July 1, 2008

An Interview with Skhye Moncrief

Today I have Skhye Moncrief as a guest blogger. Skhye is more than just an author to me. She's a really close friend whom I have lunch with nearly every week. I'm very pleased to have such a supportive person as not only a friend, but as my first guest this month.

I've asked Skhye some questions to help you get to know her writing better. I hope you enjoy the interview.

1. How did you break into publishing?

I wouldn’t say I “broke into” publishing. I’d say I just got lucky and found an editor who liked my story. There’s a lot of being in the right place at the right time involved.

2. What inspired you to write romance?

I’ve always read romance… CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR, THE FAR PAVILLIONS, SHAMAN’S DAUGHTER… Throw in a Native American and I’d read it! I’m more fascinated by emotion than external plot. Although, I believe a novel needs both for a story to be solid.

3. What genre or sub-genre do you write? Why did you choose this genre?

I’m fascinated by world building undoubtedly from my studying anthropology. I prefer to write paranormal romances but still find reconstructing the past as challenging as creating my own story worlds in fantasy romance.

4. What difficulties does writing this genre present?

The hardest part of writing fantasy is finding readers who can help determine if you’ve got the right balance of story-world rules and back story. Once you figure out how much information the reader can handle at any moment in a story, you’ve cleared the biggest hurdle. Now how you choose to deliver that information is another issue in itself. ;)

5. What motivated you to write your current book?

My current release ANCIENT MUSINGS was simply an idea my editor had. I snatched it up and ran with it. Now, there are 9 novellas in the series: SONG OF THE MUSES.

6. Tell us about your other works, books, stories, etc.

My dark Celtic fantasy romance in my Time Guardian series is in paperback now at www.amazon.com and www.bn.com, HE OF THE FIERY SWORD… Once upon a time, King Arthur was a time-traveling shape-shifting dragon.

A war wages among the Gods. Two Celtic time-travel orders intermarry to safeguard history. Paradox is but a stolen heart away. Open the door to a new reality where destined love defeats timeless evil. www.timeguardians.com

7. How do you write? Are you a panster or a plotter? Is it your characters or your plot that influences you the most?

I firmly believe characters make a story. The internal conflict is as crucial to my tales as the external conflict.

8. What was the most usual way you came up with a story idea? I mean, I’ve gotten a plot idea from a song I heard, from brainstorming with a classmate. What unusual thing caused you to think, ‘hey, I could make that into a story?’

Riding a motion ride at the local pizza arcade, I had an epiphany… undoubtedly shaken loose by the jarring motion that my two-year old loved. She was the only reason I was on that ride. So, I should give her credit for my www.thewildrosepress.com free read, VOW OF SUPERSTION: DRAGON’S BLOOD. The title came from the haunted house movie with Elvira where the short show opens at an amusement park in from of the House of Superstition. As you can see, VOW OF SUPERSTITION was the next step—a woman heading into a vow of marriage based on superstition. Or maybe I’m just a geeky anthropologist who came up with a stiff clinical title. LOL

9. If you could spend an hour talking to anyone from any time in history, who
would it be? And Why?

Why do I want to answer “a big muscular barbarian in leather and furs”? I’d like him to have a horse. And a large weapon. ;)

10. How do you like your fans to contact you?

Fans can email me from my website, sign my guestbook, or leave comments on my blog posts. I enjoy all sorts of feedback.

Thanks for having me, Anna K. Everyone is welcome to swing by my website and check out my contests in order to win Time Guardian T-shirts, Celtic music, books, jewelry, etc. www.skhyemoncrief.com

30 comments:

Katie Alexander said...

What a great interview. I have seen Skhye's web site and love it and her work.

Thank you Anna for letting us see her answers.

Happy July 1st. =)

kaisquared said...

How large of a weapon, Skhye? :)

squiresj said...

My fifteenth attend to post to this blog. I have hit refresh so many times it is unreal.
Hi - Skyhe. I belong to your newsletter and visit your website on a regular basis. Hope you have a good 4th.

Jane said...

Hi Skhye,
Was the editor who liked your story the first one you met or did you submit your stories to various publishers?

LadyVampire2u said...

Great interview!

Kelcy Jones said...

I can see Kaisquared has the most important question. VERY LARGE! ;) I do believe I should state that it's all in HOW you define weapon. ~Skhye

Kelcy Jones said...

Thanks, Katiebug, Squiresj, and Ladyvampire2u. Happy 4th to you all. Today is actually my birthday. ~Skhye

Kelcy Jones said...

Jane, I was never fortunate enough to grab that first agent or editor. I spent years on the effort and had many requests! That's why I say there's a bit of luck involved in the game. Luckily, I found a great synopsis doctor who weeded out some story-world info from one of my synopses and helped me see my overkill. LOL. I worked on HE OF THE FIERY SWORD's synopsis afterward. The first editor who saw it sent me a contract. Since I owe Laurie Schnebly Campbell everything for teaching me how to write a synopsis, I'll find her info and post it here today. ;) ~Skhye

Lisa Brawner said...

ok, I cant resist !! "But tis not the size of the sword "--or so THEY say :p

Anonymous said...

Anna thanks for the invite to check out your
blog.
I enjoyed reading Skhye's interview. I never thought of who I would like to meet if I could go back in history. Her barbaric hunk would be interesting!

Kelcy Jones said...

SHADOWS OF THE GODDESS DESIGNS, I had that in mind when writing HE OF THE FIERY SWORD. But you didn't hear it from me. ;) And when I say the male sect of Time Guardians learns to ride the rings, uh, don't go all Freudian on me. ;) However, they are called Ring Masters. Xh-hmmm. Very very large weapons please.

Patti Shenberger said...

Hey Skhye's great interview piece! And thanks to Anna for putting all those wonderful authors on her blog (me included)!

Patti Shenberger

Patti Shenberger said...

Skhye, Happy Birthday!

Patti Shenberger

Kelcy Jones said...

Thanks Anon. & Patti

Skhye said...

For help with your synopsis:
BookLaurie.com

Anna Kathryn Lanier said...

Hi, Skhye and welcome.

I love the comments so far. I do see that ya'll are interested in knowing the really BIG details.

Anna Kahtryn

Eva S said...

Happy Birthday, Skhye!
Thanks for the great interview.You are a new-to-me author but your books sound interesting and they will be on my wish list!

Skhye said...

Thanks, Eva.

Anonymous said...

Hi Skhye, love the interview. I just bought Ancient Musings. Can't wait to read it.

Skhye said...

Aw, thanks, Kimmy. Let me know whether you love or hate it. Seriously, I love feedback. ;) Skhye

Laura K said...

I think that's neat you have an author friend so close by you. Do you share/critique each other's work or don't because you're too close and don't want to ruin a good friendship.

Skhye said...

Laura, we often share/critique each other's work. We met in a critique situation. And now we have more than enough reasons to meet for lunch each week. ;)

cheryl c said...

Happy Birthday, Skhye! I enjoyed reading your interview. How nice that you and Anna Kathryn are friends. Do you run ideas for stories by each other?

Skhye said...

Yes, Cheri. That's most of what we do these days since I have a toddler. Except for cover blurbs. They can make you pull your hair out!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, Skhye! Great interview.

Anna Kathryn Lanier said...

I have to say, Cheri, that Skhye critiques me more than I do her. She's wonderful about that. And she is really good at helping me out, espeically with blurbs for my stories. I really suck at those, and she's really good at them!

And it's really nice to be able to meet for lunch and bounce ideas off each other.

A.K.

Skhye said...

Thanks, Tessa.

Skhye said...

When the babies aren't screaming while we eat. LOL. Should we really call those critique sessions?

Kimberly B. said...

Hi Skhye! Hi Anna! That was an interesting interview, and I love the excerpts you've posted! Now I'm off to look up some of the names mentioned in the excerpt---Fafnir and Grendel I know, but Amphisbaena and Ddraig Goch? I'm intrigued!
Anyway, thanks for the great interview!

Skhye said...

Kimberly, the source on dragons is by Carol Rose, GIANTS, MONSTERS, & DRAGONS. ;) Carol Rose writes the most fabulous reference books!