Xlibris Publishing returns with Marie Thompson, author of Storm Sparrows.
Do you have any particular literary influences that have helped you develop in your genre, subject and style
As a youngster I read Gavin Maxwell’s book Ring of Bright Water, about his life on a remote part of the Scottish coast with a sea otter he brought from Iran. His words transported me to that place where I, too, watched that lithe creature twisting in expanding rings of water dappled in sunlight, and heard the squeak of Maxwell’s boot on the wet undergrowth. James Dickey’s To the White Sea was also a mind-expanding experience. Dickey’s astonishingly beautiful prose brought the warmth of duck feathers on my feet and the sight of a giant bird soaring without a sound into my own view. Cinema and stage plays entertain and unleash a gamut of emotions, but the audience is a spectator. It is the silent word that makes the reader a participant; it evokes known personal experiences to influence the level of emotion and involvement that is stirred up – not by sound, but by how those strings of letters are interpreted by memories within the mind.
What inspired you to write your book, and how long did it take you to finish it?
I visited the Churchill War Rooms in London. It is an underground bunker that sheltered Winston Churchill and his war cabinet from German air-raids while they collaborated on plan for an allied victory during the Second World War. I walked through the depressing rooms and viewed many photographs of civilians who suffered beyond reason. Later, those images haunted me and, gradually, a story began to develop in my mind. I called it Storm Sparrows.
What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers?
Remember the story, more often than not, is make-believe. I have heard many times readers in book clubs give negative and sometimes heated critiques of a book because they got too close to the behavior of a character, the sensitive subject of the book or perhaps the ending of the story. That, of course, is a compliment as it proves the reader became engrossed in the work and the writing is credible; however, fiction means an invented story, and it is not meant to be taken personally. That being said, the reader is a partner and whatever opinion is formed, it has value, and the writer should hear that opinion.
Are you working on a sequel to your book?
I am not, although several people have suggested I should. Apparently, they feel the ending of the first book appetites them enough to want to continue the “adventure”.
What was your favorite part of your publishing experience, overall and with Xlibris?
Every person involved was most helpful, patient and very pleasant.
Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Don’t think too much, just write everything down, no matter how garbled it may be. It can be edited later. Although “writers’ license” exists, it is extremely important all facts are confirmed, and no real person is hurt by the work. An acquaintance keeps pen and paper on the nightstand in order to write down any ideas that come if they awaken during the night. I tried it, and thought I had written the most eloquent pros imaginable. Sadly, in the morning I found the words were illegible, and the few I made out were senseless. I cannot speak for my colleague but I suggest sleeping throughout the night will allow those powerful words to be articulated over breakfast.
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