Interview with V.G. Ford

As a fan of V.G. Ford's Horseman universe, I was quite pleased when she accepted my interview, and doubly so that I got a sneak peak at the new novella, released today, Snow. I highly recommend it! It is set in that universe, but you don't need to have had any previous exposure to the universe to enjoy the story - and it just might lead you to read her really great book, Not Your Father's Horseman.

VGF: Snow is my first novella. I've got three nonfiction books on how to write fantasy, a novel and a short story published so far. I've got three psychotic cats and a long-suffering husband, and a Jack Frost fetish.

SW: When did you first begin to write? And why?

VGF: I have been writing since I was four - my father is a poet and writer and instilled the love of storytelling in all of us. I can't help it - I have stories that need to be told.Was there a particular writer who has inspired you over the years or who sparked that initial push into fiction?Anne McCaffrey. We share a birthday and I have always retreated to the Pern books when I'm having a bad day.

SW: Of all the stories you've ever written, do you have a personal favorite?

VGF: A favorite story? Not really. A favorite character? Yes. Shanna is my absolute favorite to write, because she's so much fun, although Nikki is fast becoming a favorite too. I'll be sad to see the series end.

SW: Do you have any projects you're working on now that we should be looking out for in the future?

VGF: Well, the second book in the Horseman series will be out next spring, Dark Moon Seasons. After that, there's one more book in that series, and a companion series. I'm also working on a paranormal romance series about a ghost hunter that I'm going to be shopping to agents in the spring.

SW: When writing, do you have a specific method? Are you the kind of writer who uses detailed outlines and character sketches or more organic?

VGF: I'm incredibly anal when it comes to prewriting. It takes me anywhere from 3 to 9 months to prewrite a new novel/universe when I'm not on deadline. I have a three-tier outline system, as well as character sketches and maps. I have whole binders just of prewriting.

SW: Where can readers find Not Your Father's Horseman?

VGF: You can find it on Dragon Moon Press' website: www.dragonmoonpress.com. You can also find it on Amazon, and most major booksellers will order it in.

SW: Was there something specific that prompted the birth of this universe?

VGF: Um, not really. I started writing this universe in college, and it's just sort of grown from there.

SW: With Snow, I understand that it's not necessarily exactly cannon – can you give us some specifics on that?

VGF: Snow exists outside the storyline I started in Horseman. It's a "what-if" that lets me have some fun with some of the regular characters, and introduce some others. Unfortunately, it doesn't really fit in the timeline, although at least one character in it may show up in a different book in the universe at a later date.

SW: Do you have a favorite moment in Snow (that won't give away the ending)?

VGF: The lightning strike was fun, but what I love is the chemistry between the main characters.

SW: What initially inspired Snow?

VGF: It was a dare, actually. A friend of mine dared me to write a fanfiction smut scene in the Horseman universe, and told me it had to be a Christmas story. It took off from there.

SW: In all the stories I've read of yours, I notice that your female characters are far from the standard Damsels in Distress – something I greatly appreciate as both female and a reader – was that a conscious effort on your part?

VGF: Yes. I can't stand the "oh, save me, my hero!" heroines. They make my teeth ache.

SW: There is some thought in the broad world of the internet that women aren't reading Science Fiction – do you think there's merit to that and what can be done to change it?

VGF: I've heard that, but I don't believe it. I know plenty of women who read SF. I was raised on Asimov and Bradbury, and really, you don't get more SF than that.

SW: What genre would you classify the bulk of your work as being?

VGF: Urban fantasy. Dark urban fantasy, but definitely urban fantasy.

SW: What is the best writing or publishing advice you've ever been given?

VGF: Don't stop writing. It's much harder to edit a blank page.

SW: What's next for Nikki Jeffries? (who is a whole lot of fun to read about by the way).

VGF: Well, like I said, Dark Moon Seasons comes out in the spring of 2009. The series ends in 2010 with Last Rites. After that, we'll see. She might have a short story or two in store, but as of this point, no more novels.

Thanks so much Val for allowing me, and my readers, a peek into your process.

To purchase Snow - which I highly recommend - visit Lilley Press.

For more information on Val Griswold-Ford and her writing, you can visit her website http://www.vg-ford.com/ and find her on Facebook.