Interview With Fantasy Author A.D. Trosper

FANTASY AUTHOR A.D. TROSPER

 

Enjoy my interview with A.D. Trosper about herself, her books, her life, her kids, her writing...she does it all! 

    I’m a misplaced Seattlite. I live in Kansas with my husband, three children, assorted cats, my wonderful dog Katie, and small flock of back yard chickens. I raised dairy goats for several years. I have loved books and reading since before I could even read, thanks to my mother who always read to me. I wrote lots of little stories when I was younger, but it wasn’t until much later, as an adult, that I embarked on writing a full length novel. 

What kind of books do you love to read? Why?

I love to read across all genres. Clive Cussler, Stephen King, Anne McCaffery, Dean Koontz, Jean Auel, Ken Follet, Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan, Tolkien, R.A. Salvatore, just to name a few. I even read, and enjoyed, the Twilight series. 

What type of music do you enjoy relaxing to? 

I am as eclectic in my music choices as I am in my reading choices. I listen to everything from hard rock, to classical, to country, depending on my mood. About the only music I don’t care for is jazz and death metal.

 

What is your stress buster? 

My husband. He always manages to make things better. 

What is your favorite food? What food do you seek when you’re sad, sort of a comfort food?

Cheesecake. That stuff is evil, but I love it.

Describe yourself in one word. 

My husband said insane...but I think I will go with strange. 

What’s your biggest regret in life? 

I’ve always wanted purple hair, but never did it.  

What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

Ran and danced naked down the road, lol (it was many years ago, on a deserted road, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night. Only my husband and the full moon saw me, but it was fun and liberating)

What makes you happy/sad/disappointed/frustrated/hopeful/angry? (Pick one) 

People who abuse animals and children make me angry.

How would readers find out more about you?

http://www.facebook.com/adtrosper

http://adtrosper.wordpress.com/ 

When did you write your first book? How long did it take you to write it? 

I just published my first book in May of this year. It took me six years from the very first idea to final edit. I had my third child in the middle of that, so two of those years were taken up with caring for a very young child and passed in infant induced sleep deprivation. The other four years were taken up with writing, working with crit groups, and learning the craft.

Did you encounter any obstacles in writing? What are they? How did you overcome them? 

My biggest obstacle is time and I am still trying to overcome that. 

Any writing peeves, things you wish you could improve on, things you do with exceptional talent? 

I wish I was a faster writer. I have so many ideas and characters waiting their turn. 

What kind of books do you love/hate to write? Why? 

I love to write fantasy. It is where I am most happy.  

Where and when do you write? Tell us about your favorite work place and time. Any special reason? 

I write in the living room where my computer is. Since I have a desktop, it is the only place I have to write. It can be challenging, especially when the kids are watching Spongebob. Writing in complete silence with no disturbances is not an option for me. With three kids and a small house, I have had to learn to adapt. So when I’m writing, I usually have my head phones on and I write to music. My husband does his best to play defense while I’m writing. He mediates arguments and pours glasses of Kool-aid so the kids will leave me alone to write.

How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story? How do you go on from there? Maybe you can give us an example with one of your books. 

With my first book, I started with the setting and the why for the setting, then characters started showing up for the story. With the other books I have planned, the characters showed up first and informed me of their story.

 

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

Be open to constructive criticism. Be aware that not everyone is going to like your work, but even in the harshest critique, you will learn things. So many new writers get offended when critique groups tear their work apart (in a constructive way), when instead of getting mad, they should be opening their minds. You don’t have to take the advice of everyone who critiques your work, but you shouldn’t angry and discount it out of hand either.  

What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write? 

I write mainly fantasy, epic fantasy, and urban fantasy. I love creating new worlds and I love the magic and creatures that can inhabit such places. I have an urban fantasy planned and I think it will be fun to explore fantasy elements in the real world.

Where do you get your ideas? Do you jot them down in a notebook, in case you forgot?

My characters come up with a lot more ideas than I do. Sometimes they let me know about them ahead of time, and other times I have no idea its coming until I type it. I have been known to wake up at two in the morning and have to write things down. Surprisingly, many things stick in my head once they are there.

 

Which book is the closest to your heart? Why? 

The Heavenly Horse from the Outer Most West by Mary Stanton. That was my first introduction to written fantasy. Mary Stanton blended horses (appaloosas no less, my favorite breed) and magic and fantasy into a story that grabbed hold of me when I was 10 and wouldn’t let go. I have re-read the book, and its sequel, many times over the years. I have never tired of the story. I still have the original copy I bought of the first book, but it got read so many times, it is barely recognizable as a book anymore. I have two more copies of each book on my shelf and recently discovered that its available on the Kindle. So I think I will have to add a copy to my Kindle collection too.

Have you ever wanted to write your book in one direction but your characters are moving it in another direction? What did you do in such a situation?

Oh yes! My characters take on a life of their own. The one time I didn’t listen to my characters, I ended up with writers block. I solved the situation by going back and listening to them. It took cutting two characters completely out of the story and about five chapters. But the story was much better for it. 

Tell us more about your latest release Embers at Galdrilene.

“A ray of light, a stain of shadow, shall endure to breathe life and death into the future.”  

As a Border Guard, it is Vaddoc’s duty to turn himself in and accept the death sentence with honor when he discovers he can use magic. But the ancient song of the dragons calls to him. Although pulled by duty and the honor of his family, the song proves irresistible. When he is offered sanctuary in Galdrilene, the old home of the dragons, he leaves duty and family behind to answer the call of the Song. He is not alone in hearing the Dragon Song. The elements of magic are drawn together when he is joined on his journey by five others. It’s a journey that reveals everything they have been taught to believe about magic and dragons is wrong. With the last of the dragons and the world at stake, Vaddoc and his companions will do anything, even cross through the realm of the dead, to reach a future they never thought possible.

 

 

Any new projects, work in progress?

I’m currently working on the second book in the Dragon’s Call series. After that is the third book and then I have two other completely unrelated stories waiting to be written.