Author Interview with AJ Ponder

8/23/2019

Who are you?

I'm A.J. Ponder
An author of fantasy and other speculative fiction.

Where do you live?

I live in Wellington New Zealand,
If I step out on the porch I can look over the trees to the harbour - it's very lovely.

What’s your home life like?

My partner and I have two very demanding cats and two less demanding millennial children. One is into cosplay and the other is into boardgaming and computers.

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What genre(s) do you like to write? To read?

I love reading fantasy and science fiction, with the occasional foray into historical novels.

I like a bit of humour, so I'm still mourning the loss of Terry Pratchett and Iain M. Banks
And I'm certainly not above reading kids books, some of them are just amazing. Frances Hardinge is one of my favourites, and fortunately she is still with us!

As for what I love to write, fantasy and science fiction are my favourite genres - but I think one of my best short stories was in fact a horror - BlindSight - a modern riff on the Rapunzel story.

Why did you start writing?

I started writing because I'm obsessed with books, always have been.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I love walking, eating, reading and relaxing with the family. I also work at Rona Gallery - a book and art store in Eastbourne on the other side of Wellington Harbour.

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Where do you like to go when looking for a new book to read?

I love paperbacks, and so I find most of my reading material at Rona Gallery, Arty Bees and The Children's Bookshop. I also love swapping good books with friends, it's a great way to find new authors.

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At what point do you call it quits when reading a new book?

I almost always finish books. Generally I check out the writing on one or two of the middle pages before I start reading a book of an unknown author. It's a technique that serves me well.

So yes, I'll invest a few minutes. That's it. Sad but true.

Are you independently or traditionally published?

Both.
My short stories and children's readers are traditionally published - but my novels are all independent.

After publishers have said they'll probably take your book, and you wait 3-4 years for everything to fall through, not once, but twice, the whole traditionally published route gets unattractive pretty fast.

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How many books/stories have you published so far?

I've had over twenty short stories published through various magazines, and published six novels.

What book/story are you currently promoting or working on?

I'm currently working on Omens, the final book of my Sylvalla Chronicles series. It's epic fantasy with a little humour and satire sprinkled in.

What’s the elevator pitch?

The pitch for the first book, Quest:
Sylvalla escapes Avondale castle, and the life of a princess, in search of the adventure she’s always wanted.
Once found, adventure bites back.

Fortunately Sylvalla is not alone – Unfortunately, her new-found companions are less than heroic.
Jonathan would rather make money.
Dirk would rather live a long and happy life.
And at 150, Old Capro would rather stop gallivanting and harangue unsuspecting students about his glory days over a nice cup of tea.
Quest has everything, heroes, monsters, chases, escapes and a complete lack of true love.

How long have you been working on it?

That would be telling.
This series is my baby, I started writing Quest long before I was ever published.

When will it be available to buy? Where?

The first books in the series are available to buy now on Amazon.
Also available for New Zealanders through your local bookshop or library, through the Neilsen system or directly through Phantom Feather Press.

How can readers find you?

My blog is ponderbooks.com and although I rarely post, it's the best way to sign up through to my newsletter that goes out once or twice a month with special offers, promotions and more.

What inspires you to keep writing?

I'm not a big fan of inspirational quotes, so let me twist "So much universe, and so little time." ― Terry Pratchett into ― "So many universes, so little time."

And why not... "“Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, Castle in the Air

Anything you’d like to add?

Thank you for this interview, Nicholas Adams. It was fun. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.

My thanks to AJ for participating in My Laughably Inane Blog. I wish her all the best in her personal and professional endeavors.

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