I went to Nashville, Tennessee in July and met so many fantastic authors and creatives that work tirelessly behind the publishing scene. In a brief few days I felt a part of a much larger world than the little desk I sit at daily, by myself, to write. It occurred to me that I wanted to know these other professionals who toil with words and design and publishing.I put out the call and they signed up to let me stalk their pages and ask them questions. Let me introduce Beth Adams. 

The Big Ten

1. Your book, Soulbound, is built around an Elvin world. What inspired your world n this novel? How do you go about world building?
I've loved elves since reading The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. [Me: if you guys haven't watched the MtV series, it's worth it.] It's funny, because most people assume it's Tolkien who inspired me. Nope. Terry Brooks. :) When it comes to Soulbound, the world just sort of evolved along with the story. For me, that's often how it happens. I let the story unfold, and the characters reveal their world to me. That....sounds totally strange. :-D

2. You recently tweeted: “Even an elf feels awkward when someone flirts with his mom.” What’s happening? Do tell!!!
Ohhh, well, this involves spoilers if you haven't read Soulbound yet. Continue at your own risk! Hehe. In Soulbound, we learn that the healer has a thing for Lyr's mom, Lynia. In Book 2, Sundered, there's a scene where Lynia is arguing with the healer because she needs to strengthen her recently healed back but he wants her to rest. And he starts to make a risque suggestion about ways he could help strengthen her back...in bed. Bwahaha. Poor Lyr shut that down before he had to hear more. It seems you can be over five hundred years old and STILL not want to think about your mom's love life.  
 
3. Tell us about Acts of Bravery and Against the Odds. What major themes run through these short stories?
These anthologies were born in the Debut Collective, a group of writers inspired by UTOPiA Con. I have a story in each of those two anthologies. My Acts of Bravery story is "The Golden Queen." It's about a queen cursed to remain in a portrait, only able to leave for one day every decade. She and her guardian, Kenrick, have to marshal all their bravery to get out of that one.

For Against All Odds, I have "The Grove Between." Contact with the Eiana, the people of the forest, is forbidden, but to save her people from a wicked plot, Mio must seek them out. She meets one of their people, Faen, but the rest of the Eiana refuse to help. With her greatest enemy closing in, Mio and Faen have to work together to beat the odds.

4. I see you recently attended UTOIPiACon2016 in Nashville. What did you do there? Did you attend any panels? What was your take away from that experience? [me: UTOPiA 2017 is already up and going]
I had my very first author table at UTOPiA Con this year. I only made it to a couple of panels because I didn't want to stray to far from my table. I'm a naturally shy person, so it's always an experience to go to such a huge event. But I did have a great time! This was only my second year, and I find that after each year, I make more friends. I'm already excited for next year!
 
5. You tweet quite a bit about the equality and peace. Tell us what sits on your heart about the world.
I hate injustice. I know that life isn't always fair, but if we leave it at that, it never will be, right? But you know, I think what really gets me are the artificial boundaries we use to separate. Nationality, race, religion, sexuality--if you really examine these things, you'll find more commonalities than differences, yet we often don't look beyond the label. We all hurt, love, care for our families. The more we see that, the more we'll live in peace. Maybe someday. :)
 
6. If you could bring one character alive from your novels, who would it be and why?
Probably Lyr. I have such a soft spot for him. He has had so much happen to him over the last few decades that I'd love to see him happy.
 
7. You’re a busy mom of a little one. How do you find time to write? Do you have any rituals to help you get started and stay on track?
Actually, I have two kids. I just try to keep their pictures off social media for privacy concerns. My oldest is 6 and my youngest 3. I find time to write whenever I can, really. I have a standing desk so I can work without my youngest crawling on my head. :-D I typically start work around 9 and get in a couple of hours before lunch. If it's a good day, kid-wise, I work again in the afternoon. Summer has thrown me off, though. The kids are old enough that when they aren't fighting, they're playing loudly.
 
8. Coffee! I see you love the brew and Ironman. So, if you could sit and share a cup of coffee with Ironman/Tony Stark, what would you talk about?
Investment advice? Hehehe. Seriously, I'd probably ask him about all of his cool inventions. I wouldn't understand half of the science, but he'd be fun enough to watch. :-D
 
9. Who is your fiction hero/heroine? And who is your real life hero/heroine? Why? Do tell.
Probably Elspeth from Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar. She begins as a brat, but beneath that, she's hurting. I love how she transitions to a confident, competent, and empathetic person by the end of the series. I guess because I was once that hurting brat, and Elspeth was one of the characters who taught me how to be better.

I love Amy Lee, Sara Bareilles, and Sarah McLachlan. Their music has gotten me through some tough times. And my mom, who has an amazing strength of will. 
 
10. At the end of all things, when light fades to black, what’s the only thing that’s real?
The Divine Spark that flows through everything. The energy that makes up the core of existence. Love. 

Main website: http://bethanyadamsbooks.com/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/bethanyadams
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bethanyadams
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethjadams
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writerbethany
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amberwillow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willowreve/

Years ago when I first started writing, I came across Amanda's story and her work as an indie author. I thought, "WOW!" what a cool chick she is. She was working hard on her dream of publishing her stories. I really love it when people follow their dreams and encourage others at the same time. Amanda has a fantastic grasp on storytelling and an imagination that truly engages her readers :) When she agreed to do the Big Ten, I was stoked to say the least. She's an animal lover and advocate for all things Batman. Ladies and gents...it's Amanda Hocking :)

1. What is the first thing you remember about writing that made you realize you were a writer?

I have a cassette tape of me at about two or three telling this long elaborate story to my grandma about the Muppets and werewolves and giant monster bugs, and I think almost as soon as I could talk, I  knew I wanted to be a storyteller. About the time I started kindergarten, it became apparent that writing would be the most efficient way for me to tell stories, and I knew I wanted to be a writer.

2. What sparked your muse for your Kanin Chronicles? I love this world you’ve created. And the covers are so beautiful. Do you have sticky notes all over your desk or on the wall? Who is your favorite character? Who speaks loudest in year ear?

The base of the Kanin Chronicles is based on the Trylle series which it’s spun off of, but the specific set up of this book came from two places – a trip I took to Alaska, and the movie Haywire. I actually didn’t care for the movie that much, but I absolutely fell in love with Gina Carano, and I thought, “I want to write about someone as tough and strong as her.” So that’s where Bryn came from, and the rest of the story fell in around it.

I actually do have sticky notes all over my desk! I’m crazy about Post-Its and I’m meticulous about note taking and outlining.

My favorite character from the Kanin Chronicles is probably Bryn, but I also have soft spots for Ember and Tilda and Konstantin and Ridley. I’m also really quite fond of Linnea. She grew on me.

I don’t know who speaks the loudest in my ear. Maybe Bryn, because she’s so demanding.

3. I notice you like Game of Thrones...This show makes me crazy and I could talk about it for hours, so...Who is your favorite character? What are your predictions for next season? What has been your favorite scene so far?

Margaery Tyrell and her grandmother Olenna Tyrell are my absolute favorites. I love everything about them. I love Varys and Tyrion, especially when they’re together, and I like Sansa a lot. I especially liked her turn as dark Sansa toward the end of season four, and I hope to see more of that in the future. And Ser Pounce. We need more Ser Pounce.

I’m putting SPOILER ALERT, just in case people aren’t all caught up on Game of Thrones, because I’m talking about it now.

I didn’t like Jon Snow for about three-and-a-half seasons, because he was boring. But now I’m quite fond of him, and I also do no for a second believe that he is dead and gone for good. Will he come back as the Jon Snow we knew and loved, or more like a Mountainstein creation? Probably somewhere in between, but he’ll definitely be back.

I doubt they’ll do it, but I would also like if Khal Drogo came back somehow. Or maybe it turned out he had a twin brother so Jason Momoa has to come back. I don’t know. The writers can work on the logic. I’d just like to see Jason Momoa again.

And I would like lots more Dark Sansa. Even Darker Sansa would be better.

4. You recently got married and congratulations! Can you tell us your “How you met story?” And how has married life been integrated with your writing? What’s been your biggest adjustment? What has been your greatest joy so far?

We met a mutual friend’s birthday party, and one of my now-husband’s friends told me that he was a total cad and lady chaser before I really talked to him, so my first impressions weren’t good. He tried to ask me out a few months later, but I still wasn’t interested. Finally, after knowing him for over two years, he asked me out again, and I said yes, and it was wonderful, and six months later were engaged.

The biggest change in my writing routine is when I write. I used to start writing late at night, like six or seven, and I’d writing until the early morning hours. My husband is a morning person, and he has a seven-year-old son. So me staying up all night and sleeping all day wasn’t very conducive to being part of a family, so I’ve started writing during the day, usually from about ten in the morning to five or six at night.

I don’t know what my greatest joy has been so far. My husband makes me laugh a lot, and when I get stuck in a video game, he can always get me past the part I’m stuck at. He really is always surprising me. My greatest joy is just getting to hang out with him.

5. I noticed you posted a lot about Batman. When and how did you come to dig this man in black? Any thoughts about the new Batman movie? Who’s your favorite Batman? Favorite Batman scene?

When I was seven, my dad took me to see “Batman Returns,” and I think I was smitten at that moment. I love Batman because he’s just a guy. Yes, a super rich genius with lots of toys, but he’s not endowed with special abilities from another planet or spider bite. He just made a decision to be the most badass man on the planet, and then he followed through.  

I think Ben Affleck will do a fine job as Batman. My problem with it is that I don’t feel like we need another Batman movie right now. I would’ve loved to see a Nightwing movie (perhaps Joseph Gordon Levitt carrying on the torch from the Christopher Nolan movies), or other characters brought to life from the DC cannon.

With that said, I am SUPER psyched for Jason Momoa as Aquaman.

My favorite Batman is Christian Bale, but he’s only very slightly above Michael Keaton, Adam West, and Kevin Conroy. They’re all excellent Batmans.

6. What fascinates you about life?

Everything. The great thing is that there’s the internet, so when I decide I need to know something, like what’s the largest butterfly in the world or how come rivers aren’t salty, I can look it up.

I would say that I am most fascinated by human nature. We’re fascinating creatures, because we’re just animals with basic animal instincts, but because of language skills and our ability to be self-aware, it changes everything.

7. Why do you write?

I definitely write as an escape, but I also think I write to solve something for myself. I don’t always know what it is when I start writing, but something is nagging me, and I need to create a fictional scenario to work my way through it.

With the Kanin Chronicles, for example, I think the biggest themes involve love, guilt, redemption, and death. I think those are emotions that I struggle with, and my ways of handling them and working through them were changing, and the Kanin Chronicles helped me redefine those terms for myself.

8. If you could bring ONE character to life from any of your novels, who would it be? What would you talk about? Why that character?

That is so, so tough. Marcy from Watersong is the character I’d like to most hang out with, but if I’m going through all the trouble of bringing a character to life, I feel like it should be more substantial than “I just like her.”

So I guess I would pick Ezra from My Blood Approves, because he’s so old and he’s seen so much. I think he would have a really interesting perspective on life, and it would be fun to pick his brain.

9. If you could only read one book over and over again stranded on a desert island, which book would you choose? Why?

Something by Kurt Vonnegut. Probably Cat’s Cradle, but maybe Slaughterhouse-Five. Or Mother Night. I really love Vonnegut, and I’ve re-read his books so many times already. I’m also a big WWII buff, so two of the three books are about WWII.

10. At the end of all days, what do you think is the only thing that’s real?

This moment and only this moment. I know that what’s happened can’t ever unhappen – a tree falls in the woods no matter if anyone hears it or not. But your perception is often distorted, your memories fade, your mind can fail you, and eventually your body gives out. So the only thing you ever really have, that you can ever really be sure of, is the moment that you’re in. Everything else is entirely intangible and could disappear in an instant. 

Website: www.hockingbooks.com
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Book Shop: www.hockingbooks.com/all-books

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