Hey ink demons. I am proud to present the first author interview on the One Page of Misery site!
Here, I talk with independent fantasy author CJ Embers about her latest book, Insurgent, which is a sequel to Emergent and also part of a shared urban fantasy universe.
Auctor Trevel: Can you tell the readers who you are?
CJ Embers: I’m CJ Embers, a Canadian fantasy author. I reside in Manitoba, surrounded by cats, books, video games, and my not-so-trusty computer. Although that sounds like the perfect recipe for a typical author, I absolutely love the outdoors as well.
AT: CJ, it is awesome you’re talking with me about yourself as an author! So Insurgent—book two of the Emergent series—just dropped in April. How are you feeling about its release?
CJE: It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, to be honest. On one hand, I’m excited— obviously because it’s a new release, but also because I had to put publications on hold for over a year after my life flipped upside down. Being able to start publishing again was a victory in my life; a sign that things were getting back on track, even if slowly.
However, on the other hand, publication days tend to leave me feeling more down than happy. Being an artist—especially an indie artist—can be incredibly taxing. While new publications are a reason to celebrate, it’s also a stark reminder that despite writing for over a decade, my writing career is nowhere near to being sustainable. Each publication sets me back an average of $700 and makes only a tiny fraction of that in return.
That being said, the lows of publication days never last. I’m always back in the saddle (or on the keyboard!) before too long, because to me, writing is life and I won’t give it up.
AT: I have been there, for sure. My first couple of books were published in 2012 and my own career has not fully taken off. Glad though that you have not given up!
CJE: Oh wow, me too! My first book came out in 2012 as well. I’m definitely not giving up, but yeah, it does wear on me sometimes. Onwards and upwards for both of us!
AT: Give us a lowdown on what Insurgent is about.
CJE: Without trying to give any spoilers for either of the novels, it takes place in a new setting compared to Emergent, and this unfamiliarity puts a strain on Echo’s progress to overcome her dark past. This new place has strict rules, a no-nonsense leader, and much less freedom than the Marauders had in their bunker. “Why don’t they just leave?” you may ask. Well, that’s the problem—after what it took for Shard to get them, surely they wouldn’t just let them leave, right? It’s a fortress with eyes and ears in every corner, and playing it safe by lying low is the smarter choice for the Marauders than the alternative—being cut down if they try to leave.
AT: So looks like you are playing around with a new setting, and it might change and/or raise the stakes?
CJE: Both, but I would say more-so raising the stakes. I actually didn’t plan for the series to go this way at first. I’m a pantser, which means I don’t plan/outline before writing and let the plot come to me as I write. The way things are going, the Emergent series is going to have two main plot points. I don’t know how normal or not that is for other books, but I’ve personally never done it before and I’m hoping I can pull it off. Insurgent is the beginning of these dual plotlines and I’m nervous but super excited to continue with the rest of the series. The Marauders are going to have a heck of a time trying to survive in the coming books, that’s for sure.
AT: It sounds promising! Also, raising the stakes is a good approach, especially when developing a sequel.
CJE: Absolutely. Writing a series is always more stressful than a standalone, because many people often say that sequels don’t land as well as the first instalment. So, us writers have to make sure they do. Whether it’s raising the stakes, adding something fresh, etc., it has to wow the readers just as much as the first book, if not more.
Agreed! Given this book is a sequel to Emergent, let’s talk about that book some. What is Emergent about where did the idea for Emergent come from?
CJE: Emergent is an NA (New Adult) fantasy about a young woman named Echo who is sold as a slave. The abuse she suffers awakens something within her, and this mysterious ability offers her freedom. Echo’s escape leads her to a group of thieves who, as time goes on, become family. However, the CPTSD she suffers from her past as a slave plagues her mind so terribly that these people, this sanctuary, might just be an illusion of her broken mind.
As for where the idea for Emergent came from, it’s a bit funny. I was at my former friend’s house watching a show, and in that show there was a brief scene where the main character gets mugged. And just like that, it was like a lightbulb flicked on—what if I wrote a book where the main character falls in with a group of bad guys?
It was the first book I’d written that was more “dark side,” and it was a blast. As a pantser, it was a wild ride and so fun to make the plot twist and turn to keep the future readers second guessing.
AT: It was a thrill ride, for sure! How long did it take to write both Emergent and Insurgent?
CJE: I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I believe I hammered out Emergent in about two months. It was crazy how fast I finished it, yet despite that it turned out to be one of my best works (in my humble, unbiased opinion of course…!). As for Insurgent, I’m not actually sure. I believe it was a bit longer than Emergent’s time, but I finished writing it so long ago and read through it so many times over the past few years that it’s pretty much just a blur at this point.
AT: Definitely understandable. How would you describe your process as a pantser?
CJE: The process can vary a lot. The biggest factor that varies is how I start a book. The beginning can either start from a title, a character/characters, a plot idea, or a species (the majority of my main characters are mythological creatures). For example, I currently have a WIP (work in progress) that’s about fifty percent finished, but there’s no plot, because the idea came from wanting to write an enemies-to-lovers book. I’m also not sure if the chosen species would work for these particular characters. So, so far, that WIP is just about the main characters and their relationship progress as enemies to lovers. This is the problem with being a pantser; were I a plotter, I wouldn’t have put this much time and effort into the manuscript without even being sure of the main ‘bones’ of the book.
Funnily enough, this is also proving a problem for the third book in the Emergent series. The book is finished in the sense that it has a beginning, middle, and end, and clocks in at 367 pages, but there’s just…not enough plot. I absolutely love writing about Echo and her family, so it was ridiculously easy to write an entire book about them living their life and not do much plot stuff. I only realized the problem when I was done! So now I have to do a bunch of brainstorming and work to inject some of that ‘wow’ into the third instalment.
Being a pantser, I also have to be extra careful that plot points line up both throughout the book, and throughout the series, because it can be easy to veer off course. This is also why I try to have at least two books in a series written before publishing the first, because then if I need or want to go back to change something, I can.
AT: Understandable about the process. All of your books have heavy fantasy elements, both taking place in the modern world and in a fictional medieval-style environment. Who and what are your writing influences?
CJE: I’ve always found this question tricky because there’s no one in particular I have been influenced by. I feel like people expect some profound answer like “[popular writer, celeb, or book/movie] is my inspiration!” but that’s just not how it is for me. I grew up reading and fell in love with the fantasy genre and all it has to offer, and that love is why I now write in that same genre. It’s such a big, versatile, and magical (often literally!) genre that allows you to write pretty much whatever you can think up. So, there’s no one person or piece of media in particular that has had an influence on me— just the beauty and the freedom of the fantasy genre as a whole, as well as an unsatiable desire to pour my creations out into the world.
AT: I can relate! I think a lot of authors’ influences vary wildly beyond their own favorite author.
CJE: Agreed. I personally don’t have a favourite author. There are some cases where I love a lot of books an author has written, but I don’t understand how that can translate to having a favourite author, because would that not imply I like every single one of an author’s books? But perhaps I’m thinking of this too literally. It’s definitely easier when people ask my favourite books or series!
AT: Which one of your books was your favorite to work on?
CJE: Oh that’s a tough one. I would say either Emergent or The Ascension Trial. Or both equally, followed immediately by their sequels. My favourite books to write turned out to be my best works. Emergent was fun because it was not only completely different from my previous books, but also because it was finally a book that was not part of my dragon series. Not that I dislike my dragon series, but I had worked on those two for over five years and Emergent was such a breath of fresh air.
As for The Ascension Trial, the idea for that book came from a dream, and that dream turned into a 2000-word scene when I wrote it down. That 2k-word scene then turned into an entire book. I love the setting in this series as well, because my past books have all been set in modern times. The Ascension series veers more in the direction of medieval style, although it differs from even that because they still have some tech.
Both series have strong women as the main characters. They’re real, they struggle, and they either have a darkness within them or have to fight against darkness that threatens to overcome them. I think that’s a big reason why I enjoyed writing these as well. Writing about anti-heroes or characters who struggle a lot feels more real to me.
AT: Anti-heroes are some of the most compelling characters to write about, and we definitely need more strong female characters too. I enjoyed both the protagonists of Emergent and The Ascension Trial not only because they are strong but also struggle in their respective circumstances.
CJE: I agree on both counts!
AT: Who is your favorite character that you created?
CJE: Oh gosh, that’s like asking me to pick a favourite child! Choosing just one would be impossible. If we’re talking characters in my published books, definitely Echo/Adrian of the Emergent series and Kena/Helis of the Ascension series. But if we’re talking ones in books that are yet to be published, there are two more that stand out.
One is the main character in the enemies-to-lovers WIP. She heavily reflects me in many ways, so with her being so close to my heart, it’s only natural that she would be a favourite. As for the other, he’s the main character in my first Adult-category book. The book is reflective of a typical YA novel, but with a grumpy middle-aged man instead of a teenager; it’s impossible not to love him!
AT: Who did your books’ cover art?
CJE: Dragons’ Myth and Renascence were a mixture of myself and a graphic artist. My brother had been planning on making a game, but when production stopped, he offered me the dragon art and title Dragons’ Myth (with the okay of the artist) and I gladly accepted! The rest of the art on the cover was done by me.
Desolation’s cover was done by someone who was recommended to me by a fellow writer. It was my first experience with getting everything done by a professional.
As for the new cover of Emergent, Insurgent, and the two Ascension books, an artist who goes by the name Patigonart did them. He’s an absolute godsend. Such a talented artist. I have always wanted my own book covers to give me that same ‘wow’ feeling that many other covers have given me, and Patigonart was the one to give me that. The Ascension Trial was the first cover he did for me, and when I saw the sketch, I cried happy tears.
AT: They are badass covers, especially the ones for Emergent and Insurgent! Helps give the vibes for what the books are about!
CJE: They really are! I’m slowly working on getting my self-made covers redone by him. First was Emergent, and the next ones will be the two in the dragon series.
AT: Based on what we talked about, what advice do you have for aspiring and new authors?
CJE: It’s a tough road, but if it’s something you truly want to do, don’t give up. The time will pass anyway, so in a month, a year, or a decade from now, that can either be empty time or it can be time spent making something great.
Also, don’t be afraid to get help, especially if it’s your first book. A new author’s best friend is a second pair of eyes. I was far too excited to publish my first book and not only rushed it, but also brushed off constructive criticism because I thought my book was great as-is. As a 16-year-old, that of course turned out to be false. It took many years and two more editions to make it better. This coincides with don’t be afraid to take your time.
Lastly, writer’s block is something most writers struggle with, but a great solution I found is to simply skip the scene or bit that you’re stuck on and come back to it later. Temporarily skipping over it helps to keep the pace and the creative juices flowing.
AT: What type of power/skill would you like to have that is from your books?
CJE: I’m a sucker for shapeshifting, so I would definitely say that. Preferably a dragon (because flying and firebreathing!), but werecats are also super cool.
AT: Any final thoughts/comments?
CJE: I’d first like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. It’s my first ever author interview, and it was a lot of fun!
I hope it gives those who read it insight into the struggles and work that goes into making books— or art in general— because it’s my experience that artists and their work are undervalued in society despite how much is consumed on a daily basis. If you read a book you enjoy, let the author and others know! It’s guaranteed to make the writer’s day, and spreading the word is a great way to show support.
Check out CJ and more of her works on Amazon and on her website at www.cjembers.com.
– Auctor
One Page of Misery 
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