MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR NATASHA D. LANE

Name: Natasha D. Lane
Genre: Fantasy (Currently)

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with the story?

My November 8th release is “The Woman in The Tree: The True Story of Camelot.” It’s a retelling of the King Arthur legends mainly told from the perspective of Gwynevere. Let’s just say she had a much bigger role to play in Arthur becoming king than history would lead you to believe.

This story actually started as a short. It was supposed to be a type of creepy fairytale. Instead, I started writing and I couldn’t stop. I started wondering what happened after the fairytale ended and who the characters really were. Soon I had named a character Arthur, one Gwynevere, and it continued from there.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

Oh, the research! Honestly, I have never and likely will never be a fan of research. Well, at least, when it comes to my fiction novels. When I’m writing fiction, I really just enjoy letting the story flow. Sometimes research can interrupt that flow for me and it’s frustrating.

That said, when writing historical pieces, it’s a must. I had to research the structure of medieval castles, medieval class structure, plants native to Britain, and even how long it would take to travel Britain by horseback. I’m still not sure I found the right answer…

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

“The Woman in The Tree” is a retelling, so certain names do have to match with the original lore. However, in my story, Gwynevere mostly goes by her middle name Robin. The character has certain reasons for preferring her middle name. I chose that name because that’s how the character appeared to me—as a raven-haired woman wearing a dark blue dress and her name was Robin.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

When people irritate me, I can just kill them off in a book or make them the villain everyone hates. And they’ll be none the wiser. It’s a quite, sweet type of revenge. 🙂

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Build your following now! Don’t wait until you’re writing your novel or after it’s been released. When looking at successful social media influencers or young, successful authors (especially indie) I noticed they started their blogs, vlogs, or channels when they were teens. Over time, their following grew, even when consistency and quality lacked. Finally, when they were ready to turn their teen hobby into a career, the following was already there.

In summary: Don’t wait.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

The same way a mother can’t pick her favorite child, I can’t pick my favorite
character. They’re all a part of me in some way. More importantly, they’re a part of
my writing journey.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Hunger. My writing quality drops dramatically when my tummy is empty. 😦

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

Great question. Okay, here it is…

“The Misadventures of the Exceptionally Misunderstood.”

Do you have a new book in the making and if so, what’s the name of your upcoming book?

I do actually. I’ll be working on the sequel to my first novel “The Pariah
& The Ever-Giving Stone.” I plan on it being called “The Pariah Child: Sarafina’s
Return.”

Here’s what I can say about it so far…

All is still not well in the magical world of Lyrica. Children have gone missing, an
unexpected uprising has occurred, and Sarah is seeing visions of Lyrica’s horrors. As
the visions worsen, Sarah has to make a choice. She knows she must return to Lyrica
but will she be able to set the magical world on its correct path? That is another
question entirely.

Where can your fans find you and follow??

I’m on several platforms but I’m most active on Instagram and GoodReads. Of course, you can still find me on Facebook and Twitter.

If you prefer email, you can subscribe here. Thank you all so much for taking the time to learn a bit more about me and my work! And a big thank you to Amy for hosting me on her blog. 🙂