The Questions with A. Carina Barry: writer

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In the not-so-long ago, I met Carina via some other online writer friends, and she runs one of the online writers’ groups I belong to. For some reason (because I’m that cool, I guess), she asked me to edit a couple of her stories for her book The Under-Circus and Other Tales. The Under-Circus is a very intriguing and fun setting, and I hope she and her husband Robert re-visit it again for another book.

Looking back, I have no idea how I managed to do the edits that I, erm, managed to do, because I was also teaching full time. I even asked her to answer The Questions well over a year ago, and I’m finally able to get to posting them.

So, I’ll shaddup and let you read her words:

The Questions

1. Tell the good readers of this blog how we know each other.

I’ve had the good fortune of meeting DS via a writing group I am in online. She has proven to be a wonderful person and a great help and confidant. It’s nice having someone to share the joys with and to commiserate on the lows with in art and writing as well as a bit of life. It’s been a real pleasure to have gotten to know her.

(dSavannah note: Aaw. How sweet! *blushes* Though I’m not sure her fortune in meeting me was that… “good”. Also, she runs the group! Keeps all of us crazy writers in line. And I adore her as well.)

18. Your work space: neat or messy?

Yes to both? My work area can be neat, but when I am deep into a project books will pile high along with random journals of notes and things. Between sets the books will find homes on the shelves until I need them again. And if I am doing art projects instead of writing, I’ve been known to have a 360˚ circle of reference material around me. It all depends on the day and the hour.

12. Where is your favorite place to create?

My office. I can focus on things there. Well, usually.

32. Given the uphill climb to get recognition and sales why do you keep coming back?

Even the worst day writing is better than the average day at most of the other jobs I’ve had. I am my own boss, I can usually get time off for special family events but my boss is also quite the slave driver sometimes as well. You have to be able to do both if you want to work for yourself.

40. Sci-fi or fantasy? Or neither?

Fantasy all the way! I really respect those who can write good sci-fi, but my heart belongs to the fantasy genre, although urban fantasy has gotten my attention quite strongly as of late. But stories with elves in modern settings have to work extra hard. I’m really picky about that.

33. Why do you create in your medium/genre? What about it speaks to you?

I started off in the horror genre. I wanted to write fantasy, but wound up writing horror instead. I think it has to do with stress. Horror acts as a helpful outlet for the author. I’ve run across another author that wants to write about unicorns and castles and winds up with werewolves and decapitations. Sometimes you can pick the story and sometimes the story picks you.

(dSavannah note: Ain’t that the truth.)

I also write romance currently. That took a lot of effort and no small amount of help by other authors and editors and friends to get it down. Romance requires you to think about minute details from different perspectives. It’s a lot harder to write than it sounds. But good stories have mixes of moods, emotions, and genres. A horror novel needs some hints of levity to break the tension so you can build it up again, a romance novel still needs to include a journey whether external or internal leading to change in the lead characters lives, an action tale needs introspective periods where the hero/heroine faces fears or doubts, and the best stories touch on more than one of these concepts at a time. There will be a dominant over-arching genre, but if you pick apart the story, you can find the variants hiding in it.

For me, each genre I get the hang of acts as another arrow in my quiver that I can pull on and use. Right now, it’s leading towards more dark romance in my stories. Not “supernatural romance” per se, but very different romances than some readers may be used to seeing. I am not nice to my characters. I think I imprinted on Stephen King’s “Needful Things” when it comes to romance! It’s all I can think of that could explain it. Stephen King can write some pretty hot character interactions and turn around and bring the terror. And that is what my dark romance is like. Even my superhero romance stories are not going to be happy and fluffy, but romance rarely is that way in real life either. It’s happy moments, but life gets in the way. I pull on that to try to make my characters feel very grounded and real. My romances will take you places other romance novels won’t.

I have finally broken into my beloved fantasy genre by coming at it via romance. Everything I’ve said above is still true. My romances have teeth. The action scenes and detailed world will hopefully appeal to people who don’t usually like romances. I love the new characters in my upcoming novel and they are going to stick around for at least 2 more books it seems. I’m all kinds of happy about that.

47. What’s your favorite holiday?

My favorite holiday is Halloween. I loved dressing up and showing off my creativity. I don’t get to properly celebrate it much these days, but it remains my favorite.

49. Which one of these questions would you like me to answer?

What super power do you wish you had DS?

dSavannah reply: Oi. Put me on the spot, eh? (Well, not really…)

I wish I could heal myself. I don’t necessarily want to live forever (great. Now I have the Highlander theme song in my head) like Cap’n Jack Harkness of Torchwood, but it sure would be nice if I could fix myself, especially with all the darn things wrong with me at the moment.

It would also be nice to think about being somewhere, and actually ending up there, since the transporter technology continues to not be available. I’d love to meet Carina in the flesh.

About Carina:

I tend to write horror and romance currently with a touch of fantasy on the side. I like to stretch my mental muscles by forcing myself to try new things. I may be tackling YA shortly and have a couple of full fantasy novels in my head along with one humorous-fantasy in mind. But the ones I have out currently are super hero romances, horror romance, and am waiting to hear back on a high fantasy romance. Expect some non-fiction and metaphysical pieces from me later on as well. I like trying new things in my writing. Keep an eye out for my superhero romance pieces, “Lost Heroes 2: Osprey’s Tale” and “Lost Heroes 2: Firefly’s Tale”.

Carina’s Official Bio:

A. Carina Barry has an eclectic writing style that swings like a pendulum between the opposites of love and death. Between these two points lies the vast totality of human existence. She is a sucker for a writing dare and has a special love in her heart for fantasy stories. Her mother’s love of Poe’s work probably helped her discover her own penchant for writing horror. Carina enjoys spending time with her pets, playing video games, reading, creating art, and writing alongside her husband.