AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: BARBARA RUSSELL
In addition to writing books, author Russell is an
entomologist and a soil biologist. She jokes, stating, “Which is a fancy way to
say that I dig in the dirt, looking for bugs.” She admits that nature and books
have, for some time, been a passion of hers.
“I was a kid when I read The Lord of the Rings and fell in
love with fantasy novels.”
She adds, “When I discovered cozy mystery and crime novels,
I fell in love with Hercules Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. Then I grew up and… nah,
I’m joking. I didn’t grow up. Don’t grow up, folks! It’s a trap.”
I had a chance to delve into The pact of the White Blade Knights for myself. What a satisfying read!
Author Russell has a way of drawing you into the story with characters Tyon,
Hazel, and Aleximanus’ at the center, a web of good and evil that keeps you
guessing at every turn. The author uses beautifully constructed metaphors that
practically dance as she unfolds the layers of each character.
From the start, you understand Hazel’s desire for Tyon, and
the complexities he presents with allowing her to get close to him. With
awesome description, the reader becomes enchanted almost with how eloquently
the story flows through the plot.
Hazel, now working for Tyon, is drawn into unforeseen
danger. Aleximanus, who breathes sins, is the arch enemy of Tyon. As the story
unfolds, it is Hazel who denies herself the truth. But will she discover it
fully? Will she find love after all? I highly recommend this book, and other
books by author Russell!
I had the pleasure of interviewing this author. I must say
her wit and charm are delightful! Here’s what she had to say:
Given the fact you
began writing as a young girl, what influenced you more regarding your
endeavors, a parent, friend, or fantasy stories?
After reading The Lord
of the Rings, I wanted to be like Tolkien (so silly of me, LOL. There’s
only one Tolkien.) Still, I can remember the awe while I was reading and the
feeling of wanting to do the same, to be able to picture a scene only with
words.
I wrote my first novel when I was 10. Well, for me it was a
full novel, haha, but the word count was merely 800 words. Anyway, it was the
story of a space bear that lived on a planet populated by bears. Each bear had
the coat of just one color, while the protagonist had a multi-colored coat, and
everyone gave him sideways glances for that. He started a quest to find someone
who could dye his coat and turn it completely brown. He traveled up and down
the galaxy and found nothing.
At the end, he said, “Screw it,” and he kept is multi-colored
coat. Now, before you think that the story has a moral, that it’s about
accepting yourself, etc… let me tell you this: it doesn’t. I just got tired of
writing and ended the story there, LOL.
Are you encouraged or
disappointed by aspects of the writing business for indie authors?
Both. I like the freedom of choosing all the details about
the story, the cover, and the type of writing style I want. I have some books
traditionally published and while I love my editor, sometimes I have to change
my style to adapt it to the publisher’s house style, and I feel like my voice
is different.
But, promoting a book is expensive, time consuming, and not
rewarding at all. I’m not good at it, LOL.
What are the biggest
pitfalls you see new authors slipping into?
Ha! Not knowing how to promote their books (like me). You
can’t be just a writer, you have to be a publicist, a marketing expert, a
statistical analysis expert… it’s a bit too much.
What inspired your
book, The Pact of the White Blade Knights?
I did a lot of research on the Victorian Era for The Heart Collector and Clockwork Victoria (Coming soon) and I
loved it. I also collected a lot of material so I wanted to write something
else set in that historical period. Also, I’m a bit lazy, LOL. After all the
effort that research took, I thought to use it as much as possible before
starting research on something else.
Want to keep in touch with this author? Check out the following links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brussell84kiwi
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RussellBarbara84
All-author: https://allauthor.com/profile/brussell/
Landing page: https://mailchi.mp/f3c0a9bf3544/barbararussell
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