RED CARPET DAYS
I would like to welcome Shay Fabbro as my very first guest and I’m excited because she has written some great books so welcome, it is so nice to have you here Shay.
AR: First of all could you explain to the visitors here why this tour?
Shay: I am putting out a second edition of my debut novel, The Chosen! There’s an exciting new cover as well as some new material (character listing by planet, reviews, and sneak peeks at my other books).
AR: I am always intrigued with how other writers create their worlds. What was the first inspiration for these amazing worlds of yours?
Shay: My intense love for the life forms that exist near the deep ocean hydrothermal vents! While designing my worlds, I knew that one of them HAD to have life that evolved deep under an ocean. Such life would be very different from humans. It’s been fun using my background on biology to create many different planets, all with realistic alien creatures inhabiting them.
AR: Those hidden ocean life forms are amazing. Yours are multiple worlds all of which are so well drawn. You created sound culture and customs for each. How much more difficult did this make the process?
Shay: I actually didn’t find this process at all difficult. In fact, I spent a year designing each of my planets, the life forms, history for them (back about 1000 years or so), clothing (or lack thereof in some cases), behaviour, various names I could use, life spans, etc. I filled an entire notebook with all sorts of information. It was one of the most rewarding and exciting parts of writing my novels.
The original cover for
The Chosen
AR: Most people consider book covers of outmost importance. I was drawn to yours because of the colour and subject matter and then find they seem to have mirrored the books very well. How much control or input did you have over these? And how important do you consider them?
Shay: I hired my cover artist, Eric Malbone, and he is an absolute genius! But after some careful thought (on both our parts) as well as some input by very well respected people in the publishing industry, we both felt that a new cover might help boost sales and give The Chosen a fresh start. Eric wanted to showcase more of what is actually in the novels, sort of like a movie poster. I am excited to unveil the cover in its entirety to my fans but I hope this sneak peek will please people and make them curious about the book.
Sneak preview of new cover for
The Chosen
(unfinished)
AR: Aren’t they both great!
AR: Now a little about yourself as a writer. When did you start being a serious writer as opposed to a scribbler of stories?
Shay: I began The Portals of Destiny while in graduate school. I used to write as a child but drifted to my other love: science! In all honesty, I felt pursuing a serious career in biology would be better for my future than chasing the dream of being able to write full time. I don’t feel I have given anything up. I am one of the lucky ones. I get to write in my free time, and yet still have a “day” job that I absolutely love: teaching students about the wonder of the natural world!
AR: Approximately how long would you say you spend writing? I am including the thought processes as well here. Imaginary conversations in your head, etc.!
Shay: It really depends on my teaching schedule. I don’t hold myself to a stringent writing schedule at all. I write when I write. The cool thing about being a teacher? I get to write as part of my job so I get to use my creative juices and cleanse my creative pallet quite often. I guess you could say I write every day, just not necessarily on my novels 
AR: And finally, can you tell us anything about your future plans?
Shay: I am almost finished with a rough draft of a second book in a young adult trilogy titled The Adventures of Alexis Davenport. The series follows the adventures of a teenage girl, Alex, and all of the troubles that plague most teenagers: bullying, having to move away from close friends, first crush, first kiss, making friends in a new school, absentee father. Poor Alex has a lot more to deal with, however; she has a mysterious gift and can travel through time using mirrors. Alex must use her wits and uncanny knowledge of historical events to save the world from a mad-man from changing the past, and thus destroying our futures.
Thank you Shay. I have to say I love the new cover, Eric is a very talented artist. All the best with the rest of your tour and I hope I have the pleasure of seeing you here again one day.
You can buy Shay’s books at
and you can find Shay on
Shay is also offering an e-book edition of The Chosen to a random visitor to this site so fingers crossed you are the lucky one.
