Meet J.Z.N. McCauley.

J.Z.N. McCauley is an award-winning fantasy author residing in lovely New England, where she loves wearing jackets and boots in the unpredictable weather there. She is a wife and mother who enjoys life to the fullest. Also, being a nerd across many genres is something she expresses openly.

McCauley spends most of her spare time writing, drawing, or reading. She loves archeology, mythology, history, music and many other forms of art as well. Always having a variety of interests and talents, she could never pick just one. When the chance pops up to travel to any of her favorite places, she takes way too many pictures. Otherwise, she is exploring a mystical land in a daydream, which all provides fuel to her immense joy of writing.

She is the author of The Rituals Trilogy, A Bell Sound Everlasting, The Zinnia Queen, and more. Among several works in progress, she is currently writing an epic fantasy series for which she is seeking literary representation to publish traditionally.

Social media links
Purchase The Oathing Stone At Book Retailers: bit.ly/oathingstoneAuthor Website: www.jznmccauley.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jznmccauley
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JZNMcCauley
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-z-n-mccauley
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/JZNMcCauley

The Interview.

How do you feel about traditionally publishing vs. self-publishing?
I find both routes of book publishing positive for different reasons. It depends entirely on what you want out of your publishing experience, ultimately coming down to how much control over the making and results of your book do you want? For me, it depends on the book(s) because there are certain ones I wanted to self-publish and decide everything myself, while (now that I have more experience and feel more aware of the industry than I did at the start) I’m working towards traditional publishing for several other novels.
What first attracted you to the fantasy genre? Was it a certain story or author?
Honestly, I’ve been a fantasy fan as far back as I can remember. I fell in love with a variety of fantasy stories starting first with fairy tales. As I approached my preteen years, the authors that really inspired me to write fantasy were J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
As an avid explorer, is there any specific place you want to visit to then be able to write it as a backdrop to a future story?
I’d love to visit lots more places and revisit the ones I’ve already been, but I recently added Georgia to my list of fascinating countries to one day see! Steeped in ancient history, myth and lore, and such gorgeous scenery. Just from research alone, I’ve been thinking of weaving a story together with Georgia as the backdrop!
What do you think is the most important aspect to have in a fantasy novel?
For me, as a reader, I’d say the adventure. I need to be eager to turn the page, and I long to feel the excitement along with the character on their hero’s journey or what have you.
The Fae! *dreamy sigh* What attracted you to explore the world of the faeries in your novels?
I’ve always been an enormous fan of faeries too, especially Irish fae creatures. Folklore and mythology are what brought me to them, and when writing fantasy set in Ireland, my fingers were shaking from anticipation to create my own faerie realm. Even now, my heart pounds for when I write the final book in the trilogy.
Any future projects in the works that you can share with us today?
At the moment, all but one of my current projects are still unannounced. However, I’m revealing one this month actually. My first sci-fi/steampunk story, a standalone novel called Gear Keeper. You can find out more about it on my website www.jznmccauley.com or check it out and add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39714081-gear-keeper)
Is there anything you’d like to share with the readers today?
Just a big thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy my stories and stick with me as I plan to create many more from my lengthy list for you to devour in the future.