Shadow of Deception Blog Tour: Interview with Sophia L Johnson @AuthorSLJ

Today we're taking part in the SHADOW OF DECEPTION blog tour by chatting with author Sophia L. Johnson. Come get to know all about Sophia and her book, and don't forget to enter the rafflecopter at the bottom of the post.

Hi, Sophia! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello We Do Write readers, it's a pleasure to be here. I'm a Chinese Canadian living in Toronto. I have a young daughter and about to have a baby boy :) I've only began writing professionally about six years ago and I'm loving it. I do however have another job that keeps food on the table because I'm not J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins yet. I'm a Registered Massage Therapist and I teach Massage Therapy at a college.

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Tell our readers a bit about SHADOW OF DECEPTION.

SHADOW OF DECEPTION is my debut novel. It's a YA science-fiction although some might call it speculative since it's happening in the future with a dystopian feel. It's largely about a girl's struggle with her true nature. She has lost her memories in a plane crash and from there she is exposed to the

hidden world of the genetically advanced humans. She learns their craft and falls in love. But when she gets her memories back, all hell breaks loose. Layers of deception run deep and Kazumi finds herself trapped in a web of lies. Sorry I know it sounds kinda generic but there are plot twists that can easily be spoiled if I say too much. The synopsis on the back of the book does a better job. Oh and I'd like to share that this novel has just won the gold medal in the YA Sci-fi/Fantasy category of the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award.

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How did the idea of the story come to you?

Kazumi the main character came to my mind first. I knew that she'd be flawed and a little evil. So I created a world around her and obstacles for her to overcome. I also wanted to highlight in the book the notion of nature versus nurture. Would you choose the same path or action if you don't have past experiences and teachings to guide you and you only have your basic instinct?

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I'm a bit of both. I start off as a plotter by having at least the frame of the novel thought out and who the main character is. From there I become a pantser where I'd just let my instinct guide me.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Grammar! And I think this stems from the fact that English is not my first language. I didn't grow up learning all the various slangs and different ways of saying one thing. So I'm constantly learning.
What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Nothing but silence. I can't stand even a whisper when I'm trying to concentrate. So definitely no music for me.

I'm a silence girl as well, so I can relate. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Invisibility for sure! I'd like to snoop on people. I'm very nosy.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I'd have to say it'd be a Chinese name that brought up some unexpected images. I'm currently working on a YA fantasy novel set in imperial China so naturally I was trying to come up with some Chinese names. I had narrowed down to one which was Yulin. My husband googled its meaning because he's Canadian and doesn't read Chinese. What came up was unexpectedly horrific. I had no idea that “Yulin”, which is a legitimate Chinese name meaning “Jade Forest”, was a slang for dog eating festivals in China. So there! Oh and please do yourself a favor and don't look it up.

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ... on my phone playing Candy Crush.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

My husband is the first person I need to thank because I practically ignored him for the four years I spent writing this book. Not to mention he gave me a lot of creative ideas. And he was the first person to tell me I can make this happen no matter how discouraged I was feeling at the time. So thank you my love!

Next I'd like to thank everyone who endured reading through my first draft. You guys know who you are so I won't list all their names here.

Lastly I need to thank everyone who has purchased a copy. Your support means that the thousands of hours I spent typing away was not a waste. It is the most heart-warming validation for a new author. And to those who gave nice reviews, your words are my driving force. Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart!

Thanks for stopping by the blog, Sophia!


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