Author Interview with E.G. Stone, The Wing Cycle

For generations, sylphs have lived isolated on the island of Shinalea, forgotten by the world. But they, too, have forgotten their past. Until it rears its head and changes the very foundations of their world…

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Author Interview with E.G. Stone

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
I initially put out a question on how to find narrators in the 20Booksto50K Facebook group, and ended up getting introduced to Anne Marie Lewis through there. I also went through the audition process through Audible for book 1 of The Wing Cycle, but Anne Marie was still the best I had found. Once that was decided, I hired her, gave her a pronunciation guide, and then let her do all the hard work! She’s truly wonderful to work with and has made this process so much easier. Also, a fantastic narrator!

Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
I think any book can be turned into an audiobook, simply because there’s no reason why words cannot be spoken rather than written. Personally, I get second-hand character embarrassment, so I can’t listen to things like romance novels or stories where the characters end up in situations that are thoroughly unfortunate, because I get a little too invested in the situation. That’s just me, though, and I know that many people love such things! 

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
Oh, golly, no. I have enough character voices running through my head that even thinking of translating them into audiobook wasn’t something I considered until after the fact. I’m pleased that I went with the audiobook creation, because it adds such dimension and depth to the book, but thinking about it from the beginning? I’m not quite that clever! 

How did you select your narrator?
Magic. Sheer luck. Mostly, I asked other people and got introduced that way. 🙂

How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters? 
I let Anne Marie do all the hard work once we had sorted out pronunciations. I was happy to listen to the 15 min check point that she sent in and give her the go ahead for character voices and style, but otherwise, I just waited until she sent the final product and gave it a check over. I try to let the people who know what they’re doing do what they’re doing, because frankly, I’m not an audiobook narrator and have no idea of all the technical bits and bobs. Mostly, though, Anne Marie is just that good. 

Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? 
This is one of those questions that can be anything from, “Yes, absolutely,” to, “I have no idea, my brain is weird.” I tend to fall in the latter part of that spectrum. I assume that my subconscious pulls inspiration from things that I see or read or hear and then tosses it all together into a story that appears fully-fledged (or even half-fledged) in my brain sometime during my sleep or while I’m brushing my teeth. I wouldn’t know, however, since my subconscious doesn’t actually tell me these things.

How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
My enthusiasm for writing has never diminished since I started doing it as a child. Maintaining the momentum to actually keep writing is an entirely different matter. I write during the work week, sometimes working on only one story or two, depending on what my mood is like. Then, on the weekends, I do entirely different things like sewing or reading or melting my brain by way of television so that I get a mental reset and can start the week afresh. Of course, this only lasts so long under the stress that is being an adult in the world, so every six months or so, I take a bit of a vacation to do absolutely nothing at all. Once I’ve done that, I’m usually so eager to get back to writing that any thoughts of burnout are long behind me.

Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? 
I do listen to audiobooks! I’m not very fast, since there are many hours of audio to get through, and I only tend to do it while sewing or crafting, things that require my hands but not my entire concentration. I am a speed reader, so the deliberate pace of an audiobook is refreshing. It’s also nice to have someone tell me a story rather than relying on the voices in my head to give a story life. 

Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format? 
This story, or rather the entire Wing Cycle, is one that is decided between characters. Yes, there’s action. But most of the intrigue and the development happens when the characters get stuck in the same room and are forced to work out their differences. In this regard, it’s almost magical to hear them come to life under Anne Marie Lewis’ narration, because they have such tone and depth and emotion. 

If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? 
If I could time travel, I absolutely would! Provided there are a few caveats, such as the ability to understand the language of the place to which I’m travelling (Old English is not Middle English is not Modern English, and also I don’t speak French). Also, I’d prefer not to be burned for being quite tall for a woman, who wears glasses and probably does not act as a proper woman should act in a good portion of history. Then there’s the whole clean water situation for much of the world prior to filtration…Okay, so if time travel were as it was portrayed on television, then yes, I would enjoy it and would visit a great many places. Otherwise, I think I should probably stick to staying home and drinking tea. 

If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the  primary roles? 
Oh, dear. I haven’t a clue. I’m really, truly, exceptionally bad at actors and faces for actors. I tend to identify people by voice rather than face and don’t pay any attention to the name of the actors over character names, so…I’m sure central casting would hire someone appropriately capable for the show. Just so long as they don’t mess with my story in irrevocable ways, then I think we’re all set.

What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
Pffft. Nonsense. Absolute, complete, nonsense. So long as the story is being told, who cares what format it’s in? Though, if you wish to translate the book into Morse Code, I may have a few questions.

How did you celebrate after finishing this novel? 
I started a new novel! (Yes, I’m one of those gluttons for punishment when it comes to writing. I can’t quite help myself, there are too many stories in my brain.)

What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump? 
To both questions: keep writing/reading. It’s the only thing that seems to work for me.

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series? 
Standalones are great, because they have a complete story and you don’t have to wait for the next book. Of course, for me, I always have more stories that I could write about a standalone, so many of my stories turn into series, but that’s my brain for you. Series are fun because you get to go really deeply into a scenario and see what happens in all different directions. It can get very involved, but it’s great fun!

Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
Yes. It usually doesn’t end well. For me. My characters turn out just fine, but I’m usually snookered.

What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep writing! Nothing much matters if you can’t get words on the page.

Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
Trust the professionals. They’re good at their jobs.

What’s next for you?
Many, many more stories to write! And, eventually, turn into audiobooks!

About the Book

The One Who Could Not Fly
The Wing Cycle book One
by E.G. Stone

Print/eBook
Published 31 March 2020
Tarney Brae Creative Endeavours
Page Count: 300

Audiobook
Published 24 August 2021
Tarney Brae Creative Endeavours
Narrator: Anne Marie Lewis
Length: 11 hours and 19 minutes

Genre: Fantasy
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For generations, sylphs have lived isolated on the island of Shinalea, forgotten by the world. But they, too, have forgotten their past. Until it rears its head and changes the very foundations of their world…

Ravenna has grown up isolated and ostracised amongst the sylphs for her small wing size and her unusual colouring. She lives with the Intellecti, a collection of sylphs dedicated to learning, to facts, to history, to thought. But she feels most free when she runs through the trees of her beloved home. Until, that is, she comes across beings that should have been myth.
Humans.

Captured, Ravenna is taken from her home and into the vastness of the desert mainland. She is sold into slavery and thrown into a world that proves everything she knew about the humans right: they are nothing more than the cruel, bloodthirsty beings that filled sylph myths with horror. Until, that is, Ravenna makes a single mistake. She falls.
Suddenly, the world is not quite what she knew. Ravenna is thrust into this world of humans and their schemings for power, their political machinations, their hopes, their dreams.
Ravenna must decide whether humans are the nightmares of her people’s legends or just beings like her, finding their place in an unexpected world. And she must decide whether to save her world, or to destroy it.

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The One Who Could Not Fly is an exciting fantasy adventure that asks questions of family, of independence, and of what it really means to fly.

About the Author

E.G. Stone is an independent author who has been writing, creating and causing vast amounts of trouble since the age of six. Since then, E.G. has improved rather a lot in both the trouble-causing and writing and now spends her time writing fantasy and science fiction. When not writing, she is off musing about the workings of languages, both real and created, or drawing and sewing. E.G. reads voraciously, perhaps to the point of slight-insanity. Weird, nerdy, perhaps a little crazy, she is having a grand old time writing, reading, reviewing, interviewing, and, naturally, continuing her endeavours in causing trouble.

Happy reading… and writing.

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About the Narrator

Witty, radiant, and classic – warmth and wisdom with a wink: that describes Anne Marie Lewis and her narration style.  Devouring every single Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery audiobook (and that’s a lot of listening!) cultivated her love of audiobooks. In the booth, she draws from a deep knowledge of the classics, facility with languages and dialects, her Filipino-Irish heritage and over twenty-five years’ stage experience performing opera and theatre. She has recorded for The Talking Book, Monster Ivy, Sutherland House, Parliament House Press, Audiobook Empire as well as for Learning Ally. Outside the booth, Anne Marie battles invasive plant species in her garden, cheers on her athlete sons and cantors weddings and funerals.

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