Interview with Author Heather Cashman

Today we're going to reach out to see a wonderful author of SciFi/ Fantasy (its SciFi guys you know that's my favorite genre).  I would like to introduce a new author, Heather Cashman. 

Her debut novel, Perception (The Tigers’ Eye Trilogy, Book 1), came out in June, and the second book, Deception, is scheduled to come out by December 1st. It is a Science Fiction/Fantasy novel set in a dystopian future where animals and people have genetic and telepathic links.

Heather, please tell us about your family

They are the best. Married 19 years to the most supportive man on the planet, we have three amazing kids who tolerate my writing binges and constant obsession with characters other than them. We have a dog (named Jasmine because the kids were enthralled with “Aladdin” at the time), a cat named Toothless Kyle (because she looks like Toothless the dragon and sleeps in the tub like Kyle XY), and live in a small town near Wichita, KS.

What is your favorite quote and why?

I’m not sure I could pick one, but there is one that fits with how I feel at this time in my writing career

.

“Never be bullied into silence, never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your own life: define yourself.” ~Harvey F. Fierstein

I believe that any author who writes passionately puts themselves into their work and consequently defines themselves through their work. Becoming a published author was difficult for me because it forced me to let the world see my flaws. I am, by nature, the type of person who wants everyone to be happy, wants everyone to like me. It is universally known that a novel will not be liked by everyone, possibly not by anyone.  This quote helps me to realize that I should not keep my work hidden. Through my work, I am defining myself and refusing to be a victim to my fear of being disliked.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

My mom used to sit and read every night. Her favorite genre was and still is SciFi/Fantasy. It was abundant in our house . . . piles of books much like Mo’s house in Inkheart. In addition to this, I worked everyday after school in the library while waiting for my mom to get off work. The librarian was one of my best friends. Knowing what I liked, she would never fail at suggesting the perfect book. All the reading, the stories in my head, the heroes and heroines, kept growing into stories of my own.

Tell us the latest news about your book and what you are currently writing.

I will be going to conferences and book group discussions for Perception over the next couple of months. I will be in Tucson, AZ at the end of August and at the SCBWI Kansas conference at the end of September. All my news can be seen on my website (www.heathercashman.com).

I am currently writing the second novel of The Tigers’ Eye Trilogy, due out December 1st, and also doing a rewrite of the first novel in a new series titled Shifter.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors about dealing with rejection?

Rejection can be difficult to deal with because we usually take it personally. For my first draft of Shifter I submitted one query letter—only one. The agent (Jim McCarthy at DGLM) asked for the manuscript and rejected it. I look back on it with a grateful heart. Sometimes others can see potential that eludes us. Sometimes things we love won’t sell. I worked for three more years and honed my writing skills. Now, when I look back on the original manuscript, I am glad they didn’t let me publish it. The current me would have been mortified.

What do you do to relax or unwind?

I write.

How can we find your book?

Rather than give a lot of links to different stores, the paperback and every format of ebook can be found here:

http://www.heathercashman.com/perception/perception.html

Thank you so much to Heather for joining us on The Mystique! Good luck in all you do!