Meet Feather Stone

So many bloggers made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when they hosted me and commented on my posts during my blog blitz last month, and now I'm thrilled to be able to return the love by hosting some amazing blogger/authors who have exciting things to tell us.  Elliot Grace will be here next Monday, Susan Kaye Quinn on Nov. 1, and M. Pax on Nov. 7.

To start out the lovefest, I introduce you to an inspiring, wonderful person---Feather Stone.  She's brand new to blogging and has just had her first novel published, The Guardian's Wildchild.  I feel blessed to have been the editor on this visually and spiritually beautiful story. 

Honestly, she had me at the first and last paragraphs of her acknowledgments:

How does a ship thank the ocean? The relationship is fraught with dangers of sinking or being shredded over a reef. And yet, the ship, if guided by wisdom and dogged determination, discovers its journey exceeds the joy in arriving at the destination. And so it is with the writing of this story. The experience was an intense journey of self-discovery.

And dear reader, as Sidney said, “I am grateful for the love and guidance of the Guardians, for all the trials and tribulations that taught me tolerance and courage, and for all the events that led me to you.”

Here's my three-question interview with Feather Stone:

1. What's been the most surprising thing to you about the publishing process? 

The publishing process has been an education.  I thought that if a publisher agreed to accept a manuscript for publication my work was done.  Instead, I learned that I was included in the editing process.  I then worried that pieces, large or small might be altered or deleted.  Not so, but areas that required clarification were brought to my attention, including errors in time sequence, inconsistencies in names, etc.  I was actually delighted that my input was still valued.  I began to feel a part of a large team of professionals who were focused in ensuring The Guardian's Wild Child was a 'good read' for the public.

During the years working on my manuscript I had envisioned it on the shelves of book stores.  However, the world changed during those years, embracing electronic devices called ipads, ebooks, etc.  It took me a while to make the switch to see that it was in my best interest to promote my novel electronically.  So the setup of websites, blogs, twitter, facebook has been a real, almost painful, stretch for me.


2.  Which character was the most fun to write and why? 

I truly loved all my characters, even Butchart who was a truly sick and wicked man.  I had completed a biography of all my main characters in the begining of the writing process.  As a result I felt I knew each one intimately, even beyond what was revealed in the story.  The one that would make me smile the most was Danik Davenport.  He was seldom in the scenes but how I would've liked to have been his girlfriend.  Danik was devoted to being a Guardian, but his sense of humor kept him 'human' in so many ways that the rest of us can identify with.  His love was genuine and fierce.  I could feel him look at me with those warm puppy brown eyes, see all my warts and still love me.  His heart was so open, more than any of the other characters in the story.

3. If you had to pick one song that captures the essence of The Guardian's Wildchild, what would it be? 

I always play music when I'm writing.  Enya, Sarah McLachlan, and Loreena McKennitt were almost always the singers with their soft haunting voices during these long writing sessions.  Over and over and over again I played their CD's.  However, if I had to pick one song - I can't; but two songs would be Loreena McKennitt's Dante's Prayer and Sarah McLachaln's I Love You. I'll let you pick one.

I'll give you both, Feather. ;)

Please check Feather Stone out 

at her Website, Blog, Omnific, and/or Goodreads.