#AuthorInterview #Spotlight : Palmer Pickering, author of Moon Deeds #MoonDeeds @palmerpickerin1 / Books Teacup and Reviews

Hello Readers! Today I’m pleased to welcome Palmer Pickering for an interview on Books Teacup and Review. Palmer Pickering is debut author of Moon Deed, first in Star Children Saga, an adult fantasy/science-fiction crossover. Before interview, check out this fascinating cover and synopsis.

Moon Deeds (Star Children Saga #1) by Palmer Pickering
Publication Date: March 7th 2019
Publisher: Mythology Press
Genre: Fantasy / Science-Fiction / Space Opera

Synopsis:

It’s 2090: the last outpost of freedom is the moon, the best defense against technology is magic, and the only hope for humankind rests in the hands of the Star Children.
Twins Cassidy and Torr must save Earth from a ruthless enemy at a time when the only force more powerful than alien technology is magic. Moon Deeds launches the siblings’ journey across the galaxy, where they must learn their power as the Star Children, claim their shamanic heritage, and battle dark forces that threaten humankind.
The Star Children Saga follows Cassidy and Torr as they slowly awaken to their destiny as the twin Star Children, born every millennium to reconnect with the source of all life. They come to discover the sheer enormity of their task: to find our ancestors on a lost planet across the galaxy and save humanity from a spiraling descent into darkness. The powers they must wield to accomplish this task are truly frightening and put at risk everything they love.
Come along with 20-year-old twins Cassidy and Torr, who inherited deeds to land parcels on the moon. They want to use their moon deeds to get off Earth and escape a brutal dictatorship. But first they must unlock their shaman powers.
A rollicking yet poignant adventure in the not too distant future, when we have colonized the moon and nearly lost Earth to a dictatorship. Only the shamans remain free, plus the lucky ones who escaped to the moon.
Join the adventure! An addictive space opera, science-fantasy series.

Palmer has been writing fiction since she was eight. She received her BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University, with concentrations in Religion and Race Relations.

She currently works in Silicon Valley as an Innovation and Technology Manager for HP, Inc. In addition to her career in high tech, Palmer holds a certificate in Chinese Acupressure, is a certified solar panel installer, and studied Tibetan Buddhism with the 14th Dalai Lama.

She lives and writes in the magical redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California, and travels back and forth to Nashville, Tennessee, where she dabbles in songwriting.

Can you tell readers little about your book Moon Deeds? What they can expect from the book?

Sure. Moon Deeds is the first book of a science-fiction/fantasy series, the Star Children Saga. The story is about twenty-year-old twins Cassidy and Torr. They are legendary twins, who are born every thousand years to reconnect with our ancestors across the galaxy and save humanity from a downward spiral into a permanent dark ages. However, this millennium, the path to our ancestors has been broken. It is up to Cassidy and Torr to find their way across the galaxy and find the lost ancestral planet. But to do that, they must unlock their shaman skills and stay alive.

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

It started with a gag gift from my brother: a set of parchments which were deeds to land on the moon. I considered the possibility that the deeds were legit and would be of inestimable value to my descendants. I tried to imagine an extreme scenario, and that was the idea behind “Moon Deeds.” The series starts with the twins fleeing a global military dictatorship, and they hope to use their moon deeds to escape Earth and flee to the lunar colony, which is still free.

Moon Deed was set across the galaxy. What inspired you for setting?

As I mentioned, my brother’s gift of the moon deeds inspired the first book—the first trilogy, actually—which is mostly set on the moon. The larger series-arc is based on the premise that humans are descended from an alien species from another planet, inspired by myths from many cultures and religions of celestial visitors/angels/gods/giants, etc. descending on shafts of light to visit Earth. Again, I asked myself, “what if those myths are based in fact?” Then I figured that if that were the case, then surely our ancestors visited other planets as well, and that would mean we have cousins scattered across the galaxy.

What type of characters do you love and hate to write? Your favorite quality in protagonists, Cassidy and Torr. Does anyone in real life inspired you to write them?

I only write characters that I enjoy writing. I don’t like my villains very much, but I enjoy writing them. Some of the plant spirit medicine scenes were inspired by a dear friend of mine who is a plant spirit medicine woman. But the characters themselves are purely from my imagination.

What was the most interesting aspect of writing Moon Deeds, characters and their journey?

I most enjoy writing the scenes when Cassidy and Torr learn how to use their magic. It is a sort of metaphor for their journey towards self-awareness. I also enjoyed all the research of mythology, and of the moon.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

I have been working on this series for ten years. I have tried many times to find an agent or publisher, but with no luck. I have a background in publishing, so I decided to start my own indie press (Mythology Press) and self-publish. I’ve been enjoying the publishing process so far, although it is a lot of work!!

What are your most favorite and least favorite thing about being an author?

I love being in the almost dream-state of creating something new. The editing process can be a grind, and is not my favorite part. Also, the solitude of writing is nice, but it can get lonely. And the whole promotional aspect of being an author is a bit daunting. I think many writers are introverts. I certainly am. Writing is a very personal thing—putting my thoughts and imagination out for the world to judge is frankly terrifying. On the other hand, in my opinion art is meant to be shared. It’s a radical form of communication. And so, sharing it is also very exciting and satisfying.

Do you have any writing rituals?

For first drafts, I tend to stare into space a lot and imagine the scenes in a lot of detail before sitting down to write. At the editing stage, it’s more about discipline. I force myself to sit down to review and edit every day and strive to make progress, even if it’s only a little bit. I keep track of how many pages I get through every day, in order to encourage myself. I have found that slow, persistent effort yields results. For writing first drafts or new sections, I generally get through 3 pages a day, or 10 pages on a weekend day when I can devote several hours to writing. During the editing stages, the amount of material I get through can vary widely, but I write down daily goals for myself in order to provide some structure for myself—otherwise time can slip by without making any progress. I also sometimes set self-imposed deadlines, such as delivering drafts to editors or beta readers, in order to force myself to keep going.

What is the next project you’re working on?

The audiobook of Moon Deeds is about to be released, and will be available in October, 2019 through most audiobook services. Nina Price is the narrator. In terms of future books, I am in the rewriting stage of Light Fighters, which is Book Two of the Star Children Saga. Actually, it’s with some readers right now. In the meantime, I’m at the editing stage of another book set in a completely different world: “Heliotrope,” which is a Heroic Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery novel. (Check out images of both books below)

Can you describe Moon Deeds in five words?

We are descended from aliens.

And the last one, top 3 tips for aspiring authors.

1. If you love to write, write. Don’t listen to any internal or external voices telling you why you can’t or shouldn’t or aren’t good enough. You can do it.
2. If you want to write, the only way to do it, the only way to start, and the best way to learn is to simply write. Write a lot. Write every day. It’s a craft, and it takes practice.
3. You have time. You can find ten minutes a day to put pen to paper. You can think about your story while you’re driving, or on the train, or driving a cab, or mopping the floor, or nursing a baby, or whatever it is you do. Then find that ten minutes a day to jot it down. Try to devote a longer length of time once a week—a few solid hours if possible. But a little bit every day is better than an infrequent, long session, in my experience. That is because if you work on it every day, then the story stays alive in your head and takes shape in the background, and you can jump right into it when you have a few minutes.

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: https://www.mythologypress.com/

Blog: I will be blogging at https://www.palmerpickering.com/ once I update my website sometime this year (2019)

Facebook: @mythologypress

Twitter: @palmerpickerin1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18948616.Palmer_Pickering

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/re d woodforest/

Instagram: lioncutcat (Barbara Pickering)

Book Links: (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Deeds-Star-Children-Saga-ebook/dp/B07S9PDKTW/