Interview: M.T. Fontaine, Author of Carved Amidst the Shadows

Today I’m pleased to bring you an interview with M.T. Fontaine, author of Carved Amidst the Shadows. This interview is part of my stop on the blog tour organized by Escapist Book Co. Thank you for allowing me to participate, and thank you to M.T. Fontaine for answering my questions.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, how do you handle bad or good reviews?

Yes, I can’t help myself. I read every single review despite knowing I shouldn’t. A critique always hits home, whether it’s good or bad. Of course, the good or great ones will give me a mental boost and add to my productivity over the days that follow. A bad one has the opposite effect.

What is the best way you’ve found to market your books?

The best way I’ve found is to incorporate the epic fantasy bookish community and get to know reviewers and other authors. Among authors, there’s a lot of give and take in terms of information and reading and reviewing.

What is your favorite thing to listen to while you write?

Easy, nothing. I’m an absolute silence kind of gal when writing. It’s the only activity I do where I don’t multitask at all.

Do you think it helps authors to have a big ego or hurts them?

I think it hurts them. Having an ego is necessary to have pride in your work or have the drive to market it, but in my opinion having too big of an ego can cause an author to forget to be humble to not only other authors but their readers and reviewers. And that can be very damaging to their careers.

Do you ever have reader’s block or reading slumps? How do you get yourself out of them?

I have had reading slumps that generally come from reading too many of the same types of books. I give myself a little break off of a couple days and then pick up a completely different book whether in writing style, complexity, or fantasy genre.

Do you read the genre of books you write? Do you read your own books after they’re finished?

Yes, I do read epic fantasy novels. I love them and the creativity of the worlds other authors have created. For my own books, I go through so many re-reads before publishing that no I don’t read them after my books are published. At least not yet. That may change with time and the number of releases I have.

When the gods shaped the continent into five kingdoms to be ruled by their progeny, they did not account for the greed of men. When they created the Order from their god-blessed followers to mediate between realms, they neglected to plan against the hoarding of power. War between the royalists and the godly was inevitable.

Five centuries later, the borders between kingdoms are impenetrable. No branded-born Marked can cross them without burning to ash, except the Order’s Stewards. But a damaging new war has been prophesied, one that haunts the Order, one that will come to pass if Carved traitors roam free and brandless-born Flawed are left alive.

It starts with one girl that survives the impossible. Kaianne, the Carved. It takes shape through one prince with ambition. Andreiyes, the Marked. It hinges on one grieving man who is ready to give up hope. Rau, the Steward. Three people bound by fate – whether they like it or not.

Content Warning: Death (including one instance of infanticide), scenes of a sexual nature, violence, addiction, childhood trauma, skinning of a dead animal, child harm, suicide, drug references, historically based sexism.