepark1
Barnes and Noble (available for pre-order) – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-valor-elsie-park/1114940696?ean=9781939967077
To schedule a book signing, appearance, or interview,
contact my publicist, Kirk Cunningham: kirk@jollyfishpress.com
or me: elsie_rees@hotmail.com
Elise, this book sounds so awesome! I know how it feels to struggle with being a debut author. Hopefully my book will be published a month after yours, so yeah. I'm anxious to read Shadows of Valor, it shares some themes with Twisted (my book.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for interviewing her, Rachel. I love to hear about other authors, especially ones that like Tolkien. =D
You're too cute, Tayla! Thanks for your enthusiasm and support. Best wishes on your book as well. Publishing is such an exciting adventure! (P.S. Tolkien ROCKS!)
DeleteTayla, I didn't realize you were still hoping for September with your book. That would be great! Have you received it back from your editor, then? If not, I'm sure you will soon.
DeleteRachel, this post looks GREAT! Thanks again for allowing me to be a guest! HUGS!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're happy with how it turned out. I'm really happy for you with this publishing venture.
DeleteElsie,
ReplyDeleteThis was so fun to read! I love writing, but honestly and truly I can't even began to fathom how one goes about creating a plot and filling in everything around it. It truly amazes me. I am so excited to actually read it and wish it was sooner!!
Thanks, Nancy!!! I wish it was sooner too :(. When I first jotted down ideas and scenes for Shadows of Valor, the thought of making it a full-length novel seemed daunting, but as my father reminded me: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." :)
DeleteThis was a great interview Rachel and Elsie. I can't believe I know two authors, I feel special! I'm getting excited to read your books!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gloria! You are sweet. I hope your mission is going well so far. It's good to hear from you.
DeleteYou're so sweet, Gloria. I hope you're finding ways too keep cool in Arizona. We love you and pray for your safety and success in the field. HUGS!!!
Delete