Welcome to Winnie’s Writers Week!
All this week (Aug 23rd-Aug 28th) I will be doing a week of author and book spotlights, showcasing some of the most unique authors and writers I’ve met in a while. This year’s theme is women in fantasy. These posts discuss and showcase women, their writing talents, and their published works. So without further ado let’s get on with the Author Spotlight!
About the Author:
W. A. Ford is an indie author with a lifelong love of reading and writing. She descends from a long line of storytellers and relishes in hearing and sharing family folklore.
A friend introduced her to the amazing world of self-publishing and advised that this, thanks to Amazon, no longer had the old ‘not good enough’ stigma. She refined her manuscript and in the summer of 2015, published my first book ‘The Dogwood Grove.’ She enjoyed the entire process and the non-writer skills she acquired. She went on to publish two more books before taking a life break.
She reentered the bookish community with the first book of my new trilogy, The Fadian Experiment. I’m back this spring with a new book, The Fadian Escape.
What and when started your love for writing?
I grew up in a family with a rich oral tradition. My elders told stories to impart lessons, recall family history, and for entertainment. I never got the cadence and timing right when it came to retelling the stories aloud, but I was able to write so I’ve been at it since I was eight.
Of all of the book genres, what drew you to write about yours?
Love supernatural horror and science fiction. This series is a blend of the two, but the inspiration for my characters comes from the clients I encounter as a social services worker.
If you could meet your favorite author who would it be and why?
I’d love to meet Gabriel García Márquez and ask about his mindset and his view of the world. I love the magical realism in his works. My favorite book ever is his work, ‘Of Love and Other Demons.’
What do you like about world-building?
One of the absolute joys of starting a new book or series is the world-building phase. I’m a history major so it’s fun to take a historical event or place and use it as the bones of my manuscript. It allows me to play ‘what if’ or immerse myself in that lost time.
What makes your book(s)/writing special?
I find there are two things that people tell me they enjoy about my books. First, they enjoy the relatable characters.
In the first book of my trilogy, The Fadian Experiment, my character is the chosen one, but she doesn’t want to be. She has so many mundane issues like unemployment, chronic poverty, and low social standing that her power is mistaken for mental illness instead of being cultivated and praised.
We can all relate to lives so full that one more thing, even if it is good, on our plates is a hindrance instead of a help. Second, many POC enjoy seeing characters that reflect what they see in the mirror or in the faces of the people around them. Both scifi and horror have become more diverse in the last decade, but one more character is always a boon.
So…what are you working on now?
II recently sent the final draft of the third book in the Fadian Trilogy off to the editors so now I’m focused on bringing one of my backlist works, The Dogwood Grove, up to standard for release in October.
It was great to have my author buddy W.A. kick on Writers Week! I attribute a lot of my writing beginnings to my family’s history of oral storytelling as well. If you want to get in contact or connect with W. A. Ford, you can follow her on:
Thank you all for reading and remember:
Live. Love. Laugh.
