Hello riders and readers. Today I am doing an author interview with Ashley Reiter. She is one of the authors I met over on Kickstarter and in the groups on Facebook. I wanted to showcase her story and her current project for you all to enjoy. Please enjoy reading about her journey, her life, and her current project over on Kickstarter. Happy reading everyone :).
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Author Interview with Ashley Reiter
Thank you so much for this opportunity, Katie! I’m a wide reader who has always loved the power of words. I’m a second generation Canadian, with Malaysian-Chinese and German ancestry. My three-generation family lives in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia with two cats and an acre of garden. We grow just about everything, and I still pinch myself at how lucky we are to live here.
I’ve been writing since elementary school, and I’ve been blessed with a supportive and broadly talented writer’s group for more than a decade. It’s been incredible to witness each of their publishing journeys, and they have given me so much encouragement.
Tell us what kind of books you publish for our readers to enjoy… (Genre, Format, Etc.)
I write speculative fiction; the imaginative umbrella that covers fantasy, science fiction, and not-of-this-world wonder. My desire is to bring a little more meaning and beauty to the world: to captivate readers with rich storytelling and complex characters.
That same philosophy is in my children’s books—with more whimsy, winks for the adult reader, and plenty of adorable details for little eyes.
Resonance Between Our Suns will be my debut adult novel. I dipped my toe into independent publishing with children’s illustrated books, the first being The Lonely Bear Who Went Looking For A Party ages ago. The second and most recent was Tell Me A Story, Mumma for my daughter’s birthday last year.
How did you decide the path you are on as an author? (Indie/Traditional Author)
I wrote my first full novel (unpublished) a decade ago. The Paper Throne is a YA kingdom fantasy with supernatural elements, natural dyes, and an abdicating princess. I was in discussions with an agent, but I was pregnant with my first child when he asked for a complete revise & resubmit (R&R), so I decided to shelve it (here’s the long version).
When I was ready to pick up the pen again, Covid had transformed the publishing industry. I saw the indie route was so much more accessible and better supported than before, and I was excited by the idea that I could have full creative control over any story I wanted to share with the world.
What is one thing you wish you knew at the beginning of your journey as an author?
I was (am?) such a perfectionist. The way I write; slowly, chronologically, revising previous chapters to smooth out the rough edges before I continue writing, is incredibly slow. Now that I have written two full books, I understand how I could write faster. I need to be okay with that messy draft and get feedback early, so I can pivot quickly without being attached to chapters I’ve re-written multiple times. It’s hard to balance the passion for your story and the utilitarian “if it doesn’t serve the story, it’s gotta go”.
My writing group told me early on that the first book I wrote would be a learning experience, and they were so right. The craft of writing was so much clearer this time around, and ultimately, my goal is to always write a better book; to better my craft. Learning how to write faster is the key for me. Focus on the essentials like structure and character goals. Fiddle with the “icing” later.
What hobbies do you do when you aren’t writing or working a day job?
Too many, I shouldn’t list them all =) I have a large garden with fruit, vegetables, and flowers in all seasons. There’s always something to do outside. I delight in experimenting with what I find in our little paradise. I’ve tried flower pounding onto fabric, making wild vinegar with the neighbour’s yellow plums, and weaving baskets with the invasive Boston ivy. I’ve tried every kind of mending on our clothes—knee patches in particular, for the littles! Our piano is sadly neglected in the summer, but we do family jazz & Broadway singalongs in the winter months.
My husband is a physiotherapist, and together we run a multidisciplinary clinic. I have a fair few office tasks at home; marketing, bookkeeping, HR, and tax returns. This spring I was the general contractor for a mini-expansion. The clinic is my biggest “client”, though I do continue to offer strategic and communications consulting for select small businesses.
I also have two young children, so they keep life full and fun.
When I published Tell Me A Story, Mumma last year on Amazon, it was so fun to see the response of friends and family—this little book sat at #1 in all 3 categories for a good 24 hours! It was a labour of love, and the feedback from littles all around the world enjoying this book was reward aplenty, but it also helped me to see the pros and cons of the ‘Zon engine. Great accessibility, unbeatable shipping, but also few print customizations (especially for Canadians) and negligible profits.
I was already a Kickstarter backer when I started to notice the stunning book campaigns and what was possible through that platform. It made perfect sense to use my creative and project management skills to launch my debut on my timing, to the quality and detail that would make my heart sing—and, hopefully, resonate with new readers.
You are in the prelaunch with your Kickstarter for Resonance Between Our Suns. Can you tell us more about your campaign?
This is my debut novel’s launch! It will be available in special edition e-book, paperback, and hardcover. All formats will have hand-drawn colour illustrations, and the hardcover will also have gold foil, printed endpapers, corner flip animation, and other goodies in the stretch goal.
Speculative fiction isn’t as well-represented on Kickstarter, so I am curious to see what follower and backer interest will be for other offerings like extra art prints, character cards, etc. I have plans for ephemera packs with vellum inserts, bookmark, bookplate, stickers, and a secret data chip. If we get a strong response, I’m prepared to do a print run with extra features like sprayed edges, ribbon marker, and premium paper.
Ultimately, my hope is that the story will connect with readers who identify with the struggle in defining yourself through what you do, and a longing for meaning, a search for something more.
Musical heroine, corporate dystopia, CEO antagonist, Rumpelstiltskin bargain, cosmic phenomena, slow-burn tension, no spice.
Who is the main character of your book Resonance Between Our Suns?
Valia is a fiercely independent musician who has avoided corporate gigs for years. She’s one payday away from launching the first indie radio station in the post-nuclear West Coast—but she also is in the minority of fertile females; her twin sister has capitalized on this advantage and lives a life of corporate comfort. She’s 26, has family baggage, an on-again, off-again relationship with her bandmate Soren, and razor-sharp lyrics—and she wants to quit touring. So she’s holding a lot of tension about her future, and Chapter 1 opens with her and Soren about to step on stage.
Valia believes the world would be a better place, sixty years after a nuclear event, with communities and artists pooling their talents to recover what was lost after corporations took over the governments. She’s wholly at odds with the rest of her family who are deeply entrenched in Mericor Industries, one of the four major corporations that control the globe.
Her recently retired father was involved in the space program, but Mericor’s lust for rare elements and exploring grates against Valia’s passion for those on Earth who have been overlooked by the corporate machine.
Soren's ambition and her father's cancer leave Valia stranded and broke, with no way to fund her station except through corporate surrogacy. When Mericor Industries comes knocking, wanting to use her voice to shift public opinion on a failing colony mission light years away, how will she answer? Are your dreams worth your freedom? How far will Valia be willing to go, to be heard?
Her journey is both external, through space, and internal, as she’s so hung up on her music that she doesn’t realize until it’s almost too late that it’s not validation she needs, but a purpose outside of herself. Her voice is better used not to control her destiny, but to amplify truth for a greater purpose. This book is half of a planned duology, so her journey takes a surprising turn and ramps up for a very exciting sequel.
Do your research, take your time, and then just go for it. It was a little terrifying to email every person I could think of who might be willing to get a “blast from the past” and accept emails from me out of sheer goodwill, and vulnerable again to send Chapter 1 and a direct ask to follow the Kickstarter campaign. As I write this, I’ve hit 28 followers, and most of those are people I know, but I think I’m starting to pull in some new readers, which is encouraging.
It takes a thick skin to put yourself out there. At least with a traditional publisher, you could blame a flop on the cover or the editor, but with Kickstarter, you call all the shots, and take all the heat. This is also an empowering plus! Don’t do it for validation; do it because you are an artist and you can make the world a more interesting place. The world is your oyster: go craft your own pearl.
I knew that if I wanted a good result, I was going to have to put in the work. I was going to have to treat the campaign like a long-term project, with set phases, lots of research, and non-monetizable time. I could dive headlong into this and go a little crazy; it’s important to pace my efforts so I don’t burn out.
I like to do things well. That’s my German side, for sure. So if I commit to something, I research the heck out of it and you can be sure I’ve done my homework and not only done my best to get it up to snuff, but the Individualist in me (any other Enneagram 4s out there?) will also put a unique twist on it, too. I hope readers will like the artistic elements of the campaign; the corner flip animation, the Chladni form chapter headers, and the beautifully designed book.
If you could give any advice to your fellow authors that you learned along the way, what would it be?
Pay the money. You can waste a lot of time searching around trying to save dollars here and there, but it’s worth paying for a great cover, and professional advice, and the niche e-books that answer your questions better than hours trawling various blogs. Anthea Sharp’s Kickstarter for Authors book is a solid resource, and I can’t recommend enough her Facebook group where hundreds of veteran authors detail their campaign strategies. Pay attention, with a willing humility. My father always told me that life’s too short: learn from others’ mistakes, so you don’t have to make them. Consider money you (wisely) spend as an investment on yourself. You are developing knowledge, skills, and craft that will serve you for the rest of your life, and with some luck, can make the world a little bit more wondrous. Enjoy the journey!
<3
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That is the end of our interview with Ashley Reiter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Learn a lot of things and plenty of information to go around. Hopefully after getting to know her a little bit and her current Kickstarter you will head over to her prelaunch page and click the NOTIFY ME ON LAUNCH button so you can get all her updates and the launch announcement for when she goes live. Check out her bio below and follow her on her social media. Hope you all enjoy your weekend and happy reading to those binging books out there this weekend.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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