I'm really excited about today's interview, because this author is a fellow South African! Yay! Carlyle Labuschagne recently released her debut novel, THE BROKEN DESTINY. I haven't read it yet, but you can check out the great reviews here on
Goodreads. Also, we're doing an interview swap today, so you can find me answering questions over at
her blog (please visit me!).
So onto the questions...
1. What is your earliest piece of writing that you still have?
A book full of poems and songs from my teenage years.
2. When did you decide you wanted to be a published author, and how long after that did you get your book deal?
In 2009 I decided the moment I started the first sentence of what is now THE BROKEN DESTINY. After the first draft I realized I had zero knowledge of the craft so I took a year off to finish a diploma in Creative writing. I stared submitting Jan of 2011 and finally landed something that suited my needs three months later.
Rachel: Exciting! It was also 2009 that I realized I wanted to stop just imagining stories and actually write them down and get them published.
3. For you, what is the best thing about being a published author, and what is the worst?
The Best - sharing my story! Being able to fangirl over my characters and book with others. Making new friends all the time. The worst - me being impatient and the editing oh the editing!!! *cries just thinking about it*
4. Do you have any weird little writing rituals? (Like you can only write best when you sit in a certain spot at a certain time of day!)
LOl yes. I can only write in my study. I write best when I have just woken up, and the rest of my neighborhood and family are asleep. So early morning is the best for me. It doesnt always work out that way as I have a day job, so sometimes I have to push myself every opportunity I get.
5. Speaking of ... What is your day job?
I work as a Marketing and PR consultant.
6. You live in South Africa and your publisher is based in Texas. How has it worked only being able to communicate electronically or telephonically?
Its time consuming as the time difference caused a delay. And like I said I hate waiting. But thank goodness for internet and smart phones!
And now for the book ...
7. What do fans seem to love the most about THE BROKEN DESTINY?
They love the Planet I created. The fact that they can relate to the heroine of the story, that she is not perfect and struggles. More so the vast character cast. Mystery and the play on words along with many quotes I incorporate.
8. Are there any songs you’d like to mention that inspired/influenced/are connected in any way to THE BROKEN DESTINY?
Oh wow yes. First the song from Prime Circle - What Ive become. A local super talented band that granted me permission to quote the lyrics in the book. Muse. Metric. Sia. Meese. Civil twilight (more SA greatness). Linkin Park - and dont forget the gorgeous band 30 Seconds to Mars. Ooh I meditated on their music a lot during this book.
Rachel: I can relate to that. I listened to a LOT of 30 Seconds to Mars while writing my first novel!
9. Which of the characters in THE BROKEN DESTINY would you most like to meet in real life?
Oh gosh thats a tricky one. All the good ones!! The villains can stay where they are. I love all my characters and I think the reason I know them so well is because I use people I know to base them on. Not all of them of course.
Thanks, Carlyle! Check out the pretty cover and the blurb for THE BROKEN DESTINY:
Blurb
Ava's
People have been exiled to Planet Poseidon, where through a series of
horrific events, Ava discovers that their existence has been fabricated
by The Council, And She has a Destiny that could save them. Her Soul is a
secret weapon that has been lost to an ancient race. To fulfill her
destiny Ava needs to go through a series of "changes" that will reveal
her true purpose. Throughout her journey she will become what she hates
in order to save the ones she loves. And through it all she will find
herself - for that is her Destiny, to rise above the fall.
Prologue
All
my life, I had searched for something, something I thought I ought to
be. I felt like I was living someone else’s life, waiting for the
awakening of my own. I felt like an empty shell burning for life. That
was, until the day I lay dying in the prince’s chambers. I could no
longer feel the pain from the tear in my gut. The only sensation left
was a hollowed-out feeling that I had made a huge mistake in assuming
that taking my own life, would have stopped the ancestors’ spirit from
raging out. I had given up. I didn’t want to see myself killing the ones
I loved. I was the Chosen one, but I threw it all away for what I
thought would save a life. Could you end a life to save a life? I did,
and I have regretted it ever since. I realized then that things like me
are not meant to exist. What had been missing my whole life? It was I.
To find myself, I had to lose myself in the worst possible way. The
consequences of my actions became the legend of The Broken.
About the Author
Carlyle Labuschagne lives in Sunny South Africa, married her high school sweetheart and shares her creativity with her two young boys. Carlyle works as a PR and Marketing Manager by day, and writes by every other moment. She holds a diploma in creative writing through the writing school at Collage SA. Loves to swim, fights for the trees, food lover who is driven by passion for everything fantasy. Carlyle writes for IU e-magazine an inspirational nonprofit magazine that aims at inspiring the world through words. Debut author for 2012 - novel The Broken Destiny . Her ultime dream is to write songs and direct music videos. Her native language is Afrikaans and has just begun her journey into grasping the English language.
