1. Tell us a little about yourself
Carrie Weston is a dark fantasy fiction author and shares her light with us.
I suppose I would say I am one of those people you meet and never forget; for I am quite eccentric. I live in the UK countryside opposite a graveyard with my family and pets. Since I was a little kid, I have always wanted to become a writer, either that or an acrobat and that’s kind of out of the question with the fact that I have a chronic illness (crps).
2. Why Do you write?
I write because it is what I love and I feel I can communicate effectively through writing to the world. For instance, I always used to be that shy little girl at school who spent every spare minute in the library dreaming she would be whisked off into an adventure in some far-off world. Why? Because I always felt like I didn’t fit in. Like I was different in some way (this was before my chronic illness). I have always loved the escapism books can provide and the sound advice within some of their pages. It doesn’t matter who you are, sometimes you need a break from the world. And I aim to give that to people through fantastical tales they can immerse themselves in.
3. What genre do you write and Why did you pick this genre?
I write dark fantasy fiction simply because I love the scope of the genre. You can touch on horror themes on one side of the scales and then go all the way to the other, having a full-on romance. It’s exciting and fresh and alluring to young adults upward as some aspects seem to go against the so-called ‘normal life. Personally, I have always found myself drawn towards the darker side, the mysteries and questions rather than contempered drama, although I read all genres. A favorite aspect of dark fantasy for me is to explore the idea of stereotypical perfection and turn it on its head. For instance, in Xander Chase; unicorns (that are meant to be pure) are evil; not all of them, but enough to humanize them to the reader so they can relate that there is no such thing as perfect. We are all unique and special in our own ways.
4. Tell us about your book
I have the start of two series out now and a paranormal short story in an anthology. So that’s very exciting. To start I’ll tell you about my debut novel; Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code.
Xander Chase was thought up when my son asked why there were few unicorn books for boys that were ‘cool’. Well, I told him I would write him one and I did, starting with the most arrogant angel of Death I could imagine. In the novel, Xander is desperate to please his father- Death himself, in order to be named his successor. But to do that he has to uncover a mass murderer with the help of Detective Stacy and the only living witness Lilly. Xander Chase is a young adult crime fiction fantasy mash-up. It has everything from brotherly banter to threads of seductive romance as you read through the novel to find out ‘who done it.
Book 2 in the Xander Chase series will be coming soon!
My second series; A Dark Fairy Tale
Book 1 – P.E.T Empathisers is free to download when you sign up to my newsletter (which gives you glances at the real me – rubber gloves and all) – carrieweston.co.uk
P.E.T Empathisers explores the world of the fae and how they would see and treat humans they feel are beneath them. With fairies, dragons, and an evil Queen this book is a fun, fast-paced adventure I wanted to create as a give back to the people. Lockdown was hard on all of us and sometimes it’s just nice to have a little free entertainment.
Book 2 in the Dark Fairy tale series is out this year, I’m just finishing it up now. You’ll be able to purchase it from Amazon very soon!
5. How much time do you dedicate to your author career?
As an author, you have to learn to manage your time well, but when combined with a chronic illness such as CRPS time schedule can be difficult. I never know whether I am going to write when I wake up in the mornings or if I am going to feel unwell or have a flare-up of pain. But I am always telling stories to my family, hashing them out in my mind or recording them with my Dictaphone. Writing is such a part of me that I don’t feel whole without it, even though I do things a little differently.
6. How long on average does it take you to write your books?
For Xander Chase, I started writing it with the National Novel Writing Month in 2016. It didn’t get published until 2018 because I wasn’t happy with the manuscript and wanted it to be at its best. The next book in the series was a lot harder to write because it’s a connection book but still has to have the adventure and pull of the first along with its own unique romantic thread and so this probably took me longer as it was started straight after book 1 and it is due out as soon as I receive a release date.
On the other hand, P.E.T Empathisers took me several months to finish – yes, it’s shorter, but I also had very few life interruptions.
7. What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career?
The best money I have ever spent is on buying my laptop and a writing desk because now I have a space for me, where I can work and timeline scenes without packing up for tea every evening. I suggest anyone interested in writing as a career investing in a good laptop. By this, I don’t mean the most expensive, but one that you know how to work well, with a program like Windows 10 that has Microsoft word – as publishers usually require a word doc.
8. What is the most difficult part of being an author?
The most difficult part of being an author is remembering that you are constantly being judged. There are those who look up to you and value your guidance and there are those who merely don’t care. But hardest of all are those who don’t understand your unique perspective on the world and criticize your artistic talents openly. This can be heartbreaking, whether it’s a relative’s opinion of your novel, a reviewer, or a publisher. Criticism is hard to take, but when turned around and put to good use it can make us and our work stronger.
The most difficult part of being an author is when you have to pitch your idea to an agent/ publisher. You have very few minutes to pique their interest and even less time to make a favourable impression so that they can remember you. It is a very exciting and stressful experience and I recommend pitching at agent conventions so they are a little more relaxed with their time. Just remember to have faith in your work. It doesn’t matter if you stumble over your words, just laugh and start again – that is what I do.
9. What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors?
Dark Fantasy Fiction Author – Carrie Weston provides advice for authors
The best piece of advice I have for Authors and Writers is to never give up. That’s the only secret there is to getting published – just never give up!
10. What is your favorite book?
My absolute favourite book has to be Divine By Mistake by PC Cast. It is the story of a middle-aged woman who is pulled through a time portal by her evil look-alike to take her place as Priestess so her evil twin can run free in her time whilst she remains trapped in her twins. It’s a complicated story, but fun with a heavy romantic thread.
I love it so much because of the grounding she gives the fantasy. In actual fact, there is so much that you could actually believe it is possible for the fantastical creatures inside the novel to be alive.
Follow Dark Fantasy Fiction Author – Carrie Weston
https://linktr.ee/Carrie_Weston
www,Carrieweston.co.uk
