Today I'm welcoming author Alison Neuman stopping by on her blog tour with a interview talking about her book, a YA mystery/romance Ice Rose
Author | Amazon
About The Book:
Ice Rose — A teenager’s world is turned upside down when an explosion steals her dad and her identity. Entering an exclusive academy that immerses her in the world of secret agents, she must overcome her fears and disabilities to discover the truth about her dad’s mission, his software, and the mystery man stalking her before she ends up like her father — lost.
About The Book:
Ice Rose — A teenager’s world is turned upside down when an explosion steals her dad and her identity. Entering an exclusive academy that immerses her in the world of secret agents, she must overcome her fears and disabilities to discover the truth about her dad’s mission, his software, and the mystery man stalking her before she ends up like her father — lost.
About The Author:
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Alison Neuman lives in Alberta, Canada, where she
is a freelance writer and lyricist. Nearing the end of her studies for the
Bachelor of Applied Communications Degree program at Grant MacEwan College, she
was inspired to complete the first draft of Ice Rose. The pace of secret agent books
and movies gave her an unlimited playground for imagination. Music and
performing are passions she was able to bring into her writing and build into
her characters.Alison’s writing has appeared in “MacEwan Today”, “Westword”, and the “Edmonton Journal” along with three tracks on the CD release Outside The Window. Co-writing the screenplay adaptation of the book Whale Songwith author Cheryl Kaye Tardif exposed her to the world of screenwriting, which she hopes to continue to examine further in the future. Alison also has been writing shorter pieces of non-fiction, one entitled Establishing Roots, that earned a top ten ranking in the Edmonton Stories contest. This past spring she was a winner in The Expressions of Hunger Contest in the Emotional Poetry category. Her piece Undeniable Craving was on display in June and July in various artistic locations across the city of Edmonton. She has completed a final edit of her memoir “Searching For Normal” and is currently writing her next young adult manuscript.
When not writing creatively, Alison is editing or writing for her business, Sandy Tree Communications.
Interview
First off, tell us a little about
your book Ice Rose.
A teen (Elissa Morris), has a famous singer for her Dad (Christopher) and
a scientist for her Mom (Stephanie). After a dance recital, visits her Dad at the recording studio. There
is an explosion that damages Elissa’s legs and she is left unable to dance. Her
Dad also goes missing in the explosion. Elissa discovers her parents are both
secret agents. She goes to school to train to be a secret agent and find out
the truth about her Dad before the people who took him come for a mysterious
computer program that may answer all her questions, for her Mom, and for her
life.
What do you love most about writing
spy stories?
I am a fan of spy stories and love the genre. I found myself
wondering if a character experiencing a disability and using a mobility device
could excel as a spy. The question sparked my imagination and that was how Ice
Rose began.
What I love most about spy stories is the creativity and
imagination that makes them thrilling and fun. The outcome is always a mystery.
Each reader goes along the journey of the characters as they try to complete
the missions.
As a writer, being in the secret agent genre allows me to
create a mission and then figure out all the steps and complications to achieve
the mission successfully. The pace of the story is also faster and is very
suspenseful. Action also plays a large part. There is something very gratifying
about taking a character, dropping them in a situation and witnessing how they
feel, act, see and how they grow and move the plot and story along.
What are some of your writing
quirks? Where and how do you write best?
One of my writing quirks is to let the writing come and to
not stop myself and edit or censor during the creative process. When I stop to
edit I seem to lose the creative flow. I have only one or two hours a day where
I have time to complete my writing. When I started, I was under the impression
that it would be impossible to get much done in such a small space of time, but
I found the opposite. I look forward to the hours I can write and find I’m able
and focused to get several pages written.
My writing is done at a computer. Due to arthritis, I use
only forefingers and my thumbs to hold the fingers out for strength on the
keyboard. I do sometimes use a voice dictation software but find most comfort
in the process of typing. My favorite time to write is during a rainy or snowy
day. Late afternoons and evenings are never my best time to be creative. I
prefer early mornings and afternoons.
My writing process has changed since I first began.
Initially I would just jump in at the beginning and write the scenes. Now I
approach the process in a more orderly fashion. I make a list of the characters
so I know who they are, their likes, dislikes and fears. Then I write and
outline using a screenplay format I have from a textbook. This helps me to
break up the action and to know where I am going along the process.
Much of my work is done prior to me sitting down at my
computer. I find the characters and their stories live with me when I am away
from my computer. The simplest everyday activities can inspire my writing and
provide a scene or dialogue for each character.
What are you working on next?
I have three projects currently on the go. I just completed
my creative nonfiction book, Searching
for Normal, which will be published in November 2013. A musical Searching for Normal is also going to
debut at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in August 2013.
In regards to writing, I’m writing my next YA novel,
entitled Hindsight. Olivia falls for
David who has a secret that cannot be exposed to the world. A secret, that when revealed, will threaten
not only her life but also her family. Will she be able to accept his secret
and evade the danger that is trying to extinguish everything David cares about?
What is the best advice you would
share with young or beginning writers?
My advice to young or beginning writers is to write and
believe in your talent. Reading books in the specific genre you are going to
write allows a writer to study the craft and style required within the genre.
Publishing can be a long process so believe in your writing and keep pushing
forward towards your dreams. Some of the most famous and successful authors
have been rejected numerous times, but they believed in their work and kept
going until they realized their dreams.
Thanks for the great interview. Thanks for sharing. Sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
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