WITCHWOOD AND SEABOUND: AUTHOR Q&A with Ethan Proud #blogtour

Today's guest is fantasy author Ethan Proud! His new book is Witchwood and Seabound and he is on a virtual book tour this month with Pump Up Your Book! We're very glad to have him here today to talk about his book, writing and what surprised him about getting his book published.

Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? When did you come up with the idea to write your book?

I write by the seat of my pants with minimal note taking, so most of my books start as a slow burn. I get an idea and have to let it simmer for a moment before jumping in. This meant that in my first series (the Rebellion Trilogy), I spent a lot of time staring at a blank page. As time progressed I got better bit by bit. My latest novel Witchwood and the accompanying novella Seabound, was a whirlwind of adventure and only took a grand total of four months. My younger brother had suggested that I try writing a horror novel after reading the second installment of the Rebellion Trilogy, Vengeance. I had a few witches in the trilogy and decided I wanted to play with that darker subject material. Witchwood is a standalone novel and takes place in a completely separate world and I felt that I came into my own as an author with this piece.

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

I chose to self-publish as relinquishing control over my books is slightly terrifying. I also like to get to choose my own cover artist, as ultimately, that is what will draw in potential readers.

Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

I am constantly being surprised on my publishing journey but most of them pleasant. One tip for the expectant author is to research all of your options thoroughly.

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

Covers are definitely important and while you can find cheap cover artists, remember that you pay for what you get. To an artist, their art is just as important to them as your book is to you and it’s insulting to ask that they do budget work for you. That doesn’t mean you have to pay an extreme amount either. I find it hard picking a favorite out of my covers, but I am really fond of the most recent one for Witchwood. There’s a little Easter egg too, the main characters name is Artemisia Corax which relates to the sage and raven feathers bound to the ram’s horns. Artemisia is the genus for sage species, and corax is the species epithet for raven. By day I am an invasive species manager and have a thing for Latin names. I always enjoy sharing my knowledge of plants, fungi, and the environment during educational events and workshops-this information usually weasels its way into my books as well!

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

As a pantser (through my research of other authors I found out there are pansters and plotters), it pays to take some notes. I try to write a bullet point or two for three chapters to keep myself on track. It is pretty easy to get off track and lose sight of the end!

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

Currently I just finished the busy season for my day job and haven’t had enough time to write, but I do have a few ideas cooking around in my head that I’m dying to work on! Most are short stories as those are how I stay sane between novels, but I do have a novel in the works. The main plot idea is water scarcity in the future, but it has a lot of kinks that need to be worked out before the plot in solidified. I got the inspiration after attending a talk on water usage in Colorado after the heavy drought year in 2017-2018.

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

In Witchwood, there is a lot of focus on herblore and the witch Artemisia uses various native plants-that if you live in North America are likely in your backyard-for her spells. I did some research on witchcraft to find out the magical properties of the herbs and blended that with their medicinal uses. The herbs in the book will have the same effect as in real life, however most of them are lethal if ingested! Unless you are a certified herbalist or expert forager, don’t go eating wild plants! The dosage is the medicine, and that line between beneficial and toxic is very thin.

Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and if you try out Witchwood, I hope you enjoy it. If you like it, a review is always appreciated.

Brit Lunden is a prolific author who’s written over 50 books in assorted genres under different pen names. Bulwark was her first effort in adult fiction and was chosen by several of her fellow authors as the basis for a new series, A Bulwark Anthology. Using her characters, they are creating new denizens in spin-off stories to this bizarre town. Brit Lunden lives on Long Island in a house full of helpful ghosts.

wEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS

Website → www.britlunden.com

Blog → https://britlunden.blogspot.com

Twitter → https://twitter.com/BritLunden

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/britlunden

Title: WITCHWOOD AND SEABOUND
Author: Ethan Proud
Publisher: Proud Brothers Publishing
Pages: 492
Genre: Fantasy

Gripping and tense, Witchwood tells the tale of a witch and sheriff turned unlikely allies to stop the town of Northgate from being destroyed by dark forces.

Sheriff Ruckstead reluctantly asks his nemesis Artemisia Corax, the woodwitch, for help when a string of murders unsolvable by mundane means occurs in one night. As he cooperates with the witch, his reputation is called into question and he faces conflict with one of the wealthier business families of Northgate.

While Sheriff Ruckstead faces his own challenges, Artemisia discovers that she will need aid in bringing the murderers to justice and enlists the support of a demon. When the interplanal denizen escapes her control, she finds that she and Ruckstead have more on their plates than they bargained for. Including the wrath of a goddess.