12 Questions with Young Author E. C. Colton (and Other Important Stuff)
Guess what? E. C. Colton is the young author of a brand-new novella she's self-publishing called Shards of Sky, and I had the pleasure of interviewing her.
More about Shards of Sky and Ms. Colton
What is Shards of Sky, you might ask? Well, here's the blurb and the cover.
Will hope prove itself worth fighting for?
Nestled within the mountains of Colorado, life is anything but perfect for two children and their negligent aunt. Yet it becomes even more of a disaster when a mysterious accident leaves Aryon mute and Jenn terrified for their futures. Battling her own sorrow, bitterness, and distant memories, Jenn journeys through the mountains of Colorado in search of their father, who may only be as real as a wisp of mist. The biggest things standing in her way are the miles of seemingly endless forest, her shattered memories, and a mysterious woman trailing her.
As she journeys on, Jenn is forced to confront her past. Has time changed her memories? What will it take to be strong and unhindered by the darkness around her? And does this woman hold the key to her past—her real past?
But no matter where Jenn goes, a shard of sky shines bright overhead as a distant reminder of the hope she’s fighting to hold onto—and the person she could become.
Heart-wrenching and emotionally moving, this story delivers a powerful message of courage and the wonder of hope.
Let me just say that I'm extremely excited to read this book. Not only is the cover simply phenomenal, but it also sounds quite the intriguing story—a beautiful, poetic tale communicating deep truths and important concepts. I haven't read much by Ms. Colton, but the little that I have read has convinced me that she is an excellent writer. I've preordered the Kindle version of Shards of Sky, and, if I like it a lot, I plan to get a physical copy for me to keep in my filthy pocketses (although if I find a little room on my bookshelf, I might consider keeping it on there instead).
Now, here's a totally unbiased fact-checked summary of herself that Ms. Colton wrote just for you. I only skimmed it (since I'm really, really, really busy), so please read it in its entirety and let me know in the comments whether I interviewed someone who's actually not-so-very-nice (like a marshmallow heretic or something) and I will retract this post and repent of my sins.
E. C. Colton is a Christian, entrepreneur, cat mom, and author of A Change of Heart. She strives to write stories that illustrate deep truths through realistic characters. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her drawing, designing graphics, and scribbling away in a vintage notebook with a cup of tea.
Preordering and digital preorder goodies that are amazing
If you'd like to preorder the book, please follow this preorder link. Shards of Sky releases officially on April 18, so if you want to get some of the beautiful preorder goodies that Ms. Colton made for preorderers who preorder her book before they're unable to preorder (i.e., April 18), fill in this form and be sure to include a picture of the preorder receipt. (For more info on preordering and preorder goodies, click here.) Be sure you do this after you preorder her book, but not after preordering isn't possible. Hopefully that's crystal clear.
Here's a pretty picture, by the way.
Interview mentioning cats, Alex, disaster, and other cool things
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a follower and servant of Christ, striving to use the gifts He has given me to shed light on shadowy parts of readers’ lives. When I’m not writing, I’m either composing a critical book review, graphic designing, or acting as a personal veterinarian for my two cats.
2. Why do you write?
I believe God has given me the love of writing and reading for a reason—and that is to serve Him with every single word I manage to pen. In some ways, writing is my form of ministry—doing what I love to touch readers and ultimately point them to Christ, because He is the only One who matters.
3. What authors, books, and movies have inspired you?
There are so many, honestly. I’m inspired by Kara Swanson’s heart behind her writing. I’m inspired by Alex and Brett Harris and how their book ignited the hearts of so many teens to rebel against low expectations for Christ. I’m inspired by C. S. Lewis and his thought-provoking works, especially The Chronicles of Narnia. I’m inspired by all the young writers I encounter on The Young Writer’s Workshop who strive to serve Christ with every word.
4. Now, tell us a bit about your about-to-be-published book, Shards of Sky. What genre is it, and how long is it?
Shards of Sky is contemporary fiction, set in Colorado. It’s approximately 25K words, so it’s a novella. It follows Jenn Fledeen, a girl born into a dysfunctional family. When a disaster wrecks her life and leaves her brother mute, she fights for the one thing she has left—a promise made by her father long ago—and embarks on a dangerous journey to find him when he really may only be as real as a wisp of mist. But she’s being trailed by someone, someone who forces her to question the shattered memories of her past and the person she could become.
5. How long did it take you to finish Shards of Sky?
I worked on Shards of Sky off and on for a few months before reaching a point where I became so intrigued with the storyline, I set everything aside and made it my main project. As for finishing writing the first draft, it took me three or four months. But the whole process of self-editing, beta readers, and then running it by an editor took several months, close to half a year or so.
6. How many drafts did you go through before reaching your final draft?
Around five or six. I did a fair amount of editing before certain stages of the process, like giving to my betas and editor.
7. What do you want your readers to take away from Shards of Sky and your writing in general?
When writing Shards of Sky, I wanted to convey the message of hope. Of not giving up even when times are tough, of fighting for life and a better future.
As for my writing in general, it widely varies. In some cases, I want to remind readers of their worth. Other cases, I want to remind readers that there is good in the world. And in others, I want to remind readers what it takes to be a hero. But in all of the themes I explore through my writing, I aspire to leave readers with themes that will get them thinking, that are applicable to them in day-to-day life. I especially feel like these types of stories are what the young adult audience need to read nowadays.
8. How do you interact with other writers?
I’m part of The Young Writer’s Workshop, a program for young writers, so most of the writers I interact with are on there. I also interact with writers on my mailing list. In my opinion, it’s really important to build friendships with other writers to learn from each other.
9. How much do you commit to write in one day?
I’d say around a couple thousands, depending on the day. But if I find myself losing motivation (because all writers do at times!), I try to set a lower goal and slowly raise the bar.
10. What are your thoughts on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing?
For all the writers out there, I think the method of publishing varies on your overall goals and skill set. I personally went with indie publishing because I wanted to grow in my marketing skills so if I ever get traditionally published, I’ll be able to get my book into the hands of readers. However, I think there are pros and cons to both, and it also depends on your story length.
11. What are your plans for your writing future? Do you have any story ideas you want to pursue?
Well, for one, I plan on continuing to grow in my writing and storytelling skills because I’ll never be able to learn everything there is to know about writing in general. I also plan on writing some YA dystopian fiction in the future, but as to what it will be about is unknown. ;)
12. What formats will the book be available in? Where can someone purchase Shards of Sky?
Shards of Sky will be available in paperback and ebook form. You can officially purchase Shards of Sky here. [Clicking the link is recommended.]
Conclusion
Thank you for persevering, my good pilgrims. You have reached the end of this journey. This is the fifth post in a multiblog tour involving other blogs run by other young writers, including some friends of mine (who also have interviewed Ms. Colton and/or reviewed Shards of Sky), so please check out the blog tour schedule and the other blogs involved. This tour is running from now until April 18, the release date of Shards of Sky. (Hopefully, you're reading this before April 18. Otherwise, this information is quite useless to you.)
Until next time, dear readers, watch out for the googly-eyed flying triple cheeseburger monster. He's out to wipe out humanity forever.
I loved writing this, and getting the opportunity to interview Ms. Colton! Do you have any questions for her that I missed in this interview? If so, please let her know in the comments below, and check out her blog, A Quill of Hope.
