| Interview with Toby Bishop |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My
name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out
of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
When I was young, I loved books more than almost anything--except music. I often thought of being a
writer, but I felt such a drive to be a singer that I chose that route first. Then, after singing professionally
for a long time--twenty-five years!--I finally came back to writing.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
When I started writing, the first thing I did was take a class at a local community college on writing fiction.
That's how I learned how to approach agents and publishers, how to prepare a manuscript in a
professional manner, and I began to acquire some of the tools a professional writer needs. Four years
after I started, I sold my first novel through an agent.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The characters in Airs Beneath the Moon get to fly winged horses--what better wish fulfillment could there
be?
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My life has been full of interesting events and people, and all of these give me ideas. And I always write
about things I care about!
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My family loves the fact that I write books, and in fact all of them help me in one way or another, with
research, with medical details (I have a doctor and two nurses in my family), and my son is a fabulous
critiquer. Every writer needs one!
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
My own homemade pasta.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Wash my face, brush my teeth, and let my dog out!
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I might try to stop you, but if you got by me, I'm sure you'd be shocked at the amount of athletic equipment
and clothes I have.
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
I would be RED--a real scarlet red, with blue overtones, like the red of a fire engine or a ripe apple. Red is
the color of creativity and passion, and I cherish both.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I hope you mean comics--because Lucy, in Peanuts, has always resonated with me. Crabby and bossy,
that's me.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
I'd like to see what the world is going to be like fifty years from now--the future. And I'd love to be in Italy at
that time.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I enjoy some folk music, but mostly I listen to classical music. I like Mozart, and Bach, and lots of the early
composers, and some opera. I was an opera singer in my first career, and I enjoy Verdi, Puccini,
Rossini--lots of opera.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
Firefly was my favorite, although short-lived, television show. I watch the movie based on that show,
Serenity, every once in a while. The last movie I saw was The Queen, with Helen Mirren--fantastic film.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Think long-term! What you do now affects you for a very long time, whether it's a good thing, like studying,
or a bad thing, like taking a foolish chance. You'll be so glad for the great choices you make now.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
There will be two sequels to Airs Beneath the Moon. Airs and Graces, and then Airs of Night and Sea. I
hope people love hanging out with Larkyn and her horse Black Seraph enough to read all three books.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
My pleasure!
name is Jen, and I'll be your server toda...oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out
of your writing schedule--which I'm sure is busy!--and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let's get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
When I was young, I loved books more than almost anything--except music. I often thought of being a
writer, but I felt such a drive to be a singer that I chose that route first. Then, after singing professionally
for a long time--twenty-five years!--I finally came back to writing.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
When I started writing, the first thing I did was take a class at a local community college on writing fiction.
That's how I learned how to approach agents and publishers, how to prepare a manuscript in a
professional manner, and I began to acquire some of the tools a professional writer needs. Four years
after I started, I sold my first novel through an agent.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The characters in Airs Beneath the Moon get to fly winged horses--what better wish fulfillment could there
be?
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My life has been full of interesting events and people, and all of these give me ideas. And I always write
about things I care about!
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My family loves the fact that I write books, and in fact all of them help me in one way or another, with
research, with medical details (I have a doctor and two nurses in my family), and my son is a fabulous
critiquer. Every writer needs one!
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
My own homemade pasta.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Wash my face, brush my teeth, and let my dog out!
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I might try to stop you, but if you got by me, I'm sure you'd be shocked at the amount of athletic equipment
and clothes I have.
Everyone asks the question about "if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
I would be RED--a real scarlet red, with blue overtones, like the red of a fire engine or a ripe apple. Red is
the color of creativity and passion, and I cherish both.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I hope you mean comics--because Lucy, in Peanuts, has always resonated with me. Crabby and bossy,
that's me.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history,
where and when would it be--and why?
I'd like to see what the world is going to be like fifty years from now--the future. And I'd love to be in Italy at
that time.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I enjoy some folk music, but mostly I listen to classical music. I like Mozart, and Bach, and lots of the early
composers, and some opera. I was an opera singer in my first career, and I enjoy Verdi, Puccini,
Rossini--lots of opera.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
Firefly was my favorite, although short-lived, television show. I watch the movie based on that show,
Serenity, every once in a while. The last movie I saw was The Queen, with Helen Mirren--fantastic film.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Think long-term! What you do now affects you for a very long time, whether it's a good thing, like studying,
or a bad thing, like taking a foolish chance. You'll be so glad for the great choices you make now.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
There will be two sequels to Airs Beneath the Moon. Airs and Graces, and then Airs of Night and Sea. I
hope people love hanging out with Larkyn and her horse Black Seraph enough to read all three books.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
My pleasure!
