Author Interview with C.K. Brooke
I’m interviewing C.K. Brooke, author of fantasy romance “The Duchess Quest”. Welcome to my blog, C.K., and thanks for answering my interview questions.
Author Interview
1. When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I started writing “books” when I was six. My mom would staple sheets of paper together, and I would fill the pages with illustrations and stories. From there, it never stopped. I was constantly being scolded in elementary and middle school for not paying attention, scribbling down novels and dialogues during math and social studies classes. In high school, I would rush through my homework so that I could get to what was more important: story writing. So, I’d say I’ve always known I wanted to be an author! There was nothing else in the world I could imagine myself doing or loving more.
2. Where did you get the inspiration for The Duchess Quest?
I’ve always been inspired by Anastasia Romanov, the last Grand Duchess of Russia. Since childhood, I’d been intrigued with the concept of the girl having survived her family’s execution, as was speculated until her remains were identified (I think in 2006). I wanted to write a book about a duchess whose family had been overthrown, yet who’d secretly survived her execution. Simultaneously, I was toying with the concept of an adventure novel about three men who must journey on a perilous quest together, while they cannot stand one another. I merged the two ideas together one day, and the story line for The Duchess Quest was born!
3. What is your editing process like?
My editing process is devastatingly intense. I read and reread my books dozens (if not hundreds) of times on every device I can – laptop, tablet, smartphone – as each format presents the text differently. I then edit accordingly to keep the story clear, to-the-point, understandable and as free from error as I can get it. Then 48fourteen, my publisher, subjects the manuscript to multiple rounds of professional editing after that. As I’ve written more books, my recent works haven’t needed the same degree of editing. But editing The Duchess Quest, which was my first real novel, was quite an intense process.
4. What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
There were so many challenges, it’s hard to pinpoint just one, LOL! Between trying to complete a novel as the mother of a young baby, having to pare down the original manuscript from 165,000 words (yikes) to 90,000 words for it to even be considered marketable, and facing a plague of rejection letters in my inbox every day, I faced my set of challenges. I’m very relieved to have overcome them, and couldn’t be happier with the end results.
5. Did you set any writing goals for 2014? Did you accomplish any, so far?
I think I overdid it a little in 2014, LOL! (At least, my publisher joked that I’m writing faster than they can publish.) But yes, I met all my goals. I saw my first book contracted and published, and wrote two more novels, which are also under contract. So, there’s lots more to come from me. I am highly grateful for each and every reader!
About The Duchess Quest
Title: The Duchess Quest
Author: C.K. Brooke
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
Love is destined to find her…
Dainy doesn’t know that she is the lost Duchess of Jordinia, believed to have been assassinated fifteen years ago. Nor does she know that her uncle has implemented an illegal contest to seek her, offering her marriage hand as the reward!
Though at odds, three clashing rivals – including a noble giant, a forest dweller and a thieving rake – voyage together by woodland, prairie and sea to recover the lost royal, notwithstanding the assassins and spies at their tail. Soon, young Dainy is swept into a comically complex romantic quadrangle as each suitor competes to capture her heart.
Charmingly romantic and bursting with political intrigue, startling twists and vivid characters, readers of romance and fantasy alike will adore this original yet timeless tale of swashbuckling adventure and unlikely love.
Author Bio
C. K. Brooke is a fantasy/romance writer. She is the author of The Duchess Quest (Jordinia: Book 1), now available in paperback and e-book. Her next two novels, The Duchess Inheritance (Jordinia: Book 2) and The Red Pearl, are coming soon to 48fourteen Publishing. She lives in Washington, Michigan with her husband and son. Visit her at www.CKBrooke.com.
Links
Official site: www.ckbrooke.com
Publisher: http://48fourteen.com/author/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ck.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Wordpress: http://authorckbrooke.