Happy New Year! Not sure if a) it’s too late for that greeting or b) it’s entirely appropriate given the state of the world. But it’s the first blog post of the year, and I’m not imaginative enough to think of a better opening. I hope you had a peaceful break over of the holidays, and have stayed safe and well.
I’m opening the New Year with an author interview. Esme Carmichael has just released her debut novel, The End of Everything. I was lucky enough to beta read the first chapter, and am super excited to get tucked into this norse-inspired dystopian world AS SOON AS I CAN.
Without further ado, I’ll let Esme introduce her new book.
When did you start writing, and what was your first story about? I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember! My very first story was: “One upon a time, The End.”
Tell us a little bit about The End of Everything. The End of Everything is a dark fantasy, set in the cold, dystopian New World. It follows Alira, a strong and resilient young woman, trying to survive whilst also discovering, and tackling, the truth of her destiny. Can we stop what we were born to be? Alira certainly tries.
What inspired you to write the book? I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of ‘soulmates’. Not necessarily in a romantic sense, but just that there was someone, somewhere, who you were destined to form an emotional “connection” with. Most of the soulmate stories I’ve read were classic happy ending love stories, and any morally grey characters had a redemption arc. But then I got thinking, what if the person you were destined to connect with was so abominable, so wretched, that there could be no possible love story, and certainly no redemption arc. If you were destined to connect to that sort of person, what would you do? How would future actions define your actions towards them, your very personality? Thus, Alira and Mason were born.
Do you have favourite character in The End of Everything, and why? I think my favourite character has to be Anya Whittaker, one of the women Alira meets about halfway through the story. To me, she is the definition of a warm, comforting hug, and is a true rock to Alira – not just in TEoE but throughout the series.
How has the indie publishing experience been for you? I’ve really enjoyed it! I definitely still have a lot to learn, and a lot of my marketing has been very trial and error, but the excitement of seeing the final book cover, to starting up my own instagram account, to sending out copies to ARC readers, have all been really positive experiences.
Plotter or panster? Definitely a Pantser! Any plan I do make immediately gets thrown out the window when I start writing!
What’s your favourite part of the writing process? It’s to write “The End”. Writing a story is truly a labour of love and to see it, in all of its completed glory, is so satisfying.
Do you have a top tip for aspiring writers? Never give up.
What does your writing day look like? Usually, I get up about 7am and read what I’ve written so far, editing as I go, with a massive cup of coffee. Then the majority of my writing occurs in the late afternoon and evening – I have to have a writing alarm otherwise I’d be writing well into the night!
What else do you have in the pipeline? So many things! Books Two and Three of The Connection Series have already been written, and just require some final editing. I plan to finish Book Four this year, and then I can move onto some unfinished WIPs ranging from high fantasy to paranormal romance. I also have a finished WIP I finished around 10 years ago — full of Fae, fire and dragons — which I’ll be seeking beta-readers for in the next few months.
Where can people find you and The End of Everything? Presently, I’m only on Instagram @esmecarmichael_author (though I am working on a website!), and The End of Everything is available in both ebook and paperback forms from Amazon.
A huge thank you to Esme for sharing her writing process, and I can’t see what the rest of 2021 brings you!