Author Interview: Mandi Lynn
3:19 PMMandi Lynn Author of Essence |
Synopsis (Goodreads.com):It starts with a shift in the atmosphere. The forest greets Emma with startling force. At first she can’t move her limbs. Then her vision is rendered useless. The sensation comes more often, and the symptoms become frightening as Emma is left paralyzed to the force that emerges from the forest. Voices come in dream at first, commanding against her will. Something is out there that calls Emma to the forest. It isn’t going to fade until she surrenders.
The Q's
So for every author
interview I ask this question, what was your initial inspiration for Essence?
Did the idea come to you in a dream? Or have you always had the story in your
head?
The idea for Essence came from a vacation my family had
taken while camping outside of the White Mountain National Forest. There was a
picture I had taken of a natural pool of water and later, when I decided to
start writing, I build the story around the location. In my books it’s called
Phantom Lagoon and it is on the cover of the book.
Seeing as you are so
young, how hard was it to balance your school life/ friends, while writing
Essence?
I’m still learning to balance my life. It’s easy to balance
school and writing but when I started publishing my novel I stopped writing
altogether because there wasn’t time. And now that I work it becomes even
harder. My friends have definatley had their fair share of me saying I couldn’t
hang out because I’m busy, but I think teens these days all have busy lives
now, mine just isn’t the classic busy life of sports practice.
Did you spend a lot of time in the forest while writing Essence to get
inspiration? Do you live near a forest, or is there a specific forest that
inspired you?
I grew up camping every
summer, but I had only been the location of my book a handful of times.
However, I took photos and video that provided inspiration and long lasting
memories. Whenever I was in need of direct observations of the forest, I turn
to my backyard full of woodland that my friends and I love to explore.
Are your parents supportive of your choice to become a writer?
Absolutely. Before I started
self-publishing I would use writing as an excuse as to why I was falling behind
on chores telling my dad it was my job. However he would remind me it’s only a
hobby until I make money off of it. Although I still have to do chores adults,
including my parents, take me more seriously.
One of my favorite things about Essence is the cover, because it is
self-published, covers can be pretty wacky sometimes, but Essence looks so
professional, and looks really great on my shelf. Did you design the cover? Or
did you hire someone?
I designed the cover! Since I
was sixteen while publishing and paying for everything myself, hiring someone
to design the book cover couldn’t even be considered. I do a little bit of
graphic design along with video editing, so making the cover for Essence was a
lot of fun for me.
Essence by Mandi Lynn |
Lastly, do you have any advice for younger writers? Would you suggest
trying to write while still in school, or waiting until you are older?
Write whenever it feels
right. The one thing you need to remember is that no matter how old or young
you are, you will have a learning curb. Mine was three years. That time was
spent writing, re-writing, learning the publishing industry from the
inside-out, and breaking out of my comfort zone to better promote myself and my
book. Even if I hadn’t discovered my love for writing much later in life, I
still would have had to learn everything that I know now.
Thanks so much Mandi for answering all of my questions! A link to Mandi's Youtube.com channel, as well as the book trailer will be found down below, don't forget to miss the next stop of the Essence blog tour over at at my friend Greg's youtube channel! Greggliesreads!
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