Jodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog: Author AD Starrling

Hi all!

Please welcome Author AD Starrling to my blog today!

Author Interview:

What is your name? Do you use a pen name (if so, why?)?

My name is AD Starrling. And yes, it’s a pen name. There are two reasons for it. First, I am still a practising MD and, as such, want my two careers to be separate. Second, it’s a marketing strategy; I feel an author’s name should be memorable! My real name is difficult to spell, let alone say.

Tell me a bit about yourself:

I am originally from the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. I came to the UK 18 years ago to enter medical school. I am a practising Pediatrician, currently working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. But my first love has always been, and will always be, writing.

What type of genre do you write?

My current series is in the supernatural thriller genre. I have written light-hearted fantasy and children’s fantasy-adventure in the past. I’m planning a dark-fantasy trilogy as well as a steampunk-scifi YA trilogy in the future. I kinda tried my hand at a romantic action novel once but faltered pretty quickly. I was having hot flushes when I had the characters kissing. What the hell was gonna happen when they had sex? Spontaneous combustion?!

What genre to you personally read?

All sorts. Fantasy, thrillers, sci-fi, satirical humor, romantic action, manga, comics.

Tell me about your latest?

King’s Crusade is the second novel in the supernatural thriller series Seventeen. The timeline overlaps slightly with that of the first novel, Soul Meaning.

Here’s the pitch:

‘A perfect immortal warrior must recover a set of priceless artifacts to prevent an ancient religious sect from bringing about the downfall of human civilization.’

I think the book is not what people will be expecting after Soul Meaning. I hope it’s a good surprise (gulps). The beta readers and the editors seemed to like it.

What sparked your passion for books and the art of a good story?

My love story with the written word started when I was around four years old. My father is a retired teacher and he used to take me to bookstores since I could walk. We were in this tiny, dusty bookshop in the capital when I laid my hands on my first Babar book. I was kinda hooked from then on.

Is there a particular book that changed or affected your life in a big way?

I can’t think of a specific book but I can think of several authors whose writing have affected me as a writer myself. In no particular order, Terry Pratchett, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Clive Barker.

Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?

A flavor of what is to come in the rest of the series. Seriously, I just hope you are entertained! That’s my goal.

What challenges have you faced in your writing career?

Making the time to write while doing a crazy job. Publishing the book. Avoiding spending too much time on social media. Stopping rewrites and letting the book go out into the big wide world (seriously, I could rewrite till the cows come home!). Organizing marketing.

What has been your best moment as a writer?

Having a reader say, ‘When’s the next one out? What? A year?! WRITE FASTER!’

Who is your author idol?

Terry Pratchett. I met him at a writers’ conference a few years ago. He’s a lovely man.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Not really. Although people who know me personally did tell me that they could ‘hear’ me in the first few chapters of the first novel in the series. I kinda worry about that. There are guns, swords, and fight scenes aplenty in the first few chapters. I hope I don’t comes across as a ‘violent’ Pediatrician...

Do you feel like your dream has come true or is there much more to do?

Part of the dream has come true, definitely. Seeing my books out there in the world is a wonderful feeling. But there is more, so much more to do. I think the dream never really comes true. As humans, our dreams continue to evolve. There is always the next step, the next horizon, the next goal. We should always aspire to grow and be ‘something/someone’ better.

What does your workspace look like?

I work on an iMac, in my study. I have a small French writing desk, a comfortable ergonomic chair with a back support, and a newly acquired footrest. I have a chrome desk lamp, an old dial telephone, a trio of reference books (The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, Schott’s Original Miscellany by Ben Schott, My Grammar and I by Caroline Taggart and JA Wines), and a mouse mat on the desk. The study has a cream chaise longue which is perfect for curling up with a book, several bookcases, a printer, and a shredder. There are several paintings on the wall, as well as a picture box containing the original proof-copies of Soul Meaning. Oh, and there’s a sign just above the computer. It says ‘Do not disturb...I’m disturbed enough as it is’.

Have you ever had a day when you just wanted to quit?

No. I have the odd bad days when I fleetingly wonder whether I’ve made the right life choice and whether I should return to medicine full time. But these moments are just that. Fleeting. I did a lot of soul searching before I committed to giving writing a serious go in 2006. I’m going to see this journey to the end.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

Mostly working at the moment! Seeing friends, going for walks, catching up with my very long list of books I want to read, going to the movies. And spending FAR too much time on social media. Honestly, it’s an addiction.

What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

Try to find a balance. I still haven’t achieved one. Think ‘there is life and then there is my writing life’. If like me, writing is your passion, obsession, and the one drug you can’t live without, it’s very easy to forget that ‘life’ came first. You will be a healthier and happier writer if you aim for a balance between the two.

Did you have a moment when you realized you were meant to be a writer?

Yes. I was twelve years old and I had written a short story that was completely slated by my father. I went on to write several more to spite him. I quickly realized that I kinda had a hidden skill there.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Keep writing. Keep learning not just how to be a better writer, but also about the changing landscape of the publishing industry (don’t be an ostrich about this! It will come and bite you in the ass in the future). Keep reading (I had found it more difficult to find time to read since I started writing!). Be ruthless about the amount of time you spend on social media.

After this book, what is next?

I’m currently writing the third novel in the series Seventeen :)

The perfect immortal warrior.
A set of stolen, priceless artifacts.
An ancient sect determined to bring about the downfall of human civilization.

The exciting, action-packed follow-up to Soul Meaning and the second installment in the supernatural thriller series, Seventeen.

When a team of scientists unearth scriptures older than the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave in the Eastern Desert mountains in Egypt, a mystery lost to the tides of time is uncovered. Heading the expedition is Dimitri Reznak, the Head of the Crovir Immortal Culture & History Section. But the monumental discovery is spoiled by evidence of looting and half the priceless artifacts Reznak has been seeking for centuries have disappeared.

Alexa King is a covert agent for the Crovir First Council. When she is approached by her godfather for a mission that could help elucidate the enigma of her lost past, she finds herself delving into the dangerous and shadowy world of secret religious societies. Assigned by Reznak to assist her is Zachary Jackson, a gifted human and Harvard archaeology professor.

In their search for the missing artifacts, King and Jackson stumble upon the existence of a deadly sect whose origins are as mystifying as the relics they are searching for. From North Africa to the doors of Vatican City itself, they unveil a centuries-old plan that aims to shatter the very structure of civilized society.

With the help of Reznak and a group of unexpected allies, King and Jackson must stop the enemy and uncover the astonishing truth behind the missing artifacts and King’s own unearthly origins before all is lost.

http://www.adstarrling.com/

Your blog?

I don’t have a blog (deliberate choice on my part), but I regularly update the News section of the website.

Where can your book be found?

Smashwords ebook

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/309540

Amazon US ebook

http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Crusade-Seventeen-ebook/dp/B00CICVP9I/ref=la_B008KS77GO_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366994837&sr=1-2

Amazon UK ebook

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kings-Crusade-Seventeen-ebook/dp/B00CICVP9I/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1366993002&sr=1-6

Amazon Canada ebook

http://www.amazon.ca/Kings-Crusade-Seventeen-ebook/dp/B00CICVP9I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366994687&sr=8-1&keywords=king%27s+crusade+ad+starrling