Self Published Authors would like to introduce you to Michele Poague. Her Heir to Power and Fall of Eden books sound like a fantastic read!
Author Name: Michele PoagueWhere can you book be found? The first two books of The Healing Crystal trilogy can be ordered at all major retail stores and on-line dealers. In Denver
What is the price?
Heir to Power - ISBN 1- 4502-7880 -5 - softcover retails for $28.95
Heir to Power - ISBN 1- 4502-7881-2 - hardbound retails for $38.95
Heir to Power - ISBN 1- 4502-7882-9 - e-book retails for $9.99
Fall of Eden - ISBN 1- 4620-1306-7 - softcover retails for $28.95
Fall of Eden - ISBN 1- 4620-1307-4 - hardbound retails for $34.95
Fall of Eden
You can usually find a copy of the printed versions online as low as $13 and e-books for less than $9.
Please tell us a little about The Healing Crystal
The overall theme is about the creation of religious and political philosophy in the absence of technology. There is really very little difference between the two. It's the culture that decides whether it's more beneficial to wrap its laws in one cloak or the other. With one, the power lies with an unknown entity (a deity or a god), and the other is a known entity (a governing body of men or a king), but both entities promise misery and/or death if you break the rules; meaning both are forms of power and control.
The adventure, sibling rivalry, and romantic aspects of the story are what make the issues of laws and philosophy pertinent to the characters, and the ongoing debate about the morality of power.
Book one, Heir to Power is a coming-of-age story about a young woman named Kairma who is the heir to the Healing Crystal, a religious relic. Kairma is destined to become the next leader of Survin, but the discovery of an ancient vault holding mysterious artifacts leads her to question her abilities and the true nature of the Crystal
Do you have a favorite character and why? I like several characters for different reasons, but the character I most identify with is Collin. Even though Collin is male, his carefree and adventurous streak reminds me of myself at that age. He’s a logical thinker who refuses to take anyone’s word for anything. He needs proof. You might think he has no respect for authority, when really, he believes it’s the person who must earn his respect, not the title.
What was your journey like with writing The Healing Crystal
At the time, I was writing training manuals, ad-copy, and convention brochures and my job didn’t leave much time for writing novels. The story of The Healing Crystal never left me, and while cleaning out my office in 2009, I came across the earlier research I’d done. 2010 seemed like the right time to finish the project.
I discover my characters by listening to the little voices in my head. I try to find, or draw pictures that match the voice I hear, and then fill out character sketches. It is usually while doing this kind of research that the story reveals itself. When you discover one of your characters has a scar, you ask yourself how he got it, and before you know it, you find out he has enemies you haven’t met yet, or a penchant for barroom brawls.
The subtitles for books one and two were selected after the first drafts were written, although Ransom came to me out of nowhere and actually directed the plotline of book three.
I came up with three cover designs for The Healing Crystal series and let my friends vote. The vote was too close to call, so I ended up making the final choice. I chose the apple because it was the most symbolic of the designs. The story is about the morality of power, and the power of knowledge.
Will there be a sequel? The Healing Crystal is a trilogy. Although each book can stand on its own, there is a very definite story arc over the three books.
In book two, Fall of Eden, we meet Narvin, a stranger who learns of the hidden object and believes it is the Star of Genesis, a powerful relic his ancestors have been seeking for centuries. The last in a line of powerful kings, he is determined to possess the object that will return him to his former glory. He is unwavering in his quest, and Kairma is caught in a fierce race across barren deserts and rugged mountains.
In book three, due out in early January 2012, Kairma finds an ally in the highly advanced freedom fighter, Rand Solis, but each discovers that in order to heal their damaged world, they must sacrifice friends, religious convictions, and political philosophies. When three different cultures collide, they discover that almost any political philosophy is perfect in any given moment, but moments are fleeting.
What inspired you to become a writer? I blame teen angst. I wrote my first short story when I was in the 10th grade. It was a paranormal romance about the ghost of a man’s first wife trying to kill his second wife. Like so many things teenagers write, it was never meant for publication. I think it was a way of exploring my feelings.
I always enjoyed reading. In the early 80’s I read Dragonriders of Pern and Anne McCaffrey made writing look easy. It wasn’t. I carried the impression of the story for years, waiting for someone like David Brin to write the book. I had to know how it was going to end so I wrote the first book myself.
I let several people read Heir to Power and they insisted I finish the story because they too wanted to know how it would end.
Why did you choose to self-publish? This trilogy has its roots in hard science fiction. The only thing really fantastical about The Healing Crystal is when it takes place. The problem with writing anything in the near future is that science changes so rapidly that within a year the basic premise of a story can change. As it was, I had to make several adjustments throughout the writing of the trilogy to accommodate new scientific discoveries.
When the first book was completed, I tried several traditional publishing houses. A major component of the story hinges on the science we know to be accurate today, so after several "It doesn't have vampires" rejections, I decided to look into self-publishing. The number of self-published books available today surprised me. I've learned a great deal about the difference between self-publishing and vanity publishing. I learned about the overpriced services offered by some self-publish companies and how important it is to understand the value of what you're paying for.
Do you have any advice to share with writers who dream of someday publishing? First and foremost, write several books before you publish the first. Your writing skills will improve drastically as you hone your craft. Although its won awards, I find there are ways I could have made Heir to Power a much stronger book if I had the chance to rewrite it one more time.
The second reason to wait has to do with the amount of time it takes to market what you've written. There are millions of books to compete with, and it's a full time job getting your name out there everyday, leaving almost no time to write new novels.
I have drafts of two more books set in a completely different universe than The Healing Crystal, and while I continue to collect research on those, I won't even think about hiring an editor or publishing company until I've finished this trilogy because I still have too much to learn.
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