She currently works in Silicon Valley in the gaming industry and high tech. In addition, Palmer holds a certificate in Chinese Acupressure, is a certified solar panel installer, and studied Tibetan Buddhism with the 14th Dalai Lama.
She lives and writes in the magical redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.
Her latest book is the scifi fantasy for adults, Moon Deeds: Star Children Saga Book One.
You can visit her website at www.MythologyPress.com or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
We welcome you to My Bookish Pleasures! Can you tell us how you got started writing fiction?
Palmer: Hi, Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog. The first fiction writing I can remember was with my friend Carol when we were around eight. We loved “Two-minute Mysteries,” and so we would write our own. Later, I started writing about anything that upset me. I suppose it was part of my process to try and figure out people and the world.
Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?
Palmer: I used to primarily write by the seat of my pants, starting with a general theme, characters, and plot structure in mind. That method led to lots of tangents, unexpected characters, and general creative meandering. Some of this resulted in my favorite characters and plot twists. However, the editing phase that followed was monstrous. So now I am more careful about planning and controlling the narrative.
Can you tell us about your most recent release?
Palmer: I just released “Light Fighters,” which is Book Two of the “Star Children Saga” series and sequel to “Moon Deeds.” The series is about twins who embark on a quest to save the galaxy from an oppressive empire. Sounds like Star Wars when I put it like that, lol. There are similarities, actually. My series is a space opera, and some of the magical tropes are similar, in the way that the twins are tuned into one another and how they must study with masters and confront villains in order to unlock their inherent powers.
How did you get the idea for the book?
Palmer: The main concept of the “Moon Deeds Trilogy” came to me when my brother gave me a gag gift of a deed to land on the moon. They were (are) parchments complete with deeded land rights, coordinates of my rather large plot of land, and a lunar map. The deeds claimed to be legit, because no one had claimed the extraterrestrial bodies and international law did not prohibit it. And so I began to wonder what I, or my descendents, might do with these deeds in the future when colonizing the moon became a thing. I tried to imagine an extreme scenario where these deeds would be critical to survival.
Of all your characters, which one is your favorite? Why?
Palmer: Wow. That’s a tough one. I love all my “babies.” The third point of view character, Ridge, is very fun to write. He is a gray character, somewhat of an anti-hero, who straddles the line between good and bad. He is an inventor who runs the largest mine on the moon and an interstellar spaceport. He provides the counterbalance to the twins and offers a window into the antagonists of the story.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing your book?
Palmer: I guess length is the most challenging aspect. “Moon Deeds” is almost 600 pages, and Light Fighters is almost 800. With three point of view characters, it’s a lot of work to keep all the intertwining threads accurate, sequential, and interesting. Agents and traditional publishers warned me against publishing such long books (although in the fantasy genre long books are somewhat the norm), but being stubborn as I am, I did it anyway. I actually tried many times to trim the books or break them up in different ways, but I am happy with the final story arcs of each of the books, even though Moon Deeds ends on a wicked cliffhanger (sorry!!!). In any case, the editing process is extremely time consuming and exhausting. I look at shorter books, sub-400 pages, and think, what a breeze that would be!
What projects are you currently working on?
Palmer: I am in the proofreading phase of a book set in a completely different world. “Heliotrope” is pure fantasy (Heroic Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery), with only one POV character. Whew! It’s still long, about 700 pages or so. I love this book. It was inspired somewhat by Robin Hobbs’ Fitz character. The main character in “Heliotrope,” Teleo, is a gritty, retired soldier descended from Mages who finds himself in the middle of a coup. The story is really about found family, love and loss, and greed and redemption, with some interesting magic systems and plenty of blood and gore. Oh, and lots of animals :-). “Heliotrope” should be out later this summer.
What advice would you offer to new or aspiring fiction authors?
Palmer: You just have to write a whole lot. Make it a habit so that you are writing several times a week, if not every day. Join critique groups, take workshops, study the craft. It is a craft and takes lots of practice. Regarding publishing, try to get an agent and a traditional publishing deal with a major publishing house if you can, but self-publishing is a very good option with a thriving community supporting indie authors, such as My Bookish Pleasures and all you readers.
It’s 2090: the last outpost of freedom is the moon, the best defense against technology is magic, and the only hope for humankind rests in the hands of the Star Children.
Twins Cassidy and Torr must save Earth from a ruthless enemy at a time when the only force more powerful than alien technology is magic. Moon Deeds launches the siblings’ journey across the galaxy, where they must learn their power as the Star Children, claim their shamanic heritage, and battle dark forces that threaten humankind.
The Star Children Saga follows Cassidy and Torr as they slowly awaken to their destiny as the twin Star Children, born every millennium to reconnect with the source of all life. They come to discover the sheer enormity of their task: to find our ancestors on a lost planet across the galaxy and save humanity from a spiraling descent into darkness. The powers they must wield to accomplish this task are truly frightening and put at risk everything they love.
Come along with twenty-year-old twins Cassidy and Torr, who inherited deeds to land parcels on the moon. They want to use their moon deeds to get off Earth and escape a brutal dictatorship. But first they must unlock their shaman powers.
A rollicking yet poignant adventure in the not too distant future, when we have colonized the moon and nearly lost Earth to a dictatorship. Only the shamans remain free, plus the lucky ones who escaped to the moon.
Join the adventure! An addictive space opera, science-fantasy series.
Book Information
Release Date: May 25, 2019
Publisher: Mythology Press
Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1732568808; 598 pages; $21.99; E-Book, $.99; Audiobook, FREE.
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt13Js_M-P4
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uKWq2o
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3rQteFx
Palmer Pickering is giving away one autographed copy of Moon Deeds and one autographed copy of her sequel, Light Fighters!
Terms & Conditions:
- By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one autographed copy of Moon Deeds and one autographed copy of the sequel, Light Fighters.
- This giveaway ends midnight October 28.
- Winner will be contacted via email on October 29.
- Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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