February's Indie Author Insight by Lydia Baker

Featuring M.E. Royce

Author

Lydia Baker
February 01, 2025

Hello fellow book lovers!

I hope this newsletter finds you all well and hiding from the wet weather with a book and a cosy fire. Earth and Bones is currently with BETA readers and so far feedback has be positive. I’ve started plotting out book 2, but need to finish a few crochet baby blankets before I get writing. I’ve never crocheted faster in my life! 😆 

Latest news and a little plea!

Ava is officially rereleased! I spent time editing and polishing AVA and now it is back in the world. If you’ve read it, I would really appreciate you leaving your review again. The ebook is considered a brand new book while the paperback seems to have all the old reviews as well as being associated with me and somehow the profile my publisher created….I need to have a few words with Amazon.

How to support Indie Authors

So, I know many of you are Indie Authors, but if you’re not, here are a few ways in which you can support indie authors without spending a penny. (I mean we love it when you buy our books as well 😉)

  1. Leave a review of their book

  2. Follow us on social media

  3. Share indie authors posts (like, share, repost, quote etc!)

  4. Tell other people about our books

  5. Subscribe to their newsletters (and because you’re receiving this you’re already doing that one, so you are awesome!)

  6. Check out Indie Author run podcasts (like Introverted Indies!)

Introverted Indies

The wonderful author, friend and lovely human Lucy A. McLaren and I are excited to run author disscussion panels this month. So, check out our Introverted Indies youtube channel to see them. Both will be on the topic of Self-Publishing, with the first one taking place on 9th Feb and the second on the 22nd, 2-4pm GMT.

We can’t wait!

Interview with M.E. Royce
Author of The Moon Tear

Hello, M.E. Royce!Thank you for joining me at Indie Author Insights, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your inspiration for writing.

Although my life is now surrounded by skyscrapers and the concrete of NYC, I actually grew up in Montana. The epic landscapes had me frolicking in forests and crafting tales of magic and adventure for my friends and I to explore. There was this one blue notebook I used to create characters and creatures for us that eventually became the backbone of my first book. I expect the pages are a bit dirty, because I’d take it to this giant fallen tree that sat on the far edge of our property and curl up in this dug out nook to really immerse myself in the world. That’s what actually inspired the main city of my trilogy, Mainwood: a tiered elvish city in the trees.

The outdoors is amazing and inspiring. Can you tell us about your book The Moon Tear?

The Alagana Trilogy, starting with The Moon Tear, is a young adult high fantasy epic set primarily in the earthen realm of Alagana, lush with world building (the notebook has transitioned into an elaborate spreadsheet), magikal powers, and lots of suspenseful betrayal. The first book is what I consider my favorite child, because the story has followed me for… actually, a decade now! Wow. Ok. Time warp. I wrote the very first draft at fifteen and pursued a vanity press a year later to self-publish ‘Aideil: The Shattered World’ by the end of my senior year in high school.

But I never finished a sequel or completed the trilogy… it just ended ominously with no conclusion. So, I let the story simmer—really marinate for a few years—while I studied creative writing in undergrad. Sometimes time is your best friend. But, come 2023, I felt this fire reignite that told me I was ready. That it was time. I spent the first half of that year doing a heavy rewrite of the old Aideil manuscript, taking the essence and atmosphere and characters and twisting it into a narrative that properly displayed the forces at work and the consequences of actions. (There are many hidden details that I’m weaving into books two and three and heehee they’re really coming together) The Moon Tear is ultimately for the people who enjoy watching events unfold, paying attention to the little details, and being immersed in a new world where evil wears many faces and one cannot forget to doubt—not for even a moment. I’ve heard that it gets confusing for people who don’t slow down and take the story page by page, but that once it clicks… magik is bound to happen. Patience is rewarded through the small acts of kindness that my main character is shown that contrast the horrors that constantly siege her. Eyolin Kyenz-ushteira is alone and has convinced herself so completely that she is ordinary and insignificant that, when she comes into her power, it nearly overwhelms her. Imagine having stage fright and being told you have this special Gift that immediately puts you as a lead on Broadway. It’ll take some time to reconcile that.

That sounds great. Are you working on anything else at the moment?

I am about halfway through the drafting process of book two in the Alagana Trilogy, which is FULL of action! Literally… my kids need a trip to a spa! With two new POVs introduced, there were so many directions to take the sequel after the cliffhanger at the end of The Moon Tear, but, luckily, I’ve managed to stick to the outline and take it day by day and trauma by trauma. There’s a secret project cooking behind the scenes as well.

What I can give you is that it is a spicy adult spinoff of a feisty character that may or may not be mentioned toward the end of book two ;) I wanted to reward those who protested the lack of romance in my battle war epic trilogy with a murder-mystery-death-trials-romantasy since who doesn’t love a good fight to the death while madly in love and trying to uncover a murderer? It’s a change of pace set in the same world as The Moon Tear, but a different kingdom. Stay tuned! I truly believe it’s going to break hearts.

Exciting stuff! I know that being an author has its highs and lows, can you tell us how you’ve faced the lows and celebrated the highs?

Being an author opens your soul up to the harshest of criticisms and the highest of praises. Similarly, writing is an art with flowing words and brick walls. There are days when I wake up convinced my writing belongs in the weird liquid of a New York subway tunnel, while other days I am kicking my feet giggling at how amazing a scene is reading. It’s finding the middle ground of peace that gets you through to the next day, and having people in your corner to pick you up and remind you of your brilliance. And snacks. Sometimes, you really just need a snack break.

It’s definitely a rollercoaster being a writer. But something that’s in our blood, ultimately. I find marketing the hardest part. Do you have any tips or tricks?

I have to give my girl, Sam over at The Weavership, a shoutout. It’s a monthly subscription she’s put together that includes countless social media templates, newsletter templates, Canva tips, and genre specific stock photos (so that we don’t violate any licenses by pulling our content off of Pinterest). Everything is easily customizable and it transforms feeds into a marketing haven! You can clearly see the difference it’s made to my Instagram feed and there’s no going back. Find her at @samscreativecure <3

If you could go back in time and give your past self any writing advice, what would it be?

Write the story that demands to be told! Don’t write because you have to, or because you should. It should be eating you alive with words. I had a professor voice similar sentiments and it really helps in weeding out ideas. What nags at you at the wee hours of the mornings and whispers plot twists to you in the shower? THOSE are the stories to give your heart to.

Other than writing, what else do you like to do?

Depends on the season. In the winter, I am all about alpine skiing! Throw me off a mountain with a pot of chili and some cocoa and I’m a happy girl. Springtime is for sneezes and reality tv. Traitors on Peacock? Give me twenty. Summertime is a traveling season, where I try to find hidden gems in new countries. Fall is my academic era where I’m reading thought provoking literature (or just fantasy with smart characters) and going to the gym.

Pro tip: if you have a kindle, you can crank out so many steps on the stair master.

I’ll keep that tip in mind! So, where can we buy your books and keep up to date with your next release?

Insta: @maryeroyce

TT: @xmeroyce

Web/Newsletter: www.alaganatrilogy.com

Thank you for chatting with me at Indie Author Insights!

Thank you for reading and God bless!

Lydia x

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