Writer Wednesday: Interview with Heather Marie Adkins
For this Writer Wednesday, I would like to welcome Heather Marie Adkins to my website to talk about how her beliefs inform her writing, the inspiration behind the strong female protagonists she creates and whether The House might be her first horror novel.
1. In your books, you write in great detail about spirituality so could you tell me more about how your beliefs guide your work, as I can see you are using these references to do much more than merely 'colour' the stories, they are integral to the characters and the situations they find themselves in?
This is an excellent question. To steal your word, the spirituality of my characters is integral to at least part of what I hope to accomplish as a Pagan writer. I think we're an underrepresented bunch—not so much that there aren't many Pagan authors because really, there are, almost as if Pagans and writing go hand-in-hand—but that not many choose to interlace their works with their spirituality. It can narrow one's audience, alienating those of other beliefs who are uncomfortable with alternative religions.
But the fact of the matter is that Paganism is deeply misunderstood, and even more so the idea of witchcraft. As a witch whose spiritual roots run deep, it's important to me to have characters that represent witchcraft the way it's MEANT to be. To teach people that the stereotype isn't always the case. Hollywood's green-skinned, warty-faced evil villain and pop culture's goth-girl in black lipstick and a bored expression are NOT what witchcraft is all about. Your average, every day witch is just like me—jeans, T-shirts, no make-up, but with maybe a borderline obsessive love for plants 
My spirituality is my everything. Second to none. I love everything about it, and that channels into my characters. When it comes to situations they find themselves in, well, they say write what you know. And I know witchcraft top to bottom; I've been on this path for ten years. When you have that kind of commitment, it tends to take over your brain. I write the kinds of books that I hope will speak to other Pagans, yet can also be enjoyed by anyone who just enjoys the paranormal.
One of the things I wish for as I continue my journey as an author is to represent witchcraft to people who don't know it.
2. In paranormal and dark fantasy fiction, strong female heroines have become something of a fixture, I would be interested to know how you approach creating characters such as Vale Avari in The Temple and make them stand out?
Vale was ridiculously easy to create. She's a lot of me—snarky, sarcastic, sardonic (that's a whole lotta S's.) She's incredibly loyal to those she loves, but leery of strangers. She's very opinionated, which is definitely one of my own downfalls, and she's strong. Because Vale draws so much of my own characteristics, I don't know that I can really answer this question! I've been told that all of my protagonists hold something of me in them—I guess the rest just flows from the ether. Or out of my a**, whichever comes first.
3. Do you consider your mom to have been an influence at all on any of your characters as I understand she is a police detective, a job which takes a great deal of inner strength?
I am so impressed by these questions.
I can't remember the EXACT quote, but there's a book by Liza Palmer called "Conversations with the Fat Girl", and in it she's says something like "My mother is, and always has been, my own personal concept of God." Something to that effect. When I read it, it hit me like a wrecking ball. My life has always revolved around my mother, simply because her life has always revolved around me. When I was a teenager, I hated it. But now, I realize how important it is to me for my mother to be central to my existence. She is a superhero to me; I'm so proud of all she's accomplished on the police department. In 21 years, she rose from a lowly street beat officer to a Major. That's only two positions down from Chief of Police. She's dedicated, hard-working, and intelligent, and she's also very, very strong. She raised me alone for sixteen years while working as a police officer, and if that doesn't take strength, I don't know what does. I am very much my mother's daughter in these respects.
Where am I going with this… Because my mom is such a huge part of my life, I guarantee she plays a big part in my books, if only because she has shaped the woman I am today.
4. In Underneath, you create an underworld city that reminded me very much in its atmosphere of the antarctic city from H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness so I am curious whether the horror genre has been an influence upon you at all and whether it is a genre you would think of writing in the future? The sacrificial scene was a particularly stand-out set-piece for me.
To be honest, I've not read much horror! Hell, I couldn't even come up with a single horror title I ever read (off the top of my head) in previous years. I recently read all of Jack Wallen's books—great horror in "Gothica". Not that I don't want to read more horror, just that it's not high on my infinitely, ever-growing to-read list.
So, no, definitely no influence from the horror genre. However, it is something I'd like to write, and I'm planning a sequel to "Underneath" that will be from Adara's POV five years later. It will be my first foray into a horror novel. Much of the city of Garneria from "Underneath" came from my extensive studies into the ancient Aztecs for a class—talk about a horror civilization.
5. I noticed you are currently rewriting a novel entitled The House which looks to me like your most sinister book to date. Can you tell me more about it?
Ah, I love this question. My family has been plagued by the paranormal from long before I was born. "The House" is based on the true story of my grandmother's childhood home. She lived on an old slave plantation in central Kentucky with her own grandparents and mother. Almost everything that happens in "The House"—from the blood stain on the floor that won't go away to the wailing from the slave's quarters—actually happened to my grandmother. I just turned it into a fiction novel 
Come to think of it, it could probably be classified as horror.
6. What do you think the benefits are as a writer imaginatively working in speculative genres as opposed to those which are more 'realistic'?
I can make stuff up! Full creative license. The Man can't bring me down. 'Nuff said.
7. In The Temple you make use of England as the setting so I'm interested as to whether you have visited this septic isle at all and your thoughts on the place? Any amusing anecdotes about the differences between Brits and Americans?
Unfortunately, no. I've yet to make it to England. I have, however, been to Ireland, which was the most amazing trip of my life.
8. I also notice that you have male characters who take on more nurturing roles as in Cause and Effect and Darren is the one who needs rescuing in Underneath – what are your thoughts on this refreshing kind of role reversal and switcharound in fiction?
You can't be raised by a female police officer without having strong feminist values. Too much of literature is steeped in "damsel in distress". Why's it always gotta be a girl in trouble? Boys can get in trouble, too, you know I work for a police department. Trust me.
I think the idea of the woman being the hero of the story is something every female can love. And it's something I think little girls need too—you're just as likely to be the hero as any boy.
9. The majority of my fiction to date has been inspired on some level by dreams and nightmares – I was wondering if your own have played an inspirational role in your work?
Oh, yes. The Temple came from a dream—it's actually in the book, at Chapter 10. The dream Vale has is the actual dream that gave me the idea for the book.
The same concept goes for several of my WIPs., but the other books I currently have out were just straight "ah-ha!" moments.
They say so many authors get their ideas from their dreams because we're much more open to the concepts of our imaginations when we're sleeping. It's that whole creative mind thing.
10. So what plans do you have for world domination in 2012? Any last words?
My plan for world domination in 2012 is less trying to market and more writing. I have 8 planned releases this year (and that's my low-end quote—I'd like to release at least ten). I'll also have one, if not two, co-written books with Julia Crane, as well as the short story anthologies of the Eclective. I want to focus entirely on pushing books out.
I'm also slowly building my formatting business in the hope I can leave my day job. We'll see what happens!
Thank you Heather!
Want find out more about Heather? Visit the following links:
The Temple is currently available at the following distributors:
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