{"id":25784,"date":"2021-09-28T06:30:17","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T10:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=25784"},"modified":"2021-10-01T08:35:05","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T12:35:05","slug":"interview-with-c-a-deegan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/interview-with-c-a-deegan\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with C A Deegan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, Tellest had the good fortune of promoting Fae or Foe<\/em>, the first book in the Cracklock series by author C A Deegan.\u00a0 The author has had his work featured in wonderful anthologies that tread a darker, moodier path, and he brought his considerable talent into play for his first feature length urban fantasy.\u00a0 Recently, we had the opportunity to question him on his storytelling journey, and I\u2019m sure readers will love to hear about it.<\/p>\n

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Tellest:<\/strong> Greetings CA!\u00a0 After doing my research, I think I can say with some conviction that you\u2019re carving out some much-needed free time to answer some questions about yourself and your Cracklock series.\u00a0 With so much going on in your world, I really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you and learn more about what makes you tick.<\/p>\n

C A Deegan:<\/strong> Thanks Tellest!\u00a0 Appreciate you taking the time to talk to me; I know that you\u2019re swamped at the moment \u2013 seems like everybody wants to get your opinion!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> It\u2019s become a staple at this point to ask the following question during my interviews: what was it that inspired you to set off on your writing journey?\u00a0 Did you have any authors who sparked an interest in you, or was there possibly an event that drove you to begin writing?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong> \u00a0The funniest thing.\u00a0 I\u2019ve always read, and have been lucky enough to be selected to beta read for a few authors; going over their works before they publish as an extra set of eyes.\u00a0 That\u2019s really what made me start to wonder if I could do it.\u00a0 Then, in early 2019 I met one of my favourite authors, Ricky Fleet (he writes horror, and he\u2019s damn good!) at Comicon. We\u2019d never met before; always corresponded though and it was great to meet him in person.\u00a0 It was something he said when I floated the idea of perhaps writing one myself.\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t have a go, you\u2019ll never know.\u201d I\u2019d had the idea for the Cracklocks in all but name for a number of years, so I dipped my toe in with a couple of shorts that were relatively well received.<\/p>\n

It was in May 2019 that I started tentatively drafting the story arc. Then tried to write. It was like \u2018the little engine who could\u2019 to be honest. Took a while to get into the swing of it, but I am so pleased I did, because now I can\u2019t stop!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> Now that you\u2019ve got your own book out there, have you asked or considered asking any of the authors that you beta read for to take a peek at your work as well?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 I did just that.\u00a0 I have a few friends who are authors, and a couple gave me great feedback and pointers on what worked and what didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Invaluable advice comes from battle hardened authors; if you can get it, take it!\u00a0 They\u2019ve trod the same road after all.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> When it comes to your storytelling and writing, what was the best advice you believe you received, other than \u201cif you don\u2019t have a go\u201d?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Get a decent cover!\u00a0 It\u2019s the first thing that draws the eye of any casual browser, so it has to be enough to make them think, \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s the one thing you shouldn\u2019t scrimp on. And then if you can afford it, get a decent editor as well. They will see things that you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> You mention on your website that you had originally read about the fae to your daughter when she was younger.\u00a0 Now that your first feature length fantasy is out, what does she think of the new tales you tell?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 She\u2019s pretty thrilled, I think; I don\u2019t speak teenager so well, but fairly sure the grunts were positive, and she\u2019s certainly shared the website about. J\u00a0 She\u2019s not a massive reader, but I picked her brains during Book 1 and 2 for what would work.\u00a0 The book only launched this week and she\u2019s stolen my author copy to read in full now its finally done.\u00a0 And one of the Characters in Book 3, Alice and the Mirror Glass, is very much based on her.\u00a0 Her friends are talking about that!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> It\u2019s got to be pretty exciting to know definitively that you\u2019re the inspiration for the character in a storybook.\u00a0 Have you already had her friends pleading and begging to be conceptualized in fiction as well?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh yes!\u00a0 As well as friends who had no idea what I was up to with my writing.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had a number of requests to be added; I may well run a competition to add someone in to make it fair.\u00a0 They can have a choice of whether they\u2019re a good or bad guy I think.\u00a0 Who doesn\u2019t want to be the bad guy sometimes!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> That sounds like an awesome contest to run to try and engage with your audience more, and to maybe sway those people who are on the fence.\u00a0 Or you could wrap it into a Kickstarter and make it a higher pledge level or something along those lines.<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 I agree.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be looking into this for Book Five, as I need a few more characters for that.\u00a0 Wonder how people will react to having their names adapted to Fae ones? Guess I\u2019ll find out!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> While some of the action in your book takes place on Earth, you\u2019ve created your own interpretation of another world in Faery, where the fae hail from.\u00a0 Certainly, there\u2019s a lot of lore and folklore to draw from, but you\u2019ve also made it distinctly your own.\u00a0 What was the process like working to conceptualize such a place?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Not so tough if I\u2019m honest.\u00a0 I had a smattering of knowledge from those awful books I had to read before, and did quite a lot of research (my bookshelves are crammed with Faery lore books now). It was then a case of finding things that met with what I had in my head and the story arc.\u00a0 My interpretation of Faery (or Tir na Nog if you\u2019d prefer) is different from others, I know, but it\u2019s how I see the place \u2013 not unlike our own little realm. I have notebooks with the ideas and descriptions written down (funny how they arrive; not always welcome at 3 am it has to be said!) which I then used to build on. I always knew what the Fae looked like, and I was lucky enough to find Kristy at Midnight Coffee (https:\/\/midnightcoffee.co.uk\/<\/a>) who helped me bring them all to life.\u00a0 She\u2019s a damn good illustrator!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> I will say right here, you\u2019ve got a load of interesting and compelling art on your website.\u00a0 Now that you\u2019ve dipped your toe into the art commission pool, I\u2019m afraid you might be lost to it.\u00a0 Before you know it, you\u2019ll have hundreds of pieces on your website that show off Faery and your characters!<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Too right; I already am!\u00a0 The way the art is working on the site is that I will add it as relevant characters are revealed in the series.\u00a0 I have artwork ready to go when Book 2 drops which will be added and I\u2019ll put it on the social media sites as well.\u00a0 Really pleased with the stuff that\u2019s got to go on; I was itching to post it all at once, but I made myself stop! I do need a bespoke piece doing, so if anyone reading this has any skills in that area, please get in touch; I haven\u2019t found the right artist for that one yet.\u00a0 It\u2019s a particular kind of Fae that I need fleshing out.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> When you\u2019re building up your commissioned art portfolio, where do you typically go to find new collaborators?\u00a0 Are you on DeviantArt or ArtStation?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 I Google and use Fiverr for some works when Kristy can\u2019t do them.\u00a0 I also have Shutterstock as well.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t heard of DeviantArt before; just had a look and will be certainly interested in taking a proper look for what I need.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> The Cracklock series looks to be currently planned out for four books (at least as shown on your website).\u00a0 The world is also big enough to cast out beyond what you might know so far.\u00a0 Do you think you\u2019ll stop at four, or is it a possibility that you\u2019ll extend beyond Dire Sorrows<\/em>?\u00a0 Any thoughts about spinoffs or prequels?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Nope!\u00a0 Four is where I am up to now<\/em> (actually about 15K words off finishing Dire Sorrows).\u00a0 I don\u2019t plan to drag the series out, but there\u2019s at least another two books in that series I need to do to finish the story arc. And as for the spin-offs, definitely.\u00a0 I have drafted most of Elsie\u2019s backstory already, and I want to cover off some of the other characters as well.\u00a0 Also, I have plans for a new series, featuring Tobias \u2013 he\u2019s a Cracklock who turned from the \u2018dark side\u2019 to help his fellow man.\u00a0 He hunts dark Fae.\u00a0 That series will be darker than the current series I think; certainly what I have sketched out I may have to tweak a little for the market.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> Faery, Tir na Nog, the Otherworld\u2014it\u2019s usually seen as a kind of glimpse into the faerie realm.\u00a0 But with your series, you get to explore it in greater breadth than most.\u00a0 When you visualize Faery, is it kind of like an overlay of our world, is it a small pocket, or is it greater than most imagine?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Greater than most imagine, it has to be said.\u00a0 I\u2019ve barely scratched the surface with Faery so far.\u00a0 It\u2019s an entirely different realm (and sub-realms!) altogether, although it does have some commonalities with our own.\u00a0 And a lot of differences (example, the Fae don\u2019t know what a toilet roll is\u2026make you wonder, eh?!).\u00a0 I\u2019ve tried to stay true to general beliefs as much as I can, as I am aware that there are good folk out there with a great deal more knowledge of it than me but I have added my own twist.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> With a growing world that has many sub-realms, what tools do you use to keep up with all your details?\u00a0 Are you using Scrivener or World Anvil or anything like that?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong> I use Word and the full Grammarly Pack to write with.\u00a0 For the details side, I\u2019m pretty old fashioned it has to be said.\u00a0 I\u2019m a \u201cleather bound notebook\u201d type of guy; I have set sections where ideas get jotted down and it\u2019s the easiest way to reference stuff I find.\u00a0 I have electronic files and spreadsheets as well, but my notebooks are the \u2018go to\u2019 when I can\u2019t remember a specific detail.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard good things about Scrivener but never took the leap.\u00a0 If it ain\u2019t broken, don\u2019t fix it I think!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> Your earlier published works include several more frightening tales in some horror anthologies.\u00a0 How did the work on those stories help you to prepare for something like the Cracklock series, which has its own bit of darkness to it?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019ve always been a horror fan, and there are elements of that in the Cracklock series. I\u2019ve tried very hard to keep from going too hard core into horror with the books, as I knew what I wanted it to look like.\u00a0 I think (hope!) I\u2019ve got the balance right. Doing short stories is a great way to flex your writing skills, and for me was very rewarding.\u00a0 It was in one of those shorts, \u2018Bluebells\u2019 that Tobias popped in to say hello.\u00a0 From completely out of nowhere, I suddenly knew what he looked like, how he acted and most of his past; guess he must have been lurking in my subconscious for quite a while.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t debut in the current series until Book 4, but I have everything I need for his development.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> When characters and situations show up for you, do you think you\u2019re helping to unearth them, as though they were always there, and are using you as an instrument to have their stories told?\u00a0 Or in your case, are you the creator, and you\u2019ve willed them into being?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Great question!\u00a0 The truth is, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Writers all fall somewhere along the line of Plotter to Pantser I think it\u2019s fair to say, and I am no different.\u00a0 I have the story plotted out, but ideas come to me as I write and in they go. All part of the journey; I get my ideas mainly whilst I\u2019m out walking the dog.\u00a0 I would love to think though that they were always there waiting to be put onto the page\u2026I\u2019m an old romantic at heart!<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> You\u2019ve been writing and publishing for a while now.\u00a0 What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out on their storytelling journey?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 The advice that I got – \u201cIf you don\u2019t have a go, you\u2019ll never know.\u201d Just write! Have the confidence to do it, get it down and see what you’ve got.\u00a0 You’ll look at it and think ‘trash’. Every writer does.\u00a0 But don’t stop.\u00a0 Fix the bits you don’t like, and have another look.\u00a0 You’ll think ‘Yeah, this is alright.’\u00a0 Then you’ll agonise about getting someone else to read it, but do that –\u00a0 a friend or family member and ask their opinion.\u00a0 But pick the right person; Great Aunt Elsie (blatant plug!) isn’t going to want to read your erotic space romp, and your mates ten year old isn’t the best target audience for your serial killer scribbles.<\/p>\n

While you’re doing all this writing and editing, try and stick a little bit of money away.\u00a0 Regardless of which way you go, you’re going to have to think about more editing, and whether you do this yourself with willing beta readers, software or employ someone, it will cost a little, though there are ways of minimising it.\u00a0 This is all part of the journey, and I’m happy to share the good and bad decisions that I made if anybody wants to know!<\/p>\n

Finally, don’t worry too much about how you will publish at first. You need something good to publish after all.\u00a0 You will have a choice to make about this eventually – traditional publishing, self-publishing or a hybrid publisher.\u00a0 Those are journeys of their own.<\/p>\n

Summing up, believe in yourself. Not everyone has the guts to do what you\u2019re doing, although more people than you think would like to try it.<\/p>\n

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T:<\/strong> And now that we\u2019ve seen one side of the coin, let\u2019s look to the other.\u00a0 What challenges did you face when you started this journey\u2014whether it was on the writing side, or the marketing side.\u00a0 What were some of those bad decisions you think you made?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 Marketing; that\u2019s my bugbear.\u00a0 I did originally want to go down the traditional route of having the book published, but I got fed up of never receiving replies back when you spend a long time writing to agents and publishers.\u00a0 Those guys are really busy. My main mistake was not pre-marketing.\u00a0 I was wary of this, as I hadn\u2019t set up any of the social media or website, because I didn\u2019t have the content.\u00a0 I am going to try and fix this for the next few books; seeing if people want to be ARC readers (advance reader copies) in return for fair reviews (get in touch if you do!).\u00a0 That is the main mistake I made I think; starting marketing from the get-go.\u00a0 I think I did everything else okay; I edited using both judgement and software, got it beta read, fixed it again then got it properly line edited.\u00a0 Got a professional cover done. It was certainly a learning curve!<\/p>\n

T:<\/strong> CA, I want to thank you once again for taking the time to work with me while you\u2019re working on other projects.\u00a0 I know your time is valuable, so I really appreciate you sharing it.<\/p>\n

If someone reading this article wanted to know where they could find out more about you and your books, where would it be?<\/p>\n

CAD:<\/strong>\u00a0 It was a pleasure to talk with you Tellest; many thanks for taking the time yourself. Anybody who wants to find out more about the Cracklock Series and Faery itself should head on over to www.thecracklocksaga.com<\/a> where there\u2019s plenty to see.\u00a0 We\u2019re on Facebook (TheCracklockSaga), Twitter (@CracklockSaga) and the books themselves are on Amazon at<\/p>\n

USA:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B09G9RNMMS<\/a><\/p>\n

UK:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/dp\/B09G9RNMMS<\/a><\/p>\n

AUS: https:\/\/www.amazon.com.au\/dp\/B09G9RNMMS<\/a><\/p>\n

CA: https:\/\/www.amazon.ca\/dp\/B09G9RNMMS<\/a><\/p>\n

You can access them from the Cracklock Saga website if you want.\u00a0 I\u2019d invite anyone interested to become a Lockhead at the site for news of giveaways and prizes plus updates on the Cracklock World. And please do follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more of the same.\u00a0 See you there, Fae Friends\u2026<\/p>\n

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I’d like to once again thank C A Deegan for joining me in discussing his books, his writing process, and his ongoing storytelling journey.\u00a0 It is always a gift to be able to look into the mind of someone who creates adventures for other people to participate in.\u00a0 In Deegan’s case, he’s creating a host of them, and he’s got more on the way, right around the corner.\u00a0 With all that in mind, the first book in The Cracklock Saga is here, ready to be enjoyed.\u00a0 Check out\u00a0Book 1: Fae or Foe?: The Cracklock Saga<\/em>\u00a0on Amazon<\/a>\u00a0today!<\/p>\n

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Last week, Tellest had the good fortune of promoting Fae or Foe, the first book in the Cracklock series by author C A Deegan.\u00a0 The author has had his work featured in wonderful anthologies that tread a darker, moodier path, and he brought his considerable talent into play for his first feature length urban fantasy.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[463,145,350,462],"tags":[2604,2603,303,2612,2611,379,2601],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Featured-Interview-with-C-A-Deegan.png","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-6HS","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25784"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25784"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25814,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25784\/revisions\/25814"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}