Interview & giveaway with S.M. Boyce author of "Lichgates"
Your name: S. M. Boyce
Short Bio: I’m a gooey and sarcastic Twitter-addict. I have a B.A. in Creative Writing, which really just means I’m qualified to arch my back regally while bagging your groceries. I write full-time and recently released my debut YA fantasy novel, Lichgates, which is the first in my Grimoire Trilogy.
When and why did you begin writing?
I entered a writing contest in kindergarten. It was my first attempt at writing – and I didn’t win – but it was a blast. My dad helped me print the pages, which I illustrated, and bind them with cardboard to give it a hard-cover look. I think I still have the book somewhere.
What made you decide to self-publish?
Posts like this one. And this one (PG13 for language). And this. Writing is serious to me. It’s my career. It’s my passion. I was only going to go the indie route if it was the right thing for me and provided me with the highest possibility for success – and it does. I’m having the time of my life, and I just started!
How do you market your work?
Marketing is a complicated combination of choices, activities, and advertising, so it’s hard to explain the whole process. I have a few choice pieces of advice here if you’d like to check that out. I host tons of giveaways, as evidenced by this blog tour. In addition to the giveaway below and the tour’s Grand Prize giveaway, I’m also hosting a two-round review contest for Lichgates. I host Twitter Hangman games on Twitter all the time to give readers a chance to win bling and free books, and I continually host all sorts of other giveaways. It’s one of the most fun ways to connect to amazing readers like you guys.
My favourite result of the marketing, though, is when I get to connect to readers and get to know them. Twitter is one of the easiest ways to do this, so be sure to drop by and say hello there!
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Ooh! A Twitter challenge! My novel is Lichgates (The Grimoire Trilogy #1)
Lichgates is the magical adventure of Kara, who discovers a beautiful hidden world full of dishonesty, treasure, and terrifying things.
What genre would you place your books into?
I tend to write either fantasy or paranormal novels.
Lichgates is a young adult fantasy adventure full of action, magic, and complex characters, but I also have a short story in the works that is ghost-driven paranormal suspense. I’m almost always drawn into the world of magic and speculation because I love to jump into the impossible and see how it works.
Have you ever suffered from a “writer’s block”? What did you do to get past the “block”?
My mind is so overactive that, if I can’t write, I just go do something else on my list. Usually my subconscious has worked through the roadblock by the time I come back to write.
If that doesn’t work, though, I’ll go take a walk. The fresh air and quiet lets me think and daydream, and this usually overcomes any previously impassible hurdles.
However, if all else fails, I just write whatever comes to mind. It’s a technique that I learned in my writing workshops, and even if nothing suitable comes out of it, I get the creative juices going and at least I’ve written something. Usually, I can come back the next day refreshed and able to get on with my writing.
What are you currently reading?
I’m about to dive into Her Sweetest Downfall by Rebecca Hamilton. The Forever Girl series swept me away, and I’m stoked to have the chance to read a pre-release copy of the series’ first novella.
Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for?
YES. Rebecca Hamilton is amazing. Her novel The Forever Girl kept me from sleeping (in a good way) because I just had to read more.
Do you have another project in the works? If so, what is it?
For the next year or so, the Grimoire Trilogy is my main focus. Not only will I write the last 2 books in the trilogy, but I will also be writing a series of short stories/deleted chapters and a series of novellas written from readers’ favorite side characters’ perspectives.
In addition, I’ll be publishing an encyclopedia of the world when the series is over. The encyclopedia is available for free online, but I’m adding to it all the time. The finalized printed edition will have everything from exclusive artwork and some never-before-seen entries that weren’t posted on the site. The eBook will be interactive, which means that you’ll be able to jump around to entries from within another entry. It’s going to be very in-depth and detailed, but so is everything else in the Grimoire series.
How can people get in touch with you?
- Main Site: http://www.smboyce.com/
- Blog: http://blog.smboyce.com/
- Official Book Website & Encyclopedia: http://www.thegrimoirebooks.com/
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/thesmboyce
- Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5280531.S_M_Boyce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SM-Boyce/174950932556115
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/112175470463905024259/posts
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/thesmboyce
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Snag Your Copy of Lichgates:
Thank you so much & good luck with all your books.
You’re amazing! Thank you for having me.
Don't forget to click the link below for giveaway :)