Ask the Author: Lora Palmer
Answered Questions (6)
Lora Palmer
The original idea was a time travel story I came up with as a kid and would act out with my friends from the neighborhood about two girls who ended up being taken into the past through a mirror. Then, when I set down to start seriously writing MIRRORMASTERS, I got to thinking, 'What if Leah could control mirrors?' And the rest fell into place around that idea.
Lora Palmer
I love all of it, from creating new worlds and characters, to the process getting the words down and then editing--and editing--them, to the challenge of choosing just the right word, to connecting with other authors and readers alike through social media and live events.
Lora Palmer
Hi, J.C., I'd originally envisioned that MIRRORMASTERS would be the first in a trilogy. Then, while writing it, I wrapped things up so that the story could be a stand-alone book--but I don't rule out revisiting Leah and Brian's journey with a sequel (or two) :). There's still plenty left to explore.
Lora Palmer
I'm working on a Young Adult sci-fi called BENEATH THE RED SKY. Here's a little about it--
Sixteen-year-old Kassi dreams of making her mark on the dance world as a prima ballerina. When her father announces that NASA is sending their family to join the first Mars colony, he shatters all her plans for the future.
Stuck in a sterile wasteland with no outdoor air and no dance academy, Kassi channels her drive to excel into a new ambition. She applies for an apprenticeship under an elite archaeologist. From her first excavation, she’s hooked on the thrill of hunting treasure—fossils of ancient marine life or signs of a long-ago civilization.
She and her excavation partner, Noah, unearth the first prehistoric cave drawings and pottery buried beneath layers of dirt. Not long after, people start dying as disasters strike. The habitat’s hull breaches where before it showed no signs of weakness. The oxygen circulation system fails. Kassi begins to suspect these aren’t random accidents. Each disaster site is emblazoned with the same symbol as the cave art.
Kassi pursues every clue, seeking proof to expose the culprit before he kills again. Noah seems determined to help—and shed his jerkface persona—to win her heart and save the community. But when they discover the murders might be the key to getting NASA to shut down Mars Colony 1, they might become the killer’s next target.
Sixteen-year-old Kassi dreams of making her mark on the dance world as a prima ballerina. When her father announces that NASA is sending their family to join the first Mars colony, he shatters all her plans for the future.
Stuck in a sterile wasteland with no outdoor air and no dance academy, Kassi channels her drive to excel into a new ambition. She applies for an apprenticeship under an elite archaeologist. From her first excavation, she’s hooked on the thrill of hunting treasure—fossils of ancient marine life or signs of a long-ago civilization.
She and her excavation partner, Noah, unearth the first prehistoric cave drawings and pottery buried beneath layers of dirt. Not long after, people start dying as disasters strike. The habitat’s hull breaches where before it showed no signs of weakness. The oxygen circulation system fails. Kassi begins to suspect these aren’t random accidents. Each disaster site is emblazoned with the same symbol as the cave art.
Kassi pursues every clue, seeking proof to expose the culprit before he kills again. Noah seems determined to help—and shed his jerkface persona—to win her heart and save the community. But when they discover the murders might be the key to getting NASA to shut down Mars Colony 1, they might become the killer’s next target.
Lora Palmer
ersistence does pay off! Keep writing, keep editing, keep querying, and find a really good critique partner and betas to help you get your manuscript in shape. Oh, and once your manuscript is ready, twitter pitch parties like #PitMad and #Pit2Pub can be a great way to connect with industry professionals who may be interested in your work. Check out AgentQuery Connect and the Query Tracker forum. These are places where you can learn from other writers tons of useful information about the publishing industry, as well as workshop your query to get it into shape. The main Query Tracker site also came in handy for keeping track of queries sent and their responses.
Lora Palmer
Taking a break to go for a walk, or read/listen to a good book definitely helps to come back fresh to the story. Usually, I write scenes in order, but it can sometimes help to write ahead, or at least brainstorm an upcoming scene I’ve been looking forward to working on.
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