Author Interview: Holly Barbo, author of The Founders

Today, we're very proud to participate in the blog hop for Holly Barbo and her book The Founders. See my review of the book here.

Author Bio:  

Holly Barbo's world is shaped by her love of her family, the beauty of the natural world in Northwest Washington State and an irrepressible creative drive.

Living where the scenery is incredible with a rich abundance of wildlife "is so special and soothing that it feels like a quiet kind of magic," according to Barbo. She is drawn to creating stories where there is just a bit of something unworldly, perhaps it is magic or psychic skills. Her stories are mostly in non-urban settings and usually have some focus on nature, building a discordant drama inside the peaceful frame.

Author Interview:

Penny:  Ms. Barbo, I enjoyed the world you created in The Founders and look forward to learning more about it. First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Holly: My world is shaped by my love of my family, the beauty of the natural world in Northwest Washington State and an irrepressible creative drive. I draw wildlife, make beautiful things out of wood and I write.

Penny:  Who are the authors that have influenced you the most?

Holly:  I read many genres and authors but some of my favorites are Anne McCaffrey and Patricia McKillip.

Penny:  Do you write only science fiction/fantasy? In which genre would you catalog The Founders?

Holly:  If you disregard the fact that The Founders takes place on another world and that the planet and the sages have interesting idiosyncrasies ...some of the books could be murder mysteries while others classic mystery or suspense.

Book Review: The Founders by Holly Barbo (Sage Seed Chronicles)

Book:  The Founders
Author:  Holly Barbo
Pages:   276
Format:  Paperback, Kindle
Publisher:  Paper Crane Books
Book Source:  Provided by publisher
Category:  Science Fiction/fantasy
Style:  Conversational prose, some violence

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Recruited by an ancient race, a group of people from Earth colonize the lovely planet Ose in a far corner of the galaxy. Thirty-two years after the Founders settle the unanticipated happens. A small asteroid hits on the edge of the continent instantly throwing them into a "nuclear winter" weather pattern. Struggling to survive, the young culture slips ever nearer to a survival of the fittest world.

In this climate of hardship, Marisily comes of age. She flees for her life after watching her mother die. Unexpectedly, she discovers the cave in which she seeks refuge was a hidden Ancient's shelter and the secrets within it reveal that she is a sage: a small group of seemingly unrelated people with heightened extra senses that are strangely linked to the planet itself.

The conditions reach dangerous levels as more citizens become victims of the outlaw bands. Marisily struggles to stay safe when she is targeted for slavery. A clandestine plan is devised to take back the society and reestablish the founding culture. Can they do it in time? . . . more

My Take:

Ms. Barbo starts with an promising premise in The Founders: mysterious "Ancients" recruit humans from Earth to participate in their little experiment in colonizing an unstable planet.  Eighteen long-lived Sages (including the Great One), individuals with paranormal abilities, fill the vital role of subduing the volatile tectonic plates of Ose.  Although they fail to understand the mechanics of it, their simple presence somehow provides the necessary control.  Some sages use telepathy, some levitation, others speak to animals, sense impending danger, or can foretell the future.  They conceal their abilities to forestall any fear or resentment from the general populace, although they allow a few enlightened non-Sage citizens in on the secret.

Although solar- and wind-powered generators provide electricity to private homes, the limited size of the habitable "continent" (an island, really) supports only an agrarian lifestyle for the small number of its inhabitants.  Frequent electromagnetic disturbances prevent the use of any advanced digital technology—except, of course, for the Great One and Marisily who communicate telepathically and keep tabs on everyone via gadgets left in place by the Ancients.  Healers pride themselves on their extensive knowledge of the native and transplanted flora, concocting and administering their herbal cures to a grateful populace.

Novel Sequels: the possibilities are endless

Jane the Negligent.

Writing a sequel is a pretty simple business.  Your characters are all set up for you.  The conflicts, the impediments, the wild tangents, red herrings, and extraneous characters are all there.  One need but follow the path that is already laid out for them.  It is also rather important to stick to that path lest you lose your way altogether.  Writing a collateral sequel (or whatever they call telling the same story from a different character's point of view) is much the same.  When you decide to do such a thing, you have found another character at least equally if not more intriguing than your original protagonist.

Both endeavors are also expressions of dissatisfaction.  "Oh!  I love that book!  I think I'll write a sequel," isn't really accurate.  You love the characters, you love the plot line or the situation or the environment or society.  You love all those things, but you believe the author fell a bit short in the treatment of it.  You'll just tweak it a bit.

I am a pathologic malcontent when it comes to reading.  Nine times out of ten, a book finishes before I do.  I have been known to stay up the entire night reading, or losing an entire day immersed in some kinder, gentler, more civilized place (or, at the very least, more romantic).  I devour books that interest me like a starving man at a smorgasbord.  Then, I delve into the what-ifs and if-onlys scattered about in the debris.

Laura the Prolific

I believe since I was old enough to read more than Dick and Jane (which was pretty early), I have lulled myself to sleep at night continuing stories that ended too soon.  Little House In the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder was probably one of the first and only partially sated my thirst.  I thought she stopped just when things really got interesting.  Laura, by the way, published her first novel at the age of 65.  There is hope for me yet!