Saturday, January 30, 2016

Jan. 30th 2016

Happy new year!

I apologize for my absence, but I have been taking a bit of a hiatus so I could focus on my personal life. I'd like to make a quick announcement before I publish the next feature author, Robert E Thornsberry, of "The Accidental Mermaid."


I'm still on hiatus, unfortunately, but I will find the time to update when I can. It just won't be a priority. I'm still trying to get my life together; I promise you all that everything is fine, life has just gotten more busier and I just have to re-evaluate and prioritize things.

Also I'm behind on books I need to add into the catalogue. I have... too... many... and I am still looking for volunteers who would like to look after this site for me! If anyone is interested, you know how to reach me!


With love, SeaGlass Siren.



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Without further ado, please welcome Robert E Thornsberry, the author of "The Accidental Mermaid."

SS: Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview! To start, how long have you been writing for?
R: I tried writing on and off for quite a long time. It didn't quite catch on for me until 2010, when I found that my writing got better when I stopped taking it (and myself) seriously and started doing it for fun.


SS: Was that how "the accidental mermaid" was created? :P was it a fun accident? 
R:Yes, it began with two short stories, 'Alex and Hannah' and Hannah's Tale', and grew from there. Both stories were originally parallel, one told from the man's POV the other from the woman's. They were too interesting for me to drop. I found then that other people liked them too.

SS: How did you come up with Alex and Hannah? Can you provide a brief synopsis what the book is about?
R: It's about a young couple, Hannah Mendenhall, a proofreader/editor for a small fantasy game publisher, and her soon to be husband and CPA, Alex Harris. They both become caught up in the Xanadu Event, a magical disaster that transforms visitors to a cosplaying convention into whatever costume they were wearing at that moment. (The Xanadu Event setting was originally created by Bryan Derksen.)
When the disaster happened, Hannah was in the middle of a costume change from a Vulcan Starfleet officer to a mermaid. Alex came as a Jedi knight. They first have to find each other, then figure out what to do with their new lives along with thousands of other survivors.


SS: So I take it that the force is strong with you then! When did you decide to publish this? If I'm correct, I also recall there was a sequel to this as well. do you work out the details of the plot or just see where it takes you?
R: The sequel to The Accidental Mermaid is The Girl With the Sea-Green Eyes, also available on Kindle and Barnes and Noble.
I just see where the characters and events take me. I have only a rough outline in my head. Probably not very wise, but so far it works for me.



SS: So far, what has been the hardest part about writing?
R: Finishing something instead of getting distracted by reality or shiny new story ideas.

SS: How did you come up with the cover?
R: It's a parody of the original Star Wars movie poster. The artist was Robet Xu from Indonesia. He also did some of the interior illustrations.

SS: Will you be planning on making it a trilogy or a series of books?
R: I'm waiting for one or more of the characters to wake me up in the middle of the night saying, 'Hey, here are some new ideas, get busy.' (It's happened before.)
SS: Fair enough lol! Alright, that pretty much concludes the questioning. Thanks so much for doing this!
R: You're very welcome!


To purchase his book "The Accidental Mermaid", click here, and here for "The Girl with the Sea-Green Eyes"!
Also, as of this morning you can now find his new book "Spindrift", t
he space opera with a mermaid, as a Kindle ebook available for purchase on Amazon!