I'm delighted to be receiving author Steve Cypert today to promote his new YA novel, Scapemaker.
Following a couple of heartfelt tragic events, Matthew is compelled to investigate the unbelievable mysteries surrounding those events and is propelled into a whole new world. Matthew and his mother, Mae, are soon coerced into moving across the country for his father's strange medical needs. While attending his new school, Matthew comes to know the secrets that Daedree, an annoying girl from his former high school, has locked away. Matthew also meets Amber, a beautiful enigmatic girl who leads him to Mr. Xoner's classroom. While there, he learns the art of dreamscaping (which has been in the Namely bloodline for thousands of years).
Matthew will come to know of Nox Celare, otherwise known as The Sandman, who is after a special element called Magineum. Neck deep in skinwalkers, sandsleepers, zombies, soul feeders, ghosts, dream-world criminals known as “night terrors” and more, Matthew learns he is in over his head. Matthew must not only solve the mysteries surrounding those tragic events, but he will also have to protect the Magineum with his life and find a way to be with the one girl of his dreams. Filled with secrecy, mystery and a forbidden tangle of young love, this new life will lead Matthew to unbelievable characters with the most extraordinary abilities he could never have imagined.
Hello Steve, it's a pleasure to have you here. Please tell us, what inspired you to write this book?
Three years ago, this month, while I was recruiting employees at a local college I found myself very bored. I began to dwell on the kind of story that might be unique enough; something that might compete with the most popular of books. I had just seen a segment on TV with Will Smith -- he reflected on the ingredients that turned a movie into a blockbuster. He found that the most popular movies were science fiction and fantasy with elements of CG and movies with action and adventure. He went after those roles, beginning with Independence Day.
So, I decided to do the same thing -- respectively -- and came up with what I felt were the 7 most important ingredients in the recipe for a popular story.
1) There needs to be an element of magic stemming from something supernatural, paranormal and/or fantastic.
2) It has to be in the young adult genre that adults could also be drawn to.
3) The main characters need to be between the ages of 16 and 18 -- able to think like them.
4) The story's foundation needs to be rooted in a high school, linking the reader to the story through the reality of school, teachers, tests, classes and peers.
5) There needs to be a separate culture that the reader can get lost in with new spins on old character type, new lingo, and new places to explore; something to get people talking.
6) It has to be epic with at least three or four books in the series.
7) The hero or heroine must have believable flaws.
I began to write my thoughts on pieces of paper. I thought up my main character and the teacher that would mentor him or be a guiding role. I thought about how to connect the dream world to those in the real world and vice versa. I thought of the antagonist for my story, reinventing the Sandman as something a little different. I kept writing things down until I had a basic idea the path the story would take. I felt good about it. But it gradually became more and more complicated. It took me three years to piece everything together, editing and rewriting; doing away with all the contradictions I created along the way. But it was worth it. Scapemaker is an epic, young adult paranormal fantasy with twists and turns. I love what Scapemaker has become.
Scapemaker is my baby!
Can you name some of your favorite authors?
My favorite authors are those that have inspired me from the things I did read and the accomplishments of what they did and who they are/ were in their own lives. I strive to be the kind of author that can inspire even those who are afraid to read.
JRR Tolkien had an unmatched vision and knowhow to put his vision to words. I have yet to complete the Lord of the Rings saga and The Hobbit and plan to do so soon. But Tolkien had a superior gift as linguist and dreamer and I hold him up on a pedestal.
I have also come to admire Amanda Hocking, who became very successful as an author of eBooks. She inspired me to actually pursue the path of digital authorship as a real possibility. From there I found out how to make paperback copies.
I also have to mention my friend, Neal Moore, who became an author himself. He is not an author of fiction . But we grew up together and he has always pursued his dreams to the fullest.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Stop aspiring! Leave the aspiring behind or you will always be aspiring. Write something every single day, even if it's a sentence or two. Take the time to walk and ponder and you will be amazed at the inspiration you will receive. I am a religious man, so I say to take the time to pray and add to the pondering. Do the research that is needed; visualize the ending before you can visualize the beginning that will draw the audience in and make them want to read.
What are you working on now -- or would you rather surprise us?
I wasn't going to do this, but I feel that now is a good time to give a little insight into When the Bough Breaks, a novella I'm working on about 20-25 thousand words or so. The book starts out the father of an eight month old child climbing into bed. As he lies down to sleep, he can hear the soft and comforting sound of his baby boy breathing through the baby monitor receiver in his room. After a few seconds he hears a strange but clear voice through the same receiver. He knows that there is no one else in the house. The voice softly whispers "Don't cry".
Best of luck to you Steve and thank you for stopping by BookCupid.
