Today we kick off an exciting new series of interviews, our Indie Author Spotlights, here at the Seventh Star Blog! Today’s premiere interview features Edale Lane and it is taking place as part of her Secrets of Milan Blog Tour!
Discover a great indie author today and explore the wonders of reading!
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An Interview With Edale Lane!
How would you describe your writing style to a reader who has never read your work before?
Typically, I write from multiple character POVs, and attempt to meet a balance of dialog, description, and action in a fast-paced fashion that leaves room for personal moments. I do not use much profanity (only when a particular character demands it) and do not write detailed sex scenes. Because there are often villains and battles, a reader is likely to come across some necessary violence, but not to a disturbing degree… except in Tribute in Blood (previously entitled Vlad), because, well, Prince Vlad the Impaler did utilize violence to a disturbing degree.
What genres are you published in, and what do you like most about writing in those genres?
My published works fall into the horror/thriller and adventure/romance genres, but with the exception of a couple of short stories, they are all historical in nature. I hold a master’s degree in history and enjoy bringing past times and places to life. While some of my stories and novels contain fantasy elements, they primarily stick to recorded information we have of the times.
Are there any genres that you would like to explore that you have not yet been published in? If so, then what interests you about potentially writing in those genres?
I love fantasy, and one day I hope to pen an epic. My favorite books and movies are fantasies, carved out of stunning alternative worlds birthed from the mind’s eye. Whether it is werewolves and vampires, dwarves and elves, or entirely new beings, brimming with endless possibilities, I find fantasy fresh and exciting. But as I enjoy brilliant authors such as Brendon Sanderson and the worlds they bring to life, I fear my own imagination doesn’t measure up. Perhaps in the future, though.
Tell us about your latest release.
My newest novel is Secrets of Milan, Book Two of the Night Flyer Trilogy. Set in Renaissance Italy, it continues the saga begun in Book One, Merchants of Milan. The murder of Florentina’s father set her on a family vendetta to right the wrong, and in so doing inspired her to create an intimidating alter-ego: the Night Flyer. After all, what powerful villain would take a young woman in skirts seriously? Having been a de facto student of Leonardo da Vinci and having a sharp mind and athletic body, she is able to transform herself into a fearsome vigilante with “wings.” Things become more complicated when she falls in love with Madelena, her employer, an unconventional widow with two adorable children. It is when an assassin shows up trying to kill Maddie that Florentina learns of a secret society threatening the peace of Milan and perhaps the whole peninsula. In Secrets of Milan, Florentina as the Night Flyer must discover the truth about the mysterious group while protecting Maddie from further attempts on her life. But what she reveals is not at all expected, and the search continues in Book Three, Chaos in Milan.
What are you currently working on, in terms of your works in progress?
I am now wrapping up revisions in my first published book, Vlad, a Novel, 2002, to be re-released in July as Tribute in Blood; a Tale of Vlad the Impaler. It’s a chilling pager-turner about a brutal tyrant who slaughtered over 100,000 people and the pair who are determined to stop him from doing it again. History records where, when, even how Dracula died, but not who killed him. That is where I embellish the story with Nicholae and Maria who team up against him. Then it is on to Chaos in Milan, Book Three of the Night Flyer Trilogy for the exciting finale!
What do you personally find most challenging about the craft of writing?
The answer to this question has changed for me over the years as I learn and improve my skills. At this point in my life that becomes a toss up between having enough time to compose and edit the myriad of ideas that stream into my mind with the volume of the Amazon River, and marketing my books in such a way that people who may want to read them know they exist.
What do you view to be your strengths when it comes to writing?
Conceptualizing the story, creating strong, believable, three-dimensional characters, and setting a scene. I comprehend that I am not skilled at writing love scenes; therefore, I establish the expectation of what is to come, and politely close the door on the amorous couple.
Tell us a little about your path to becoming a writer, including when you decided to pursue writing with a goal of becoming published and what initially drew you toward writing and storytelling.
I have been writing stories since I was in elementary school–long before most of you were born. I continued to pour description, action, and characters’ lives onto pages throughout my teen and young adult years, with my children and partner being my only audience. In 2000 I completed a historical fantasy entitled Viking Quest and had high hopes for its publication. It was then I discovered how difficult an undertaking it would be. No one would even consider it; no agent had time for another author. My first completed major work, one my English & Literature teacher mother praised, sat on the shelf, an unrealized dream. So, I determined to write something that they would want. The best sellers list was filled with thrillers about monstrous serial killers, so I decided that’s what I would write. I chose Vlad Dracula the Impaler as my subject and set out to create a manuscript filled with suspense and terror. But still, no publisher nor agent would give me the time of day. Determined, I self-published with Authorhouse in 2002; however, they wanted to charge thousands of extra dollars to advertise that a public-school teacher didn’t have. I was able to obtain an article in Romantic Times magazine and a favorable review from them, but Vlad languished and received no attention. I gave up for years. In 2014, I began a new career as an over-the-road truck driver. This allowed me more time and money to pursue my passion. Through a series of published short stories, I found a real publisher for my Edale Lane debut, Heart of Sherwood. SO EXCITING!!! It came out to great reviews, won awards, and sold copies! And then… the publisher went out of business. Therefore, I created Past and Prologue Press and now print through Amazon.
What do you find to be some of the biggest hurdles in being a writer today?
Getting published. Smaller presses are struggling and the major publishers only will work with big name authors. We are presented with the chicken and the egg scenario: publishers don’t want you unless you have made a name for yourself by selling a ton of books and collecting a large audience; you can’t sell a ton of books and collect that audience without a known publisher. Well, at least not with any measure of ease. Clearly, some authors are able to break through into the mainstream while others manage to do quite well selling on Amazon. Such authors say that the formula is to write a lot of books and keep using paid ads along with attending events, and if your writing is in fact good, eventually success will catch up with you. In fiction writing, you have to really hang in there if you want to make money or catch the attention of a major publishing house.
What do you see as the most important advice you could offer a new writer?
Edit, edit, edit, hire an editor, do everything possible to create a polished work. Practice, take courses, get a mentor, and hone your craft. But above all else, if you love writing, if the stories pour out of you and you would feel unfulfilled without putting them to paper, then DON’T GIVE UP! It is easy to become discouraged with a bad review and lagging or nonexistent sales. But like anything in life, if you truly love it, you will take the necessary steps to realize your dream. And even if you are never able to give up your day job, know that the stories you have to tell, the characters and worlds you create are just as valid as those of the biggest named money makers out there.
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About the author: Edale Lane is the author of an award winning 2019 debut novel, Heart of Sherwood. She is the alter-ego of author Melodie Romeo, (Vlad a Novel, Terror in Time, and others) who founded Past and Prologue Press. Both identities are qualified to write historical fiction by virtue of an MA in History and 24 years spent as a teacher, along with skill and dedication in regard to research. She is a successful author who also currently drives a tractor-trailer across the United States. A native of Vicksburg, MS, Edale (or Melodie as the case may be) is also a musician who loves animals, gardening, and nature. Please visit her website at: https://pastandprologuepress.lpages.co/
Book Synopsis for Secrets of Milan: While Florentina as the Night Flyer searches for a mysterious underworld organization that has attempted to murder the woman she loves, Maddie struggles to deal with the danger Florentina is courting. Her brother, Alessandro, has become the most prominent merchant of Milan, but the Night Flyer uncovers a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.
Secrets of Milan is the second book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in Renaissance Italy. If you like drama and suspense, rich historical background, three-dimensional characters, and a romance that deepens into true love, then you’ll want to continue the Night Flyer saga.
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Author Links:
Twitter: @EdaleLane
Official Site: https://pastandprologuepress.lpages.co/
Tour Schedule and Activities
6/30 The Literary Underworld http://www.literaryunderworld.com Guest Post
7/1 Jorie Loves A Story http://www.jorielovesastory.com Review
7/2 MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape http://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com Author Interview
7/3 Jazzy Book Reviews https://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/ Interview
7/4 Horror Tree https://www.horrortree.com Guest Post
7/5 Armed With a Book http://www.armedwithabook.com Guest Post
7/6 Jorie Loves A Story http://www.jorielovesastory.com Interview
7/7 The Seventh Star Blog http://www.theseventhstarblog.com Interview
7/8 The Paperback Voyager http://thepaperbackvoyager.wordpress.com Review
7/8 A lot of Pages http://www.A-lotofpages.com Review
Links for Secrets of Milan:
Kindle Version: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Milan-Night-Flyer-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B088HFM7Q5/
Amazon Print Version: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Milan-Night-Flyer-Trilogy/dp/B088N8ZQPD/