Blog Ring of Power Presents: T.W. Fendley

I would like to welcome Blog Ring of Power's very own T.W. Fendley. She's releasing a new book and we got to pick her brain. You can find the other half of this interview on Sandra's blog.

Author Bio –

T.W. Fendley is an award-winning author of historical fantasy and science fiction for adults and young adults. She began writing fiction full-time in 2007 after working twenty-five years in journalism and corporate communications. In October 2011, L&L Dreamspell LLC published her debut historical fantasy novel for adults, Zero Time. Her young adult contemporary fantasy novel, The Labyrinth of Time, will be released in November 2014. Her short stories are available on Kindle and Audible.

Teresa fell in love with ancient American cultures while researching story ideas at the 1997 Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop. Since then, she’s trekked to archeological sites in the Yucatan, Peru and American Southwest. She serves on the board of the St. Louis Writers Guild, and belongs to the Missouri Writers' Guild, Broad Universe, and Historical Novel Society. She also practices remote viewing with the Applied Precognition Project and studies shamanism. Teresa currently lives near St. Louis with her artist husband and his pet fish. 

You can find her online at: 

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Smashwords

Section #4: About Your Current Work

BRoP: Tell us about your new book and when it is out? Where can people purchase it?

T.W.: My first book for young adults--a contemporary fantasy set in Peru—will be released on Nov. 7. The ebook of THE LABYRINTH OF TIME is already available for preorder. This story was inspired by a museum of engraved stones I visited about two hundred miles south of Lima in Peru. They believe the stones were left as messages to us from people who lived in the time of dinosaurs.

BRoP: Is there anything new, unusual, or interesting about your book? How is it different from other books on the same subject?

T.W.: I’ve tried to find other books similar to it, so if you know of one, please let me know! While I think it has the “adventure” feel of the movie Super 8, it’s aimed at young adults instead of tweens. The aliens’ comet ship was inspired by Javier Cabrera Darquea’s ten-year study of the inscriptions and origin of the stones. Stories about travel on comets date back to 1877, when science fiction pioneer Jules Verne published OFF ON A COMET, a novel about forty people stranded on a comet for two years.

BRoP: What was your favorite character to write and why?

T.W.:Boss Lady, the shapeshifting dog, was my favorite because she surprised me. In my earliest drafts, I had a Peruvian hairless dog in the opening scene where Jade and her grandmother arrive in Ica, but the dog kept coming back as I wrote later scenes. It felt exactly like the scene in the book where Boss Lady is trying to get Jade and Felix to follow her. Eventually, I understood why—she was more than just a dog. Being a pantser, it took me a while to grasp her significance.

BRoP: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

T.W.: Ultimately, it’s about the power of love to save the world. I’ll admit it—I’m an optimist.

BRoP: Tell us about your book’s cover – where did the design come from and what was the design process like?

T.W.:My friend—author/illustrator Jennifer Stolzer—designed the cover. I emailed her some photographs I’d taken of the engraved stones and of crystals like those I imagined were in the labyrinth. The hardest part was making a Peruvian hairless dog look cute—they are some kind of ugly!--but we finally were inspired by a puppy. We hovered over Jen’s laptop at the local coffee shop to make the final changes.

Section #5: Words of Wisdom

BRoP: Is there anything you would have done differently during the querying and publishing process?

T.W. I’ve decided not to give the querying process so much time and energy with future novels. I kept sending queries for this book to a few agents or publishers at a time, with depressed lapses until I sent the next few emails. Three years passed, and the book was no closer to publication than the day I finished writing it. I will send my next novel out to a few agents, but if that doesn’t work out, I will self-publish it and move on to another project.

BRoP: What are the most important elements of good writing?

T.W.: Editing is definitely the key to good writing. As C.J. Cherryh said, “It’s perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly.”

BRoP: What do you feel is the key to your success?

T.W.: When I started writing fiction, I gave myself permission to be bad. It was humbling to realize writing fiction required skills I didn’t have since I’d always earned my living through writing and won many awards for my nonfiction. Fortunately, the romance writers who took me under their wing were very supportive and business savvy. One thing I quickly learned was how important it is to finish stories. So many writers I know get stuck rewriting the first couple of chapters and never move on. Persistence, and a wicked imagination, are what keep me writing

BRoP: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

T.W.: Thanks! I feel honored to share my crazy worlds with you.

BRoP: What are your current / future project(s)?

T.W.: I’m working on a retelling of the Adam and Eve story that’s set in the near future called MOONBLOOD.

BRoP: Is your book in print, ebook or both? 

T.W.: Both

Can Jade restore the Firestone’s powers before the First Men return to judge humanity? 

Spending spring break in Peru with her grandmother isn’t sixteen-year-old Jade’s idea of fun. She’d much rather be with her friends at Lake of the Ozarks. Then she meets Felix, a museum director’s son. Jade discovers only she and Felix can telepathically access messages left on engraved stones in the age of dinosaurs.

Following the ancient stones’ guidance, they enter the Labyrinth of Time and–with a shapeshifting dog’s help–seek a red crystal called the Firestone. But time is running out before the First Men return on the night of the second blue moon.

D. Buy/Book Links:

• Amazon 
• Smashwords
• Barnes & Noble
• Apple iBooks

The ebook and print versions will be available at most online retail outlets on Nov. 7, 2014; you can ask for it at your local independent bookstore and library, too. Check for my ebook giveaway on Library Thing beginning Nov. 1. Additionally, THE LABYRINTH OF TIME is available free through Oct. 31 to Net Galley subscribers.