Author Interview with J.M. Bogart
I’m interviewing J.M. Bogart today, author of YA fantasy “Liminal Lights”. Enjoy the interview!
Author Interview
When did you know you wanted to become an author?
I’ve always been a story-teller. There a part of me that needs to embellish any story to make it come to life. Being an author isn’t something you become, exactly, it’s more that the stories force their way out onto paper (or the internet) and find their way into the world.
Where did you get the inspiration for Liminal Lights?
Honestly, I don’t know. I remember having a conversation about how I can’t write for children and, while I enjoy reading fantasy, I doubt I’d be able to create an entire world, with unique creatures, and an engaging plot. I’m a real-world kind of person. And then, one day, poof, the idea of mythical creatures without magic of their own popped into my head. It stood to reason that if the mythical creatures didn’t have magic… then their human counterparts must. After that, the story pretty much wrote itself.
What is your editing process like?
There is no magic formula for editing. First, I write the entire book… the rule is no editing, but occasionally I cheat and remove or change parts. When I’m finished, I tuck the manuscript away for a couple of months and work on something else.
When I go back to it, the first thing I do is read it through, taking notes and looking for inconsistences. I write one or two sentences describing each chapter; if a chapter doesn’t move the story forward, or highlight character development, it gets removed or reworked. After making continuity corrections, I read through the book again, paying closer attention to grammar, flow, and the poetry of the prose.
Then, I pass it off to early beta readers, who let me know what they do and don’t like about the book. And while these readers are my “friends” they don’t hold back when it comes to correcting my work. After that, the text goes to a very special editing friend, who makes sure it’s about as perfect as it can be before I start submitting to publishers.
What was the most challenging part about writing your book?
The most challenging part for me was keeping my target audience in mind. This book is intended for tweens. I wanted to be careful not to treat them like children by dumbing down the language or the themes that run through the book.
What are your writing goals for 2014?
My goal for 2014 was to publishing Liminal Lights and set it free (after three years of germinating). Hopefully, I’ll have book two sent off to my publisher before December.
Are you working on something? If so, can you tell us more about it?
I’m working on editing the second book in the Liminals series, and completing the copy for the third book. When I started writing Liminals, it was meant to be a standalone book, but there was just too much story to tell. At the same time, since I also write women’s fiction, and I’m working on a loose sequel to Money, Masks & Madness.
Liminal Lights
Title: Liminal Lights
Author: J.M. Bogart
Genre: MG/YA Fantasy
What if faerie magic is real?
Nadia discovers an ancient truth hidden by Liminals, coveted by Shadow Monsters, and protected by humans.
Somewhere, between faerie legends and story books, lies the truth to magic. It grows in children, matures, and is eventually captured by Liminal beings. These small, faerie-like creatures harvest and manipulate it, crafting it into the talents and skills inherent in humans. The rest, they keep for themselves in an effort to sustain their own life forces.
The human race is evolving, forcing Bean, Pritt, and Tissa to find new ways of harvesting human magic to save their own kind. Nadia’s power, found in her talent as an artist, is the last hope for these Liminal beings who find themselves caught between light and shadow. Liminals aren’t the only ones after her magic, so are the creatures who lurk under the bed, hide in the darkness, and go bump in the night.
This is the first book of a trilogy.
Author Bio
J.M. Bogart believes there’s a spark of magic in every person, regardless of age or background. Her upper Middle Grade novels are written with bright and imaginative youth in mind. She hopes to provide fun and appropriate content combined with challenging language and concepts for readers drifting in those precocious middle years.
Ms. Bogart spends her days writing, editing, and caring for her very busy family. She used to dream of the day when Mary Poppins would swoop in to help with the children, but now that they are older she wishes those chaotic days filled with giggles and sunshine hadn’t disappeared quite so fast. You can follow J.M. Bogart on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.
Other Books (Women’s Fiction):
Money, Masks & Madness (2013): http://www.amazon.com/Money-Masks-Madness-Jennifer-Bogart-ebook/dp/B00CCH5IIS
Reflections (2012): http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Jennifer-Bogart-ebook/dp/B009JUQ30S
Remember Newvember (2011): http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Newvember-Jennifer-Bogart-ebook/dp/B0052UAG70
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferBogartAuthor
Twitter: @JenniferBogart https://twitter.com/JenniferBogart
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenniferBogart/posts
Blog: http://jenniferbogart-author.blogspot.ca/
Publisher Website (Morning Rain Publishing): http://morningrainpublishing.com/project/liminal-lights/