Author Interview – C.T Moshage
Helen: Welcome Chris. I am so excited to talk to you about your debut book. Tell us all about it!
Chris: November’s Dawn is a YA speculative fiction novel that centres around a young engineer, Josie Owens, as she tries to find her place in a chaotic and desperate world where humanity has been forced to abandon the surface and live aboard a massive underwater ark.
The setting as well as the plot allowed for several themes to become entangled throughout the novel. The duality and burden of leadership is something I have always been fascinated by and in the novel, one of the characters spends a lot of time exploring what leadership means to him and the weight he carries knowing that the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders. Later in the novel, Josie must wrestle and come to terms with some of the same concepts while also trying desperately to stay true to herself and her values.
That reality and the conflicts that created it start to blur the line between right and wrong, provoking a deeper look into what it means to lead.
Synopsis: Years after the mysterious death of her father, sixteen-year-old Josie Owens wants nothing more than to carry on his legacy as an engineer aboard November’s Dawn. This colossal walking ark has travelled the bottom of the oceans carrying the last remnants of humanity after an all-consuming flood. But Josie’s dreams drown when she discovers the secret her father died for: the ark was never meant to stay submerged.
This knowledge makes Josie, and those she loves, an instant target to those who would sacrifice anything to keep the status quo from changing and to those who want nothing more than to upend the firm hierarchy. At the same time, a glitch in the navigation system sends November’s Dawn directly toward a miles deep trench.
Faced with a multitude of challenges, Josie wonders if pursuing her father’s last wishes is worth the cost. Corruption and injustice permeate the last vestiges of humanity, but what if the great unknown of the world above is worse than their fragile existence below? If she follows her father’s vision, the ark could be destroyed on the surface. If she follows the rebels, revolution could tear the ark apart from within.
One way or another, Josie is the only one with the knowledge to make the final decision. If she makes the wrong one, not only will the ark fail, but the last spark of humanity will fade into darkness.
Helen: Sounds like a really intriguing premise, and I love that you have a young woman as your protagonist, struggling with the complexities of leadership. How did you translate this struggle for the book into the cover?
Chris: The cover of November’s Dawn conveys a couple messages. The dark theme and tone immediately place the viewer in the setting of the novel, aboard an ark that walks along the bottom of the ocean. There is no light at the bottom of the ocean, no air to breathe, no room for even the smallest mistake. It is an existence that clings to the edge of a cliff in the best of times and that reflects the dire situation that humanity is in when the novel begins. The crack in the viewing port adds suspense and a sense of urgency to Josie’s mission. The problems and issues that have plagued the ark for decades can’t be ignored any longer. The only choice left is to face them head on or risk the end of humanity.
Helen: I’m so glad you drew our attention to the crack in the glass! It does suggest an immediate threat and increases the tension! What is the meaning behind the book title?
Chris: The title, November’s Dawn, which is the name of the ark humanity resides on, comes from certain plot points from within the universe of the story itself. A global catastrophe struck earth and made the surface uninhabitable. The eleventh hour came in the month of November and the ark was constructed as a new dawn and salvation for the human race.
Helen: With November’s Dawn being your debut novel, what made you write this particular book?
Chris: I have always been intrigued by the constructs and engineering feats capable when the best and brightest minds come together to create something incredible. November’s Dawn was born out of that fascination and the lengths people would go to save themselves in the face of certain destruction. Also, as mentioned above, the plot and setting allowed me to explore themes of duty, family, loyalty, and finding one’s place in the world in a really interesting and satisfying way.
Helen: Who was your favourite character to write in November’s Dawn?
Chris: My favourite character from November’s Dawn would have to be Adrian Frost. He is the leader of the current government aboard the ark and without giving up too much, comes to odds with Josie Owens in a few different ways. Adrian is a troubled character. He feels a great weight and burden to his people but struggles with finding the right balance between what we might call a good leader, and one who resorts to authoritarian means, even if in his mind it is all for a noble purpose.
Helen: When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
Chris: For a long time, I was caught up in the idea of writing a book or becoming a writer, but I never put any work towards it or always convinced myself that being an author was something I could see in others, but I would never or didn’t have the right “stuff”. I always had other projects and creative outlets going on so coupled with my own self-doubt, I just never seriously tried to write. That was until the pandemic struck which freed more time for me to explore hobbies and interests. It was in that moment I decided I was going to put my mind to it and complete a story. And I did – a 100,000-word YA fantasy novel that will likely never see the light of day unless some major revisions take place. But that was my first foray into the writing world, and I value it for the lessons it taught me about story creation, plot, action, and all the other little bits that go into making a story worthwhile.
Helen: Let’s change topics slightly and chat about your writing process. Which element of the writing process do you find the most challenging?
Chris: I find I have some trouble writing under deadlines. Inspiration has to strike me. I have to be ready and open to it. And if I’m at a point in time where life and other factors aren’t allowing that to happen, it becomes very difficult for me to overcome that. It’s a process, and one I’m still working on.
Helen: Sometimes we put ourselves under unnecessary pressure and that does tend to stifle creativity. With this being your debut book, did you plan every part of the novel, or did you make it up as you went? Are you a Pantser or a plotter?
Chris: My process centres very much around having a core concept and plot and like the spokes of a wheel, everything else radiates out from that. In that way, I’m a pantser. I’ve often found I don’t know the direction the plot will go or what a particular character will do until I’m in the moment with them and they dictate the outcome.
Helen: If you didn’t write YA Fantasy is there another genre you would be tempted to write in?
Chris: I grew up reading young adult novels and feel the most comfortable and at home within the genre. However, I’ve often toyed with the idea of writing a detective thriller novel, even if I have no experience in the genre. Here’s the premise: A returning war veteran-turned private eye navigates the tumultuous and ever-changing post-war streets of 1950’s Los Angeles and uncovers a tangled web of secrets and the macabre within the chilling halls of the Cecil Hotel.
Helen: Oh, you have an idea already! We’ll be looking out for it, but if you are not writing a detective novel, what is your current WIP?
Chris: My current work in progress is actually the second novel in the November’s Dawn Chronicles. This is the first time I’ve worked on a story that was the continuation of another, so it has been a learning experience so far, but still fun. The characters in November’s Dawn have so much more life to give, all that’s left is for me to convince them to share it with the world.
Helen: Most authors are massive readers. What are some of the books you recently read and would recommned?
Chris: I did not read this book recently but within the last few years, but Project Hail Mary is a novel I’d recommend to any fan of the science fiction genre. Andy Weir creates a perspective of space travel and finding life in the universe unlike anything I had experienced before. In my opinion, the novel creates a paradigm shift in how humans perceive extraterrestrial life while keeping a sense of thoughtfulness that keeps the reader grounded. It’s that sort of thinking that I believe all writers should aspire to.
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today, Chris. Just to close us out, do you have any advice for all those aspiring authors out there?
Chris: When I first started writing, I sought out all the resources I could. A lot of that came in the form of podcasts and author interviews. Something I heard time and time again in those interviews was how that specific author had written a couple books or so before the one that got them a publishing deal. Those authors would often talk about how bad their first book ended up being even if they couldn’t see it at the time. Those comments always bugged me. As a new writer with just the bones of a single story, I felt attacked by the idea that an author’s first or second manuscript would not be the greatest. I thought, “maybe for them, but not my story. My manuscript is awesome.” There was no doubt in my mind at the time that my first manuscript would get an agent and get published. It never did. It took me a long time to realize but I think the reason why I felt so personally victimized by those statements was because some part of me was scared that I was wasting my time. Or that if the world didn’t like my manuscript now, I might never have another story worth telling.
My advice is this: don’t fall into that same trap I did. You will have another story, even if your first one doesn’t pan out. The process and what you learn along the way is what will make you a sustained writer.
Helen: Great advice. Thank you for sharing that with us. It has been a lot of fun learning about you and your book. Congratulations again on releasing your debut YA fantasy novel.
About the Author
C.T MoshageChris Moshage is a Chicago based author of science fiction & fantasy. His debut Young Adult science fiction novel, November’s Dawn, will release April 9th, 2024 and is the first instalment of a planned trilogy.
The short story, Chasing the Dawn, explores the origins of the trilogy’s world and is available now to download for free. Chris didn’t start writing seriously until his early 20’s, but when he finally did, he eagerly embraced it and hasn’t turned away since. When he’s not immersed in reading or writing, two vital elements of his life as an author, Chris enjoys playing tennis, exploring the many worlds of video games, and navigating the skies flying drones, even if his aerial footage is mostly appreciated by himself
Follow Chris:
Author Website Discover the origins of the November’s Dawn universe in my short story, Chasing the Dawn, available for free download on my website when you subscribe to my newsletter.
Purchase Chris’s book: November’s Dawn via Amazon – also available on Kindle Unlimited.
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
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If you enjoy epic fantasy then the award winning Sentinal series is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fiction? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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