L.F. Falconer is the author of nearly a dozen titles, all of which are available on Amazon. Her works include three books in her Legacy of Skur series, described by Blue Ink Review as “an intriguing and well-crafted fantasy of epic proportions.”

The author lives in Fallon, Nevada, one of the cities featured in my own book, America’s Loneliest Road. I’m happy to have her here for this interview on The Open Book, discussing her latest novella, The Star Catcher.

THE AUTHOR

• L.F. Falconer can be found on her website, www.lffalconer.com

• She’s active on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/lffalconer

• You can find her on Twitter at  www.twitter.com/lffalconer

• Her Amazon page is  www.amazon.com/author/lffalconer.

Name, age and occupation: Leanna F. Falconer, writing under the name, L.F. Falconer. I am 65 years old and have spent the past 28 years working for various contractors with the U.S. Navy providing data collection and record-keeping, as well as particular training aid for fighter pilots.

Where and with whom do you live? My husband and I, along with our four fur-babies, live on the edge of civilization outside of Fallon, Nevada.

If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, whom would you choose? Tough question. I guess I’d choose Stephen King. Not only would it be a fantastic boon to my career, but he’s an author who’s entertained and inspired me for decades.

Why do you write? I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. Great writers have always been my heroes. I want to be someone’s hero, lol. It’s either that, or I just have stories locked inside that demand to be set free.

Where do you write? I need uninterrupted quiet time to write, so I usually write wherever and whenever I can get that, whether it be at home, or at work, or at my local library. Or in my car at the park. Or alongside the road. Or as soon as I step out of the shower.  Or in the middle of the night. My life schedule doesn’t allow me any set time or place, so it’s usually catch-as-catch-can.

Are you a planner or a “pantser”? I am definitely a pantser. Oftentimes I don’t even truly know where the story is going until I finish the first draft. In my more complicated works, I do need to apply some planning, but I’d say that 90% of my writing is done by allowing my characters to tell their own stories as they see fit. Sometimes they take me places I never realized existed.

What animal, real or imaginary, would you choose as your constant companion? A dog. I will always have a dog. A dog will be there for you no matter what.

What do you collect? I’m pretty sure it’s dust. Honestly, it’s pretty simple to accumulate where I live. I also collect rocks, which will eventually, given enough time, become dust.

What fairy tale describes your life, and why? I would have to say “The Ugly Duckling,” but I haven’t quite reached that swan stage of my life yet. My childhood was filled with tremendous feelings of being “less-than.” I’ve been struggling to change that my entire adult life.

Historical period you’d like to visit: Only to visit because I’m far too spoiled by modern conveniences, but the Victorian Era fascinates me. The elegance of women’s fashion and much of the jewelry is simply stunning.

Favorite board, card or video game: I’ve always been fascinated by words and was one of those who would read through the dictionary just for fun. One of my favorite board games to play was always Balderdash, where you try to guess and/or convince others that you know the correct meaning of obscure words. I also enjoy Scrabble.

Famous person you’d like to meet: I’m pretty shy and would probably get all tongue-tied and mumbly and wouldn’t know what to say, but who wouldn’t just love to meet Keanu Reeves? I know I would.

THE BOOK

Title, genre and length? The book is a novella titled The Star Catcher: The Curse and Seven Blessings. It is Dark Fantasy and is 140 pages long.

When and where does it take place? The story takes place over several centuries, ending in our current time within an enchanted sphere in the country of Japan.

Would you life there and why/why not? Living within the Enchanted Realm as a human could be dangerous if I chose to leave. But if I chose to stay, it seems like a pretty nice place to be. Even if it might grow a bit monotonous.

How did you come up with the title? The title stems from an early chapter of the book where the main character, Takara, is watching falling stars and spotting constellations one night with her friends. She promises to catch a star for her friend Hana. This promise carries through the story all the way to the end. The subtitle, The Curse and Seven Blessings, is more in line with the story’s overall plot.

What inspired you to write it? In a nutshell, a trip taken to Japan several years ago sparked my creative juices. I explain in more depth how the story was inspired within the introduction of the book.

Is there a sequel in the works? No, there is no sequel.  

Where, how can you get it? It is available for Kindle and in paperback from Amazon The ebook is also available from Kobo, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and a few other outlets through this link.

What’s your most interesting story or chapter title? It’s hard to choose just one, but I am kind of partial to “The Samurai in the Bamboo Woods.” Not only does the title conjure up a colorful image, but this is also the chapter where everything begins to change for Takara.

To whom did you dedicate it and why? The book’s dedication reads, “This book is dedicated to my family, those near and far, those related by blood and those chosen, those who have seen me through the good times as well as the bad. You cannot realize how important you really are.” It’s fairly self-explanatory as well as pertinent to the story of friendship and family that follows.

How long did it take you to write it? The book may only be 140 pages long, but it took me four years to write it. I kept setting it aside, getting sidetracked by real life as well as other projects. In the summer of 2022, I made myself a promise to finish it by early spring of 2023. I’m happy to say that I accomplished that!

What was your biggest challenge in writing it? As I previously stated, one major challenge was simply making the time for it. Another major challenge was in the construction of the story itself, and how to present it. While it’s a shorter story, it still spans several centuries. It is set in a completely mythical world within the real world. How I was to introduce and portray the cast of necessary characters nearly slayed me. What I ended up with was a series of what might at first seem like several odd, unrelated short stories which soon become loosely joined until it all melds together and begins to make sense. People who are used to reading more formula-structured fiction might find this a bit jarring, but it works well for this particular story.

THE HERO

Name, age, and occupation: Her name is Takara, daughter of Aoyagi. Her age is, to quote the Red Dragon: “Time is not a measurement. It simply is. One’s age consists of their knowledge, the integrity of the soul, and the attainment of the Seven Blessings. How long one lives is not as important as how well that life has been lived.” Measured by human time, she is probably about 200-300 years old, though she appears much younger. She has no occupation other than to work toward attaining the Seven Blessings.

Where and with whom does he/she live? Takara lives in the Enchanted Realm near Mt. Fuji with her adoptive mother, the wood fairy known as Aoyagi. Her three friends, Mouse, Toad, and an orchid mantis called Hana live with her as well.

Who would play this character in a movie? I admit that I’m not very familiar with young Japanese actresses, but at this moment in time, Kaoruki Ishii might fit the part. However, down the road, in the years to come when the remote possibility might arise that this book should ever, ever become a movie, that choice would have to change.

What’s his or her celebrity crush? There are no celebrities in the Enchanted Realm, but Takara does really admire the water nymph, Doremi, and covets the nymph’s freedom from a structured life.

What’s her biggest fear/phobia? There is little to fear in the Enchanted Realm, but one day Takara’s life is threatened by a Kappa (a water goblin) and she swiftly learns to fear and distrust Kappas. This fear does affect her judgment at times.

Weapon of choice (gun, knife, intellect, magic, manipulation, etc.) She has no need of weaponry within the Enchanted Realm. Yet outside it, she will come to rely upon her teeth and claws.

At the beginning of the story, this character is … an infant. A squalling, orphaned infant left alone in the woods.

Worst habit? Her worst habit is disobeying the rules.