BareBones Ent got the chance to sit down with bestselling author, Ann Bakshis. Ann is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of her dystopian novel, Wasteland. Check out what all Ann had to say about Wasteland, writing and the relaunch.
BBE: Hit us with your elevator pitch. How would you hook us with Wasteland?
AB: Genetically engineered young adult female rebels against her creator.
BBE: I want to take you all the way back. What was creating of Wasteland like for you?
AB: It took me 4 years to write. There were chapters that I completely scrapped or rewrote, struck out entire scenes or characters, and started over and over from the very beginning several times. It was a struggle because it was my first book, and I was trying to find my voice/writing style. It was rough, but I loved every minute of it.
BBE: What was the most fun part of writing the story for you? Characters and dialog, world building, action scenes, or what?
AB: The most fun was creating the dystopian world, along with developing and evolving the main character. She’s apart of me and has been since the very beginning. I do love crafting action scenes. Sometimes I have to write those separately, then weave them into the appropriate chapter. I try to keep the dialog from going flat, so I’ll interject a snarky remark or comment into a characters’ response/reaction.
BBE: What was going through your head when the book first was released to the public while you waited to hear how people were going to respond?
AB: I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. I had no idea if it would actually get read by anyone, let alone receive positive reviews. The voice in my head constantly telling me that it was a waste of time, my writing career was going to start and die with Wasteland. I was beyond anxious those first several months, then I focused on attention on the second book in the series and simply kept going.
BBE: How do you feel today about Wasteland, compared to how you felt when it released?
AB: I’m in LOVE with this story! I have a lot more confidence with it, as well as the entire series, and have had a lot of positive feedback. That surprised me considering it’s the first book I wrote and self-published. Whenever I have writer’s block or need motivation, Wasteland is the book I pull off my shelf and reread. It gives me a confidence boost knowing that I created that, I pushed through the struggles to tell this amazing story, and to never give up.
BBE: You did a special 10 year relaunch of the book. What made you want to do that?
AB: I wanted to do the relaunch because I felt the story needed to be brought back to the forefront of my available titles. And the cover needed a major overhaul. I wasn’t at all familiar with the process of cover design and had no idea what to put on the cover, so the artist I worked with went with what was easiest for me at the time. She’s done all of my covers, including the newer one. Our collaboration is awesome and improves with each new release.
BBE: How have people responded to the relaunch?
AB: I’ve had a lot of positive feedback. New readers are discovering this story, along with my other works. The cover has blown people away due to its originality and that it delves so much deeper into the story than the first one. This one catches audiences’ attention.
BBE: Has anything surprised you about the relaunch?
AB: The amount of traffic it’s driving to my webpage (which needs a complete overhaul). I wasn’t expecting to get that sort of notice, but I’m so thankful for it.
BBE: What is next for you?
AB: My goal for the remainder of the year is to relaunch the rest of the series with new covers as well, along with focusing on several other series I’m in the middle of writing.
BBE: What is the best way for fans to connect with you and stay up to date on news?
AB: I’m on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. Those are the best ways to follow me stay updated.
BBE: Anything else you would like to add?
AB: I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me, and look forward to crafting new stories (which there are quite a few in the works).
