Carma: I really enjoyed The Heretic’s Tomb and I liked the way you took Annie back in time and out of the boarded up room in the abbey. What was your source of inspiration for The Heretic’s Tomb?

Simon: I’m glad you enjoyed the book. It was inspired by my own love of history and I have always loved time travel stories. Many novels have medieval settings, but for me some historical periods, like the era of the Black Death or the mystery of the Princes in the Tower represented in sorcerer’s mailbox, for example, they are the most fascinating and suitable settings for a good adventure story.

Carma: What are your writing habits? Do you work on an outline before starting the actual story?

Simon: Yes, I do. I always work extensively on an outline, determining all the plot twists and turns, before starting the actual novel. This outline is usually at least one paragraph for each chapter and can be up to 5,000 words.

Carma: What happens inside the mind of the fantasy writer?

Simon: All kinds of things: ancient mysteries, the unexplained, the paranormal, sci-fi themes, time travel ideas, parallel universes, alternate realities, weird and wonderful characters, and a bunch of what-if scenarios.

Carma: What advice would you give to aspiring writers trying to break into the fantasy genre?

Simon: Try to be as original as possible and not copy something else, even if it was popular. Write about what interests you in this particular genre instead of jumping on any bandwagon.

Carmen: Who is Simon Rose? Describe a typical day in your life.

Simon: I’m not sure there is a normal day. If I’m not on the road or at a local school or library, I spend much of the day working on the current book project, as well as marketing, correspondence, etc., but I also have children to care for, pets to feed, housework to do and so on.

Carma: What kind of books did you read as a child?

Simon: I immersed myself in science fiction as a kid and read a lot of science fiction novels and short story collections, as well as CS Lewis, Tolkien and other fantasy writers. In high school, I studied a lot of history and have retained my interest in the subject to this day. I also read a lot of comics when I was a kid. Pure escapism maybe, but comics were great for the imagination. On television, the original Star Trek series comes easily to mind, along with many other influences.

Carma: How did you start promoting your novel? How many hours a week do you spend promoting books?

Simon: I do some sort of promotion every day, either for the books or for myself, usually online through the website, blog, or email correspondence regarding author visits, summer camps, writing services, festivals and other events.

Carma: How was your experience searching for a publisher? What words of advice would you offer to novice authors looking for one?

Carma: There are many resources online and elsewhere regarding publishers, but a good thing to do is to research which houses are publishing the same type of material that you are writing about. If you’re writing fantasy for ten-year-olds, see who’s doing it, and then check their website to see if they’re accepting submissions. Similarly, if you’re writing teen fiction, see who’s doing it, and again be sure to check their submission policies. There are also publishers that only deal with non-fiction, prefer to specialize in regional themes, those that only do illustrated books or those that do illustrated books but do not accept stories about animals, etc. It can be a long process, but it’s worth it.

Carma: What type of book promotion seems to work best for you? Any special strategies you would like to share?

Simon: All authors must be prepared to go to great lengths to promote their own work. Get a website or blog, or both, even before your first book is published, build good relationships with local bookstores to secure book signings, find ways to talk about your work at festivals, other events, and more. especially in schools and libraries You can produce the best book ever written. However, no one else will see it if potential readers don’t know about your book.

Simon is available for presentations, workshops, author-in-residence programs in Canada and the United States. Simon’s next book due out in spring 2009 is Doomsday Mask.

Thanks for this interview Simon.