It’s the 25th of the month, and sandwiched in the middle of three great authors this month is author Aaron-Michael Hall! I’m excited to interview her, I crossed paths with her over a year ago when I first joined WordPress. Most of you know I’m a big fan of this genre especially when there is romance thrown in, as a reader I love it. I salute writers in the paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi genres so much, it’s a whole new kind of creativity and talent to spin these tales… I sure as hell can’t! I think the level of creativity needed is something real special, let’s get to know Aaron- Michael’s style.

Hello nice to meet you! Tell us a bit about you where are you from and other than writing what else do you enjoy?

Thank you for having me, Kim. I am originally from Illinois and write classic epic fantasy with a grimdark edge and science fantasy romance. I also enjoy photography and play several instruments.

Kim: Gosh, what talent musical instruments that’s something. I really need to read one of your books too * flips to Amazon*. Welcome.

How did you start writing? What was your inspiration to create?

I have always enjoyed writing. My first novel The Rise of Nazil was written approximately fifteen years ago. It was a story that I wanted to read (with diverse characters and a dense plot) that I could not find. It was not until I allowed others to read the manuscript that I was prodded to publish.

Kim: Now I feel like a baby! Two authors this month, who wrote their first works over ten years ago. Great stuff. 🙂

What genre do you enjoy reading?

I read a lot of non-fiction. However, I enjoy some science fiction and fantasy.

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

As aforementioned, I was writing only for myself. When I decided to publish, I had to learn the process and my particular market. It has been an interesting journey.

Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre? If you could what genre would you like to dabble in?

I started writing only Epic Fantasy. I always enjoyed Sci-Fi and recently incorporated my love for that genre in Rites of Heirdron and Orbs of Trenihgea. Blending fantasy, science fiction, and romance was an extremely enjoyable writing experience. After my second Epic Fantasy trilogy releases, I might revisit the SciFan genre.

Kim: Keep us posted here on MTA.

Are you a “plotter” or a fly by the seat of your pants “pantster” as a writer?

It actually depends. My Epic Fantasy was thoroughly plotted and outlined. However, the Science Fantasy Romance just happened. The more I wrote, the more the story developed.

Currently, I am collaborating on a new fantasy with another author. We had a basic idea that turned into 70k in a few weeks. Nothing was planned in the beginning, and the concept has morphed and expanded over a few months.

Kim: Ahhh amazing, ya know you learn so when working with a co-author, great fun too.

 

Every writer has a word(s) that they always slip up on when they write, then slap their forehead when they notice their typo. For me it’s further and farther exit or exists-  but hey I’m over it now.  Do you have a word (s) that make you go blah! Go away not another damn typo.

Unfortunately, yes. LOL I have two that I continually mistype and catch during the editing pass. Accept/Except and Past/Passed. I know which to use where, but my fingers do not always follow the commands of my mind.

Kim: at least you have just two… I won’t tell you how many I have. 🙂

What three tips would you give any aspiring writer?

Oh gosh, there are many. But you must stay true to yourself and write from the heart. Remember that this journey is a marathon and not a sprint. Writing the novel is the easy part, what comes after is where the true work begins.

Kim: That’s such great advice, I would agree wholeheartedly. Especially the marathon part. Thank you.

What are you working on now? What will you release next?

I am currently collaborating on an Epic Fantasy titled Kurintor Nyusi. It is set in the fantastical Fifth Kingdom, and has an assortment of diverse and intriguing characters. The mythos and deities created for the novel are epic, and the concept is captivating. It has been a pleasure to create this new world.

 

Orbs of Trenihgea, the second novel in my SciFan Romance will be up for pre-order next month. The audiobook for the first novel, Rites of Heirdron released this month on audible.

 

 

Kim: Did you say romance? Wait wait, when is pre-order date? Keep us posted please.

So… where can we get your books?

All of my novels are available on Amazon and Audible. Readers can also purchase signed copies by contacting me directly (the.rise.of.nazil@gmail.com) or visiting my website (aaronmichaelhall.com).

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Research is extremely important. With my first novel (The Rise of Nazil), the research was extensive: ancient herbs and medical practices, torture techniques, distances horses could travel (in numerous instances), distances men could travel on foot, combat configurations, fencing and martial techniques, etc. It was the same with my SciFan. I probably spent more time reading and researching than it took to write the novels.

Kim: See what I mean about you fantasy writers…. I’m dizzy just reading all that! The level of creativity is beyond me.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Not often. If a “bad” review is informative, I learn from it. If someone posted a review where it is obvious they did not even read my novel, I get irritated. I have had several instances of that. Albeit I understand that not every novel is for every person. Even King gets one-star reviews.  I appreciate anyone taking the time to read and review my work. With the plethora of authors and novels available, I am honored that they selected me.

 

Kim: Argh! Those one stars “did not finish”  baffle me.I always think to myself if I see them when browsing books to read you have no real basis for that,you never read it, it’s hard to understand that. I’ve never reviewed a book I did not or could not finish at all. It kinda feels wrong to me if I never made it to the end. That said, haters are gonna hate regardless, good thing is  I think as a writer you get to a point where you bat off those whining reviews regardless of the stars, and crack on writing with no self-doubt. 

What was your hardest scene to write?

I have a few scenes with torture and some sexual abuse. Those were extremely difficult to write.

Do you Google yourself?

At times. I Google my novels as well. That is how I discovered all of the pirated copies.  🙂

Kim: I need to do that, you’re about the fifth MTA feature who has said that. 

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

That depends upon the novel. Rites of Heirdron took approximately two months. I spent six months writing Seed of Scorn.Thank you for inviting me to chat with you, Kim. I truly enjoyed it! Great success.

And that’s a wrap people! Thank you for your time Aaron- Michael this was a really great to get to know you better. I’d love to read one of your books with a romance element too.

Connect With Aaron- Michael:

For more information about Aaron-Michael Hall (Newland Moon), please visit her WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, and TWITTER!

You can listen to a sample of the Mehlonii language created for The Rise of Nazil Epic Fantasy series HERE, and enjoy a trailer for the SciFan romance Rites of Heirdron HERE, and listen to an excerpt of the audiobook narrated by the exceptional Victor Bevine HERE.