The Magic Wakes

Scientist Talia Zaryn has always had visions of an alien invasion and of her own death. She has kept it a secret, hoping they are nothing more than childish nightmares. But when her face in the mirror matches that of her dreams, she fears the dreams are prophetic. Talia must prove that life exists beyond their planet, Sendek; perhaps then people will prepare to fight.

Talia's work at the Space Exploration Foundation leaves no time for personal relationships, but Major Landry Sutton is not looking for a friend. He is looking for a traitor. His ability to sense emotions convinces him Talia is that traitor until a touch sizzles between them. In an instant their minds are connected. Just as the two begin to trust each other, the invading force arrives.

Talia and Landry must uncover the secrets of Sendek’s past if they hope to defeat these terrifying creatures. And Talia is the key—if only she can learn to trust the magic coursing through her veins. (from Goodreads)

Today I have author Charity Bradford here to answer a few questions about her new book, The Magic Wakes. ..

First off, where did the idea for THE MAGIC WAKES come from and how long did it take from start to publication?

The idea came from a series of reoccurring dreams I had. The first dream was when I was 19 and they continued every so often until I was 28. That’s when I sat down to start writing. I’m sure you know how weird dreams could be, and after about 30K words I got stuck. The dream had never ended so I didn’t know where to go. I set the story aside, but kept coming back to it for six years without making any progress. Then something magical happened. I changed my MC’s name, made her older, and suddenly I knew what happened! I finished the first complete and very rough draft for Nanowrimo 2008 with 61K words. I’ve worked hard on revisions off and on since then.

Who did you model Talia after? A single person? An amalgamation?

Talia is that strong woman that’s also hiding a scared little girl inside. She really can take care of herself, and she’s convinced that’s what she wants, but deep down she’s desperate for someone to melt her walls and love her the way her family did. In a way, she’s a combination of so many women I’ve known in my life. Tough, capable, no-nonsense women who still want someone to take care of them and make them feel like a goddess. It’s okay to be both.

What made you decide to go with WiDo publishing?

I knew a couple of authors that were with them already and I respected their knowledge. That’s why I started looking seriously at WiDo. I liked that they were a smaller company capable of providing individual attention to their authors. They are also growing and expanding their vision without moving too quickly. The final decision came down to one simple thing: It felt right. My obsession with getting published was starting to hurt my family life. I needed to move on and WiDo came along at the right moment. I prayed really hard to know what I should do, and I’ve felt a great peace ever since signing that contract.

What has been the hardest part of the process? The easiest?

The hardest part is two-fold. First, I’m not very patient. Sad, but true. When I was writing I wanted everything to be perfect right then. Making myself put in the hours of revisions and listening to critiques was hard. I could see the story in my head, but finding the right words to help someone else see it is not as easy as I thought it would be. And then after getting a yes and green light there was more work and more waiting. I know (and I’m grateful) that things are being done the right way. That takes time.

Second, balancing my NEED to write with being a mom and wife is always a constant struggle. How do you turn off the creativity surging through your veins when your child just wants to play Legos? It’s easier now that my kids are all in school.

The easiest part? Funnily enough it’s working with critique partners. Maybe easy isn’t the right word, but it has become my favorite part of the process. A good partnership can really pull the best out of you, and who doesn’t need a team of friends to encourage them on?

Haha, I can understand about not being patient! Now for the easy questions…

What’s your favorite thing about where you live?

I haven’t been here very long, but it’s definitely the friendly people. Everyone is so nice in Arkansas. From day one I’ve had people welcoming me and inviting me to get involved. It’s great!

If you could live anywhere for a year where would it be and why?

This is hard! It would be somewhere secluded like the top of a mountain or small island. Why? Because I crave peace and quiet. I want to turn off all the TVs, phones, computers, everything and just enjoy nature for a year. Maybe then my perpetual headache will go away and I’ll actually lose the 30 lbs that came to visit and never left.

Did you ever play an instrument and if so what? If not, what instrument do you wish you could play?

I play the piano a little bit. Nowhere near as well as I wish. Music is one of those things that pull emotion from deep within me and as a kid I wanted to be a concert pianist. That’s hard to do without a piano. I have one now and am trying to become “proficient”. The instrument that I now want to learn more than anything though is the cello. I could sit and listen to cello music all day long.

I would love to be able to play the piano, too. Favorite Hostess dessert you’ll miss the most?

Ho Hos 

Totally agree with the HoHos. I'm going to miss them, too. *sigh* 


Thank you so much for coming by and answering all my questions and congratulations!!!