All About Skyla Dawn Cameron
Official Bio
Award-winning author Skyla Dawn Cameron has been writing approximately forever. Her early storytelling days were spent acting out strange horror/fairy tales with the help of her many dolls, and little has changed except that she now keeps those stories on paper. She signed her first book contract at age twenty-one for River, a unique werewolf tale, which was released to critical and reader praise alike and won her the 2007 EPPIE Award for Best Fantasy. She now has multiple series on the go to keep her busy, which is great for her attention deficit disorder.
Skyla lives in Southern Ontario where she dabbles in art, is an avid gamer, and watches Buffy reruns. She’s naturally brunette, occasionally a redhead, and currently blonde. If she ever becomes a grown-up, she wants to run her own pub, as well as become world dictator.
Also, she has a lot of cats.
....so that's the "official" version. What's the unofficial one?
What's there to say about me? Well, I've been writing since I could hold a pencil. My early years were spent telling stories with my many, many Barbie dolls (all of which I still own). I had a real love for Disney (I had a total Cinderella complex), and a real love for horror. That led to Barbie stories with princesses and princes, evil witches, and zombies.Yes, I was a bizarre child.
My first poem publication came at age eleven. I had a few more pieces published in anthologies, tried my hand at journalism in tenth grade, then eventually decided to pursue writing full time straight out of high school. At age twenty-one, I signed my first book contract, which was with Mundania Press for the award-winning "River." By this point, I'd completed a few novels, but you know how everyone always says, "Never try to publish your first book, 'cause it probably sucks?" Well, they're right.
I'm thirty (and I will count no more birthdays after this one) and I live in Ontario. Cottage country. I probably have a serial killer neighbour who feeds his victims to pigs. I'm a vegetarian, secular humanist, feminist, and have no problem sharing my opinions quite loudly. I'm half Irish, and I'm afraid to say the stereotype is true: I love a good alcoholic beverage. Or a bad one, for that matter (it never pays to be picky).If I wasn't a writer, I'd want to be world dictator. Come to think of it, I'd like to be world dictator AND be a writer. One day, right?
I'm cynical, snarky, and fiercely loyal to those I consider friends. I like horror movies, Joss Whedon, Kettle Chips, and politics. I dislike know-it-all pricks, social conservatives, reruns, people unable to follow simple directions, and I'd love to beat e-pirate leeches with a shovel. I'm pro equal marriage, reproductive rights, and kittens (yes, I think you can be 'pro-kitten'!). I have a low threshold for pain, little tolerance for stupidity, and nothing but contempt for the channel Fox. I have a special place in my heart for people who tell me I'm brilliant, but stay far, far away from Turkish guys who send me creepy emails (of which there have been two).
And the bit about the cats? Totes true--I'm a crazy cat lady, and proud of it
*The photo above was taken July 2008, when I was invited to visit Jungle Cat World in Orono. I'm pictured with Cheyenne, a fifteen month old timber wolf.
Frequently Asked Questions
NEW! Where can I read online for free [Bloodlines, Hunter, River, Wolfe, insert novel here]
You can't. You can read them by purchasing them, asking someone to purchase them for you, or by going to the library. I have given many books away for free; these are not among them.
NEW!Is there a sequel to...
Okay, I have lots of books. Here's the run down:
River - Yes, it's called Wolfe.
Wolfe - No, the last book was cancelled by me (this is a FAQ below).
Bloodlines - Yes, there's a whole upcoming series.
Catharsis - No. The extended epilogue in the paperback, though, is about 7K words and neatly resolves the whole storyline. (Also, it contains a prequel novella and a short story.) There IS, however, a semi-related spin off sort of story in my head but I have no plans to write it any time soon.
Children of the Apocalypse - Yes, Part Four and Part Five are in my head (I know, I know, I'm not done writing Part Three yet), but my limited writing time has been mostly spent on paying work lately. I do, however, fully intend to finish this some day.
Curio Killed the Cat - Yes, I have the second volume in my head, I just don't know when I'll get a chance to write it.
NEW! I have questions after reading Bloodlines.
You might want to read my interview over here: http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-author-skyl... It was conducted after the reviewer finished the book. There aren't huge spoilers either, so it's okay to read if you haven't checked out the book yet. Do come and say hi!
NEW! What about all those books with book covers that I can't find for sale anywhere?
Unpublished/WIPs. They have covers because making one is just part of my creative process. If there are plans to publish them, they'll be bumped up to the official "novels" section on the books page. Some of them have excerpts, though.
I think I found evidence of your work being pirated. Do you want to know?
ABSOLUTELY.
Can I interview you for my blog?
Yes! Happy to oblige. Drop me an email (contact info to your right).
I love your books andl/or you. I've already bought your stuff--how else can I show my support?
Here's a great article--not by me--I just found on that very subject. http://novelspaces.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-help-starving-author.html
Why isn't ___ book available at ___ reseller in ___ format?
All out of the author's control, and in some cases, the publisher's. Essentially, books are uploaded to different seller databases, and other stores pick up those feeds--sometimes right away, sometimes not for awhile. It's totally out of my hands, and I'm sorry, but emailing me to complain or writing negative reviews (seriously?) won't fix it. The best place to purchase, however, is directly through the publisher's site--cuts out the middle man and those of us who worked on the books make more money. All books are available in ebook and paperback there. Links to buy are all on the book pages.
Is River being made into a movie?
No. I've been getting a lot of google hits about this, but no--no movie. Catharsis was being made into a movie by some young filmmakers in Australia, but no one has bought the rights to River...so, if you want 'em, I'll sell. ;-) Unless you're Joss Whedon, in which case I'll exchange them for the chance to sit and talk to you for like an hour.
Can you give me a free book?
Um, no. Unless I can go to where you work and take your products without paying. ;-) Really, please don't ever ask authors to give you one of their books free unless you won it in a contest. We're not rich. We can't afford to give a book to everyone who wants one and it makes us very uncomfortable when you ask for free stuff. Try a library. If you're a reviewer, best place to go would be the publisher to request a review copy.
Will there be another River book after Wolfe?
No.
Why?
Um...longish explanation here along with an excerpt of the would-be third book: http://skyladawncameron.com/blog/changed tl;dr: the books were heavily pirated, so I chose to discontinue them.
That's not fair to legit readers!
Sorry? But I'm the one who has to write them. I can't write something knowing it'll be stolen more than it's bought--knowing more people will hit my site the day of release looking for torrents than will buy it. If you don't want a series to be cancelled, discourage piracy.
But there were SO many loose plot threads!
There was a plot? ;-) Okay, in all seriousness, I never saw either River book as having a plot at all. I'm sorry for those unsatisfied with any dangling threads, but that's not what the books were about; they were about River's character arc and it felt mostly complete to me. And as I decided not to continue, it'll have to do. Thank you for your interest, though.
Why do you have some books available free under the serials section?
I write a lot. Twenty finished books in under ten years, so the idea of having serials to build my fanbase didn't scare me. And they're mostly free because many were my own experiments and stuff I wanted to do for fun. I can't say they're always my best work, but I had loads of fun with them and think they stand up well given the circumstances.
Mostly free?
Mostly.
I'm a newbie writer. Can you give me advice?
Sure. Write. A lot. Learn to read your work like a reader, not the brilliant writer who wrote it. Remember that no one cares about your book as much as you do. Write some more. Try not to whine a lot. Next?
Can you read my stuff and offer me suggestions?
No. Conflict of interest--if I'm working on something similar, I don't want you to sue me for stealing your idea. Get a crit group if you want help.
Can you read my to-be-published book and give me an advanced review?
Sure. Unless you write for PublishAmerica.
What's wrong with PA?
Don't get me started.
I have this really great book--can you introduce me to your publisher?
No.
I heard you work in acquisitions. Can I email you, butter you up, and then stand a better chance when I submit my novel to you later?
If you want to, but the odds of me remembering your name are slim to none. Also, if I *do* recognize the name of someone submitting something to the acquisitions department, I outsource the slush reading. I don't work for the company to help my friends.
Can I add you as a friend on Facebook?
I'd rather you friend my fan page (link to your right). Occasionally I get stalkers.
Can I stalk you?
Please don't, unless you're Dina James (she has exclusive stalking rights).
Can I send you fan mail?
Please do.
NEW! Where can I read online for free [Bloodlines, Hunter, River, Wolfe, insert novel here]
You can't. You can read them by purchasing them, asking someone to purchase them for you, or by going to the library. I have given many books away for free; these are not among them.
NEW!Is there a sequel to...
Okay, I have lots of books. Here's the run down:
River - Yes, it's called Wolfe.
Wolfe - No, the last book was cancelled by me (this is a FAQ below).
Bloodlines - Yes, there's a whole upcoming series.
Catharsis - No. The extended epilogue in the paperback, though, is about 7K words and neatly resolves the whole storyline. (Also, it contains a prequel novella and a short story.) There IS, however, a semi-related spin off sort of story in my head but I have no plans to write it any time soon.
Children of the Apocalypse - Yes, Part Four and Part Five are in my head (I know, I know, I'm not done writing Part Three yet), but my limited writing time has been mostly spent on paying work lately. I do, however, fully intend to finish this some day.
Curio Killed the Cat - Yes, I have the second volume in my head, I just don't know when I'll get a chance to write it.
NEW! I have questions after reading Bloodlines.
You might want to read my interview over here: http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-author-skyl... It was conducted after the reviewer finished the book. There aren't huge spoilers either, so it's okay to read if you haven't checked out the book yet. Do come and say hi!
NEW! What about all those books with book covers that I can't find for sale anywhere?
Unpublished/WIPs. They have covers because making one is just part of my creative process. If there are plans to publish them, they'll be bumped up to the official "novels" section on the books page. Some of them have excerpts, though.
I think I found evidence of your work being pirated. Do you want to know?
ABSOLUTELY.
Can I interview you for my blog?
Yes! Happy to oblige. Drop me an email (contact info to your right).
I love your books andl/or you. I've already bought your stuff--how else can I show my support?
Here's a great article--not by me--I just found on that very subject. http://novelspaces.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-help-starving-author.html
Why isn't ___ book available at ___ reseller in ___ format?
All out of the author's control, and in some cases, the publisher's. Essentially, books are uploaded to different seller databases, and other stores pick up those feeds--sometimes right away, sometimes not for awhile. It's totally out of my hands, and I'm sorry, but emailing me to complain or writing negative reviews (seriously?) won't fix it. The best place to purchase, however, is directly through the publisher's site--cuts out the middle man and those of us who worked on the books make more money. All books are available in ebook and paperback there. Links to buy are all on the book pages.
Is River being made into a movie?
No. I've been getting a lot of google hits about this, but no--no movie. Catharsis was being made into a movie by some young filmmakers in Australia, but no one has bought the rights to River...so, if you want 'em, I'll sell. ;-) Unless you're Joss Whedon, in which case I'll exchange them for the chance to sit and talk to you for like an hour.
Can you give me a free book?
Um, no. Unless I can go to where you work and take your products without paying. ;-) Really, please don't ever ask authors to give you one of their books free unless you won it in a contest. We're not rich. We can't afford to give a book to everyone who wants one and it makes us very uncomfortable when you ask for free stuff. Try a library. If you're a reviewer, best place to go would be the publisher to request a review copy.
Will there be another River book after Wolfe?
No.
Why?
Um...longish explanation here along with an excerpt of the would-be third book: http://skyladawncameron.com/blog/changed tl;dr: the books were heavily pirated, so I chose to discontinue them.
That's not fair to legit readers!
Sorry? But I'm the one who has to write them. I can't write something knowing it'll be stolen more than it's bought--knowing more people will hit my site the day of release looking for torrents than will buy it. If you don't want a series to be cancelled, discourage piracy.
But there were SO many loose plot threads!
There was a plot? ;-) Okay, in all seriousness, I never saw either River book as having a plot at all. I'm sorry for those unsatisfied with any dangling threads, but that's not what the books were about; they were about River's character arc and it felt mostly complete to me. And as I decided not to continue, it'll have to do. Thank you for your interest, though.
Why do you have some books available free under the serials section?
I write a lot. Twenty finished books in under ten years, so the idea of having serials to build my fanbase didn't scare me. And they're mostly free because many were my own experiments and stuff I wanted to do for fun. I can't say they're always my best work, but I had loads of fun with them and think they stand up well given the circumstances.
Mostly free?
Mostly.
I'm a newbie writer. Can you give me advice?
Sure. Write. A lot. Learn to read your work like a reader, not the brilliant writer who wrote it. Remember that no one cares about your book as much as you do. Write some more. Try not to whine a lot. Next?
Can you read my stuff and offer me suggestions?
No. Conflict of interest--if I'm working on something similar, I don't want you to sue me for stealing your idea. Get a crit group if you want help.
Can you read my to-be-published book and give me an advanced review?
Sure. Unless you write for PublishAmerica.
What's wrong with PA?
Don't get me started.
I have this really great book--can you introduce me to your publisher?
No.
I heard you work in acquisitions. Can I email you, butter you up, and then stand a better chance when I submit my novel to you later?
If you want to, but the odds of me remembering your name are slim to none. Also, if I *do* recognize the name of someone submitting something to the acquisitions department, I outsource the slush reading. I don't work for the company to help my friends.
Can I add you as a friend on Facebook?
I'd rather you friend my fan page (link to your right). Occasionally I get stalkers.
Can I stalk you?
Please don't, unless you're Dina James (she has exclusive stalking rights).
Can I send you fan mail?
Please do.
Note: Please do not email/tweet/Facebook me about anything regarding my day job at Mundania. There are proper channels to go through for work inquiries. Any work-related mail that comes to my personal author accounts gets deleted.
