Ashleigh Galvin was born in
Toowoomba, Australia in 1990 and grew up in Wyreema, located in Queensland,
Australia. She attempted to write her first novel in primary school and hasn’t stopped since. She enjoyed reading Fantasy series as a young girl, which
fueled her to start writing as a hobby. Her first published novel, Birth By
Fire’s Embrace, was released in May 2013.
Many people ask Ashleigh where
she gets her ideas from and her answer is simple: daydreaming. She likes to
call them epic daydreams because some can last for a week or longer.
Interestingly enough, she gets most of her story ideas this way. Now she has
combined her great imagination and her love of fantasy to create exciting and
fresh novels featuring strong characters and lots of action to keep even the
most imaginative mind fully enticed.
How many books have you written?
I’ve written three books although
only one has been released at this stage. My other two novels, sequels to my
first Birth By Fire’s Embrace, are
currently in the publication process so hopefully they will be released some.
Once I’ve finished editing the third novel, I’m going to start on either the
fourth installments of the Amethyst Series or maybe a side project. Haven’t
decided yet.
Give a short synopsis of your most
recently published book.
A taut fantasy for all ages, Birth by Fire’s Embrace explores how
drastically things can change when the world that lies just beyond our senses
begins to surface. When all that is familiar vanishes from Shar’s life, she
begins to look inside and find the strength and courage to carry on in a harsh
world, and look towards another world that lies ahead.
At the
beginning of the summer she was doing so well; done with school, a promising
promotion in the works, the best boyfriend a girl could ask for, and the chance
of a lifetime at the Academy. Then he came and it was all ashes. He had cost
her everything, the job, the boy, the acting school, and even her family. He
had cost her the world.
What
Shar didn’t know was that the stranger was actually there to protect her from
another dark intruder in her world. Caught in a deadly game between two lethal
adversaries, she comes to know that there are forces around her that she has
only dreamt of. Forces that will bring her to the edge of death and back again,
that will show her a new realm to fill the void left by the one she has lost.
What do you think is the greatest
lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? What advice can you give new
writers?
I think the best lesson I’ve
learnt is just to keep writing. Every word written will help your craft grow
and evolve. It’s very important to find your voice when you write as well. It’s
your voice that will separate you from all the other authors writing in your
genre. And the best way to find your voice? You guessed it! By writing. Write
short stories. Write long stories. Keep a journal and write down your whole day
every night. Try to make it sound as epic as possible without stretching the
truth too much.
Where do you store ideas for
later use: in your head, in a notebook, or on a spreadsheet?
Story ideas always start in my
head as either a day dream or as an epic flash of I Must Write This! I keep the
idea in my head for a few days, mulling over the details and trying to refine
the story as much as possible. Once it’s ripe, it’s time for it to leave my
head. Normally my story ideas get added to a folder on my USB. However if I’m
away from my computer, I find the closest piece of paper and write it down so I
can transpose it later. Once the idea is out of head and on the USB, my brain
can start to think up new ideas. I have a notepad I use a lot but that’s mostly
for help with planning and writing the novel, not storing ideas.
We all know how important
promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?
I’m a very active marketer. I try
as hard as I can to get my book out there but it’s very difficult when you’re
not drowning in money. I have a webpage which I post up regularly and also a
monthly newsletter to help people keep up to date with what’s happening. I use
Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as well. I’m on GoodReads and often try to run
ads there because their price is actually really good. I also have a video on You Tube and will
hopefully be able to add more once I get my new camera.
Can you tell us your future writing
goals/projects?
My future writing goal is to
finish the Amethyst series but that’s going to take quite a while. I’m most
probably going to start writing other books in between each of the Amethyst
books to give myself a break and to shake up my writing style with different
genres and characters. I’ve got about fifteen other book ideas on my computer
at the moment so there’s plenty of inspiration to choose from.
Where can folks learn more about
your books and events?
The best place would probably be
my website although I post everything up on Facebook and Twitter as well.
Links are:
Website: http://ashleighgalvin.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ashleigh_Galvin
And you can sign up for my
monthly Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/YNCSv
Are your books available in print
and ebook formats?
Birth By Fire’s Embrace is currently available in both Paperback
and Ebook formats. They are available in most online stores including Barnes
& Noble and the IBook store but I have included the Amazon.com links below
for ease of use.
I wish you continued success, Ashleigh. Thanks for dropping by.
