Welcome to the Style Me Fantasy stop on the Fractions of Existence book tour! Here you can learn more about J and the book and enter the rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card.
Author Q&A with J Lenni Dorner (guest post by Maia Silverdagger):
What are your top 20 favorite books/authors?
- The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
- Divergent series by Veronica Roth
- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- The Green Mile by Stephen King
- Yefon: The Red Necklace by Sahndra Fon Dufe
- Sydney’s Song by Ia Uaro
- Moonless (Maiden of Time Book 1) by Crystal Collier
- April Fools by Richie Tankersley Cusick
- Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My Family by L.G. Keltner
- Space Cats from Space by Nicki Ivey
- The Martian by Andy Weir
- You’re Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day
- Elementals series by Michelle Madow
- Caught in Between by Alison L. Perry
- Double Negative by C. Lee McKenzie
- Major Arcana by Margo Bond Collins
- Runaway by J.R. Vincente
- Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard
- Trust Me, I’m Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer
- Fractions of Existence by J Lenni Dorner 😉
I’m also participating in #BoutOfBooks
http://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/
And that the next read-a-thon is Bout of Books 25 – 5/13/2019 — 5/19/2019
How long have you been writing?
I was nine when my creative writing juices started flowing.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I’ve been to most of the places in Fractions of Existence. I had to do research on what they might have been like during the settings. The weather was especially important, though some of it was fictional. I also had to research eye trauma for Xavier’s character.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
I believe our current publishing market is ever changing. It’s an exciting time to be a published author, no matter the method. A few indie authors have become huge hits after daring to go down this lonely path. The more that all authors work together to promote each other, the more we can boost the signal, reminding people that reading is fun.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I love to read! I’ve been part of the 50 book pledge ( http://www.50bookpledge.ca/user/416844176r ) and the Goodreads reading challenge ( https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7120981?shelf=read ) for the last few years. I’m also doing two reading challenges from The Herd Presents this year: ALL ABOUT THE TROPE ( http://theherdpresents.blogspot.com/2017/12/all-about-the-trope-challenge.html ), in which my choice is books where the weather is important. (Like in Fractions of Existence.) And TRY SOMETHING NEW ( http://theherdpresents.blogspot.com/2017/12/try-something-new-challenge.html ).
I love speculative fiction, but I try to read a lot of different genres. I’m generally inclined to read a new book written by or recommended by a friend or favorite blogger.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I definitely have several stories going on in my head at one time. Plus, there are some writing contests where you need to be able to juggle writing other stories in between working on a big novel project. For example, #WRiTECLUBDFW ( http://www.dlhammons.com ).
Advice they would give new authors?
Know that the dream is achievable. It probably won’t be easy. No matter how much you edit, and how many other eyes have checked your manuscript, there is still going to be one more typo. I suggest using text-to-speech to “hear” your words. I’d also recommend ( http://gram.ly/wNx_ ) trying Grammarly. A tip I learned in a class was to be wary of starting sentences with the same letter. And if you’re ready for honest feedback, seek it out at events like #WRiTECLUBDFW ( http://www.dlhammons.com ), WEP ( http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com ), and on the Operation Awesome ( http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com ) blog.
What makes a good story?
For me, I want characters that are fun to read about. I also like ones I can relate to or ones who are similar to people I know.
What is your writing process?
I tend to write the story in order. However, I have a collection of notes– things that will happen once I figure out where to stick them.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I am bad at conformity. Once the series is done, I doubt anyone will be able to compare it to another series. The first book is New Adult, the second one will lean more to Adult, and the third one is sort of “Adult for adults who enjoy reading YA.” That’s not a real category in the sales world, but it exists. We know it exists. So I suppose I am planning to deliver what readers want, but that won’t make it unoriginal.
Once they were humanity’s exalted protectors— now they are being hunted.
Xavier will weigh all human life against Gwendolyn’s ignorant happiness.
searching for Gwendolyn, his true mate and the missing member of the
Existence. Only if reunited can the group regain the rest of their
memories and access all of their powers. Hidden in plain sight,
disguised as humans, they help who they can, as best they can, when
they can.
from the “prison” of life on Earth for millenniums. The Existence
has always been able to thwart them… until now. They’ve discovered
a way to end the world that no one will see coming.
parents want for her and how to get it. Then Xavier, a friend from a
virtual game, makes her question everything. He’s full of secrets,
one being an understanding of her fear of the wind.
frustrating Xavier. She’s engaged, after all, and the thoughts she’s
having aren’t proper. Gwendolyn is swept into a whirlwind of secrets,
danger, and a forbidden attraction. She’ll drive across the country
in her beat-up old car, not knowing if he is genuinely interested or
just being polite. (He refuses to kiss her!) Gwendolyn’s journey is
full of self-doubt, sacrifice, and dark visions that invade her
sleep. Will she uncover the truth about herself?
situations, alcohol, a scene with medical marijuana, violence
(including a memory of the murder of a sadist seconds before he
commits rape), an arranged marriage, and college student debt. The
majority of this book takes place in 2005.
series. Book One, “Fractions of Existence,” is available on
Amazon as of 2017. Also known for the writer’s reference book,
“Preparing to Write Settings that Feel Like Characters.”
the Debut Author Spotlight on Wednesdays. Blogging from A to Z
#AtoZchallenge co-host as of 2017.
“LOST!: A themed anthology 2017” (available on Amazon).
living in Pennsylvania (USA) on the original lands of the
Lenni-Lenape people. When not reading or writing, J enjoys video
games, funny cat videos, finding drawings of dragons on Pinterest,
and watching movies.
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
Thank you for hosting me today.
You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing a glimpse into your creativity with the Q&A!
I like the scene on the cover. I think it’s beautiful.
I agree! It really is.
Thanks for the mention! And I’m glad you did because I’ve been so far off the grid I would have missed your release otherwise. *tosses cheese confetti* Yippee!
Sounds great, I love the cover.
looks like a fun one
Sounds like a really interesting read, definitely adding it to my to-read list! The cover is gorgeous and very intriguing, thanks for sharing.