Indie Author Spotlight: Interview with Natasja Eby Part 2

 Welcome back! I'm continuing my interview with Natasja Eby, Canadian YA and Sci-Fi author. The first installment of the interview series was posted last Wednesday. If you missed it, you can click here to check it out. Then continue with part two of the series below. 

Indie Author Spotlight Interview: Natasja Eby (part 2)

Welcome back for the second part of my interview with Natasja! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we have been.  

Part 2:

Me: I know the faith path I’ve chosen colors my work, even though I’m writing in the fantasy genre without specifically tagging it “Christian.” I don’t want to box myself into the limits of this world when I’m writing about other worlds and imaginary ones, at that. But I still want to make sure to adhere to a moral system that lines up with what I believe. We've connected on Instagram and I can see you definitely have a background of faith. Do you ever feel limited by that faith in writing your books?

Natasja: I feel very much the same way you do when I write my books. My books are all clean, even the adult romance ones, because it’s a part of what I want to project, but it’s also for the people who want to read that. I’ve been told by many parents that they appreciate the cleanliness and tone of my YA books for their kids and that makes me happy. I don’t feel “limited” by faith when writing anymore than I do in any other aspect of my life. If anything, I am guided by it, even if I don’t label my books “Christian fiction.”

Me: Yea! It's always nice to know one isn't alone in one's worldview. And that's a great view of writing within moral parameters. I've never put it in words before but I agree. Since we're speaking of possible difficulties in writing, what have you found to be the hardest part of the writing process? 

Natasja: Personally, the most difficult part of writing for me is that my characters are always into something I have no idea about. I didn’t know anything about boxing before Elli decided she and Julian were going to learn it. I’ve haven’t the slightest clue what a spaceship from 300 years into the future will be like. There’s so much research to do and although it’s difficult, it can also be a lot of fun!

Me: I totally understand what you mean! You never know what you'll discover when you start researching for a book. I know authors seem to be divided evenly between those who write with some kind of sound and those who prefer to write in silence. Which do you prefer -- music, ambient sounds, or silence?

Natasja: Regardless of my preferences, I live in an apartment with two kids sooo… There’s always ambient noise and talking which I don’t mind. We’re music lovers and I have a playlist for all my books so I’ll listen to that with headphones, or I’ll even put on music for the kids. I have learned to write with whatever is going in the background.

Me: It may be a "mom" thing. I'm pretty much the same. You mention your family loving music. What are some of your hobbies outside of the writing sphere? What makes them enjoyable for you?

Natasja: I’m also a musician! I sing and play guitar and trumpet. My biggest gigs include the nursing homes in town and the churches in the area. I’m being a bit facetious, but honestly my family has done a lot of gigs for local churches and I often help my mom do worship services at the nursing homes where she volunteers.

Me: Isn't it wonderful to be able to give back to the community? I love seeing people use their gifts and talents to enrich the lives of those around them. All this talk of giving back...what's one thing you'd like readers to take away from any one of your books? 

Natasja: I want people to be entertained, first and foremost. I don’t want to preach at anyone. But anyone who’s read my books will know that the biggest theme that runs rampant through them is just literally “be kind to one another.” Be kind and be true to yourself. I hope that people are inspired after reading my books to be kind to other people even when they aren’t kind to you. While there is romance in all of my books, there is also a fair bit of bonding between characters you would never think would get along and I love that! I like to believe that’s possible in real life.

Me: That's such an important message and I think it's one that could bear repeating daily in our current state of global upheaval. I'd like to focus now on your Swapped Lives series. I'll be honest and say body swap stories aren't my favorite, but I do know there are many younger readers who enjoy them. The 'what if' factor is, I think so intriguing. What prompted you to write a series in this trope? 

Natasja: It was genuinely that “what if” factor. I like body swap stories myself, so I actually wrote that first one during my first NaNoWriMo in 2011. It was just kind of this fun idea that sparked in my head - a dancer and soccer player who switch bodies. I also wrote it aimed at a younger audience, let’s say middle grade and up, and I’ve been told by many people how much they appreciate that it’s clean and fun and a good read for their kid.

Me: I agree. It's so hard to find books which encourage the younger generation to reach for higher moral ground without being preachy. You have succeeded in writing characters who are at once relatable and, in a large part, heroic. I'd love it if my kids picked up your books. Right now, I'm in the middle of the first book in this series, My Best Friend's Brother/The Summer I Turned Into a Girl, and while I'm not that far into the story, I can already appreciate the way the two main characters are reacting to their situation. Do you find it difficult to write from a male perspecitve? If so, how do you overcome that?

Natasja:  I actually never have found that particularly difficult. At least, I don’t think it’s been a challenge? I’ve had guys read my books (including some from the Onepian Chronicles and the Knockout Girl series) and have never had a complaint. I don’t know if I’m always hitting the mark, but I try my best.

Me: I've always thought your characters well done, no matter the gender. They all seem very natural to me and quite believable. One of the things I found particularly clever about this series were the titles of the books. They give a bit of forshadowing concerning the struggles the characters will face. I also like that they are from each character's perspective. Do you ever have trouble coming up with titles or is that usually an easier part of the process? 

Natasja: It’s funny you should ask! Titles are the hardest part of the book process for me. I remember I had 6 or 7 options for Knockout Girl. With My Best Friend’s Brother/The Summer I Turned into a Girl, I just chose that and then when the sequels came along, I wanted to continue the theme. Now that I’m writing a fourth book, I’m struggling really hard to find a new title. But I’m sure you’ll hear about it when I do.

Me: It'll probably sneak up on you and I'm sure it'll be as clever as the previous titles. What was the most difficult hurdle to overcome in writing this series? 

Natasja: The most difficult part about these books is that I really wanted them to be clean enough for my audience. And that’s a bit hard when you have two characters with brand new body parts. Most of the books in this genre are written for an explicitly titillating purpose, but that was not for me. I wanted it to feel realistic without going over the line, and have more of a theme of walking in someone else’s shoes. (Yes, literally, too.)

Me: I think that's why they're not the easiest type of book for me to read. I've come across them before, but the heavy emphasis on things I'd rather not read really disappointed me. I'm glad there's a healthier option out there. I also like your intended purpose. I don't think there are enough people who have attempted to "walk in someone else's shoes" and we could always use the reminder. Which part was the most fun to write?

Natasja: The most fun part is throwing these characters into ridiculous situations and then watching them realize how ridiculous their own bodies look when they’re being ridiculous. Have I mentioned the ridiculousness of it all? It really is my favourite part! I also just love that moment when they finally come around to seeing the other person’s point of view and realizing that they didn’t need to overreact about certain things in the first place.

Me: I'm sure I'm not the only reader who appreciates a bit of humor in a story. Watching characters run around trying to figure things out can be hilarious. Who is your favorite character in the series? 

Natasja: Ooh, that’s hard! I will say my favourite book is the second one, My Brother's Best Friend/Learning to Sing Like a Girl, because the characters were already established and it meant I got to explore a little bit more inside their heads that way. But my favourite couple is probably Emma and Elliott, from the third book, My Brother's Wedding Singer/The Art of Being a Girl, because they’re just…so petty and it made them so fun to work with. All the characters are fun though and I love them all.

Me: This is your shortest series to date and to my knowledge. Do tell us a little more about the fourth book you mentioned earlier, if you would! 

Natasja: Yes! A fourth one will be coming as soon as I get a firm grasp on fencing. And that’s all I’ll say about that one.

Me: Oh, fencing! That one sparks my interest for sure. I wish you speedy and accurate writing and one clever title. I better get back to reading so I can be caught up when it comes out!

Thanks for stopping by to read this installment of the Indie Author Spotlight Interview! I hope you'll give the Swapped Lives series by Natasja Eby a try! As soon as I finish reading them, I'll be sure to share my own review. Come back next Wednesday to read the conclusion of the interview!