Carole P. Roman : Author Interview: Meet Rohvannyn Shaw

1- You have a wide variety of books, what genres do you write?

So far, I've written fantasy, light horror, non fiction, historical fiction, hard sci fi, and a how to book. I write sci fi, non fiction, and fantasy most often.

2- You illustrate as well, which books have you illustrated and how did your drawing impact the book?

I illustrated my fantasy novel, The Dice of Fate. I also illustrated a novella called From a Summer Sky by Glynda Shaw, a holiday anthology, a childrens' book, and a few magazine articles. I find that when I make an illustration for a book I have a much clearer idea of the world the book happens in. It helps my writing be more consistent and more detailed as well. For that reason, I think The Dice of Fate is a better story than it would have been, had it not been illustrated.

3- Which is your favorite character and why?

At the moment I really like Tom, a character from my recent novel "Rageth." I like him because though he looks like a tall, pale skinned, heavily tattooed metalhead, and in fact he is the lead singer for a death metal band, he really has a good heart and a truly gentle spirit. He's one of the more complex characters I've written about.

4- What, if any books are pulled from your life experiences?

There's a little of me in everything I write. My main characters often know things that I have learned, or share some traits I have. They are never pure "Mary Sues" because they have faults and foibles all their own, but they are like me in many ways. I will sometimes use things that have happened to me and put them in my books. For instance, in "Rageth," the main character does the job I do and some real life situations she encounters also happened to me.

5- Who are your favorite authors?

I really enjoy Tom Clancy, Robert Heinlein, John Dalmas, Diane Duane, L. Neill Smith, S. M. Stirling, and C.B. Archer.

6- What books impacted your life the most?

Anything that taught me something about myself. Biographies actually impacted me the most, I think, because I learned to admire some of the people I read about. That helped shape who I was as a person. In particular, the lives of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart were very inspiring, as well as Winston Churchill.

7- It appears some of your books are humorous- which are harder to write, humor or drama?

Depends on my mood, actually. When I'm in a dramatic mood, comedy is hard, and when I'm in a humorous mood, drama is hard. These days I'm in a dramatic mood more commonly than comedic.

8- What is the hardest part of publishing?

Making sure the book is edited properly. It's so easy to miss errors, even when I am working with an editrix. They just creep in around the edges! Still, my editrix is a life saver and I'd recommend her to anyone.

9- Where do you see yourself in five years?

I intend to have many more books on the shelves, a blog that has many more viewers and is much more popular, and I want to have at least one complete series out. I want to balance my own work with helping and promoting other indie authors and artists. That's something I'm very passionate about. In five years, I'd like to have enough royalties that I can count on them as a portion of my income.

10- What are you working on now?

Right now I'm working on a final edit of my humorous horror story "Rageth," a rough edit of a fantasy novel called "Silverwings," and I'm in the planning stages for a military sci fi series.