I was lucky to get an interview with fantasy author Anat Eliraz who wrote Jewels of Smoky Quartz.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I live in Israel, but spent a few years of my childhood in Singapore, where my love for fantasy started.
I am a mother of four and work as a child developmental physiotherapist, both in a neonatal intensive care unit and at an outpatient clinic.
I practice martial arts, love hiking and reading and hate cooking…!

Why should I buy your books?
Jewels of Smoky Quartz is portal fantasy which keeps the reader active. There are clues strewn along the story, that seem like random background information and slowly, as you near the climax, they start to click into place! So some readers would 'pat themselves over the shoulder' for catching on while others might turn back the pages to see how come they missed them. It's not a very long book and even readers which English is a second language for them will have a fluent read. It also contains a mix of martial arts and medical knowledge (due to the MC's background) that might appeal to a larger audience of fantasy lovers. Though it will have a sequel, it can be read as a stand alone, for those who don't want to read a series.

“Your dreams don’t have to be big, they have to be yours!”

— Anat Eliraz

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I started writing in primary (elementary) school. Mostly songs, poems and lots of unfinished stories.
I wrote because it was a sort of way to deal with things I was going through in life.
On and off- I have been writing for 35 years. But most of it was for the drawer!

Why did you choose to write fantasy? And why the portal fantasy subgenre?
I used the fantasy setting, because I had the influence from D&D games I played at the time.
I loved the ability to create- new worlds, new races and use magic.
The use of portal fantasy just fit the idea of the story and helped shape the main character.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
I read in many different genres and in two languages, so I have quite a few loved authors and books. I am not sure how much influence this had on my writing but I love the way Charles De Lint writes and one of my all time favorite books is his "Someplace to be Flying".

What’s the best thing about being a writer?
The ability to create anything, the ability to let characters deal with real life debates and see where they take them.
I also love it when readers contact me and we chat about books, writing and anything else. I especially enjoy those who contact me as they start reading and I get 'live' up dates of their progress, thoughts and get to see how certain scenes effected them.

What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Self doubt. Never being sure you wrote something good enough.
I don't write to satisfy everyone. That would never work- people like different things, and that's wonderful- because it allows a wide diversity of options to choose from. I just hope there are people out there that read what I write, enjoy it, and it influenced them, even just a tiny bit.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
I don't know how many pieces of advice you all read before, so I will try to give a few ideas that are less of the 'main stream'.
Write in the way that fits you. Some are plotters, some are pansters (discovery writers). There is no 'one fits all'. Write where and when fits you. Write because you have a story to tell and not because you want to be famous.
Be active in readers groups on social media. If you think you'll only post 'read my book'- it won't work. Show that you give credit, as much as you hope to get it.
I did a crowd funding to help pay for my book (editing, cover, paging…). It's a lot of work, both before and during the campaign, but I found it to be really helpful to get the word out and around.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
I have started writing scenes for the sequel of my published book and also another fantasy story that takes place on earth during WW2.
In the last months I have started a collaboration with American author- Allen V. Cheesman, on a new amazing sci-fi series! This is going to be something new with a story quite different from anything done before! So there are quite a few things to look forward to!

Do you expect new technologies to come along soon that will have a huge impact on self-publishing? For instance, when will we see a decent novel written by an AI author?
I actually hope we won't. AI is already very common in art and drawing, but now they're facing a law suit for copyright infringement. I don't think that AI will be able (any time soon, maybe in the far future) to imitate a human authors way of thought at making complicated characters with both flaws and ingenious capabilities (making plot twists, causing readers to think one thing and then turning everything around...). I am not looking forward to reading books written by AI programs.

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
It would be awesome to become a best selling author, or have one of my works hit the screens, but I can't say it's my dream...
Since I don't live off my writing, and I love my 'day job', I just want people to enjoy my books. I guess the thing I enjoy best is when readers reach out and correspond with me. Mostly, I love getting messages AS they are reading because I get the raw feelings they experienced while reading different scenes!
Maybe I can say my dream is to attend some large scale Con in the US or in Europe and meet other authors and people!
I actually signed some books and added the quote- your dreams don't have to be big, they have to be yours!

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
I would like to thank you for this opportunity! And to all authors out there- enjoy the writing journey, at all its stages. Learn and grow with it. No matter how far you'll take it, be proud of yourself, because millions of others don't even take the first step.

Thank you for doing the interview Anat! I hope lots of readers find your books and adore them.

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