Anne Barwell spins the wheel today!
Thanks for hosting me today, Kim!
- One of your characters has an allergy that’s proved problematic. Tell us about it.
I’m going outside the box with this question. Simon, my vampire from Shades of Sepia, is allergic to silver as all vampires are in The Sleepless City universe. Silver can be used to restrain a vampire, and it burns, so he has fine silver lines around his wrists and ankles after a nasty experience at the hands of another vampire. This is going to be problematic later as the scars on his wrists can be mistaken for something else. Since that incident he usually wears long sleeves to hide them to avoid any awkward questions.
- Tomorrow you can consume only foods and beverages that begin with the letter C. What’s on the menu?
Cheesecake, chocolate, carrot cake, celery with cream cheese, cheese and crackers, and cordial (because I don’t drink coffee and need some beverage in there).
- What’s one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?
Keep writing whatever happens, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet your word per day goals. Little bits grow into bigger bits even though that big picture is sometimes very scary, and seems unachievable.
- When it comes to travel, do you prefer to plan everything or play it by ear?
I don’t travel often so I prefer to have everything planned out and pack in advance. I’ve also had a lot of experience with ‘whatever will go wrong will at the worst possible moment’ so I don’t like to leave things to the last minute.
- Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever written?
Years ago I went on a family picnic by a river, and sat on the side of the riverbank with pen and paper and wrote. It was a great place for inspiration but sadly I got interrupted by people wanting to know what I was doing.
- List your three favorite forms of escapism when procrastinating (to meet a deadline).
Housework (although apparently if you’re thinking through what you need to do while you’re doing it, it’s not exactly procrastinating), baking or cooking (as it needs to be done ;)), and Facebook.
- You’re walking down the street when a spaceship lands in front of you and a half dozen aliens pile out. What do you do?
I’d watch them for a while from a safe hidden distance and try to work out whether they’re friendly or set on world domination. If I decide they’re friendly and make contact I’d still be wary until they’ve proven themselves as I’ve read far too much SF. I’d also need to be sure they’re a threat before contacting authorities because in most SF I’ve read they tend to shoot first and presume all aliens are hostile whether they are or not.
A Knight to Remember – Dragons of Astria #1
“The last of your line will be in the embrace of a dragon.”
Aric, Crown Prince of Astria, has been brought up to believe that all dragons are evil. But when he speaks with one, he finds himself questioning those beliefs. The dragon tells him to find a sword in Sherwin Forest to save not only his kingdom but also his sister, Georgia, who must otherwise wed the prince of a neighboring kingdom.
At the start of his quest, Aric dons a disguise and meets Denys, an archer and herbalist who lives alone at the edge of the forest. Denys agrees to guide Aric into the forest, but then Georgia appears, revealing Aric’s true identity.
However Aric learns he is not the only one keeping secrets. Denys has a few of his own that could change both of their lives forever.
Book buy links:
https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/a-knight-to-remember-by-anne-barwell-1469-b
https://www.amazon.com/Knight-Remember-Anne-Barwell-ebook/dp/B00DOUG4QC/
Author bio:
Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.
In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.
She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth. She also hosts other authors, reviews for the GLBTQ Historical Site “Our Story” and Top2Bottom Reviews, and writes monthly blog posts for Love Bytes. She is the co-founder of the New Zealand Rainbow Romance writers, and a member of RWNZ.
Anne’s books have received honorable mentions five times, reached the finals four times—one of which was for best gay book—and been a runner up in the Rainbow Awards. She has also been nominated twice in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards—once for Best Fantasy and once for Best Historical.
Author contacts:
- Website & Blog: http://annebarwell.wordpress.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anne.barwell.1
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/annebarwell
- Email: darthanne@gmail.com
- Queeromance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/anne-barwell/
- Newsletter : http://eepurl.com/c6D9wP
Great interview, Anne. Thank you!