Welcome Welcome Yvonne Hertzberger!

Please welcome Yvonne Hertberger to As the Crowe Flies!

Please tell me about your book.

“Through Kestrel’s Eyes” is the second installment in my Fantasy trilogy “Earth’s Pendulum”. The underlying theme for the series deals with the interdependence of ourselves with our environment. But this ‘old world’ tale has lots of action, with traitors, battles and romance and characters you will love.

“Through Kestrel’s Eyes” is written from the point of view of Liannis, a young seer just coming into her full abilities as the servant of the goddess Earth. She must battle self-doubt, great loss and the lure of forbidden love as faces test after test in her quest to help bring back the Balance. Failure means that Earth cannot provide good harvests, health and prosperity. The people will starve if the Balance is not restored and Earth’s wounds healed. Time is short.

When and why did you start writing?

I began writing in earnest five years ago when, after a couple of short stories. I had retired from ‘paid’ employment and now had the time to devote to writing. When I wrote the first pages of “Back From Chaos” I found I had a longer tale demanding to be told and have not looked back since.

What inspires you?

I have always been a people watcher, or rather a ‘student of human behaviour’. J Figuring out what motivates people in relationships and what makes societies work has always fascinated me. The result is that my writing is strongly character based and I use my characters to explore the issues that interest me, such as gender, power and spirituality.

Are you working on anything now?

The first few chapters of “The Dreamt Child”, the final book in the trilogy are written. I hope to have it available this time next year. But that means I better get my butt in gear. J

Is there anything you do NOT like about being a writer?

I find marketing and promotion very challenging. I came into the internet age late and am still learning all the time. It is definitely not my forte and stresses me out.

What do you think of the ebook revolution?

I still love the feel of a ‘real’ book but I also see the value of e-readers. As we become more mobile, as homes become smaller without the space for many books, as paper books become too expensive for many, Ebooks provide a viable alternative for those who still like to read. Given the choice between not reading or reading ebooks there is no contest.

How do you see your writing career in five years?

I truly hope that in five years time my writing will gain enough exposure that I will gain respectability as an author, that my name will no longer be obscure and unknown. I do not expect to be famous, or even to make a living from writing, only to have a small following who like what I write.

Is there anything you will NOT write about?

I will not write pornography, anything that abases a specific group or even individual without also including healing, or anything that will incite hatred or prejudice. My aim is to challenge thinking for the good, never to leave the reader in a dark place without hope.

In what genre do you prefer to write?  To read?

The answer to both would be Epic Fantasy. I have no desire to write non-fiction though I might write fiction other than Fantasy some day. My favourite author is Robin Hobb. I do occasionally read mystery or thrillers or sometimes an acclaimed best seller.

Please tell us about any ups and downs in your writing career so far.

The hardest part, at first, was deciding to self-publish. iUniverse (called assisted self-publishing) published the first version of “Back From Chaos”, a good learning experience but very costly. I will never get that investment back. But the process prepared me for putting the revised version and “Through Kestrel’s Eyes” up myself on both Kindle and Createspace so I do not begrudge it, now. The lows for me are the times I stress about the things I needed to learn to get to that place.

The highs come when the writing takes on a life of its own and flows well. Then I feel great and believe that I am, indeed, a writer.

Do you have any suggestions to people who might be considering writing as a career?

Read, read, read. Write, write write. Listen to feedback but stay true to your own voice. Know the rules and break them only when you know you can do so effectively. Don’t expect to get rich.

Anything else you want to add?

I have made many friends and received a great deal of support from other writers since joining on-line groups. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have offered support and information, and to Orangeberry for the opportunity to share with you all.

Twitter: @YHERTZBE

Website/blog: http://yvonnehertzberger.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/yvonne.hertzberger

Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/EarthsPendulum.YvonneHertzberger.author

Books available in paper and on kindle at amazon.com