Author Interview: BRANWEN OSHEA

I'm thrilled to welcome another author buddy to the blog today who is celebrating the recent release of their first book! 

Check it out... 

The Author... 
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As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.

Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.
 

Links:
 
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

The Book...

Humanity’s wake-up call.  Answer it or face extinction.

When Bleu’s little sister shows symptoms of the deadly Sickness, a strange vision directs him to leave humanity’s subterranean haven and seek the cure on Earth’s glacial surface. Joining the expedition team, Bleu expects extreme temperatures, not a surface ruled by ingenious predators.

Rana and her fellow star beings have co-existed with Earth’s top carnivores since the humans disappeared.  But when her peers transform into Crowned Ones, the final stage of star being development, she fears remaining Uncrowned like her parents. To prove her worth, she undertakes a dangerous mission—contacting the hostile and nearly extinct humans.

But Rana’s plan backfires, and Bleu’s team retaliates. As war with the more advanced star being civilization looms, both Rana and Bleu separately seek a way to save their people.

Grab your copy here! 
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The Interview...

Who are you and what do you write?
 
I’m a licensed mental health counselor, a homeschooling mom, a yoga and meditation teacher, an animal rescuer, and an author. My novels are all MG or YA speculative: sci-fi, fantasy, or paranormal.
 

Where and when and how did the writing life begin for you?
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When I was five years old, I used to dictate fanfiction stories to my mother who wrote them down. By nine, I’d started writing novels, but they were atrocious. I had pretty solid ideas, but no skills. I gave up and didn’t write for about twenty years.
 
I started writing seriously about eleven years ago in the heyday of young adult dystopian novels. The teens I worked with kept telling me that they couldn’t even imagine a positive future for humans or the planet. I wanted to write something that would give them hope, but knew I’d have to deal with climate change and all the problems that have plagued humans. It seemed impossible. After several days of mulling this over, I had a super powerful dream where my character Rana began telling me stories. Those stories became my first novel, The Calling. The concept and characters really gripped me and still do. I’ve written other unrelated books, but my upcoming series is what currently drives me to write.
 
  
How has the journey to this point been? Can you give us a basic rundown?

My first book was The Calling, which I then set aside because I still lacked the skills to polish it. I then wrote several other books, but always returned to The Calling to rewrite it with whatever new skills I had gained. I eventually received a publishing contract for it, but I made a tough call to decline the contract and self-publish it. Saying no to my dream of publishing traditionally was super hard, though I believe it was the correct decision for this particular book. I’ve enjoyed the self-publishing process so much that I may stay an Indie. Time will tell.

 
What's been the hardest part of your writing/publishing experience so far? And the most enjoyable?

The hardest part of writing for me so far has been line edits. After several rounds of developmental edits, I thought I was mostly done. Silly me. Getting my manuscript back completely red was overwhelming. My favorite part is drafting. It’s like watching a movie in my mind and recording it.


Would you go back and change anything?

When I first started working with beta readers, I listened to everything they said and created a lot of needless stress for myself. If I could call past me about writing, I’d tell myself to trust my gut more.


Where would you like to be in 5 years time?

My current series has five books, and I hope to have it completed in five years. I also am concurrently writing a series of novellas, so that may be done as well. A planned sci-fi trilogy will probably be my next big project.


What's one piece of advice you'd give to new writers just starting out?

Most writers that I know feel like they are just getting started, even after publishing a few books.

I think the most important thing is to write what you love and find good writer friends to share the journey.
 

And most importantly...

Ketchup or Mayo? I’m all about Tabasco Sauce.
Night or Day? Definitely night.
Inside or Outside? Outside as much as possible.
Dogs or Cats? Both, but don’t tell my cats, okay?
Twitter or Facebook? Twitter, with all politics blocked.
Ebook or Paperback? I’m sorry trees, but I want paperbacks. Can we make books from bamboo yet?
Sun or Rain? Snow, though I do love a good thunderstorm.
Keyboard or Pencil & Notebook? Notebook for brainstorming and the keyboard for drafting/editing.
Comedy or Drama? Comedy.
Chips or Chocolate? I’m allergic to regular chocolate but adore white chocolate.