C.T.Ortega
What are three unique quirks in your (author) personality that is evident in your writing style or books that make you stand out compared to other authors?
The first is that I write in the same way that I speak. I’ve approached writing with the concept that you should teach in a way that an eight year old should understand. I want my writing to be easily understood, so I purposely avoid words that I believe make the story more complex than it needs to be.
The second is that I enjoy intricate, small details many glaze over in movies and such. I will watch videos on how a scene was constructed, hidden things in a film, or director’s commentary. I like seeing things from all angles. It believe it comes out in my books. With a total of 13 books drafted, and more on the way, each are linked in fun ways with the hope to immerse a reader from one book to the next.
The third is that I don’t take myself to seriously. I like to enjoy myself, so although I am serious about my craft, I have fun with it. There’s plenty of jokes, hidden links to other books or movies, and even the occasional dad joke.
What would your most recent main character say in regards to this question:
“If you were forced to give up something important to complete your goal, what would you never part with and why?”
My latest book publishing on 1 November, has two women leads. Sati, the Queen of her city, would tell you she could never part with her life ambitions.
For the other character Ahm, it is her mother. The teenager has had a troubled past and her mom has come to mean more to her than life itself.
The question of how far they will go for their loves and passions is tested in the book.
What’s your highest recommended book that you’ve read by another author in the last two years and why?
Scythe and Dagger by Emily Knight. It’s a fun dark fantasy read that kept me both flipping the pages because of the story, and cracking up at the darkness if it all.
Where would you take your biggest fan on a “date” and what ONE question would you ask them?
A bookstore with a coffee shop! I’d enjoy to hear about their favorite genre and books, then listen as to why they enjoyed mine, with the hope of growing as an author.
If you had to eliminate something from our planet for eternity, what would it be and why?
Black licorice… So gross.
Give me a plug of something you’d love all readers to purchase and why it’s superb.
My latest book Jewels of Egypt, publishing on 1 November. As a writer, we all know the character are vital to the story. They must be authentic.
In this book, I wanted to create a realistic Egyptian world with two female leads. It’s so important, in my mind, to be able to leave yourself (male or female) and really write on behalf of the character. I really believe I achieved this with this book. As a male living near Seattle, it’s really fun to write as an Egyptian Queen!
Cassie Swindon 