TIME GAME and book one EYE OF THE STORM: THE FIRST TOKEN - D. A. Featherling

Dear Readers, today’s interview is very different. My friend, Dorothy Featherling, came up with an interesting new concept. I think you’ll like it.

Welcome back, D. A. What has drawn you to writing  and creating this product?

I have a 13-year old grandson who loves to read. I wanted to provide him with decent reading material in a genre he enjoys. That was time travel. I started thinking about what kind of time travel book would someone, say 9 – 16 years old enjoy? There have been lots of time travel books written, so I needed to find an original way to get the protagonists from one time/place to another. I decided on a board game to do that.

I designed a board game (Time Game) and have had it produced and do have it available for sale through local vendors and through my websites. It’s a game of luck…not skill…and anyone ages 12 – adult can enjoy playing it.

The series of books I’ve based on the game will be a 13-book series, one book for each illustration on the game board. I’m up through Book 7 (published to date) and working on the 8th one. My reading range has expanded to adults, so now I say my market is ages 9 – 99.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I don’t know how quirky it was…but it certainly shook up my sister and my mom. We had been somewhere and I was driving them home, taking some side streets to get to their neighborhood. I spotted a couple of tree stumps in someone’s yard. Cut stumps which had been put out by the curb to be picked up by the trash people. My creative instincts shouted coffee table so I stopped the car, got out and rang the doorbell of the house and asked the owner if they minded if I took the stumps. Needless to say, they were a bit surprised, but gave permission. I put the stumps in the trunk of the car and resumed the driver’s seat. All the way to my mom’s house I kept hearing “I can’t believe you did that’s” from my sister and my mom. But hey, I figure you don’t ask, you don’t have. I’m big on asking.

I love that story. You sound a lot like my husband. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve been a reader all my life (make that avid reader, like on average one book a day when I’m not busy), but I never tried my hand at creative writing until about 1999 when I read an article in Reader’s Digest asking what you would do as a career if you didn’t have to worry about training, time, finances, education, etc. Without thinking, the thought popped into my mind… “I’d write books.” It really surprised me because, even though I loved to read, I’d never thought about writing books. I stuffed the thought into the back of my mind, but it kept coming back until I finally figured “how am I going to know I can/can’t unless I try?” So I tried. That began my writing journey. Since 2013, when I started writing full time, I’ve published 22 books so I guess writing was definitely in my future.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My favorite genre is mysteries. I also enjoy many suspense books, action/adventure/thriller books as well. I do read some historicals and some romances. 

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I’ve written and published 22 books. Four of those are non-fiction (2 are just e-books), and the rest fiction. I’ve written two different mystery series, a romantic comedy series, an end times series, the afore-mentioned time travel/sci-fi series, and a romance. Probably the most unusual was the non-fiction cold case murder I wrote about that occurred in 1930 in the town I now live in. That was quite an experience, but I’m pretty sure I solved the case.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I am blessed in that I am retired from a day job, so can pretty much keep my own schedule. Things do tend to come to me in clumps for some reason – usually groups of three…so occasionally I’m juggling many plates at the same time. But I can usually manage to stay on track and take time as needed for health issues and other necessities (like grocery shopping…ugh).

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of, besides family?

There is a faith element in all my books. When I started the Time Game series of books, I wanted to offer readers something exciting, yet clean, and not weird supernatural as is so prevalent today. I think I’ve accomplished that with this series and the responses I get from readers of all ages pretty much confirm that. I can’t take the credit, the Lord gets that, but I appreciate Him letting me help.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Probably a cat. I love cats. Unfortunately, my allergies don’t allow a pet, so haven’t had one for years. But they are SO independent and graceful, I just love them. I know I don’t qualify for the graceful designation, but I am independent and can relate to cats on that level.

What is your favorite food?

This is a toughie. If you mean just one food item…it would have to be carrot cake with 4-inch thick icing (if only they’d make it that thick). If you mean food types…probably Mexican food (Tex-Mex). All of it.

Is it hard to break into the children’s market?

Being independently (indie) published, it’s a bit different. I did try for a short time, when I began the Time Game series, to see if any agents were looking for children’s/middle grade books. Only found one and she never responded to my query. So I went ahead with my indie publishing (in which I’d done all my other books). The marketing is challenging. But then marketing is these days for all writers.

What advice would you give to an author wanting to do that?

Occasionally, I now see there are agents who are soliciting those types of books, so I’d encourage authors who want to write for children to try traditional publishing if they want to. But if they don’t mind the marketing aspect, indie publishing is an avenue to explore. Advice? Try to come up with an original idea…one that hasn’t been done to death and find a fresh approach. It is possible.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

 Eye of the Storm: The First Token is book one in the Time Game series. It introduces the series, the board game, and twins Marcus and Samantha Willoughby. I switch back and forth between them in scenes and chapters so they get equal time. Therefore, the book can be enjoyed by both males and females. The idea came from discovering information about an actual shipwreck that took place on the Great Lakes in 1898 (no, not the Edmund Fitzgerald). The wreckage of the ship in my book hadn’t been found for over a hundred years and hasn’t received the publicity it might have earlier. But it was a great story and I enjoyed weaving my characters into an actual event that was quite dramatic and exciting and I hope, set the tone, for the adventures to follow.

Again, I’d like to mention that the board game (Time Game) was the basis for the themes for all the books in the series and can be played by 2-4 players, including adults. It moves fast but has enough pitfalls to keep it exciting.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I have two different websites. One for the Time Game series books and game:

http://www.timegameseries.com

Another for all my books (including the Time Game series and game):

http://www.dafeatherling.com

I’m on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/D.A.Featherling/

E-mail is: dafeatherling@gmail.com

Thank you, D A, for sharing this new game and book series with us. I’m intrigued by it, and I’ll want to get the game for my oldest great-grandson for Christmas. I’ll start him on the first book, too.

Readers, here is a link to the paperback.

Eye of the Storm: The First Token (Time Game Series) (Volume 1)
The book is also available on Kindle

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