Back in July, I reviewed the magical and whimsical children's book, Sleep, Merel, Sleep, by the gifted author Silke Stein. Silke has graciously agreed to be in the Author Spotlight and introduce her upcoming fiction release Foam on the Crest of Waves. I'm informed it's a complex story of love, loss and second chances with a sparkling modern twist on the classic Little Mermaid Tale and plan to review it after the Holiday.
If you're not familiar with Silke Stein, she is a graphic designer and writer of the children’s novel Sleep, Merel, Sleep and the middle-grade mystery Trina Bell’s Humming Summer and now Foam on the Crest of Waves.
Silke currently lives on the west coast of Canada, where she tends to her ever-growing sea glass collection. And, when she's not beachcombing or writing, she designs book covers for fellow authors. Now, onto the interview.
Silke, you begin your book Foam on the Crest of Waves in a desolate part of the coast where the jagged rocks of the shoreline create a sense of mystery. What part of this story was the hardest for you to write?
Mystery indeed, I had to wait almost six months before the ending finally came together. My characters kept me in the dark for a long time about what happened on the True Limpet.
Do you have any particular practices that help you write about the sea?
No, I don't do anything special. I live close to the ocean, and whenever I can, I go on an early morning walk to my favorite beach. Though, or maybe because, I grew up and spent most of my life as a landlubber, I'm fascinated with the sea and everything in it. Right now I'm researching sea anemones for my new book, and let me tell you they are scary.
If you had to describe your writing style, what words would you use?
The word I often read in reviews of my stories is 'beautiful'. Between the opposite points 'gritty' and 'flowery', my writing style is obviously much closer to the latter end of the scale. What I actually try to achieve, though, is a nice flow and a pleasing rhythm. I love finding good similes and imagery, and once in a while, I spend a whole morning with a single sentence until it's persuaded to sound the way I think it should.
Do you use names of family and friends when you write characters?
My characters usually insist on having fresh names - in most cases, I've never even known a person with that name before.
I read a while back that you enjoy combing beaches as do I. Can you tell readers about some of your interesting finds.
Apart from finding special sea glass pieces like marbles and bottle stopper stems
I love encountering jelly fish! They are so amazing.
One morning I came to the beach and found it littered with small pieces of transparent plastic - or so I thought. Those were actually hundreds of 'little sails' also known as 'by-the-wind-sailors'. Some bigger ones had blue bottoms - the adult sails - the others were babies.
Another time there was a beaching of fair-sized Lion's Mane jelly fish and every so often I spot something that looks like a shard of crystal glass and also turns out to be a fancy jelly.
One of the nicest things I ever took home from the beach was a small abalone shell.
It was shortly after I had finished Foam on the Crest of Waves (where abalones play a major role), so it made me particularly happy.
What can you tell readers about the SeaglassLovers facebook group?
It's a group well worth joining! If you love beachcombing and sea glass collecting, that's the crowd you want to hang out with. Members from all over the world share their amazing sea glass finds, locations, and knowledge. The group inspired me greatly, and it was there that I first learned of the existence of Fort Bragg's Glass Beach, which would become the magical backdrop for Foam on the Crest of Waves.
As an experienced author, who writes for a variety of genres, what advice do you have for writers?
I feel I'm very much at the beginning of my writing journey and still have a lot to learn. If I could go back a few years, though, and talk to my younger writer-self, I would recommend some better planning. To actually sell books as an indie author, you have to think of marketing early on. The book world is super specific in its categorisation of genre and target audience.
I feel I'm very much at the beginning of my writing journey and still have a lot to learn. If I could go back a few years, though, and talk to my younger writer-self, I would recommend some better planning. To actually sell books as an indie author, you have to think of marketing early on. The book world is super specific in its categorisation of genre and target audience.
"Write to market" is a major advice given to indie authors these days. Also, try to build an 'author brand'.
I wrote my first book thinking: this is a lovely tale for readers of all ages. But as my protagonist is twelve years old, the story is classified as middle grade (though I'm still convinced that older readers can get a lot of enjoyment out of it too).
I wrote my first book thinking: this is a lovely tale for readers of all ages. But as my protagonist is twelve years old, the story is classified as middle grade (though I'm still convinced that older readers can get a lot of enjoyment out of it too).
It took me a while to wrap my mind around these facts, and now I try to concentrate on women's fiction and middle grade. So I hope everybody who enjoyed Foam on the Crest of Waves and its mermaid / ocean theme will be happy to hear that I'm writing a new novel with a similar vibe. I'm also working on a sequel to my middle-grade novel Trina Bell's Humming Summer.
On the other hand, I think writers shouldn't limit themselves with concerns about genre and marketing. Sometimes stories demand to be written, and they don't care what categories people want to squeeze them into.
Is there anything you'd like to tell readers?
Yes, I would like to let them know about the audiobook version of Foam on the Crest of Waves. I have recently found a narrator, and so far we have produced three chapters. They are available on my website (https://silkestein.jimdo.com/
