Author Spotlight: Constance Williams and Lillian Bishop

Introducing Constance Williams and Lillian Bishop, authors of The Witch Lake Chronicles.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
C - Well, there are two of us - myself and Lillian.  The thing that sets us apart from most co-authors is that we live on different continents.  I live in the United Kingdom, and Lillian in the USA.  We were introduced by a mutual friend more than a decade ago and we’ve been writing together ever since.  Being so far apart presents its own unique set of challenges, but we’ve overcome them and actually learned to love it.  Having two very different views of the world means we always have something new and fresh to contribute and, in the end, it actually has proven to be a real asset to our work.

2. When did you start writing, and why?
C - We’ve both been writing all our lives, really.  I really got the bug when I was in kindergarten and my teacher would give out ‘storybooks’ to people whose writing was good enough.  I was determined that I was going to be one of the first to get one!

L - For me, it was first grade, because of Young Authors, and I loved it so much I never quit! It fit in well with my elaborate storytelling games with the neighborhood kids.

C - When we first started writing together, we would just bat ideas back and forth on a casual basis.  From there things progressed.  The idea to actually publish our work only came a couple of years ago.

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
C - We’ve been known to write all sorts of things, really.  Our current series, though, is young adult paranormal fantasy  After playing around with lots of ideas, we settled on the genre for our first series because it is one we feel really confident in.  Plus - it’s really fun to write!

L - I really think it’s a good genre to be in. It’s popular for a reason, it’s highly entertaining on a number of levels, and it’s the kind of thing you can read through pretty quickly and easily. Life gets pretty busy, so having something that fits with that is a good thing for readers!

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
C - The Dreamwalker, the first instalment of The Witch Lake Chronicles was released this summer, and we’re working on the sequel, The Protectors, which we hope will be released towards the end of the year

L - We plan to keep the series going for some time, with a third book already plotted!

C - Plus, there’s a totally different series we’re plotting out as well.  We plan on being around for quite some time!

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
L - Contemporary New England America, for starters. We’re working in a world like our own, but with supernatural elements involved that are not common knowledge.

C - The series is based in the town of Witch Lake, which is a somewhat isolated little place.  Not the kind of town that people go ‘oh hey, let’s go there, that’d be great!’  It’s nestled on the shore of Witch Lake itself, which is a large body of water with bluffs at one end, and mostly surrounded by forest.  A beautiful, quiet part of the world.

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
C - The Dreamwalker focuses on Sam, a teenage boy who has been homeschooled for the past few years, but who returns to high school for his senior year.  His return is surrounded by all sorts of rumour and conjecture - none of which come anywhere close to the truth.  His story is all about trying to find his place in the world, and discovering who he is and where he fits in.

L - Then there’s Rhionnan. She’s a girl who died when she was 18, nearly a century ago. She’s fiesty, and has little tact when talking to people. She’s a passionate person by nature, which is the driving force behind just about everything she does.

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
C - Both Lillian and I have phobias which are specifically mentioned in the book!  We couldn’t resist, though they are pretty hidden.

8. Blog/site link, and where your book is available.
You can find our book, and more about the series, at our website www.witch-lake.com

We’re planning on releasing it in other formats later in the year, so look out!  You can keep up to date by liking us on facebook for new updates - https://www.facebook.com/witchlakechronicles

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