What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Sentinels, Book 1 of The One True Child Series?
When I began writing this series the original inspiration came from a very vivid dream. Originally the series started with what is now book 3, but I realised by the end of what became Book 5 that I had never explained how these characters managed to obtain their abilities in the first place. So Book 2 was born.
Unfortunately, that didn't answer my own questions, and it was only then that Sentinels was created. I had a lot of trouble bringing the ideas that were in my head and I scrapped about five initial drafts before I decided to truly start at the beginning and wrote the prologue. It was from writing how this world came to be, that the rest of the story fell into place.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Sentinels, Book 1 of The One True Child Series, what would they be?
I love to listen to music while I write, and I have a very broad taste. But the one song that kept popping up on my many and varied playlists is Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive. It has a lot of the traits that the main character comes to realise over and over as the story unfolds across the seven books, and my favourite line from the song is "As long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive."
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Fantasy seems to be the main genre I am comfortable writing in, and it is the one that I tend to lean towards when reading as well. I do like other genres such as action and adventure, but you can't go past fantasy for pure escapism.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
My to be read pile contains a long list of titles, especially from indie authors I have come to know while writing and promoting my own books. Sprinkled in this list are some of my fellow authors from Between The Lines Publishing. Again, mostly fantasy stories.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
There were quite a lot of scenes that I had fun writing, and a good chunk of those were the interactions between Carling and Chaos. But my most favourite would have to be when Carling helps her brother to become a wolf fully. I have gone over that scene so many times to make sure I get it right and that the reader is well and truly along for the ride.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Apart from the necessity of music or some sort of background noise, such as a cafe, the only other quirky habit depends on which story I am working on. For example, with this series I had no problem tapping away at the keyboard for hours on end, but my other stories about dragons have all needed to be handwritten first.
I also like to have visual inspiration near me. I have a cork board by my desk, which is littered with pictures that have given me some sort of inspiration in one way or another. It is usually in a constant changing state and being rearranging as the stories progress. When I am out and scribbling in my note books, I have a smaller sheet which is tucked away in the back for reference.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
"Love is stronger than hate." This is my own philosophy and is at the core of not only The One True Child Series, but also how I treat people. My opinions and beliefs are my own and I don’t feel the need to impress them on others, but I am willing to listen to the ideas of other's and understand why they believe in what they do. Also, life changes from day to day, sometimes you must re-examine your own thoughts and beliefs to adjust to the changing times. But always at the core of everything, is the willingness to be open and love my fellow human for who they are. It takes far too much energy to be hateful.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
The one thing I would love for my readers to come away from not only Sentinels, but also the complete series, is the underlying idea that runs through the complete story. And that is my own philosophy from the above question, that "love is stronger than hate."
L C Conn is the author of the new book Sentinels, Book 1 of The One True Child Series
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