This is the first season of Dream Killers. Each season will
have 3-4 action-packed novellas. Dreamland is falling apart, unraveling. We
follow River as he tries to keep everything together, protecting his Earthen
dreamers and the Dreamlanders that reside in his fold of the universe.
This setting is just so rich and so fantastical and
whimsical. We really roll through the entire gambit of emotions. This cast of characters
is so diverse. I know the series will have
to end, but when? There are so many directions it could take, so many
characters we could follow, so many plots to track.
Do you
have a favorite character?
Oh, of course! Right now, it’s Zoey. She doesn’t speak much,
though she is getting better, so writing her in a way the reader will see her and see what she’s saying was a challenge. I think perhaps that’s the
reason she’s just so endearing to me, but that little girl got under my skin. I
really hate to see her go back home to Earth. I know she has to, but I hope she
stays around a while longer.
Have you
ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?
To be perfectly honest, every single time I write a book, I always have at least one character—usually a secondary—come up and just shock the
crap out of me. In this one, I thought there’d be more from Mech, but it turned
out that without River, he was able to really settle into the role of a traveler.
The one that really threw me for a loop was Olivia. She
started out as this kick-butt girl leading a bunch of abandoned kids through a
nightmarish version of Dreamland. She was tough and down-to-Earth, but she was
distant, which was exactly what I wanted for the storyline—and for River’s
storyline. But…that girl. She just opened up, let us in and now her storyline
is about to take off, taking River’s with it. AND this one thing that I wanted to happen isn’t going to happen unless something dire hits Olivia. The
thought makes me very sad, but in this story, it could happen.
What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?
I’ve got a couple of books being traditionally published. In
a lot of ways, it’s great. You partner up with someone else, and together you
publish your book.
However, there were several of my books and ideas that were
just too far outside the box for the traditional publishers to feel comfortable
with. A book is an investment, but when the book is wildly unique, doesn’t fit inside the traditional boxes, and breaks
a few rules, it’s a bad gamble.
Those, however, are the books I like to read, so they’re the
books I enjoy writing. As a self-published author, I’m more in control. I can
delve outside of the box, like with this series in particular, and I can gauge
it, try new things, be daring. Yeah, this could all be for naught. It could
totally flop. Readers might decide this is all just too much. It could happen.
But I’m writing what I
love and I’m gonna keep doing it as long as I enjoy it. Well, and as long
as I’m at least breaking even.
What have
you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?
A lot. I feel as though I’ve finally made it past the embarrassing
lesson. Thank goodness! I learned the hire-an-editor lesson, the
get-a-great-cover lesson, and the market-your-book lesson.
The lesson I’m learning now is how and when to take a break.
The big thing right now is to get books out there. Get them out there. Get as
many quality books as you can into the
market. That’s how you succeed.
However, that gets you into a habit of getting up, working
on writing, going to work, working on work, breaking for lunch to work on
writing, working at work some more, going home, working on writing and going to
bed. Friends would ask me if I wanted to go out and do things, and I always
said no. I was working. Eventually, people stopped asking.
But then the muse finally quit! She fell down, exhausted,
and I was left there going, “Get up! We have all these books we’ve got to
write! NOW!”
There’s a line you have to discover. When you write from the
heart, you have to keep your heart charged, and you do that by living. Yes, you have to balance that
out by writing because you really can’t
sell the book that isn’t finished, but you can’t sell a book that isn’t worth
reading, either. LIVE life so you can gain the experiences worth sharing.
Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?
That was a killer for me. It really was. However, I did two
things.
I started a
newsletter. People who actually are interested in finding out more
about me will sign up for it, and my news goes directly to their mail boxes. Saves
a TON of time!
I hired a
publicist. I did some shopping around. I am successful, but only
marginally so. I have a tight budget, but I was DYING out there, trying to work
full time, enjoy a family life, market my books, write my books, edit my books, and everything else I do with my
books. I was tired, run thin. I could read it in my writing. It just sounded
very…shallow and dry and dead. You can’t sell
shallow and dry and dead. You can’t. It’s icky and boring. Then, my publicist
fell into my lap. I love her! LOVE her!
She is a BLESSING and a god-send!
What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?
Work hard. Be diligent and flexible. Don’t allow your head
to get too big.
Oh, and develop a thick skin quick.
Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?
Boy, yes!
I’m taking up archery. By “taking up,” what I mean is I went
twice, fell in love, and I’m waiting to save up the money to invest in a bow of
my own! Because I must. I MUST! I love it.
However, that got me interested in fire arms again. Not machine
guns, though I have shot them before. I’m ex-military. I’ve thrown grenades,
fired a rocket (completely missing the tank I was aiming at, but whatever), and
shot an M-16. However, with the bow, I realized I’m a left-handed shooter, so
now I want to try my hand at pistols and the rifle to see if I can’t do a bit
better.
This also led me back into a sense of self-awareness. I can
get myself into some pretty hairy situations, and while it’s great that I have
a silver tongue, I need to refresh myself on self-defense.
Which then leads to zombies. It just can’t be helped.
But THEN there was this deal for flying lessons. There’s no
way I can afford to get my pilot’s license now.
My kids are still at home. So’s my sister. I’m not excessively rich from my books
yet. However, there are deals where you can take a 6-week course and then fly the airplane for 45 minutes. Oh, I
am SO there!
And I’m really going to get into learning a new language. I
mean it. Seriously.
Also, love physics. Just LOVE it. Right now, I’m devouring
as many theoretical physics books as I can. It’s just so mind blowing and
fascinating!
But then that sent
me into microbiology and virology. See? It keeps circling back to zombies. Do
you have any idea just how cool scientists are?! Holy my freaking PETE! These guys are amazing and should be heroes. Seriously.
They should. Okay. Some of them scare me a bit. Truly, they do. However, wow.
Just reviewing the advancements we’ve made since 1900. Amazing. Amazing!
And that? That’s the short list. I could go on. Like, holy
cow, I could go on.
Some fun
facts about you, which do you prefer –
Dogs or
cats? Dogs
Chocolate
or vanilla? Chocolate
Coffee or
Tea? Coffee
Talk or
Text? Text, please! Yeah, don’t talk to me on the phone.
Seriously.
Day or
Night? Morning and night, but NOT noon!
What’s
next for you?
Right now, I’m working on Menagerie, book 3 of Devices of War. I’m actually behind schedule,
so, people, I apologize! Everyone’s asking when it’s coming out. It was
supposed to be released in October. It’s looking more like January. Apologies,
but I think you’ll understand when you get into this one. These characters just
blew my freaking mind with their amazingness.
Then, it’s onto Nightmare’s
Dream (Dreamland Stories), which we should be finalizing and, hopefully,
launching soon.
Then? A super-secret project I’m extremely excited about.
And then? Season 2 of Dream Killers! OMW! I’m so excited
about what’s in store on this one! So many directions! The universes are
colliding on an epic scale of awesomeness! I just have to figure out how I’m
going to contain it, and how I’m going to end the season, and how I’m going to tie it to Dreamland Stories.
Thankfully, my short reprieve to re-charge my muse succeeded
and we’re back at the whole writing thing. Full speed! CHAAAAAAAARGE!
The Sea of Dreams spat me out with no memories, no idea of who I was or what my purpose might be. When Captain Bo, dream killer extraordinaire, arrived, I took a chance to explore. On the road of discovery, I tripped upon dreamplanes floating dead in a graveyard, scared children attempting to survive their dreams turned nightmare, strange guardians, rogue Dreamlanders, and ships with hearts of silver. I learned more about Dreamland than I ever thought possible. But people are dying. They're disappearing. Dreamland is twisting, shifting, ripping.
I don't know how best to help, how to save those I've met, who have wormed their way into my heart. If only I knew who I was, what I'd been born to do. Then I found out. I know who I am. I wish I didn't. Dream Killers is geared for fans of Once Upon a Time. The first season (Spring 2014) consists of 3 novellas called episodes. It follows River as he discovers who he is and his role in Dreamland. Dream Killers is to Dreamland Stories what Agents of Shield is to the Marvel movies. Dreamland is an intense, rich, fascinating world with lots going on. If you like fairy tales, are looking for something new try this one.
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Meet the Author:
SM “Frankie” Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, and Jack the Bird. Jack has refused to let her to take up the piano again, but is warming to the guitar. It might help that Frankie has learned more than two strings. She’s added a few more Arabic words to her vocabulary, but don’t invite her into conversation yet—unless, of course, you’re willing to have a very . . . slow . . . conversation. She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories. She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!
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