In today's guest author interview we meet fantasy and science fiction author Judy Goodwin, read what she has to say below:
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Please introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?
I'm Judy Goodwin, academic counselor and technical writer by day, moonlighting as science fiction and fantasy writer by night. I've been writing since I was young--my fourth grade teacher commented to me that I should become an author after I created not one but two books for a class assignment. After graduating from college with a Creative Writing degree, I found real life and real jobs tend to take a lot of time, and I fell into the trap of putting aside my writing.
I had several short stories published in various magazines over the years but was never satisfied with the books I was working on, until the digital publishing phenomenon began. Just last year I began publishing the reprints of short stories that had appeared elsewhere, and then in January this year I published my first novel under my own publishing company, Diamond Print Press. The book has had several good reviews and is currently available on Amazon.
What first inspired you to start writing?
My imagination has always been overactive. To be honest, I can't say I was 'inspired' to write. Instead, I'm driven to write and get the stories out of my head. I'm not sure if I should be worried that my characters keep me up at night sometimes.
And what attracted you to fantasy?
I've always loved elements of fantasy in books, again from a very young age. Whether it was Mrs. Piggle Wiggle or Madeleine L'Engle's "Wrinkle in Time", I loved exploring other worlds and things beyond our understanding. I read "The Hobbit" at age nine and "Lord of the Rings" when I was ten. I think it's the struggle of good against evil that draws me to fantasy the most.
If you could write anybody's biography, whose would it be?
I'd love to write Stephen King's. The man is a hard worker who strove against failure for years before he found success. He hasn't stopped working since. I respect that.
Story, or plot - which is more important to you?
The plot is the story, so I guess I don't see the distinction. S\The story is more important than the writing. The writing is merely a mechanism to deliver the story and should be largely invisible, without errors or embellishment. I suppose story would also include characters where plot would not, so in that case, story over plot. If you don't care about the characters, why read it?
What is your favourite song lyric?
Green Day happens to be my favorite band, and that is because there is often a double meaning in their lyrics; they also have some rather fun if snarky humor. One song I like in particular is "Twenty-First Century Breakdown." The lyrics appeal to me as a member of Generation X and our disillusionment with the establishment.
What gets you in the mood for writing?
If I had to be in a 'mood' for writing, I don't know what I'd do. Or you could say I'm always in the mood for writing. I have a very busy schedule, so I steal minutes here and there to write, including during breaks at work. I often plot at night while I'm lying in bed, just imagining things. That way I'm always ready to get writing whenever I get a chance.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I am working on the last chapter of my second book, entitled "Journey to Landaran." This book has nothing to do with my first novel, but will be the beginning of a five book fantasy series featuring Tavish and Aidah, brother and sister twins born with powers that are highly sought after. The series is going to called "The Spirit Mage Saga." Tavish is a Sun Talent--a firestarter. His sister has the rare Talent of Spirit. Their country's enemy will stop at nothing to obtain them.
Tell us about your latest work and how we can find out more.
You can check out "Heart of the Witch," an epic fantasy novel that was published in January, over at Amazon.com. Zerrick is a witch in a town where witches are burned at the stake. Worse, it is his father who is doing the burning.
I also plan to get more short stories out in eBook form soon, including the sequel to "A Troll Under Golden Gate Bridge" which tells the tales of Cathy Pembroke, special unit police officer in the Bay area who has to deal with creatures escaping from Fae. The next one is titled "Fairies At Fisherman's Wharf."
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