Q&A with SF Mazhar discussion

Welcome everyone to my group I will start the Q&A and discussion on Monday 17th at 9am (GMT)
Please feel free to introduce yourselves.

Hello and welcome to the Q&A group for Run To Earth. I will be available all day today to answer your questions about my book

Feel free to ask whatever you like and I will do my best to answer.

Start the discussion with any topic you like; the characters, the ideas behind the Mage realm, the history of Hadrian, the Elementals and anything you can think of.

I look forward to chatting with all of you.

Thank you for hosting a Q&A group. (view spoiler)[ I understand if we can't discuss my question now. I have just wondered how Kyran was able to hear Adam yelling about Rose (after the attack) even though Adam didn't have his communication device with him? (hide spoiler)] Thank you.

Hi Rain. Thank you for your question. (view spoiler)[ The reason why Kyran heard Aaron's cry for help is a major spoiler. It will be explained in the next book though. Playing With Fire will reveal a lot about Kyran. (hide spoiler)] Thank You.

Hello S.F

This is my first time participating in a Q&A discussion board online so please bear with me if I am not doing things correctly. :p

I have a question! I was wondering when and how the whole idea of your book came about? Did the idea of the mage realm and all the characters just pop into your head one day?

Monica wrote: "Hello S.F!

This is my first time participating in a Q&A discussion board online so please bear with me if I am not doing things correctly. :p

I have a question! I was wondering when and how the ..."

Hi Monica, thank you for your question. The idea of the book came actually from a discussion I was having with my sisters about natural disasters about four years ago. We were talking about the causes of earthquakes and tsunamis when the idea came to me, about a story that links what we suffer to something that happens in another world. That was the very first detail that came to me. From there I built the Mage realm and made the link to the human realm in the form of rips and tears in the fabric that was supposed to separate the realms.

Aaron and the rest of the characters came afterwards and none of them popped in my head unfortunately ;) each one started off as someone else and slowly, through the course of writing, they took on the form they have. Aaron was first very laid back and Skyler was going to be a bit of a nerd (always reading and he was a Lurker not a Hunter) but as I started writing the characters took on their own personalities. I let it happen and just wrote it the way came to me and that's Run To Earth. :)

Thank you.

Thank You! Thats very interesting!

Another question. What exactly is a Lurker and what do they do?

Monica wrote: "Thank You! Thats very interesting!

Another question. What exactly is a Lurker and what do they do?"

Lurkers are the other half to a successful hunt. They lay out the groundwork by scouring the zones and detailing what demons are there and where the best place for a Q-Zone would be. Lurkers don't usually interact with demons. They don't 'fight'. They are trained to 'lurk' in the shadows and spy on the enemy, gathering all the info they need to report back to the Controller who then sets up a hunt that the Hunters execute.

There was a whole lot of information on Lurkers in the first draft but I had to cut it because the word count was over 180k. Lurkers will be explained in full detail in the next book or two.

I can't wait to read a little more about Lurkers in your upcoming books :) This may seem like a weird question but what are Aaron's and Kyran's middle names? I can't remember if they were ever mentioned in Run to Earth!

They don't have middle names :)

The only one that has a middle name is Rose. Her full name is Roslyn Marie Mason. It's never mentioned in the book though. It may come up in the series. It's crazy how much info is thought out but never makes it into the final draft ;)

Thats pretty crazy! :) No middle names!

Are any of the characters based on people in real life?

I want to read your book because my friend Monica recommended you. She is really enthused and I have a question for you. Where was your favorite place to write?

Hi!
Before I ask my question, how do I add spoiler tags? I'm a bit confused :S

Lol! I knew this question would come up :)

No, I can't say that any of the characters are based on real people that I know but there are little details.

For example, the way Aaron is with Sam and Rose, I've seen and lived through friendships that are so close and protective. I am still close friends with one in particular and I always remember her being super protective of me.

I've been told that Kyran's teasing of Aaron is very much like what I do to my youngest sister (but that's up for debate ;) lol)

The mysterious Alex isn't so much based on someone but an aspect of his relationship with another character is loosely inspired by my brother-in-law. I can't talk about that until book two comes out ;)

Wendy wrote: "I want to read your book because my friend Monica recommended you. She is really enthused and I have a question for you. Where was your favorite place to write?"

Hello Wendy. Thank you to Monica for recommending my book :) I hope you do get a chance to read it and enjoy it.

My favourite place to write is on my sofa in my living room at evening when my kids are asleep and I'm waiting for my husband to come from work. It's the two or so hours I get on my own and I love to sink into my sofa with my laptop and write as much as I can :)

Thank you.

JaneSalter wrote: "Hi!
Before I ask my question, how do I add spoiler tags? I'm a bit confused :S"

Hi Jane! Glad to see you here. To hide something behind a spoiler tag you have put this code in < spoiler > type your message here and then close the tag by < / spoiler >

Just take out the spaces after < > as it won't let me put the code in otherwise

:)

Okay, I really hope this is right :)If not, I'm really sorry! [ Alex and Kyran look the same. Aaron already had this one conversation with Kyran he dreamed about. Could it be that he dreams about both of them? Like, do they switch? (hide spoiler)]

The spoiler tag didn't work ;) but it's ok. Your question can get away without it, lol!

In Run To Earth, you've seen two of Aaron's dreams come true (view spoiler)[ the time Aaron has the gun in his hand and is reluctant to use it to train and the time he asks Kyran to help him and Kyran refuses saying 'we're all on our own' (hide spoiler)]

To answer your question.....yes, Aaron does indeed dream about Kyran and Alex. Now you have to work out which dream has Kyran and which is Alex ;)

Thank you for your question.

Okay, thank you for your answer :) My other question is: Can you explain the zones to me again? H is for Hadrian, N is for Neriah. What about the G and T ones?

JaneSalter wrote: "Okay, thank you for your answer :) My other question is: Can you explain the zones to me again? H is for Hadrian, N is for Neriah. What about the G and T ones?"

Sure!

The Mage realm is broken up into Zones. There are 26 Zones, each one named Zone A, Zone B, etc. These Zones are then divided into sub-zones, which are numbered, so you get hunts in zone T-26, G-15 etc.

The map in the Hub changes to show which of these 26 Zones belong to Neriah (the mages) and which Zones have been taken over by Hadrian (the vamages) thus you get the H zones and N zones. They are the only two categories, Neriah's zone ( a safe zone) or Hadrian's zone ( a dangerous zone crawling with demons with no Gate to protect the human realm)

Hope that makes sense. :)

It does, thanks :)

Melina wrote: "Hi! I love your book and I can't wait until the second one comes out!
How long did it take you to write your book? From the first plan that you made until the final copy?
And was there anything in..."

Hi Melina, it took me nine months to physically write the book. From the first plan to final copy, it was about four years.

There was so much I had to cut! (view spoiler)[ As I already commented, there was a whole bit about Lurkers and what they do, what part they play in hunts, which is relevant to the overall plot. I cut it out and will use it in the upcoming sequel :)

There was an entire scene where Aaron, Rose and Sam help clean and decorate the sanctuary cottages themselves.

I had a bit that went into more detail and explained the power mages have over humans with the mind control thing that Kate does to the B&B owner in the early chapter.

I had little scenes between Kyran and Rose, really cute fluffy scenes but I had to be ruthless and cut them, to bring the word count down.

The biggest thing, perhaps, is that Hadrian was supposed to make his appearance at the end of RTE. That was the bit that gave me the most trouble. I really wanted you all to meet Hadrian but in the end I had to cut his scene. You will see that scene in the first chapter of Playing With Fire. :) (hide spoiler)]

Hello again!

How old is Hadrian, Neriah, Chris, Kate, and Scott? Are they all around the same age?

Hi Monica!

No, they are not around the same.
Neriah is the oldest out of them (early fifties) Then it's Hadrian (late forties) Chris is forty one, Kate is thirty nine. Scott is in his early thirties.

Okay! I am glad I asked that question then! :)

Monica wrote: "Okay! I am glad I asked that question then! :)"

Lol, why's that?

I like to visualize all these characters and for some reason I pictured them kind of around the same age. They all seem to really know each other well so I thought they must have grew up and hanged out with each other or something. lol. It helps me visualize them more when I know their ages I guess. lol

Monica wrote: "I like to visualize all these characters and for some reason I pictured them kind of around the same age. They all seem to really know each other well so I thought they must have grew up and hanged..."

You will see more in the coming books but, (view spoiler)[ Neriah, Hadrian and Chris did grow up together. They were the Elementals, they ruled the Mage realm together along with Skylers uncle. Chris met Kate in another zone and fell in love - there will be more on their love story, I've got a surprise up my sleeve ;) Scott came afterwards, after Hadrian had turned and Chris had left so he had only heard of Chris but never met him until the end of RTE. (hide spoiler)]

My friend wants me to describe Kyran in five words! lol

How would YOU describe him in five words? :)

Melina wrote: "Hello again!
How old were you when you started writing and when did you know that you wanted to be an author? (sorry this doesn't have anything to do with the book I was just curious :))"

Hi Melina!

I never knew I wanted to be a writer. I had never written anything other than obligatory school/university work. I did my degree in Biomedicine ;)

I've always loved reading books though. I discovered my love of writing when I tried my hand at fanfiction. My Harry Potter fanfiction, the Darkness Within, is the first piece of writing I did for fun. I was 25 years old ;)

After I did my fanfiction, which somehow turned into a trilogy, I realised how much I loved writing and how amazing it was to tell a story. When I got the idea of this story ( Run To a Earth) I decided I was just going to go for it :)

Monica wrote: "My friend wants me to describe Kyran in five words! lol

How would YOU describe him in five words? :)"

Lol, ooohh, that's a hard one. Okay here it goes,

Gorgeous
Brave
Dangerous
Fierce
Passionate

Ohhh I like your answer to that :) I see him being all those things.

Monica wrote: "Ohhh I like your answer to that :) I see him being all those things."

:)

How would you describe him? Anything you would like to add?

It's so hard because he is so many things! I thought of the words Misunderstood. Secretive. Fearless (but I scratched that off because I believe he has some hidden fears). Moody. (lol)

On a more brighter note...I also think he is Kind. Charming (in his own way) Helpful and determined.

Monica wrote: "It's so hard because he is so many things! I thought of the words Misunderstood. Secretive. Fearless (but I scratched that off because I believe he has some hidden fears). Moody. (lol)

On a more ..."

I like your answer. I'm especially intrigued by 'misunderstood' ;)

Kyran is definitely secretive and, lol, yep, he is moody :)

Can I ask you a question? What would you say was your favourite Kyran scene. (Add spoiler tags if you need to)

Monica wrote: "It's so hard because he is so many things! I thought of the words Misunderstood. Secretive. Fearless (but I scratched that off because I believe he has some hidden fears). Moody. (lol)

On a more ..."

Also, can I ask what you think Kyran's hidden fears are? I'm curious to what you may have picked up on.

I don't know how to do these spoiler tags but I shall try!

My favorite Kyran scene...that's so hard! I love all the scenes with him in it! Ahh! I can't decided! I guess..(view spoiler)[ I really liked the scenes where he is training Aaron. Also when he saved Rose and he bought chocolates for her! Also when he saved Aaron. They are all great. Even the very last scene was great despite what happened. In fact that was probably one of the best scenes in the entire book! Even though I am still mad at you for it! (hide spoiler)]

Hmmm.... I could be totally wrong but....(view spoiler)[ I believe Kyran has a fear of acceptance. He wants others to accept him, especially Rose. Also, he may not feel it now but somewhere down the road I get the feeling that Kyran is going to fear if he is making the right choices or not. (hide spoiler)]

Yah!!! My spoilers things worked! lol :)

Monica wrote: "I don't know how to do these spoiler tags but I shall try!

My favorite Kyran scene...that's so hard! I love all the scenes with him in it! Ahh! I can't decided! I guess..[spoilers removed]

Hmmm....."

Lol, you really do like Kyran. I think you listed all his scenes, lol!

You are on the right path, when it comes to Kyran's fears. (view spoiler)[ You've nailed the acceptance thing, but it's not quite what you think. As for Kyran worrying about making the right choice? Let's just say Kyran knows what he should do, question is will he do it? ;) (hide spoiler)]

Yes, I do love Kyran....but he frustrates me. (view spoiler)[ I want to know what Kyran knows he should do! lol. (hide spoiler)]

Waiting is such a hard thing to do. Sigh. Speaking of frustrating....Aaron frustrates me too. I know he is only 14 but (view spoiler)[ by the next book does he learn how to harness is true Elemental power? I guess I am just incredibly inpatient which is odd because I thought that I was a pretty patient person. lol (hide spoiler)]

Monica wrote: "Yes, I do love Kyran....but he frustrates me. [spoilers removed]

Waiting is such a hard thing to do. Sigh. Speaking of frustrating....Aaron frustrates me too. I know he is only 14 but [spoilers r..."

If I tell you (view spoiler)[ what Kyran has to do, you'll (a) never believe me and (b) curse me for ruining the story, so I'm not going to tell you. ;)

Aaron will learn a lot more and will grow some more confidence but he will still be reluctant to do what other mages do almost naturally (Kill)

I wanted Aaron to be realistically slow in picking up the skills. It's to underline the damage his parents have caused by keeping him away from the Mage realm. It adds to the frustration and anger Aaron has towards his mum and dad. Their reasoning will be explained but it will be up to the reader to weigh up the good and bad of their actions when it comes to how much harder Aaron has work to get to the level other mages are at. (hide spoiler)]

Lol, some of the things you say make me concerned about whats going to happen next! (view spoiler)[ I'll never believe you?! Oh my goodness your killing me here! lol I would never curse you! lol (hide spoiler)]

That makes sense (view spoiler)[ I really liked how Aaron stood up for himself towards the end of the book. I am a firm believer that kids should respect their parents always but when Aaron blew up at his mom and dad I found myself cheering him on because keeping him in the dark was really quite awful of them. I guess I will have to wait to see what their explanation was. They should have sat him down right when they got to Salvador and told him everything. As for Aaron growing in confidence...I am super excited. He is very interesting when he is standing tall and confident. I love the fact about him that he cares for all kind of life...including to some extent demons. (hide spoiler)]

Monica wrote: "Lol, some of the things you say make me concerned about whats going to happen next! [spoilers removed]

That makes sense [spoilers removed]"

:D I'm glad I've got you intrigued.

I'm a firm believer in respecting your parents too, but i also believe that respect works both ways. Parents should respect their kids too.

You are right, (view spoiler)[ Kate and Chris should have told Aaron everything when they came to Salvador. There are a lot of things they should have told Aaron, which you will find out in the next book.

:) thank you. I'm glad you like that aspect of Aaron's personality.

Can I ask you, what did you think about Rose and Kyran? Any predictions about what is going to happen between them?

Also, your thoughts on Skyler? Love him? Hate him?

(hide spoiler)]

Well....(view spoiler)[ I love both Kyran and Rose. I love the little thing they have/had (not sure if its there for rose anymore) for each other. Its quite adorable and it makes me care for Kyran that much more. I'm not sure if Rose will ever forgive him for not doing anything to save her parents. I hate to think myself that Kyran didn't do anything to stop it. :( But...I don't know Kyran's life story yet. I need to hear that first before I cast my final decision on him ( I really like him so I do't want to end of hating him). I have what I want to happen all in my head and that is Kyran and Rose are happy together by the end of the series.

Also, Skyler. He is a BULLY! I dislike bullies. I definitely don't like him but I don't hate him either. He has the potential (deep down it seems) to be a kind and caring person. I seen it when he fought with Bella (I believe that was her name?) Does he have a thing for her!? That thought crossed my mind whenever they were interacting with each other. He didn't want to hurt her and he didn't want her to go fight in a Q-zone and get hurt either. That...as of right now...is the only aspect of Skyler that I like so far. (hide spoiler)]

Monica wrote: "Well.... I love both Kyran and Rose. I love the little thing they have/had (not sure if its there for rose anymore) for each other. Its quite adorable and it makes me care for Kyran that much more...."

Kyran and Rose (view spoiler)[ are headed for a tough time ;) I really enjoy writing their scenes so there will be more of that. The question, like you pointed out, is if Rose will forgive Kyran. How can she?

Kyran's life story? Oh boy, you better buckle your seatbelt, it's going to be a heck of a ride ;)

Skyler doesn't have a thing for Bella. Their relationship is a complicated one. You will learn more in the next book :)

I think Skyler is going to be the character you will love to hate. There's a lot of stuff heading his way too and his part in the story is actually quite big, which is why I'm always interested in the reader's opinion of him. (hide spoiler)]

Thank you for answering my questions.

Any more for me? As there is only half an hour left before midnight, and the end of this Q&A group.

Hmmm... (view spoiler)[ Is Skyler going to be such a jerk throughout the rest of the books?! I'm hoping not. I am intrigued as to what big part he has to play. I better prepare myself. lol.

A couple more things...I know that Chris was a hunter and you said that he met Kate in in a different zone? right? Does that mean she is a hunter too? (hide spoiler)]

Skyler (view spoiler)[ doesn't get any nicer. In fact he gets worse. Although some may argue he has a right to, after what happens.... ;)

Yeah Chris was a Hunter but Kate wasn't. I'll reveal her role in the next book.

(hide spoiler)]

Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who joined me today and spent time asking questions about my book, Run To Earth. I had a great time chatting to all of you and hope to do this again soon.

Take care everyone.

:)

Okay! Thanks for answering all my questions! It was super fun and I learned a lot! I seriously can't wait for the next book! Your awesome and amazing! :)

Monica wrote: "Okay! Thanks for answering all my questions! It was super fun and I learned a lot! I seriously can't wait for the next book! Your awesome and amazing! :)"

Thank you for your time and fun questions. I had a great time chatting with you. :)