Author Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Website: Judith Starkston
Author's Blog: Judith Starkston Weekly Posts
Judith Starkston Newsletter
Twitter: @JudithStarkston
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Amazon Author Profile
Author Description:
Judith Starkston has spent too much time reading about and exploring the remains of the ancient worlds of the Greeks and Hittites. Early on she went so far as to get two degrees in Classics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and Cornell. She loves myths and telling stories. This has gradually gotten more and more out of hand. Her solution: to write fantasy set in the exotic worlds of the past. Fantasy and Magic in a Bronze Age World. Hand of Fire was a semi-finalist for the M.M. Bennett's Award for Historical Fiction. Priestess of Ishana won the San Diego State University Conference Choice Award.
Judith has two grown children and lives in Arizona with her husband. Because writing is best done with community, Judith belongs to her local Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime, the Society of Southwestern Authors and the Arizona chapter of the Historical Novel Society. Judith is represented by Richard Curtis.
For a free short story set in her Bronze Age fantasy world and a free cookbook of recipes inspired by the ancient Mediterranean foods in her novels, subscribe to Judith's newsletter on her website. The newsletter goes out occasionally with updates about new releases, special offers and useful information about recommended books and the background of her Bronze Age world.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Priestess of Ishana. What do you have on the drawing board next? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
Next on the drawing board is the second book in the Tesha series (Priestess is the first), with the working title of Sorcery in Alpara. Probable release this summer. Tease: Tesha expands her magical repertoire and there will be fantastical beasts
You have a good following on twitter. Since you started before the social media buzz, what impact has social media relationships had on your current success? How did you build your following in your niche? How much has it changed your book launch process?
I wouldn't say I started before social media. Twitter, FB etc. are useful for reaching out to new readers. I try to build community by offering what readers of my historical fantasy would likely enjoy, brief insights into recent archaeological discoveries and oddities.
You do book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances. When and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
I'm speaking with two other authors on author marketing this Saturday at the Poisoned Pen to the Arizona Historical Novel Society (spoiler alert: I'm the founder of this chapter). Best place to keep up with me online is via my newsletter.
You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
I give some basic info to my cover designer to start the process but primarily I trust her incredible talent. We go back and forth all through the process so the design stays in harmony with my sense of what feels right. I could never produce the art, but I can respond to her work and suggest what's feeling off if anything is. We chop off heads and add new ones, change the body positions, clothing, the background elements, etc.
I like the idea of Author bundles. You are a part of an Anthology from Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter called SoWest: Desert Justice and others. What was the impact on your other sales? What was the main objective of bundling your works with other authors? How did you put something like that together?
I had no other books out when I was included in the SinC Desert Sleuths anthology. For me it was a great first step into publishing. They did all the work of putting it together. I can't claim that. Bundling is a great author strategy that I'd love to do more of.
Besides the Sisters in Crime/ Desert Sleuths what other writer support groups do you belong too? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process?
I also belong to Historical Novel Society (and founded our local chapter of it) and Southwest Writers. All three organizations have excellent speakers on all aspects of the writing life from craft to marketing and publishing.
What is your primary genre? What has been your best marketing approach to this group?
Historical fantasy. Genre specific newsletters such as Book Barbarian and interacting on r/fantasy. Historical fiction blogs and reviewing sites.
Between your book writing, blogging, marketing, family and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do you sort of play it by ear?
I have the luxury of writing full time, so I sit down first thing in the morning and I keep at it until the end of the day, just like any other job. Sometimes life interrupts that schedule with doctor's appointments or something fun like lunch with friends or travels, but that's the basic plan. When my brain is done writing fiction, I attend to the marketing and other less creative sides of the job.
You have a great blog. You do a great job keeping readers informed and marketing your books. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?
You might have noticed that my blog posts are primarily made up of snippets about interesting discoveries in archaeology and history. I come across them over the week, put them up on my social media and then also compile them as part of my blog. So I get double mileage out of my efforts. My primary goal with all of this is to build a community of people who enjoy reading about some of the more exotic corners of the ancient world--whether in my blog, social media, newsletter--or best of all, my books.
The Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter 2019 - Mesa Public Library - Red Mountain Branch was a special event. A library is a unique selling situation. How did you prepare for the event? Did it meet your goals? If you had to do something different, what would that be?
Library events are always fun. People go to libraries to find new books to read so they're great places to connect with readers. People don't go to libraries to buy books, so I would have focused the event more on our panels and visiting with readers and less on having tables set up to sell from. Might as well provide what people are looking for.
Author's Book List
Priestess of Ishana
- Tesha Series Book 1A curse, a conspiracy and the clash of kingdoms. A defiant priestess confronts her foes, armed only with ingenuity and forbidden magic.
A malignant curse from the Underworld threatens Tesha's city with fiery devastation. The young priestess of Ishana, goddess of love and war, must overcome this demonic darkness. Charred remains of an enemy of the Hitolian Empire reveal both treason and evil magic. Into this crisis, King Hattu, the younger brother of the Great King, arrives to make offerings to the goddess Ishana, but he conceals his true mission in the city. As a connection sparks between King Hattu and Tesha, the Grand Votary accuses Hattu of murderous sorcery and jails him under penalty of death. Isolated in prison, Hattu's only hope lies in Tesha to uncover the conspiracy against him. Unfortunately, the Grand Votary is Tesha's father, a rash, unyielding man, and now her worst enemy. To help Hattu, she must risk destroying her own father.
Step into this exotic world of historical fantasy, with its richly imagined details of the Bronze Age, evocative of the Near East. In a whirlpool of magic, politics, family crisis and love, Tesha pursues justice over the dark forces arrayed against her.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
Hand of Fire
- Trojan Threads Book 1A legendary war, an invincible warrior, a woman forced to defend her family and realm--and her independent spirit. Will she become the captive or the captor?
Briseis struggles to protect her city, an ally of Troy, from marauding Greeks and her husband's arrogant violence. She finds strength in visions of a handsome warrior god until he appears before her in flesh and blood. When Briseis raises a sword against the mighty Achilles, she ignites a passion that threatens to betray everyone she holds dear.
Hand of Fire, set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, blends history and myth in Briseis's untold story of adventure, hope and resilience. Immerse yourself in this richly depicted Bronze Age world where Greek gods walk the earth, epic heroes fight with sword and heart, and a woman dares to determine her own destiny.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
Indie Author’s Corner and HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle
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