Author Crush Friday: Gloria Craw
Glitter girls, you have pressing questions for your favorite authors and we have their answers. Welcome to our weekly segment, Author Crush Fridays.
We love asking questions and we love the answers from some of our favorite authors. Today we’re talking to Gloria Craw, author of Atlantis Quest (March 1, 2016; Entangled Teen). Thank you for talking to us today, Gloria! We’re honored!
GLITTER: For those who haven’t read your work yet, how would you describe your writing style?
GLORIA: I always want to give my character’s well rounded personalities. Whether they’re good or evil, I want the reader to feel as if they know them. My style is a little different in that I prefer to use dialogue between the characters, rather than internal dialogue, to dive the story. I also try to write as much humor as I do pathos. I hope the readers reflect a little and laugh a lot.
GLITTER: Describe Atlantis Quest in 160 words or less.
GLORIA: It picks up with Alison being asked to find Nikki Dawning, her enemy from the first book. Nikki has been kidnapped, and someone mails a couple of her fingers to her parents, which is terrible enough, but it hints that something even bigger is going on. When it comes to light that the Truss clan is having a reunion, Alison goes to spy on them and hopefully find Nikki. Theron, a cousin Alison didn’t know she had, is called in to protect her. He tells her a few things no one else has, like she’s the Laurel clan chief and her vote counts equal to the other chiefs. Things get really dangerous for Alison when she finds out what the Truss clan is secretly up to. Fortunately, Ian is nearby to help. He and Alison’s developing relationship gets stronger in some ways and more complicated in others. But you know the saying, love conquers all.
GLITTER: What one message would you like readers to walk away with when they’re done reading Atlantis Quest?
GLORIA: Be smart about the people you trust.
GLITTER: Can Atlantis Quest be read as a stand-alone?
GLORIA: It can. There’s a short world building scene near the beginning so the reader can jump right in and get caught up quickly.
GLITTER: Did you always want to be an author? Did you ever feel like giving up? Did you receive rejection letters in the beginning? How did you get over them?
GLORIA: I’ve always loved reading, and as a teenager, I wrote bad poetry to cope with difficult situations. It didn’t occur to me I could make a living using skills I’d learned from those hobbies until my mid-twenties. After it dawned on me, I started to write seriously. I only thought of giving up once, and that was near the beginning. I got my fair share of rejections, but probably the best thing someone can do for me, is tell me I can’t do something. It makes me work harder to prove them wrong.
GLITTER: What are you currently working on?
GLORIA: As far as what I’m working on now, I’m editing Atlantis Reborn, the third book in the Atlantis Rising series. I’m also putting the finishing touches on a young adult mystery, and I’ve started outlining for a YA sci-fi series. I’m really excited about all three projects.
ABOUT GLORIA CRAW:
Gloria Craw grew up in the desert southwest, inspired every day by the wide skies and rich colors around her. After high school, she attended the University of Utah where she majored and got a degree in anthropology. These days, she lives in the ‘burbs’ just outside of Seattle, Washington where she is the shepherd of a husband, four daughters and a very hairy dog. www.gloriacraw.com
WHERE TO FIND HER:
Editorial Director | Writer | Tweet me @heatherriccio
