Howdy!

I’m really excited to have a new writer friend of mine over for an interview today. E.B. Dawson is prepping to release her new fantasy next week. I’m about halfway through reading it and it’s a glorious mix of modern fantasy, some science fiction, and a little espionage. Really enjoying it so far!

Before we get to the interview, here’s a bit about said glorious mash-up of a book.

Anissa Robson is becoming an adult in a society she never really identified with. Forced to choose a career path, she becomes an apprentice to a young, headstrong politician who seems to stand for everything she disagrees with.

The dreams she has refused to report grow more alluring to her as she becomes disillusioned with her job. But the lines between reality and her dreamland begin to blur and cross over, launching her onto a path she would never have chosen for herself.

Is the government medicating Dreamers to protect them? Or to hide something from them?

 

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What inspired The Traveler?

Good question. The Traveler is an imaginative, fantasy adventure, but it is also my attempt to make sense of my life experiences. I grew up in a developing nation and then moved back to America with my parents when I was in middle school and felt like I had moved to another planet. Ever since then I have been trying to make sense of all the things I have seen, heard, and experienced. People often talk about how the world is “so small” and “so connected” and yet do we really understand the people who live across the world from us? Do we understand how our lives affect theirs? Do we judge them for being different than us and assume that we are right in the way we do things? I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I hope that I have crafted a story that gets people thinking.

Tough questions! I applaud you for tackling them! If you could describe the theme of the book in one word, what would it be?

I hate this question, but I will try: justice.

Love it! You described The Traveler to me as modern fantasy meets sci-fi. How does this world differ from our own?

They have a lot of technology like we do and they are very passionate about science, but there are some phenomena that can’t quite be explained scientifically…(dun, dun, dun)

Which I’m sure aren’t important at all… 😉 From the synopsis, it sounds like this book has some political elements. Did you find it hard to write that aspect of the story/what was your process?

My first thought about this book was, “I can never write it because it’ll be controversial.” Then I decided to write it just to get it out and not worry about publishing. It was the fastest I had ever written a book. My intention isn’t to start arguments or point fingers at people, but to make people look at our own world in a different way. The politics are actually a very natural part of the story, and I truly hope I have struck a balance between compelling and controversial. (are you scared now?)

Hehe! Well in reading the politics, my eyes haven’t glazed over yet, so I think you’ve done pretty good as far as compelling. 🙂 What opportunities have you experienced since beginning to write?

Career opportunities? Not many. But about six months ago I joined the author community on twitter and actually started getting to know other authors and read their work. It has been amazing. I have been challenged, encouraged, and so supported!

Yay for Twitter! I’m pretty sure that’s where we connected! Is there one element that always appears in your stories?

Redemption, healing, and hope are big themes for me. But I will warn you that sometimes they come after a difficult journey…

I love those themes, especially if the journey’s been rough. Now for some fun questions I always like to include. If you knew you were going to leave an unfinished manuscript behind, what would you do?

I might force my sister to finish it. She has been reading my work since I was eleven and knows how my mind works pretty well!

I should force my sisters to finish one of my books… 🙂 In a movie adaptation of your book, who composes the score? Who directs?

How do I choose?! Score by Thomas Newman. Directed by…Ridley Scott or Terrence Malick. If they teamed up, even better. But I’ll add in a bonus one: I would want my cinematographer to be Francis Ford Coppola. 😀

Ridleeey Scooot!! 🙂 And Thomas Newman is a solid choice.

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Huge thanks to E.B. Dawson for coming over! Check out her book. It’s been a fun ride so far!

Let’s talk! Do you like modern fantasy? Political thrillers?