+Author Interview+ Conversing with Laura Stoddard on her personal dreamscapes & the art of creating them in fiction for young readers!

The Dreamosphere is one story that instantly grabbed my attention at ‘hallo’ as I have always had an active dream life! Part of the joy of nodding off is always to await the adventure that would occur once I headed into my own personal dreamscapes and the world which lived inside my imagination! When I saw this was being offered as a blog tour, I knew instantly that I not only wanted to read the story but I wanted to request an interview with Ms. Stoddard! I seriously knew at that particular instant that I wanted to get to know the writer behind the pen on this lovely addition to the fantasy literature for young readers! I grew up on a lot of fantasy within the realm of Children’s Literature as well as motion pictures for younger eyes. There is a such a blessing to be said for the encouragement of imagination and the imaginative eye our dreams allow us to process the world around us as much as inside us.

Before I share the conversation that evolved between the author and myself, I wanted to give you a bit of information on the novel, as I will be posting my book review within hours of this conversation going live on my bookish blog! I decided to stretch the two showcases out a bit, to give everyone a chance to appreciate them separately.

Book Synopsis:

What if dreams don’t disappear when we wake up? Haunted by her younger sister’s death, and her unwitting role in the incident, 11-year-old Gwenevere Stoker takes solace in the Dreamosphere—a dimension where all dreams still exist. But when someone begins destroying her dreams, Gwen must find the culprit—or risk losing all her happiness forever. Bask in the mystery and imagination of dreams in this touching, funny, mind-bending children’s tale that encompasses themes of grief, friendship, family, healing, and grand adventure!

Author Biography:

Laura Stoddard was born in Idaho and spent her formative years running amok in the great outdoors. She received her bachelors degree in English Literature from Arizona State University. After being rejected from the masters program for creative writing she decided that she didn’t need a masters degree to tell her she could write, so she started really dedicating her time to finishing the story she’d started months earlier, with the goal of writing a complete novel, and getting it published. The result is her debut novel, The Dreamosphere, for which her own vivid, bizarre, and incomprehensible dreams provided the inspiration. Laura is an adrenaline junkie and will try anything once–or twice–or maybe three times. She can already check whitewater rafting, going down in a shark cage, and skydiving (three times) off of her list. Oh, and getting Lasik. It was five minutes of terror. She enjoys hiking, rowing, reading classic literature, embarking on new adventures and hobbies, volunteering regularly, and spending time with family. She currently resides in Phoenix, Ariz.

From the moment I first read the premise and title of “The Dreamosphere” part of me was inclined to believe that perhaps you have held a close attachment to your own dream world and life? You recently published a piece on your blog about how the dream journals of your youth were the basis of the novel. What first prompted you to keep a dream journal? And, how did you take your habit of journalling dreams into a new platform such as setting a story around dreams?

Stoddard responds:  When I tell you that my dreams are out of control, there’s no way for me to truly impress upon you, without somehow putting you into my brain, how insane they are. Incredibly detailed, vivid, and emotion-packed, my dreams can be confusing, exciting, terrifying, inspiring, hilarious, heartbreaking, and sometimes prophetic. When I’m in them, everything feels as real as if I were awake. I usually wake up feeling the same emotions as in the dream. I have both laughed and cried myself awake. I also have the ability to go back into a dream, if I wake up in the midst of it, and if I choose to. I’ve been able to fall back into a dream at least three times in one night. I dream every night. I always have. And I remember them all. I started writing them down early, because they were too good not to document. I love talking about dreams with people. They’re a topic everyone can relate to. I finally had enough people say, “You’ve got to put these in a book,” that I took their advice and did just that!

I love how you described your active life within your dreamscapes — every emotional response is conveyed and every pulsing moment of clarity is being hinted at as well. I think its fantastic that your imagination is quite active and that your able to capture the pieces of what you dream through your auto-retention and memory! Yes, I can directly relate to what your saying about how you can re-enter your dreams at will and how you wake up feeling different emotions. I always felt my own dreams were very much a living presence in my life, as they feel daringly real and are always able to give me quite a heap to muse about whilst I am awake! I should have thought to keep a dream journal, but I would always replay over the dreams whilst I was younger as a bit of a catalogue of what I had dreamt. 

Like you, I have the tendency to remember my dreams, and I oft find that a lot of people who have active dream lives do not always remember their dreams in colour. I know it is a most controversial topic for some, but for me, I never bought into the theory our dreams are in ‘black and white’ as I most assuredly see them in colour! What is your take on this interesting paradox? Do you dream in colour or in an absence of colour?

Stoddard responds: I dream in Technicolor! But…I wouldn’t be surprised if some people only dream in black and white. Every brain is different. I have had dreams that were more grey-scale, but that’s because it fit with the story line, i.e. I was part of an old gangster squad, so the B&W worked. Somehow my subconscious knew that.

Hmm,… I had not considered that previously, as I simply thought for sure this was one area that we were all synchronised! How clever to realise from this point of view that the colour of our dreams can be co-dependent on what we are dreaming and where the time of the dream is taking place as far as setting and locale of the dream’s story. This definitely clarifies a few things in my own mind about dreams & the differences we all have whilst we are having them.

I was keenly interested in the fact that you included Edgar Allan Poe (although at the time I requested the novel, I was unaware of his presence!) on the footheels of reading “Mrs. Poe” ahead of this novel, I started to understand Poe in a way I had not known about previously. Especially in regards to his true nature and sense of character, as he was misprojected throughout history as someone he wasn’t in reality. How did you originally become attached to his works as you have mentioned your attraction to his poetry and his canon of creativity? What do you hope the younger readers who read “The Dreamosphere” will takeaway from his presence in the story?

Stoddard responds: I discovered Poe in junior high. My dad had a big set of leather-bound classics, including Shakespeare, H.G. Wells, Dostoyevsky, etc. and I started reading them at a young age. I still much prefer classic literature to modern fiction, because those original stories laid the basis for the slew of spin-offs today (give me Bram Stoker’s Dracula over Twilight any day). Anyway! I opened The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe and was drawn in by the illustrations. They were grotesque, but intriguing. The Tell-Tale Heart was the first story of his I ever read. I can still remember how my heart pounded as I read that book, feeling myself put inside the mind of the tortured protagonist, feeling his desperation and horror. I was hooked. I’ve been a horror fan ever since. When I became older, I wanted to know about the man himself. I learned that Poe was a strange juxtaposition of darkness and hope. I want readers, especially young ones, to know that he got a bad wrap. He wasn’t a demented monster. He had a darker side, as we all do. He was just really good at tapping into that it and writing about it. All you have to do is read one of his hauntingly beautiful love sonnets to see the softer side of Poe. The thing I think we can all agree on is that the man, love him or hate him, was an incredibly gifted story teller.

You do not need to convince me on the differences between Dracula & Twilight — I was never an appreciator of the series, and until a few weeks ago, I had not even realised that I would be tempted to read Dracula anymore than I would have felt I would be inclined to read Edgar Allan Poe! (Ms. Stevens I am sure is nodding her head as I mention Dracula! – a bit of a s/o to #ChocLitSaturdays) I find myself betwixt modern and classical literature as much as I am between modern and classical motion pictures! Equally on both counts I can go absolute ages dissolving into the past releases without worrying about a contemporary one. I think part of that implies that we like to understand where we are coming from and what has come before we picked up the stories that encouraged our own imaginative worlds. I cannot claim to be an appreciator of ‘horror’ per se, but there are elements of the horror genre that I am inclined to reference as being attractive. Those who read my blog or interact with me on Twitter know that my penchant lies more in the ‘psychological suspense’ side of the ledger; gore & grisly is never an option. I will surely have to follow-up with you as I start to read Poe’s works myself. To hear you talk about him, I can tell he had a very strong influence on you and in part, perhaps by his inclusion a bit of homage to his inspiration is inside the novel?

Alas, I have found someone who claims “A Wrinkle in Time” as one novel that greatly influenced or inspired them on some level. For me personally, the novel was a gateway bridge into the world of quantum physics and the realms therein, as it helped illuminate for me the gap between what is readily known as a memory bridge and what is wholly imagined on theory alone. How did the novel personally affect you and what did you take away from its core story set within the heart of multi-dimensional space? (as an aside, reading “Flatland” made a heap more sense afterwards!)

Stoddard responds: I’m actually planning to name my next pet Tess (for Tesseract), just because I love the idea of the tesseract so much. “A Wrinkle in Time” was one of the first books to impress upon me that, in fiction, anything is possible. If you want to go to another dimension, another time, another planet, go right ahead! There are no limits to your imagination. No one’s going to say, “That couldn’t really happen.” I do definitely tend toward authors who create alternate realities. It was also one of the first times I was introduced to the concept of a supreme being or faction in society mandating the way it’s citizens think and act. I became very interested in stories set in Dystopian societies where people were almost brainwashed, and then had an awakening one day, and fought to break free of it and think for themselves. “Fahrenheit 451” and “Anthem” are great examples of this. People engaging their imaginations, acting for themselves, and trying to make things right in the world are some of my favorite themes in literature.

Yes, that is the true beauty of reading — whole worlds and plausible futuristic fantastical realisations of life and living are not only probable but play out in a thousand different ways! I love the art of discovery and of seeing how writers push their worlds to be not only fully fleshed out and realised but to include those particular elements that take us ‘elsewhere’ and encourage us to ‘live through an experience’ rather than simply escape hours off the clock. I like feeling as though I have transitioned through a tangible experience, sensing everything the characters felt and walking a way with a piece of their life inside my own heart. I am still attempting to become better acquainted with the world of Dystopian Literature — I am taking up the challenge once more during Sci Fi November, concluding where I had unavoidably stopped last year. I am not sure where I ‘fit’ yet in the genre as I have not read enough to know.

The authors you gravitate towards (Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Lois Lowry, etc) have the tendency to break through the hidden barriers of story craft and engage their readers in dimensions of story which reach outside the realm of what came before them and fuse their reader’s into the lives of characters who are hard to let go of once the book is closed. In this way, did you find as you read their stories that your own inspiration for telling stories yielded to taking that extra risk and seeing how far you could go yourself? Can you expand on your inspiration for originally picking up your pen and seeing where the ink would take you?

Stoddard responds: These authors influenced me tremendously. You try to emulate people you respect and admire, so in my own writing, I strove to create complex, relatable, likeable characters, a unique and engaging storyline, replete with a good mix of vivid descriptions, authentic language, and pathos.

I think your mentors in the field if they knew of this statement of yours would be mirthfully grateful in return to know that their path in life became celebrated as soon as you took up your pen and started to create your own stories out of their inspiring footprints.

As the story is half autobiographical on the level that you took your own dreams and altered them to fit within the context of the story, did you ever hesitate that once the book was released people might wonder how your dreams could be as detailed, vivid, and real as they are?

Stoddard responds: Oh, no. I’m a creative, imaginative, adventurous kind of gal. I’m colorful in my dress, speech, ideas and actions, so no one will be surprised that the things that go on in my head at night are equally so.

I love your description of yourself and of your personality – all creatives who can own who they are like us will always find their own niche and path in life. Equally I feel as though people tend to accept who we are in life as much as they will in fiction, if we always accept ourselves first and show confidence in our choices.

The interesting bit about the theory that dreams do not dissolve after we wake from sleeping is a key reason I wanted to read the novel. Mostly as I have noted in my own dream world, some dreams take on new meaning or transition from night to night in a different way than they had previously. Dreams are fluid not static. How did you temper what you knew as an adult verse how to relate it back to a younger audience about how dreams affect us and change our perspectives?

I’m a proverbial kid at heart, so I was quite easily able to put myself back into the mindset of what it was like when I was an 11-year-old girl. I remember what my dreams, interests and insecurities were, so it wasn’t hard to project those into the character of Gwen. I drew on some of my adult experiences, such as feeling heavy guilt, dealing with the death of a loved one, and learning to love myself again into Gwen’s story.

I have to love your passion for your writing voice and style — I also have found a hidden well of passion reignited for Children’s Literature, and until I picked up your novel I had not realised we’re the same age either! There is a beautiful blessing in being able to reconnect with our younger selves, either to create new stories or appreciate the stories that are being written for today’s audience and pass on the word of them to other readers. I also appreciate dipping back through the years between my own childhood and today, seeing what changed and finding hidden gems as well. You have stitched into The Dreamosphere a very well-rounded atmosphere for which readers of all ages will appreciate the most.

As the ink flows freely from your pen as you write, what did you find the most challenging on your path towards publication as this is your debut novel? Was there a part of the process towards seeing your book accepted by a publisher and finialised into print that surprised you?

Stoddard responds: I think I was simply surprised by how much there was to do. Writing the novel is the easy part. Well, not really, but compared to everything else you have to do. If I wrote you my steps for preparing your work to be published, it would be at least four pages long. If I wrote you my steps for coming into the role of author after being published, it would be double that. Once you get the contract, it’s time to create a website, order business cards, make sure you have a presence in as many social media platforms as possible, work on revisions to your manuscript, write a marketing plan, create a press release and contact different news outlets, schools, book clubs, etc. to advertise, create a book trailer, arrange and prepare for a book launch, etc. etc. etc. It’s been a lot of research and work, as I didn’t know any other published authors to go to for advice. So it’s a major learning curve, but I’m enjoying every new part of the experience.

I think the dynamics of what it takes to be a writer in the modern age of publishing has increased such a work load of extras that most writers might feel clearly overwhelmed when they first get established in the circle. I congratulate you on how far you’ve come and by the merits of your own determined spirit to sort out the myriad sea of choices and coming out strong in the end with a book in hand and a publisher who supports their authors by organising tours like this one!

I noted that you are quite the thrill seeking adrenaline junkie by the list of hobbies and interests you gave on your website. Is there a thrilling adventure you have not yet taken on that you would love to do as a way to celebrate your a published author? A way to commemorate the milestone, if you will?

Stoddard responds: It isn’t death-defying, but I am going on a Mediterranean Cruise this fall, as a gift to myself. It is my dream vacation, and I think this accomplishment merits something big.

I love your response here — it is simply pure joy and pure celebration for what you’ve accomplished! I can wish you nothing but clear skies, fair weather, and a heap of golden memories as you embark on the cruise!

The cover art illustration and layout is rather striking and as I read the synopsis I felt that the art matched well with the story within the book I had yet to read. Did you have any feedback on the cover art or did the designer of the art simply understand the essence of your story and presented this to you? I was curious if the butterflies were your idea for instance.

Stoddard responds: Butterflies always have such strong symbolism attached to them. It’s interesting that you bring up the butterflies, because I asked them to take them out! I’ll explain. The original cover, as it was presented to me, was essentially the same, but they were missing some key components tying it to the story within. I had them make the girl blonde instead of brunette, since my heroine is a blonde, I had them add the journal lying on the ground next to her, I had them add the web in the background, since dream-webs are a big part of the story, and I asked them to take out the butterflies and put in fireflies, since they also play a special part in the book. They talked me into keeping the butterflies, because like you said, they are not only beautiful, but are very symbolic of growth and transformation. I LOVE the finished cover.

I was curious about the butterflies, but I was happily surprised to have stumbled into a bit of a curious design choice that turnt out well in the end but contradicted your idea in the beginning! I love learning about these sorts of ‘behind the book’ revelations as it makes the book world a bit more interpersonal between writers and readers, and allows us to have a snippet of a clue as to what goes into the production of the stories we love to hold in our hands once they are in printed form! You have my gratitude for your candor!

You were writing about digging into a second novel on your blog, do you find yourself motivated to write a sequel to “The Dreamosphere” or to take a chance on a stand-alone set in an entirely different setting?

Stoddard responds: Absolutely there will be a second book, and maybe a third, since trilogies seem to be the way to go. All my focus for the past nine months has been on getting the book published, so now that it’s finally on shelves, I can get back to the fun part: Writing.

Ah, yes trilogies are practically all the rage these days, yet one bit to them that saddens me is that there are a few trilogies which end right at the point of which the story could continue to shift forward… you feel a bit uneasy about the ending as their is always an open door left for a new possibility. My favourite trilogies are the ones where the whole of the story and world are contained within the three book series without the angst of forever wondering ‘what if and what could’ come next. Your on the verge of the next best moment for any writer — soaking into the blissfulness of creating and writing for the pure joy of being with your thoughts and pen! May the hours be filled with joyous curiosities and numerous bits of narrative and dialogue to encourage your spirit.

Do you find that you want to explore other areas of literature, or is Young Adult the category you feel your heart has led you to write stories for an audience of readers who always need positive stories which enlighten their minds as much as their hearts? What do you love the most about writing within the sphere of Children’s Literature?

Stoddard responds: Young adult is just such a fun genre to write for, but yes, I actually do have ambitions of writing other types of literature. Mental illness is prevalent in my family — I myself have bi-polar disorder, so I’d be interested in writing an autobiographical work, talking about what it was like growing up in that environment, and what it took to thrive.

At first I felt this might be Young Adult but then I was a bit confused as on Twitter I noted others were claiming it was Middle Grade. Hmm. I decided to meet in the middle and simply refer to this as being an ‘either/or’ rather than to exclude a potential reader who might mistake it for one or the other! I think your idea of an autobiographical story surrounding your own childhood & family life would be able to bridge into the hearts of those who are also struggling to find peace with mental illness and mental health. I have had friends who have also received this diagnosis and I know how hard it was for them to accept in the beginning. Their strength and able to thrive is a testament to their character, as I would presume is true for you as well. None of us knows what lies ahead for us on our lifepath, but how we choose to greet what comes along is what determines our future hours. We all walk through life with something,… I will keep my eye on your site and watch your progress. I’d be curious to read this next pursuit of yours, as I appreciated reading and blogging about the story Jenn Crowell published on mental health.

Throughout the journey you took within the past year as you knitted together your plan of action for publishing your manuscript, who turnt out to be your best cheerleader?

Stoddard responds: My mom. She’s been my sounding board throughout the entire process, encouraging me when I felt downtrodden, helping me brainstorm when I was stuck on a plot point, and finally celebrating me when all the hard work finally paid off.

This warmed my heart to read as my cheerleaders have always been my Mum & Da!

What are your favourite tools to use whilst writing? And, where do you write to gain the most out of the hours you dedicate to the craft?

Stoddard responds: I don’t have a specific spot for writing. I do it all over the place. At my desk at home; on my couch; on my floor; at the library; in a bookstore; at the park. I prefer to write all my ideas down on paper first, then transcribe onto the computer. Sometimes I like to have music playing, and sometimes not. The only thing I require is to be uninterrupted.

I am not sure I could adjust to the randomness of your routine, as I tend to like to have a particular ‘spot’ where I can zone out and simply focus on what I want to ink onto page. I do have separate desks – one for my computer and one for my writing (which includes postal mail correspondences). I find that it helps me gather my thoughts better, but what I applaud is your ability to settle into any chair and setting whilst the full of your mind is aligned with your imagination! You rock! I vacillate between wanting to have silence and music as well; clearly I think it depends on the time of day, my mood, and what works for the moment.

Outside the realm of writing and creating art, what enriches your spirit the most? Where do you find your serenity?

Stoddard responds: Much like my main character, Gwen, I find serenity in nature. Beautiful sites just buoy up my soul. Naturally vibrant fall leaves. Gigantic fluffy clouds. Freshly cut green grass. Flower petals covered in dew. Rainbows! Life seems to be so hectic all the time. One of my favorite getaways (and writing spots) is the lake about five miles from my house. It’s a man-made lake, but the vegetation surrounding it is beautiful, and I can walk, jog, rollerblade around the bike path, or sit under one of the bridges watching sunlight glitter off the surface of the water. My absolute favorite place to recharge and truly bask in the gloriousness of nature is at our farm in Idaho (my book takes place in a small farming town in Idaho). It is peaceful, beautiful, inspiring and uplifting.

I simply loved reading your response as you’re one of the few authors who understood my question to the degree that you did and gave me such a beautiful response! The natural world is spoken about quite readily on my blog, as it is knitted closely to my everyday hours being that I find true balance and bliss whilst surrounded by its embrace. Such a wonderful insight into your life and I thank you for sharing it!

Author Connections:

Site | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

 Converse via: #TheDreamosphere

I would like to take a moment and thank Ms. Stoddard for being gracious with her time for this interview, which marks my first author interview whilst hosting for Cedar Fort! It was a true honour, as not only have I found that I am appreciating the opportunity to host blog tours for another independent publisher (my third!), but I have truly enjoyed my journey getting to know the authors behind the books Cedar Fort publishes! The publisher and their authors are friendly, engaging, and easily approachable! I am blessed that the three Indies I tour with regularly compliment each other in this regard!

I truly enjoyed the conversation, seeing where we fell into step with each other and how each of us finds a measure of balance and joy from nature and the natural world. I loved the revelations of her writing process and how she was open about the path she has taken with publishing as much as where she hopes to go forward from here. It is always a joy to host an author guest feature alongside of a book review, and I am thankful that I had the chance to host Ms. Stoddard! I hope you will return lateron today when I release my book review! Until then, please feel free to populate the comment threads with notes, reflections, or comments for the author!

This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc.:

Virtual Road Map of “The Dreamosphere” Blog Tour can be found here:

Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.

Reader Interactive Question:

What are your personal thoughts and feelings on dreamscapes and our personal dream worlds? Do you actively dream vividly through your imagination!? And, if your a writer do you take out bits of your creativity by what you’ve dreamt? What fascinates you about the world of dreams and what makes you feel a bit trepiderious about them too!? Have you come across other works of fiction which evoke a thread of thought on the same topic?

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis, Book Cover of “The Dreamosphere” and the Excerpt were provided by the author Laura Stoddard and used with permission.  The Cedar Fort badge was provided by Cedar Fort, Inc. and used by permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter.  The Book Trailer for “The Dreamosphere” had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank her for the opportunity to include materials that help introduce readers to her work.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.