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Eliza: Your book, Skyview, is a pretty big book for a debut writer. How long have you been writing and was Skyview your first book?
M. Sheehan: Yes, SkyView is my first book, but the story has been in my head for so long. It took me a few years just to build the characters and tie them to history. Once that was complete the story was able to flow very naturally.
Eliza: I’ve read your book and it is so expansive. Without giving away any spoilers, where did you first come up with the idea?
M. Sheehan: The idea appeared in small doses from every novel I ever read. Each book placed a small layer that eventually brought me back 7-Centuries. Then I realized I need multiple lines of characters to tell it. That’s when it came together.
Eliza: I know you’re working on book two now. How many books do you think there will be in the series?
M. Sheehan: Book 2, Lord of the Wills: Alvero’s Secret, The Rise of Faolan, and the Painted Prophesy is complete and currently being edited and will come out next year. As of now, I am writing Book 3, The ghost in the Scar. In total, I plan on 7 books, a story for each of the 7-centuries of history.
Eliza: Do you plot out one book at a time or do you have the whole series planned out already?
M. Sheehan: The bones of the whole series is complete, along with the History of each century and the characters involved. Now I can approach each century and blend in the minutia and personality. But of course, I have found often changes the original story as the characters grow, so it’s a little bit of both.
Eliza: You’re an indie author, and I am as well, but I saw that you were with FriesenPress. It’s not a publishing company, so, what is it and how have they helped your writing career?
M. Sheehan: Friesen Press handled most of the administrative leg work that I was too busy writing to do, they are affiliated with Ingram Distribution and made sure the book was available in over 40,000 stores.
Eliza: The choice between joining KDP Select and going wide with your books is sometimes a challenge for authors. How did you decide what would be right for Skyview?
M. Sheehan: Time is always my primary factor, my books will eventually find their way to readers. I like to make sure I’m spending as much time writing as possible.
Eliza: All of your characters have interesting names. Even William, that is a common name, becomes interesting because of the lineage. How much research did you put into naming each character?
M. Sheehan: Tons, to put it lightly, I felt it was important since the story covers 7-centuries to have family lines that can be traced all the way back to the eight founding members in Interlaken, 1318.
Eliza: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all my questions. Do you have anything you’d like to promote today and where can people find you?
M. Sheehan: Thank you Eliza, I appreciate the opportunity. All promotions, ARC’s, signed books, and good stuff, can be found on my website. I can also be found on Twitter & Instagram.
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