Maria V. Snyder Interview!!!

It is with the utmost pleasure that I show you all my interview with one of my favorite authors: New York Times Bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder!


1. Your characters are so well done and intriguing to read, are any of them based off of you? If so, does that make them harder or easier to write?
A: I wouldn’t say any of them are based solely on me. However, some of them do reflect traits that I admire or have. One example, I’m very independent and think that’s something all women should be, so my main POV characters tend to be independent. Also all my characters are filtered through me – I’m like an actress when I write, trying to get into their heads and become that character. I think that method makes writing characters easier for me.

2. As an author what do you think has been your biggest triumph so far?
A: I received an email from a teenager who told me that reading Poison Study helped her overcome her desire to commit suicide. She said that by seeing Yelena go from a hopeless situation to a better one and to overcome such odds, she learned that no matter how bad her life seemed there was hope. After confirming that the email wasn’t a joke, we have been corresponding for the past three years, I’ve spent an afternoon with her when I was in Texas, and she has visited me last summer.
To know Yelena’s story kept a beautiful and intelligent girl alive is the best reward possible – my biggest triumph, and I’m very proud of that. No award will ever match the joy I feel every time she emails me.

3.Between signings, book tours and trying to take care of kids how do you find time to write, and so quickly nonetheless?
A: LOL – I don’t think I’m a quick writer I write at night – from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. and that works well for me. Everyone is asleep and the phone doesn’t ring. My kids are old enough to get up and get on the school bus without me. I get a good-bye kiss so I know they didn’t sleep in and then I roll over and sleep until 10 a.m. This doesn’t work while I’m on tour, so I don’t write when traveling.

4. Now, I've heard a bit about your newest project Touch of Power. What is this new novel about and is there anything you can tell us about it?
A: The book is about a healer set in a world that is recovering from a deadly plague. Avry’s world has blamed the plague on the healers and has hunted them down. She is finally caught only to be rescued by a group who wants her to heal their Prince. The group's leader, Kerrick, knows the healers aren't to blame for the plague and that she could do some good for a change instead of hiding. Unfortunately, she believes this Prince is the one who started blaming the plague on the healers so she isn't risking her life for some pampered Prince. As they travel to the Prince's hidden location, they're pursued by others who have realized having a healer around might just be a good thing for them, but not necessarily for her. It’s coming out December 20, 2011 (according to Amazon), and is the first in a series. Scent of Magic is the second book and I’m working on that one right now. It’s coming out January 2013, with Taste of Death due out January 2014.

5. You have spent a lot of time writing in the Ixia/ Sitia world; will you ever go back to that world?
A: I’d like to write more books set in the Sitia/Ixia world and there are a number of characters that interest me like Reema, Teegan, Fisk, Heli and Quinn. I’d also like to do another Yelena/Valek book, with the focus on Valek and his past. No set plans for them, yet.

6. I'm looking forward to Touch of Power and more of the Ixia/ Sitia books. Now, can you tell us how the idea of Yelena and Opal's story first came to you?
A: It all started with Yelena as a food taster – the rest of the books just flowed naturally from there. I was reading Orson Scott Card’s book, How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy. In chapter 3, Card tells the writer to consider some questions before choosing the main character. He wrote, “Too often—particularly in medieval fantasy—writers think their story must be about rulers. Kings and queens, dukes and duchesses—they can be extravagantly powerful, yes, but too often they aren’t free at all. If you understand the workings of power in human societies, you’ll know that the greatest freedom to act in unpredictable ways is usually found away from the centers of power.”
This comment led me to think about a person who was close enough to the center of power to witness important events, yet not be the Prince or Princess. I thought about a food taster and a scene jumped into my mind. I saw a woman tasting food that was most likely poisoned through the eyes of the King. He watched her with heartbreaking horror because he had fallen in love with her. That led me to wonder about this woman. Who was she? Why was she there? Why would a King fall in love with her? And Yelena was born.

7. Since we have done some talking on the Study and Glass series let's talk about the Insider series. Do you feel there was any big shift for you not only writing for a young adult audience, but also writing a sci-fi?
A: It seems that all my books, no matter what they’re classified as, has appealed to a broad range of ages (I’ve received emails from readers as young as 9 and as old as 92). So it wasn’t a shift at all to write for young adults since I didn’t write the Insider books any differently than my others. Going from fantasy to science fiction was more of a shift, but one that I embraced as a creative challenge since I couldn’t “cheat” and use magic to get Trella out of a bad predicament.

8. This might be a hard question, but which book did you feel the most excitement for when you finished, knowing that it would be sent off into the world?
A: It’s a toss up between Fire Study and Spy Glass. I really liked how Fire Study ended and tied up all the threads from the other two. Plus it provided me with enough fodder to launch the Glass books. When I finished Spy Glass, I was very happy with how it ended (that book has generated the most controversy regarding the ending, which I think is great).

9. Any advice for some aspiring authors out there?
A: Persistence is my biggest advice. I’d been writing for ten years and submitting for eight before I sold anything. Learn the craft of writing as well as the business of writing and attend writer’s conferences and classes if you can. Consider that time an apprenticeship. Be wary of predators, if someone is asking you for money proceed with the utmost caution. Get feedback on your stories from fellow writers before submitting. Joining a critique group is very helpful. I also find that if I let a story sit on my desk for a few weeks I can pick out all the problems, typos and inconsistencies easier. And I agree whole heartily with Stephen King’s advice in his book, On Writing. He wrote, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” And don’t give up! I also have a number of writing advice articles and tips on my website. They can be found here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/advice.php

10. If you can tell us, what are you working on currently?
A: I’m working on Scent of Magic. It’s the second book in the Healer series and continues Avry’s adventures in trying to heal their world’s ills, including finding peace for the survivors of the plague. It’s due out January 2013.

Thank you so much for allowing me to do this interview with you; it has been a pleasure, Mrs. Snyder.
Thank you for inviting me onto your blog! If your readers would like more info about me and my books, I have the first chapter of all my books on my website as well as a number of free short stories they can read. Here’s the link: http://www.mariavsnyder.com and my blog is: http://officialmariavsnyder.blogspot.com


This was the first of hopefully many interviews here at Epic Book Reviews and I hope you all enjoyed it. Mrs. Snyder was absolutely amazing to interview and was such a good sport about everything. Thank you again!

-Dylan