maria v. snyder

Hard to Swallow with Aubrey Gross

~ Shara ~ 2 Comments

unnamedAubrey’s been reading and writing since she was about two and a half, and has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. Early on, she discovered a love of romance, reading her first Harlequin somewhere around age twelve (it featured an F1 race car driver, as this was long before NASCAR was cool). She wrote her first romance novel in high school. It was admittedly not very good, but she wrote another, and another. She thinks those first few might still be on a floppy disk somewhere in a storage bin.

Aubrey eventually honed her writing abilities through undergrad creative writing courses and eventually graduate school, where she earned a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. These days she writes books she likes to describe as “stories about broken people healing, finding love, and laughing a little bit, too.”

Editor’s Note: this is part one of a three-part interview. Parts two and three will be published September 13th and September 20th, respectively. Also, this interview was originally conducted in March through August of 2016.

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Now, to get started, I ask all of my interviewees the same starting question, and that’s this: how do we know each other?

We go way back to our freshman year of college at Hollins University. We were in the same creative writing class our first semester, and a small group of us just kind of gelled and nicknamed ourselves The Merry Bandits. We’ve been brain twins ever since. 😉

Brain-Twins FTW!!!! Hollins was and is known for their creative writing program. Given you’re from Texas, why did that inspire you to travel so far?

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Winners: Maria V. Snyder Scavenger Hunt!

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First of all, I want to thank everyone who 1) sat down to read the interview with Maria V. Snyder, and 2) who participated in last week’s Scavenger Hunt. We had 37 entries, and almost everyone answered correctly (though kudos to the one person who CLEARLY did NOT read the interview, but answered wrongly with confidence!). I’ve contacted the three winners privately by email to confirm your information, so if you haven’t yet responded, please do so I can get you in touch with Maria, and you can collect your prize!

In the meantime, you may be wondering: will there be another Scavenger Hunt? Well, that depends on the author, but I must tell you, J.L. Gribble seems VERY agreeable, so you should encourage her by reading her interview (in three parts) and signal boosting the interviews the best you can. The more, the merrier!

Happy Reading, and thank you again for participating!

Scavenger Hunt with Maria V. Snyder

~ Shara ~ Leave a comment

What, you thought Maria was finished with us? Oh, no…. just because the interview is over doesn’t mean there isn’t fun to be had. In fact, we’re going to play a little game, just to see how closely you’ve been paying attention to the past month’s interview.

Below are three questions: each question correlates to one part of my interview with Maria. Answer each question correctly, and you’re entered into a random drawing for a prize: your pick of either 1) a signed copy of Poison Study (for those of you who’ve never read her work), or 2) a signed copy of Night Study (the latest in the series), or 3) a signed copy of the Australian edition of Night Study (for those of you who have ALL the books and want something a little different).

There will be three winners. Two in the United States, and one international.  All winners will be contacted by email and asked to confirm their mailing address so that Maria knows where to send the prizes.

Ready?

Question #1: (from Eye-Candy): Who would Maria cast to play Yelena if Poison Study was made into a television show?

Question #2: (from Getting Goosebumps): What’s one thing Maria would change about her already published books?

Question #3 (from My Readers Brought Me Back): What is Maria working on after the Soulfinder series wraps up?

Just click the link below to go to the entry form (at Google Drive) and fill out each question. Each person answering all three questions correctly will be placed on a list for a random drawing.

You have until Tuesday, July 5th to enter, and winners will be notified by email on Wednesday, July 6th.

One entry per person, no purchase necessary, void where prohibited, all entrants’ information will be deleted once winners have been confirmed, etc. If you’re unsure as to whether or not your entry came through, please comment here to ask.

To enter, please click below and fill out the form. May the odds be ever in your favor!

ENTER: Scavenger Hunt with Maria V. Snyder

 

Calico in Conversation: My Readers Brought Me Back with Maria V. Snyder

~ Shara ~ 1 Comment

Sunday LNP Photo 2Welcome to third and final installment of Calico In Conversation with Maria V. Snyder. If you missed Parts One and Two, click below to catch up:

Part One: Eye Candy
Part Two: Getting Goosebumps

Editor’s Note: this interview was originally conducted in March through May of 2016.

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You started out with the Study trilogy, then the spin-off Glass trilogy, an SF YA duology, then the Healer trilogy, and now you’re back to the Study universe. What brought you back to this world and these characters?

My readers brought me back. They kept asking for more books about Yelena and Valek and I really wanted to write more for them, but I didn’t have an idea that seemed…big enough for another book. Yelena was too powerful and Valek just too skilled a fighter. I thought of writing a prequel about Valek’s life before meeting the Commander up until he meets Yelena, but I think the relationship between the two of them is what really makes the stories. Then I thought of having some hot shot new assassin try for Valek’s job and his interactions with her would be a nice segue for flashbacks into his past…and that was enough to write a new Study book. The plan was to write one, but once I finished Shadow Study, I knew I could write two more. Now, I’m trying to finish Dawn Study before I leave for Australia. [Maria’s Note: which didn’t happen, I’m just wrapping it up and it’s the end of May!]

It’s nice when the ideas come to you! Once this trilogy is done, what’s next? Can you talk about it?

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Calico In Conversation: Getting Goosebumps with Maria V. Snyder

~ Shara ~ 1 Comment

Welcome to Part Two of Calico In Conversation with Maria V. Snyder. If you missed Part One: Eye Candy, feel free to click here to catch up!

Editor’s Note: this interview was originally conducted in March through April of 2016.

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Sunday LNP Photo

So I have to say, you are one of the most prolific writers that I know personally. I think you average about a book a year. Can you talk about what your schedule is like and what you have to do to meet those deadlines?

I do average a book a year and try to write short stories in between. I write every night from 10 pm to 3 am from Sunday to Thursday. I set a minimum word count goal for each evening. I can’t go to bed unless I write at least 1000 words. Most nights I exceed that count. I also do a writing retreat twice a year where I go to a cabin at a state park with an author friend and we write all day. When my deadline is looming and I’m falling behind, I’ll write on Friday and Saturday nights and even during the day if I’m desperate. Right now I’m trying to get Dawn Study finished before I jet off to Australia in April and I still have 15,000 words to go! Next week, I believe I’m gonna be desperate! [Maria’s note: Sadly, I didn’t get Dawn Study done before leaving. I’m just finishing it up now and it’s the end of May!]

Your schedule seems surprisingly doable to me. I’m assuming you no longer have to work the “dreaded” day job?

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Calico In Conversation: Eye-Candy with Maria V. Snyder

~ Shara ~ 3 Comments
Maria V. Snyder
Maria V. Snyder

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria V. Snyder has been writing fantasy and science fiction since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. Over a dozen novels later, Maria’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her Master’s degree in Writing from Seton Hill University where she’s now part of the MFA faculty. She also enjoys creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, ’cause let’s face it, they’re cool, although she’s been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out.

Editor’s Note: this is part one of a three-part interview. Parts two and three will be published Tuesday June 14th and June 21st, respectively. Also, this interview was originally conducted in March through May of 2016.

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Now, to get started, I ask all of my interviewees the same starting question, and that’s this: how do we know each other?

We both attended Seton Hill University’s Masters of Arts program for writing popular fiction. I graduated in 2007 (I’m not sure if we were students together? – in my defense that was 9 years ago!). Then in 2008, I returned and am now on the faculty.

1192365I remember some overlap. I got to hear you read from Magic Study as your thesis defense, and I also remember seeing the very early pages in workshop that made up the opening chapter of Inside Out. But my favorite memory is this: attending my very first SHU class when you were handing out bookmarks promoting Poison Study. I saw the cover art and flipped out, because I’d drooled over the hardcover just weeks before in a Barnes & Noble! So tell me: what made you, a published author, apply for the SHU Writing Popular Fiction Masters Degree?

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Introducing Calico in Conversation

~ Shara ~ 2 Comments

I’ve been working on some SEKRIT PROJECTS the past few months, and of the two, one is finally coming to fruition!

Back in February, I put up a side bar: Authors I Know. The purpose of this was to bring some recognition to the writers who labored in the trenches with me and have managed to get out there and get their wonderful words in the hands of the public. This post gave me an idea: why stop there? Why not highlight them individually? And how would I do that?

The result: Calico in Conversation: an organic interview where I would start off each interviewee with the same question, and then see where the conversation takes us.

So it’s with great excitement, and some trepidation, that Calico in Conversation kicks off next Tuesday, June 7th, with part one of my interview with Maria V. Snyder, author of the recently published Night Study, and one of the most prolific authors I know personally.

Yes, you read that right: PART ONE. Maria and I got into chatting so much that the interview has to be broken into THREE parts, so expect additional installments on Tuesday June 14th and Tuesday June 21st! Then in July, I’ll move onto another author. In August, yet another author. And so on and so forth until 1) I get bored and/or 2) I run out of authors to torment.

I won’t claim to be a professional journalist or interviewer, and I suspect my skills will sharpen as time goes on. But it’s great to get back in touch with these friends and colleagues of mine to talk shop, motivations, inspirations, and what life looks like outside of writing! I hope you’ll have as much fun with these interviews as I have, and if you’re wondering who to expect in the future, just take a gander below: if you have any questions for these fine folks, you can either comment here for me to slip them into the interview, or comment when the interviews go live for the authors to answer themselves!

Stay tuned!!!!

Cover art by Brad Sharp
Cover Art by Ryan Malm

Culture Consumption: April 2016

~ Shara ~ 5 Comments

Happy May! Good lord, I don’t know where April went. Actually, I kind of do: training to walk (not run) my very first 5k, and then prepping for a Regional Meeting that I was basically hosting. LOTS of stuff on my plate in April, so in some ways, I’m glad it’s over so I can unwind. I did, however, manage to squeeze SOME fun things in, so without further adieu, here’s the Culture Consumption for April!

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Building Your Own Ballot: No Slates Required!

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I don’t want to talk about 2015 Hugos. The ballot has been revealed, I’ve bought my supporting membership, and how I vote is going to be between me, myself, and I.

No, instead, I want to address any and all current and future WorldCon members (any and all) and offer a non-slate suggestion for next year. And yes, I recognize there’s already an SP4 movement, and I won’t be surprised if there are counter-slates, but I’d like to counter anything and everything involving slates with a different idea, so if you’re planning on nominating for WorldCon in 2016 (MidAmeriCon II), this post is for you.

Seriously. It’s for YOU.

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Culture Consumption: March 2015

~ Shara ~ 8 Comments

It’s that time again! A very accomplished March, if I do say so myself. 🙂

Books

6) Empire of Dust by Jacey Bedford
7) Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire
8) Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder
9) Prudence by Gail Carriger
10) Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews

Short Fiction

1) No Sooner Met by Seanan McGuire
2) Broken Paper Hearts by Seanan McGuire
3) Sun, Stone, Spear by Carrie Vaughn

Comics

Graphic Novels: none

As for individual issues, I read 37 comics, and it would have been fewer had I not started Vertigo’s iZombie series.

Batgirl #40
Batgirl Endgame #1
Black Widow #16
Coffin Hill #16
Descender #1
iZombie #1
iZombie #2
iZombie #3
iZombie #4
iZombie #5
iZombie #6
iZombie #7
iZombie #8
iZombie #9
iZombie #10
iZombie #11
iZombie #12
iZombie #13
iZombie #14
Jem and The Holograms #1
Lazarus #15
Millennium #2
Ms. Marvel #13
Orphan Black #1
S.H.I.E.L.D. #3
Saga #26
Secret Origins #10
Shadow Show #4
Star Wars #3
Star Wars: Darth Vader #2
Star Wars: Darth Vader #3
Star Wars: Princess Leia #1
Star Wars: Princess Leia #2
Supreme Blue Rose #7
The Walking Dead #138
The Walking Dead #139
Wytches #5

Movies

* = repeat viewing

King Arthur *
The Fault in Our Stars
The Running Man
Video Games: The Movie
Young & Beautiful

Television Shows

A note with television: these are the shows I completed in the month of March, not a list of everything on-going that I’m still watching.

Archer Season 5
The Walking Dead Season 5

That’s it from me! Also, feel free to share whatever 2015 stats you’ve got! How many books? How many movies? What were your favorites? Lay them on me!

Cheers!