BLAIZE NOLYNNE
- Guest Author -
G'day folks,
Welcome to an interview I conducted with an author who has previously been a guest.
Blaize Nolynne was born and raised in
Maine. Inspiration from the book she wrote "District 1 Standby" came from the fact that her father is a retired firefighter. She says all of the good memories come from District 1 and the
crew members she knew from all the districts. Inspired by her father's career
as a firefighter and many other firefighters she knew and grew up with.
Welcome again, Blaize ...
A LITTLE ABOUT
BLAIZE AND HER WRITING JOURNEY:
When you want to reach your Dreams- set it ablaze’ – Blaize Nolynne
Blaize Nolynne took that literally when her dreams came into play after
she graduated high school. She took her dreams of being an author to heart
where she furthered her studies at the Institute of Children’s Literature,
where she graduated at the top. The beginning of her career she was under
penname for children’s literature, C. Araya Delvesuvio. Her first book out was
‘Sending a Message to Grandpa’ by August of 2009, which was a story about a
young girl who dealt with her grandfather’s death in a very unique way. She
admitted that the story was close to home, since she was very close to her
Great Grandfather and was quite young when he passed.
Later the same year she went on to publish a chapter book under the same
name, ‘The Sixth Child of June’ in which was a fantasy for teens came out. As
her mind kept whirling with new potentials for books, she realized that the
world was her notepad. By then she published a saga which she wrote in high
school, ‘Angels in the City that Doesn’t Sleep- First Mission Second Wish’. ( The
book hit number 43 in Fantasy-Fiction on Amazon and then hit 68 for free Kindle
in November of 2012.)
By the end of 2009 Blaize had already begun working on a more adult
audience for her books. She began with a book she originally titled ‘Fire’ on
her computer. She eventually self published it under the title ‘District One
Stand By: The Captain’s Last year’ in which was published in 2010. By April of
that same year, her book had been picked up by a publishing house and she was
no longer a self published author. The name changed to ‘Firefighter Down,
District One’. By September the book hit the top 100,000 chart on both Amazon.com and Barnes
and Noble. By then she was getting interviews with people such as Jo Lindell, The
Mudge Report, Benjamin Wallace, The Sasha Marina Show, Morgen Bailey , Clancy
Tucker, as well as the ‘Mirror Report’ in the Sun Journal from Lewiston, Maine
as well as many others.
By the end of 2012 her sequel, District One Stand By: On the Bleeding Edge
of Change, was out as well as a book about terminal cancer. At the age of 24,
Blaize reached for different heights in her career that she only thought were
dreams in the beginning. She realized that hard work and determination had made
her dreams a reality. Since the beginning of her career she has published nine
books, in which ALL are now being published by publishing houses.
She admits most of her books are based in a fictional ‘Standlynn, Maine’
which is based upon Standish, Maine where she grew up.
“District One Stand By:’ series is based upon my hometown, Standish,
Maine. ‘The Captain’s Last Year, One Year to Live: Fighting the Flame and
Cancer’ is based in Maine as well. There is something special about Maine that
brings out my inspiration to write.” She admitted.
Blaize Nolynne books are available everywhere books are sold and
including large distributors such as Ingram, Baker and Taylor, ect.
2.
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU
BECOME A WRITER?
I began writing as a
kid, but my first manuscript I wrote was at the age of 15. It took me five more years until I published
it.
3.
WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A
MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?
I have a plan of what will happen, such as
if the person has terminal cancer, or it is a fire or crime as far as
that. How I get there is something I
don’t plan. Roughly I know how all
things are going to fit, but I shoot from the hip.
4.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST
ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
Telling the stories
that I write, interviews, and everything about being an author.
5.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST
THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
At this point, a lot
has changed since the last time I answered this question. I used to say selling the book, but that has
changed. At the moment I am not finding
any hard part. I know in the past there
was.
6.
WHAT WERE YOU IN A
PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
I have been a little
bit of everything. I worked at Staples,
a cook for a small general store, and worked at a nursing home.
7.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST
WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
Being on the Best
seller lists of both Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well as being accepted into
Ingrams, Baker and Taylor and in stores.
8.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING
ON AT THE MOMENT?
I am working on
another series called ‘Rescue One Stand By’ which the main character is being
abused by her father.
9.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The world around
me! I got inspired with my grandmother’s
journey with cancer to our everyday heroes.
10. WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
I mostly write
firefighter/first responder fiction, but I write a little bit of everything.
11. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW
WRITERS?
Absolutely! First off make your material unique. You don’t want a cookie cutter type of
book. The writing will be the easiest
part. Think long and hard between being
self published and picked up by a publishing house. Speaking from experience I did self publish
for five years. Media, bookstores,
distribution companies like Ingram will not pick up most self published
books.
12. DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
No, I don’t. I pick up inspiration to add from everyday
life.
13. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING
SCHEDULE?
I love to write at night.
14. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING
PLACE?
I write in my office, which usually will consist of
pictures of what I am writing about as a visual inspiration.
15. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN
WRITING?
Telling the stories
that are stuck with in me. Being able to
create something which people can read as well as I read is an amazing feeling.
16. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND
WHY?
Ray Bradbury, because
he was such a trendsetter when science fiction wasn’t popular, he was still
writing it.
17. WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU
EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
The greatest
compliment is how they can relate to the book through my characters or tell me
that they couldn’t put it down.
18. WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A
READER?
This is quite funny
what I think is worst, it is when a reader tells you they love a book but they
NEVER read the book. I think that is the
worst.
19. WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY
THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
Absolutely!
20. OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU
LOVE?
Helping People! At the
moment I am getting ready to attend fire academy for next year.
21. DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS
PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
The publishing house
does all that.
22. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
A perfect day would be where I sit down and able to write
without any interruptions!
23. IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND
WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
I am not sure.
Whoever it is better be a positive person where there persona lighten up
the fact we are stuck!
24. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE
CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
If I were
to address the leaders of the world, I would express my humble opinion. The world is struggling not because we are
not intelligent or have excelled from our past, but we haven’t learned from the
past. War doesn’t help anything if we
cannot talk it out, a lot of men and women suffer from this, which don’t get me
wrong I do support the military. What
are we teaching kids as parents if we tell them not to fight with one another
and to talk it out, if our world leaders can’t talk it out? I would also express EVERY country has
people who are going hungry, even in America.
Humanity itself in my eyes would be the topic, with the sideline of the
best interest of people no matter culture, religion, or any of that.
25. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I will always be an author, but I am going to add
volunteer paramedics, firefighter and mother soon enough.
26. WHAT FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE TO
HEAVEN?
Bible, The Five
People You Meet in Heaven, A guide to Confidence Living, Stay Alive All Your
Life
27. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR
CHARACTERS?
Yes, Catisha Spadoni
is one of my main characters I am mostly like.
28. DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
FRUSTRATE YOU?
I think the more you
understand about it, the less you are frustrated.
29. DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?
No
30. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT
TO WRITE? WHY?
Firefighters/first responders because people can relate
so well to the every day characters/
31. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A
WRITER.
‘Success’
is such a word that can be put into small milestones in which build your
career. The first book you publish and
hold in your hand, the first time you are accepted into a publishing house,
your first interview…. It all builds up to a career.
32. WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM
YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
There
is always a hidden message in my books.
I use my manuscripts like a journal, so if I am sad about cancer, I will
write about cancer. If I am frustrated
about different scenarios that could happen at accident scenes, I will
write. There is always a bit of truth
somewhere deep in there, that is happening in real life. With that said, I hope that they take a look
around their own life and see how cancer, fires, accidents, ect effect their
lives.
33. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING
A BOOK COVER?
A
LOT! I have no problem telling the
designers that I hate the covers, I hate the pictures. For my firefighter titles I take extra time
because I use real gear, real equipment, etc.
34. WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?
Being
on the New York Bestseller
35. WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING
YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?
The
‘selling’ aspect of the book is quite different from writing. I said above that the writing part is the
easiest part. I believe you have to
really do your homework on this, in which you want to get into the large
distribution companies for the larger stores, but still sell to the Indie
Bookstores to do signings. Marketing has
quite potential with Television, Radio, Newspapers, blogs, ect.
36. ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?
No, all of my books have been picked up by
two publishers. The one that holds most
of my books is Ayres Delzario Publishing House Inc. , in which I am very proud
of their work.
37. DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS.
Fearless
Believer that never quits
38. WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST?
This one is quite
hard to answer. People who have no
experience in my field telling me how to do my job is probably the biggest one
in which I will smile with grit teeth at.
39. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK
YOU READ? GOOD ONE?
The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman
Peale.
40. WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE
YOU’D WRITE?
I
am not sure, I am not there yet!
Probably my VERY last sentence would be the tune ‘And that is all until
we meet again’ or something to that tune.
41. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE
TO SHARE?
Being
able to help people with cancer, abuse victims, firefighters, ect. I am a very peoples person in which I love
helping those in need.
42. ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
Speaking
of the last question, the book ‘The Captain’s Last Year, One Year to Live:
Battling the Flame and Cancer’ proceeds are going to a Maine Fire Chief who is
battling pancreatic cancer in which the family is struggling. The money is for medical and transportation.
Clancy's comment: Well done, Blaize. What a great name to be writing about firefighters. You have definitely moved ahead since you were a previous guest on this blog. Keep writing!
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