Author Interview and Review!!! Tangle of Thornes By Lorel Clayton

April 13, 2015


Tangle of Thornes
By Lorel Clayton

My Review 5 Stars!!! (Author interview is posted below my review!)

I was sent a copy of this fantastic book (hard copy), my favorite! This book was seriously a treat to read! It is one that I picked up and just could not put down until I finished! Literally! 

Eva Thorne the main character is not only a likable character, but so very easy to relate too! She finds herself in so many unusual and precarious positions that you can't help but wonder if the girl was born for trouble. Not to mention she seems to have a knack for attracting not only unusual men in her life (some droll worthy I will admit!) but also unusual characters. I felt by the end of the story that she could have a gang of loyal followers with the way she attracted them to her. 

I am such a fan of stories with in the fantasy genre, and like the author I would not link this book with just one genre as it certainly crosses several. However the fantasy side of it is by far my favorite. I love that Eva fights her abilities, her powers. She seems intent on being a unique individual regardless of them and her family relations. 

I do not like to give spoilers in my reviews and won't in this one. However I will say if you have not read Tangle of Thornes yet you are missing out! Seriously! If you like Mystery, Romance, and Fantasy this book has it all! I am looking forward to reading more in this series! 


Welcome all! 
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Lorel Clayton author of Tangle of Thornes.
Hi Lorel, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
My husband and I write together, so we decided to combine our names into one author name. I'm Lorel and he's Clayton. I grew up in rural Idaho, and he was raised in Kansas. We met and married in Idaho as teen sweethearts. We've lived in five different western states, and for the last 17 years we've been in Sydney Australia. I'm a scientist by training, and we came out here for my career, which I recently changed to communications in order to have more time to enjoy being a mom. We loved Australia so much we stayed and are now raising a family. Our son is almost four. He's the center of our universe, so we try to fit writing and everything else in around him. Clayton did landscaping and security work, before getting a degree in visual art. He's now a full time dad but also studying digital art so he can do the cover of our next book.
Which writers inspire you?
Most anyone who has read Stephen King's "On Writing" has been inspired by it. Other inspirations include Robert Heinlein, because he was never afraid to be a philosopher as well as a writer. His work almost always had a stance, something important he wanted to say or muse about, behind the fiction. I'm saddened by Terry Pratchett's recent passing. He was an inspiration in terms of combining humor and imagination with emotion, and I loved his worlds. "Nation" made my husband and I laugh and cry. I was reading the end of that book on my e-reader at a café and just bawling my eyes out. It should have a warning label! Our Eva Thorne series of books is very much inspired by Terry Pratchett's Discworld, as well as by Glen Cook and by Walter Jon Williams' humorous "Ten Points for Style".
So, what have you written?
We've written several unpublished short stories, screenplays, and three other novels, which are in various stages of revision. We maintain a blog on our websitewww.lorelclayton.com, which first began many years ago at Blogger with a focus on writing.
Where can we buy or see them? 
Tangle of Thornes is available from Amazon in both print and Kindle formats (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SS8P6PA) or Amazon UK (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SS8P6PA). All e-book formats are available at Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514196), and you can get it from Barnes and Noble, iTunes, or Kobo.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Eva Thorne is stubborn beyond belief. She gets into a lot of trouble because of it, but for all the right reasons. She's trying hard to help people she cares about and avoid the legacy of evil her family wants to hand down to her. She has a good heart and a prickly disposition.

What are you working on at the minute?
We're currently on chapter four of the next Eva novel, as well as brainstorming for a science fiction novel about artificial intelligence.
What genre are your books?
I'm the worst marketer ever, as I hate confining my books to one genre. The Eva Thorne series is a mixture of classic fantasy, mystery, humor, steampunk, paranormal and romance. But it's a blend that I'm loving! It makes me excited to write it. Our unpublished work is in other genres, like science fiction, epic fantasy, young adult, and paranormal thriller.
How much research do you do?
As much as needed, and always some. With fantasy you can make up anything you want, but it has to be believable. It's easy to set a story in today's world, because everyone understands the rules, how things work. In fantasy you have to make up new rules, for magic example, and keep it consistent. You're creating a universe, and any inconsistencies can make a reader lose their suspension of disbelief. That's why the elements that are similar to our world, like how snow falls and lays in the cracks of cobblestones, or the color of potash and how it's used in dying textiles, are crucial for making the novel's world real to the reader. Those elements, which I research, are what connect people to the fantastical elements they've never experienced before.
What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
I've been writing since I was seven years old. I've won school awards for it, but then went on to deeper science study and could only make time to write during holidays. I've kept a journal whenever I haven't had time to write fiction, but about seven years ago I made a decision to really hone my craft and follow through on getting something published. Clayton was always coming up with great ideas and encouraging me to take writing seriously, but it wasn't until I was unhappy with my job and trying to understand what I needed to make me happy that I realized I needed to write to feel complete. It's my calling. Publishing is just carrying the writing through to its full potential, which is to share it with others.
Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?
I started longhand, moved to a typewriter, and have been using a computer since about 1997.
Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors.
Clayton and I read voraciously. He's dyslexic and relies on audiobooks, and I read what I can on the go with Kindle on my iPhone. For many years, from the time we were teens to when our son was born, I read aloud to Clayton. That way we experienced every story together, discussed it as we went along, and laughed together. I think that's why the authors from that time are my favorites: Robert Heinlein, Orson Scott Card, Harry Harrison, Glen Cook, Terry Pratchett, Walter Jon Williams… There are some great new authors, like Paul Hoffman, and I enjoy Kim Harrison, but we haven't read them together so some of the magic is diminished.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I prefer paper books, and I have shelves full of them, but lately ebooks are my preferred format for ease of access. Clayton prefers audiobook because of his disability.
What book/s are you reading at present?
I'm reading Kim Harrison's "A Perfect Blood" and Clayton is reading "Hell's Faire" by John Ringo.
Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.
We wanted a book cover that focused on our main character and revealed a bit about the setting so readers could know what to expect. We hunted around for stock images the designers could use, as well as the right magic effect brushes for Photoshop, whatever we could to help our vision come to life. We didn't achieve it, of course, but we did the best we could.
Who designed your book cover?
The Amazon edition was designed by Consuelo Parra and the cover available everywhere else was designed by Gwendolyn1.deviantart.
Which social network worked best for you?
Facebook got us the most notice, and I'd like to try Facebook advertising in the near future.
In what formats is your book available?
Print and all ebook formats.
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
I just want to say thank you, Terry, for having me on your blog, and thanks to your readers! Please check out "Tangle of Thornes" and tell your friends. Reading the reviews on Goodreads and knowing people have shared and enjoyed my fictional world is the greatest joy for an author. Really. Thank you!
How can readers discover more about you and you work?




3 comments :

  1. Lorel ClaytonApril 13, 2015 at 11:26 AM

    Thanks again, Terry, and thanks so much for your fabulous review!
    We plan to have Eva book 2 out in October so we'll be back soon I hope!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 13, 2015 at 9:08 PM

    This was an excellent interview of the author Lorel Clayton, Tangle of Thornes. I have read this novel and have found this new world created by the author to be breathtaking. The idea of elves and fairies and humans,interacting in this magical world in new ways from what one traditionally thinks of in fantasy makes one highly anticipating the next book in this delightful, well written, many genre work. Keep up the wonderful gift of your creation so that your adoring public will have many more delights in the future. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownApril 14, 2015 at 5:14 AM

    You are so welcome Lorel! I look forward to Eva's second book! I so much want to continue her story!

    ReplyDelete

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