Interview with C.E. Clayton About The Monster Of Selkirk
Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets find out a little about C.E. Clayton and The Monster of Selkirk. Thanks for joining us!
C.E., did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
It actually took me awhile to tell people that I had written a book, I didn’t even tell them I was writing it until it was pretty much done. I felt embarrassed, believe it or not, that I was an adult writing young adult fantasy. I thought those in my professional life would laugh at me, and judge me harshly for it. I realize now that was just all in my head, because when I did tell my friends and family, their reactions varied from “It’s about time!” to “Oh my God! That’s so cool! How did you write A WHOLE BOOK?! I could barely write my college term papers!” Now, I don’t hesitate when I tell people I write books.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
I absolutely do! I put so much of myself into these characters, things I wish I was like, or handled differently… I put most of that into my main character, Tallis. Emotionally, she’s like me, but her strength, how she appears, that’s how I wish I was. Tallis’s best friend, Rosslyn, shares a lot of my snarkiness though, making her a treasure to write!
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
Even though my stories are fantasy, I make sure each of my characters have their own emotional demons to handle. They suffer from anxiety, depression, feelings of inadequacy, trouble fitting in, and have their blind spots for certain people who only end up hurting them with their toxic relationships. We all know people who fit into these categories, even if you don’t yourself. I want people to know that it’s okay to not feel good enough, but that it shouldn’t stop you from being yourself, and doing the things you love. Tallis is a strong woman, but she needs help, like we all do, and I want readers to see that and find a kindred spirit. Even though my stories are fantasy, they are populated with very real feelings and grounded characters that I hope inspire readers.
Okay lets have a little fun. You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do?
I would go as far into the future as I could, and not to use a Sports Almanac to make myself rich, either. But I want to see how it all ends, if the things we did mattered. So I’d listen in on whoever was in charge when all that’s going down. It’s kind of like a Doctor Who episode, but honestly, I’ve always been the kind of person who likes looking at the last page of a book to see if it’s worth it, so of course I’d do something similar if given an opportunity!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged E.E. CLayton, The Duality of Nature, THe Monster of Selkirk, YA Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Your book sounds very interesting. Best of luck with it! From another transplanted Californian. (Wisconsin)
Wow what a difference from California to Wisconsin. How long you been in Wisconsin? Move due to a job? Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!