Me: First off, I know you're very busy getting ready for your big launch. Thanks for taking the time to chat.
Cheri: Sure thing! I love to talk shop
Me: Let's get first things first. Tell us a little about the story of Artemis Rising.
Cheri: At its heart, Artemis Rising is a love triangle between a girl who's in love with one boy but is destined to be with another. Eva Mare is a young Azorean islander with a pagan mother and Catholic father. Eva must choose her faith at the story's opening and she chooses paganism. Yet, this sets off a fate that has dire consequences. She accepts the name of Arethusa but learns too late that her life will mirror the Greek nymph’s tragic fate. When [Eva Mare’s] ship founders off the Azores, Tristan, a young Azorean, saves her. Destined to be with Diogo and aching for Tristan’s forbidden love, Eva must somehow choose between them, or fate will soon choose for her.
Me: Were you hesitant at all to tackle themes of religion in what will be your debut novel?
Cheri: Yes, I was actually. The struggle between the two faiths was not part of my original plot. But I realized I couldn't separate Eva's struggle for love with her struggle about her faith. They are intertwined as is the Catholic faith for the Azorean people. I had to delve into it whether I wanted to or not. I am not one to rock the boat or make a statement, but I realized that the theme of this book was far beyond what I had originally planned. It goes quite deeply into the concepts of belief and false belief and I couldn't shy away from it without doing a disservice to my character, my readers, and myself.
Me: That's very courageous.
Cheri: Yes! Considering I never talk about my own views on religion and faith in public generally.
Me: You mentioned the Azorean people. The Azores Islands play a significant part in the story. Have you always had a fascination with that part of the world, and history in general?
Cheri: Ever since I fell madly in love with classics like A Tale of Two Cities and Moby Dick, I've loved historical fiction. It takes me away to another time and place that I'll never have access to in real life. I'm fascinated in where we've come from and how it can direct how we live today. The Azores, ah...My favorite place in the whole world. I lived there for two glorious years, and I wanted to share with the world how magical those islands are. I hope I did them justice. I miss Terceira Island every day.
But no, I've not always had a fascination with the Azores. Until I moved there, I'd never heard of them. They are a group of nine islands 800 miles off the coast of Portugal. In other words: the middle of nowhere!
Me: Will you set other books in the Azores?
Cheri: No. I thought about doing a sequel to Artemis Rising, but I felt Arethusa and Tristan's story was complete as is. And besides, researching the Azores was the most difficult part of writing this book. Historical materials from those islands are very scarce. But I had an old short story idea about a lighthouse on the Oregon coast that recently blossomed into my second novel. I'm about halfway done with the rough draft. This one is insanely fun to write and plot.:)
Me: I know that your journey to publishing Artemis Rising was not an easy one. What are some of the hurdles you had to overcome?
Cheri: My writing journey just took damn long! I decided to write a novel in third grade but it was years of fits and false starts before I had a handle on how to really write a good story. It wasn't until after I left the Azores that I decided to set the novel there. Sigh That meant that all the research materials I could have collected while there were no longer available to me. As I said, researching the history and setting took ten years. And frankly, it took that long just to fit the puzzle of the plot together too. A reader can read this book on two levels. There's the love story. But there is so much more going on underneath the romance, a whole subtext of mythology and the theme on belief. It was the most difficult and satisfying project I've ever undertaken. And if I try writing anything remotely that difficult again, just shoot me. :)
Me: I know you're releasing it as an ebook. Any plans for a traditional print version? Hardcover maybe?
Cheri: I'm a bit obsessed with the ebook revolution at the moment. I strongly believe that even the most diehard paper book fans are going to fall in love with ebooks and ebook readers, or at least be converted whether they want to or not. But I'm actually test marketing right now with the ebook format. I want to stretch its limits and see what it can do. I also want to figure out my target market--both teens and women in their 20s to 40s seem to really like this book--before I worry about setting the book in a more permanent format. A hardback I'm not interested in, but a future paperback of Artemis Rising isn't out of the question.
Me: Finally, any advice for young artists out there who someday want to tackle writing a novel?
Cheri: Oh yes. Too much to go into here. But I'll give you a short version:
1. Read widely, join a writers group, and decide on a genre BEFORE you start a new novel.
2. No matter where you are in the process of writing, start learning the marketing side of the business. Research, read, ask questions, and don't be lazy.
3. Don't skimp on professional editing. It will save you from being vilified by your readers in their reviews. Trust me.
4. Focus on writing a story that excites the hell out of you. Think outside the box. Don't shy away from tackling the hard questions and putting your characters through hell.
5. Have fun with the process and never EVER give up.
Me: All words to live by.
Cheri: :)
Me: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule. It's been great.
Cheri: Sure thing! Thank you so much for asking me. I'm honored!
You can check out Cheri's website here. Artemis Rising is available on Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook), and the iBookstore (iPhone, iPad, Touch). You can also check out this YouTube review of Artemis Rising from E-Book It Reviews here.
That was a good interview, Paul. Smart questions well phrased that allowed the author to share some valuable experiences.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for doing the interview, Cheri. Sounds like a book that is really worth reading.