Author Interview A.B. Whelan

I stumbled across a book titles Fields of Elysium a long time ago. At the time, I shrugged and said "Eh, I'll give it a shot."
And WOW! I got so much more than I was expecting. All you authors out there know how hard it is to create a whole new universe, but not just create one, but to make it damn good. It's something even Best Selling Authors have trouble doing. But A.B. Whelan, I must say, did an exceptional job.



This is an original book with original ideas and expertly crafted with creative and descriptive writing. Even though English is not her first language, she managed to write this amazing novel.

And now without further delay, here's the interview.

A. B. Whelan author of the Fields of Elysium series

What inspired you to write a novel and when was the exact moment you decided you were going to write a book?


I wrote my first novel in 2010. It was a memoir and I wrote it for my children, to leave them with the amazing story of how dad and mom fell in love against all odds. Though I was born and raised in Hungary and my primary language is Hungarian, I wrote the stories in English because that’s my husband and children’s language. Day after day I became increasingly involved with my stories and I looked forward to my baby girl’s naps so I could get back to my computer. I described scenes and stories that actually happened and my soaring imagination added extra details. After three months I ended up with a novel that was half true half fictional. I realized I was good at this and what was more important I enjoyed doing it. Now four years later I’ve finished four novels and two novellas, and I’m working on my fifth book right now.


What draws you to write a fantasy novel? The same goes for romance, young adult, dystopia, and sci-fi. What draws you to write them?

I write about what interests me. I see every chapter in my books as a scene in a movie. I like mesmerizing lights, magical animals, heroic action, weaknesses turning into strengths, characters overcoming their deepest fears and becoming heroes. These are the stories I enjoy the most.


Give us some insight on your main characters, Molly and Victor. What makes them so special and different?

Molly Bennett is a typical American teenager whose parents are well off so all she has to worry about is who her friends are, what she wears and which boy she dates. She dreams about adventures but is too scared to try anything new. Then one day she discovers a secluded cave with a wormhole passage to an earthlike planet and experiences hunger, danger, oppression, deep-rooted hatreds, and decade-old wars. She accepts the challenges life throws at her and does her best to handle them maturely.

Victor Sorren is an orphan, a trained warrior whose only interest is to avenge his parents’ death and bring long-awaited peace to his home. He is not much older than Molly, yet he doesn’t go to school dances or hang out at the mall after school. He trains every day as a Sentinel apprentice and Ecmentur Game contender. He also accepts the challenges life throws at him. Victor’s transformation – ignited by Molly’s presence - was a joy to write about.

Tell us about the cover and how it came about.

The cover of Fields of Elysium is widely loved and nominated for best cover. I designed it using a Russian photographer’s image. I fell in love with the picture the moment I saw it, though I didn’t jump the gun to reveal it. I designed seven covers and took votes on them from my circle of trusted friends. Most of them chose my favorite cover, too.
Designing the covers for the new installments in the series was easier because the first book’s cover had already set the mood and style.

How long did it take you to write your book?

Each book I write takes a bit longer. At the beginning I only wrote as a hobby with no thought of what people expected from me or that anybody would actually read my books. Since the publication of Fields of Elysium I’ve taken creative writing courses and educated myself in how to write better descriptions, sentences, scenes and much more. Now I write my books chapter by chapter, then I reread and edit it numerous times. Once I’m ready to let it out of my hands I email it to my proofreader/editor. He goes over it and sends it back to me. I check his changes and comments and make the necessary corrections. Then together we go over the chapter sentence by sentence.
Once we are finished with the entire manuscript, he reads it as a whole and afterwards we go over his findings. Then I send the ARC file to my recently hired professional editor and in the meantime I email copies to my beta readers. In about two months all the reviews and edits come back to me. I do the final polishing before the book goes into publication.
Lately the writing goes even slower because while I’m working on the new book using my advanced editing system I’m also polishing my previous books. So if I’m not pushing out a book every other month it’s not because I don’t work hard enough, but only that I’m determined to deliver a quality story and writing my readers expect of me.

Did you then let the book stew, leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?

I usually work on promotional materials while I wait for my professional editor and beta readers to finish their jobs on my manuscript. So for a month or two I don’t touch my story at all.
Right before publishing I combine all the edited files I received from my editor and betas and make the final touches. By the time I hit ‘publish’ I love every word of my book.


How often do you write and for how long?

I write every day unless life’s events throw me off balance. In the past four years I’ve moved from Crete to California to Italy and back to California. Each move takes away three to four months from my writing and promoting.


What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?

Don’t rush into publishing. I know it’s hard to follow (mea culpa, mea maxima culpa) because Amazon makes it so easy nowadays. But publishing a book is like going to a job interview. If the first impression you make is not positive you won’t get the job.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

Any book of Jules Verne. His stories and inventions inspired generations of scientists, engineers and writers.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

To tell a story people actually want to read.

Do you ever experience writer's block and what do you do to combat it?

I think of my stories every day, rolling new ideas around in my head. By the time I have the opportunity to sit down and write I’m eager to do so. I don’t write because I have to. I do it because I want to and that’s why I don’t experience writer’s block.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I do. I also believe that only time can tell whether your love at first sight was true love or only infatuation.




For more A.B. Whelan, check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter at http://abwhelan.blogspot.com/