Please
tell us a bit about yourself:
I’m an Australian writer, who grew up with
three older brothers watching action, sci-fi and horror films. My favourite of
these films were always the ones that had a strong romantic subplot to them! I
think this sums up the kind of girl (and writer) I am – a tomboy on the
outside, but a softie on the inside.
Tell
us about the Aurora Series:
So far there are two books in the Aurora
Series – Aurora: Darwin (available
now) and Aurora: Pegasus (launching 1st
December), but there are more to come! The series follows Captain Saul Harris
of the UNF Aurora, and his new recruit Corporal Carrie Welles, as the Aurora
saga unfolds around them. It’s a Space Opera with plenty of action, thrills,
drama, a touch of horror, and strong romantic subplot.
What
inspired you to write this particular story?:
I’ve always been attracted to stories with
strong female characters, so part of it started with Carrie. She’s a woman determined
to prove her worth, so I decided to throw her in the deep end and see if she would
sink or swim. I’ve also always loved a story about a good man fighting for what
is right, and that inspired the character of Harris. He’s a captain put under
immense pressure and tasked with keeping his team together and alive.
Please
share a favourite snippet from your book (Aurora: Darwin):
Carrie looked into Doc’s calming
brown eyes. “So, you think it’s alright for him to call me and the other women
liabilities, when he’s never even been in the field with us to know what we’re
capable of?”
“No,
I’m not saying that . . .”
“Well,
tell me this Doc,” Carrie asked, searching his face for an answer. “If we’re
going to be on the same team, doesn’t it make sense to try and work together?
Shouldn’t he be encouraging me to work with
him? Not pushing me away.”
“Yeah,”
Doc nodded.
“So,
what’s his problem, then?”
Doc
tilted his head to the side in contemplation. “Well, I think the clash with
McKinley comes down to your personalities. I think you’ll find that you two
might be a lot alike.”
“Alike?
Him! He’s nothing like me.” She waved him off.
“You’re
both competitive for one,” he smiled, “and stubborn as hell.”
Carrie
balked at the idea. “He’s way more
stubborn than me!”
Doc
laughed. “Welles, this is your second day on the ship and so far you’ve put
your health at risk several times already because you refuse to back down.”
“When
have I put my health at risk?”
Doc
gave her an incredulous look. “You refused to admit that you needed the
anti-nausea shot even though you made yourself sick. You let Carter’s jibes get
to you on the climbing wall and then overdid it and could’ve fallen and broken
your neck. And then, you didn’t back
down with McKinley in the gym, even though you were clearly playing with fire
there. Shall I go on?”
Carrie
eyed Doc closely. “You pay attention, don’t you?”
He
smiled confidently at her. “It’s my job to pay attention, corporal. And that’s
why I know that if you just chill out with McKinley, treat him like your
lieutenant, then things’ll settle down.”
She
chewed at her lip, looking at him as he looked at her, waiting for her to give
in. “I still think you should be telling him this!”
Doc
nodded. “I’ll have a word to him. But you have to promise to put that red flag
away.” He raised his eyebrows and put out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”
Carrie
looked at him for a moment, then relented. She was having a hard time saying no
to his cute smile and friendly brown eyes. She looked down at the tanned
forearm being held out to her, then reached over and shook his firm, warm hand.
“Good,”
he said standing up. “Now you’d better get back to work before the captain sees
you and it’s both our asses.”
Carrie
watched him walk back to the door. “Doc?” she called after him.
He
stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”
“You
owe me one.”
“Yeah,
what for?” He looked confused.
“I
didn’t shoot McKinley.” She said it with a straight face at first, but her
mouth soon curled into a wicked grin.
A
smile crept across Doc’s face, too. “Thank you for that.”
“You’re
welcome.”
Which
comes first for you – a character's looks, personality or name?:
I would say looks and (basic) personality
both come at the same time. The character will just appear in my mind in a key
scene from their story, and everything else will radiate out from there.
Any
tips for aspiring authors?:
Be patient. I worked on the Aurora Series
for about 4 years before seeking publication, and then it took about seven
months to receive my first offer (which is actually a short time in reality!).
The first draft of anything you write will be crap, but to complete a first
draft is an amazing achievement. It’s by going over and over it that you will
create your true story, and the more you polish it, the better your chances of
publication will be. The best way I’ve heard a writer’s journey described is
this: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Questions for fun:
If
you had the power of time travel, is there anything you would go back and
change?
Yes. I would’ve buckled down and started
writing again earlier than I did.
Why/why
not?:
Writing was something I did a lot when I
was in my early teens, but it fell to the wayside when I became addicted to
film. I know my journey took me where it had to before it led me back to
writing for a reason, but I still can’t help but think of those wasted years!
Writing is very time consuming, so it’s important to keep your writing time
precious.
What
super-power would you choose?:
Mind-reading definitely. Particularly with
men! Life would be so much easier if you could read the mind of a romantic
prospect, to know if he’s just wasting your time or whether maybe he’s just too
shy to say/do something!
If
you could have three wishes, what would they be?:
To see the Aurora Series find a home in
readers’ hearts.
To have my family and friends healthy and
safe.
To find ‘the one’ (because he’s sure taking
his sweet time to find me!)
Coffee,
tea or wine?:
In my 20’s it was wine, definitely. But
these days I’d say coffee. It’s a writer’s best friend.
What
is your favourite book? (aside from one of your own!):
The books that linger with me as favourites
are the ones that first left an impression on my young mind. When I first
started writing I was inspired by teen angst stories, so books like S.E.
Hinton’s Rumble Fish and Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero were favourites. I
still have so many books to read that I’m hesitant to state anything recent as
a favourite because I feel so under-read!
Favourite
genre and why?:
I like hybrids. I like a good saga with
plenty of action, thrills, drama, and romance, and ideally they would be set in
sci-fi or fantastical worlds.
Favourite
colour?:
I like red, because it’s vibrant and
passionate. I also like black because it’s slimming! ;)
Upcoming
news and plans for the future?:
Well, hopefully I’ll see the rest of the
Aurora Series released, along with several other books I’m planning – some in
the spec-fic realm, and others in action/adventure and romance!
Thank
you so much for taking the time to talk to us!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to
take part! Much appreciated.
Aurora: Pegasus blurb: http://momentumbooks.com.au/
Aurora: Darwin blurb: http://momentumbooks.com.au/
Aurora: Pegasus – 1st December 2013 | Aurora: Darwin – Available now on ebook
Facebook: Amanda Bridgeman
Twitter: @Bridgeman_Books
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love to hear from you! Comments must pass moderation to be published. Spam will be deleted.