Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Wendy Siefken and Charles Siefken are visiting today.


Today I bring you two authors that works together that I have met on Master Koda on Facebook. A mother and son team that writes Young Adult stories. So far they have received good reviews on their books and I am glad to have them here today. Talented and full of life they love the path they are on.
I want to wish them the very best on this journey.


Author’s Interview Questions

      1.       Are you famous is the general question I get when family and friends introduces me to their friends. It always left me with a pause as quick comebacks filters through my mind but ending up saying something like ….”Oh gee thanks” and give a shy smile, silly I know but the idea unsettles me. (a)Does this happen to you and (b) what do you say?

To answer a, no we don’t get that question yet. J What would we say though? Probably that we are just plain old everyday people who just happen to write books!

      2.       In general do you like to talk about you writing and published books or are you very close-lip about it? If no why?

We love talking about our books, it really seems to be a great conversation starter as well as a way to spread the word. We don’t give the story line away we only want to get them curious about our book enough to read it.

      3.       What book/s are you currently writing and what is it about? 
      
      We just finished book 2 of Kai’s Journey and have started book three as well as The Chimera Effect and Fallen Angel. We like to bounce around a bit and give ourselves a break from one story to work on another once in a while.



"Kai's Journey" is a story about a young man, set ten years in the future. Kai has spent those years fighting for survival and trying to find a way rid the world of the disease his father created... His father was a military scientist charged with the task of perfecting a formula that would create a superior breed of soldiers. Kai's father accidentally created a race of zombies.  Like a virus, it soon spreads to the entire world, unleashing a period of unsurpassed chaos and conflict.
     In the midst of this turmoil, Kai comes across a young woman named Clover, who is part of a clan traveling across the United States to try to find what is left of humanity. Clover is a part of a clan of werewolves who can turn at will but aren't blood thirsty savages as depicted in general history. . 
     Along the way Kai and Clover come across stragglers who join with the group as they journey across the upper part of what used to be known as North America.
      One night while Kai and Clover were watching a meteor shower they meet a group totally out of this world. Kai and Clover begin a heroic journey, fueled by the increasingly dim hope that somehow, the human race will have a chance to start over.

      4.       Why this particular genre? 
       We love to write in Young Adult genre because mainly it’s a genre we are passionate about and love to see the stories come to life.



.         5.  What inspire or motivate you to write? 

      Everyday life inspires us to write. Anything from a movie, video game, character in a book can and often does inspire us.

      6.       What is the writing process like for you? 

      Charlie is the creator and we work together to flesh out the story and watch it come to life.

      7.       How did/do you teach yourself to write? 

     We are learning the old school way, the school of hard knocks. Neither of us have an education in literature but we both love stories we both knew we needed help with our writings. We found and editor who has been a real blessing and helped us to learn so much more then we could have ever learned on our own.

      8.       What aspect of the craft do you think is most difficult to learn? 

      The editing phase of it. We try really hard to keep our voice in the story and yet please the editor by producing a quality book.

      9.       What has been the most encouraging comment someone has made about your writing? 

      Any good review we get is always encouraging. Friends on Facebook who have encouraged us to keep learning and keep growing. Family members who have stood beside us through thick and thin.

      10.   What is the best and/ or worst part of being a writer

      The best part is all of it, the people that we get to meet and the ideas we always seem to come up with. The worst part can sometimes be when someone gives you that look like, “If you are a writer, why haven’t I heard of you?”

      11.   Any advice for struggling writers? Keep learning, keep improving and never ever give up.

      12.   What is your favorite genre to read or write? We both love YA, and pretty any fantasy that lands in our hands.

      13.   Favorite author? For Charlie it is Christopher Paolini and for me it is Terry Brooks
       


     14.   Do you have a favorite spot to read and write? 

     Charlie likes to write pretty much where ever an idea strikes him. I like to write in our recliner that we have in front of the computer.

      15.   What did you do before you became a writer? Charlie was still in school and I was a mom who worked many different jobs outside the home.

      16.   Was it a life long dream or triggered recently?

      I have always loved to tell stories and Charlie has always liked listening to me tell stories about him and his brother and sister fighting dragons and ogres and any other evil forces out there.

      17.   What do you like to do when not writing? 
      
      I like to visit with friends, garden and sit by a camp fire. Charlie likes to spend time with his girlfriend, his friends and online gaming.
      
      
      18.   Do you have a bucket/ to-do list and would you share at least two things on it? For Charlie and I both we would like to take a trip up across Canada and take the route that Kai took in our book. We would both also like to take the family to Hawaii and spend 2 weeks there.
       

      19.   Most daring thing or experience you have done you would like to share? 

      Most daring thing I have done was snorkeling in Hawaii and for Charlie he has enrolled in College. He never liked school and always swore he would never go back. He is really enjoying it.
  
     20.   This or that questions:
            ·         Coffee or Tea –Me, tea, Charlie, water
            ·         Sweet or savory – both, savory
            ·         Home make meal or takeouts –  Home make meal for both of us
            ·         Winter or summer – we both like winter
            ·         Night-owl or Early-Bird –  I am an early bird, Charlie is a night owl
            ·         Telephone or visits –  visits
            ·         Which social network do you prefer? Me I prefer Facebook, Charlie prefers online gaming.
            ·         Blogger or website? Blogger for me, Charlie doesn’t do either.
            ·         What does your family say about your career? Supportive or Clueless Our whole family is very supportive of our career. They love that we are taking a chance on our dreams of becoming a writer.


And Finally

Moto/wisdom in life you live by. 

We definitely live by the simple rule of Never Give Up.

Buy Links for the Books on Amazon

Contact details for the authors.
http://www.pinterest.com/wendyandcharles/boards/
http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Siefken/e/B0069CYGBW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2


Thanks once again for your willingness to share with me and the readers.


6 comments:

  1. Nice interview, I learned a few new things, which for an old dog is always a good thing!

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  2. Thanks for stopping by Armen. The reason I love to do the Interviews, the authors always surprise me and I find so many similarities between us.

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  3. this was a very nice interview and I loved it very much! Thank you Lynelle for this wonderful opportunity! Glad we could help you learn something new Armen! I always say, you are never to old to learn something new. Thats what helps keep us alive! Thank you again Lynelle!

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    1. Great pleasure Wendy, wish you both all the best.

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  4. An informative interview, after meeting you two at the All Iowa Writers Conference in Montezuma a couple of weeks back, have been following you on Facebook. You have an exciting writing career a head of you I'm sure. Keep writing.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Kathryn, I do agree with you, they are very talented.

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