Author Interview
Michelle Lowery Combs
I had the pleasure of reading Ms. Combs' YA novel HEIR OF THE LAMP, Book 1 in "The Genie Chronicles" series. HEIR TO THE LAMP by Michelle Lowery Combs is an exciting new spin on a genie tale. The characters are what made this story come to life for me. Virginia is a feisty main character who I would love to have as a friend. Each of Virginia’s siblings has a distinct personality and are relatable. The mystery that surrounds Virginia’s heritage drew me in instantly. The legend of “djinns” in history was captivating! I look forward to reading more of Ms. Combs’ work.
A family secret, a mysterious lamp, a dangerous Order with the mad desire to possess both. Ginn used to think she knew all there was to know about how she became adopted by parents whose #1 priority is to embarrass her with public displays of affection, but that changes when a single wish starts a never-ending parade of weirdness marching through her door the day she turns thirteen.
Gifted with a mysterious lamp and the missing pieces from her adoption story, Ginn tries to discover who…or what…she really is. That should be strange enough, but to top it off Ginn’s being hunted by the Order of the Grimoire, a secret society who’ll stop at nothing to harness the power of a real genie. Ginn struggles to stay one step ahead of the Grimms with the help of Rashmere, Guardian of the lamp and the most loyal friend a girl never knew she had. The Grimms are being helped, too—but by whom? As much as she doesn’t want to, Ginn’s beginning to question the motives of her long-time crush Caleb Scott and his connection to her newest, most dangerous enemy.
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Interview with Michelle!
(My comments in red.)
Michelle Lowery Combs
When did you start writing Heir to the Lamp?
The
entire first draft of Heir to the Lamp
was written in 2009 in a couple of notebooks at my sons’ pee-wee football
practices: two hours per evening, four
nights a week for four months that would have killed me with boredom had I not
had a novel burning inside me to get out.
Some of the other parents must have thought that I was the most antisocial
person they’d ever met. I shudder to
imagine what I looked like hunched over those notebooks scribbling like a mad
woman. (I love this! I've felt the same way when I've been writing and other people are around!)
What was your biggest motivator to finish the story?
I wanted the story to be complete for my
children…something for them to read later in life and have a laugh because of
all the little anecdotal stories of our family life I’d peppered into the
broader adventure of a teenage genie. I
had no real goal of publication in the beginning.
How many drafts did you go through to get to the final
product?
I did three complete rewrites—the first draft was in
third person; the second in first, but included an ending that just kind of
petered out with no real resolution; the third felt right and was very close to
the final and published version.
Between rewrites I did a lot of revising: I cut some characters, reworked scenes and
dialogue. The manuscript was rejected 13
times over three years, and every time I received a rejection letter I sat down
with the work anew. There was validity
in each of those rejections, and I used them to make the story better.
Who is your favorite character in the story? Why?
I’d have to say Rashmere, main character Virginia’s
guide and guardian of the lamp, is my favorite.
He’s thousands of years old and has witnessed the rise and fall of
empires. None of that has prepared him
for 21st Century America, however.
He’s a loveable misfit that does everything in his power to prove
himself to be the best friend a girl never knew she had.
What are your future plans for the book series?
In the
second installment, Solomon’s Bell,
Ginn is attempting to come to terms with her new identity, learning whom she
can and can’t maintain a close relationship with as her true nature becomes
known to more and more people, and all while confronting a new enemy—one older
and more sinister than even the Order of the Grimoire!
How does
your family play into your story writing? (I have two boys and they enjoy
helping me name characters and create “dire” situations for my main
characters!)
(How
fun! Some of my children run screaming
from the room whenever I want to talk plot.)
The Genie Chronicles series is
heavily influenced by my family; we are as eclectic as Ginn’s family. I have three biological children, two
step-children, and maintain a close relationship with a now adult cousin that I
informally adopted when he was a teen.
Each of these young people are represented as characters in the book and
much of the banter, teasing and torment of one another that happens in the book
can be witnessed on any given day around our house.
Similarly,
Daddy’s Girl, another manuscript I’m
working to complete, is largely based on my mother and her siblings, growing up
in 1960’s Alabama in the years after their father’s sudden death.
I’m a
“write what you know” writer for sure.
THIS OR THAT
Blue or pink?
Blue
Computer or Television? Television…on the computer.
Pizza or Potatoes?
Potatoes. Having six children has
ruined pizza for me…possibly forever.
Coke or Pepsi?
Coke
While writing: Noise or Silence? Noise.
There’s nothing so deafening as silence when you’re accustomed to a
houseful of kids.
Batman or Superman?
To date: Superman. He’s a journalist, after all, and smokin’
hot. To be: Batman.
He’s a billionaire with all those cool gadgets.
Summer or Winter?
Winter. Summers in Alabama can be
BRUTAL!
E-mail or Text?
Email. I hate “text speak”. (Me too!!)
Mouse or touchpad?
Mouse. I am 5’10” tall with
giant, man-sized hands. Touchpads hate
me. (Ha! I'm 5'9" and I know what you mean! My hands are almost as big as my husband's.)
Science or English Literature? I’m fascinated by science…so many potential
story ideas there. I also love English
Literature, especially modern English Literature. Neil Gaiman and JK Rowling are two of my
favorite authors.
Mind control or invisibility? Mind control.
I have teenagers. (Bahaha!)
Have a maid or have a gardener? A maid.
I have teenagers.
Roller coasters or lazy river? Lazy river—it’s like lolling in a giant bath
tub. The best!
Favorite Disney princess? Rapunzel from Tangled—she isn’t looking to be
rescued and actually saves her prince. (This is why she's awesome, folks!)
-Other questions of randomness-
Last movie you saw in the theater? Oz the
Great & Powerful
Last book you read?
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
by Tom Franklin
Last book you read that you cried while reading it? This is
Not a Drill by Beck McDowell
If you could dress up as anything, what would it be? An expectant mother—no need to hold in your
stomach when the world believes you’ve got a passenger in it.
The area of the bookstore you spend the most time in? The children’s and Young Adult section.
What did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher.
What is the next place you want to travel to? New Orleans, Louisiana.
Book Giveaway!
For the giveaway - one (1) free ebook of HEIR TO THE LAMP by Michelle Lowery Combs for the Kindle or Nook. Winner will be chosen by random.org and will be contacted. If winner does not respond in 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. To enter: leave a blog post comment below! (Yep, it's that easy!)
(Giveaway now closed)
Comment on: if you had a genie, what would you wish for?
--WINNER IS: Leslie!--
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