Interview with fantasy author Meiling Colorado

Meiling Colorado is the author of the post-apocalyptic fantasy novel Aftermath. Born in London, she now lives in Spain, on the beautiful island of Mallorca, with her husband and two children, alternating between writing, teaching English, translating and practising Permaculture. Meiling has travelled extensively, which made her aware of how necessary a change of direction in Humanity’s actions has become.When there is time she really enjoys just breathing, being out in nature, and watching the sun set slowly on the horizon

Today we’re talking with Meiling Colorado, whose debut novel, Aftermath, was released by GenZ Publishing this month.

In terms of genre, how would you categorize Aftermath?

I am not too keen on labels, but I guess if one has to categorise it one could say it’s a fantasy novel set in a post-apocalyptic world.  

If you were only allowed one sentence to explain what the novel’s about, what would it be?

In AFTERMATH we witness a world reeling in the midst of post war chaos, in which humanity has to face not just the struggle basic survival entails, but also the challenge of sudden evolutionary upheaval.

Human evolution is a highly scientific area to write about. What kind of research did you have to do for this novel?

The evolution explored in the novel is based on my research and experience of the vibrational journey of the human being,  rather than on any specific scientific data. It is not the physical aspects of humanity that hold my interest here, but the next step in a possible dimensional shift. Although I have had access to many esoteric texts and writings from early childhood, which probably conditioned me, when it comes to this particular scenario, imagination rules.

What in your real life inspired you to write this tale in particular?

Many people believe we are in the midst of an era change, possibly even a transition between dimensions. As a mother I have become not only painfully aware of the need for a change to a more sustainable lifestyle if we want future generations to survive, but also of the fact that many of the children nowadays are equipped better than we may think to face these changes, if we only allow them to do so. Ever curious, I just set off to explore what the next step in human evolution could be.

Are there any authors you would say Aftermath is for fans of?

That is very subjective, of course. If pressed I would say that readers who enjoy Fantasy,  alternative future or alternative universe novels will find Aftermath interesting.

The writing process is different for everybody, so what was your timeframe when writing Aftermath?

I was lucky enough not to have a time frame for this novel. I wrote off and on for several months. My most productive time was probably when I suffered a back injury and was unable to walk for a while. I do not recommend it, but yes, it definitely fueled creativity!

Without giving too much away, were there any portions of the book that were particularly difficult to write?

I find my characters like to take on a life of their own, which can be quite unsettling when you have a plot line you are trying to stick to. I hadn’t intended to kill off any characters, yet found myself right in the middle of a character death mess, with no very clear idea how to get out of it. Quite a learning experience.

This is your debut novel, so I’m sure you learned quite a bit along the way. What were your biggest surprises or learning experiences during the publishing process?

Still going through the process, so difficult to say. To be honest, I had never ventured into these waters before and had no expectations. I had been told it was extremely difficult to get a novel published and was quite shocked when Genz asked for the complete manuscript. Since I sent it just over Christmas I certainly did not expect such a prompt reply!

What would you have done differently (either in the writing process or in the story itself) if you could do it again? 

Oh dear! As far as I am concerned, if left to my own devices I would never stop editing and adding to the story. If I could do it again I might end up with with a very different novel!

You can’t be a great writer without being a great reader, so who’s your favorite author, or what’s your favorite series?

Just one? If I have to name someone, I would say Richard Bach. As for series, well, J.R.R Tolkien’s ¨Lord of the Rings¨, of course, and I developed quite an obsession with Robert Jordan’s ¨The Wheel of Time¨ series at one point. There! I told you I couldn’t keep it down to one!

With Aftermath soon to be released, what’s next for you and your career?

I’m currently writing the continuation of Aftermath because, well…did I mention I now have the characters knocking on my door every day? Coming up with…stuff. Not my stuff. Theirs. Most definitely theirs. And poetry, of course…there are always new poems to write.

We know you’re a great author, but what’s something about you that might surprise readers?

Ha! I hesitate to call myself a great anything. The readers will be the judge of whether they like my work or not. As far as my life is concerned, it has not been a very conventional one. I was born into a multi-ethnic family of dancers, basically spent my childhood on a tour bus, and was a professional Flamenco and Classical Spanish dancer for over twenty-five years.

Spending so much time on a tour bus, you’ve obviously done a lot of traveling in your life. How did some of your travels influence you during the writing process?

The one thing that was made clear to me through my travels is that we are all people, one race. The Human race. There are some highly evolved individuals among us, too. When you travel you also appreciate the beauty of the planet we are on, and witness what a terrible job we are doing when it comes to looking after it. Our survival as a species is at stake here, the fate of our children and grandchildren. So, I guess the question at the back of my mind while I looked out at the countryside flashing by the tour-bus window was what kind of change would it take to save us from a truly catastrophic outcome, and was it even possible?

A large part of the publishing process is self-marketing and branding. How have you built your personal brand and gained readership?

Mostly through personal contacts and social media so far. I am a great believer in networking and building community. People read my posts and poems because they resonate at a personal level, so I do my best to stay coherent and true to myself.

If you’re looking for more information about Meiling Colorado, you can find her here:

• https://niume.com/profile/105512#!/posts
• https://scriggler.com/Profile/meiling_colorado
• https://www.minds.com/Meiling
• https://the8app.com/user/Meiling
• https://www.facebook.com/meiling.colorado
• https://twitter.com/MeilingColorad1?lang=es