An author I interviewed last November contacted me recently and let me know she’s going to be in an awesome anthology–coming out in just a few days! I normally don’t do two interviews with the same author in such a short period of time, but Devorah’s excitement is contagious so I’ve decided to bring her back.
Please give Devorah Fox a warm welcome.
1. We last spoke in November 2014. Can you talk a little bit about where you were in your writing career at the time?
November 2014 I was deep into National Novel Writing Month, endeavoring to write 50,000 words in 30 days. This was my fourth NaNoWriMo marathon and I’m pleased to report that I was again successful. Those words are the start of “The Redoubt,” Book Four in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic fantasy series. Many more words are needed, for example, the ending. I had hoped to finish the book in time for a July 2015 launch but Fate had other plans.
2. What are some of the projects you’ve worked on since then?
It wasn’t until June 2015 that I got back to writing “The Redoubt” so there’s absolutely no way it will be ready for a July launch. However, I have another book to crow about. “Masters of Time: A SciFi/Fantasy Anthology” will debut on July 13 and it include my short story “Turning the Tide.” I am thrilled to have my story in the company of work by talented, bestselling authors Samantha LaFantasie, Alesha Escobar, Timothy c. Ward, H.M. Jones and Alice Marks.
3. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned since then?
I learned that I can write short fiction. When I first set out to write fiction I wrote novels, largely because I was trying to write the book that I most wanted to read. Later as I joined writers groups I became in awe of authors who wrote short stories and managed to achieve so much with so few words. It’s a very different craft from novel writing, especially marathon writing where the goal is to pour as many words as possible on to the page, as quickly as possible.
When submissions to “Masters of Time” opened I recalled a piece I had written in response to a prompt during a writer group exercise. At the time I thought I had the germ of a novel on my hands but I seized the opportunity to develop the idea. I found that I could say what I wanted to say in less than 2,00 words.
4. How do you balance your schedule between writing/editing/marketing?
I wish that I could say that I have achieved balance. I spend entirely too much time on marketing and not nearly enough on writing and editing. After “Masters of Time” launches I plan to spend less time on marketing and devote myself to finishing “The Redoubt.” It’s a truism that if we spend all our time on marketing and none on writing we’ll have nothing to market, but it’s hard to decline the opportunities that come my way, such as chatting with you.
5. What’s your favourite social media network and why?
I would have to say Facebook. I find it’s a good way to stay in touch with friends whom I don’t see in person because of time or distance. OK, let’s be honest: it’s because it’s chockablock with cute cat photos and videos.
6. Of the marketing techniques you’ve tried, which have been most successful?
If sales are the measure, the most successful marketing I’ve done has been book launch signing events at the Port Aransas Art Center. I very much appreciate the support of the Art Center and the Texas Coastal Bend community.
7. Where would you like to see your writing career in 5 years?
I have so many works in progress. In five years I would hope to have finished Books Four and Five in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic fantasy series and “A Whale of a Tale,” a spin-off from the contemporary Coastal Texas thriller “Naked Came the Sharks” that I’m co-authoring as well as a sequel or two to that book. During Camp NaNoWriMo last summer I revived a novel that I started in 1993 and I’d like to finish that. I have several detective-series drawer-stuffers that I’d like to dust off and get between covers. I’m a huge “Warehouse 13” fan and I have three pages of ideas that would make great short stories in the steampunk genre.
8. If this was your last interview ever, what would you really want to say?
Thank you, everyone who has read my work and asked for more. It’s your encouragement that tells me that writing is what I ought to be doing, as opposed to brain surgery or mixed martial arts.
About the Author:
“What if?” Those two words all too easily send Devorah Fox spinning into flights of fancy. Best-selling author of The Lost King, The King’s Ransom, and The King’s Redress in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam literary fantasy series she also co-authored the contemporary thriller, Naked Came the Sharks with Jed Donellie and the Masters of Time: a SciFi/Fantasy Time Travel Anthology. Publisher and editor of the BUMPERTOBUMPER® books for commercial motor vehicle drivers she is developer of the Easy CDL test prep apps. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she now lives in The Barefoot Palace in Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf Coast where she herds rescued tabby cats and writes the “Dee-Scoveries” blog at http://devorahfox.com.