Podcast - Author Interview with Jon Teetsell

I had a great time chatting with Quinn Barrett of Wise Bear Books.  Although I was nervous at the beginning, it quickly turned into a chat about Science Fiction and eventually my book Alorya.  The most interesting part of the interview for me, was that she asked me questions about Alorya that no one had ever asked.  By asking me about some of the complicated names in Alorya, it brought me back to questions I had been preparing for back in 2008 when I finished writing my first "acceptable" version of Alorya.  To be honest, the interview was exactly what I had been expecting back in those days.

When I first shared my work with friends and acquaintances back then, they had asked me about Scarlett or Aiden.  Soon, the line of questions came to be about the Jaadugar and the Sorcerers.  All in all, it was questions like this which led me to kind of expect the unexpected.  It was because I didn't know what to expect that I became so nervous.  Prior to the interview, Quinn had provided me a list of questions she might ask so I could prepare myself, but when she actually asked me about Mercer, I was thrilled.  He was definitely the character I had the most fun writing about.

Please enjoy the podcast!  With experiences like this, I hope to make many more.

Final Edit Received

I have great news!!

During my initial conversations with the publisher, they were asking how I received criticism.  What I found to be odd, is that I also had forms to fill out describing my book and incredibly, how I received criticism.  It brought me back to the times when I had been handing in creative-writing exercises at school.  Such hope which was shattered with a bad grade.  I always said the same thing, "Are these people nuts?!?  Why can't they understand that I did "this" intentionally and I did "that" because later "this" happens?  I don't deserve this grade because the professor doesn't understand me or my writing."

So, yesterday I got the manuscript back from the editors.

It felt like I was just punched in the neck.  I literally felt the wind leave me when I saw how badly they beat up my manuscript.

Right now, all I can say is that "I got what I deserved."  Something I couldn't say when I was younger, but it's as true then as it is now.

My job is to tell a story to the reader.  I'm sure a Sci-fi/Fantasy reader would have understood a bit more with certain aspects to the review, but that's not the point.  The book is supposed to be intuitive.  At no point should a reader have to say, "Poorly written, but I know what you mean."  I feel really good about this now.  I was worried that I would publish the book and later have regrets with the fact that readers didn't understand what I was trying to say.  With this, I can be pretty sure I'll be delivering a quality product for everyone to enjoy.

I want everyone to enjoy Alorya.  I want people who have never read the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre to "get it."  It's actually the story of my son's first week of life translated into fiction.  When they come to book signings and see Aiden with me, I want them to see how it all turned out.