Today, we’re talking with Carolyn Mathews about her book, The Zookeeper’s Dragon
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
My birth certificate states Carol Ann Mathews.
My baptismal certificate states Caroline Mathews.
There’s a Romance writer called Carole Matthews, so when I first started writing I didn’t want the two of us to be confused, so I settled on Carolyn Mathews as a pen name. Apparently the letter ‘y’ is a spiritual letter and I’m a sucker for anything with a mind, body and spirit vibe.
Why do you write?
I used to be a teacher of English as a Foreign Language and first got published by Prentice Hall Macmillan. Those books and tapes were aimed at language learners and the vocabulary had to be carefully chosen to be suited to the student’s level. Later on, I went on a writing course at Birkbeck College, London, where I relished the freedom of writing without restraints and started my first novel, ‘Transforming Pandora’. This turned into a trilogy, after which I wrote ‘Temple of Dreams’, set partly in ancient Greece. Writing for me is many things: a way of passing the time; a way to stretch my brain by researching areas featured in the story; a way to experience emotion through my characters; a way to move my readers – to engender emotions in them that take them out of themselves and into a different world.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
Having already written four novels, in 2021 I consulted a psychic to see what might come next. He told me I was to write ‘a beautiful work of wonder’ and it would be ‘wrapped round Dragon Energy’. I had no idea then, that this book would take me so long to finish, but becoming widowed and moving house were just two of several distractions along the way.
By the time the book was ready, my usual publisher had changed hands, and my former imprint was now favouring thrillers. My son, who has had a lot of success with his own books published with KDP Amazon, offered to supervise the birthing of ‘The Zookeeper’s Dragon’. Et voila.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
My book is known as a ‘genre buster’, as it has elements of magic, fantasy, the supernatural, romance, danger – set in a real world scenario. I have always been a big fan of the mind, body, spirit holistic movement and as a result, all five of my books feature angels, mystery, jeopardy and the arcane. I enjoy the wide palette that allows me.
How would you describe your writing process?
I usually start with one or more interesting characters, not yet knowing how their stories will end. Sometimes I write by hand instead of typing – especially when I’m stuck; I enjoy the research; I stay up late when I’m on a roll.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
A lot, as long as they have the time. Not all of us do.
What advice would you have for other writers?
First learn the rules – there are plenty of books on the subject. And then break them if you prefer it your way. I used to be so careful about whose viewpoint was being expressed: whose ‘eyes’ the reader was seeing through; whether an omnipotent narrator could ever step in, etc. But, for the first time, in this book I put all that aside and simply let the story flow.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
My previous books were published traditionally, so I liaised with the publishing staff. Unfortunately, they’ve since been taken over, so this is my first book where the decisions were made with a family member who had previously published with KDP Amazon. We used his cover designer. It was difficult to show a young dragon without it looking like a children’s book. As it’s a magical mystical fantasy tale for grown-ups, I made sure this subtitle was evident on its Amazon page.
What’s your next step?
I’m happy to watch how baby dragon Rhodri gets on. If readers fall in love with him the way I did, and tell their friends, he should find his wings and fly!
What book do you wish you had written?
‘The Alchemist’ by Paolo Coelho
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
With deep gratitude!
