Vanessa MacLellan – Today I’d like to welcome E. C. Ambrose, who agreed to be grilled about her books, ‘knowledge-inspired’ fiction, and her powerhouse writing skills.

E. C. Ambrose writes knowledge-inspired adventure fiction, including DRAKEMASTER (Guardbridge, April 2022) about a clockwork doomsday device based on Su Song’s astronomical clock of 1090 CE and the Dark Apostle series about medieval surgery. As E. Chris Ambrose, she writes the Bone Guard archaeological thrillers and the new Rogue Adventure clean thrillers. Her latest adventures are Skystrike: Wings of Justice, an interactive superhero novel from Choice of Games, and young adult science fiction novel, A WRECK OF DRAGONS.

She is a graduate of, and sometime instructor for, the Odyssey Speculative Fiction Workshop, and lives in the blustery Granite State where she thinks of plot twists from the bench of her floor loom.

VM – So, knowledge-inspired adventure fiction.  Sounds fun. What is that and why do you write it?

E. C. Ambrose – I describe my brand as “knowledge-inspired adventure fiction,” which basically means I do waaaay too much research, then I write an adventure story about what I find—because history is an adventure! My historical fantasies twist that knowledge by manifesting the magic that seems inherent in the worldview I’ve learned about. The archaeological thrillers make the revelation, or destruction of history the centerpiece of a dangerous treasure hunt.

VM – Sounds right up my alley, honestly.  I love adventure fantasy.  So, tell us about your latest book.

ECA – The next book I have coming out is likely to be my co-written adventure novel, CrossBones, the first in the new Rikki Talens thriller series I’m writing with Douglas Pratt. In the Florida Keys, scholar and treasure hunter Rikki Talens fights to restore a pirate queen to her place in history—confronting a corrupt developer desperate for gold.

VM – What is your author ‘journey’? What was your ‘ah ha’ moment when you realized you wanted to be a writer?

ECA – I wrote my first stories in elementary school, inspired by the books I loved so much that I stayed inside to read during recess, so I feel like I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, I just figured it was a matter of time. I often attribute this to my love of Ray Bradbury. A friend of mine is an astrophysicist who says Bradbury inspired him to want to go to Mars—For me, Bradbury inspired me to encourage those kind of dreams.

VM – I know how you feel.  I too was a heavy book reader at an early age.  I love that you want to inspire dreams.  What a great motivation. 

How do you find time to write?

ECA – It’s more a matter of *making* time rather than finding it. People often ask about recent television shows—I haven’t watched any of them. I am ruthless about the use of my time, when it’s time that could be spent writing! I do try to prioritize my family, especially my kids who aren’t children any more, because they might not want to hang out with Mom forever! But otherwise, writing is my career and my passion. When I go to my desk, the muse shows up, and we dive in.

VM – I’m a little jealous.  Sounds like you’ve got the discipline many authors (like myself) need.  So, when you do write, what is your process?  Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?

ECA – I’m an outliner, pretty much all the way, though my recent outlines have been more loose. During my research process, I start coming up with plot and character ideas. All of that goes onto notecards, and into an envelope. Those notes become the basis for my brainstorming to create a rough outline. I used to think I was fast, but I know a number of indie authors aiming for 10,000 words a day. I usually aim for a chapter a day, and if it’s going well, I might get 2 or 3.

VM – Wow.  I’m astounded.  It’s authors like you who constantly inspire me!  Obviously, we have an idea on where do you find your inspiration.  Can you give us more specifics?

ECA – I read nonfiction extensively, some general-interest publications like Smithsonian or Archaeology magazine, but often obscure specialty resources devoted to topics like historical automata. That’s where I find the sparks that begin my writing.

VM – Always a hot bed for ideas!  Any other projects in the pipeline?

ECA – I’m finishing up Conquistador’s Blood, book 7 in my Bone Guard thriller series. I’ve also been researching sleight of hand magic for another thriller project I have in mind. And my recent short story, “A Snake in the Grass,” is a Lithuanian historical fantasy set in the early days of World War II. I hope to work more with that character and milieu, hopefully to write a book.

VM – Good luck with all of that!  So many projects.  What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?

ECA – I’d like my work to inspire people to follow their own dreams, but also to be more willing to step up when they’re needed. In my house we have a saying, “I used to sit and wonder why somebody didn’t do something. Then I realized I am somebody.” So is everyone out there reading my words. What if my words or my characters could be role models for that willingness? One way that I’m pursuing that goal is by learning more about what makes people take action in real life, and looking at how that might inspire my fiction.

VM – That’s a lot of psychology, and I hope you work that spark into all your works.  We all need inspiration.  I get a lot of mine from the outdoors, where I hike and camp a lot.  What do you do when you’re not writing?

ECA – I work part-time as a climbing instructor. I’m also a wearable art clothing designer–dyeing, felting and weaving my way to some unique garments which sometimes appear in fashion shows (or on stage at the Worldcon Masquerade). But the thing getting much of my time lately is the family hobby of foam dart blaster tag. Think: next-generation Nerf games. I’ve started a regional non-profit to help more games happen. This is a fun, active hobby with a great community! When my son first got us started, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do!

VM – Wow.  It’s like when people were playing ground-based Quidditch all the time.  Sports you never thought you’d love. 

Thank so much for agreeing to this interview, E. C.  It’s been a pleasure getting to know you more.  Do you have any last minute thoughts?

ECA – How about a quote from Goethe. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”