Interview with A.W. Exley
The Blog Ring of Power Presents...
An Interview with Author A.W. Exley
Today, I am excited to bring you an interview with steampunk author, A.W. Exley, who is here to talk about her debut novel, "Nefertiti's Heart." I met A.W. through an online writers' community, and when I saw the cover to Nefertiti's Heart, I just knew I had to have her on the BRoP - isn't it gorgeous (yes, I freely admit I am addicted to pretty book covers!). And her author photo is totally epic as well - I love that dress!
This is part one of a five-part interview. Be sure to check out the other BRoP sites for the rest of the interview:
Part 2 @ Teresa's site - Thursday, April 11
Part 3 @ Emily's site - Friday, April 12
Part 4 @ Sandra's site - Monday, April 15
Part 5 @ Dean's site - Tuesday, April 16
BRoP: How long have you been writing?
A.W.: Forever, which I am sure everyone says. Seriously, for just over two years. In September 2010, Christchurch, my home city, was hit by a 7.1 earthquake, that significantly weakened buildings and infrastructure. Then in February 2011 we had a 6.3 quake that claimed 185 lives. The fatal quake hit at lunch time, during a work day. The randomness of tiny, every day decisions, that proved to have life or death consequence, really hit me. I saw all those alternate timelines splinter. Some people were killed because they went to the local bakery for lunch, others were saved because they weren't at their desks when buildings collapsed. It made me realize there was something I really wanted to do, but I kept putting it off. But what if there was no tomorrow? So I sat down and wrote my first complete manuscript.
BRoP: Tell us about your early works—what was the first thing you ever wrote?
A.W.: In 2000 I started a mystery about a bank heist that coincided with the Y2K hysteria. The MC was hiding out in a small rural town, watched over by a benevolent vampire, who happened to be the local lawyer. If only I had stuck it out, I would have ridden the vampire wave! lol
BRoP: When did you first consider yourself a professional writer?
A.W.: I still don't! Even with one book out there in the wild. It seems such a huge step to give yourself the "professional writer" tag. To me it implies a level of financial independence through your writing, and I am a long way from achieving that :)
BRoP: What books have most influenced your life?
A.W.: Anne McCaffrey and her Pern series. I lived there for years and years. Who doesn't want to bond with a dragon and soar through the skies? What amazes me is she started writing those books before I was born and I still enjoy immersing myself in her world, today. She taught me you don't have to stick to one character and one timeframe. Populate your world and give it a rich history.
BRoP: What genre do you write?
A.W.: Steampunk. I love exploring history and asking those "what if?" questions.
BRoP: If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
A.W.: I'm a repressed Egyptologist. I planned to do my undergraduate degree in New Zealand and then gain my masters at Oxford University. I took a wrong turn somewhere along the line… I did a few Egyptology papers, but not enough to satisfy me.
BRoP: What format is your book available in (print, e-book, audio book, etc.)?
A.W.: ebook and paperback
Where can readers can stalk you:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon Author Page
Books and writing have always been an enormous part of A.W. EXLEY'S life. She survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, she overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics. Today, Anita writes steampunk novels with a sexy edge and an Egyptian twist. She lives in rural New Zealand surrounded by an assortment of weird and wonderful equines, felines, canine and homicidal chickens.
NEFERTITI'S HEART: Cara Devon has always suffered curiosity and impetuousness, but tangling with a serial killer might cure that. Permanently.London, 1861. Impoverished noble Cara has a simple mission after the strange death of her father - sell off his damned collection of priceless artifacts. Her plan goes awry when aristocratic beauties start dying of broken hearts, an eight inch long brass key hammered through their chests. A killer hunts amongst the nobility, searching for a regal beauty and an ancient Egyptian relic rumored to hold the key to immortality.
Her Majesty’s Enforcers are in pursuit of the murderer and they see a connection between the gruesome deaths and Cara. So does she, somewhere in London her father hid Nefertiti’s Heart, a fist sized diamond with strange mechanical workings. Adding further complication to her life, notorious crime lord, Viscount Nathaniel Lyons is relentless in his desire to lay his hands on Cara and the priceless artifact. If only she could figure out his motive.
Self-preservation fuels Cara's search for the gem. In a society where everyone wears a mask to hide their true intent, she needs to figure out who to trust, before she makes a fatal mistake.
The Blog Ring of Power (BRoP) is a consortium of five speculative fiction writers who have banded together to bring you highlights from the current speculative fiction market--news, reviews, and interviews with speculative fiction authors--with an emphasis on small-press and self-published authors. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and relax. Have we got a story for you...
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