Shifting in the Realms

Today, I’m pleased to present the lovely Theresa Snyder, a delightful fantasy author. Theresa is a very supportive Twitter friend. In the process of receiving her media kit, I found out something about her that fascinated me enormously. Theresa has created the most whimsical writing space imaginable! Wait till you see the video she sent me and you’ll know what I mean!

Do you love dragons? You will find Farloft irresistible.
James & the Dragon is book #1 of the exciting saga of Farloft the Dragon and his friends.
What would you do if you were adopted by a dragon? When ten-year-old orphan James nearly drowns in a bog, he finds himself rescued by Farloft, a centuries old dragon with a glittering collection of treasures and an even richer collection of stories. But, dragons and boys are not meant to live together – or are they? When Laval – a wizard harboring a secret hatred for Farloft finds out about James, he sees his chance for revenge.

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The Realms refers to a parallel dimension hidden between Minneapolis and St. Paul where creatures, humans think of as only mythical, roam free.

Cody is a shape shift with some monumental problems that all started when he died. He’s escaped to The Realms from the midlands between Heaven and Hell only to find his best friend is potential food for the resident vampires, his girlfriend only loves him in his wolf form and her mother…well that’s a whole other story.

It isn’t easy being Cody, but like a good wolf he’ll do what he can to protect his pack even if it kills him. Wait…he’s already dead.

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Love character driven scifi? Join Jake and Arr on their adventures.
The Helavite War is book #1 of the Star Traveler Adventures

Jake is a human mercenary looking for a quiet place to rest, when his Protect Dar-dolf attacks the last living Henu, Arr. Feeling responsible, Jake stays on to care for Arr, as the alien with deep blue cat eyes and unusual abilities recovers.

Jake takes on the role of teacher, mentor, father, and lost brother for his new alien friend. He and Arr share adventures dealing with the Hydra, a race of lizard-like creatures who kidnap members of other species to sell on the black market as slaves; battle the Narnon on Gligula where Tuldavian Swamp Lizards lay their traps just below the surface of the slime; and engage in numerous other missions while learning to appreciate each others rare abilities.

Ultimately, they must face their toughest foe, the Helavites, a species which has been preying on the weaker beings in the universe for generations. In the underground catacombs of these beetle-like creatures a mystery is solved and the foundation for the resurrection of an old world are laid.

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Hello Theresa and welcome to my blog!

Hi, Fros! I’m excited to be here!

What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

I truly have written all my life. My mother used to say she spent more on stamps for my pen pal letters then she did for clothes for me. I have always kept a journal and written short stories and poems for my friends. However, the first novel I completed was “The Helavite War” which is Volume One of The Star Traveler Series. That was back in 1990. I was 40 years old. I followed that one with another novel each year in the series until 1995.

What other writing have you done? Anything else published?

I have two more series published, The Farloft Chronicles which are fantasy, and the Shifting Books in The Twin Cities Series which are paranormal. I also have one stand-alone scifi “In2Minds” and a memoir “We3” about moving my parents back in with me at 42.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I love to garden. I do a lot of mental writing while gardening, so when I actually get time to set down I can just let it flow. I enjoy making amateur videos of the garden and the projects in it for my YouTube Channel.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

I am a big part of Farloft, my dragon, and he is a big part of me. I think if you get to know him you have a fair understanding of me and how I think.

Image by Blue Kite Falls

Farloft looks delightful! What are you working on at the moment, Theresa?

Currently, I have several ‘irons in the fire’ as they say. The end of October I will be releasing “The Beast Within.” This is the 7^th in The Star Traveler Series, but I have made an effort to make it a stand-alone volume. My hope is that folks will read it and find teasers which will take them back to the previous six volumes. This series is very character-driven and even though they were my first novels, and I was learning my craft, they are still very moving. Great for YA scifi readers or adults who enjoy less techie mumbo-jumbo and more heart.

Image by Blue Kite Falls

The day after Thanksgiving Farloft will roll out his “Farloft’s Storybook” for the hatchlings in your family. I do readings for our local county library and the older, middle-school kids, bring their younger siblings. So I wrote a dragon book specifically for them. It is nine short stories suitable for 2-1/2 to 6 year olds. A six year old will be able to read them on their own. The book is filled with delightful illustrations and coloring pages. I know it is going to be a hit.

It certainly sounds like it!

Thanks Fros. I’m also working on creating two adult ‘formatted’ versions of The Farloft Chronicles. I noticed while doing book signings and table-top appearances this past summer that some 25-50 year old men were reluctant to buy the chronicles because they are trade formatted and larger print for middle-schoolers. I didn’t have this trouble with the adults who read them online, because they didn’t ‘see’ the formatting. So now I am compiling two collections, Collection No. 1 with books 1-3 and Collection No. 2 with books 4-6 in a regular paperback-sized book for the adult readers. They are getting a really spiffy new cover and will sell for about a third less than the three trade paperbacks combined.

My last project is Affordable Proofreading & Editing Service. I have been beta reading, proofing and editing for other authors for years. There are some really great authors out there who just need another set of eyes on their work before they publish it. I checked into costs for that service and was astonished at how expensive it was. I wanted to help my fellow authors, so I am doing it at a discount for now. I would really like to retire in a couple of years, so if I get this service off the ground, perhaps I can do just that and help others along the way.

Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

I will put in a pitch for my proofreading and editing service here. No matter how great your idea is, you need to make it as clean a book as possible for your readers – if you don’t, you risk alienating them forever. Get enough bad, or even slightly testy, reviews and it will sink you as an author. Most of the time authors read what they ‘think’ they wrote. Let someone else take a look at your work. Don’t be in such a hurry to get it published that you are detrimental to your own published future.

Sound advice, Theresa – and good luck with this new endeavor. Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

My blog is a continuously running selection of short stories. Some verge on novellas. I switch scifi, fantasy and recently even a paranormal. My blog is where my readers will find out whether they like my writing, and if so in what genre. There are also sub-blogs linked to the site where I explore things like poetry writing, current issues, what’s on my bookshelf, marketing tips, fun happenings and events in my life, and other interviews and reviews. I started writing my blog in the early 80s and it is a reflection of my growth as an author. Often I will try out something on the blog and it will develop into an idea for a book which I flesh-out later and publish. I have over 82,000 views and many, many of them are return readers who get hooked on a story. I post every Saturday to the basic story and do additional posts to the sub-blogs when the muse moves me.

Wow, I’m definitely going to check it out! Describe your workstation. Are there any favorite objects you have there for inspiration?

Oh, I love to answer this question. I have a Moroccan Room where I write. There is a video of it on my YouTube channel. It is my place to escape. I originally built it because after my mom passed on, my dad took to watching a lot of TV, very loudly. I could not concentrate, because I like instrumental music playing when I am reading and writing. I can’t concentrate with chatter going on. I go out to my Moroccan Room with my cup of tea, turn on the classical or light jazz, and go to work. Our cat, Jewel, often joins me in the chair opposite mine. We both like to listen to the rain on the roof in the spring and fall.

That’s magical, Theresa. I’m enchanted! And as green as Farloft 🙂

LOL – thank you, Fros. It’s a pleasure to work in there, that’s for sure.

Have you a picture of your cat to show us?

Yes, here is a photo of Jewel. This was taken in the house; she was actually listening to the rain on the roof as I took this!

Awwww! What a cutie! Last question: How would you like to be remembered?

First of all, I would like to be remembered as a sweet, caring individual. My mom left behind that legacy. Everyone thought well of her. Second, I hope many people remember my stories and retell them. Not my books, but my life stories which I passed on to my students and friends. Stories I hope will enrich their lives and the lives of others through their messages. Like Farloft, my dragon, I have a million of them. Without stories our lives are so boring. Lastly, like all authors, I would like to be remembered by my body of work. I hope it will live on many, many years after I am dead and gone.

Theresa, this has to be one of the best answers I’ve ever received to this question. It speaks volumes for the rare qualities of your character. I’m so pleased you could be here today. Thank you so much and enjoy your wonderful Moroccan Room!

Thank you too, Fros! You’re welcome to have tea with me there anytime!

Right! I’m booking the flight now! Got a spare couch?

Of course! LOL

Theresa Snyder is a multi-genre writer with an internationally read blog. She grew up on a diet of B&W Scifi films like Forbidden Planet and The Day the Earth Stood Still. She is a voracious reader and her character-driven writing is influenced by the early works of Anne McCaffrey, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein and L. Ron Hubbard. She loves to travel, but makes her home in Oregon where her elder father and she share a home and the maintenance of the resident cat, wild birds, squirrels, garden, and occasional Dragon house guest.

Visit Theresa’s Amazon page US UK

Visit Theresa’s website

Other links

https://twitter.com/TheresaSnyder19

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+TheresaSnyderAuthor/posts

https://www.facebook.com/booksbytheresasnyder

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7077138.Theresa_Snyder

https://www.youtube.com/user/lorjim3su/feed

https://instagram.com/tsnydert/

https://www.pinterest.com/tsauthor/

Check out the Moroccan Room where @TheresaSnyder19 writes her stories! #dragons #CR4U Share on X