10 Questions with Liz Bullard

Liz is the author of the Prophecy trilogy. I was honored to be on her excellent eReads podcast and wanted to turn the table around because it was such a pleasure to chat with her.

Here are my 10 Questions:

• I want to hear about Preston, your Corgi. What’s his story? Any pics? Were his adventures your first foray into writing?

Oh, I could talk about Preston for hours – he’s my little fur baby! It’s actually a funny story how I ended up with him. My mom and I were out driving one day, and she suggested we stop by a pet shop just to look at the puppies. I wasn’t planning on getting a dog that day, but she went inside anyway while I waited in the car. Next thing I know, she comes running out, telling me I have to come see this adorable corgi named Preston. I fell in love with him instantly and knew I had to take him home with me.

As for writing about his adventures, that actually came later. I had Doug Green, who writes about his pups’s amazing story, on my podcast, and he inspired me to turn Preston’s antics into stories. I started writing them for Kindle Vella, but now I’m thinking about turning them into picture books. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see cute illustrations of a corgi going on adventures?

• Via my cyber-stalking skills, I discovered that you published a novella before anything Portal. Tell me about Twisted Romance. BTW, I love the tag line “You call it murder I call it a conversation starter…“

Wow, you really did your homework! Yes, Twisted Romance was actually the third story I wrote, even though it was published before Portal. It all started with a writing prompt exercise that I do with some of my friends. We write Monday through Friday and take turns coming up with prompts. During Danni Williams’ week, who’s a paranormal romance writer, I wanted to challenge myself and try my hand at writing romance. The prompt that day was something like “You look good together, odd but good,” and I just went for it, trying to be as impulsive and creative as possible. By the end of it, I had a novella that I was really proud of.

After completing Twisted Romance, I published it on Kindle Vella. However, during the editing process of Portal, I realized that I needed to release a book before it to give more context to the characters’ stories. That’s how New Moon was born – I started working on it while Twisted Romance was still on Kindle Vella. It was a bit of a juggling act, but I wanted to give my readers something to enjoy in the meantime while I worked on completing my first book.

I had another story called Snow Fall that served as my reader magnet to introduce readers to the world of Zodia. Currently, Snow Fall is available on all platforms and is free to download, making it a great way to get a taste of the series if you’re interested. However, I wanted to release something for readers who were eagerly waiting for more content. I learned some readers were not fans of serialized reading or didn’t have access to Kindle Vella in their country, as the platform is currently only available in the US. That’s when I decided to publish Twisted Romance on the Kindle Unlimited platform. It was a great way to give my readers something to enjoy while I worked on completing my first book. It was a lot to manage, but it gave me a lot of insight and was super fun at times. 

• The Prophecy series is fantasy. Why the pivot?

Yes, my Prophecy series is in the fantasy genre, specifically magical realism if you want to be technical. The biggest distinction between my story and typical fantasy works is that my story has a lot of real life elements, while traditional fantasy works often include otherworldly creatures and abilities.

To give you an example, think of it this way: if a typical fantasy story is like a grand adventure through a magical land with dragons and elves, my story is more like a contemporary drama with a magical twist. It takes place in a world that is very much like our own, but with a few magical elements sprinkled in to make it more interesting.

Twisted Romance, on the other hand, was a bit of a departure from the fantasy genre, and a bit of a departure from romance as it had more suspense and thriller elements than a typical romance story. However, it was an opportunity for me to learn about the Kindle Unlimited platform and experiment with marketing, which has come in handy for the success of my other books.

I consider myself a multigenre author, as I enjoy going in the direction the story takes me. I also think writing with a diverse group of writers helps as you are constantly trying new story styles. Fantasy is definitely my favorite genre, but I’m also itching to try my hand at a thriller one day. A fantasy thriller would be an absolute blast to write. But who knows what other genres I might explore in the future.

• You talk about it on your podcast, but for those who haven’t listened to all the episodes, please tell us about your decision to go with Kindle Vella for the series.

Sure, so I have to credit my writing friends with the decision to go with Kindle Vella. For those who may not be familiar, Kindle Vella is a new platform by Amazon that allows writers to publish their stories in serialized format, with each episode being between 600-5,000 words. Readers can then purchase ‘tokens’ to unlock episodes, with the writer earning a share of the revenue.

Before Kindle Vella, we all started writing as a way to connect and have fun in the morning. All of us said repeatedly ‘We are not writers, we could never write a book’. Now fast forward about a year and a half and we all have longer works. However, the thought of publishing our works was scary. One of our friends in the group was talking about Kindle Vella, and hence we created a new challenge: let’s publish on the platform together.

Using Kindle Vella was a great way for us to try our hand at publishing, plus get paid. The platform was doing a bonus, which helped me pay for an editor and other book-related costs. But the biggest takeaway was gaining confidence with sharing my stories. As I put each episode (or chapter) out, the thought of my stories being out there became less and less scary. I also am motivated by accountability, and publishing on Kindle Vella forced me to keep writing and editing until I got to the end.

So I would highly recommend Kindle Vella as a tool for both seasoned and new writers. It’s a great way to reach new audiences and gain exposure for your work, while also earning money for your efforts.

• What feedback did you get from readers via Vella? Did any of it change the course of the novels?

I will admit, others are better at marketing their Vellas than me, and I got into it when Vella was a year old, so it was harder to grow an audience. So feedback was slow and did not really change the course of the novel. Later, when I learned more about marketing and was bolder with sharing my story link, I would get feedback that people enjoyed the pacing and dialogue.

I learned about Tiktok and building an audience, which helped me connect with other authors. But the biggest lesson learned was from Kindle Vella author groups. We were all trying to figure out how to reach readers, and it was nice growing together. One technique that worked well was collaborating with other Vella authors and doing cross-promotion, which helped me gain more exposure and get more feedback on my work.

The biggest response from readers came from my newsletter. Many folks were not a fan of serialized reading, and it was limited due to it being a US-based access program. Also, the tokens were pretty expensive. So the main thing I got from readers was about the cost and accessibility. However, now the platform is much more user-friendly, and there are tons of stories which are doing well on the platform.

• Tell us about your writing playlist. Who’s in the top ten? Does it change based on what you’re writing?

I’m excited to talk about my writing playlist because it played a crucial role in drafting my novel “New Moon,” and I believe it will continue to be an essential part of my creative process. Music helped me focus and I used the beat as momentum, which is especially helpful when I’m feeling sleepy. The lyrics also assist me in finding the right words to convey the scene’s atmosphere.

Here are some of the songs from my playlist and the scenes they helped me draft:

• “Free Mind” by Tems: This song’s light, melodic nature inspired the overall theme of my novel, which is about having a mind free of anxiety and trying to navigate the complexities of life. It reminds me of my main character, Tabatha.
• “The Monster” by Eminem (feat. Rihanna): This was Eli’s anthem in my novel, as the lyrics capture his tormented mind and his friendship with the monster (his trauma and anxiety) that he feels is helping him, even though it is tormenting him.
• “Afraid With You” by Tauren Wells (feat. Tiffany Hudson): The male and female harmonies in this song made me think of Talia and Eli, specifically Talia’s desire to help Eli through his turmoil.
• “Reach Your Mind” by Da Sacnite: This instrumental track reminds me of Tabatha, with its lightness and quick succession of beats that help me write faster.
• “Reboot” by Chris Mazuera & G Mills: Another instrumental track that reminds me of the world of Zodia in my novel. I can imagine Talia playing these melodies in the background as she moves through the house.
• “The Middle” by Zedd & Alessia Cara: This song was a staple in my playlist and helped me craft a monumental scene between Eli and Talia, with elements of love, desire, pain, and authenticity.
• “In My Blood” by Shawn Mendes: The lyrics of this song perfectly embody the struggle between the war of mind and body, which is a central issue explored in “New Moon,” my upcoming novel set to release on July 17, 2023.

• Star Wars or Star Trek? 

I know this is a big question with passionate fans on both sides, so please don’t cringe at my response. Personally, I’m not really into either franchise, but if I had to choose, I’d go with Star Trek. I find myself enjoying the remakes more than the Star Wars movies. 

• What is the first book that you read twice? How many times have you read it and what sticks with you the most?

I don’t often get the chance to read books twice because my to-be-read list is always growing, but there are a few that have stuck with me over the years. The first book I remember reading twice is “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. I read it for the first time when my older brother was studying it in school, and I was too young to understand the themes. When I read it again later, I found it enjoyable and appreciated it more.

One book that I absolutely love and want to read again is “The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. A friend recommended it to me, and it made me fall in love with historical reads. I enjoy history, but the fiction elements in this book made the lessons more vivid and engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. Plus, the Morgan Library in honor of the main character is a must-visit if you’re ever in NYC.

•        Who was the most influential teacher in your life? What resonated with you?

I know it might sound cheesy, but I have to say that the most influential teacher in my life has been my mom. She’s always been a dreamer and has instilled in me the belief that I can be whatever I want to be. She has a saying, ‘one day,’ that she uses all the time to emphasize that if you believe in your dream it will one day come to pass. 

Even though my mom’s dreamer quality sometimes bugs me, I can’t deny that it has helped me see that anything is possible. She’s always encourages me to dream big and to believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. Her unwavering support has given me the courage to take big leaps, even when it feels like I might be flying too close to the sun. And even when I stumble or fall, my mom is always there to pick me up and remind me that I can do anything I set my mind to. I’m grateful for her constant belief in me and for all the lessons she’s taught me about the importance of pursuing your dreams.

• Okay, I’ve tried to avoid spoilers, but I had so many questions after reading Portal on Vella. Are we going to learn more about Eli’s search for Tabatha? What took so long? What were the criteria?

I’m glad you enjoyed reading Portal on Vella and had some questions about Eli’s search for Tabatha. The good news is that we will learn more about it in the upcoming book, New Moon. Originally, I had planned to start with Portal and then do a prequel, but after receiving feedback and making some edits, I realized that readers would appreciate the journey more if they started with New Moon.

In New Moon, you’ll get a sense of how difficult Eli’s journey was and what took him so long to find Tabatha. One of the main criteria for finding the Chosen One was that they had to be in a time of great despair, which both Eli and Tabatha were. While I didn’t explicitly draw this out in the novel, it’s an important aspect of the story. I wanted to focus on the characters’ internal qualities that others might overlook, rather than just finding the perfect match. So in a way, it’s like the story of the Sword and the Stone. I hope you’ll enjoy reading New Moon and finding out more about Eli’s search!

*Bonus Teaser* I am going to being rewriting Portal after New Moon has it’s release. The preorder is available on Amazon so I can not wait to see what you think of the changes I make!

Thanks, Liz! For everyone’s information, New Moon will release in 6 days!