What is your favorite fictional character or creature?
Faeries.
What is the one writing tool you couldn’t live without?
Google.
What are you looking forward to at Comic Con?
Dressing up as Morna of The Morning Dew, the fairy from Book Two of The Children of Cain series, The Offspring.
When did you know you were a writer?
I’ve written all my life, but I finally decided to make my life dream into a reality about five years ago.
If you could be any character in one of your stories, who would it be and why?
It would obviously be Morna the Fairy because I’m obsessed with fairies. She’s built like me and she’s kind of awesome.
What path did you take to publication?
I shopped around to a lot different publishers and got a nibble but ultimately decided to go the self-publishing route. It affords me more creative freedom and being an illustrator and graphic designer, too. Getting to design my own book covers is very important to me.
How long have you been writing?
Since the dawn of time. In all seriousness I can’t remember not being a storyteller. However, one of my first stories I wrote was in second grade about aliens abducting all the kids I didn’t like in my class! Muhahahahaha. (Sorry about that.)
Favorite author who inspired you?
There are so many, but as far as fantasy goes I’m a huge fan of Robert Jordan. I worship him and the world he created.
Favorite read in the last six months?
Divergent by Veronica Roth, Copper Descent by Angela Hartley and Illusions by Aprilyn Pyke.
Which of your characters would you expect someone to dress up as during Comic Con?
Morna the Fairy, Legion the Vampire from 16th-century France (and he dresses according to the fashion of the times when he was still mortal), Emon or Vinita who are both gold-skinned Elves.
What books will you be selling at Comic Con?
The first two books in The Children of Cain Series, The Forsaken (Book One) and The Offspring (Book Two) will be available at the UFA booth. I will be testing out alternate covers at Comic Con so if you stop by you can see both versions of my book and decide which one grabs your attention more. My decision to keep the original cover or replace it with the new will be heavily based on the response of Comic Con shoppers.
How do you organize your thoughts into a cohesive storyline?
I’m a chronic daydreamer, so first I live their lives out inside my head, and then I write a simple outline based off my daydreaming. Before I start officially writing I gather whatever research I need and save them to their own files (this is where Google comes in handy). I look back on the outline and research as I need to.
What inspired you to write?
This particular series was inspired by reading several bestsellers that just didn’t impress me. When I analyzed why they didn’t wow me like they did the rest of the world I noticed they all had three things in common. They all lacked realistic emotions, reactions or consequences. I personally feel that modern novels lack the emotional depth of classic literature and I think having that kind of depth is important no matter what the genre. So I set out to write an urban fantasy series that had all the fantasy elements I love combined with a more classical approach to writing. In my books bad things don’t almost happen, battles don’t dissipate before they begin. Whatever can happen does happen and you feel the impact of it emotionally through my characters.
Would you consider writing a fan as a character in one of your books?
Hmmm… a fan, like someone I know? Yes, possibly if it made sense to the story. I am still a new name as an author though, I can’t think of any fans at present that would fit into my book’s world.
When can fans expect your next book?
The Coven which is Book Three of The Children of Cain series is due out in the fall of 2015. Meanwhile, I have several other books outside of this series that are in the works.
R.J. Craddock
Website: www.rjcraddock.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RJCraddockAuthor
BlogSpot: rjcraddockauthor.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/RJCraddockwrite
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCKEzDpey5Wv8pnTRnu53jlA
Amazon: www.amazon.com/R-J-Craddock/e/B00IBQT1VO
Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/c/r.-j.-craddock
Shelfari: www.shelfari.com/books/36149341
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7074856.R_J_Craddock
Smashwords: www.smashwords.com/books/view/417067
