Can you tell us a little about Pledged?
Pledged
unashamedly explores good and evil. I wanted to write about how ordinary human
beings, without any special powers, would react when confronted by difficult –
often grey – choices. That all sounds dreadfully dull . . . I promise you, it
isn’t! Pledged
really is two books in one. When Seth and Erin go back in time to Shenaya, they
meet Sophia and Caleb, Jared and Talitha. These four teenagers have their own
story, which runs parallel to Seth’s and Erin’s experience. And because they
lived in the past, their lives and their choices are impacting on Erin and Seth
today. But there is nothing Seth and Erin can do to change the past. This makes
life really challenging for them - and provides lots of action, adventure and
some romance for the reader. By the way, Pledged
is part of the Soul Wars Saga trilogy.
How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
It was a process. The soul mates came first because I love the concept that we
knew and loved our life partners before we were born. That really resonates
with me, so it was an obvious choice for inclusion.
Then came the demons and angels . . .
while I was writing one of the many drafts of Pledged, my mother contracted cancer. I wrote much of the Soul Wars Saga series – of which Pledged is the first book – at her
bedside. After she died it seemed like I heard her voice in my head,
encouraging and inspiring me to put my grief aside and finish the series. Thus
the involvement of the dead – angels and demons – was born.
And finally the time travel? At first Pledged was set in ancient times, but I
decided it needed a modern twist. Enter Seth and Erin. With their story came
the diamond Seer-Stone which enabled them to time travel. So I guess the
creation of Pledged reflects the many
layers contained in the actual story.
Some of the characters – notably Sophia
and Jared, Caleb and Talitha – have lived with me for about ten years. I know
them as intimately as I know my own family. And Seth and Erin? Although new to my life (they appeared a year
ago), I have come to love them as my own kids.
What do you do in your free time?
I’m a mom to three teenage girls, which
takes up a lot of time, but also gives me great joy. When I’m not making their
lives happen, I devour books, watch movies (preferably on the big screen), and
grow stunning roses. I also love to travel, especially on boats and trains.
What
is your writing background/how long have you been writing? When did you start?
I’ve been telling myself stories for as
long as I can remember, but it was only in my teens that I started writing my
first novel. I never finished it. But the love of writing didn’t leave me. So
over the years I’ve written advertising copy and corporate training manuals.
Dead boring, trust me. I also co-authored two non-fiction travel books. Then
four years ago inspiration struck, and I started writing a series of fantasy
young adult book. I haven’t stopped.
