Author Interview – NS Wikarski

1:30 AM | Labels: Authors, Orangeberry

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? I would have to say earning my doctorate from one of the toughest graduate schools in the world. There were so many obstacles thrown in my path by the people in my life that it was a miracle that I got into the program at all. Then, I was even more surprised to find out that I had the intellectual talent to graduate with honors. I guess you never know what you can do until you try.

What is your favorite color? That depends on the day, the season, and my mood. I’m partial to fire engine red, electric blue, and fuschia (though not at the same time).

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? Thankfully, it hasn’t.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Honestly, I don’t know. I was always good at it. Maybe I fell into writing simply because I was too lazy to cultivate a talent that would have required hard work to master.

When did you first know you could be a writer? I think it was all the positive feedback from my teachers during my school years. I learned early on that I might be pretty good at this sort of thing.

What inspires you to write and why? I have to be in love with a particular subject or concept in order to write a book about it. Otherwise I’d just as soon not write at all. (There’s that laziness thing again.)

What genre are you most comfortable writing? History because I love the romance of the past. Mystery because I can’t resist a good whodunit.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it? My current book is the third in a seven book series. I’ve learned plenty about lost history, especially as it relates to women’s role in the development of human civilization.

Have you developed a specific writing style? I try not to be a literary stylist. I think a writer who’s trying to be clever will throw in bits of stylistic fluff so that a reader will admire the verbiage of the book. That can become distracting. In my case, I want the reader to focus on my characters and their stories, not on how well I can describe a sunset. If I have a style at all, it would be “cut and dried.”

Can you tell us about your main character? Cassie Forsythe is a twenty year old college dropout whose world implodes after she has a nightmare in which she sees her sister being murdered. The nightmare turns out to be real and Cassie finds herself stuck with a telepathic gift she never knew she possessed. This leads to all sorts of complications including being enlisted to take her sister’s place in a secret organization trying to recover a series of lost artifacts. Over the course of the novels, Cassie evolves from a self-absorbed teenager into a mature adult.