An interview with Karleigh Bon via podcast questions sent in from listeners.
Did I really talk to chickens when I was a kid?
Yes… yes I did. I imagined all kinds of stories going on while observing the behaviors of the chickens in the flock. I even had names for them. “Ostara” was their leader… No, I did not expect them to speak to me. There were also gnome families who lived high in the maple trees…
Later on I made up some bedtime stories about the “parts missing chicken.” He was a super hero.
Do you play video game?!?
I have been playing for a long time guys… chick gamer here. I was the little sister trying to keep up with older brothers all the time so I think that is where my tenacity comes from. I will hunt you down… !
Okay but about the games. I am a big fan of anything RPG without guns. I also like a good zombie fight now and then. Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls, Witcher and Dragon’s Dogma are my top four games on xbox and PS4. I also loved Zelda and Fable.
Do you really know how to speak Elvish?
Heck, Yeah! I am learning everyday. I actually have retained a few words. When I started this writing project, I thought I could just throw some gibberish in the mix and call it Elvish. But as I read it I realized it would be a disservice to my readers to do this. So I researched several Elvish languages. and decided to go with Tolkien. He was an actual linguist and his word structure made the most sense to me.
Another funny story is that when I wrote Elvish into the book I never thought I would have to speak it out loud! woohoo then comes the podcast! Who’d a thunk it…lol
You talk funny. Where are you from?
I don’t just talk funny… I’m kinda funny looking too. I am from Northern Minnesota. The community I am from was originally predominantly Finnish immigrants. I grew up listening to people meeting on the streets speaking Finnish as a first language. When I asked grandma to teach me how to speak it she refused. She said “we promised to be Americans,” so they had to “give up the old ways.” That was a sad day for me, but even then, I found out much later, they were speaking an americanized version of the language anyway in trying so hard to speak english, but regionally, the thick dialect still lingers to this day.
Have you always been a writer?
Good question. No, I have not always had the urge to write. I was not that kid who journaled everything and I tried to keep a diary once and failed miserably. I worked for several newspapers in the past as reporter and editor and enjoyed that very much. I think it was easy because I’m a third generation Lois Lane and it came easy to me. It was not until a seriously bad car accident slowed me down that I started writing full length 200,000 word novels.
You also rethink a lot of your life choices when something like that happens. I have always been called eclectic or eccentric. I feel I am even more-so now. There is a freedom that comes from near death experiences. Bet you didn’t see that coming 😛
I am also a recovering perfectionist/work-a-holic. I learned that sometimes flaws and imperfections are beautiful things.
How do you like podcasting? Is it easy?
People had always told me I should go into broadcasting cause I have a “nice voice.” So I went to The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN in a journalism major with a music minor instead. Blah blah, years go by/career in news media/car accident… I spent a lot of time rehabbing while playing ESO from the beginning… that’s been over 5 years now.
Podcasting was terrifying to me at first. I was using my super power of procrastination staring at Podbean and thinking about podcasting for months… It wasn’t until Anchor.FM was launched that I decided to try it. The tiny program on my phone seemed easy enough. I was just going to read my story to you guys. Little did I know, there is so much more involved in getting good quality production values. And then, I got into making merch out of my art portfolio…. you can find all that on karleighbon.com
Where can I buy the book?
My book went through several changes since I started podcasting it. I had to go through and re-record new segments in the past fifteen episodes so I am happy to be on the season break right now to straighten all this out.
The book’s title is officially the same as the podcast, “Tales of Eldelórne: Book One” by Karleigh Bon. That will get you right to it on Amazon.com
The volume is a huge 6×9 inches and just over 410 pages thick. It has a shiny gloss cover with my own fancy artwork on the front and back covers. It is perfect for gift giving.
Does writing take a lot of research.
Yes it does. If you want to be authentic you spend a lot of time learning. The world is your university, and it is never ending. I have come to understand that writers are extremely learn-ned people. My wise Aunt Aileen once said, “If you are not always learning, you’re probably dead, or something’s wrong.” Those are some words to live by!
What is Elfanovela, and where did you get that from?
My eldest son and I were talking one day and I was saying how I felt the podcast seemed overly dramatic. It was the music adding to the ambiance but also the writing from the elves point of view is very emotional. Especially when it’s about two elflings and their mother leaving them alone in the world.
Chris then said,” It’s like a Telenovela.” and proceeds in explaining to me the highly dramatic Latin American soap opera thing. Then he said the word, “Elfanovela,” and angels sang and the light went on… I have been using it as a hashtag ever since. My son totally coined the word.
I have two sons They are both into different media interests. Their advice in the things I do is invaluable. They hold me to a higher standard where sometimes, my brain energy runs out way too soon.
Do you like/eat candy?
Yes, Fastbreak bars and Monster mocha for late night sessions, and the large Ghirardelli chocolate chips with coffee at my desk.
Sometimes your voice sounds so low, how is that?
I have a 3 octave vocal range. That puts me in the .1% bracket of humans that can achieve that. I used to sing a lot. Now they tell me it is by some miracle I can even speak. I always tell people I am still here because of some ancient dhampyr blood that flows from my Irish bloodline. Muahahahaha!
Do I really have pink hair and glasses?
Yes and yes. Life is short, so why not? My iPhone is rose gold as well, so there ya go, embrace the new experience folks!
Bye bye, I will be sure to smile and wave if I ever see you on the street.
Comments are closed