Book Tour – “The Gladiator and the Guard” by Annie Douglass Lima

Who is your favorite author?

There are too many to list them all, but some of my favorite authors include Anne Elisabeth Stengl, KM Weiland, Francine Rivers, Ted Dekker, Stephen Lawhead, and Frank Peretti.

How do you describe your writing style?

I always begin by creating an outline.  It starts off as a brief summary of the whole book (a page or two long), then at some point I usually divide it up chapter by chapter, with a few sentences about what will happen in each.  The details change as I go along, and I usually end up with far more chapters than I originally planned, but I really need that structure to get me started and keep me focused as I write.

Along the way, I usually have to do research to learn more about various topics. In this series, the main character needed to be skilled in a challenging martial art, and I wanted it to be a combination of two or three different fighting styles, involving elements of unarmed combat as well as the use of a weapon.  It took a few false starts before I had a fighting style I liked. Although it is imaginary, creating the martial art I call cavvara shil (and the necessary training and practice for it, as well as rules of the tournaments) took a LOT of research. I spent hours researching online and in books, as well as talking to athletes I know.

After I finish drafting a scene or chapter, I let it sit for at least a day.  Then I go back and re-read it, fixing any obvious errors and adjusting the word choice and sentence fluency to make it sound as good as it can.  I go on to the next scene after that, and so on. When I’ve finished the whole book, I read through it at least once, often twice, checking for inconsistencies and making sure it all flows right.  Then I read it aloud to my students and/or send it to beta readers for their feedback.

Use no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book?

Legalized slavery in a world almost exactly like ours, plus an awesome martial art. Disturbingly realistic and gripping.

Have any of your characters been modeled after yourself?

Not in this book. But in my fantasy novel Prince of Alasia, there’s a teacher named Miss Arrin who embodies the kind of teacher I would like to be. She truly cares about each of her students and can tell when they’re not putting their best effort into their work. Little does she know that when she urges one particular under-achieving boy to try harder and be more diligent for their kingdom’s sake, she is speaking to the prince in disguise.

If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why?

Very few of the characters in The Gladiator and the Guard have the kind of life that I’d want to live for a day! But if I had to pick one, I’d probably go with Skipper. That isn’t his actual name, but he keeps his real identity a secret, and with good reason: if the authorities found out that he uses his sailboat to smuggle slaves away to freedom, his boat would be impounded and he would be sold into slavery himself. Though I don’t like the thought of the danger, I’ve always wanted to be a hero like that.

What books have most influenced your life?

The Bible has influenced my life far more than anything else.

If you could select one book that you could rewrite and add your own unique twist on, which book would that be and why?

How about a whole series? I love the Chronicles of Narnia, but I’ve always wished there were more of them. I’d like to write a few more, focusing on everyday life in Narnia.

Beatles or Monkees? Why?

Having grown up in Kenya, I’ve had a few not-so-pleasant encounters with monkees, mostly on camping trips. (For example, there was the time my dad took some friends and me camping for my birthday, and a troop of monkees stole my entire birthday cake.) Beatles tend to be less dangerous and annoying, although the stink beatles we get in Taiwan, where I live now, can be pretty bad sometime. On the other hand, monkees are a lot more fun to watch, as long as you don’t have any food for them to be tempted to steal. So, it’s a tough choice! 😉

Who should play you in a film of your life?

One of my students once told me that I look like Kate Blanchet (Galadriel). So, let’s go with her.