The Monster Of Selkirk
The Duality of Nature
Book 1
C.E. Clayton
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 329 pages
Publisher: DevilDog Press
Publication Date: April 18, 2017
ASIN: B06XSXB14F
Book Description:
Monsters come in many forms, and not everyone knows a monster when they see one. After three hundred years of monstrous, feral elves plaguing the island nation of Selkirk, everyone believes they know what a monster is. Humans have learned to live with their savage neighbors, enacting a Clearing every four years to push the elves back from their borders. The system has worked for centuries, until after one such purge, a babe was found in the forest.
As Tallis grows, she discovers she isn't like everyone else. There is something a little different that makes people leery in her presence, and she only ever makes a handful of friends.
But when the elves gather their forces and emerge from the forests literally hissing Tallis's name like a battle mantra, making friends is the least of her troubles. Tallis and her companions find themselves on an unwilling journey to not only clear her name, but to stop the elves from ravaging her homeland.
About the Author:
C. E. Clayton was born and raised in Southern California where she worked in the advertising industry for several years on accounts that ranged from fast food, to cars, and video games (her personal favorite). This was before she packed up her life, husband, two displeased cats, and one very confused dog and moved to New Orleans. Now, she is a full time writer (mainly in the fantasy genre), her cats are no longer as displeased, and her dog no longer confused.
More about C.E. Clayton, including her blog, book reviews, and poetry, can be found on her website: http://www.ceclayton.com
https://www.pinterest.com/ceclaytonauthor/
Interview with C.E. Clayton
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
It’s usually a combination of people I’ve met/encountered, books I’ve read, shows I’ve watched, and a healthy dose of an over active imagination. I draw upon the familiar and twist them until they are new, but grounded, making characters and scenarios that (hopefully) speak to a wide variety of readers.
How did you do research for your book?
I went to the library and got a ton of books on Celtic mythology, which includes elves and fey creatures. Then I turned to trusty old Google to make sure that the land of Selkirk remained accurate to a medieval era Scotland, as that was the basis for Tallis’s homeland. That includes everything from curses to the kinds of food they would have eaten. But, as it’s not a historical fiction, all my research remains loose so I could take the story deeper into its fantasy elements.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
Not for the past year, no. I used to work in the Advertising/Media industry where I had clients who ranged from cars, soft drinks, computers, and video game developers (my favorite). I was one of the few gamer and console experts on my team, making me fortunate enough to turn my nerdom into a healthy career before changing directions.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
I’d want to go back to visit ancient Celtic civilizations, basically when the world still legitimately believed in elves and the fey. Blame it on the research I did, but I’d love to see those worlds as they truly were!
What is your next project?
I have finished writing the last book in “The Monster of Selkirk” series, so now I am in the process of editing and revising those books. But the next new project is a pure fiction that focuses more on forgiveness, family, and coping with mental illness, so something very different from my fantasy roots!
