A Life Through Books: Virtual Book Tour: Love of the Sea by A.R. Masterson #promo #youngadult #yafantasy #giveaway #interview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @LittleAlice06

Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Romance, Young Adult Mermaid Fiction

Date Published: 4/27/18

Publisher: Ink Smith Publishing

As crown prince, Cormack is required to take a bride and his place as king. His father’s choice is Princess Nephara of their neighboring ally, the Kingdom of Caraway. But the appearance of Asrai, a fiery mermaid determined to get what she wants, and an heir to her own throne, has Cormack wondering where his heart’s loyalty lies.

Exiled from her underwater kingdom, Asrai is determined to do whatever is necessary to return to her throne, but Cormack, once a means to an end, has enchanted her. Can Asrai get the best of both worlds, or will she sacrifice her heart for her kingdom?

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

I would say the most challenging part of my process is the “middle”. Creating the story is easy - growing the characters, world building, writing fun and exciting scenes. And I find the fine editing process before the book is set for release to be meditative and satisfying. However, the part I call the “Big Edits” is my least favourite part of the process. It’s the part that often times makes me temporarily hate my book. I painstakingly analyze character development and the plot arc in order to ensure everything is tidy. I often question character motivations, the necessity of certain scenes in the book, and ultimately have to “kill my darlings”. It’s a necessary part of the process, but one that I do not enjoy.

What songs are most played on your Ipod?

I’m not sure if you mean listening to while I write, or in general. In general, I have pretty eclectic music taste. I like Marylin Manson, Kpop, Jpop, techno, electronica, lowfi, some pop artists, and a lot of rock and metal. However, while I’m writing, I cannot listen to music that has lyrics. It’s too distracting. I often listen to instrumental music in the background that gives off the same feeling of what I’m writing. I’m especially drawn to the meditation music playlists on YouTube.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

My books published through Cloud Orchid Publishing are read by my co-editor Bryan Thompson. He gives me feedback on my stories. Otherwise, I typically just rely on myself. This is not because I shy away from critiques, as much as it can be difficult to acquire people willing to help read over my writing and provide quality feedback. As well as I’m living at the poverty level, so I don’t have the funds to pay anyone. I did have a couple of beta readers for my novel Geisha Hands, but that was a special circumstance because it’s a historical fiction novel, I wanted to ensure that the information presented was as accurate and culturally-aware as possible.

What book are you reading now?

I’m currently working my way through The Arsenic Century by James C. Whorton. It’s a dense read, lots of historical and scientific information about how arsenic impacted many aspects of daily life in 17^th-19^th century England. But this type of book is fascinating to me, and will provide tons of information and inspiration for my future works.

How did you start your writing career?

I started working as a professional writer in 2012 when Bryan Thompson and I created our alternative fashion magazine Cloud Orchid Magazine. We ran 27 issues of the magazine, and created a sister dark art magazine L’Art D’Obscurite with 3 current issues. I wrote all the editorials and interviews for the magazines. I also worked for a couple years as a ghost writer and a professional blog writer for various professional blogs. Once my first novel Love of the Sea was published by Ink Smith Publishing, I have been focusing my writing work primarily on my own projects.

Tell us about your next release.

My upcoming releases are both poetry collections by Cloud Orchid Publishing. Synesthesia – Pandemic will feature poetry co-written by me and Bryan Thompson. Synesthesia – Fables will feature poetry and illustrations all created by me. Pandemic is set for release December 2020, and I am currently completing the last illustration for Fables. These will be my 6^th and 7^th poetry collections, afterwhich, I will be focusing on the work for my 6^th novel, Succumb to Darkness.

About the Author

Lauren A.R. Masterson graduated from Columbia College of Chicago with a degree in Fiction Writing. During her college days, she began working as a freelance model eventually making it her full-time profession after graduating. She toured nationally, met scores of creative people, and had many adventures. After retiring from modeling, and experiencing a divorce, Lauren felt the drain of her creativity. But after finding a loving and supporting community she began exploring her writing talent and art again. Lauren is now a regular in the local Chicago writing communities and is dedicated to enhancing her craft.

Contact Links

Purchase Links