Welcome, AJM! Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
I would love to! Scars of the Bifrost is an awesome mix of sci-fi/fantasy, mythological realism, survival adventure, and dystopian urban fantasy. The main character Freya Catten is seventeen years old and is about to do the very thing her mother warned her never to do.
What inspired you to write it?
I had this vivid movie-like dream of a girl running from her foster parents who were fighting about turning her in to the authorities. The entire U.S. was under attack by an alien force that no one could catch or identify. The U.S. military had roadblocks and checkpoints up and were searching for Takers. The heroine in the dream ran to a bookstore where her friend worked for a safe ride out of the area before she could be captured – she knew she was special but didn’t know why. She got into the van and the Takers rappelled from the sky around the building shooting and setting off explosions. The van sped away and I woke up thinking where did that come from? Cool. And I wrote it all down. A little less than a year later I started building Scars of the Bifrost and as readers know, the dream became the base of the beginning scene.
Is it part of a series?
Yes, Scars of the Bifrost is Book 1 in the Scars Saga. The next two titles in the trilogy are Unlocking Brisingamen - Book 2 and Decoding the Edda - Book 3. Unlocking Brisingamen is in the works now and I hope to have it out by Jan 2014.
If your latest book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
Ooo, what a fun question! While I wrote the book, I could really see the characters and the scenes often played like a movie in my head. In all honesty, I think we’d have to do an open casting call to find the perfect Freya and Theron.
What made you want to become an author?
I have been writing, singing and acting forever. During 9th grade I started carrying a composition notebook in which I’d write poetry, short stories, and songs. When I shared them in my English class my teacher and friends loved them and thought I should publish them. Once I grew up and started a family, I began writing stories for my children and put my own indie songs on the radio. I love words and how we can use them to express thoughts and feelings to each other so that each person – reader or listener – can interpret their meaning in their own way. Words are magical.
Name one of your all-time favourite book covers?
What inspired you to write it?
I had this vivid movie-like dream of a girl running from her foster parents who were fighting about turning her in to the authorities. The entire U.S. was under attack by an alien force that no one could catch or identify. The U.S. military had roadblocks and checkpoints up and were searching for Takers. The heroine in the dream ran to a bookstore where her friend worked for a safe ride out of the area before she could be captured – she knew she was special but didn’t know why. She got into the van and the Takers rappelled from the sky around the building shooting and setting off explosions. The van sped away and I woke up thinking where did that come from? Cool. And I wrote it all down. A little less than a year later I started building Scars of the Bifrost and as readers know, the dream became the base of the beginning scene.
Is it part of a series?
Yes, Scars of the Bifrost is Book 1 in the Scars Saga. The next two titles in the trilogy are Unlocking Brisingamen - Book 2 and Decoding the Edda - Book 3. Unlocking Brisingamen is in the works now and I hope to have it out by Jan 2014.
If your latest book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
Ooo, what a fun question! While I wrote the book, I could really see the characters and the scenes often played like a movie in my head. In all honesty, I think we’d have to do an open casting call to find the perfect Freya and Theron.
What made you want to become an author?
I have been writing, singing and acting forever. During 9th grade I started carrying a composition notebook in which I’d write poetry, short stories, and songs. When I shared them in my English class my teacher and friends loved them and thought I should publish them. Once I grew up and started a family, I began writing stories for my children and put my own indie songs on the radio. I love words and how we can use them to express thoughts and feelings to each other so that each person – reader or listener – can interpret their meaning in their own way. Words are magical.
Name one of your all-time favourite book covers?
This is such a tough question!!! If I could go for a book cover in every genre I might have a better chance of answering. My mood and what I’m into at the moment really governs that part of me. I’m going to go with The Girl who Loved Wild Horses By Paul Goble. It is an older Scholastic book the won the Caldecott Medal. I love his art work in everything he writes.
Name one book that made you think 'wow'? Why did it have such an effect on you?
Name one book that made you think 'wow'? Why did it have such an effect on you?
Ella Enchanted. I read it during a Children’s Literature course through my university. It was when I was reading it that it literally helped me fight against all those little nagging negative thoughts that said “You can’t write.” It strengthened me to feel rebellious and soon I was penning fan fiction, then my first novel.
Who, or what, inspires you?
Everything! Traveling, new places, stories and movies… often a really good line will spark something creative and inspire. I was watching a Burn Notice episode where one of the characters said, “Show and tell.” I ended up writing a love song off that one line! Music definitely inspires me. I love to put on my iPod, imagine and let the emotions take me for a ride. The same happens when I’m running with my iPod, images just flash through my brain.
Where is your favourite place to write?
1. Outside with my favorite colored ink pens and college-ruled notebook.
2. Walking or jogging with my hand held voice recorder. Once I get the scene that I’m creating, I’ll sit outside and transfer it into my notebook.
What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
Who, or what, inspires you?
Everything! Traveling, new places, stories and movies… often a really good line will spark something creative and inspire. I was watching a Burn Notice episode where one of the characters said, “Show and tell.” I ended up writing a love song off that one line! Music definitely inspires me. I love to put on my iPod, imagine and let the emotions take me for a ride. The same happens when I’m running with my iPod, images just flash through my brain.
Where is your favourite place to write?
1. Outside with my favorite colored ink pens and college-ruled notebook.
2. Walking or jogging with my hand held voice recorder. Once I get the scene that I’m creating, I’ll sit outside and transfer it into my notebook.
What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
I love Lemony Snickett’s, A Series of Unfortunate Events! The movie made the book come alive! It was one of the first introductions I had to the Steampunk genre and loved the mix of dark theme, Victorian costumes and settings, kids as the heroes, and Jim Carrey’s whacked out, sinister villains!
Who is your favourite author (s) and why?
At the moment it is Suzanne Collins, author of Hunger Games. Collins was able to take a twist on war, child soldiers, big government that hurts and oppresses the people who have no choice but to live under them, and put it in a complex plot and story that touched so many. Kids killing kids; it is a horrible storyline but today in the modern world we live in it is happening all over the world. Some have lost their humanity. But for each person who cried at Rue’s murder or connected with the emotion of love, survival, fear and desperation the characters went through, our humanity is strengthened and maybe we can make a better future.
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Cool question! Definitely Jane Austen! I love her manipulation and use of language. No one talks that way anymore and I just love getting lost in her novels and especially the BBC versions of her stories; my favorite is Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion;
Ayn Rand for her rebellious buck-the-system and think for yourself attitude;
Jules Verne so he could see all of the reality in our world that was once just glimpses in his own imagination;
And Susanne Collins and Veronica Roth, because Hunger Games was this poignant work of art in our real world that still reels from war in so many countries, and because I love Divergent! Even thinking about having the word tattooed somewhere on my body – probably my wrist. It’s a great word to describe being your own person!
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I don’t live in a house. I live in a 36 foot RV, traveling around North America! My family and me have been living this way for three years and love it! We’ve been to over 20 national parks and almost every state. This coming summer we are heading to Montreal, Canada.
Who is your favourite author (s) and why?
At the moment it is Suzanne Collins, author of Hunger Games. Collins was able to take a twist on war, child soldiers, big government that hurts and oppresses the people who have no choice but to live under them, and put it in a complex plot and story that touched so many. Kids killing kids; it is a horrible storyline but today in the modern world we live in it is happening all over the world. Some have lost their humanity. But for each person who cried at Rue’s murder or connected with the emotion of love, survival, fear and desperation the characters went through, our humanity is strengthened and maybe we can make a better future.
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Cool question! Definitely Jane Austen! I love her manipulation and use of language. No one talks that way anymore and I just love getting lost in her novels and especially the BBC versions of her stories; my favorite is Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion;
Ayn Rand for her rebellious buck-the-system and think for yourself attitude;
Jules Verne so he could see all of the reality in our world that was once just glimpses in his own imagination;
And Susanne Collins and Veronica Roth, because Hunger Games was this poignant work of art in our real world that still reels from war in so many countries, and because I love Divergent! Even thinking about having the word tattooed somewhere on my body – probably my wrist. It’s a great word to describe being your own person!
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I don’t live in a house. I live in a 36 foot RV, traveling around North America! My family and me have been living this way for three years and love it! We’ve been to over 20 national parks and almost every state. This coming summer we are heading to Montreal, Canada.
Fabulous interview, AJM!! I feel like we have a lot in common. We would most certainly be buddies if we lived in the same country! It was a real pleasure having you on my blog today. Good luck with Scars of the Bitfrost - it sounds AWESOME!!
To find out more about AJM and her books, visit: