Tellest: Welcome back Annie!  Thank you so much for coming back to Tellest to let us know all about the adventures you’ve had since we last spoke. You’ve released a new book, The Legend of the Lost Child, which is sure to be a big part of what we talk about, but you’ve also been around the block, doing the rounds to spread the words about your series.  I’m sure this is going to be an interesting interview for both readers, and for contemporary fantasy writers who want to know what they can do to make sure they take off running.  I’m looking forward to catching up!

Annie O’Connell: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me again. It is always such a pleasure catching up with you!

T: Let’s start off by seeing how you’ve been since last we spoke.  In August, The Lunar Codex was our focus, and The Legend of the Lost Child was on the horizon.  Now that they’re both released, how did you feel about the launch of your new book, and how did it affect your first book?

AO: The second book allowed me to have far more control over it, which allowed me to release it on my schedule and not guessing when it was going to happen. This helped tremendously in reducing my stress level. My goal was to hype up as much as possible through October and I hired someone to help me create some great short videos to peak interest. I was also getting my ads prepared and contacting book groups to spread the word on the release. It seemed all my hard work paid off because on release day the book sky-rocketed to #1 in Children’s Paranormal, Occult and Supernatural Books where it held steady for three weeks!

T: So, let’s follow up on that.  What do you think you did that caught the attention of readers?  What marketing strategies seemed to work for you in order to drive up those numbers?  Were the videos the driving force, or the ads, or just hitting the pavement and getting word of mouth?  Or was it a combination of everything that needed to blend and come together as a part of your plan?

AO: There was so much done, but I think all of our efforts on Facebook and Instagram were the biggest drives. Between consistent posting—and not all book related—to keep people engaged, mixed with boosting certain posts and sharing them to my page helped tremendously to get a buzz going. During this time, I had also set up close to fifty ARC (advanced reader copies) readers through Fiverr, previous readers and other book tours. The week of the release I had a few orders out with Book Raid, Book Barbarian, Robin Reads, BookBub, Reedsy, Written Words Media, FreeBooksy, BargainBooksy, and Just Kindle Books with some extending through the month of November. All the nurturing helped as my numbers grew on Goodreads and I have close to 100 books on bookshelves and to be read for each book and stayed in the top 100 for one category for close to a month on Amazon.

I recently started working with Story Origin and am very excited by all they offer but cannot give specific examples as I have not had a chance to really dip my toes into the water with them yet.

T: For writers who want to follow in your footsteps, what sort of thing would you want to prepare them for when it comes to such a massive rollout like that.  It’s no small feat to do all the work to set all that up.  But it’s also likely not cheap.  Do you think you’ve made your money back at this point?  If not, would you still call it a success to get out in front of as many people as you have and really elevate your brand to the view of more of the public?

AO: The biggest thing to keep in mind is planning. Initially, I thought that I would just write a book, put it out and readers would find it and I wouldn’t have to do much more than that. Book one showed me just how wrong that thinking is. There are hundreds of books being uploaded on Amazon daily and you will need to do something to stand out if you plan on being seen. As I was finishing the book and preparing to send it to be edited, and book cover design, I started creating my schedule for my book launch over the upcoming month.

In reference to the second part of the question, no. I have not made my money back, but I am approaching it. I have a second stream of income that allows me a bit more flexibility with my testing. With Book three, I will remove things that were not as lucrative as I would have wanted and keep what helped. You will need to set up a budget and know ahead of time what you can and cannot do.

T: For readers who may not have read our first interview, how would you best explain what happened in Lunar Codex, and tee up The Legend of the Lost Child to tell them what they can expect without spoiling too much?

AO: The Lunar Codex was where we met our small little cast of characters, mainly focusing on my lead, Jace, and his friends, Marcus, Izzie, and Brian. It is a coming-of-age story with a fantasy twist about 14-year-old Jace who was orphaned at three years old and adopted by his aunt and uncle.

After frequent relocations, his most recent move to Williston leaves him hopeful that this will be his permanent home. He quickly makes friends, and he seems to be getting everything he has always wanted when a supernatural turn of events completely flips his life upside down. Jace is thrust down a new path of discovery where he needs to abandon everything he ever knew, while avoiding a danger that had been lurking in the shadows this whole time.

In The Legend of the Lost Child (LOLC) we pick up pretty much where book one ended. Jace is being separated from his friends and being relocated again to help him determine who he is and how he fits into the world of the supernatural. With newfound abilities, he is hoping to make new friends, discover all he can do and bond with his new family.

Unfortunately, he quickly learns that he needs to be in a constant vigil against those that are looking to bring harm to him, his friends, and his family. It seems that his presence has awoken many supernatural beings’ curiosity in this impossible witch-werewolf hybrid, forcing Jace to quickly learn to master his abilities so he can protect himself, his family, and his new home.

T: How far in advance did you know the happenings of LOLC?  Did you know what was going to transpire before you even turned your first page in The Lunar Codex, or did things slowly start to fill out as you made your way through the first book?

AO: (Laughs) I had found a meme about plotting and it explains my writing so well. My Type A personality begs for me to be in the top box, but my characters tend to run amuck with me chasing them and trying to keep up with where the story went. Although this way can be frustrating at times, I find many of my happy epiphanies occur while doing a data dump and then polishing it later. While I drive, I also run story lines and plots through my head and keep a voice recorder with me to catch any great ideas. Many of these ideas are also run past a teacher that I had as a child and reconnected with a few years ago. She tends to be the one I allow to read first and then take her points and adjust as needed. She was my music teacher as a child and is the person I mention in my dedication page.

T: What is it like sort of reconnecting with your mentor from so long ago on new projects?  Obviously, you’ve grown quite a bit, and put together a life that’s very different than when you were a child.  Do you still have a healthy appreciation and respect for their opinion?  Or are you on equal ground now, and is there more give and take?

AO: I always had a strong respect for her as a teacher and loved her class (music and band). As a child I trusted her opinion as she guided me and that has held true after we reconnected. She is an amazing person and as an adult I have been given the opportunity to meet her in a completely different way and form a stronger relationship. I have learned about her childhood and her family and hope to visit her at some point at her house in Virginia. Actually, it’s an amazing thing to experience. Over the years, I have run across other teachers I have had, but have never been able to reconnect on this type of level. I now count her as a very dear friend.

T: Were there any plans you made ahead of developing The Legend of the Lost Child, or any kind of goals that you had set for yourself about what kind of things to nail down within the prose itself?  It feels very much like you already had a winning formula with the first book, and you polished everything with the second book.

AO: The Lunar Codex was the first book I wrote and was a steep learning curve. I read all the reviews and one of the biggest critiques was pacing at points, so my goal was to keep the action going from start to finish. After reading many of the reviews from book two, it seems that I was successful in keeping Jace, and the reader, constantly in motion with twists and turns galore!

T: When it comes to driving that pace forward, what did you find to be the most effective way of seeing it through to its end?  Did adjusting chapter length help, or was it something along the lines of figuring out how to connect one thread of action to the next that made the most sense?

AO: The Lunar Codex was the first book I had ever written, and I was feeling my way through it. Although I felt much of the beginning of the book was necessary to explain what happened later, I can see how some felt that it dragged on and didn’t have as much overt magic happening in the beginning. At the completion of the series, I want to go back and beef up book one a bit. Taking into consideration that many people felt it dragged, I tried to keep every chapter packed with drama or action. I beat poor Jace up pretty bad in this one but received a lot of happy reviews because of it.

T: When it comes to putting your characters through the wringer, is there a certain amount of pain that you can stomach for them?  Or are there no lengths to which you won’t go to tell the story?

AO: My characters have shown themselves to be resilient, so I enjoy pushing the envelope on how much they must experience. It also helps to keep my creative juices going on trying to figure out how to get them out of the situations I put them in. There have been scenes that I have read back over and winced at what they were going through but kept it going because I knew it made for better story telling. If everything was easy for them, what would be the point of reading it? So, no. I don’t think there is any length I would not go with them as long as it made for a good story and kept it safe within my audience group of young adults.

T: Your characters and your setting were among two of the things that really drew readers into your work and turned them into fans.  In this new book, have you experienced that same feeling of excitement?  Are there any new characters that your readers have been drawn to?

AO: I had so much fun with this book because it was focused on a mythical location called Emerald Creek. This allowed me complete freedom to create it however I wanted to. Along with creating this new area, I needed to fill it with new characters, of which there are plenty. It was a little daunting at times keeping track of everyone, but I’m quite pleased with how things turned out. I could see the town in my head and enjoyed moving through it with the characters.

T: With growing worlds, do you do anything to prepare yourself for tracking?  Do you document things in a spreadsheet or have something like a world bible?

AO:  Yes! After awhile I realized that I was approaching over fifty characters that I needed to keep track of as well as various locations within Emerald Creek. Trying to keep track of all the minute details of each was becoming harder and harder – who had green eyes, who had gold, what power did this one have versus another, etc. Currently, I write in Dabble. It allows me to write without being distracted by a ton of “stuff” around the edges and keeps track of my word count for the day and the project. I can also set goals and it helps to keep me on track with my writing. Another benefit is it being available on the cloud, so I can just log-in from any computer and continue where I left off. When I first started writing The Lunar Codex, I had used a different program, but found it was too jam-packed and I was getting overwhelmed. Plus, I could only access it on my laptop.

My character bibles, world bibles and plot are stored in a program called Plottr. In here, I can create an outline, using different templates from the ‘Snowflake Method’ to ‘Save the Cat.’ I started using the snowflake method and found it the easiest when I started out, but then started adding in save the cat method to beef up my work while using tried and true methods of writing. If you have never heard of these, I recommend looking them up and using them in your work.

T: One of the things a writer needs to do in order to find success after publishing is maintaining a presence.  It’s a very hard thing to do, especially when all you want to do is write until your brain is fried sometimes.  But you’ve been going at the marketing side of things with consistency and determination.  How do you keep yourself focused on that side of the mission, and where have you seen your best results?  What big changes have you made to your website and your social media to prepare for the new book, and to keep ahead of the rapid rush of other stories that crowd your space?

AO: It is a very difficult thing to keep on top of, and to help, I hired someone to assist me. He’s keeping my social media flowing while I keep on top of ads and book marketing with various sites. I have been working with my VA (virtual assistant) for six months now and we have a pretty good flow at this point. At the beginning of the month, we determine what our goal is and then work towards it. In October it was to gain interest in book two, so my social media and website were all about that. Now it is just keeping people engaged on my social media as I shift gears more towards writing again.

As I go on, I realize that writing and being an author is like dealing with a living breathing organism. If you don’t feed it and take care of it, it dies, and I don’t want my books to die out!

T: When it comes to the virtual assistant, is that something you would recommend to most other indie authors?  Or is that something that you really need to commit to, and you need to have the investment capital to make it work?

AO: You can be as committed as you want to be. Whether it is hiring one for a single project or for a more dedicated VA, there are options for both. Once you decide on that, you can move forward. I would recommend going with project-by-project specific needs and then move onto a more dedicated one as you grow. My VA, Cent, runs my social media and website. I enjoy both, but they are very time consuming, and I would rather be writing. He runs all the posts past me first but is getting to the point that he knows what I like and what I don’t.

T: Have there been any marketing measures that you’ve taken that you felt really worked well, that you might recommend to other storytellers who are ready to take their outreach to the next level?

AO: My most lucrative marketing was working with other sites like Written Words Media, Book Bub, Robin Reads, Book Barbarian, Fussy Librarian, Book Cave, Booksie and many others. They have the reach that I don’t have yet, so it made sense to leverage these options, most being relatively inexpensive.

T: Now that you have two books out, do you plan on marketing the two entries in a sort of zigzag pattern?  What do you think would be the sweet spot for marketing?  Is it an every month sort of thing, or are you going to space things out further than that.

AO: I have noticed a dramatic drop off when I don’t have ads running or help with some of the bigger pushes, so monthly pushes are likely going to be necessary. I am testing out the ones that have worked the best and will likely rotate through them at the very least monthly.

T: Is there anything that you’ve wanted to try from a marketing perspective that you haven’t yet played with?

AO: LOL, TikTok. I know that platform is huge, but I haven’t used it in my personal life yet, so trying to dive into it in my business life is a bit daunting. Maybe in the New Year I will gain the courage to start posting more often there. I hear it’s the wave of the future for authors!

T: From someone who is aware in a cursory way about BookTok, it does seem like the way to go.  I’ve not tried it myself, but I do know there are plenty of people who swear by it, but just like everything, it needs some research.

AO: Research is key whenever starting something new. The last thing you want to do is dedicate hours to something that won’t work. Cent, my VA, has been working through that and cultivating a plan with me as well as testing a few videos to see what works and what doesn’t. (Again, another great use of a VA!)

T: You’ll have to let me know how it works out.  Perhaps we’ll ask this question again when your third book hits shelves.

T: We’re really jumping the gun here, since you’ve just released your second book, but I’m sure readers are going to be interested in knowing when the third is going to drop.  Do you have a release window planned for that yet?  What secrets can you reveal about that book ahead of time?

AO: My goal is to have the book released early 2023 and am playing with a few titles, but the one that seems to be sticking so far is “The League of Lunar Witches.” This has been a more challenging write because my characters have been scattered all over the place. Before I can bring them back together, there will be different points of view throughout this book, after being implemented at the end of book two.

My original four have grown to include plus or minus thirteen and now they have many different dilemmas to deal with. How will they protect Emerald Creek from the approaching danger? How will they get their lost friends back in one piece? Do they have more to worry about within Emerald Creek than they first thought? Will these battles bring more attention to Jace, and will he be prepared?

You’ll have to wait and see in Book Three!

T: Does it suffer from becoming an ensemble, or do you think it gives it a chance to grow even further?  While the second book has a string of action sequences that keep up the pace, is it even possible to keep that up with such a huge cast of characters?

AO: Yes, I believe so. As I am already working on book three now, having such a large pool to work with, it helps in giving me more avenues to follow down. In the same respect, it can be difficult because you don’t want to overshadow other characters that were more prominent in other books. This is where the character and world bibles come in so handy. I also have a word document that keeps track of each character and where I left them, so I don’t have to reread chapters to keep up with their last location and actions. In book three, some of my characters have been separated, and I have found that writing one person’s journey and then going back to the other has been helpful. It’s a bit of a balancing act, but I’m loving the challenge!

T: Do you ever sort of leave threads open to possibly explore as well?  It’s one thing to pay attention to the characters and where you left them, but if you’re talking about lore in passing, are you keyed in to make sure that it has a potential to pay off later?  And in that same vein, are some threads meant to fray and disappear, like red herrings?

AO: Much of my detail working is done when I am driving. I think through where I left my characters off and then what is coming up or what needs to happen next. Then I go through a “what if” series of scenarios trying to see what has the most potential for a shocking twist. Book three and four will have quite a few of these with a splintering effect that comes from it. Although I don’t have the entire series flushed out, I have the skeleton along with the general direction I want to head. The only thing I know is how it will all end. Having that in mind, I have something that I am always heading toward, which helps to keep me moving and motivated.

T: Annie, thank you for coming back and working with me again to try and tell readers about your stories, and what you’ve got going on in your life.  If you wouldn’t mind, could you please tell us one more time where fans could go to find out more about you and the Codex Chronicles?

AO: Absolutely! It’s been a pleasure working with you as well! I will give you the links to where you can find me and my books. I look forward to discussing the next installment of the Codex Chronicles! Happy Holidays to you and your readers.

Amazon as Kindle, paperback, and audio

Barnes and Noble as Nook, paperback, hardcover

Barnes and Noble as audiobook

Kobo as E-reader

Google Play as audiobook

Chirpbooks as audiobook

Storytel as audiobook

My website

My linktree where I constantly update my information

Once again, I’d like to thank Annie O’Connell for being such a wonderful guest, and for showing both readers and other writers what it takes to make a big splash in the world of self-publishing.  She’s already made great strides, and it’s exciting to think about how far she’ll go, and how fast she’ll get there.  O’Connell has released two books so far: The outstanding debut, The Lunar Codex, and a wonderful follow-up in The Legend of the Lost Child.  Check out both of them on Amazon today!

The post Interview with Annie O’Connell: The Return appeared first on Tellest.

When we first talked about Annie O’Connell’s debut, The Lunar Codex, we were impressed with its enjoyable characters, its lively world, and the way that the author built the story to be shamelessly addicting.  Now the sequel is here, and The Legend of the Lost Child is another fast-paced paranormal fantasy in line with True Blood or Teen Wolf, and O’Connell certainly continues to tell the tale with incredible cinematic flair.  Though a tremendous amount of work went into the first book in making Jace and the supporting characters appear dynamic, the author makes certain that the journey, both in the world, and inward, did not stop there.  It is compelling seeing these characters continue to grow.  O’Connell adds extra oomph to everything, ensuring that the sequel feels bigger and better in every way.

Life has never been easy for Jace, but things have quickly become more complicated.

With a new family and new name, he is returning to the home he had when he was three years old. After learning he is being hunted, he knows his survival requires him to learn to control his newfound powers at an accelerated rate. Feeling like an outsider in what he hoped would be his forever home, Jace finds himself desperately trying to figure out where he truly belongs.

Jace quickly learns that his impossible witch-werewolf hybrid presence has awoken the curiosity of many supernaturals. After a series of attacks, he realizes the stakes are even higher. Jace must discern who is friend and who is foe.

Failure could mean death for him, his family, and his friends.

The author recounts the story of the first book without being heavy-handed, ensuring that even if readers come to the story late, they can pick up from this one.  And just because the characters found some measure of success in the first book, that doesn’t mean that there are no stakes here, as readers will always wonder and worry about what might be coming around the corner.  O’Connell has been a tremendous force of urban fantasy content, and she’s fallen into a rhythm here that will no doubt hook even more readers as she continues her journey into the culture of these books.  A new release is not far from sight, so now is a great time to pick up this book (and it’s predecessor).  Check out The Legend of the Lost Child: Book Two of the Codex Chronicles on Amazon today, while it’s only 99 cents!

The post Urban Fantasy Promo – The Legend of the Lost Child: Book Two of the Codex Chronicles appeared first on Tellest.

Tellest: Hello Annie!  Thank you for taking the time to talk to me during all the other work that you’re doing for your books.  You’re writing a lot these days and working on the marketing side of things consistently as well.  I always find it very humbling to have someone carve out some of that narrow amount of time to discuss themselves and their passions.  I’m eager to show new readers why they should be on the lookout for you and your books!

Annie O’Connell: Thank you so much for taking the time out to learn more about me and my writing! I have always been a fan of fantasy and the supernatural. As a child, my parents always told me that I had a vivid imagination and would act out scenes with my toys for hours on end. So, I guess, this has been decades in the making.

My first book, The Lunar Codex, is a coming-of-age story with a fantasy twist about a fourteen-year-old boy named Jace that was orphaned at 3 years old. He was adopted by his aunt and uncle and spent the next twelve years moving quite a bit because of his uncle’s job.

When we meet back up with him, he is moving to a new location, and is hopeful this will be his permanent home. He quickly makes friends and seems to be getting everything he has always wanted when a supernatural turn of events completely flips his life upside down. He is thrust down a new path of discovery where he needs to abandon everything he has known, while avoiding a danger that has been lurking in the shadows this whole time.

T: One of my first stops on the road of these interviews is at the place where I can discover the inspiration of the writing journey.  I know that you were a big fan of the fantasy genre and would listen to them on road trips.  Were there any particular authors or stories that had you thinking that you could cut your teeth on storytelling?

AO: I am an avid “reader” of audiobooks and have an extensive library. Some of my favorite authors are McKenzie Hunter, Cassandra Clare, Patricia Briggs, Nalini Singh, Deborah Harkness, Kelley Armstrong, and Diana Gabaldon. Typically, once I start one of their series, I am invested until the end and will binge every chance I get.

In my own writing, I think I have a flavor from each of them sprinkled in somewhere. For instance, my main character Jace has a mental connection with his friends that he accidentally created. When he is contacting them, he sees their attachment as ribbons of color protruding from his chest. Patricia Briggs’s character Mercy Thompson sees similar ties, but she recognizes them as strings of garland. Nalini Singh and Patricia Briggs also opened my eyes to the possibility of there being other types of shape shifters and not just wolves. It was like having a whole new realm of possibilities unlocked.

T: Shifter fantasy has been very popular for a while, and it has a great deal of perseverance as a subgenre of contemporary fantasy.  The market can be saturated with books of this nature, but yours seems to stand out from the crowd, as far as the reviews go.  What do you think it is about your book that breathes new life into these sorts of stories?

AO: Although it is a book related to shifters, my main goal was the relationships between each of the characters. For most people that have read it, they have said they enjoyed the friendships and interfamily and intrafamily dynamics. I think we can all find a little bit of each character within ourselves, which makes it easier to fall into the story and get lost.

T: You released your book at a time where one of the most popular television shows focuses on preteens and teens dealing with insane phenomena, but it’s likely it would not have worked out the way it had without the connection between the characters and the actors.  How do you create something that’s compelling for a reader, and which feels grounded and real and earned?

AO: It’s funny you should ask that. One of the places I took inspiration from was television shows like Vampire Diaries, Shadow Hunters and Teen Wolf. There is a definite pattern to each show and once I saw it, I tried to adapt it into my writing. I think people want to have supernatural powers but are comfortable in their current life. It’s hard to imagine a future too far out or a past too long gone. Keeping it in a contemporary timeline, the reader and viewers can actually picture themselves in the roles next to their favorite character(s), which makes the book or show more enjoyable.

T: Everyone has something that they’re most proud of when it comes to their creative endeavors.  If someone were to ask you right now what your favorite thing about the Codex Chronicles was, what would you tell them?

AO: Wow. That’s a tough question. There are so many aspects of the books that I love, but if I had to pinpoint one, I would have to say the relationships that I developed with my characters. Particularly the friendships between the teens. I really enjoy their banter and camaraderie they have established.

T: Your characters are indeed a standout part of The Lunar Codex.  A cast of interesting characters can make or break a story, but you’ve injected Williston with interesting folks from one end to the other.  How much of the town did you know about before the story started to unfold?

AO: Funny enough, I have never been to Williston, although I want to go because of the book. Although, when I was younger, I lived about forty-five minutes south of the town.

As I was doing my research for the location of the Lunar Codex, I went back and forth on using a real location versus a fake one. My ultimate decision came when I found the Blue Grotto. From there, I started looking through pictures of the town and it reminded me of the area I grew up in. A few of the locations in Williston, including the school, are based on real locations where I used to live. Others are based on places I know of now. For instance, the interior design of Burgerporium is modeled after Roll-N-Roaster in Brooklyn, NY. (If you are ever in the area, you should stop by!). The remainder are completely fictional.

T: Florida is a busy place, but Williston has a very small-town feel (both in real life, and in your story). Was it an easy decision to establish your story in a sleepier feeling town—especially when you’re living in another place that’s known for its hustle and bustle?

AO: I have always been drawn to a quieter type of environment. The area I live in now is a quiet suburb town on the outskirts of NYC. I can see the NYC skyline from my back deck but am enjoying a slower pace from the outskirts. Although there is so much to see and do in a place like Manhattan, being able to take it slow and just breath is nice as well. In a large City environment, I feel like he might have had too much to deal with. Perhaps in future books, he may venture out into larger cities.

T: Your main character was inspired by your boys.  What do they think about being immortalized, in a way, in a story that you wrote that so many people are enjoying?

AO: That’s a very interesting, and almost terrifying way to think about it. My kids are such a huge part of my life and are pretty awesome people in their own right. So, I would have to say, I love the idea of introducing them to everyone who reads my work.

T: On your website, you mention that the onset of the story came to you when you weren’t exactly expecting it.  I love the image of you running to your computer to get the first thoughts down.  Was that your first “aha” moment when it came to storytelling?

AO: I had actually started writing a medical suspense novel when I was eighteen. The thought was so pervasive, that it woke me up from my sleep and I started writing it. I had made it roughly six chapters in before I slowed down and shelved it. Life took over and it started collecting dust on an external hard drive. Then, Hurricane Sandy hit, and that external hard drive died when it took an unexpected swim in my living room. We tried to save it, but there was nothing we could do. It was gone.

Although it had been years since I worked on it, it felt as though a piece of me had died with the file and I wouldn’t work on anything (writing related) after it. With that being said, I did have a file on my phone and computer with ideas of stories, but life was always too busy to devote any time to it. COVID forced a slowing of things and when I was home, the number of distractions dramatically reduced leaving more time to start and complete the work.

T: Obviously the Codex Chronicles has become a huge part of your life, and that’s going to be where a lot of the focus is.  Does the medical suspense story ever start to creep back into your mind?  Does it ever try to convince you to write for that again?  Or are you firmly of the mind that dead is dead, and that might have been a sign to move on to other projects?

AO: I don’t believe it is totally dead and buried. My creative juices are very caught up with this series right now, as well as a possible spin off series, but I have not completely eliminated the prospect of starting it up again. We’ll just have to see what happens in the future. But nothing is out of the question.

T: While Jace is based on your family, and the foundation of the story was a flash of inspiration at an opportune moment, how did you come up with the rest of plot that unfolds?  It grew into something quite interesting and complex!

AO: I equate my writing to being a transcriber of what I see in my head. There is a rough skeleton of an outline, but as I am writing, the characters will do or say something unexpected, and it pulls the story in a completely different direction. At other times, it is people discussing their thoughts on the plot. My husband was a huge help with this, constantly forcing me to go deeper into the characters and plot line.

A great example of this was my first attempt at the story. Initially, Jace had lived in Williston his whole life. As I continued forward, I felt the pace was not moving the way I wanted it to go and was really struggling to get any kind of momentum. My husband, in passing, had asked me why Jace had to be from the town. That one question helped to open so many doors and fill in so many blanks, progressing the story much better. Now, I had a richer story line with him constantly moving and adding in the tension of Jace feeling alone most of the time. That one switch helped progress into book two where more questions needed to be answered.

T: Does Williston remain the big set piece, or does the scope of the second book expand much farther?  Williston took on almost a personality of its own in your story, and I’m sure your fans grew used to it and enjoyed feeling like a part of it.

AO: Williston is there in spirit, but book two follows Jace to his next destination on his journey. Here, we get to meet a somewhat larger, and broader, cast of characters, mixed in with some of the old. But the main portion of book two occurs in Emerald Creek. Book three will likely be across multiple locations, but it is still in the development stages.

T: What lessons have you learned since beginning your writing journey?  Were there any steps that you would have taken differently, or any challenges that you might have tried to prepare for in another way?

AO: The Lunar Codex is a relaunch after a failed initial launch using a “hybrid publisher.” This type of publishing house gives all the rights to the author, but edits, creates the book cover, and helps with the actual publishing. It was a decent up-front price and at the end, I felt that they did not help the way they said they would and simply took my money. With this relaunch, I did more research and used a different company. I had a much better experience, but still found that I did most of the leg work and decided with book two I would go it alone and not use a publishing company. Although they were expensive learning lessons, they helped to show me what to and not to do. So, I guess, I wouldn’t change the way I went about things in the past.

In life, everything is an opportunity to learn and grow. Sometimes they are expensive and painful mistakes, but they are still important steps. True growth happens when you can look past failures and see them as steppingstones to becoming a better you. Like Thomas Edison said when he invented the lightbulb. “I didn’t fail, I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

T: Your next book looks to be here sooner than people might think.  When do you anticipate having that completed?  Have you added to your team to ensure that things move quicker and smoother than the original release?

AO: Yes, the book is currently with the editor, and I hope to have it back by the end of August. I will re-read through it and then submit my corrections back. The process typically takes about six weeks, in total. While all of this is happening, the cover is currently in design and should be ready within the next two weeks. My goal is to have the book released in October, but may be the end of September, depending on how smoothly things go.

T: How unreal does it feel to be able to race through your stories now?  In a lot of ways, it must seem like you opened the creative floodgates.  Writing one book, after all, is a huge milestone.  But to keep at it is another thing entirely.  And at your pace, you certainly aim to impress!

AO: My father always said, “If you do something you enjoy, you will never work a day in your life.” Writing brings me so much enjoyment, which helps with the speed. When I first started, the thought of completing 50,000 words was so daunting. But after finishing my first book, which was a touch over 120,000 words and now my second, which was just about 130,000 words, I feel confident that I can handle the task without any trouble. I just need my cast of characters to behave long enough to get everything down on paper.

T: That’s always a fun thing that I like to learn about, since everyone’s process is different.  How often do you let your characters off the leash, so to speak?  Do they ever take you in strange directions that you weren’t expecting, or do they know not to tick off their creator?

AO: There are certain characters that tend to go off on fun tangents and I love following where they lead me. Marcus is high up on that list. I love writing for him and find myself laughing at his antics and phrases. I would say that Brian was also a close second with his sarcasm oozing off on him. He tends to be the voice of reason for the group. All in all, just letting your mind run free can open doors that you weren’t expecting. These happy little mistakes can make a scene more enjoyable and lead to more avenues of opportunity.

T: If someone wanted to know more about Annie O’Connell, where would they go?  Do you prefer people to go to your website, or are you more active on a specific social media channel?

AO: I have quite a few places you can find more information on me and my book(s). My website is Annie-OConnell.com. I am also on social media – Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Everyone has told me to create a TicTok channel, which I did, but there really is nothing on it.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCodexChronicles

Instagram: https://instagram.com/Annie_Oconnell_author

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/Annie_Oconnell_author

Café Press site (merchandise): https://www.cafepress.com/lunarcodex

T: Annie, it was wonderful spending time with you, learning about The Lunar Codex and the Codex Chronicles.  I know you’re incredibly busy, so to be able to have some time carved out just to chat and discover more about you and your process has been a lovely experience.  I know readers will enjoy this little behind-the-scenes treat as well.

AO: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule as well. I’m so glad we had this opportunity to discuss my book and look forward to doing it again with the next installment, which is currently with the editor.

Once again, I’d like to thank Annie O’Connell for sharing with us some of her time.  It’s clear that she’s very busy across the board, but she’s been especially persistent and determined when it comes to her book series.  To have the opportunity to talk to her about something so dear to her was something that we at Tellest are very pleased we were able to bring to fantasy fans.  For those who are interested in getting in on the ground floor of Annie’s storytelling adventures, don’t forget to check out THE LUNAR CODEX: Book One of the Codex Chronicles on Amazon today!

The post Interview with Annie O’Connell appeared first on Tellest.

Annie O’Connell is a writer who you would be hard-pressed to guess was brand new on the scene.  The author’s new release, THE LUNAR CODEX: Book One of the Codex Chronicles, draws you in and doesn’t let go.  It’s great fun for young and new adults, but it’s got enough quality content to impress and entertain even older fans of the genre.  O’Connell’s lead is enjoyable to be around, as readers learn about his past alongside him, and the supporting cast of characters, and the town that they inhabit are just as enchanting.  It’s easy to find yourself lost in Williston.

What if everything you knew was a lie?

The night of the car accident changes everything for Jace Northall, leaving him an orphan at three years old.

Fast forward 12 years later, Jace is struggling to survive his teen years. Frequent relocations complicate his life, leaving him feeling lonely and frustrated. After his most recent move, Jace is hopeful they have finally found a place to call home, where he can finally just be a normal kid.

After an adventurous night out with his new friends Marcus and Izzie, Jace learns that there is nothing normal about his life and is left desperately fighting to keep his world together and protect the ones he loves.

Realizing the enemy is closing in, he abandons his old life, searching for answers. With his newfound abilities and the help of his friends, Jace is reborn as the unlikely hero while he journeys to discover who he truly is and how he fits in.

THE LUNAR CODEX doesn’t just feel like a slice of life story that you can put away into a drawer when you’re done.  It feels alive, and you feel like a part of it as you’re unravelling mysteries along Jace.  By the time it wraps up, you’re already hungry for more.  Another book is on the horizon, featuring Jace learning more about how to get to the root of who he is and what he can accomplish, but for now, it’s a great time to get acclimated to the story, the characters, and O’Connell’s great writing.  Check out THE LUNAR CODEX: Book One of the Codex Chronicles on Amazon today!

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