J.M. NORTHUP's BLOG

Monday, February 25, 2019

J.W. Goodwin's Book - BY THE LIGHT OF A DARKENED FOREST

Book Spotlight

1)    What is the title of your book?
By the Light of a Darkened Forest
Ø  What is the story about?
·   It is about a young woman, named Evelyn Ashmore, and her winter camping trip gone wrong.
Ø  Who is the main character?
·   Evelyn Ashmore is the main protagonist and whose point of view you hear/read the story from.
·   Darrow Hardstone is the secondary protagonist who travels with her at some point.
2)   What inspired this tale?
Ø  How did the story come to you?
·   It all started with a dream about being chased by something during the winter. Suddenly, an elf in green led me to jungle gym equipment, they were boxes with different shapes to crawl through, told me to stay put while he would draw them off. He told me he’d come back but I woke up. I’ve built the story around that concept since then.
Ø  Did you have to research for this novel, and if so, why?
·   I’ve had to do so much research for this novel because it is a fantasy setting. I had to make sure things looked right and look up blood loss among other things.
·   I have a feeling I will need to do this for each book, though I need to learn to write down the things I look up as I forget them and have to research them again.
Ø  If you did research, what do you think surprised you most to learn and why?
·   The most surprising thing to learn was how many wasp stings it takes to kill a person and the side effects of high dosages of the venom. I can’t remember them now, but I have a feeling it would be in the hundreds.
3)   Do you relate to your character?
Ø  Is your protagonist anything like you personally?
·   Evelyn is a mix of how I am and who I want to be, but she also has her own way of doing things.
ü   If yes, then how?
o   She sees the good in people and wants them to see it, too. It’s been a long time since I’ve written her character, so I can’t really remember too well what she’s like. I’m more focused on another protagonist, right now.
ü   If no, how do you differ from one another?
o   She’s certainly more active and adventurous than me. I love going outside and exploring, but I’m nervous to explore off the beaten path. Plus, she’s a bit more impulsive than I am.
Ø  What made you write this character; were they based on a real person or something that inspired you?
·   Not sure what made me write her, but I know once I got into the story more, she wrote herself. Just needed my help to type the keys.
ü   What should readers know about this character?
o   Evelyn’s your average woman trying to find her way through life after school. She didn’t expect what happened, all she wanted was a camping trip in her backyard.
ü   Why is this character important to you?
o   She’s in my first novel and my first original character that wasn’t from fanfiction, but Darrow is more my favorite because his race is so interesting to me, plus he developed more than her throughout the story. Sorry Eve.
Ø  Do you consider the main character of your story to be good or bad, and why?
·   Again, she’s an average person. She’s got good tendencies as well as bad, but overall, she’s a good person.
·   She loves helping people, especially her grandparents and doesn’t like to hurt others. Then again, what’s considered good for one person is bad for another.
Ø  What’s the objective of your character?
·   In the story all she wants to do is find her way home, but it changes near the end. Won’t spoil that part for you.
4)   Is there anything you, specific, want readers to know about this piece of work?
It’s my first work and the first story that I ever finished writing. I was ecstatic when I wrote the words ‘the end’ the first time, and more so when Creativia accepted it for publication.
Ø  Is there a particular idea or morale you are trying to convey?
·   I wasn’t thinking of adding an idea or morale to the story, but one snuck in there. After reading it over a few times and thinking about the next parts to the series, I discovered that I was writing about human nature and, sometimes, the extreme of it. How people can go to such lengths as to lose what makes them human and turn them into monsters. Not what I was going for, but it got in there. It’s spreading itself into the other books in the series, as well, like a virus.
5)   Is this novel a standalone?
No.
Ø  If it is a part of a series, what’s the series name?
·   I’ve named it Love’s Choices for a specific reason, but telling what it is would spoil some of the novels.
Ø  If it is the first in a series, when can we expect to see the next book published?
·   It is the first in a series of 4, and I’m working on the second book currently, but I’m not sure when I’ll finish it. The first draft is completed, and I’m working on the second draft, but it’s a slow process with what has happened in my life the last few years.
Ø  If it is a part of a book series, can it be read as a standalone or do you need to read the entire series to experience the full realm of the tale?
·   It can be read as a standalone but the ending leaves you knowing that there is another one coming and I’ve left many questions unanswered.
6)   Where can readers connect with you and purchase your book? 

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