The Helavite War (The Star Traveler Series) volume 1 By Theresa Snyder

9/8/2018

Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Theresa Snyder, introduces us to the first book in her science fiction series The Helavite War:
Jake is a human mercenary looking for a quiet place to rest, when his Protect Dar-dolf attacks the last living Henu, Arr. Feeling responsible, Jake stays on to care for Arr, as the alien with deep blue cat eyes and unusual abilities recovers.

Jake takes on the role of teacher, mentor, father, and lost brother for his new alien friend. He and Arr share adventures dealing with the Hydra, a race of lizard-like creatures who kidnap members of other species to sell on the black market as slaves; battle the Narnon on Gligula where Tuldavian Swamp Lizards lay their traps just below the surface of the slime; and engage in numerous other missions while learning to appreciate each other’s rare abilities.

Ultimately, they must face their toughest foe, the Helavites, a species which has been preying on the weaker beings in the universe for generations. In the underground catacombs of these beetle-like creatures a mystery is solved and the foundation for the resurrection of an old world are laid.

I am so glad I read this story! It took me back to my early-teen years when I first discovered sci-fi. I devoured book after book, reading Asimov, Pohl, Heinlein, and too many others to name here.
Snyder’s style of writing is very enjoyable, she moves the story along at a good pace. The plot, scene-setting, and dialogue all work together to create a wonderful read. Her characterizations are quite good, perhaps the best bit of her books. Jake and Arr come across as very real, even the dar-dolf brings a lot of color and humor into the story.
Written in the classic style of space operas, I loved this book. I award 4.6 stars to The Helavite War.

There are actually seven volumes in The Star Traveler series!

You can get this book free:
https://www.theresasnyderauthor.com/free-books/
https://www.theresasnyderauthor.com/star-travelers/#helavite
https://www.amazon.com/-the-helavite-war
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Helavite-War-Star-Traveler-Book
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-helavite-war

You can follow the author:
https://www.theresasnyderauthor.com/
https://twitter.com/TheresaSnyder19
https://www.facebook.com/theresa.snyder.14
https://www.facebook.com/booksbytheresasnyder/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+TheresaSnyderAuthor
https://www.youtube.com/user/lorjim3su/feed
https://www.pinterest.com/tsauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/tsnydert/
https://www.goodreads.com/Theresa_Snyder
https://soundcloud.com/theresasnyder19/

Tags: Science fiction, space, rockets, aliens, adventure, action

Copyright © 2018 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction

95 Comments

Theresa Snyder link

9/9/2018 01:50:50 pm

Thank you for highlighting "The Helavite War" and The Star Traveler Series on your site. After over two and a half decades of living with, and writing about, these characters they have become family. We all thank you for the attention, especially Kay-o the dar-dolf. (And if you just happen to have a handful of Red Raspberry Goo-chews he would really show his affection.)

Mark

9/9/2018 05:00:50 pm

You are very welcome, Theresa. I enjoyed your book so much. I have to say that I grew rather fond of Kay-o while reading the story. He reminds me a little bit of Grizz, ready to charge in at a moment's notice and ask questions later! I would love to give him some of those raspberry Goo-chews, but Grizz says we don't have any. That surprises me because I didn't think he would know what they are. He may have read the story when I wasn't looking. I don't know.
I am really pleased to have you in the interview box with me, this week. You are a fellow Oregonian and a very prolific writer! You have written far more than the seven-volume Star Traveler Series.
Do you mind taking a few minutes and telling us about each of the other series?

9/9/2018 10:51:18 pm

Well, Mark, I think Grizz and Kay-o would be good buds if they met each other. Kay-o always loves a 'scrapper'.

And thank you for asking about my other series. Each one is near and dear to my heart for a different reason. Since I have a bit more than most authors, I will address each series individually here.

I have another scifi series "In2Minds" which I wrote with a friend I met on twitter. David Stevens lives in England and asked me to beta read his draft of "In2Minds". I had several suggestions about character development. He loves writing 'science', but has difficulty with dialogue. I love chatting, as you will find out in this interview. LOL After we chatted for a time, he thought he would like to co-write it with me. The series is complete in three novellas. Lots of twists and turns in a world where androids are banned, but in truth, have infiltrated the population.

Cheryl Matthynssens link

9/9/2018 05:05:36 pm

I am glad you highlighted Theresa's work. I find her style refreshing and her world building exceptional. There are some that won't read women authors in the scifi/fantasy genre. Theresa is one that breaks the mold and rises to a higher level.

9/9/2018 05:19:56 pm

Hi Cheryl, thanks for dropping by. It's hard for me to believe that someone would think gender would make a difference in the quality of writing.
Your name looks familiar to me. Are you a writer also? What kind of books do you write?

9/9/2018 06:10:49 pm

Cheri is a great Fantasy writer. She has several books in print that are awesome reading about dragons and magic.

9/9/2018 06:09:45 pm

Thanks for dropping by Cheri and for the compliment. You know, I belong to a group called Legion. Which are all women scifi authors. It is true gender does make a difference. Maybe guys don't think we can get gritty enough. LOL

9/9/2018 06:30:08 pm

I love a good dragon story! There are many kinds of grit, I love that each author has a unique story to tell, even if the subject is the same.

9/9/2018 09:41:08 pm

Two questions to start.
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable?
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you?

9/9/2018 10:52:57 pm

I don't know about unethical, but I do believe that the authors in self-publishing are devalued by publishers like Amazon. Amazon is a BIG Corporation and they act like one in the sense that they are only out for the dollar. It is so hard for an author, even a prolific one, to make it their sole business because of the miserable royalties they are offered in order to get their work out there. And, because Amazon is so big, you must deal with them.
There is definitely a healing component to my writing. I started seriously writing, with my newspaper column, when I first moved my parents in with me and became their caregiver. It was a way to be with them, but still reach out to the universe.

9/9/2018 10:03:47 pm

As for the Twin Cities Series, I was approached a few years back by an author who wanted to create a setting that a group of us could all write in with our own characters and share ones as well. There are five of us who write in the series. The world we created is The Realms, where everything humans think paranormal, mystical, magical, fantastical, all live. It is a world parallel to our own, hence there are times it bleeds over and that is how our world develops stories of such things. I have a shape-shift as my main character. Cody is 'smitten' by a young lady who loves him in his wolf shape, but sees him only as a friend in his human form. She also does not know they are one-and-the-same. The series is five volumes at this point. For the sixth, I have started up with another character and jumped a hundred years into the future. This one is finished and with my agent currently being shopped around.

9/9/2018 10:06:34 pm

I have one non-fiction book, We3. It is the story of a baby boomer (me) moving their parents in with them to give them care in their elder years. This book has found a solid audience. At first, it was a hard sell. Everyone thought it would be a 'downer' because it was about caregiving, but those who took the chance found out it is really quite humorous and educational at times. The book is composed of the articles I wrote for my column in the local newspaper. It is an easy read and I put it out in large print too, so the elderly can read it comfortably.

9/9/2018 10:54:31 pm

My fantasy series, The Farloft Chronicles, centers around Farloft the dragon and his adventures. This series spans a reading base from preschool to adult. Farloft is really a 'dragon for all ages'. The series came about because I wanted a mouth-piece that my nine year old nephew would listen to. I mean... Who wouldn't listen to the teachings of an old, wise dragon? Anyway, I had no idea what I would unleash. Farloft just keeps talking and talking and talking. His 7th Chronicles is with my agent now and honestly, he keeps saying he wants to be a movie star one day.

9/9/2018 10:58:27 pm

I love it! You have a whole series about a dragon! I have to get this.
All of your books sound good! I love to read, I have to find a way to add at least a couple more of your books to my Kindle.

9/10/2018 11:34:28 am

I'd love it if you gave Farloft a try. He is always anxiuan to make new friends.

9/10/2018 12:19:19 pm

"James & the Dragon", the first Farloft Chronicle is free on my website. I hope you and your readers will help yourselves to a copy. It is the beginning of a great adventure.

9/10/2018 01:04:33 pm

I bet I am not the only one who will get "James & the Dragon". Based simply on my reading of "The Helavite War", it will be a well-written book.
New questions.
Have you ever used yourself as a character for the starting point of a story?
Have you ever used other acquaintances as the basis for a character, to the point they have recognized themselves in your book?

9/10/2018 01:57:49 pm

I think most writers use people, maybe themselves, in thier work. Jake in The Star Traveler Series is based heavily on my oldest brother. He is a retired deputy sheriff and quickly made the connection. In later volumes there is a character named Pon, one of the alien race. She is what I imagine my mom was like as a youngster. As for putting myself in the books, I appear as the healer in the second Farloft Chronicle.

9/10/2018 03:49:02 pm

I like Jake a lot, he is quite an interesting character. You did a really good job on Arr also, the sole survivor of an alien race, he exudes a sad but determined desire to live. HIs affection for Jake and his connection to Dar-dolf is fun.
New questions.
How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?
Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?

9/10/2018 04:05:56 pm

My mother was a librarian, so I pretty much grew up knowing that words could shape your world. As for books that have influenced me, I would have to cite "Battlefield Earth" as one of them. I love the way that L. Ron Hubbard switched the point of view of his main characters back and forth. You saw the incident both through a human's eyes, and an alien's eyes. It's funny that you found yourself associating more with the alien's thoughts than with the human's. I must admit the writing that I do from Arr's point of view definitely illustrates this. I also was heavily influenced by Anne McCaffrey and her Dragons of Pern series. I paid close attention to the dialogue and how it brought the characters to life along with the action that she gave them as they were speaking. I hope I bring that across in all of my writings no matter which book it is. You really can't enjoy a book to its fullest without getting involved with the characters. I think good dialogue and a strong point of view is critical.

9/10/2018 05:45:45 pm

I had forgotten that Hubbard did the alternating POV. I read part of the book around 20 years ago, before I lost it on a jobsite.
I loved the Dragon-riders of Pern! I read several of those a few decades ago.
You are so correct, without feeling what the characters feel and being able to relate to them, the story isn't going to fly well.
A few years ago, I finally got around to reading Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. I was amazed at the dialogue inner and outer; I found myself rooting for the monster so often, without even knowing his name. In many ways I think Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" best captured the heart of Shelly's story, the rejection the monster felt was palpable.
New questions.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received from another writer?
What are common traps for beginning writers?

9/11/2018 12:13:07 pm

You are right about Frankenstein. I read a non-fiction book by Stephen King, based on the class he used to teach. He said if you wrote horror you had to read the 'original' Frankenstein (man creates monster), Dracula (man against monster) and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (man as monster). I was amazed at these books. Not at all like the movie versions I grew up with. I think Doctor Jekell and Mr. Hyde was the most amazing. It would have been one of those books that people would say, "Have you read Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde?" and when the person said no someone would in the group would say, "No spoilers!" Because in the book version, unlike the movies, you don't know they are one and the same man until the last three chapters. *Oops... spoiler alert*

J. S. Burke link

9/10/2018 09:45:16 pm

I love Theresa Snyder's Star Traveler series! "The Helavite War" and "The Heirs of Henu" provide a vacation for the mind with unique friends. Thanks, Mark, for giving us new insight into a marvelous author.

9/11/2018 12:21:53 pm

Thanks for dropping in Jenny. I know you enjoyed my 'Sapcemen'. And I thoroughly enjoy your dragons. You have a very unique set of characters in your books.

9/11/2018 09:50:04 pm

Thank you Theresa!

9/11/2018 01:38:38 pm

Jenny, Thank you for dropping by and joining our conversation. I appreciate hearing from another who has enjoyed Theresa's writing as much as I have. I really enjoy doing the interview with an author, we can all learn a lot from Theresa and her success.
Let me know if you would like a turn.

9/11/2018 09:52:22 pm

Thank you, Mark. I'd love to participate in an interview.

9/13/2018 05:59:05 pm

She writes the most unique books about a friendship between a dragon and an octopus.

9/11/2018 12:18:59 pm

The most valuable piece of information I ever received from a writer was given to me by a friend I met on twitter. He was like most of us. He had a full time job, but spent all his free time writing and he had finally made it to being a full time author. I was lucky enough to have him coach me. He said, 'make sure the covers of you books sparkle. It is worth the money to have them professionally done.' For those who have followed me since the beginning, they will know that both 'The Farloft Chronicles' and 'The Star Traveler Series' have had new covers made. I love my cover artists. Sherry D. Ramsey does the spacescapes for 'The Star Traveler' series.

9/11/2018 01:47:40 pm

Thanks for sharing that piece of advice. It seems like it was worth it's weight in gold for you. It makes a lot of sense to me. It's the second thing a reader sees after being attracted by the title.
I have read Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster within the last few years, and was amazed at the quality of writing. I was also stunned that the story was so different from the movies, especially with Frankenstein.
New questions.
Do you think a strong ego is an asset or liability for a writer and why?
Do you see an advantage of writing under a pseudonym, why or why not?

9/11/2018 02:54:53 pm

I think an author has to have a strong ego to survive. In 2017, which is the last time I looked, statistics showed there were over 700,000 books self-published. That's almost 2,000 books a day. If you don't have confidence in your own talent and a bit of an ego to do your own marketing, then your chance of being seen is almost non-existent. I hope that readers see me, but I try not to come off as 'buy me'. That is a major turn off for me with some authors.

9/11/2018 03:02:40 pm

Writing under a pseudonym has some advantages for those who would like to stay more anonymous or be more prolific, but not recognized as such. Perhaps they write in several genres, but want to keep them separate. If you wrote children's stories, you might not want your audience to know you also wrote erotica. Keeping them separate keeps it clean. There are many famous authors who have written under several names, Agatha Christie: Mary Westmacott, C.S. Lewis: Clive Hamilton and N.W. Clerk, Isaac Asimov: Paul French, J.K. Rowling: Robert Galbraith, Michael Crichton: John Lange, Jeffery Hudson and Michael Douglas, and Stephen King: Richard Bachman just to name a few.

9/11/2018 03:28:14 pm

I bet that 700,000 books per year has been eclipsed since that time. That is a lot of books, in any case! It certainly highlights the need for marketing.
I did not know all those authors used pen names. CS Lewis, one of my favorite authors, is famous for "The Chronicles of Narnia" and a bunch of other books. Did you know he wrote a sci-fi trilogy? The first volume is "Out of the Silent Planet" and the protagonist, Ransom, is patterned as a professor of languages after his long-time friend, JRR Tolkien.
I can see the importance of using a pen name sometimes.
New questions.
What is your writing Kryptonite and how has it affected you?
Do you have anything you consider to be your writing lucky charm?

9/11/2018 06:51:35 pm

I did not know C.S.Lewis wrote scifi. I will have to get a copy of those. I can just imagine what he could do in a scif world based on what he did with the world of Narnia.

9/11/2018 07:00:29 pm

What is my writing Kryptonite? What sets me off? That is a great question. I am often motivated by something I see or hear in the news. My latest book in The Star Traveler Series, "The Beast Within" was inspired by two news articles. One was on the emergence of tattoos across all age groups in our society. (From that came a race of aliens that all look the same and can only be recognized by their distinctively different tattoos.) The other was the vast community of homeless children in Brazil and how they affected the area, tourism and people around them. (From that came a society where children were expendable and preyed on by another silent group within an alien community.) That book was a long time coming, but I love the way it turned out and I made it a stand-alone in the series so readers could start there and move backward if they wanted to.

I also am often ignited by my dreams. I have very vivid dreams and often in full story form.

9/11/2018 08:10:09 pm

Those two books sound very interesting! Your dreaming sounds wild! I don't dream like that myself.
Do you have any tattoos? I don't have any myself.
Lewis' sci-fi is not well known, but I really enjoyed it.
New questions.
Do you think reading, watching movies and listening to music help you be a better writer?
Is there really a such thing as writer's block and how do you overcome it?

9/11/2018 10:05:44 pm

I don't have any tattoos, but I do use temporary ones. I even have one of Farloft I give away. Folks love dragons.

9/11/2018 07:03:35 pm

I don't have a writing 'lucky charm.' I do have a certain setting I like for my writing. I created a room on my house a few years back. I call it the Moroccan Room and it not only serves as my writing area, but it also is a wonderful place for me to serve the teas I love. I even made a video of it. You can seen it on my YouTube Channel. The link is on my website.

Sheri

9/11/2018 09:39:21 pm

Love your books, too, Theresa!! :) It's so inspiring that you can work so well in so many different genres!! :)

9/11/2018 10:03:49 pm

Thanks for dropping in Sheri. I really like the diversity of writing in multiple genres. It keeps me from getting writer's block. *grins* I can always find one of my character in the mood to talk to me.

9/11/2018 10:12:33 pm

Do I have writer's block? Rarely. As I told Sheri, above, there is usually at least one of the characters that wants to talk to me. My problem is sometimes they all want to talk at one time. If I do reach a standstill, I just take a nap. My brain keeps working on it and when I wake up it's all solved.

9/11/2018 10:21:34 pm

Reading, writing and watching movies all contribute to being a better writer. Other writer's styles can influence your own work, as we talked about earlier. When I was younger I used to try and copy poet's styles. Writing is like anything else, the more you do, the better you get, or at least you should. The Star Traveler Series were the first six books I wrote. The first book was like channeling. It just flowed out, like a massive brain dump. I thought it would be my one book. Then I went to bed and woke up with Jake and Arr complaining because I had left them stuck on the planet. I started the second one that day. Halfway through the second, I knew there would be three. By the third, I think I finally found my writer's voice. I went back and converted massive narrative passages in books one and two to dialogue. One of my reviewers said that if I thought I found my voice in book three, that I learned to sing by book six. That reviewer made my day!

9/11/2018 10:27:59 pm

I missed a part of your question, about music. I can't write in a totally quiet room. I can't write when there are distractions like TV running in the background. I can't write at a coffee shop like some authors do. I need classical music or ambient music/noise to be creative. If I can sing to it, I can't write to it. It's a distraction. But I can't write without some music playing. I like instrumental music best... piano, guitar, cello are my favorite.

9/11/2018 10:39:53 pm

Having multiple projects is a brilliant cure for writer's block. I have recommended it to writers in the past. I learned another trick from Rick Hall, he posted a guest blog about non-linear writing. His idea was write the easiest part first, even if it's the ending then work backwards, if need be. I think it certainly can make foreshadowing simpler in the plot.
That is interesting about music and how it affects you. I find I need complete quiet to do my proofreading. No tv, radio, or music. Though I must admit, I haven't tried instrumental music. If I am just reading, it's a different story, I can read in almost any condition of ambient noise.
New questions.
Is there a writing style that you disliked at first but soon came to like?
Would you agree or disagree with the statement: suffering is a requirement to be a good writer, and why?
Do you still write poetry?

9/12/2018 10:14:27 am

I remember the first time my mind hopped ahead and wanted to write something non-linear in a book I was working on. I thought, 'how will this ever fit in?' But you know, I wrote it and it fit perfectly once the book was finished. A writer should not be afraid of where their mind, or characters, choose to take them.

9/12/2018 09:57:35 am

I dislike any writing where I can figure out the ending or the correct movement before the character in the book does. I think the characters should be as smart as the reader. I know "The Da Vinci Code" was a bestseller, but I thought it was poorly written. For those that disagree, let me tell you what illustrates my point. The main character is called to the scene of a crime. The victim is a dead nude dude with eight numbers written in blood above his head. A key is found, through dubious circumstances, behind a picture frame. The key has a Swiss cross on its top. Later in the book, the main character and his sidekick are driving around town and he sees a bank with a Swiss cross on it. Epiphany... The key must be for a lock box in this bank. They go in. They get the bank manager to use his key, and their key, to retrieve the lock box. But whoa... You have to have an eight digit code to get in the box. DUH!!! What eight digit code? It takes the two characters three pages to figure out it is the eight numbers written above the dead dudes head in blood. Maybe I just shouldn't read mysteries. I like a good mystery that you can't figure out ahead of the characters.

9/12/2018 12:16:48 pm

I prefer to be surprised by the plot also. It's a little disappointing to be able to figure out the twists before the characters.
I am glad there is a place where your poems can be found.
New questions.
What are three things, that you wish you knew before you wrote your first book?
What is the most important thing you learned from publishing your latest book?

9/12/2018 10:07:47 am

Suffering to make the creative juices flow? I don't know. It seems like a lot of good writers did suffer, in some way, before becoming famous, but I don't think it is a requirement.

9/12/2018 10:10:45 am

On occasion I write poetry. It is not a passion. I am just compelled at times. It is usually about the level of "Hallmark" cards. *grins* I post some of them on my "Theresa Snyder Afterthoughts" blog on my site.

9/12/2018 11:47:19 pm

Three things I would have liked to know before writing my first book? That it was going to be a series of seven. That I should create a series bible. That it would take more time to market the book then to write it, and edit it, and its six successors.

9/13/2018 12:20:34 pm

That's huge! You have spent more time marketing the book and the series than you did in writing and editing. I guess that expresses the situation of the indie author pretty well. That must be the new normal.

9/12/2018 11:49:10 pm

What is the most important thing I learned from publishing my latest book? That stand-alone volumes are very important to series writing. Not everyone wants to start with the first book.

9/13/2018 12:24:21 pm

Can you explain that a little bit more? It sounds like you are saying that some people don't want to commit to a series. As a concrete, detail-oriented person that is hard for me to understand.
Elaborate for me, please.

9/13/2018 06:06:45 pm

I think it's important to have some kind of backstory of the characters that were presented in the previous books at the beginning of each book. I failed to do that sufficiently in the first six books. The seventh book I made a point to give you some information on each of the characters so that you don't have to start at the beginning of the series in order to know who everybody is and how they fit together as the characters in the book.

Geraldine

9/13/2018 09:08:55 am

Theresa is like an oscar winner actor,she can write about anything and make it into a masterpiece,unbelievably talented!

9/13/2018 10:28:10 am

Awwww Geri, you make me blush. ❤️

9/13/2018 04:37:18 pm

You are very welcome hon xx

9/13/2018 12:16:52 pm

Thank you, Geraldine, for dropping in and giving such a glowing testimony about Theresa! Do you write also?

9/13/2018 04:40:18 pm

It s a great pleasure Mark!
Oh no,i just love to read :)

9/13/2018 12:31:16 pm

New questions.
Have you gone on any literary virtual blog tours? Book signings in the real world?
Is there a book that makes you cry no matter how many times you read it?
What about your own books, do any of them make you emotional?

9/13/2018 06:09:56 pm

I haven't been on any virtual book tours. I do readings at the local libraries and at the grade schools and middle schools. I also enjoy going to book conventions and sales. I have participated in many of those. I love meeting my fans.

9/13/2018 06:45:39 pm

I have been to a few readings also. They were fun and the authors were quite nice to talk with everyone afterward. I have been to one book fair, NW Book Fest in Portland, Oregon last year. I was very disappointed when it did not return this year.
Are you going to another convention or reading any time soon?

9/13/2018 07:05:06 pm

I don't have any appearances currently scheduled.do you?

9/13/2018 06:17:24 pm

Books that make me cry? I love James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small. I could read it every day for the rest of my life and never stop crying on some of those stories about the animals. As for my own work, I think it's wonderful when I get a review, for instance, from a 13 year old who read The Helavite War, and she said she cried when Jake left Arr behind. If I can move a reader like that, I figure I have done my job. Most recently the final scenes or should I say chapters, in From Darkness Into Light. Can't tell you what it's about, that would be a spoiler.

9/13/2018 06:53:33 pm

You are not the first person to single that book out. It must be quite powerful and well written. I have not read it.
That was a wonderful comment to get from that teen, I bet you will treasure that forever.
I don't believe in giving out spoilers either, so the only way I will find out is get the book and read it.
New questions.
Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career?
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

9/14/2018 10:29:58 am

Writer's Digest is my basic magazine subscription for writing information. It is a valuable resource. I belong to the Authors Guild, Writer's Guild and The Society of Childern's Authors and illustrators. I get all three of their newsletters. I also follow Mark Cooker, the founder of Smashwords. He produces blog posts, newsletters, and does podcasts on industry standards and trends for self-published authors. He also gives an annual report of the situation for self-published authors in the market. I find his information invaluable.

9/14/2018 10:36:33 am

The place I spend my money, is in art. Whether it's an excellent book cover, or art for advertising, including gifs or graphics, it's always a great investment. If you go into Google Images, and type in Farloft, you will see what I mean. There are pages and pages of images of Farloft. He is quite a social dragon. Due to the art that I Commission, I also receive fan art. There is nothing quite as gratifying as receiving a piece of art based on a character that you've created. It is a real thrill, one of my favorites.

9/14/2018 01:07:10 pm

Those sound like great resources! I am going to check out Mark Coker's blog, that sounds like something everyone in the industry should follow.
You have made some shrewd choices, it seems to me. The cover is the second thing a reader sees. Despite the old proverb about judging a book, we all do, if the cover isn't attractive, far fewer will take the time to peek at the back or look inside.
You weren't kidding, there are a lot of pictures of Farloft! The fan art has to be so gratifying. Has anyone written any fan fiction about Farloft or his world?
What ages are the Farloft stories written for? While you are at it, how about the shape-shifter stories?
New questions.
Why do most authors write in 3rd person POV instead of first and second POV?
Were you a plotter or a pantster when you started writing? How about now, has that changed?

9/14/2018 03:00:39 pm

Farloft has a Blog, the link is on my website under blogs. On there you will find a few pieces of fanfiction written by others about Farloft and in his world. The Farloft Chronicles were originally written for middle schoolers, but then I received a request for a preschool book which I wrote and is now a bestseller on Amazon called, Farloft's Storybook. And then I found that there were a lot of adults reading the middle school books, but they wanted them formatted for adults. so I put the first three books and the second three books in two separate volumes combined for adult reading.

9/14/2018 03:03:25 pm

The Twin Cities series, the books I call the Shifting books, are written for mature YA or adult audience. Most recently, they are my favorites. I like that just about anything can happen in their world.

9/14/2018 03:07:10 pm

I think authors fall into a storytelling voice, which makes it past tense and third person. I have written things in third person. But I really like writing in first person. The shifting books are all first person point of view. If I understand your other question correctly, I plot in my head, and have almost the whole book written in my head, before I actually put it down on paper.

9/14/2018 06:14:55 pm

I had not thought of the concept of storytelling, it does let a person slip into third person POV quite easily. I got your free Shifter book, I am looking forward even more to reading it, because I enjoy first person POV a great deal.
I applaud you for being able to keep all the plotting straight in your head. It must be easier when you have created the plot, as opposed to trying to remember the details of someone else's plot.
New questions.
What software do you use to write and publish your books?
Do you think you were born to write or did you have to learn the craft?

9/14/2018 07:52:43 pm

I use Scrivener as a writing program. It is a 'must have' for authors. The program was written by an author, for authors. It has some incredible functions and is very affordable.

I was born to write, but I also improve with each story or book I finish because I have read more, observed more and learned more since the last thing I wrote. Practice makes perfect as with all things. That ballerina didn't raise up on her toes the first time she tried.

9/14/2018 09:37:52 pm

You are not the first person who loves Scrivner. It must be quite useful.
How old were you when you first realized you wanted to be a writer? You have been writing for quite awhile, with 30 published books.
Not counting current work in progress, how many manuscripts are unfinished or just not submitted?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?

9/14/2018 10:17:51 pm

I wrote my first book in middle school during lunchtime and breaks. That one luckily faded into history. I wrote The Helavite War in 1990 and finally published it in 2013. That's when I felt like a REAL author.

I have two totally completed books, Farloft's 7th chronical and the next book in the Twin Cities Series. Unfinished works are a Farloft Youngling book, the new series starter for the Star Traders, and the Book of Remy, the next book in the Twin Cities series. The finished books are with my agent. Fingers crossed.

The Velveteen Rabbit was and is still one of my favorite children's books. Lots of wisdom in that book for any aged reader.

W.R. Miller link

9/15/2018 12:14:09 am

I have read Theresa's new Farloft Chronicle and it is imaginative and fun. I highly recommend it.

9/15/2018 11:55:05 am

Thank you so much Bob. I really appreciated you being one of the major beta readers of the book. Your Insight and suggestions really helped to make it a better book.

And congratulations on the publication of your book about the Star Wars saga and The Insider's view on that. I hope it is doing well.

9/15/2018 01:06:46 pm

Thank you, Mr. Miller, for dropping by. I appreciate your comments.

9/15/2018 11:51:00 am

I had a hunch you were a young writer. I am not surprised you were writing outside of class in middle school. It doesn't sound like you have any unfinished manuscripts from a long time ago.
New questions.
How long does the research process take before you start to write a book?
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

9/15/2018 12:07:13 pm

I find this research question really interesting. Because I was writing fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal, I didn't think that there would be that much research to be done. However, it is surprising how much you really have to do in order to sound, must I say realistic?

For instance, in the science fiction books, you have to remember that you are in a universe that has been created prior to you getting there. You can twist it a little bit in science-fiction, but there is still 'science' to consider. Therefore , I have charts drawn of my universe that the Star Travelers live in.

In the Twin Cities world, there's a lot of research to be done about mythology and historical writings. The book I'm currently working on, The Book of Remy, I have chosen to start in the time of Alexander the Great. That required quite a bit of research in order to know about armor and fighting techniques, also his path into Persia when he invaded it. That led me to further research with the Romans and their world when they invaded the British Isles and met up with The Druids.

So I think no matter what you do, what you write about, if
you want to stay grounded, you need to do your research.

I think if you ask any author, and they are honest with you, it's the editing process that is the most difficult. No matter how careful you are, an author always reads what they 'think' they wrote, rather than what they really wrote. That's the reason we need somebody like you to give our work a second set of eyes. Everyone needs an editor. If you find one that you click with you need to stick with them, work with them, and take their suggestions. A good editor is invaluable. I edit for other people, but I still have another editor.

9/15/2018 01:24:39 pm

You are right. Every universe has rules, most authors work within our universe to a major extent. After all, this is the only universe we know.
That is an important insight. You can edit for other people and you need an editor for your work. I call it the principle of Fresh Eyes. When you have written and rewritten something, you know what you want it to say. Your brain is going to show you what you want to see, not what is really there. There are ways to deal with that problem, try reading your book aloud, many errors will pop up if you are focused on what you are reading. Another technique is to read it backwards, one sentence at a time. The most effective method is to hire a proofreader or an editor, as you have found out.
New questions.
What did you buy with your first royalty check?
How do you celebrate when you publish a book?

9/15/2018 07:53:39 pm

My first royalty check was rather small. I took Dad and I are out for a nice dinner and a movie.

Chocolate is my go-to for any kind of Celebration. Or disappointment. We usually go out to dinner, and I order something chocolate for dessert.

9/15/2018 08:44:12 pm

I love chocolate too. I try to eat chocolate every day, for medicinal purposes, of course. ;-)
Darn, no tropical vacations or European cruises, pretty much like most every other author out there. But, with thirty books in print, and more on the way, you have achieved a measure of success most authors only dream about.
You published this book, "The Helavite War" after more than 20 years of waiting. Why did you delay so long? Did you publish other books in the meantime? When did you publish the first book, and the second? In the last five years, how many books have you published?

9/15/2018 11:32:38 pm

In late 2012, I was writing 'The Beast Within', the 7th Star Traveler book. At this point I had books 1-6 finished and James & the Dragon finished. I found myself going back to books 1 and 2 in the Star Traveler Series. I was stalled. I told my writing group I thought I would format books 1-6 and pay to have a copy printed and bound so I couldn't go back to them. My group said if I was going to do that, I might as well self-publish. I said I didn't know how and couldn't afford it. They were all younger and wiser. They offered to teach me how to format and post. I also found out it was free!

So The Helavite War was published in May 2013. I had originally tried to find a traditional publisher in the 90s when I wrote them, but I was told they did not fit conveniently into either YA or adult Sci-fi. At that point crossover novels like Harry Potter had not gone viral. Adults read YA, but usually didn't admit it. So the publishers would say they liked it, but couldn't represent it.

All of my books have been published in the last five years, but I had 7 already completed. I try to write a new book for each genre each year. Add in the books David and I wrote and the memoirs.

9/16/2018 05:14:12 pm

That is quite an interesting story. You spent years laboring in relative obscurity, honing your craft, and then became an overnight success; relatively speaking. ;-) I am kidding of course, you had lots of rejections as you pointed out, like so many other authors.
I like how you are adding to the story every year, I bet you have a lot of happy fans because of that.
Congratulations, that certainly is a formula that works for you! In retrospect, would you agree that not getting published right away turned out to be a good thing?
More questions.
Do you have a hidden message in your writings for a particular person or group?
Do you think good marketing can overcome the limitations of a mediocre book?
In your experience, which marketing avenues have been the most rewarding or profitable?

9/16/2018 06:15:32 pm

I think it's always good for an author to have a body of work to put up rather than just one book. If they have just one book, no matter how good that is, by the time they get the second book written your audience has left you behind. Frankly, I wish I had published when self-publishing was first announced. I feel if I had, at this point I would possibly be a full time author.

9/16/2018 07:14:44 pm

I don't know that I have any hidden messages in my books, other than I would hope that the hero or heroes, or heroines, of all my books show good moral character.

I think marketing can propel a mediocre book to the top of the charts. But I don't think that the public can be fooled into buying a second book by that same author.

I think if there's any trick to marketing properly, it's that you are persistent and do not over sell your books. You can't continually say buy me, buy me, buy me. You need to find a hook. That means something else, or someone else, that can assist you in promoting your books without having Overkill. Farloft and my garden are my two hooks. As a dragon, Farloft, can push his book in a third person type of way. And when I do an interview, I can talk about him and also about my garden where I do a lot of my thinking and my plotting for my books.

I also believe a major part of marketing is to have a good solid platform. That means a website that you can push all of your readers to that has all the information about you, your books and what you are trying to accomplish by being a published author. I also think it's very important not to spread yourself too thin on social media. Social media is a Time hog. You can easily end up spending far more time marketing than you do writing. So pick two or three sites that you like working with, stick with those, be consistent in your postings, and stay positive on all platforms.

I blog every Saturday. And have for the past 20 some odd years. I consistently post. My readers at over 260000, know that they can come to my serial story blog and get a new chapter to the story each Saturday. I consistently post on Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter. I randomly post on Instagram and Pinterest. I can be found on other authors sites, but for me sites like Wattpad, authorsdb and Goodreads, are sites that I am on but not sites that I interact with on a regular basis. I feel you dilute your presence on social media with the amount of sites that you interact with. That's the reason all of my links go directly to my website. You have to determine which sites are best for you and where you can get to your audience the easiest.

9/16/2018 07:34:55 pm

Thank you for the lengthy answer about marketing, you distilled years of trial and error into a few serious paragraphs! That makes a lot of sense to me.
You are so correct that social media can be like a black hole that swallows everything in sight.
My website is pretty busy with a new book review every week, but I haven't posted a new blog in months. I have been spending most of my time proofreading. I may need to re-examine my priorities.
Blogging for twenty years, over a quarter-million people reading your stories, that speaks a lot for persistence. Your weekly stories are from your books or what?
More questions.
Do you base your characters on people you know or have met, or is it easier to just invent them completely?
This next question might be tough. Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

Bob Miller link

9/17/2018 12:33:04 pm

My favorites are Theresa's short story, "Storm Warning," http://farloftsrhetoric.blogspot.com/2016/10/storm-warning.html

and the longer-length sequel, "A Gathering of Dragons." The strength of these stories comes from the repartee of Farloft and the gryphons, and the overall fun of the stories. I love rooting for these characters, even the eccentric ones Farloft encounters in his journey. When the author has fun, I do, too. We need more upbeat tales like this.

9/17/2018 03:55:16 pm

Hi Mark, the stories on my blog are usually either short stories based in the same settings as my series, or sometimes they are actually first drafts of my books. I put them on the blog, so that I can get comments from readers, to make them even better than they would be if I just wrote them by myself. As Bob pointed out below, some of the short stories are quite fun, and can lead me to write even longer stories in the same vein.

9/17/2018 04:02:11 pm

I think we discussed putting people that we knew in our books earlier in this interview. I believe that some of my characters in the Star Traveler Series are based on people that I know. And that I actually put myself in the Farloft Chronicles. As for a favorite book that I have written, I would have to say that I am very much like the character in Finian's Rainbow, when I'm not with the one I love, I love the one I'm with. Lol

9/17/2018 07:21:45 pm

You are right, Theresa, thanks for helping me stay on track.
Do you have any other passions to pursue if you didn't write?

9/17/2018 09:19:10 pm

I am full of passion. If I didn't write there's several things that I'd like to do. I would like to perfect by Japanese water coloring technique. I love to garden, and if I had more time and more money, I would definitely create an even bigger garden. And above all things, I would like to be a world traveler. How about you?

9/17/2018 09:37:27 pm

I would love to learn to do watercolor painting, and renew my sketching skills.
Our day is coming to an end, Theresa, I have a new promotion to start tomorrow. This has been a very pleasant experience for me. I appreciate your candor and willingness to share about your books, writing, and your life. I know we will see each other again on Twitter pretty much every day.
Thank you again for spending so much time and chatting with me and the others.

9/17/2018 10:29:49 pm

Thank you Mark, for inviting me over into your world. I really had a lovely time this week chatting with you. I hope your writing and editing goes well in the future. And I too will look forward to seeing you on Twitter.

The Helavite War (The Star Traveler Series) volume 1 By Theresa Snyder

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