LFA Turppa

Author: LFA Turppa

Best Known Works: The Raven Chronicles

Where Can You Find Her? : Facebook and Amazon and Blog

Top Writing Tip: Don't  listen to critics, or even the rejection letters (but definitely keep them, and let them push you forward!). You cannot judge your own worth or talent from the traditional standards of writing or publishing, and I truly feel this is why self-publishing and independent publishing were created. So that those of us with stories are worth telling, can tell them.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us!

Tell us a little about yourself, what are the main life experiences that have led to this book?  

Honestly, I just sat down one day and began writing, and before I knew it, it was a trilogy. I love the idea of adult fairy tales- the PG 13, edging on R, kind.

When did you realise that you were Pagan?    

I was exposed to several denominations of Christianity in my life, and as I got older, I started wondering why I was Christian when I didn’t entirely relate to it. I learned a lot about paganism through fiction, and I think that got me interested in the real live version. As I learned, I realized that this was where I felt comfortable.

When and why did you begin writing?  

I have been writing for almost as long as I can remember- even when I was little I had written a story “Journey into the Oesophagus’ or something to that effect. I read and wrote in order to escape- as most people, I suppose. But I certainly felt I had more to escape from. And to this day, one of the main reasons I write is so that others like me can escape a horrific reality. Or, to escape just for fun.

Is this your first published piece or have you had work published before? 

I have short stories and poems that have been published in the past, as well as said ‘self-publishing’ company. In terms of what I have personally put out there? I have published 9 novels, and they are all available in Kindle edition and paperback.

How did the topic of your book(s) come to you? 

I almost wish I could say something cool like ‘It came to me in a dream’, or a vision or something like that, but in reality, I just got bored one day and started writing about this girl who’d lost her magick.

Tell us a bit about your story, key characters and plot. 

The story is about a mage named Lisyra who has lost all of her magick, and begins to get physically ill because of it. As she weighs her options, and realizes that not even the healer of neighbouring town Prist can help her, she decides the best thing to do is take a journey to find a cure. She comes upon several likeable characters, including the Whisky-Maker, Darh, a Dwarf named Durgrim, and, most surprising of all, a raven, whose name and importance she does not learn until later in the Trilogy.

In these travels, she learns that she is more important than any simple mage ought to be, and has to find the strength to survive. This means fighting against the sickness inside, and an evil she cannot name.

Do we see some of you in your book? 

I think my humour comes across- I like to sprinkle my weirdness here and there.

How long does it take you to write a book, are you a fast writer or a slow writer?

Fast, I suppose. If my muse is with me, I can write a book within six months.

Do you plan your stories before you begin? 

Somewhat; I hoard index cards and do research, depending on my topic. I like to include historical facts when writing in a non-fantasy world genre.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and, if so, how do you overcome it? 

I do, and any writer who says they don’t is lying! I usually overcome it by taking a little bit of time to crochet or draw; maybe watch a movie. Sometimes we just need a breather to get the juices going again. I am a firm believer that my stories write themselves, and I am honoured to be their vessel.

Who encourages and inspires you? 

My fiancé, for one. He has been one of my biggest cheerleaders. I also have a pretty small internet fan base, and they have been pretty loyal and that helps a lot! What drives me, in general, is the feeling that I get inside, like my heart is swelling a thousand times its size, when I think about writing. It’s a passion, and I feel that it doesn’t really matter if I don’t write like Dean Koontz or Mercedes Lackey (though I adore them both), because it’s what I love to do, and if I didn’t do it, I feel like a part of me would die.

If you could pick one book you wish you’d written, what would it be? 

Definitely The Hunger Games. 

Are you published or self published, and what has been your experience of this process?

I had a horrible experience with one of those self-publishing companies, but I am taking it in stride. Eventually I hope to buy my rights back and use my current mode of publication to re-release. I now self-publish through Amazon, and it’s wonderful. I have full creative control- the only thing I have a problem with is editing! I don’t believe I edit in the traditional way, you know, at the end of the story? I tend to edit as I go along.

What are your future plans for writing? 

To do so until I die. A little macabre, I know.

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Thank you again for sharing your process and your passion with us! We wish you the best of luck with your future novels and stories!