Brighton Pier glistened in the sunshine, as I meandered towards the café to meet with Liz Young. A holiday mood inspired me to buy some Brighton Rock as a gift for Liz. Amused that the stick of rock very different to the rock in Liz’s science fiction book, I hoped Liz would appreciate my humour. Seated outside, Liz smiled as soon as she saw me. She wore a pair of silky trousers in navy dotted with tiny white flowers, and a toning Tee-shirt.
Jessie: Pleased to meet you, Liz. I thought you would like some rock.
Liz: Great minds think alike. I thought I would show you some of the volcanic rock that inspired my idea for The Volcanic Race. Here’s a picture on my phone. The real Brighton rock is over there somewhere.
We both laughed as Liz pointed to the coastline.
Jessie: It is different to my usual read but sounds intriguing.
Liz: Other reviewers have made the same comment but have been surprised. One reviewer said:
‘This is not normally the type of book I would read, but I have to say it’s some of the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time. What an adventure. Ms. Young has quite the imagination. Her fantastic characters were believable, and the action left me breathless. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to her sequel.’
Jessie: That’s a great review. Your creativity appeals to me.
Liz: Yes, I am pleased that other reviewers have appreciated my imagination. Here are two other reviews of the same ilk.
‘I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Very well written and imaginative and has left me wanting to read the second book to see how the story develops. A must buy for anyone and everyone.’
‘I never thought I would enjoy this style of book. Wrong! Started it and couldn’t put it down. Had to, because, you know: sleep, cook, etc.’
Jessie: You must be so pleased with the response. It is quite a skill to take a unique concept then bring it to life. Tell me more about the novel.
Liz: The Rockmen of A Volcanic Race are created from liquid rock inside a live volcano, but young Tomboro also has psychic powers.
Although his mother tries to prevent him developing his gift, he finds the strength to break free of her influence while on the journey his clan makes to a distant volcano, but what begins as an adventure develops into a perilous race to save their own lives – and that of the baby which should be theirs.
Jessie: You have certainly woven an intriguing plot. I am interested in how you tell the story. Could you read an extract?
Liz took the book from her a shoulder bag printed with the logo of ENCUENTRO. Encuentro means ‘Meeting’ in Spanish. She read an extract.
Red-hot stones fell from the slate-grey sky – a solid rain that was dangerous, especially for children. Yakan turned his back on the chaotic scene below and herded his people into the relative safety of their caves.
Jessie: The writing is powerful, and you must have used lots of creative energy to tell the story. How did you feel when you had finished the novel? Did you miss any of the characters?
Liz: To some extent I felt relief that my novel was finally worth printing! A Volcanic Race evolved from the first book I ever wrote and has undergone several sweeping changes to reach its final form.
As for the characters – they are still waiting back-stage. Some have already made an appearance in my next book, Wolf Pack, and all of them are due to resurface in the final book of my Living Rock series.
Jessie: Who would you like to read your book and why? This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family.
The more the merrier! Seriously, though, I had my family in mind when I wrote it.
I wanted to be able to put my book in their hands and say, “See – my writing is more than just a hobby to keep me out of mischief.”
Authors? If I must pick one author out of many, I would chooseTerry Pratchett, who is the one writer whose books I can read more than once – I have most of his books on my bookshelf. Unfortunately he would have to read mine in a spirit version – do Amazon offer that option?
Jessie: Why should I keep your book in my handbag?
Liz: To read it twice. One friend told me he’d been unable to put it down and read it so fast he was sure he’d missed a lot, so he was going to read it a second time, more slowly. The best review I’ve had, in its way.
Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?
Liz: In truth the last sentence is a draft of this week’s flash fiction, but my ‘note to self’ before that is ‘Research prehistoric African grassland animals’ – a reminder for my next book.
I have kept notes ever since my days in a busy Housing Association office, where half a dozen requests could land on my desk at once, and I can’t rely on my memory.
Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?
Liz: My biggest challenge, apart from finding time to write while catering to the needs of various family members, is getting my book out there.
I tried to find an agent before self-publishing – in fact I signed a contract for a different book but the agent couldn’t find a publisher. Now I am struggling, as I suspected I would, to grasp the intricacies of self-publicity. Two local magazines have featured me and AVR on a half-page spread, and every week I publish flash fiction on my blog with a direct link to my book, yet neither have shown any discernible effect on my sales.
How other authors make that transition from double figures to hundreds or – in my dreams – thousands, remains a mystery.
Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?
Liz: I have received so much help and advice from my online friends in Writing Magazine’s TalkBack forum that it is difficult to select one, unless it’s ‘Hang in there and keep writing.’
Liz is now back living in Sussex after fifteen years in Tenerife, where the variety of rock formations and colours inspired her writing – she says she still misses speaking Spanish, but is glad to be away from the excessive heat.
When Liz is stuck in her writing she goes for a walk, running different scenarios and conversations through her mind – sometimes aloud, which has been known to disconcert passers-by.
Liz has four children – all adult now – which may explain why she likes cooking for large parties, the most recent of which was a full English breakfast for thirty friends on the terrace of her Tenerife apartment.
Liz’s lovely humour and positivity made her great company. She was animated when talking about her book and made me want to find out more. I believe it is always important to test new genres as it can feed the imagination and spark an unexpected plot twist in one’s own novel. The sun shone as if we were in Tenerife throughout out meeting. The best of luck to Liz with her writing. I urge you to look at Liz’s imaginative story. Her next book is entitled HELTER-SKELTER and will be released soon.
Please see all my interviews at My Guests and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.
Great interview, Jessie. I’m reading Liz’s book: A Volcanic Race at the moment. (I was a little worried about spoilers!) I haven’t read a fantasy novel for nearly thirty years and I’m really enjoying her book.