I’m so excited!
Guys, listen up – this is E.M. Hamill – and I’ve been a huge fan since I read her book Dali a couple of years ago, and then had the opportunity to read Nectar and Ambrosia. It’s a fantastic tale about the old gods, and what they’re up to today and how one seemingly mortal girl thwarts a war and saves humankind. If you love mythology I highly encourage you to check it out! But today we get to talk to Ms. Hamill, learn a little bit about her and…
Are you ready?
The audiobook version of Nectar and Ambrosia is OUT!
Elisabeth, this is everyone!
E.M. Hamill: “Hi Everybody!”
JP Jackson: “Okay, I’m bursting, so we’re gonna do the rapid-fire questions first, ‘cause they’re fun.”
E.M. Hamill: “You have a weird sense of fun, you know that, right?”
JP Jackson: “I summon demons in my basement for something to do. Of course, my sense of fun is skewed! Okay, ready? What is your favorite type of pie?”
E.M. Hamill: “Pie? Ah…um…chocolate.”
JP Jackson: “Chocolate pie? I have not ever heard of Chocolate Pie. This sounds delicious. You must bring some next time. I’m so intrigued.”
E.M. Hamill: “It’s so good!”
JP Jackson: “I’m imagining this right now with a huge coffee. Yes. So good.” <Licks lips> “Alright, enough food porn, how about this – What is your greatest fear?”
E.M. Hamill: “Oh god, something terrible happening to my kids.”
JP Jackson: “I can’t imagine. You have two, right? Grown-up girl and a teenaged boy?”
E.M. Hamill: “Yes. I adore them. They’re awesome.”
JP Jackson: “And if I remember, your whole family cosplays together?”
E.M. Hamill: “We do!”
JP Jackson: “Sounds like you come by Sci-Fi and Fantasy pretty honestly! Okay, on that note – are ghosts real?”
E.M. Hamill: “Absolutely!”
JP Jackson: “Got any ghost stories?”
E.M. Hamill: “I do! But next time, while we’re eating Chocolate pie with coffee.”
JP Jackson: “Deal!” <Schedules next visit in calendar> “I’ll send you the email invite. Now, choose one, white or black cowboy hat?”
E.M. Hamill: <smiles devilishly> “Black.”
JP Jackson: “Hmmhmm. Not surprised at that one…at all!”
<giggles>
JP Jackson: “If you could hold one precious thing in your hand, what would it be?”
E.M. Hamill: “The heart of my enemy. Or a giant opal. I’m flexible.”
JP Jackson: “Say what, girl? Damn. Okay, that just put you into a whole new light. Flexible.” <gives Elisabeth the side eye>
E.M. Hamill: <Laughs> “Ahuh!”
JP Jackson: “Damn. Like still beating or dead and cold heart?”
E.M. Hamill: “Flexible.”
JP Jackson: “Girl. Alright, moving on… You can change one thing about yourself. What is it?”
E.M. Hamill: “Gain will power and discipline!”
JP Jackson: “So you don’t reach into your enemy’s chest and rip out their heart?”
E.M. Hamill: “HA ha ha ha ha…no I was thinking more like…getting a writing schedule that I’d actually follow, and meet my deadlines and such. But okay, willpower to not kill my enemies and hold their hearts…that works too.”
JP Jackson: “I think I love you a little. Moving on, and leaving the hearts out of it… Don’t sweat the small stuff – what is the small stuff for you?”
E.M. Hamill: “Easy – housework!”
JP Jackson: “Amen! Next: You have an empty pool. You can fill it with whatever you want and then dive in. What would you fill it with?”
E.M. Hamill: “The cast of Sense8.”
JP Jackson: <looks slack-jawed at Elisabeth> “I have underestimated you. OMG yes, give me 20 minutes to swim in a pool filled with Miguel Angel Silvestre. Or Max Riemelt. Or Bae Doona. Oh, oh, oh! I forgot about Freema Agyeman…damn okay, I lied…yes, the whole damn cast.”
E.M. Hamill: “See? Best damn show ever.”
<High Fives>
JP Jackson: “Agreed! What’s your favorite word?
E.M. Hamill: “Petrichor – the scent of Earth, after Rain.”
JP Jackson: “100% agreement. Great word! Great smell too. Okay, what’s the first thing you pack for vacation?”
E.M. Hamill: “Jeans and t-shirts.”
JP Jackson: “Yup, mine is shorts and flip-flops, but get me into the comfy clothes! Alright, you survived the rapid-fire, and damn I learned all kinds of things about you! So, tell us all about Nectar and Ambrosia.”
E.M. Hamill: “It’s an Urban Fantasy tale, and it’s a series but not in the typical sense. The next book in the Amaranthine Inheritance world will focus in on other characters than Callie and Florian.”
JP Jackson: “We’ll make sure people have the links! How long did it take you to write it?”
E.M. Hamill: “It started as a really bad short story about 8 or 9 years ago. I started revising it and more immortals started showing up at the bar! It kept growing until it was a novel.”
JP Jackson: “I completely get that. It’s amazing how the story and the characters drive the entire process. People think we writers create the stories when really, it’s the characters – they make everything happen. What was the inspiration for your story?”
E.M. Hamill: “A dream I had. Florian was in it, but in the dream, he was much different than he ended up in the book. He was more like Hermes, kind of the go-to guy behind the bar who could get you set up to meet the gods to petition a favor.”
JP Jackson: “I loved Florian. So, then are your characters based on anyone in real life?”
E.M. Hamill: “Some of the gods are based on celebrities –Zeus is definitely Jerry Garcia, Apollo sounds like John Malkovich, and Ares looks suspiciously like Jensen Ackles– but no one I actually know.”
JP Jackson: “HA! Jensen Ackles – we should call him and let him know. He’ll be looking for a new gig now that Supernatural is ending! Okay, now, I loved the book, but we’re here to talk about the Audiobook version! That’s so exciting. Care to walk us through that process? How was it different than writing the book?”
E.M. Hamill: “I produced it through ACX. You create an account and an audition script for the book, hopefully, something with a lot of different characters so the producers can show you their talents. Then you put it out there for bids or make an offer to a producer. It can be very expensive because SAG performers must make a minimum scale for their work, but some producers will work for a 50/50 royalty share. I made one offer that was not accepted, but then within less than a week another producer contacted me on her own, very excited about the project. We really clicked, and her audition was great. I’m very happy to have Keira Stevens narrating the audiobook version of Nectar and Ambrosia.”
JP Jackson: “Seems fairly straight forward. I need to go through this with both my books. Tell me something that you were surprised to learn about the audiobook making process?”
E.M. Hamill: “Maybe not surprised, but trying to explain the voices in my head to a producer is really eye-opening! It was a little difficult because every reader has their own idea of what a character sounds like. Audiobooks are a great opportunity for people who have reading disabilities or physical problems that prevent them from holding a book, but it takes a little bit away from the reader’s imagination process.”
JP Jackson: “I never even thought about how Audiobooks expand access. That’s fantastic! I really need to get mine done. Alright – time for the tough question. What’s your biggest pet peeve with the writing industry today?”
E.M. Hamill: “That indie writers are still struggling to be recognized as “real writers”. We pour just as much blood, sweat, and tears into our writing as anyone with representation and a big 5 publishing contract, but we don’t have the big advertising budgets and review connections.”
JP Jackson: “Can I get another Amen!? I’ll add too that small boutique publishing houses could also fall into this category, but I think those that self-publish really feel the pinch with this issue. Anything else you’d like us to know about your upcoming release?”
E.M. Hamill: “The audiobook of Nectar and Ambrosia will be available on Audible, iTunes, and Amazon sometime during the first week of May 2019! The eBook is also on sale during this first couple of weeks as well.”
JP Jackson: “We’ll drop those buy links down below! Elisabeth, thank you so much for dropping by, it was a blast!”
E.M. Hamill: “Thanks for having me! Next time, I promise, I’ll bring Chocolate Pie.”
JP Jackson: “And no dead, or still-alive, beating hearts, K?”
E.M. Hamill: “aww…okay.”
Nectar and Ambrosia – Get your copy here:
Meet the Author:
E.M. (Elisabeth) Hamill writes adult science fiction and fantasy somewhere in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas. A nurse by day, wordsmith by night, she is happy to give her geeky imagination free rein and has sworn never to grow up and get boring.
Frequently under the influence of caffeinated beverages, she also writes as Elisabeth Hamill for young adult readers in fantasy with the award-winning Songmaker series.
She lives with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.
The Socials:
Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter
J.P. Jackson 
This was such a fun interview!