T.G. Ayer Author Interview ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from T.G. Ayer

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognize that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practice given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain crosseyed.

Was there a defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer?
Not really, no. I'd always been good at writing and poetry, and I'd always harbored the dream of writing a novel someday, of being published some day. But I think I kept that dream fairly close to my heart, in fact I can't recall telling too many people back then.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
I wanted to become a neuropsychologist. I was always fascinated with the way people's minds work, and how different people were from each other, how everything seemed to have a different effect on a persons attitude, beliefs and emotions.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
That dedication and applying oneself is more important than how smart you think you are. And that sometimes life likes to throw you curveballs. I know people with super high IQs that struggle to achieve any measure of success in life. And i know people who work really really hard but life just gets in the way. So just because you are smart doesn't guarantee success in life, you gotta work hard too, and have the courage to get through the bad times in life.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
Never give up, and that every little bit you do counts toward finishing your manuscript. That and 'Backup, backup, backup'

Can you tell us when you Dead Radiance, how that came about?
I love Mythology, and though I'd seen Greek based YA, I hadn’t seen Norse based Paranormal YA out there- it’s the least done I think. So I mulled over mythological beings that would be cool and that I have always loved and in the end I went with the Valkyrie. I’ve seen a bit of it in Carrie Jones’ NEED Series and Jennifer Esteps’ Mythos Academy. I'm hoping it will soon become a popular subject for the YA genre

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Bryn?
When I wrote Dead Radiance it was my third novel and I was very concerned that my characters would all be the same, that they would just be the same MC recycled over and over. I was so worried that I refused to edit either of the other books or read any new ones until I'd written The End on Dead Radiance. In the need I realized I'd had nothing to worry about. Each character speaks in a different voice, each personality is so individual that I would have been better off just letting it flow instead of fretting for no reason.

If you could introduce Aidan to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I'd so introduce him to Logan Westin from my Hunter series. I adore Aidan but sometimes he just needs a bit of a shaking. He's too proud and stubborn for his own good. Logan on the other hand just wants to make up for his past. He has his fair share of chips on his shoulder, but he tries to be better for it. He's certainly not perfect but he could teach Aidan a thing.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be?
It may seem cliche but seriously, I don't think i can say this enough times - never give up, always keep trying. Know what your goal is and try everything to get there. Study, create, practice, work, and do it all again and again. Even the smallest of successes is worth every moment of the effort.

What’s your most missed memory?
A summer holiday spent at the Palace of the Lost City Resort in Sun City in South Africa. I still wonder if there will ever be a holiday that will beat that. The weather was insanely beautiful, and even though it was Easter holidays and incredibly busy we still had a ball of a time. Ah, I'm feeling rather nostalgic now...

What's the worst summer job you've ever had?
As part of my studies I interned at a home for abused kids. I was adamant the stint at the centre would help me, even if it would just mean credits, but the reality of it was too much for me. Maybe I was too empathetic, or not strong enough. Either way I just could handle talking one on one with kids who had been abused physically and sexually. It was then that I decided I'd go the route of specializing in neuropsychology and focus more on research than therapy. In the end that didn't go as planned either but I came away with a deep respect for therapists who are strong enough to handle such deep trauma on a daily basis.

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
My dear friend Patti would be my first port of call but since she lives in the past in her Eastern Canada time zone that's not always possible. My closest friends are all writers and we maintain daily contact, and sometimes throughout the day too. And if I just want a girlie chat I ring up my bestie in Australia and we have a good gossip, she's great at pick me ups.

When was the last time you cried?
When my grandfather passed away a year and a half ago. Living away from your family is really hard, and if felt it quite keenly as my grandad grew older. The last I saw him was 2006 and I always dreaded that I'd never see him again. But when it happened it was still a horrible shock. But, it makes me feel better to know that I will remember him with every book that I write as I've taken on his name as my writing name. I just tacked his surname onto my initials but it's enough to know his name will live on forever.

Most horrifying dream you have ever had?
My dreams are too weird to be horrifying. And when I do have those bad dreams that make me hide under the covers and wake my hubby for cuddle, I never remember them. I just remember the feeling and that feeling is why I struggle with horror movies. I swear I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress after watching horror movies.

That day I knew for sure. I'd lost control of my tears then. They fell in huge, mocking drops. I stared at Joshua through those bitter tears, my heart missing beats as I tried to remember to breathe.

I finally knew what the glow meant.

I was a freak and Joshua was going to die.

Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.

The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.

Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?

T.G. Ayer’s Dead Radiance (A Valkyrie Novel) is a riveting story from Norse mythology, lead by a young modern woman. All of her life, Bryn has been burdened moving from foster home to foster home and never really had a place she can call home. It is this lifestyle that makes her cautious when it comes to relationships. When the handsome Aiden comes to live at her foster home, she is afraid to open up to him yet she builds enough trust that she shares a personal secret. The secret leads them to a journey beyond their wildest imagination.

This imaginative novel is truly impressing from the very beginning. The Norse mythology theme is something that is not as familiar as Greek or Egyptian mythology, but T.G.’s entertaining approach on this little known genre is a rare treat as it delivers originality and a breath of fresh air. T.G.’s writing style executes a beautiful mixture of mythology, fantasy, and adventure and gives readers a magical view of her amazing story. The voice she gives Bryn is dead-on and believable for a damaged teenager. Dead Radiance will completely engulf any reader that will comes its way. The magic, adventure, and mystery will leave readers compelled to learn more about Norse mythology and feeds their crave for more of Bryn’s story.

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