Hello and Welcome everyone!
Today, we have the honor of hosting my favorite author interview with Theresa Van Spankeren. Thank you for joining us, and let's dive into this enriching author interview together!
1) Tell me about yourself.
My name is Theresa Van Spankeren and I live in the suburbs of Chicago with my husband. My day job is at an IT helpdesk for fast food restaurants. I have had an unusual career path which includes working for a tool store and grading standardized tests. I enjoy getting out in nature, but am a bit of a homebody.
2) When did you start writing books? Who inspired you?
I have been writing since I was little, but I completed my first actual book when I was a senior in high school. It’s hard to say who exactly inspired me - I can attribute a love of reading to my parents and grandparents on both sides. However, when it comes to writing - maybe my mom’s short stories were some inspiration? I just remember starting to write a few years after learning to read. Maybe it was the authors themselves that were the inspiration.
3) How many books did you published so far?
I have 5 books published so far in the series: Lost Soul, Pursuit into Darkness, Between Darkness & Light, Fallen Soul, and Soul Redeemed.
4) Do you have a favourite character in your stories?
I can’t say I have a single favorite. There’s a few who have become favorites in the years I have been writing them. Julia and Samuel are favorites for sure - and I can’t count out Matthew. Lane is a unique and fun character to write about - a new favorite, for sure!
5) What makes you write about a book filled with vampires?
I have been fascinated by vampire lore since I read Christopher Pike’s “The Last Vampire/Thirst” series, and my dad introduced me to Fred Saberhagen’s Dracula series. Since then I have read a large variety of vampire stories, each with their own unique worldbuilding and types of vampires. I find vampires to be an interesting metaphor or parallel for the troubles and transformations that occur in real life. It’s a way to explore good and evil - and sometimes that big murky gray area in a different way.
6) As a reader and as a research student I always chose to indulge myself in books that worth my time. I completed five of your books in a short span of time as I can envision the story in my mind as a movie. How did you create such a story? How do you handle writer’s block?
Parts of the first book were based off of X-Files fanfiction I started in high school and a dream. Ideas and plot points come to me, but I don’t put fingers to keyboard (or still at times, a pen to paper) until I can envision certain parts in my head - much like a movie. I allow my characters to lead the way and I try to capture their thoughts and emotions as realistically as possible - even if they are not the narrator of the story.
As for writers block . . . I have a few techniques for this. One is to listen to music - often instrumental - to capture the mood of the scene. Sometimes this can jumpstart ideas or development. I also turn to fellow writers and/or friends familiar with the story to bounce ideas off of. I use them as a sounding board. Occasionally, I just have to relax and let my mind wander. I have solved writer’s block by swimming or just taking a hike.
7) What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
I enjoy swimming and hiking. I also love playing The Legend of Zelda and have probably dedicated more hours than I should to playing! Reading is something I’ve always enjoyed. My husband enjoys hiking as well, and we also like to investigate reported local haunted spots.
8) What's the hardest thing about writing for you?
There’s times where I am unsure where exactly the plot is going and I find myself stuck at times. One of my weaknesses that I’ve gotten better at is describing the surroundings better. Otherwise, the hardest part about writing isn’t the writing. It is the marketing - getting the word out to readers.
9) Are you working on anything new? What would you like to tell your readers?
Yes, I am about to release a side story of the War of Destiny series called “An Ember of Hope” that is from Matthew’s POV. It takes place between books 2 & 3 of the main series and chronicles much of his adventures with the Medici family. It brings insight into the later books as well. It is on pre-order now for 99 cents and is set to release on Aug 9th. The normal price will be $1.99 after the release.
I have also started writing Book 6 of the main series. We are headed towards the final books of the series. The main story will be wrapping up at book 7 or 8 depending on length. There’s a few more side book ideas that I plan to explore, but I don’t have full details yet.
10) What themes or messages do you hope readers take away from your work?
I know my books are darker in nature, but I hope that readers take away the theme that there’s always hope, even in the darkest of situations when there seems to be no way out. I hope they see a little of themselves in the various characters they can identify with - characters that are courageous, that don’t see their own worth, ones that are proud of who they are (most of the time), who are witty. None of my characters are perfect, and they struggle and make mistakes despite their immortal status, and yet they still strive for what they believe is right. I believe people can relate to that.
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