My
Interview with C.J. Rutherford!
I’m
very excited to be interviewing you today, my friend. I absolutely loved reading the first couple
of books in your series, TALES
OF THE NEVERWAR, and I look forward to finding out what happens next – both
in the story and in your career!
1.
Let’s begin by having you
describe yourself to me and my readers please?
Oh
my, where to begin. Well, there was that time, at band camp… but I don’t talk
about that, and if you see any photos, they are false, okay?
Right,
well. I’m just an ordinary guy with an imaginary dragon living in his head. I
write gibberish that some people seem to enjoy J
2.
I find authors to be very
interesting. How they approach the
writing process, what motivates them, and how they’re inspired to write the
stories they do is intriguing.
Therefore, I’d like to find out what makes you tick, both as a reader
and a writer.
·
I
read on Amazon
that you would make up tales for your daughters every night when tucking them into
bed and that this was basically your inspiration for writing. Is it true you didn’t start writing until
after your daughter announced she was getting too old for bedtime stories? If so, what pushed you to write your stories
down, and more so, to publish them?
o
It was actually heartbreaking. First one daughter, then the
other, grew up. I mean, is that even legal? But that’s what happens I suppose,
so I had to do something to get the voices out of my head. What started out as
a retelling of some of the stories I’d made up for my girls, degenerated into
what is now known as the TALES
OF THE NEVERWAR. Like me, the series is a
curious blend of real life and fantasy.
o
I never thought I’d publish them until a friend pointed me
towards KDP. I would never have gone down the
route of traditional publishing anyway. I mean, they wouldn’t have let me bring
my dragon along ;)
·
What
is your writing process like? Do you
write from an outline or do you prefer to wing it? Do you write every day or only when inspiration
strikes?
o
Tales
was a total seat of the pants affair. I literally had no idea what was going to
happen next. Like in book
two, one of my characters is all fine and dandy. Next minute they are dead.
I NEVER saw it coming, and still cry when I read it back.
·
What
was your journey like to become published?
Are you self-published, signed with a small press, or a traditional
author? What lead you to this form of
publishing and how did it influence your decision to go this route?
o
I’m self published for now. I love the freedom of being able to
make changes to your books on the fly, and I will always want to retain
artistic control. I’ve heard nightmares of authors signing the rights over to
trad publishers, only for their story to be basically rewritten by the editors.
I’d hate that. My stories and characters are my babies.
·
How
did you learn about the publishing world?
Did you research things or did you simply jump in?
o
I jumped in with both feet. I wrote the first draft of Souls
of the Never in three weeks on an Android tablet, bodged a cover together
on Canva, and uploaded to Amazon. Imagine
my indignation when I wasn’t an immediate overnight success. Thankfully, a
lovely woman from New Zealand took me under her wing, pointing out the error of
my ways. We spent a few weeks licking the manuscript into shape, and what
emerged was like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
·
Is there anything you wish you’d known in the beginning that you
know now? Why and how do you think it
would have changed things for you?
Ø You will NOT succeed overnight.
Ø The writing game is a slow burn, and don’t expect
to make money off it unless you’re willing to put A LOT of money in first.
Ø Writing the book is just the beginning.
·
What was the best advice you’ve received as a writer?
Ø Do NOT spam your book links all over the place.
This will get you the reputation as a serial spammer.
·
What advice would you give a novice author?
Ø Take it slow.
Ø Build your fanbase, and a relationship with other
authors.
Ø I am a huge fan of ‘paying it forward’, and I love
helping novice authors out.
3.
The Tales
of the Neverwar Series is considered an epic
science fiction fantasy with time travel.
I am curious about the creation and development of this book
series.
·
I
know you grew up in Ireland. Do you feel
like the rich heritage of myths, legends, and folklore associated with Irish,
Gaelic, and Celtic peoples helped to influence your storyline? Why or why not, and how?
o
Besides the book being based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, there
are very little influences from my culture in it. It’s all a product of my own
twisted imagination J
·
Do
you feel the amazing Irish landscape and your familiarity with it helped you
with designing alternate worlds? Why or why
not, and how?
o
Nope. I’m just a bit mad.
·
Was
there anything in particular that encouraged your love for fantasy?
o
I’ve always loved reading fantasy. I cut my teeth on the
Narnia books when I was a kid, and progressed to J.R.R. Tolkien,
among others. Plus, while growing up on the farm, I had a lot of time alone,
where the stories grew in my mind.
·
What
do you think had the most influence on your storyline and characters? Why and how do you think this made an impact?
o
The fantasy world in my mind has always been there. That’s where
most of the bedtime stories came from, but I was shocked when I started TALES
OF THE NEVERWAR how much science fiction
evolved in the story line.
·
Did
your daughters’ opinions or reactions to your bedtime stories contribute to your
book series? If yes, how? Also, did they give you any feedback on your
manuscripts? If yes, then what did they
suggest and how did that affect the finished product?
o
Katheryne, the main character is modeled on my eldest daughter,
Jessica.
o
Gwenyth, the main character in the fantasy world, is modeled on
my youngest, Lucy.
o
No, they have never read them. To them, my books are my version
of a mid-life crisis. Jessica has read my wip tho, and loves it.
4.
SOULS OF THE NEVER: A YA Fantasy Adventure,
the first book in the Tales
of the Neverwar Series, has been nominated for an award
and received Readers’ Favorite’s coveted 5-star Book Review seal
(ORGINS OF THE NEVER: A Free YA Fantasy with Ancient
Dragons and Faerie Magic was also recognized). I am focusing the next set of questions on
these accolades.
·
In
your own words, what is the significance of the Readers’
Favorite’s 5-star Book Review seal, and why is it coveted?
o
It’s coveted because it’s so hard to get a 5-star review. Readers’
Favorite reviewers can be brutal, and to get a 5-star for Souls
of the Never was a great honor.
·
Have
these accolades made a difference for you as far as promotion, book sales, or
readership? If yes, how?
o
When I mention the award in a promo post, I always see a spike
in sales.
5.
What can we expect to see
from you over the coming year?
I
hope to have book one of The Companion series, Companion of Darkness, out by
the summer.
·
Where can readers connect with you most? Are you available through your Tales
of the Neverwar by CJ Rutherford (@talesoftheneverwar) Facebook page or what is your preferred method for connecting
with your audience?
Ø And on Pinterest here: https://uk.pinterest.com/coljr3/
·
Do you have a newsletter for readers who subscribe to your
website? I know they can get a FREE eBOOK!
Ø I do have a newsletter. I send out updates about special
offers, etc. You can sign up to it here: http://www.subscribepage.com/a4a9j4
Thanks
again. I appreciate you taking time out
of your busy schedule to meet with me and allowing me to introduce you to my
readers. I pray you are blessed with
great success in all you do!
Awesome interview!
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