Tuesday, July 30, 2013

#IndieSpotlight of Skye Callahan @Skye_Callahan Author of Fractured Legacy

Name:
Skye Callahan

The Title of Your Work or Group:
Fractured Legacy

Where are you from? Does not have to be the name of the place exactly. You can say Hick-ville Florida, for example if you are more comfortable with that.
I am from a backwater, hollow [pronounced holler ;) ] in Appalachian Ohio. So, yes, sometimes I talk funny, but I try not to take it out on my characters.

In what genre do you write?
Sometimes ideas strike from other genres, but I generally write Paranormal. 

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?
Fractured Legacy is about an experienced paranormal investigator, Kaylyn, who is being targeted by an unknown entity. Finding the answer involves digging up her own past and relying on a person she currently despises—her new boss, Jonah. The closer she gets to figuring out what it is and why it's after her, the more she questions everything she's “known”. 

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.
I just write. First drafts are normally handwritten with a fountain pen in my journal—that's when the characters chat with me and give me all of the details. Most of the time, they don't even tell me about events in the right order, but once I'm done with that, I put it in the right order and following that script, I editing and rewriting as I type it up. 

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
Honestly, I never really think about the world when I'm writing. I write what I would want to read, then I clean it up and send it off to my critique partners for their opinion. I may consider my critique partners as I rewrite, as I think they're the best representation of my target audience, but never really the world. I can't cater to everyone ;) 

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
I got my cover from Indie Author Services, and arranged for other production needs, like an editor, through Black Firefly. 

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
I have two. When I was a kid, I read R.L. Stine, all the time and he inspired me to first be a writer. I knew that creating worlds was what I needed to do to be happy. He also inspired my interest in the paranormal. In college, I stopped writing fiction, while I concentrated on my degree, and slipped into a depression. I didn't know what was wrong until I read Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches. When it finished, it occurred to me—I should be writing!

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Balancing life and writing. I think most authors struggle with all of the responsibilities that we have. I also struggle with creating good descriptions of settings. My characters never want to stop talking, so first drafts are mostly dialogue. 

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
My characters absolutely write themselves. They surprise me quite often.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
Not intentionally, but my idiosyncrasies often end up buried in random characters. 

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I'm currently tied to the day-job to pay bills. I work as a Jane-of-all-Trades in a non-profit outreach center.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
Tenskwatawa the brother of Tecumseh. I studied his story as an undergrad, and I'm fascinated with his journey—which is nothing like it has been portrayed in popular media.

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
What I usually find in books that stand out for me is that the author set out to write a story that was meaningful to his/her self. That's what I've done here, and I hope my own love and respect for these characters comes through and speaks to the audience.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
I'm a big fan of paying it forward. I love to help other Indies, and in return, I usually find that they're willing to help me when the time comes. As my first grad school professor told me, there's no reason everyone in this class shouldn't leave with an A, but to do that you all have to work together, share resources, and help one another improve. 

Links to find and follow Skye's work:






Fractured Legacy Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/skyecallahan16/fractured-legacy/

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