Hello all!
In today's interview we will be meeting British fantasy author N.L. McFarlane, the creator of 'Saving an Earth Angel' and its recently released sequal, 'Flight of the Angel.'
PB: Hi! Welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. Tell us a bit about your background.
NM: Hello, I am Nicola/Nikki, I love everything books; reading, writing, reviewing I love it all. My best subject was English, having that subject getting the highest marks throughout school then going on to college to do A-levels in English literature and language, I am in no doubt that I was always trying to work hard and get the good marks.
PB: What made you decide to become an author?
NM: I first thought about being an author when I was going around the house like a maniac scribbling down notes and names of people/places that didn’t exist outside of my imagination. I’d eventually always have a notebook near me. I wanted to write and I had all these ideas for many books which I’ve noted, stored away and planned out what comes when. It was more of a case of, if I didn’t write, then my house would be made of sticky notes and scribblings.
PB: When did you first start writing?
NM: I first started writing as soon as I’d learned how. I was always making these little stories which now when I look back were so cheesy, but at the time I thought they were absolutely genius. I’d be in and out of the library reading books then making my own variations, sometimes even of the same thing that I had just finished reading... I’d be the author, illustrator and publisher and I thought it was great.
PB: What was the first story that you can remember writing?
NM: The first story I can remember writing was about a little pig. I used to love the Animal Ark series when I was little and I can remember reading the book from the library, not wanting to part with it and getting upset so I wrote my own variation of it and kept it like the little rebel I thought I was at the time, pleased with my ingenuity and my little front cover design of a stick pig.
PB: When you begin writing a new novel, do you always know the ending?
NM: No not always, most times I plan an ending, fantastic I know where my book is going, this is structured, professional and great but then halfway through it takes a whole new path and my notes are then absolutely useless leaving my story up to the characters like, hello...I am supposed to be the author here.
PB: If you could meet any of your characters, who would you meet, and what would you say to them?
NM: That’s a good one, if I could meet any character, I would say it would have to be Valo, he is such a character in my mind undergoing so many tests and trials and his selflessness is heart lifting. There is a new character I would love to meet in the standalone book I am currently writing but I don’t want to give any spoilers away, that will have to wait for now. I would ask Valo how he felt about his journey, whether he could have imagined being one person and ending up as another and if there is anything else that he would have wanted to do... also apologise for everything bad that has happened both to him and around him. I would also have to ask if I could take Soukie for the day, who wouldn’t want a big fluffy dire wolf?
PB: Where did the idea for come from?
NM: I had at the time recently discovered being more spiritually open minded, and I found it all so interesting and new, I mixed what I knew with fantasy, characters and places I thought of and made this new world for them to be a part of.
PB: Tell us about your recent novel, Flight of the Angel.
NM: Flight of the Angel follows on from saving an Earth Angel. In this book we see a lot more tests and trials, more legends and huge characters both good and bad. This has been one of my favourite books to write as I love Greek mythology, it is also one of my favourite subjects so being able to delve into the world of Gods and monsters was a huge thing for me, ever since I started writing, this was top of my to do list. Valo continues his journey in this book into much more turbulent waters as he has to learn how to master himself and better help Melahi as she grows into her own powers. This is such a non-stop book where they go from one thing to the next in the race to save Atlantis from sinking.
PB: Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?
NM: I am proud that I didn’t give up, I got my books out there and I’m still going. I had in my head; I’m going to write, I’m going to publish, my books will get out there and I will be a published author and here I am gratefully writing an author interview because I didn’t give up.
PB: What is your favourite book series to read and why?
NM: There are so many incredible series but If I can only choose one I would have to say the ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses' series by Sarah J. Maas. I love the characters and the world they live in, the storyline and the magic within the pages, it’s so enchanting and gripping. I love all of the authors series but that one is always my go to series.
PB: What are your long term ambitions with regards to writing?
NM: Long term I would love to have written a shelf full of books, more than that hopefully. I have so many ideas for other books written and stored away which are just sat calling to be written. I would love the chance to make a career of this and to be able to do what I love full time. I like to create worlds and share stories with other people so fulfilling that would be my ambition.
PB: If you weren’t an author, what career would you be in?
NM: If I wasn’t an author, I would have liked to be a teacher, I love to help others discover and learn so that would have been my other alternative (Teaching English of course) ... Either that or someone buried alive with books who couldn’t stop reading!
PB: What’s the next target for you?
NM: My next target book-wise is a new standalone book that I am currently writing, it’s a new genre and a new test for me as I haven’t written in this style before but it has been in my head for months, I’ve had to start writing it before I go insane with all the thoughts that I want to get on paper, but so far it is such an exciting book to be writing and I can’t wait until I can share it with everyone.
PB: Tell us a random fact about yourself.
NM: A random fact about myself, that would have to be that I absolutely love history and volcanoes. Pompeii and Yellowstone are the two places at the top of my list that I would love to visit one day. I love seeing how history has shaped us and I can’t get enough of it. Also, I would like to thank everyone who has read my books or supported me throughout my journey, and I also want to thank P.J. Berman for this interview. I hope you all have a lovely day.
Thank you to N.L. Farlane for speaking to us today! Don't forget, you can try her books yourself via the links below:
Until next time, all the best!
Peter