Faeries Don't Lie
1) What is your Author name; use your Pen name if you have one.
TF Burke
2) What is your genre and what drew you to it?
YA Fantasy. I have always been captivated by the sense of wonder and things that go beyond the ordinary, meaning I’ve always been drawn to inhabit magical, mystical and sometimes terrifying worlds. Fantasy holds that intriguing “What if” question at its core. It’s able to address deep issues and explore with abandonment. As for the YA part… Finding oneself and watching a protagonist step into their power makes my heart happy. Teenage years—those years which bridges child and adulthoods and offers the best and worst of both times-- gets maligned too much in our society and I don’t think it’s right. If I could do or say anything to the young adults in our world… it would be no matter what the world throws at you…no matter how much you may not feel accepted… you are always, always enough. I like seeing that in stories. I like writing that in stories…. Along with taking my reader on a ferocious adventure.
3) Which character of yours was the most challenging to write and why?
Excellent question! Some characters breathe on the page from the first few words. That would be my protagonist Aunia with all her idealistic and impulsive charm. And she made me shake my head any number of times. It was Mathias, my second point-of-view character that took more time. Maybe it was because he was more reserved and liked keeping his “internal wounds” hidden. I had to dig deep to get to his core and finally in exasperation, I started asking the character interview questions not to Mathias but to his bestie and Aunia. They were delighted to tell me all sorts of things about Mathias. Funny… that’s when he started showing up to give me his side of the story. And yes…for anyone not familiar with writers…most of us do talk to our characters….frequently.
4) Do you prefer writing dialogue, action or other scenes?
I don’t know if it is a preference but dialogue oftentimes comes easy. I can “hear” my characters conversations and I often can capture them. I suppose my favorite thing with writing is looking over a passage, seeing that all the various story threads are in place and giving it the final polish.
5) What gives you the most satisfaction in the writing process?
This one starts with my greatest aggravation, aka PLOT SNARLS! Oh they can be problematic, particularly when it feels impossible to untangle all the story threads and make everything make sense. However, almost always the real treasure is found in the core of those plot snarls. So, biggest satisfaction? When I unsnarl one of those impossible plot tangles and discover something amazingly cool which threads through the entire story.
6) What is the most difficult challenges you face in the writing process?
Remembering to breathe. Getting into flow state with writing… with anything really, means you have to get out of your own way. That sometimes is easier said then done. But it nigh impossible to get quality words on the page when you are feeling anxious and frustrated. That probably can go across the board with almost everything.
7) How much description do you give to your book characters?
I hope enough. I’m laughing here. The problem with seeing everything in your head and making sure you get good emotion on the page is to remember your reader only sees what’s on the page. They can’t see what’s in your head BUT that’s what an editing pass is for. Plus, having good beta readers and then an editor is totally key.
8) What is your favorite character from any book you have ever read?
Picking a favorite star would be easier here. I like Aelin from Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass books and Katniss from Hunger Games. Oh, and Samwise from Lord of the Rings. That’s what’s coming up in my head at the moment.
9) What is your favorite book turned T.V. show/movie and why?
TV shows and movies from books…. They are never quite as good but I have read book because of watching a TV show or movie. I suppose if I had to choose I’d go with Lord of the Rings just because those books made such an impression on me as a kid and Peter Jackson did a decent job with them.
10) What is you preferred method of reading a book? (Audio, paperback, hardcover, or eBook)
Yes.
Or to explain why I’m saying just yes is:I love the feel of a real book in my hands and turning the pages. I love listening to story when I’m driving or doing chores and I can’t have a book in my hand. I love the search function in an ebook. I love that we have the choice of which format and I have most of my favorites in multiple formats.
11) If you could live in any “book world” what would that be?
I don’t really want to live in a book world. Visit? Oh yes! But one of the great things about book worlds is you get to inhabit as many as you want.
12) Villain, hero or “show steeling” side character? Which would you be?
I would so be the show-stealing” side character -- not the comic relief but the one everyone would be mad over if the author kills them off.
13) What is the name of your book/series? Tell me a little bit about them.
Faeries Don’t Lie is the first in the Heart of the Worlds series. It’s about a 16 impulsive girl who desperately wants to find herself while she’s in an environment that she isn’t accepted and then, this handsome pegasus flyer, Mathias, shows up and she really wants to impress him. She really didn’t mean to release god-like magic into the world which summons the Boggleman, a real baddie with a cloak that eats people. Well, the Boggleman wants to capture this huge magic source so he can finally take out the human world (he thinks he’s protecting the faery world by doing that) and Aunia has to figure out how to rebox the magic before the Boggleman can get it, and hopefully win Mathias’ heart, but she has various faeries telling her conflicting things and… well, it’ll all go well in the end, right? Because Faeries Don’t Lie. And then Book 2 – Faeries Don’t Forgive comes out in February.
14) Do you have a website? If so, what is it?
I do. It’s https://tfburkeauthor.com/
I also have a newsletter, Wyrd & the Wisp, where I deep-dive into a different faery type each month and also relate some of my fencing (sword and dagger) news. I fence in tournaments and also in melees (battles).
15) Where can we find and follow you? (Name your social media platforms.)
I can be found on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TFBurkeAuthor/
I’m brand new on Tik Tok and still getting my legs under me. https://www.tiktok.com/@tfburkeauthor
16) If there anything important that you would want my readers to know about you?
I have a live Facebook event tonight, May 21 at 7:30 pm to 9 pm EST. Games, giveaways and readings. If you’re free, please, feel free to swing in. https://www.facebook.com/events/805194298195263/
Giveaway
Ends June 4th, 2024
$30 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
