Please welcome Coral Moore, author of Broods of Fenrir, an urban fantasy adventure.
Katie: On your website you call Broods of Fenrir an urban fantasy adventure. Can you define that genre for us? What about your novel settles it in that category?
Coral: I've never been asked that, what a great question! Well, I had a lot of trouble figuring out where Broods belonged after I wrote it. I was trying to decide if I wanted to put it in Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. I thought there was a case to be made for either, and I still do. While I was discussing the options with one of my beta readers, she said she thought it was more like a fantasy adventure because of the action and the fast pace. I decided she was right and started calling Broods an Urban Fantasy Adventure from that day on. Adding the word adventure puts the emphasis on the action of the book rather than angst-ridden navel-gazing that a lot of UF gets into. Brand really doesn’t wonder why he gets into the situation he finds himself in, he just takes action to resolve it.
Katie: In the wake of Twilight and similar books, how do you keep paranormal romance fresh while still satisfying the mandatory troupes readers come to expect?
Coral: It’s really tough. There are a few staples that paranormal readers look for and I think you’ve got to stay true to those. You have to have a hero that kicks butt in some way. You have to have a love interest, possibly more than one. You have to have some sort of magical something that defies explanation in our modern world. Those aspects are like the framework of a house. What you put on the outside and inside can make your house look completely different, but at its heart the house is still going to be a Ranch or a Colonial. From that frame you can go whatever direction you like, and I think it’s important to put your own spin on it so that the house—or story—is yours. Are there aspects of my werewolves that are similar to others? Sure, they are humanoids that turn into wolves. That’s why I didn’t make up some other name for them. I’ve departed from the traditional werewolf lore quite a bit though and I think I ended up somewhere completely different.
Katie: Some say the paranormal market is saturated, that the very mention of werewolves and vampires sends audiences running for the hills. What’s your take on the future for paranormal literature?
Coral: I’m sure you’re expecting this response since I write paranormal, but I don’t think it’s saturated at all! Like anything that becomes popular or fashionable, there are a lot of derivative works of the new hotness, but I don’t think that means there isn’t any room for more any more than I think the horror market is full because of Stephen King and Clive Barker. There will always be room for good stories. I think paranormal will continue to grow. What readers of UF and PNR love is that small parts of the fantastic bleed into a world they can recognize as their own. The allure is that magic exists, but we just can’t see it. I don’t think the desire to read about paranormal creatures is going anywhere. Hopefully we’ll continue to see more diversification in terms of what kinds of creatures we see and twists on the usual tropes.
Katie: On your website you call Broods of Fenrir an urban fantasy adventure. Can you define that genre for us? What about your novel settles it in that category?
Coral: I've never been asked that, what a great question! Well, I had a lot of trouble figuring out where Broods belonged after I wrote it. I was trying to decide if I wanted to put it in Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. I thought there was a case to be made for either, and I still do. While I was discussing the options with one of my beta readers, she said she thought it was more like a fantasy adventure because of the action and the fast pace. I decided she was right and started calling Broods an Urban Fantasy Adventure from that day on. Adding the word adventure puts the emphasis on the action of the book rather than angst-ridden navel-gazing that a lot of UF gets into. Brand really doesn’t wonder why he gets into the situation he finds himself in, he just takes action to resolve it.
Katie: In the wake of Twilight and similar books, how do you keep paranormal romance fresh while still satisfying the mandatory troupes readers come to expect?
Coral: It’s really tough. There are a few staples that paranormal readers look for and I think you’ve got to stay true to those. You have to have a hero that kicks butt in some way. You have to have a love interest, possibly more than one. You have to have some sort of magical something that defies explanation in our modern world. Those aspects are like the framework of a house. What you put on the outside and inside can make your house look completely different, but at its heart the house is still going to be a Ranch or a Colonial. From that frame you can go whatever direction you like, and I think it’s important to put your own spin on it so that the house—or story—is yours. Are there aspects of my werewolves that are similar to others? Sure, they are humanoids that turn into wolves. That’s why I didn’t make up some other name for them. I’ve departed from the traditional werewolf lore quite a bit though and I think I ended up somewhere completely different.
Katie: Some say the paranormal market is saturated, that the very mention of werewolves and vampires sends audiences running for the hills. What’s your take on the future for paranormal literature?
Coral: I’m sure you’re expecting this response since I write paranormal, but I don’t think it’s saturated at all! Like anything that becomes popular or fashionable, there are a lot of derivative works of the new hotness, but I don’t think that means there isn’t any room for more any more than I think the horror market is full because of Stephen King and Clive Barker. There will always be room for good stories. I think paranormal will continue to grow. What readers of UF and PNR love is that small parts of the fantastic bleed into a world they can recognize as their own. The allure is that magic exists, but we just can’t see it. I don’t think the desire to read about paranormal creatures is going anywhere. Hopefully we’ll continue to see more diversification in terms of what kinds of creatures we see and twists on the usual tropes.
Katie: What kind of research did you do with this novel? How much of the mythology is real and how much fictionalized?
Coral: I actually did quite a bit of research while writing Broods. Not only did I have to read up on lots of Norse mythology, but I also had to familiarize myself with aspects of Norse culture because in a way these werewolves are stuck in that primitive past. The only aspect of the mythology that I’ve twisted to suit my needs is that the Broods of Fenrir are werewolves. In the myths, the Broods of Fenrir were two giant wolves who were prophesized to eat the sun and moon and trigger the beginning of Ragnarok, the Norse version of the apocalypse. Because myths evolve over time, I thought it plausible that the barbarians who enslaved my werewolves to come to think of them as descended of wolf Fenrir. Based on that change, I imagined my wolves would revere Loki above the other gods in the Norse pantheon because he is the father of Fenrir.
Katie: In this novel you deal with the role of the female within the brood structure. Werewolves are certainly chauvinists who subject females to brutal torture, rape and even murder without the bat of an eye. What made you tackle such feminist ideas and how did including them shape your novel?
Coral: Well, let’s go with the easy answer first. I’m a woman. Feminist issues are personal for me. Though I’ve never personally encountered the sexual discrimination so many women in the world do, I hear about how women are treated and it affects me. Though my book is fantasy, and I don’t claim it has any basis in fact, I think it’s important to remember that there are places in the world where women are still treated horribly. Brand is how I’ve chosen to verbalize my opinion on these matters. He’s a man that’s stuck in a brutal and barbaric society he doesn’t understand. He thinks his people should grow beyond their origins, and I feel the same way. Tackling the issue wasn’t a decision I made head-on. I didn’t set out to write a werewolf novel that had a feminist goal; it was just something that I noticed about Brand as I got to know him and then I changed the story to suit him.
Katie: Many reviewers have mentioned your cover as what drew them to the novel. Where did the cover come from? What process did you go through picking a cover and a cover artist?
Coral: My cover is the work of Amanda Kelsey at Razzle Dazzle Design. The process of picking an artist was painful for me. There were six artists in the running at one point. Finally, I just made a decision based on my gut. I know you wanted to hear about a screening process, a survey of covers, and maybe a graph of cover art to sales, but that’s just not what I did. I’m ridiculously indecisive about some things, and I saw myself spending way too much time agonizing over the choice, so I made a snap decision based on one particular cover of hers that I’d seen.
I gave Amanda a few ideas, about important images in the book and a description of the main character, and she did everything else. When she sent me the first proof I was in love and I knew I’d made the right decision.
Katie: What’s your writing process? What secrets could you share with budding writers about what works best for you when writing a novel?
Coral: My writing process changes from book to book. For Broods, I wrote in mostly chronological order until I got to the end. On the second draft I added a few scenes and changed some things, but the basic outline of what happens stayed the same. That was the first time I’d written a book that way. Usually I’m a much more ‘take it as it comes’ writer. I write a scene I have an idea for and then another and another until I have a bunch of them. Then, I sort of weave them together into a tapestry that makes sense. Finally I go through and take care of all the inconsistencies that I’ve created. Frankly, I prefer the Broods process, but it just doesn’t happen that way for me every time.
Katie: You seem to be all over the web with guest post, reviews, etc. What has been the most helpful approach when marketing yourself and your novel? Where have you found the most success?
Coral: The most helpful approach is to be a professional and polite. I think those two points help in all aspects of marketing. I try to always leave people with a positive impression of me, regardless of what they think of my book. I know my book isn’t for everyone for the same reason that I don’t like every book I pick up. I have no control over whether a person likes my book or not once it is in their hands. What I can do is make sure that when they see my name again, regardless of what they thought of my book, they remember that we had a positive interaction.
Katie: What would we find you doing if you aren’t writing?
Coral: When I’m not writing and I’m not at the day-job (I’m a mild-mannered spreadsheet monkey by day), I’m generally either reading or watching TV. Sometimes I crochet or draw, but I’m bad at both and pursue them for comedic value.
Katie: What’s coming up next? Can we expect a sequel?
Coral: Next is an unrelated fantasy book titled Elements of Rebellion. It’s a more sword and magic kind of fantasy rather than modern. I’m working on the final edits right now, and I hope to have it published by April. I’ve already started writing a Broods sequel, but it probably won’t be out until this summer.
Thank you, Coral, for your time. If you want to read more, you can find Coral here.
If you enjoyed this post, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Coral: I actually did quite a bit of research while writing Broods. Not only did I have to read up on lots of Norse mythology, but I also had to familiarize myself with aspects of Norse culture because in a way these werewolves are stuck in that primitive past. The only aspect of the mythology that I’ve twisted to suit my needs is that the Broods of Fenrir are werewolves. In the myths, the Broods of Fenrir were two giant wolves who were prophesized to eat the sun and moon and trigger the beginning of Ragnarok, the Norse version of the apocalypse. Because myths evolve over time, I thought it plausible that the barbarians who enslaved my werewolves to come to think of them as descended of wolf Fenrir. Based on that change, I imagined my wolves would revere Loki above the other gods in the Norse pantheon because he is the father of Fenrir.
Katie: In this novel you deal with the role of the female within the brood structure. Werewolves are certainly chauvinists who subject females to brutal torture, rape and even murder without the bat of an eye. What made you tackle such feminist ideas and how did including them shape your novel?
Coral: Well, let’s go with the easy answer first. I’m a woman. Feminist issues are personal for me. Though I’ve never personally encountered the sexual discrimination so many women in the world do, I hear about how women are treated and it affects me. Though my book is fantasy, and I don’t claim it has any basis in fact, I think it’s important to remember that there are places in the world where women are still treated horribly. Brand is how I’ve chosen to verbalize my opinion on these matters. He’s a man that’s stuck in a brutal and barbaric society he doesn’t understand. He thinks his people should grow beyond their origins, and I feel the same way. Tackling the issue wasn’t a decision I made head-on. I didn’t set out to write a werewolf novel that had a feminist goal; it was just something that I noticed about Brand as I got to know him and then I changed the story to suit him.
Katie: Many reviewers have mentioned your cover as what drew them to the novel. Where did the cover come from? What process did you go through picking a cover and a cover artist?
Coral: My cover is the work of Amanda Kelsey at Razzle Dazzle Design. The process of picking an artist was painful for me. There were six artists in the running at one point. Finally, I just made a decision based on my gut. I know you wanted to hear about a screening process, a survey of covers, and maybe a graph of cover art to sales, but that’s just not what I did. I’m ridiculously indecisive about some things, and I saw myself spending way too much time agonizing over the choice, so I made a snap decision based on one particular cover of hers that I’d seen.
I gave Amanda a few ideas, about important images in the book and a description of the main character, and she did everything else. When she sent me the first proof I was in love and I knew I’d made the right decision.
Katie: What’s your writing process? What secrets could you share with budding writers about what works best for you when writing a novel?
Coral: My writing process changes from book to book. For Broods, I wrote in mostly chronological order until I got to the end. On the second draft I added a few scenes and changed some things, but the basic outline of what happens stayed the same. That was the first time I’d written a book that way. Usually I’m a much more ‘take it as it comes’ writer. I write a scene I have an idea for and then another and another until I have a bunch of them. Then, I sort of weave them together into a tapestry that makes sense. Finally I go through and take care of all the inconsistencies that I’ve created. Frankly, I prefer the Broods process, but it just doesn’t happen that way for me every time.
Katie: You seem to be all over the web with guest post, reviews, etc. What has been the most helpful approach when marketing yourself and your novel? Where have you found the most success?
Coral: The most helpful approach is to be a professional and polite. I think those two points help in all aspects of marketing. I try to always leave people with a positive impression of me, regardless of what they think of my book. I know my book isn’t for everyone for the same reason that I don’t like every book I pick up. I have no control over whether a person likes my book or not once it is in their hands. What I can do is make sure that when they see my name again, regardless of what they thought of my book, they remember that we had a positive interaction.
Katie: What would we find you doing if you aren’t writing?
Coral: When I’m not writing and I’m not at the day-job (I’m a mild-mannered spreadsheet monkey by day), I’m generally either reading or watching TV. Sometimes I crochet or draw, but I’m bad at both and pursue them for comedic value.
Katie: What’s coming up next? Can we expect a sequel?
Coral: Next is an unrelated fantasy book titled Elements of Rebellion. It’s a more sword and magic kind of fantasy rather than modern. I’m working on the final edits right now, and I hope to have it published by April. I’ve already started writing a Broods sequel, but it probably won’t be out until this summer.
Thank you, Coral, for your time. If you want to read more, you can find Coral here.
If you enjoyed this post, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
