Photo Credit: Johan Joubert (Check out Johan’s art at his website!)
(Story about picture above: For my 25th birthday my boyfriend did such an amazing thing. It was a gift any writer would love to receive! While, I was still in Australia I finished my novel and printed it out for us to read through. Once I left, he had started reading it. I wasn’t aware that he was actually reading as much as he was. I didn’t know for sure if he’d actually read it all. But then, he told me he was doing something exciting for my birthday gift. I was excited, but I was even more excited when I opened it. Inside the box was a three-ring binder with my edited manuscript. He read it and left his edit marks. He also took a bunch of pictures, playing around with his camera. He loves art and photography. Then he created a cover to inspire me. A small box was also a part of the gift. When I took the lid off, I found this. [below])
Photo Credit: Devin Berglund
It was The Mason of Hearts. My very own… lol…
Title of Book?
The Mason of Hearts
Where did the idea for the book come from?
I got my first idea about this book from a dream where these evil people were not happy with how they were created, that they wanted to change everything about themselves. They heard about this beautiful girl who held many powers and secrets. A rumor was that, if she was killed her powers would give them the ability to change who they were into who they wanted to be.
I got the idea earlier this year, while writing the original book, The Created Ones. When I finished that book, I realized that I didn’t really feel like I knew some of the characters well enough. They were dark shadows in the corners of my mind, so I decided I needed to find out more about these characters before going back over my first book. This book, The Mason of Hearts, is book one of the trilogy and The Created Ones will be book two. It’s just funny I wrote book two, before book 1.
What genre does your book fall under?
Definitely Fantasy Adventure. (It could be placed in either the YA or the NA genres… just haven’t figured that out yet.)
What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Since, I have quite a few characters in my book… I will show you three of them. :)
Photo Credit: http://www.imdb.com
Dustin – Benjamin Stone
Photo Credit: http://www.imdb.com
Sara – Evangeline Lilly (with shoulder length hair)
Photo Credit: Fanshare
Evangeline – Niomi Watts
What is a short synopsis of your book?
A maleficent witch kills many of the Preventer warriors, throwing the world into a panic. Dustin, one of the last Preventer warriors starts training when the King calls upon him to protect his daughter and unborn grand children. The witch adds hearts to her collection which she stores in her necklace. She uses their gifts and talents as she needs– her necklace The Mason of Hearts, when filled with the most powerful and innocent of hearts would give her unlimited power to manipulate the world. Dustin is captured by a stranger with a dark secret – an affectionate bond forms between the two, and they must enter the witch’s game of hide-n-seek with life and death to protect the king’s grandchildren and to save people’s lives or many will die, including them.
Will your book be self-published, or represented by an agency?
I am shopping for a literary agent to rep me and my book.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The Mason of Hearts took about 9 months to write. I am currently in a rewrite/edit stage.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It would probably be compared to C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia tied with The Hobbit with a touch of Harry Potter.
What else about your book might pique the readers interest?
This book is set in it’s own world, but the extraordinary adventures and situations will be relatable with readers lives. In The Mason of Hearts, My top goal is to make readers see a little of themselves in my characters. I also want my readers to see how special they, themselves are.
Devin Berglund 