Scifi/Fantasy author, Rosalie Skinner

I’m pleased to have “series” author, Rosalie Skinner, on my blog today. Rosalie’s love of the ocean, nature, history and horses has enabled her to give her books an authentic air. She is the author of a series of eight books called “The Chronicles of Caleath.” Book one, Exiled: Autumn’s Peril will be released in September, 2011.

Rosalie, tells us a little bit about your first book.

Rosalie: Caleath is a star traveler, a surveyor of planets and champion of virtual reality games, who is abducted and stranded on a planet where magic happens and science and technology is regarded as alien. He has a plan to escape using a survey beacon he knows landed on the southern continent. Things get complicated when a wizard saves his life and in return Caleath promises not to kill another of his rangers, alas, they are the assassins. They are programmed by the same man who abducted him, and they determined to kill him. To stay alive he must stay ahead of them. He takes a hostage who turns out to be a woman who makes his life even more complicated. Book One Exiled Autumn's Peril, chronicles the journey to find the beacon and Caleath's one chance of escape.

Katie: I want to read this book, and I’m an adult. You say your book has been read and enjoyed by young adults and adults alike. When you were writing the book, did you write with that slant, or were you pleasantly surprised at the varying age group of readers?

Rosalie: I was very surprised. One of my proof readers is a young girl who was still in school. She was one reason I kept writing. When I self-published the first book I found the few copies I had were read and loved by my friends, their fathers and even grandmothers, so I had stumbled on a story that appealed to most ages.

Katie: You created your own world for this sci-fi/fantasy book. What special challenges did you face in world creation?

Rosalie: Creating the world was fun. Although a fantasy world I wanted readers to be able to visualize and empathize with the terrain, so I based the world on familiar settings.

Katie: Why did you decide to write in this genre?

Rosalie: I have always loved reading science fiction and fantasy and wanted to use ideas from both areas of interest. The story evolved before I thought about genres.

Katie: What sort of research did you have to do for this book?

Rosalie: When writing Fantasy I believe the reader needs to imagine or understand why things happen and think they are almost possible. Research is vital to achieving this. Of course the magic is pure fantasy, but everything else is based on laws of physics, facts of nature and new developments in science. Research pays off when your ‘fiction’ foreshadows ‘fact’. For example; I came across an article that said before Man travels to Mars, we will need to develop three different types of nanobots to combat the radiation astronauts would be subject to in their nine month trip. I had already written nanobots into my story, so it was great to hear that in reality they worked on the same principal.

Katie: This book is first coming out in ebook format through MuseItUp Publishing. What made you chose that form of publication?

Rosalie: Ebooks are becoming more popular and a successful way of publishing. With Kindle and e readers at affordable prices, this market is growing daily. Print books will always have a place on the bookshelf, but for readers to access books easily ebooks are the next big thing.

Katie: You say that the first four books in this series have already been self-published twice. What difference is there in the process between ebook publication and self-publishing?

Rosalie: The relief of being with a publisher who knows what they are doing is overwhelming. To have the Chronicles of Caleath released as a series of ebooks with Museitup Publishing is a dream come true.

My self-publishing experience has been educational to say the least. The first publisher went out of business within weeks of my 800 page book being printed. Luckily I had ordered a few copies and was able to get reader feedback. My readers then sponsored my next printing adventure and although there were pitfalls and disappointment, again the story was available. It was published in two shorter books. None of the books were edited professionally, covers were a nightmare and they were not readily available. Firstly, because the company went out of business. The second attempt failed because printed books cost so much to transport here in Australia. Although things are improving now, the high cost of postage and not being able to restock shelves made the whole process painfully unsuccessful. The good thing is that the books I did purchase and pay to get here, have given readers a taste for the series. They sold out of the local bookshops, and the library needed additional copies for their readers, all my copies were snapped up and I struggle to keep hold of my last copy. Even as they were printed I already wanted to re write/ edit them and re design the cover, but that all costs more. Mistakes stay.

Katie: What words of advice would you give to an author who is trying to decide between self-publishing and e-book publishing?

Rosalie: Today’s market is changing rapidly. The availability of e-books globally has changed the playing field. My leaning is toward the e-book market. Create a following for your story. Print versions can always follow.

Thanks for having me as your guest today Katie. It has been a pleasure. If anyone has further questions, please ask. I will endeavor to answer them.

By the way, Katie, I love the premise of your book and the cover art is stunning. It is on my shopping list as a perfect Christmas gift.

Katie: Thanks for being my guest today. You can learn more about Rosalie Skinner on her blog Ramblings from Lady Rosalie at www.rosalieskinner.blogspot.com ,

at her website www.dragonmuse.webs.com,

or on Facebook page, facebook.com/ladyrosalieskinner

She also welcomes new members to the Facebook group, A Gathering of Fantasy Readers and Writers.