Dishing it up with Debra L. Martin

Hi folks! Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Debra L. Martin on my blog. Debra L Martin writes science fiction and fantasy with her co-author, David W Small. They have been writing together since 2006 and have produced two novels and two novelettes to-date. Debra lives on the East Coast with her husband and 3 cats. David lives on the West Coast with his wife and daughter. They are currently working on a fantasy they hope to finish in 2011.


JET: Can you tell us about your most recent book?

Debra: We actually released two books in the Rule of Otharia series, QUEST FOR NOBILITY and THE CRYSTAL FAÇADE. The QUEST FOR NOBIITY follow royal twins, Darius and Dyla Telkur, as they try to navigate the minefield of the royal hierarchy. Not everyone is a fan of the House of Telkur and it seems that evil forces are working against the twins, first with their parent’s murder, then with the duchy going bankrupt. When the twins are wrongly accused of murder themselves, they must flee to the forbidden planet Earth where they uncover a secret that could rock the hierarchy to its core. Otharia and Earth are connected by an ancient pact and the secrets lie in the legends of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. The twins must find the connection and stay alive to return home, but that proves difficult when they are followed by a telekinetic assassin who pursues them across the galaxy. The adventures continue in THE CRYSTAL FAÇADE.

JET: What drew you to fantasy and science fiction?

Debra: I write with my co-author, David W Small, who happens to be my brother. We both have enjoyed reading the same science fiction and fantasy for years and have passed numerous books back and forth. During a dry spell for something new to read, we decided to try and write one ourselves. It was a struggle in the beginning trying to blend our writing styles, but now we write as a well-oiled machine.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Debra: Indeed it has been. For 2 years, we submitted our manuscript for QUEST to agents. We received rejection after rejection, but many of them added personal notes saying the book had potential, but they didn’t love it enough to take it on.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Debra: Our favorite moment was when Amazon opened the path to publishing directly to authors. Now we had an opportunity to let the readers enjoy out books. And they have.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Debra: I’ve always loved writing and have a couple sitting in a desk somewhere. They’re aren’t very good, but they were great for giving me the experience of writing a complete story from beginning to end.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Debra: In our books, the Otharians have PSI power (empathy, telepathy and telekinetic) and their powers are fueled by crystals. On Earth we call them diamonds. Everyone knows the 4C’s of a diamond, cut, color, clarity and carat. We took that one step further with a 5th C – connectivity. It’s that 5th C that enhances the Otharian’s powers.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Debra: THE CRYSTAL FAÇADE is my favorite so far. It is the second book in the series and by then we were deep into the story of Darius and Dyla and the connections to the legends of Merlin. Both Dave and I have smoothed out our writing styles and even we can’t remember who wrote which part of the story. That makes us happy.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

Debra: Write the best book you can, give it to beta readers, hire an editor and have the best cover you possibly can before submitting your book for publication. The readers will be quick to pounce on everything that feel is wrong with a book in their reviews. It’s important not to rush into publication. It’s exciting and hard not to do, but it will pay off in the end if you go through all the steps outlined above.

JET:All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

Debra: Reusable canvas

JET:Steak or Tofu?

Debra: Is fish an option?

JET:Beach or Mountains?

Debra: Definitely the Beach.

JET:Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Debra: Rick-n-Roll for sure.

JET:Leather or Lace?

Debra: Lace

JET:Angels or Demons?

Debra: Demons, they’re much more interesting

JET:Paper or Digital?

Debra: Paper to edit, digital to write

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Debra: Neither

JET:Twilight or True Blood

Debra: True Blood rules!

JET:Coffee or Tea?

Debra: Definitely coffee – can I throw in a latte as well.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Debra: We are currently working on a fantasy involving assassins, witches and an ancient prophecy. We hope to finish it by the summer of 2011.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Debra L. Martin and her work at the following places:

BLOG at Two Ends of the Pen: http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/

Buy Links for QUEST FOR NOBILITY:

$.99 at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CC1KI4

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11660

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Quest-for-Nobility-Book-1/Debra-L-Martin/e/2940000838488

Buy links for THE CRYSTAL FAÇADE:

$3.99 at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CC1KK2

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11661

Barnes & Noble:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Crystal-Facade-Book-2/Debra-L-Martin/e/2940000838495

Next week, I have Kipp Poe Speicher on my blog, don’t forget to swing in and say hi!

Until then,

Ciao

JET