Author Interview with Donna Migliaccio
Tell us a few things about yourself that our readers would like to know.
I’m a career stage actress with more than thirty years in show business (most recently, I understudied legendary diva Patti LuPone in the Broadway musical WAR PAINT), but my first love was and always will be writing. I love imagining a story, its characters and its plot twists, and the actual writing process is a joy. I even love editing!
Tell us what your books are about.
THE GEMETA STONE is an epic fantasy series about Kristan Gemeta, a compassionate young prince who loses his father, his throne, his family’s legendary talisman and even his identity at the hands of the Wichelord Daazna. The series follows Kristan as he tries to regain what he’s lost and cling to his integrity and decency in the face of terrible ordeals. There’s a fair amount of violence and some sexual content, so I’d suggest the series for those 16 and older.
Did you ever think you would be unable to finish your first novel?
KINGLET, the first book in the series, certainly went through some major permutations before ending up in its final form. I finished the manuscript (for the first time) when I was in my twenties, and the first publisher I submitted it to liked it enough to ask for a revise and resubmit. Unfortunately, I was an absolute beginner at the publishing business and didn’t understand what the editor wanted. My revision was rejected and I put the manuscript away for decades before tackling it again. In retrospect, I’m glad I got that initial rejection – I wasn’t ready to be published, and neither was the book. It’s a better story and the characters are far more complex and interesting now.
Do you reply back to your fans and admirers personally?
I do indeed. If someone has a question about the series I’m happy to answer it, and if someone has taken the time to write to me about some aspect of the books or the characters, the least I can do is respond personally.
Do you believe attractive book covers help in its sales?
Absolutely. It’s the first thing potential readers see, whether in a bookstore or shopping online. An unattractive cover can turn a reader away, and an inappropriate cover can make a reader feel tricked if the story doesn’t jibe with it. My publisher and cover artist will tell you that I had very strong opinions about THE GEMETA STONE series covers! I was fortunate that they were willing to work with me, and the result is a really good-looking set of covers with a strong central theme. I get compliments on them all the time.
How did you celebrate the publishing of your first book?
I was up in New York working on WAR PAINT when KINGLET was released, away from my husband and family and friends. I celebrated by going up to the roof of the theatre with a couple of my understudy buddies and toasting my book’s birth with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
Have you ever destroyed any of your drafts?
Yes – fairly recently, in fact. For some reason I’d been hanging onto that original KINGLET version – the one that got rejected back when I was in my twenties. It was a whopping 145,000 word double-spaced typed manuscript. I asked myself why I was hanging onto it, and when I couldn’t come up with a good answer, I shredded it. I have a dread of anyone reading anything but my best work.
Have you ever written a story you wish you hadn’t?
Not a story, but there was a blog I wrote years ago that I regretted. Not because it wasn’t the truth, but because I didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s feelings with it and yet I did. I was trying to put down some musings about the nature of friendship, and the way friendships can change over time, and I guess I didn’t say it very well. In the long run it changed nothing – the friendship in question was already over – but I’ve always been sorry about the bitterness it caused. It brought home to me that absent facial expression, body language and tone of voice, it’s very easy for someone to misinterpret what you’re saying.
Which literary character do you most resonate with on a personal level?
There’s a charming novel called I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith (she also wrote THE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIONS) whose main character, Cassandra, I’ve always felt a kinship with. She’s a young woman who aspires to be a novelist, and her journals are the framing device for the story. Her father is a novelist who wrote one huge, breakout novel and has been written nothing since, so the book is very much about the creative process. It’s a whimsical, tender novel with some really evocative descriptions, and while romance plays a major part in the book, it’s not the whole book.
What do you do in your free time?
If I’m not on stage or at my computer writing, I’m usually tramping around forests or fields with my trusty binoculars. I’m an avid birder, wildlife observer and weather watcher. I’m also a voracious reader – I average between 40-50 books a year, although 2017, with 75 books read, may have been a record year.
Get Your Copy Today!
StoneKing by Donna Migliaccio
February 20, 2018
Fantasy
The Gemeta Stone Book 3
They call him StoneKing: the lord of four countries, the vanquisher of the Wichelord Daazna, the man who will restore his people to prosperity and peace.
But there is no peace for Kristan Gemeta. Already weighed down by the cares of his new realm, Kristan carries a secret burden – the knowledge that Daazna is not dead. He isolates himself in his ruined castle in Fandrall., where he struggles to control the destructive Tabi’a power that may be his only hope of defeating the Wichelord once and for all.
And there’s trouble elsewhere in his realm. His Reaches are squabbling in Dyer, Melissa and Nigel are experiencing heartache in Norwinn, and Heather’s command in Hogia is in jeopardy. Unware of this turmoil, Kristan receives an unexpected gift – one that forces him, his knights, an inexperienced squire and a crafty young shape-shifter into a hazardous winter journey.
About the Author:
Donna Migliaccio is a professional stage actress with credits that include Broadway, National Tours and prominent regional theatres. She is based in the Washington, DC Metro area, where she co-founded Tony award-winning Signature Theatre and is in demand as an entertainer, teacher and public speaker. Her award-winning short story, "Yaa & The Coffins," was featured in Thinkerbeat's 2015 anthology The Art of Losing.
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