Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a wife and mother of two sons. As Clotilda Warhammer of Mistwraithe Hall, I was a sword and shield fighter in the Society for Creative Anachronism for nine years. I participated in numerous battles, along with a thousand other fighters, during nine Pennsic Wars and other events, when I wasn't working as a registered nurse. My hobbies have included caving, rock climbing, hiking, camping, heavy weapons fighting in the SCA, drawing, painting and writing. I have written one novel and published a poem in the upcoming publication: The Write Connection, 2017 GLVWG Anthology.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is: The Girl in the Bird: Romance and Alien Power in the Current Middle Ages. I was inspired by the challenge of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to complete 50,000 word novel in a month and the teenager's alien power just seemed to pop into my head. It was only a tiny seed of an idea but once I committed myself to writing a story to fit the seed, it started to blossom. I love science fiction and am a sucker for a good romance (one of my favorite books and movies is The Princess Bride) and at first it seemed easy to write 1,667 words/day for NaNoWriMo. I set it in the context of the SCA since I was a sword fighter for 9 years- it just seemed right. Sometimes the characters decided to surprise me and took off on their own, other times I struggled but I was determined and did win in 2015. My favorite character, Bess, is homely as sin- can someone ever see past her exterior to the extraordinary woman inside?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writing while under pressure (AKA NaNoWriMo)
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Princess Bride, many science fiction novels
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to really push yourself to "git'er done," I highly recommend the month of November and NaNoWriMo as the cattle prod, er… inspiration! They have a fantastic site and support groups, both on-line and local, in person get-togethers.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My mother told me, "You can do anything, even something you hate (like cleaning the refrigerator), if you do it in 15 minute increments. Just set your timer and get started." So I try to accomplish things I've put off by doing a small chunk, even if it's only once a day, it will get done. Depending on the project, once you actually start, sometimes you take off and keep going but even if you only do 15 minutes/day it will eventually get done.
What are you reading now?
Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper
What’s next for you as a writer?
If I get another inspiration for a novel, even another seed, I'll take the NaNoWriMo spur on next November.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Oh, that's a hard one. Can I say The Lord of the Rings trilogy?
Author Websites and Profiles
Christine Talley Website
Christine Talley Amazon Profile
Christine Talley’s Social Media Links
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Twitter Account
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