Welcome to my interview with novelist, Raymond Bolton, author of The Ydron Saga.
Hello, Raymond,
Lauren- I’m glad you’re here! First some fun trivia! What is your favorite place to eat?
Raymond- When the weather’s right, I prefer an outdoor table at Manzana’s in Lake Oswego, Oregon. They have an almost unimpeded view of the lake, fine food, including fresh, river caught local salmon and steel head trout when they’re running, reasonable prices and a bar stocked with my favourite scotches and bourbons, not to mention King Estate Pinot Gris.
Lauren- I will have to try Manzana’s! Any movies that you really want to see?
Raymond-I’m dying to see the Martian. I read the book and if they adhere to the premise, without much deviation, it could be a riveting watch.
Lauren- Besides writing and reading, what is your most favorite thing to do?
Raymond- Once upon a time, I used to enjoy soaring. I just found there is a glider port within 45 minutes of my house. Once we’ve finished settling in—we’ve been in our new digs for just over a year and I think another six moths should just about do it—I’m going to mosey on over and see what it will take to renew my license.
Lauren- What do you look for in a book when you sit down to read for fun?
Raymond- (1) Well-crafted, compact prose that flows, (2) a story line that picks up and moves from the outset, (3) an unusual concept
Lauren- What 5 words would you use to describe yourself?
Raymond- Driven, organized, humorous, sincere, loving… not necessarily in that order.
Lauren- Now could you answer some general questions about your current writing projects (WIP).
Raymond- I am currently working hard to complete the first draft of Foretellers, the third volume of The Ydron Saga, the second of Awakening’s prequel trilogy. It is set in the land of Ydron, 250 years prior to the time the time the story of Awakening unfolds, a time referred to as The Great Conflict, a period when all the lands are at war. The warlord, Obah Sitheh, Regilius’ (Awakening’s protagonist) earliest known predecessor, is struggling against overwhelming odds to keep his people free from the tyrant, Hath Kael, when a small group of individuals with super cognitive abilities come to his assistance, begging the question “will they be enough to turn the tables in his favor?”
I expect to release it during the first quarter of 2016.
Lauren- What else do you have in the pipeline?
Raymond- Aside from Telekine, which will wrap up the saga, I have sown the seed of an unrelated work, a YA urban fantasy I’m calling Folder, the story of a young man who can alter both present and future events, albeit with unpredictable and therefore dangerous results.
Lauren- What genre do you consider your book(s)?
Raymond- They are what I call sci-fi/fantasy genre benders because they tread the line between each of them.
Lauren- Tell us about your approach to the writing craft. What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
Raymond- I have a full-time day job as a hair stylist. Because I’m self-employed, I can alter my schedule to suit my needs. However, since my clients require a certain degree of predictability and I prefer to write in the morning, I often have to cut my writing short. As you can imagine, this can be frustrating when a particular chapter wants to pick up and run.
Lauren- Oh my gosh, I feel you on that one. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Raymond- Without a doubt, I pick Dan Simmons, author of the Hyperion series.
Lauren- Do you write an outline before every book you write?
No I don’t. There are two breeds of writer: plotters and pantsers. Plotters outline their plots before they put down a word. Pantsers fly by the seat of their pants. Two notable pantsers are Douglas Preston and Stephen King.
Lauren- “Pantser,” Some times I write by the seat of my pants too. What is your favorite motivational phrase or positive saying?
Raymond- I follow the Ashanti proverb: Act as if you cannot fail.
Links
Learn more here: http://www.raymondbolton.com/
Like him here: https://www.facebook.com/RaymondBoltonAuthor
Follow him here: https://twitter.com/RaymondBolton
Buy his books here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7690905.Raymond_Bolton
http://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Bolton/e/B00HMY0B6U/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1443984119&sr=1-2-ent