INSIDER AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

An Interview with Author Justin R. Smith - The Well of Souls

May 2010

The Insider is a Silver Leaf Books sponsored feature that allows the readers to gain additional information about the authors, books, and projects. This section will consist of live interviews with the authors, and their direct responses.

This Insider interview is with Justin R. Smith, author of the upcoming release, The Well of Souls.

SLB: The Well of Souls reintroduces us to the billionaire heiress Constance Fairchild. After espionage, murder, conspiracies, and reincarnation in The Mills of God, what kind of challenges does she face in the sequel?

SMITH: She faces challenges that tax her vast resources and abilities: terrorism, espionage, intelligence services that mistakenly believe she is their enemy, and even the mafia.

SLB: Does the sequel pick up right where the first book left off?

SMITH: It begins two years later, with Constance in full control of the Fairchild fortune and company.

SLB: Why don’t you tell us a bit more about the book?

SMITH: It begins with Constance attending a surprise birthday party that Horizon International Corporation throws for her 18th birthday. A terrorist attack ends the party and begins a roller coaster ride of murder, mystery, terrifying psychic powers, and espionage.

SLB: After all of this, without spoiling the ending, do you think Constance can ever enjoy a “normal” life for a young woman her age?

SMITH: It's hard to imagine her ever living a normal life. Her vast power and wealth make her a high-profile target: anyone wanting to take over the U.S. has to go through her (and there are plenty of nasty characters willing to try).

SLB: Did you always plan on writing more adventures for Constance, or did The Well of Souls just sort of come to you?

SMITH: The previous book, The Mills of God, came to me (in a dream!). The Well of Souls was more "premeditated," the result of conscious plot and character design.

SLB: I see a completely different approach with the cover design for The Well of Souls. What led you to go from a classical painting like on The Mills of God to the digital approach on The Well of Souls?

SMITH: Although the classical painting in The Mills of God fit the story, it seems to have given many people the wrong impression of the story's subject-matter.

Several people asked me whether Mills was an art-book! So it isn't even clear from the cover that the book is a novel -- and people who hear that it is a novel ask whether it is set in medieval times.

If there is ever a second printing of Mills, I have a digital cover design that is more appropriate: A glance of that design makes it clear that the story is a novel and even a murder-mystery.

SLB: Is Constance flying on the cover? She looks like she’s flying!

SMITH: Yes, she is -- but not through our familiar world! To find out where she's flying (and what it means) you have to read the book!

SLB: Do you have any events planned where people would be able to meet you and get the new book?

SMITH: Yes, as many book-signings and readings as I can get!

SLB: Is there anything else that you would like to add about yourself or your book before we leave?

SMITH: It seems to me that the possibilities for the Constance Fairchild adventures are endless. I'm working on a third book in the series and can easily imagine a dozen more...