Roxanne Bland grew up in Washington, D.C.,
where she discovered strange and wonderful new worlds through her local public
library and bookstores. These and other life experiences have convinced her
that reality is highly overrated. Ms. Bland lives in Rosedale, Maryland with
her Great Dane, Daisy Mae.
Her latest book is the science fiction
novel, The
Moreva of Astoreth.
For
More Information
- Visit Roxanne Bland’s website.
- Connect with Roxanne on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Roxanne at Goodreads.
- Visit Roxanne’s blog.
Can you tell us what your book is about?
It’s the story of priestess, scientist, and healer Moreva
Tehi, the headstrong granddaughter of a powerful goddess who is banished for a
year from her beloved desert home to a volatile far northern corner of Peris
for neglecting to perform her sacred duties, only to venture into dangerous
realms of banned experimentation, spiritual rebirth, and fervent, forbidden
love.
Why did you write your book?
The story demanded to be written. I was working on another
project when The Moreva of Astoreth came knocking at my head. I tried to put it
on the back burner until I finished the project I was working on, but I kept
thinking and thinking about it until it was interfering with my
work-in-progress. So I set that project aside and started writing The Moreva of
Astoreth.
Are you consciously aware of the
plot before you begin a novel or do you discover it as you write?
I’m what they call a pantser—I write by the seat of my
pants. The plot unfolds as I write it. It means I sometimes end up with a lot
of material that doesn’t get into the book, but when that happens, I just save
it for another story.
Your book is set in
an isolated village. Can you tell us why
you chose this place in particular?
Well, the heroine is
from a big, tightly planned urban area located in the planet’s southern
hemisphere. Think New York City in the desert. Then she’s forced to go to this backwater village the
north, where the populace basically lives cheek to jowl with wild nature. Going
from one extreme to another, I wanted to see how she would cope. Much to my
surprise, she does pretty well—once she learns obeying the village’s rules can
be a matter of life or death.
Have you suffered
from writer’s block and what do you do to get back on track?
Yes, and I try not
to worry about it—just ride it out. I think worrying is the worst thing I can
do. When I’m blocked, I just go do something else for a while—usually
reading—and keep doing something else for however long it takes. Then it just
seems to lift, and I’m back at the computer. In writing The Moreva of Astoreth,
I felt blocked for about two months. I fretted for a while, then I threw up my
hands and went about my business. Didn’t think about it. So one day, I’m in my
office puttering around and the next thing I know, I’m sitting in front of the
computer writing again.
What would you do
with an extra hour today if you could do anything you wanted?
If I could
instantaneously transport myself, I’d ride every rollercoaster I could. I love
rollercoasters. The scarier, the better.
If we were to meet
for lunch to talk books, where would we go?
To Meskerem, a
little Ethiopian restaurant I know in Washington, D.C. Eating Ethiopian style is a different
experience in dining. No forks or knives. You tear off a piece of this spongy
kind of bread called injera, wrap it around your food, and pop it into your
mouth. We’d eat and talk and eat and talk until they’d have to winch us out of
our seats.
What do you like the
most about being an author?
That I can sit for
hours thinking, daydreaming and visualizing. It’s like I’m watching a movie in
my head, and I just write down what I see. Of course, seeing your book in print
is a rush, too.
What kind of advice
would you give other fiction authors?
There’s nothing
inherently wrong in mixing seemingly un-mixable genres. To me, mixing it up it
makes things more interesting. There’s more you can do with it. And it makes
your book different, stand out even, from all the rest. I would also add
there’s nothing wrong with being an independent author, either. From what I can
tell, indies are gaining respect in the literary world, though we’re not there,
yet. Besides, it’s nice not to have to work under deadlines.