Interview with Laura Hart author of The Toy Sorcerer

The Toy Sorcerer by Laura Hart

Trapped as a mortal in a dimension where human dreams become reality, Alice Towers endures a journey of unmerciful persecution and excruciating self-discovery. Guided by an extraordinary realm creature named Shammerwack, she must find Magog; a boy imprisoned for over three centuries who holds the key to her release.

Giveaway:
10 ebooks (international) AND
2 print copies (US or UK only please)


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Thank you Laura for the interview

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

 Alice’s Wonderland hails Armageddon as the Final Prophesy dawns in the New Age.

--How did you get the idea for the story?

I have lived with lucid dreams since childhood; long before the phenomenon had a name. My dream world was inescapable, even when I knew I was dreaming. Being stuck in a nightmare is a terrifying ordeal for a child. Ironically, my favourite story was Alice in Wonderland; possibly because I identified with Alice in so many ways.

I lost my only brother to a car crash when I was fourteen and my entire perspective on life - and death - altered dramatically. I leaped from fourteen to forty in a single leap. I will admit that Alice’s adventures in the Dream Realms are as much a self-healing panacea as they are fun.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

Least - Lillian; I might be on the menu.

Most - Merlin; the stories he could tell after a thousand years in the Dream Realms - the place where everything that everyone has ever dreamed becomes real? Makes your hair curl just thinking about it.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

As I said, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is still on my desert island list. Other favourites; George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and ‘Animal Farm’, ‘The Hobbit’ and LOR, anything by Terry Pratchett and a little known book called ‘IQ 83’ by Arthur Herzog - fabulously original concept.

I’m reading ‘The Amulet of Samarkand’ - Jonathan Stroud - very funny and original. I read as much as I can - it keeps the brain nicely oiled - but if I’m strapped for time, I write. It’s a matter of priorities.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

I made the typical newbie mistake of publishing prior to marketing The Toy Sorcerer. Ah well, no one has to wait for it now, do they? I am writing the second in the series at the moment, ‘The Final Prophesy’. When I freeze - as do we all - I write short stories on a completely different theme. By the time I’m done, the block has lifted on the novel. Unorthodox M.O probably, but it keeps me writing effectively. I’m going to be publishing some of the shorts on my website fairly soon under the title ‘Planet Strange’; exactly what it sounds like!  I shall also be dropping a few hints and excerpts of The Final Prophecy, as I write.

As for a release date - I hate tempting providence; it doesn’t need any more encouragement.

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

Now that’s a really tough one. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that didn’t have a terrific downside for every upside, but then they wouldn’t be any good if they didn’t. Problem is; if I chose Alice, I’d probably be beheaded by the queen; if I chose Animal farm, I’d be Boxer . . . you get my drift?

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

I listen to classical or stuff like Enigma or Tribe, or anything acoustic guitar. I can’t concentrate if I’m hearing song lyrics. If I want to generate a certain atmosphere, I have a list of guaranteed mood swingers; Rodrigo’s adagio section from the Concerto De Aranjuez is perfect when I need tragedy or pain.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

The ability to read minds; I’m dreadful at reading people. If I’d had the power to know what they were thinking, I probably wouldn’t have opened my big mouth and inserted size eights in it so many times!

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I design and make art and architectural glass pieces. I’m a 3D artist and designer, so I spend much of time staring at two screens - and again when writing - so my time in the studio is precious to me.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

I take my writing seriously and I’m a perfectionist; a dreadfully harsh editor of my own work. I believe that a good story needs to be told well.  I love the English language and despair at the gradual loss of some delicious words through lack of use, so expect to find some! I write from the heart and sometimes the heart can be sad or outraged; my characters are strong, their lives as real as my own. I crave feedback; writing a book is like being in a sealed vacuum until someone reads it and tells you what they think. But, I would never ask a friend for a review of The Toy Sorcerer - it wouldn’t ‘count’. I need totally unbiased honesty in order to grow.

Lightning round: this or that?

Vanilla or chocolate?

Definitely chocolate.

Edward or Jacob?

Edward - don’t ask me why.

Hockey or soccer?

Hockey

Ebook or paper?

Ebook

Salty or sweet?

Salty

Beach or mountains?

Mountains

Phone call or email?

E-mail

Early bird or night owl?

Both - unfortunately.

Dog or cat?

Both - happily.

Messy or neat?

Neat

Ninjas or pirates?

Pirates
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