Every once in a while you come across a book that is really different from all the rest. I would like to introduce a wonderful new series written by Fatimah Ashaela Moore Ibrahim called, The Azurean Trilogy. I love scifi and the fact that this was a spiritual fiction, put the icing on the cake. It is unique, fresh and has all the fun and adventure I like in science fiction/fantasy. The Azurean Trilogy follows the adventure of five gifted teens as they train to save their planet from an evil that is oppressing them and sending their new found home into the same chaos and destruction that planet Earth went through. Today, I am happy to introduce the author of this exciting new series as she shares her publishing journey.
I would love to know a little bit about your writing and
publishing journey of The Azurean Trilogy (Books 1&2).
My
writing and publishing journey for "The Azurean Trilogy" (Essentia
and Burgeon) has been a really awesome experience. I had the basic ideas for
the story in my heart for a long time; exploring, showing the power of faith,
Earth conservation, world peace, healthcare, and caring about each other on a
human level regardless of color, religion, etc. were at the top of the list.
But every time I tried to think of the actual story-- it just wouldn't come.
Then, one day, I sat down and said to myself, "Let me just start writing,
see what happens, and then go from there." And the characters and
storyline just flowed out! From then on, I wrote everywhere I could. I have
three children, so writing was often done late at night. I found this great
site (Wattpad.com) where you could post chapters of your story up to build an
audience and get feedback, and seeing all of the people who read my book
motivated me to finish it. Once I was done, I found another great site, Createspace.com,
which allows authors to self-publish their book in paperback and Kindle, and
sell it on Amazon.com--all without an upfront cost. They were very
user-friendly with great customer service for any questions I had. The whole
experience was a blessing.
How long did it take?
It
took about 1 year to write, edit and publish Books 1&2. Looking back, I
can't believe it took that long...the time just flew by. But I enjoyed every
moment of it.
Was it difficult balancing family life and making time for
writing?
It
was definitely a challenge. It can be really tough to balance home, work,
family and staying on top of your prayers too. And then to have a passion to do
something in addition to it all can be overwhelming. But staying focused and
prayerful was invaluable.
What challenges did you face?
The
biggest challenge for me was finding the actual (quiet) time to write. The
things God has given me in my life as responsibilities are my priority. But it
was also a priority to nourish the passion I had for this project. I have such
a strong desire to use my talents and gifts to bless others and bring more
light and love into this world. I may sound like a hippie, lol, but I truly
do.
Which part of your publishing journey was your
favorite? Which was your worst?
I
actually have two favorites: Writing and doing the graphic design. I am also a
Visual Artist, so I really enjoyed writing the actual story as well as creating
the graphics for the cover and promotional materials. The worst was the
editing!!! I literally read through the story about 10 times once it was done
trying to catch errors....my eyes were crossing by the 5th read through! But I
have to say, each time I finished, I was like, "Even if this was a story I
hadn't written myself, I would really enjoy it." That's what makes me the
most excited about it.
Why did you choose to self-publish your work?
I
chose to self-publish because there was a shorter wait for when my book could
be available to the public. I didn't like the idea of sending my manuscript off
and waiting months to see if someone would read it. It just seemed like it
would take so long, lol. And then, the genre (Spiritual Science Fiction, or
Spi-Fi) is still working to carve out a real niche for itself....so there
aren't a lot of publishers looking for books in this relatively new
genre.
What sets your story apart from other books about human
survival after the death of our planet?
The
difference with my story is that it really explores the power of faith-- it
just takes it to a new and exciting level...and in a way that I have never read
before.
Tell us a little bit about your story, The Azurean Trilogy
(Essential and Burgeon)?
The
Azurean Trilogy is an adventure that takes a look at where we have been, and
what can be if we all work really hard not to repeat the mistakes of our past.
All of this is done within a framework of characters who are God-conscious. I
don't want to give away anything, lol...in essence, it is an adventure that
feeds your faith.
What inspired you to write your story?
A
desire to see a reality where we truly have world peace inspired me to write
this book. I wanted people to be hopeful and empowered when they look out at
the state of things on this planet of ours. I wanted to write a story that is
entertaining, fulfilling and healing. I wanted people to be excited about being
believers.
What is the significance of using both Qur'anic and
Biblical references in your book?
My
original draft used references from the Qur'an, Bible and Torah, but I wasn't
able to find a public domain source for the Torah scripture- so I ended up
using Qur'an, and then Old Testament and New Testament from the Bible. I used
them to unite people in their similarities rather than divide them with their
differences. I wanted people of different faiths to not see each other as so
different and foreign to each other.
Why do you call your work 'spiritual' fiction as oppose to
'Islamic or Muslim' fiction since your main character is a Muslim?
My
main character is a Muslim, but the story, like life, includes many different
people. I chose to put it under the genre of Spiritual Fiction because it is a
story that can be enjoyed by people of many different faiths, because it
focuses on our spirituality. For me, spirituality is a person's understanding
that there is something greater than them that created them and all that they
see. We all choose a different practice/religions to cultivate that.
I'm curious, why was Yaya chosen to be the
narrator? How different would the story be if one of the other Gifted Five
narrated it? Or maybe even one of the Guardians?
The
moment I sat down to write the story, Yaya was narrator. It felt most natural
to tell the story through her eyes, probably because she is most like me: A
female and a Muslimah. I think the story could have been just as good through
the eyes of one of the other characters...but for me, it just felt easy and
most natural.
Do you have plans to write more spiritual fiction?
Absolutely!!!
I have already begun writing an outline for Book 3, Manifest. I also have two
other stories in the wings... but am giving all of the attention to completing
The Azurean Trilogy and making it as full and exciting as I can first! My
prayer while writing it is that it would inspire people to get a closer
relationship with the Creator. If I accomplish that through anything I write,
then that is the greatest gift to me.
