Virtual book tour stop and interview with Jacquitta McManus

Today we are journeying into new worlds with Jacquitta A. McManus as she tours with BK Walker Books with her newest book, Labryinth's Door.

Welcome, Jacquitta.

Please tell us about your current release.
The first edition of Labyrinth’s Door is a story of a young girl, Anyia, whose dream of becoming a Nagoran Warrior is infused with adventure and danger. Running from her duties as a Yora, she dares to break tradition to follow her own dream, during a time when Empress Zarina threatens the magic treaty that protects her village.

Excerpt:
Hours passed before Anyia was able to move her body even slightly. Wiping the sweat off her face, she turned over and looked out between the bars. They were moving through the forest on a worn path heading toward a blue dome tent where an elderly lady sat at a table full of fruits, breads and gourds of water. The smell of the bread floated through the air. Anyia's mouth watered as she closed her eyes, thinking how great it would be if they gave her a piece.


What inspired you to write this book?
It’s crazy because when I first started working on the concept of Anyia and her history I didn’t see her as a main character. Anyia “Dream of a Warrior” wasn’t even a thought in my head. Don’t get me wrong, Anyia has always been a strong character, but her initial role was to support another character in a novel that I’m working on. It wasn’t until I got stuck with her and decided to write a short adventure on her that I started seeing her as a main character in her own mini series. The purpose of the short adventure that I wrote was to get a better understanding of her personality, her reactions and her dialogue. That 1500 word short story wasn’t very detailed, but it was enough to pique my curiosity. And that curiosity has turned into a mini series that I expect to span 4 MagBooks.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m currently finishing up my first fantasy/adventure coloring book, Talee and the Fallen Object and working on the second installment of Anyia’s journey.

Talee and the Fallen Object is a coloring book of action scenes that tells a fantasy/adventure story about, Talee, a girl who lives on the gas planet Gala and has her curiosity piqued when she sees an object fall from the backpack of a mail flyer and journeys out to see what it is. –– One thing I’m excited about with the coloring book is that children will be able to look at the scenes and create their own fantasy/adventure stories based off what they interpret in the scenes. I have all the scenes pinned up on my wall and my daughter loves to come and tell me her version of the story, which changes every time.

In the second edition of Labyrinth’s Door, Anyia comes face-to-face with truth and betrayal as the world around her changes. –– Okay I know that’s not much of a synopsis but I’m still working out the storyline. I think the opening sequence has change four times … maybe even five, so the direction the overall story will take is still up in the air for now. But hopefully that will change soon.

This is the first time I've met someone who has created a coloring book.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I don’t think I have started considering myself as a writer. A storyteller yes, but a writer … not so sure about that. I love to tell stories, which is why I write. Writing the stories isn’t my favorite part of the process though; it’s just a necessary part of it. So I write to tell stories. Now, if you ask me when did I consider myself a storyteller, I would have to say about 2 years ago when I realized I had a lot of stories I wanted to tell in many different mediums. And let me tell you, there is nothing like creating new stories and worlds and working with an illustrator to bring them to life. That for me is the fun part. For instance, creating Anyia’s story, which is over 7000 words, was a different experience than creating Talee’s adventure, which consists of only 14 scenes. Both stories have the basic elements of storytelling, but required very different approaches to storytelling. And that’s not to say Talee’s adventure was easier to create, in some instances it’s harder because of its limits. I had to focus on different elements to bring the story out.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
Yes and No. I work on building my publishing company full-time, which is about producing stories. I, however, don’t write full-time. I have to divide my time between, art directing illustrations, print production, writing, and the needs of the company in general.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I like to write and create when no one is around. I want my house empty. It annoys me when I can hear people in other rooms and etc. The only one that gets a pass is our cat, Foxy.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Nothing that I can remember, I didn’t grow up with anything particular in mind. I was always fascinated with space and going into space, but never thought that was possible. I was also always interested in Disney movies, but didn’t think I could do that either. Now, I’m writing fantasy/adventure stories in new worlds. So in a way I’m a space traveler through my stories.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Yes. One of my goals for Worlds To Discover is to create fantasy/adventure stories that I love and hopefully others will love as well. It’s my way of sharing what excites me with people like you. I have never enjoyed working so much. And this is just the beginning of my adventure in storytelling and I hope you will be part of it.

If you would like to chat with me or follow my new projects you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and my blog Journey of a Storyteller. I would love to hear from you. If you would like to order Labyrinth’s Door or Talee and the Fallen Object visit my website, or find me on Amazon.com.

P.S. My coloring books will be sold exclusively on my website.

And that’s it. If you have any questions just ask.

And as always … let the adventures begin.

Thank you for your time today, Jacquitta. Best of luck with the book tour.

Folks, if you'd like to follow Jacquitta on her tour, her next stop is Friday, December 24 where she will be Guest Blogging at http://kristenhaskins.blogspot.com. The full schedule can be found here.