Book: On The Trail Of The Ruthless Warlock
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Lynne Armstrong-Jones. My first published novel, On the Trail of the Ruthless Warlock, is currently on the market and has had several positive reviews. This is a sword and sorcery, fantasy novel.
Q2. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘On The Trail Of The Ruthless Warlock’?
I wrote the first drafts of this novel about 25 years ago, when I was at home raising my kids. When the kids were napping, I was writing! I honestly don’t remember where the title came from. It was originally titled something else, but then I discovered that there was already a novel with a very similar title, so I changed mine. As for the cover, I liked the idea of preparing a cover the old-fashioned way — having an artist prepare an illustration that depicted a scene from the book. The cover shows one of the young men of the escort, in the act of protecting the sorceresses who are on the trail of the warlock.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
When I wrote the first drafts of this novel, I was also writing short stories. At the time, Marion Zimmer Bradley was editing her well-known anthologies — the Sword & Sorceress and Darkover series, as well as her Fantasy Magazine, and she published several of my stories. This is what got me started. I have also enjoyed the writing of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Today, I am most impressed with the writing of George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones novels.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
There are many, many, wonderful spots in my country. I live about a two-hour drive from Toronto, Ontario,Canada. Canada is an awesome place to live! We enjoy the conveniences of large cities, yet we are also close to very picturesque and beautiful areas.
Q5. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘On The Trail Of The Ruthless Warlock’ book?
Challenges which I faced during the writing of this novel include the fact that it was one of the very first novels which I wrote! Because of this, there was a lot of trial and error involved. But that was just fine, because I felt like the characters were my friends, and we were going through this tremendous adventure together, trying different things to see what worked best in different situations.
Q6. Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?
I am excited to say that the sequel to this book is in the process of being prepared for publication, and should be available sometime this winter! It is entitled On the Trail of the Wind’s Tears, and takes readers inside of the characters more than the first book did. I also have another novel written, which is totally unrelated to the ‘trail’ books. This one is a modern-day fantasy/science fiction which I hope to have on the market in a year or so.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘On The Trail Of The Ruthless Warlock’ book to buy?
On the Trail of the Ruthless Warlock is available on Amazon, as well as Indigo Books/Chapters and Barnes and Noble, as well as others. It is available both in ebook form and print.
Q8. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
When I am considering writing a book, I start with the characters. I like to give my creativity free rein. A lot of this part is subconscious … I get the feel of a character and come up with situations which will challenge him or her and go along on the adventure with him/her. When I am considering beginning a new book, I take a bit of time to make sure that I am totally prepared for this journey. When I start something, I finish it, so I have to be sure I’m ready to make the commitment. Once I have committed to it, the process kind of takes over entirely. I am constantly thinking of ideas for the book, choosing some and discarding others. When I was in the process of writing On the Trail of the Wind’s Tears, I would keep a pen and paper handy in the middle of the night so that if an idea hit me — perhaps in a dream — I could jot it down.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I don’t have a problem with ‘keeping things fresh’. I am constantly considering various possibilities and trying them out.
Q10. Lastly, do you want to give any advice to someone wanting to write and publish a book?
To someone who wants to write a book, I would ask them what the purpose of the book is. Why do they want to write it? If they want to do this, they should go ahead and do it — see how it feels. Does the process feel right to them? I would caution people not to focus too much on how many words they write per day. It’s not the number of words that’s most important — it’s the impact which those words make.
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On The Trail Of The Ruthless Warlock
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