Today I’m happy to interview a member of Scribophile, a dedicated writer’s community. H.S. Cook was raised in Essex, UK and when she’s not writing, she’s doing her job as a molecular biologist! I find that many writers have the coolest day jobs. We’re neat people, am I right?
Let’s jump into the conversation:
AJ: What do you think of “trailers” for books, and will you create one for your own work?
H.S. Cook: Trailers can either been done incredibly well, or incredibly poorly. We have very few book trailers on UK TV (I think I saw one, maybe two in the whole of the past year) and those we have are for thrillers. Not one has made me think I would go and read that book, let alone buy it. It feels like the wrong medium to advertise books on.
Writing high fantasy, I doubt I would have a trailer for my book. I find them tactless and not in keeping with good fiction. The only trailers that work for books are those feature-length movies. If I ever got one of them … well, a girl can dream.
AJ: I agree, there’s mixed feedback when it comes to book trailers. But I do hear iMovie can help a novice make one that looks professional if you’re really interested. Next question, what has been the best compliment given to you as a writer?
H.S. Cook: ‘The style and narrative has a Tolkien-esque feel which draws in the reader.’ – a review for one of my old YA books. I was thrilled to read that and it encouraged me to keep going. Tolkien is one of my idols.
AJ: Where do your ideas come from? (The golden question.)
H.S. Cook: If I knew that, I would make a fortune selling them commercially. I think it is the combination of a desire to create my own world and an over-active imagination. I live mu fantasies at times. The ideas are all there and I am never sure why I thought of something or what triggered it.
AJ: I think a lot of us can relate to that! If you could be any one of your characters, who would it be and why?
H.S. Cook: I would either be Siara Clearwell from an idea I had a few years ago, or Sorin from TBKC.
Siara is a Dreamwalker. I loved writing her. She shares a soul with a man named Calum, and while he sleeps, she is awake and while she sleep, he wakens. They see into each other’s lives through their dreams.
Sorin and his brother are mysterious men with a series of hidden agendas. I have touched on them both – more on his brother so far – and have a deep respect for their motivations. Sorin is particularly amazing, and plays a role in all the factions so far. I cannot give his full name because spoilers!
AJ: That’s pretty neat! For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
H.S. Cook: Generally, when at home or university, I prefer physical books. However, when I travel, I appreciate ebooks – they allow for more travel room and are convenient. I have many books in both formats.
AJ: I like to have multiple formats as well. Thanks for letting us to get to know you!
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me.
By the Blood, may the Fates show mercy.
H.S. Cook
Bio:
Working in a world of logic and reason, while dreaming of one filled with magic, H.S. Cook lives between her scientific research and her fantasy writings. A molecular biologist by day, she finds ways to inject the magic of her worlds into daily life, making time to write. She is currently working on an epic fantasy series: The Blood King Chronicles.
http://www.bloodkingchronicles.com/
@BloodKingChrons (http://www.twitter.com/BloodKingChrons)
A.J. Flowers 