After back-to-back-to-back interviews the day before, EA: Creatively Creative now shines the spotlight on best-selling author Teyla Rachel Branton, who writes sci-fi and fantasy under the name Teyla Branton and romance under the name Rachel Branton.
EA: What is the concept behind the Colony Six book series?
TRB: Colony Six is a paranormal, post-apocalyptic series set far in the future after an economic crash and ensuing nuclear war called Breakdown. Only 2 million people survived in the US. A strict regime called the CORE (Commonwealth Objective for Reform and Efficiency) has come into power. They protect the people from the fringers (outsiders) and have created welfare colonies for the poor. But something is rotting in the CORE, and thousands of people have already paid the price of their fake stability. Note that the paranormal aspect in Colony Six is rooted not in magic but rather in science and parapsychology. (Similar to my Unbounded series).
EA: Sketches was released last month as the first book for the series. What motivated you to start and write this series?
TRB: I’ve wanted to write a book about a police sketch artist with a special ability for a long time, but I wanted it to be unique. So, after months of brainstorming as I finished up other projects, the post-apocalyptic setting came to me. Because I feel that we today really are on the brink of economic collapse— some countries have already failed or are very close. I wanted to explore the possibilities of what might happen if that did occur world-wide, and especially in the US.
EA: Were there any authors who inspired you to become a writer?
TRB: Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey, Roger Zelanzy, Robert Asprin, and Stephen R. Donaldson were some of those who inspired me as a teen. Later, after a publisher accepted my books, Patricia Briggs, Barbara Kingsolver, Ilona Andrews, and others helped shaped the direction I would eventually go with my writing.
EA: Would you say that the process of writing and creating novels is easy?
TRB: To me writing is the best thing in the world. I love writing. I love creating. I mean, writing is harder than eating chocolate cake, but I’d really prefer to write than eat chocolate cake, if you get what I mean. I’d rather write than almost anything, so while it is challenging to create a story that works, to me it’s not work. It’s like breathing.
But unlike breathing, writing does take discipline. I keep track of my daily words to make sure I meet deadlines and to assure I don’t waste too much time on Facebook or similar sites. Since I have seven children, I am good with scheduling my time. In the past twenty-one years, I’ve published nearly sixty books under three names.
EA: Describe the feeling of being an international best-selling author.
TRB: I feel really fortunate to have been able to sell as many books as I have. In my niche, I was able to make bestselling lists early in the US, but when I was with my publisher in the beginning, they didn’t really sell their books overseas. Ebooks have changed all that. I am really excited to see that people all over the world enjoy my stories enough to boost my books into bestselling status in other countries.
EA: Are there any upcoming projects?
TRB: Always. I’m currently working on republishing eight books I have the rights back from a publisher, and I’m working on my Colony Six series (Teyla Branton), and my Lily’s House contemporary romance series (Rachel Branton). I also want to revisit my Unbounded urban fantasy series with a second generation.
EA: What are your aspirations as an author overall?
TRB: I want to tell stories that push at me, the kind that don’t let me sleep at night or that interrupt my waking hours with flashes of scenes. Being an author is a lot like standing on stage in a huge stadium with millions of people (ideas) shouting for attention. I take the one that’s screaming at me the loudest and get to work.
EA: What advice would you give to aspiring authors/writers?
TRB: I have two areas of advice. The first is emotional. Network with other dedicated authors. They understand you more than anyone will— the strange conversations and internet searches, the daydreaming, the obsession with creating. Attend conferences, make friends. And be very sure that you don’t neglect your personal relationship. Your children grow up too fast. Make sure you’re there for them. You can never get back those years, but you can write a little less and spend that time with them. Live with no regrets. I KNOW your characters and stories drive you, but don’t let it consume you to the point where nothing else matters. Your characters might be more real to you than your next-door neighbors, but make an effort to be a part of society and to give back through service.
The second area is professional. Make sure your books are well-edited. Don’t just publish something because it’s easy to do so. I recommend having beta readers, a content editor, and at least three professional proofers. Even then a few typos will get by but your work will be your best, and that’s important. Don’t write novellas when a plot needs a longer story. I know they’re faster, but readers deserve your best. Also, I strongly feel that we writers have a duty to create stories that ultimately lift readers. Tales of no hope— I think we have enough of them. For me, I want to entertain and leave the world a little bit better than I found it.
EA: Finally, tell the readers why Sketches is a must buy.
First of all, there are no zombies! I’m not sure why so many paranormal apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic stories have zombies. While I love zombie stories like the rest — or at least some of them— I like to write about things that could come true through human greed and science. Sketches is a warning about our current society and also a tale about our responsibility to humanity as a whole. But ultimately, I think people should read Sketches because it’s an entertaining book that will take them to a new world where anything can happen.
Final comments: Thank you for having me on your blog. It was fun.
Epilogue
There's a lot of things Teyla said that I thought was key. First, an interesting analogy of how being an author is similar to standing on a world stage with millions of people (ideas, metaphorically speaking) shouting for attention.
Next, was the sound advice. To me, networking with fellow authors is absolutely important. They're on the same road you're traveling, some are behind, some are on the same pace, some are farther ahead. Fellow authors understanding you-- generally, obviously there are rare exceptions-- better than anyone else will is THE FREAKING TRUTH! Yes indeed. From the conversations that those on the outside of our world looking in would deem "weird," to the constant moving of the mind, steadily generating ideas. Teyla went deeper than Atlantis with her advice.
Finally, discipline is definitely needed. It's very easy to get side-tracked and distracted with social media. While you want to dedicate yourself to honing your craft, achieving and maintaining a level of excellence as an author, you also don't want that drive to consume you. Stepping outside of your routine can be beneficial at times.
There's so much that she stated that I want to comment on, but I'm not sure if this blog would ever end. I truly enjoyed my conversation with Teyla, and I thank her for speaking with me today. For more on Teyla and her novels, visit her website at teylarachelbranton.com.
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