Interview with NYT bestselling author Maria Sndyder who's Glass trilogy is reprinting in Mass Market Paperback––" All three books are schedule to be re-printed as mass-market paperbacks with new covers. Storm Glass is out on July 30, then Sea Glass on August 27, and finally Spy Glass on September 24. The covers are from the original Australian editions, which I loved. The model for the cover matched what I had imagined Opal to look like."

Overview
Award-winning author Maria V. Snyder brings readers into a world of molten magic, where storms can be captured within a glass orb and a magician's powers can remain hidden until challenged by enemy forces.

 Praise for Maria V. Snyder:

"Snyder satisfyingly fleshes out her youthful main characters..." – Publishers Weekly on STORM GLASS
"Epic in scope, yet rich with minute details of character and setting, the second book in Snyder's Glass series is a delight. " –RT Book Reviews on SEA GLASS
"Filled with Snyder's trademark sarcastic humor, fast-paced action and creepy villainy, Touch of Power is a spellbinding romantic adventure that will leave readers salivating for the next book in the series."-USA TODAY

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Please welcome NY Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder.
Hi Maria welcome to The Reading Frenzy

A: Hello!  Thank you for inviting me here!

Congratulations on the reprint of book one of your Glass trilogy Storm Glass.
Tell us a little about it.
Will all three books be in re-print?

A: Yes.  All three books are schedule to be re-printed as mass-market paperbacks with new covers.  Storm Glass is out on July 30, then Sea Glass on August 27, and finally Spy Glass on September 24.  The covers are from the original Australian editions, which I loved.  The model for the cover matched what I had imagined Opal to look like.

Maria, you have an interesting educational background which looks like it bled into your fantasy novels a bit or more.
Tell us what exactly an environmental meteorologist does and did your love of weather find a way into your novels?

A: An environmental meteorologist works with air pollution and air quality dispersion modeling.  Basically, if your company wanted to install an incinerator, you would have to obtain an Air Permit from the government in order to emit pollutants to the atmosphere.  This permit also has to show that the pollutants coming out of your stack won’t kill the family living a mile downwind.  That’s where I came in, you would hire me to complete the air permit application and submit it to the government.  With computer modeling, I can show that the family downwind isn’t inhaling an excessive amount.  Sometimes I had to collect on-site meteorological data to put into the computer programs to get a more accurate picture of how much pollution was getting into the atmosphere. 

My knowledge of air pollution and other environmental treatment systems helped me  with creating the world of Inside for my Inside Out and Outside In novels.  All the equipment used to keep the people alive in those stories is accurate.

My love of storms can be found in most of my books (except the Insider books), but it plays the biggest part in Storm Glass since that book features the Stormdancers, magicians who can harvest the energy from storms and bottle it in big glass orbs.  And I should also mention my middle-grade novel for kids ages 8 to 14 called, Storm Watcher coming out in October.  This book features a 13 year-old boy who is a total weather geek, but at the same time he’s terrified of the weather.  There’s no magic or science fiction in this story, but he does work on a weather tower and there’s lots of weather in the story.

But that still leaves your personal journey from scientist to novelist.
Can you share it with us?

A: Complete happenstance!  Since I worked for clients, the amount of work I had to do came in waves, and summers and holidays were always slow because clients didn’t want to hire a consultant when their people were on vacation.  During the slow times, I started jotting down short story ideas just for something to do!  I liked to daydream and I read a ton of books, so I had a bunch of ideas.  Then when my son was born, I spent my free time (which was very limited) writing and I just kept writing until I had about a dozen short stories and completed my first novel.  I decided then to try and find a publisher for the novel since my short stories were being soundly rejected.  Once Poison Study sold, I figured I was now a novelist.

What is your latest new release and tell us a bit about it too please.

A:  My latest new release is Scent of Magic.  It’s the second book in my Healer fantasy series.  It picks up a week after the first book, Touch of Power and continues the adventures of Avry—the last healer in the Fifteen Realms.  In Scent of Magic, she’s working undercover in the High Priestess’ army in order to gain information about her sister and the big bad, Tohon.  Avry’s healing powers are a bit different than other fantasy novels.  When she “heals” someone, she assumes that person’s injury and then has the heal herself.  So she has to suffer the pain – not as long as her power accelerates the healing, but still, she has to be careful who she heals.  There will be a third book in this series, Taste of Darkness comes out December 31.

What’s the best part about being an author?

A:  My readers.  Interacting and meeting my readers has been wonderful. I love hearing from them and knowing I inspire them and entertain them and keep them up half the night reading J.

Maria on your bio it says you’re a stickler for research.
What’s the strangest/most dangerous thing you ever did in the name of novel research?

A: The most dangerous was when I toured a men’s maximum security correctional facility (aka prison), and spent the day among the men – scary!  The correctional officers do not carry weapons and we were outnumbered 100 to 1, but the COs didn’t seem to be worried.  The strangest (not for me, but the reaction from the doctor was…interesting) was when I asked my doctor if a cannibal ate a person who was sick, would the cannibal get sick, too.  I learned it depended how fresh the kill is – really fresh, then yes, cannibal could get sick, not so fresh and/or cooked, then no.  Good information, but it’s interesting how that doctor is always busy when I need an appointment ;>.

Maria, some authors I’ve talked to say when they’re in their writing cave everything else is forgotten.
Is it this way for you too?

A:  Sometimes when I’m writing time flies and, yes, everything disappears for a while.  But my cat or my bladder usually decides that I need a break every so often and I’m jolted back to reality.  In the case of my cat, he’ll jump up on my keyboard and scare the adverbs out of me!

Speaking of your writing cave, do you have a special place you write?

A: Yes, I have an office in my house – we use to call this room the library, but I’ve taken it over.  I included a few pictures if you want to show your readers.  The really nice thing about my office is my husband built my desk and the built-in bookcases from cherry wood that grew on his childhood farm, which I think is pretty cool, plus the desk is customized just for me so I can hide behind it ;).

             



You mention on your website that you and your family love to travel.
Is there one place you haven’t been that would be the ultimate vacation?

A: I’d love to go on an African safari - that would be really cool.  Of course, I’d want to stay in hotels if possible—camping is not my thing. 

Are there any events or signings in the near future where fans could meet you in person?

A:  Yes, I have a number of events already scheduled for the rest of this year (and more will be added).  I try to keep my scheduled updated on my website.  That would be the best place to find my events.  The link is: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/appearances.php

Thanks for spending some time with us Maria. Good luck with the reprint and all your novels.

A: Again, thanks for inviting me!  If your readers would like more info about me and my books, I have the first chapter of all my books on my website as well as a number of free short stories they can read.  Here’s the link: http://www.mariavsnyder.com.  And my blog is: http://officialmariavsnyder.blogspot.com