S. McPherson Talks About Her Novel "At Water's Edge

1. Tell us a little about yourself/ your job? Perhaps something not many people know?
I am a nursery school teacher in Dubai. I am Jamaican-English and when I was younger, I wanted to be a script writer and a choreographer.

2. Which books have most influenced your life?
I discovered the love of books and stories from a very young age but I think the ones that made me want to write were any books by Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, the story called ‘The Secret Garden’ and a lovely little book called ’The 12 Dancing Princesses.

3. What/ Who inspired you to write “At Water’s Edge”
I have always wanted to be a writer. My first memory of knowing for sure, was when I was seven years old and for English I wrote a poem for my mum for Mother’s Day which made my teacher cry. Her reaction really surprised me and I remember heading back to my seat thinking ‘wow, words have power’. From then, I kept writing, evolving from poems to songs (because obviously I was going to be the next Beyoncé) to scripts and finally to books.

4. Which was your favorite chapter (or part) to write about and why?
There were quite a few little scenes that made me grin from ear to ear and gave me butterflies of excitement whilst writing and I truly hope they do the same for my readers. I think my favourite scene… excuse me whilst I chomp anxiously on my bottom lip and rhythmically drum on my coffee table… favourite, you say…I think that would be the scene where Dezaray and Milo are in the woods being chased by an evil warlock because it starts out all heart pounding and terrifying but ends up being really romantic, as strange as that sounds.

5. What was your writing style like and how long did it take you to complete?
I write every chance I get, usually on the balcony or sitting by the lake. There is something about height and fresh air that truly inspires me. The entire process of writing ‘At Water’s Edge’ took about a year, not including the planning of the series.

6. What can our readers expect in reading At Water’s Edge?
The Water Rushes Saga tells the tale of two different girls in two different worlds who both become valuable weapons in a war of magic and revenge. ‘At Water’s Edge’ is the introduction to the world of Coldivor and the trouble brewing beneath. It stalks the lives of Dezaray Storm and her magical other half, Lexovia Trice. Following them as they accidently switch places, discover new insights and learn that they’re more powerful than they knew.

7. What advice would you share with aspiring authors – on writing, publishing, marketing?
High on my list are rewrite, edit and never give up. Don’t stick with a first draft or even obsess over it; just get it down on paper then go back and fine tune it. Pull out the weeds, plant some new seeds and watch them grow. After, go back and do it all over again. Don’t stop until you have a twenty-foot tree looming over you that no one could ignore if they wanted to.

8. How has your experience been as an author – highlights and lessons?
The whole experience has been surreal, like I’ve discovered a rare jewel. The highlights have been giving people the chance to look into my imagination and finding that they actually like what they find.
The lessons have been mostly around marketing and how it’s so important. I have learnt to put myself out there because if I don’t let people know my book exists, then no one is going to find it.

9. Tell us a little about your plans for the future. Are you working on another book?
Yes. I am currently working on book two in the ‘Water Rushes’ series called ‘Caught in the Ripples’ which will be released at the end of July. It delves deeper into the ocean of intrigue that ‘At Water’s Edge’ introduced.

10. If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose? Why?
My initial reaction is to say the Harry Potter series however, I quickly realise I don’t mean that. I wouldn’t change the wonder and joy of reading those books for anything and I much preferred being absorbed and surprised like everyone else, rather than knowing what was going to happen because I wrote it.

11. What do you love most about the writing process?
As the places I long to see, the people I long to meet and the adventures I would love to embark on, for now only exist in my mind; unclear and disarrayed, I love writing, because it allows me to experience the impossible. I delve into every detail and just for a moment, I find magic at my fingertips.

12. If you could spend time with a character from your book, with whom would it be? And what would you do during a day?
That would be a toss-up between Milo and Jude as they are both funny and adventurous. If I had to pick one though it would be Milo simply because he has the ability to teleport and if we had a day together, I would challenge him to take me around the world in 24 hours.

13. Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They’re based on people I feel like I know as I spent so much time constructing them before writing them but no, sadly, they are all figments of my imagination.

About the Author
S. McPherson is a young British expat living in Dubai and working as a kindergarten teacher. When she is not at work immersed in a world of imagination and fantasy created by the children, she is immersed in her own worlds of imagination and fantasy at home, dreaming up tales and writing them down. ‘At Water’s Edge’ is S. McPherson’s debut novel and the first in the epic fantasy saga, ‘The Water Rushes’.