AUTHOR, FIONA INGRAM
On her award winning book: THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING? I began by inventing stories to
entertain my 3 younger brothers when I was about 10. Later I
graduated in theater studies, moved into journalism and have
been writing ever since.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN WRITING? I love the creative thrill
from making something come alive; I also love entertaining people.
I love the magical world between the pages of a book.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE
THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB?
I went to Egypt with my mother and my 2 young nephews (aged
10 and 12)for a family holiday. Upon our return I decided
to write them a short story about our adventures with my
nephews as the young heroes. They never got to read the
short story because it became a book. it changed my life and
my career.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR AND WHY? That's really hard
to answer but I love Jane Austen for the wit and deceptive
simplicity of her books; her perception of human nature
is gifted. I also love JRR Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS for
the grandeur and scope of the battle between good and evil
within the heroes and within the context of his magical world.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK... AND WHY? I am a fan of good
detective novels, and THE MOONSTONE by Wilkie Collins has
to be the perfect book. It has many layers, multiple narration
and point of view which works amazingly; it has intrigue,
mystery and again a great insight into human nature. It is
also the forerunner of the great British detective novel.
WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?
I also like to write other genres for fun. I have co-authored
THIS ENCHANTED LAND, a Viking adventure,
(http://www.viking-sagas.com) with William P. Robertson who
writes prolifically about the American Civil War. I have also
written a Regency Romance entitled THE DANGEROUS DUKE for MUSA
Publishing, a traditional style publisher,
(http://www.musapublishing.com) under the pseudonym Arabella
Sheraton. I am halfway through my next historical for MUSA
Publishing entitled MARRIED AT MIDNIGHT.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF: I love books, writing, art,
the theater, movies and animals. I have an adopted African
child, from a disadvantaged background, who has decided to
become a writer (just like me!). She is about to graduate from
high school. I care for my disabled Mom and live in a big,
beautiful house in Johannesburg, South Africa, with 4 cats
(Cuddles, Bertie, Pushkin and Oliver), 3 dogs (Chloe,
Jasper and Pumpkin), a fierce duck called Charlemagne and
a lively cockatoo called Cleopatra. The birds are in
charge of everything!
DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? I have finished the
second book in my MG adventure series The Chronicles of the
Stone. This is the sequel to THE SECRET OF THE SACRED SCARAB.
Book Two is called THE SEARCH FOR THE STONE OF EXCALIBUR.
My two heroes are plunged into more adventure and mystery as
they stumble upon the greatest sword of all - Excalibur!
I am in the editing process and will update interested readers
via my author site. I have planned and am about to start Book
Three entitled THE TEMPLE OF THE CRYSTAL TIME KEEPER which takes
my heroes to Mexico and embroils them in Mayan and Aztec legends
and conflicts.
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE AS AN AUTHOR? I have so many ideas
jumping around in my head at one time that it's hard to write
fast enough. Marketing also takes a lot of time. One has to get
out there and let people know about one's work. There are so
many books being published each year that the competition is
fierce.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS? I have 4
golden rules I discovered while I was writing and later
marketing my first book. I have also written articles on
how to get your book completed and out there (See my Media
Page on my author site). THE FOUR GOLDEN RULES: 1. Never
give up. 2. Make sure your book meets the industry standards
and spend time and money on proper editing and achieving a
final polished result. 3. Do something every day to market
your book to the world. 4. Make sure you have a good author
or book site with details on where to find your book, and
information about you and your work.
DO YOU EVER SUFFER FROM WRITER'S BLOCK? IF SO, WHAT DO YOU
DO TO OVERCOME THIS? No, I never have writer's block. I
occasionally have a problem getting through a sticky patch
but I tell my characters to sort themselves out while I move
onto the next section. When I come back to the problem area
I find the characters have worked it out. I think writers
should trust the creative process more. If something is not
working then leave it and work on something else. You will
find that something has changed and you can continue.
CAN YOU OFFER ANY TIPS ON HOW TO GET PUBLISHED? I would have
preferred the traditional route with my children's book but
after 35 rejections from agents I was so naive I thought I
had no options but to self-publish. I have done very well
with my book in terms of reviews and book awards, but only
because I have worked at getting the accolades. With
e-publishing on the rise it seems that anyone can publish
themselves. However, I would suggest going the agent route
first to get an idea if your work has merit, what needs to
be changed or cleaned up, and if there is a market for your
book. Self-publishing can be expensive and writers can still
fall into the trap of not paying enough attention to industry
standards. E-publishing (DIY) holds even greater threats
because a self-publishing company will at least cast an
experienced eye over the book before going ahead.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?
Persistence pays off. I have garnered great book reviews and
book awards wins and nominations for THE SECRET OF THE
SACRED SCARAB. I have also just signed a movie option for
the book with a British movie company. They read a review
I tweeted (is that a word, I wonder?) and contacted me, saying
they had bought, read, and loved the book. I cannot emphasize
strongly enough to make sure your book has merit. A good book
will find its way to the right readers, and the right rewards
will come from it.
LITERARY CLASSICS Book Reviews & Awards http://literaryclassicsreviews.com
