E.G.Foley-Interview and Giveaway with the Author.
The writing team of E.G. Foley has released a brand new middle grade series-THE GRYPHON CHRONICLES with their first installment THE LOST HEIR. The Reading Cafe would like to welcome Eric and Gaelen Foley.
TRC: Hi Eric and Gaelen, and welcome to The Reading Cafe. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourselves?
E&G: First of all, thanks for inviting us today! This is our first official blog visit and we are delighted to be here!
So, ok, getting started, we are a husband-and-wife writing team, writing together as E.G. Foley, and our first book just came out! THE LOST HEIR launches The Gryphon Chronicles, a magical adventure series (with a hint of steampunk!) that takes place in Victorian England. Though this is officially a “Middle Grade” novel, it is written to appeal to a broad readership, including adults.
G. of E.G. Foley also writes as Gaelen Foley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of eighteen historical romance novels set in Regency England (Jane Austen’s era!). Gaelen’s books for grownups, published by Ballantine/Random House and Avon/HarperCollins, have been translated into fifteen languages and have won many genre awards. Romance fans can find out more at gaelenfoley.com. (I have a story in a brand new anthology out this month called Royal Bridesmaids, and my next full length romance, My Scandalous Viscount, hitting the shelves in October.)
E. is a Renaissance man of many interests ranging from carpentry to classical guitar to kenpo karate; however, like many of his students today, he tends to get bored quickly. After eight years of seeing patients as a chiropractor, he got itchy for a change of pace and followed the calling to become a teacher. After earning his Masters in Education, he has been happily teaching math and team problem solving skills to 7th and 8th graders (and occasionally stopping food-fights in the school cafeteria). His philosophy as a teacher is that you can teach kids anything as long as you make it fun, so he is quite experienced at designing material that keeps young people engaged and entertained. He is famous among his students for word problems involving topics like how fast alien space ships can travel, and how many pints of blood vampires need to drink to stay undead. (Hey, whatever it takes!) Although he has been G’s first reader and critique partner for years, THE LOST HEIR is E’s first official foray into writing.
TRC: Many authors and artists are perfectionists, and at times, the process can be frustrating and anxiety ridden. How do the two of you handle the pressure of a deadline?
E&G: It can occasionally get intense, but we keep each other laughing along the way, which helps to keep it FUN. Early on in the process we realized that no part of creating a book was going to be perfect, which is another way we stay sane. Perfectionism is counter-productive anyway. It stops you from any making progress at all, so we try not to go there.
Just like everything else in life, we learned we just have to do our very best you can and keep moving forward. However, when the frustration level runs high, we find that ice-cream helps!!
TRC: How do you handle the pressure of conflicting ideas?
E: With conflicting ideas, I state my opinion, and wait a few minutes. If G disagrees, I give in. Works out well that way! (Hint, Gentleman: it’s the secret to a happy marriage 😉 )
G: He is such an intelligent man, isn’t he?? Ha, ha. Very funny, E. Two words are the key: “Yes, dear.” Just kidding—in reality, he sometimes convinces me he’s right and sometimes I convince him I’m right. It’s a give and take, and we just put our heads together to arrive at the best solutions we can find to any problem.
TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon for many authors. How do you handle the anxiety and stress of writer’s block?
G: I don’t really have a problem with writers block anymore, knock on wood. I had one HUGE bout of that in 2001 and got over it and I’m happy to say, I learned my lesson and haven’t allowed it to happen again since. The trick is to spend some time each week “refilling the well” of creativity with activities that make you happy. It’s important not to overdo it or your enthusiasm and ideas for the writing will run dry.
E: The thing that stops me sometimes on a smaller scale is “life’s little dramas”. Assorted minor aggravations dealing with everyday life. This is why I get up early and get my end of the creative work done before anything else. No radio, TV, telephone calls, or even deep conversations with G to get me off track. Once I’m off track, it’s really hard to get back in creative mode.
TRC: What was the defining moment that led the two of you to co-write this particular series? Is this your first attempt at writing together as a team?
G: Eric is a big reader and in fact has been my first reader and critique partner since I started writing. I can definitely say I would never have made it onto the New York Times list or anywhere near the success I’ve been able to achieve so far without his constant incredible supportiveness. He reads all my stuff as many times as I need to rewrite it, bless the man, and has been helping me work out scenes and twists in my romances for years. (Also helping me with the male point of view.) But this is the first time we built the story idea together from the ground up. I think it’s brought us even closer together.
E: The idea to write together had been in my head for a long time. As a middle school teacher, I’ve read a ton of middle grade books and always felt that G’s writing voice would work perfectly for the genre. So we combined my years of experience working with and understanding this age group with G’s years of experience writing. We are really proud of the finished product.
G: Regarding a “Defining Moment”—I also wanted to add that I knew this project was going to be fun from the first day we started brainstorming the series concept, but I was hesitant because I knew how much work it was going to be. Then I went to a writers’ conference at Disneyworld, and let me tell you, it’s not just the happiest place on earth, I would suggest that there’s no place more inspiring for a children’s author! Going on the Haunted Mansion ride pushed me over the edge to commit to the project. It perfectly captured the mood of what I wanted us to create in this book. After my trip to Disney, I couldn’t WAIT to get home and start working on The Gryphon Chronicles!
TRC: Did you face any challenges working together to co-write the series?
E: Ha! Funny! Try every step of the way. It’s not easy. We sacrificed a lot to bring THE LOST HEIR to life. We spent two years getting to this point without any guarantees that it was going to work. It definitely takes a lot of drive and determination to be successful in this business. Overall, we would say, the biggest challenge has been juggling the two writing careers of Gaelen Foley and E.G. Foley. There is a lot of writing, of course, but there are also a lot of little and not-so-little things that come up that must be done NOW, some things that are not writing at all. And so we get pulled in many directions. There is never enough time in the day.
G: Yes, but having two of us helps because we can divide up the work. Writing can be a lonely business, so having a writing partner is a whole new world for me. 😉
TRC: Gaelen-As a writer of historical romance novels, was it difficult to get into the mindset to write an action/adventure for middle grade versus scandalous romance in historical London?
G: Actually, I welcome the variety in switching back and forth. It’s refreshing to my creativity. When I get stuck in one, I just switch gears and focus on the other! That means I don’t have to waste time spinning my wheels when I hit a wall.
TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with other author, or family and friends. With whom did you bounce ideas?
G: Actually, I have a friend whom I’ve known since our first year published, who is now a #1 NYT Bestseller. We had lunch and I told her about this idea, and she was SO excited for me and said, “This sounds perfect for you!” So I was extremely encouraged, because she’s always been someone who gets my voice.
Family was also extremely encouraging, especially the kids in our clan, and it was great to have them cheering us on.
TRC: What was the process involved with writing THE LOST HEIR, when you were both so highly committed to the same project?
E&G: First, we had many brainstorming sessions out on our patio in the summer of 2010 while Eric was on summer break. During these sessions we did our “world-building” and created the characters, layer by layer. When the cast and settings were starting to gel, then we moved on to outlining the plot. This when through several drafts, then it was time to lay down the first draft, which was G’s job, all the while handing chapters off to E for the second draft. Our method is simply that we just keep passing it back and forth the manuscript went until it’s as good as we can possibly make it.
TRC: THE LOST HEIR is the first book in The Gryphon Chronicles. Would you please tell us about the premise?
E&G: We think the back cover copy says it best:
Strange new talents…
Jake is a scrappy orphaned pickpocket living by his wits on the streets of Victorian London. Lately he’s started seeing ghosts, and discovers he can move solid objects with his mind! He has no idea why. Next thing he knows, a Sinister Gentleman and his minions come hunting him. On the run for his life, Jake is plunged headlong into a mysterious world full of magic and deadly peril. A world that holds the secret to who he really is: the long-lost heir of an aristocratic family—with magical powers! But with treacherous enemies closing in, it will take all of his wily street instincts and the help of his friends—both human and magical— to solve the mystery of what happened to his parents, and defeat the foes who never wanted the Lost Heir of Griffon to be found . . .
TRC: The storyline has a similar feel to the Harry Potter novels with the assortment of mythological creatures and wizardry. Who is the creative mind behind the original series premise?
E&G: Well, Harry is definitely the king of the children’s Fantasy Adventure genre, which is where THE LOST HEIR also falls. This wonderful genre features larger than life action and fantasy creatures, along with a dose of magic and fantasy, and a struggle of good versus evil. We combined this with ghosts and the historical setting of Victorian London, along with some steampunk flavor for a unique new flavor within the genre.
TRC: JAKE AND THE GIANT is the second instalment. Would you please tell us about the premise? Do you have an anticipated release date?
E&G: Jake’s second adventure involves giants, shapeshifters, fierce Viking ghosts, and diverse elements from Norse mythology. It also gives us a chance to explore the wonders of (fictional!) steampunk technology, as it begins at a Victorian science convention where all the great inventors of the 19th century have gathered. Some of them start to go missing and Jake and his pals have to get to the bottom of it—Big Trouble! 😉 We are aiming for February 2013 to release Jake & the Giant, but that could change, give or take a month.
TRC: At the present, you have 3 books scheduled for the series. Do you have any plans to go beyond the original three, or take one of the other characters and write a spin-off?
G: We are hoping to make this into a long series, exact number of books “to be determined.” Readers can expect magical adventures of all kinds, including spooky Halloween stories, occasional Christmas stories as time goes on, and big summer splash adventures on the high seas (mermaids, pirates, anyone?). All four kid characters (Jake, Dani, Archie, and Isabelle) will be a part of all the stories to come. And Teddy the dog, too. *smiles* You will definitely see characters like the fairy Gladwin, the tough guy Guardian Derek Stone, and of course Queen Victoria again.
We have quite a few stories loosely plotted out already, with villains, creatures, magic, and lessons to be learned. However, there are also big overarching struggles built in that our characters must overcome through several books. E is telling me to stop right now! He doesn’t want me to give away too much information so early on in the series. “Zip it” he says!
TRC: Young adult storylines are not just for teens as we see many adults reading the same series. It appears that many of the new middle-grade releases are just as popular with adults as they are with the young teens. What would you like to say to the adult readers who may be interested or wondering about The Gryphon Chronicles?
E&G: If you like to laugh, if you like “family movie” type stories with lots of fantasy and adventure, humor, high stakes, and a big sweeping canvas, if you like accurately done historical settings, and you like to feel a bit like a kid again, give it a try! (The ebook is very affordable, too, at only $4.99. Trade paperback of $14.99 will also be available on August 1.) There are interesting adult characters with a role to play in our story as well as the kid characters, so really there’s something for everyone.
Specifically, I think this story would appeal to adults who enjoyed reading the Harry Potters (though THE LOST HEIR is nowhere near as dark as the later Harry books) as well as textured tales like Inkheart by Cornelia Funke or the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.
TRC: On what are you currently working?
E&G: We are currently passing JAKE AND THE GIANT back and forth – editing, revising, and polishing – and planning the book to come after that (our Halloween 2013 release).
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
E&G:Thank you so much for having us! If your readers would like to come and check out our sample chapters or view our book trailer video, they are welcome to visit us at egfoley.com
Also, for what it’s worth, THE LOST HEIR has been in the Top 5 Bestsellers in Middle Grade for the Nook on Barnes and Noble since its early release there in June. It went as high as #2 for a couple of weeks, which was amazing for us, since it’s only our debut book. Hope you’ll check it out!
TRC: Congratulations!!
LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books
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LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food –
E: Steak & Potatoes
G: Mom’s Meatloaf
Favorite Dessert –
E: Ice cream (BIG SURPRISE!)
G: Chocolate cake!
Favorite TV Show –
E&G: Psych (Sean & Gus crack us up!)
Favorite Movie –
E: Lord of the Rings Trilogy – extended edition
G: Bowfinger with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy (“Welcome to Mindhead…”)
Last Movie you saw –
E&G: Disney’s “Brave”
Dark or Milk Chocolate –
E: All Chocolate
G: Dark!
Do you have any pets? –
E&G: Bingley, our spoiled Bichon Frise, named after Jane Austen’s Mr. Bingley in Pride & Prejudice, of course! Mr. Darcy’s cheerful sidekick.
TRC: We would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best with The Gryphon Chronicles and your writing
careers. We are looking forward to Jake and the Giant.
E&G:Thank You, Sandy! We enjoyed it. Thanks for your time, everyone!
E.G.Foley has graciously offered a giveaway copy of THE LOST HEIR to one lucky member at The Reading Cafe.
1. You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are NOT a member, please register using the log-in at the top of the page, or by using one of the social log-ins.
2. If you are using Twitter or Google etc, please include your email address with your comment. Twitter does not allow for an email address, and that is the only way we are able to contact the potential winner.
3. Contest open to continental USA and Canada only.
4. Contest runs from August 8 to August 11, 2012
