Author Interview | #WriterlyYours PR presents it’s 1st #blogtour: #ShadowShifts! Here’s a lovely convo I had with the author behind the MG Lit series, J.M. Bogart!

This particular interview has a lovely back-story attached to it, as it truly speaks to how Wrimos can find each other throughout their continued writerly journey! You see, last November I created a special guest post for Priya – of whom was the book blogger I met through the book blogosphere event #Bloggerthon in [2015]. You can see why we hit it off straight out of the gate by reading our conversation from that event! We started to think of ways we could continue to collaborate with each other, and my essay about why I entered Nanowrimo 2008 was one of the best joys I’ve had in articulating my own writing process and journey.

My guest feature became a bit lost in a blog overhaul, but has the pleasure of being re-highlighted this upcoming Nanowrimo (November, 2016). I look forward to re-linking and promoting the post this Autumn, as like I said, it was a definitive moment for me where I could share a bit of my own story in regards to being ‘a writer’ who happens to be ‘moonlighting so to speak’ as a book blogger! We all have our seasons, and this is mine: not to work on my own manuscripts and stories, but to focus directly on the stories currently being published and/or fall into one of my passionate genres of interest – including with prime focuses on INSPY, Children’s Lit and Classical Lit!

The author I had the pleasure of interviewing for Priya’s debut blog tour (J.M. Bogart) has a connection to Nanowrimo herself – as it was her novel “Newvember” which originally winked an eye of interest for me to read! She was also focused on last November – as Priya brought together different writers and bloggers who shared a common thread of interest with the immersive writing challenge whilst providing inspiring stories of how we each found our own path to follow.

I knew I wanted to broach questions that would pertain to the Liminal series which drew a concern on my own behalf but also, to focus on Ms Bogart’s writing voice, style and approach to being an Indie Author. She happens to be on the team of a Canadian Indie Publishing house as well! For those of you who might have as keen of an interest in reading Middle Grade Lit as I do, I asked to host a small excerpt of the novel “Shadow Shifts” to help introduce my readers to her series! I felt this was a lovely compliment to our conversation!

I look forward to hearing your thoughts after you’ve had the chance to read through our conversation – perhaps inspiring the convo to continue below the post!?

When Bean fails to secure Nadia’s human magic, she puts her entire race at risk. Liminals fade as fast as Shadow-monsters emerge, creating a disturbing imbalance between light and dark. Liminals aren’t the only creatures affected by things that go bump in the night…

Knowing the ravenous appetites of the Shadow-monsters will grow out of control, Bean, Tissa, Pritt, and Ping are forced to deal directly with the dire situation. Armed with the ancient secrets of their people, they band together to destroy their enemies and return balance to their magical realm.

The existence of all things Liminal depends on their success.

Read an Excerpt from the Novel:

taken from Chapter 3 of Shadow Shifts, 2nd novel in the Liminal series

You’re a writer across genres of which I appreciate, as I am a reader who dances through genres seeking her favourite next read. How did you find your niche inside Upper Middle Grade as an anchour to help guide inquisitive children who love to read to transition from childhood to teenage reading choices? What gives your books the ‘Upper’ edge on traditional Middle Grade Lit for instance?

Bogart responds: I think I might have fallen into writing upper middle grade fantasy by accident… I love fairy tales and all things mystical, and I’m a little sad that Tinker Bell is for little kids while Puck gets lost in literary critique. The idea of Liminal creatures lurking in the light was a story I had to tell, and the obvious audience was the transitory age between child and teen. The books are filled with challenging language and mature concepts while still being age appropriate. Anyone can enjoy them, but they were written with smart kids in mind… and let’s face it, all kids are smart.

I definitely agree with you about how smart children are when it comes to making choices with reading – sometimes I find they like a bit of guidance to know which stories are out there – based on their previous reading selections and/or their present interests if they are not as widely read as their peers. Children like wicked good stories as much as any adult – and I have to admit, I was quite curious why there weren’t as many Fantasy stories when I was growing up in the 80s as there are now after a new century turnt it’s page!

I like how you’ve made your series cross-appealing for children and adults; as I know I’m not alone in stepping back into this lovely corridor of literature with the intent to find stories I would want to share with my future children (as well as my nieces and nephews) – whilst finding myself happily devouring stories that I personally love reading, too!

One of the concerns I had most about the Liminal Series were potential elements of traditional Horror rather than the Cosier elements of Horror I entertain in literature. How did you approach writing the Liminal & Shadow monsters to focus on how they deplete the energy from humans without broaching a line that would be too hard to read for either on-target readers of MG Lit or adult readers who appreciate reading Children’s Lit titles? 

Bogart responds: I couldn’t write horror stories—I’d give myself nightmares! Both the Liminals and Shadow-monsters draw energy out of humans. The only part that might be a little descriptive is when one non-human melts into goo… but it’s only one chapter, and it’s not meant to be horrifying. I try to describe sensory perceptions more than visual effects to guide the reader’s imagination into creating their own picture.

The only side of Horror I appreciate reading is ‘Cosy Horror’ and it’s a term I created to express a particular style of the genre as a whole. Think psychological suspense and films by Hitchcock (especially the James Stewart ones!),… you’ll gather a proper sense of what interests me! At first, I was a bit uncertain where your series fell – which is why I wanted to include this question in case any of my readers hesitated to know if this series would be a good match for them and/or the child they were thinking of introducing the series too! Sounds like you’ve found a way to give balance to what you wanted to imply but did not cross a line that is too hard to bear reading. Smashing job – as that is what I was hoping you’d say!

You have bridged the gap between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ in your Liminal series by introducing two halves of the whole: the Liminals protect humans vs the Shadows who wish to do them harm. Of the two which do you feel were the most challenging to conceptionalise and write a back-story on which would be believable to younger readers?

Bogart responds: Without giving spoilers… I’d have to say both. As you say, they’re two halves of a whole, and their stories are deeply intertwined—inseparable, even.

Ooh dear my — I love it when I challenge a writer sort out how to answer one of my questions! I see you’ve yielded to side-stepping rather than eluding to anything too telling! Laughs.

Your series has found a unique way to bring the lore of the fey centermost into the arm of MG Fantasy – what first inspired you to find an entrance into the culture and lore of fairies?

Bogart responds: A long time ago, someone gave me a tattered old book (“The Fairy Doll” by Rumer Godden) it was about a girl who kept a fairy doll in a shoe box, and at night, the fairy came to life. As a fanciful child, I wanted a fairy of my own, but none of my small dolls ever did wake during the night, no matter how many shoe boxes I decorated or how many pairs of wings I crafted. As an adult, I wanted to give children the chance to believe anything is possible. I’m not sure where the idea of Liminal creatures came from—they’ve always lived within my writer’s soul. They might not be tangibly real, but their inspiration and magic is.

For me it was the story behind “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams which happily inspired me to think ‘what ifs’ about stuffed toys becoming real and the boundaries (if any) between imagination and our living realities. Sometimes I think having an active imagination as a child is what led me to sorting out I was a writer and a poet – to take the creativity and inspiration to my own level of exploration whilst maintaining a healthy appetite for stories!

I was quite curious about the fey growing up, but I did not latch onto folklore and fairies until I was much older – as I became quite attached to Science Fiction & Fantasy in literature at the ending years of my teens. I love how you took it a step further and tried to craft a bridge between your world and the fey – as it reminds me of the young girls in England who had fairies in their garden as well as the fairy houses you can build under the canopy of a tree even today.

The fey are legendary for different reasons – as they have the tendency to have both good and bad attributes attached to them; how did you decide to show a symbiotic connection between your fey and the human children, where each were working together for the greater good rather than having the fey upset the natural balance for the well being of the humans directly?

Bogart responds: Originally, I had planned to have Bean-the-Liminal tell the story of Nadia-the-Human. The Liminals were supposed to be bystanders, not the focus, but as I started writing, my carefully constructed plot morphed into something completely different. It started with a question: what if humans had magic they were unaware of and little creatures harvested it because they didn’t have their own, but knew how to use it? The rest started to fall into place, including the need for balance and symbiotic relationships.

I love how you created and centered your series on a ‘symbiotic’ relationship between your fey and humans – this is what struck me the most interesting about your narrative arc and scope of where the world is built to include as it speaks to a greater purpose that even the humans of your story did not realise they could give another species. Almost as if they had a gift to give and were in the dark about it – a good threading of morality and life lessons for children to pick up on, too!

Inherent gifts are a strong element of your series – where the gifts you find within yourself can place you at greater risk to being ‘seen’ by forces that wish to do you harm. How did you balance the psychological suspense components of this vein of the story against the strength of finding confidence in using the gifts you’re bestowed for the greater good?

Bogart responds: We all have gifts, even if we haven’t discovered them. Putting your gift, whatever it might be, on display for the world to see can be terrifying. Each time a performer goes on stage, an artist shares her work, a writer publishes his book, or a child shows off a new talent, they open themselves up for criticism and become vulnerable, but at the same time, they’re growing their strength, self-confidence, and talent. I wanted to showcase the relationship between fear and talent because I think it exists within all of us.

I think this is a strong lesson for anyone to learn – to find the courage to be yourself and to find strength in owning your truth. To be brave in the face of adversity and uncertainty and to keep positive about how your mark on the world is not limited by anything except your own doubts and wavering belief in your own abilities. We all might falter a bit along the way as we’re growing up but if we hold fast to what we know is true and keep mindful of succeeding despite opposition or conflict if others don’t understand — we will develop our own self-advocacy and confidence to step forward onto our life’s path. I think finding a way to broach a conversation about how fear and talent walk hand in hand (to some extent) is a good one to pitch, as everyone has a period of growth to transition through – no matter our age, we’re all constantly learning something new!

Would the Liminal Lights series be considered an Urban Fantasy where part of the story takes place in a contemporary modern world before it shifts into the Fantasy world wherein the rest of the characters reside or is it strictly a traditional fantasy world where nothing is reminiscent of our world?

Bogart responds: I classify the Liminal Series as Urban Fantasy. The fantasy element interlaces with the contemporary world, and the Liminal creatures exist within the peripheral of the human characters’ reality. Nadia, the primary human focus, attends a regular middle grade school, takes dance classes, and has parents who are unaware of her special powers. In fact, she is also unaware of them until the Liminals make their appearance. Even the forested area where the Liminals live is located close to a traditional town.

I am growing to like ‘Urban Fantasy’ stories – as I originally felt the destination wasn’t my cuppa tea but I’ve become pleasantly surprised over the past three years – taking chances on stories by authors who have truly treated me with cheeky humour, depth of character and worlds that treat your mind to a wonderful girth of imagination! I was quite happy you picked the layout of the world to built in this fashion, as it’s half a step removed from our world but close enough to feel relatable and in effect, a bit tangible!?

What was your favourite discovery in your research as you uncovered ancient lore and legends which would befit knowing for your series? What intrigued you the most? 

Bogart responds: I guess this would be confession time. I have done absolutely no research for this series, aside from fact-checking the strength of spider webs, how to spell Tinker Bell, and whether or not a cell phone can be purchased by someone under 18. My biggest fear as a writer is accidentally using someone else’s work or ideas, so I tend to ignore the literary world while I’m writing and live within my own mind. If I have borrowed from another artist, I send my sincerest apologies.

Yes, I can understand where your coming from on this angle – I guess I thought maybe you might have dug deeper into the classics or the classical crafting of the stories in the genre to use as a guide-point to see what came first or where you could shift forward away from where they first pointed a reader to accept as a ‘fantasy’ reality. Although, truly — I was curious if you did any back-reading specific to the folklore and mythos surrounding the fey and/or cross-species interactions as I thought you might even have pulled from the animal world.

What gives you the most joy as a Children’s Lit author? 

Bogart responds: I love hearing from children, tweens, and teens who have discovered the joy of reading and writing. I don’t care whether they’re reading my work or someone else’s—if they’ve managed to activate the part of their imagination that stimulates creativity, then we’re doing something right as adults.

I completely agree – reading is the end result we hope to inspire a curiosity about – whichever author or story grants the joy to the reader (of any age of curiosity) is the best possible outcome to observe! Rock on!

What is one of your favourite memories from interacting with a reader of yours? 

Bogart responds: A young girl in Quebec asks me regularly if the next book in the series is ready. She read the first one prepublication and was almost giddy over the prospect of reading the next. Seeing her expression as she talks about the characters like they’re old friends is the most amazing thing.

This is truly a special moment for you! I oft-times do this myself – when I’m conversing about a book I’ve just read, the conversation sounds to observers as if I’m referring to a life event on behalf of someone I know rather than out of the pages of a novel! Or a short story, as the case can be as well! This helps us pull together the story outside of the reading experience and give new light and heart to it’s joy as we pass the story forward.

What are some of your favourite Middle Grade Fantasy stories and authors? What do you appreciate the most about the stories for encouraging imaginative worlds and compelling story-lines? 

Bogart responds: I love the gentle writing of Noel Streatfeild (Ballet Shoes, Skating Shoes), the straightforward tones of Judy Blume (Are you There, God, It’s Me, Margaret?, Blubber, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing), and the quirky humour of Beverly Clearly (Beezus and Ramona), and of course the mystery writer of the fairy story. As you can see, there isn’t any true fantasy listed here…

I didn’t discover the words of fantasy writers until I was older. That’s when I fell in love with Anne McCaffrey (Harper Hall Series, Pern Series), Stephen R. Donaldson (Mordant’s Needs, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever), and Sheri S. Tepper (Grass, Beauty, The Gates to Women’s Country). All I can say is each writer has a unique way of creating believable worlds with relatable characters—elements that are needed in all genres of writing.

I must admit – it wasn’t until “You’ve Got Mail” when I learnt about the Streatfeild novels; which at the time were out-of-print and unable to be purchased! I keep trying to remember to see if they are once again available as I have wanted to pick them up to read! I read Judy Blume growing up but nearly as often as I should have and I did not discover Clearly until I was in my late 20s with a newly minted library card in my pocket! I’ve been seeking out Children’s Lit since 2009 whole-heartedly and it’s during this expanse of time I read the first five or so novels of Clearly’s beloved series. It still stands up for today’s audience, too!

My favourite Fantasy as a child was reading “The Purple Door” by Janifer C. De Vos – I tried to gather the rest of the series but it was one of those mysteriously disappearing book series of my childhood! It wasn’t until a few years ago I found two more of the Guardian series via a used book search on Powells.com where I finally brought more of the series home! Strangely, I’ve misplaced the original novel – so my wait continues before I can read the series further! Laughs.

I picked up a love of SFF in my late teens, joining The Science Fiction Book Club and finding authors like Kate Elliott of whose The Crown of Stars series was just being published. It doesn’t matter how old we are when we pick up a passion for Fantasy or Sci-Fi (as I watched a heap of SFF on tv and in motion pictures, as an aside!) but I do think, at some point finding our own niche inside these worlds can keep our imagination healthy and expanding towards thinking outside the proverbial boxes.

Can you share a bit how you became a part of the team behind the Indie Publisher Morning Rain Publishing and how the publisher approaches finding authors seeking to publish the stories they’re seeking? Is this publisher strictly for Canadian authors or is it open to submissions from elsewhere as long as the stories fit the niches they are publishing?

Bogart responds: When like-minded people come together with a solid vision, things fall into place. Morning Rain Publishing opened for submissions three years ago, and we were immediately flooded with manuscripts. For the most part, MRP focuses on publishing new Canadian authors, but we have bent the rules in the past for books with strong Canadian content. Currently, we’re closed for submissions, but when we’re ready, we’ll announce what we’re looking for on the blog and via social media. It doesn’t take long for the submissions’ inbox to fill up.

Outside of research and writing, what uplifts your spirit the most with joy?

Bogart responds: Would it be too cliché to say my family? They always have been, and always will be, my source of joy and inspiration.

Of course, not! Family is quite important to a lot of us – they are generally our rock of support and the original cheerleaders we have to inspire us forward as we navigate our stories!

This blog tour is courtesy of:

Writerly Yours PR is the new publicity firm headed by my friend and fellow blogger Priya! Of whom I met whilst  participating in #Bloggerthon in [2015]. You can read our conversation which started a friendship and a collaborative connection between us – either directly with blog tours hosted with Writerly Yours or projects outside of it’s scope hosted on our blogs. Share this tweet to spread the word to authors who are seeking PR especially those who are #IndieAuthors!

Yesterday, Ms Bogart shared her Guest Post on the Topic of ‘Writing Urban Fantasy’ which I found interesting as I have blogged a few Urban Fantasy stories which happily took me by surprise. You can find the stories I’ve reviewed by genre in my Story Vault.

Visit Ms L. Lombard (a fellow author)’s blog to read the Guest Post for this blog tour!

Likewise, the day after this post goes live, be sure to keep an eye on The Stories of Chantel DaCosta’s (a fellow author) blog as she picks up the blog tour with a new Guest Post!

Kindly leave your comments, thoughts and musings about the Liminal series!

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Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.

{SOURCES: Cover art of “Shadow Shifts” and “Liminal Lights”, book synopsis, author biography and book excerpt were provided by the author J.M. Bogart and are used with permission. The tour host badge & Writerly Yours PR badges were all provided by Writerly Yours PR and used with permission. Conversations with the Bookish Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Comment Box Banner made by Jorie in Canva.}

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