Q&A with author Alexis Marie Chute
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a child, I always wanted to be an artist and author—exactly what I am doing right now. I also wanted to be an actress and big businesswoman. I’ve always had many dreams and still think it would be a great challenge to be a lawyer or a firefighter. I don’t subscribe to the idea that we have to pick one career and stick with it. Life is more fun with adventure, change and challenge.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?
I have been writing since as far back as I can remember—and even before I could hold a pen. As a child, I was very creative and cerebral. I was always coming up with stories and adventures. Fortunately, I didn’t lose that trait as I grew up. I find writing inspiration everywhere, at all times. My brain is a sponge for my environment and stimuli. Sometimes this is overwhelming, but most often I use this hyper-awareness to my advantage.
Where/When do you best like to write?
I like to write surrounded by candles and incense. I cannot have distractions or a busy desk. My music choice is typically classical, like Vivaldi or Mozart, and nothing with words as I find I begin typing what I am listening to. I like to write at my vintage style black wood desk by the window in my room. My actual work-desk in the office is too distracting for me. I don’t have a “best time” to write except when I am crunching a deadline. I love deadlines as external motivators.
What inspired your story?
My 8th Island Trilogy was inspired by the belief that we will go to extreme lengths to save those we love. The three unlikely characters learn that their past selves do not define their present bravery. They rally against unsurmountable odds and learn that they possess strength they never imagined. In many ways, the trilogy is a fictionalized look at the resiliency of the human spirit. That is a topic I am obsessed with and optimistic about!
How does a new story idea come to you? Is it an event that sparks the plot or a character speaking to you?
I get new ideas all the time. From everywhere. From everyone. A new lightbulb is constantly illuminated above my head. My struggle is not in finding ideas, but choosing which ideas are worth my attention and which ideas should be the focus for right now.
Is there a message/theme in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The resiliency of the human spirit is what percolates up in most of my work. It’s the dogged determinedness that I see in so many people, no matter the hardships they face. They inspire me, and because of them, I want my work to inspire others.
What was your greatest challenge in writing this book?
My greatest challenge in writing any book is getting my bum in the chair, overcoming that procrastination. Once I’ve gotten over the initial hump, and am in the flow, I’m good to go in that department. Then the next struggle is when to stop editing. I am a relentless, picky, and perfectionist kind of editor. There comes a point, however, when I need to hold back and declare a book, “FINISHED!!”
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Not in winter—I hate snow—but I typically love being outdoors! My favorite activities are paddle boarding, canoeing, hiking, trail running, and sitting in a hot tub outside and talking for hours with friends and family.
Also, aside from my writing, I am a visual artist, curator, filmmaker, and public speaker. So those things, plus family time, keep me super busy. I do, however, always make time for the important people in my life.
Title: Below the Moon
Author: Alexis Marie Chute
Blurb: Ella Wellsley is not your typical teenager. Cancer left her mute, but not powerless. Trapped in a parallel dimension, Ella rallies her strength to join her family—her mother, Tessa, her grandpa Archie, and her magical boyfriend—in locating the cure to her illness. This cure is entangled in the fate of all worlds, and threatened by the presence of an evil Star anchored in the sea. The Star has thrown life everywhere into chaos—and it is Ella who holds the key to unlocking its mystery.
Caught in a web of betrayal, mistaken identities, secrets, and love triangles, Ella, Tessa, and Archie must overcome their troubled pasts to ensure a future for all worlds. On this journey—armed with unearthly abilities and unexpected allies—each member of the Wellsley family will learn the power of love in the face of their greatest fears.
About the Author
Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning artist, author, photographer, and filmmaker.Her debut memoir, Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy After Loss,was released by She Writes Press in 2017, accompanied by the feature documentary. Chute has been published in PhotoEd, WestWord, Mind Body Green, Savvy Mom, Today’s Parent, Vie, The Bellingham Review, Edmonton Woman, Flurt, Smart Healthy Woman, and the Three Minus One and the Women’s Art Museum Society of Canada anthologies.
Chute has received over 30 noteworthy distinctions for her visual and literary work, such as being named a “Canada Book Awards” winner for her memoir, Expecting Sunshine, and other recognitions such as The John Poole Award for promotion of the Arts, “Emerging Canadian Photographer” by Photo Life Magazine, and Avenue Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40.” Chute was featured in print and video as mother-expert in the pregnancy loss awareness campaign by Today’s Parent Magazine, which won first place at the 38th Annual National Magazine Awards for Best Editorial Package on the Web. Chute’s blog for bereaved parents is called Wanted Chosen Planned.
Chute was the 2012/2013 Artist in Residence at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre, where she began her groundbreaking fine art photo series called “The Quiet Rebuild,” featuring volunteers from around the world. Her photography on the topic of resiliency has been exhibited internationally and her bright-bold abstract paintings are represented at the AR&S Gallery at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Chute also curates the annual InFocus Photography Exhibition & Award during Exposure Photography Festival.
Alexis Marie Chute received her Bachelors of Fine Art in Art and Design from the University of Alberta, Canada, and studied at Media Design school in Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated valedictorian with her Masters of Fine Art in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, USA.
Chute is a highly-regarded public speaker. She has presented on art, writing, bereavement, and the healing capacities of creativity through in courses and at conferences in Europe, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada. Contact the Author/Artist for bookings info@alexismariechute.com
When not in her art/photo studio or writing at her computer, Chute loves to spend quality time with her family, read both fiction and non-fiction, watch reality TV, paddleboard, and canoe. She is not a winter person but lives in the frosty city of Edmonton with her husband and their three living children.
Author website: http://www.alexismariechute.
Social Media:
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/
Twitter handle
https://twitter.com/_Alexis_
