Fantasy stories take you on a journey into the magical worlds we can only imagine from the eyes of the authors. A.C. Mooney, the author of the Mirror Walker series, brings you into a whole new world that exists on the other side of the mirror!
During a candid conversation with us about her book ‘Mirror’s Ecko’, A.C. Mooney talked about her life, her writing journey, and much more. Before we dive into her interesting answers, let us first know a little more about the author.
About the Author: A.C. Mooney
A.C. Mooney is an author and a proud mother from Texas, USA. She debuted her way as an author with her very first fantasy novel Mirror’s Ecko, released in 2022. She released the second part ‘Ecko in the Dark’ in the same year.
Mooney has been a lover of fantasy stories since the very beginning. She is especially drawn toward the Fae and the surrounding lore of the fantasy world. Having a very vivid and creative imagination, this fantastic story has been lurking inside her head for years. She finally decided to share the amazing Mirror Walker series with the world.
Apart from being an author, she has an artistic soul. She taught herself sculpting using clay and basic things she collects from the woods.
Further, author A.C. Mooney shared about her childhood, writing journey, inspirations, and more interesting things about herself. Here are all of her interesting answers.
Tell us about your parents, kids, and family.
I have four siblings, an older brother and sister, and a younger brother and sister, with me being the oddball smack dab in the middle. My biological father decided that he no longer wished to be part of our lives when I was ten years old, but that just made it possible for the very best dad in the history of dads to step in and take his place. (Seriously, he’s like a real-life hero, swooping in to rescue us, even if we didn’t appreciate it at the time. Poor man. The troubles we put him through during our teenage years!)
My mom and my dad raised the five of us to be tough, honest, and kind to others, and to always appreciate what we have. I had four beautiful children of my own, with my mom and dad right there by my side when they were born.
They’re all grown up now, and I spend my days with my five… yes, FIVE kitties (the B’s. Bella, Bug, Bob, Bouncy Booty, and Beatrix) and my overgrown, 120-pound dog, Sam a.k.a. the big dummy.
When and where were you born and bought up?
I was born in Houston, Texas and I was raised in Humble, Texas. I now live in a quiet, little town, roughly seventy miles north of my old stomping grounds.
What were you like at school? Any childhood memory you would like to share?
I was a shy, quiet girl who often felt invisible. I tiptoed through the halls as silently as possible, much like a little mouse. Or a ghost.
What are your educational/professional qualifications?
I have no education to speak of. I quit school and got married at a very early age. I later went back to get my G.E.D and I took one year of college at North Harris Community College, but I never pursued a career.
What is your biggest achievement until today?
My children, of course! All I ever really wanted to do in life was have my own family. I know everyone says this, but I really did raise four of the greatest humans imaginable!
Which writers inspire you?
Karen Marie Moning. She is, hands down, my all-time favorite author. She is so creative, and her imagination is unparalleled. She is also a great inspiration. She has had many personal trials to overcome, and she has succeeded flawlessly.
Writing is stressful at times. How do you relax your mind?
I have an artist’s mind and soul. I sometimes imagine that I was an artist in a prior life because I am only content when I am creating something. When I’m not writing, I sculpt fairies, mermaids, dragons, and other fantasy creatures. I use clay, roots, driftwood, twigs, moss, feathers, and mushrooms that I’ve collected from the woods and lake near my home.
What is your favorite motivational phrase?
I’ve never really thought about this, but I love written words, lyrics, quotes, and poems. I love how they can make you think and feel. I adore a quote from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. “Hope strengthens. Fear kills.”
I also love “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time” from The Fight Club.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would say, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are only human, and all humans are perfectly flawed… it’s not just you! Do more of what you enjoy instead of just surviving day to day. You’re not going to get out of this life alive, so live it. Don’t just exist, quietly tiptoeing through life. Stomp through it. Make as much noise as you possibly can. Leave your footprints all over this world.
What books do you like to read personally? What are you reading currently?
Much like my tastes in music, I enjoy a little bit of everything. My bookshelves are lined with every genre out there, just as my music playlists consist of every type of music. I’d say that I’m a diverse and avid reader, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be fantasy/fiction… and if it has a dark side to it, I’m hooked!
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
None. I have high aspirations of becoming a great writer. What author doesn’t? But take that away from someone else? Never. That is their masterpiece. They worked hard and went through Hell to create it and get it out into the world so that people like me could read it and be inspired by it. I’ll just have to create my own masterpiece(s)!
What made you decide to sit down and actually start writing?
The story I’m writing will be several books in the making. It has been in my head for many years, taking shape, growing, and evolving to such an overwhelming degree that honestly, I had no choice but to sit down and start writing it. It has been such a perpetually persistent, nagging voice in my mind that I can no longer remember if I got the original idea from a dream or if the dreams were manifested from the idea.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Pure chaos and absolutely no structure whatsoever. I write on anything and everything, with my chicken scratch handwriting that only I can read. I have index cards, neatly plotting out the scenes for the entire series, but at the same time, I write on random pieces of paper, sticky notes, and the backs of letters from the mail.
I fill notebook after notebook with ideas and scenes and quotes to be added into the story. I’ve even written on napkins. Some days, I sit down at my computer and punch out words for ten hours straight. On other days, I’ll write a single sentence and call it quits.
It’s all about what’s ready to emerge from the depths of my imagination and what needs to tumble around in there for a bit longer.
What is the reason you write for; is it for the readers or yourself or some other thing?
I write because I have to write. I have to tell this story. For myself, even if no one else believes in it. I have to believe in it.
About your Book: Mirror’s Ecko
“Mirror’s Ecko” by AC Mooney is a dark fantasy fiction novel. The story follows Ecko who spent her entire life staring at things in the mirrors that no one else can see… magical worlds, fairy tale creatures, and mystical people. Soon, she discovers Samara, her own image inside the mirror, and everything changes!
AC Mooney’s novel explores themes of identity, reality, and the nature of consciousness. The story also delves into the dangers of corporations having too much power and control over people’s lives. It is a thought-provoking and action-packed novel that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy.
What genre is your book? What draws you to this genre?
Dark Fantasy I just adore fantasy, especially the Fae!
Who was the inspiration behind the characters of Ecko and Samara?
Ecko and Samara are both me. I am them. They’re the absolute best of me and they are the darkest, most destructive parts of me. Both are exaggerated, of course!
What makes ‘Mirror’s Ecko’ stand out in this genre?
I’m not sure that it ‘stands out’ per se. I can only hope that it does. I feel like the idea behind the Mirror Walker series is unique, but there are so many authors writing amazing stories.
Sure, some things will be similar to what others write, but I’m positive that many things in my story are unique and untried. Mirror traveling is not unheard of, as far as imagination goes. But the worlds that Ecko will travel to, the wonders and the absolute nightmares that she’ll witness truly are unique!
What should a reader expect from ‘Mirror’s Ecko’?
Mirror’s Ecko is basically Ecko and Samara’s backstories. Originally, I had planned to write book one in two separate parts. I was going to give the backstory, Ecko and Samara’s childhood years, in the first part. Part two was going to be when Ecko traveled through the mirror for the first time.
The actual telling of the girls’ beginnings ended up being more elaborate and detailed than I intended. With 444 pages, it had to be a book all on its own. Book two, Ecko in the Dark, is where the real adventures begin!
This story brings real and fantasy worlds together very beautifully. What was the hardest & the easiest thing to write such a story?
The easiest part of writing Mirror’s Ecko was that by the time I finally sat down to start writing, it had become such a fundamental part of me that it basically just flowed from my heart to my brain as effortlessly as it flowed from my fingertips to the keyboard.
I have babied this story for so long, feeding it and nurturing it like it’s a living, breathing thing. When the time came to begin the writing process, it was like typing out the captions of a beloved, favorite movie that I’ve watched so many times I can repeat it line for line. (Like my all-time favorite movie, Labyrinth! I know every word by heart!)
The hardest part was ‘getting into character’ for each girl. Ecko is the good girl, and Samara is the bad one. I had to set my mind to be that girl, or else I found that Ecko was not as good a girl as she should be, and Samara was just a little less bloodthirsty than she truly is. I had to play their respective roles to properly portray them.
Any special experience about ‘Mirror’s Ecko’ that you would like to share?
During the early days of planning Mirror’s Ecko, back when I first knew that I eventually had to write it all out, my youngest son and I bonded over the idea of it all. I explained the storyline and some of the creatures to him, and he was all for it!
We had so many talks, bouncing ideas back and forth about the crazy creatures that the girls will meet along their journeys. He even drew one of my “bad” fairies, as he called them. Also, the girls on the cover of book one and book two are actually my daughter’s!
I plan on having all four of my kid’s faces on the covers of my books. I mean, I have absolutely beautiful kids, if I do say so myself!
Future Plans
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I simply want to tell my story. I’m so in love with it. I’m absolutely obsessed with it! I want others to love it, as well. I know that it’s not for everyone. Parts of it are too dark, too childish, too unbelievable, too slow-moving, too whatever.
I can’t please everyone. I know that. I knew it from day one. That’s why I decided to write it my way and refused to change or eliminate certain things that others may find “tedious” or “unpleasant”. It’s my story and I’m sticking to it. The end!
Are you working on your new project? What will be your next book about?
I am currently editing book three and finishing up the first draft of book four of the Mirror Walker series. I often get asked if I’ll have anything more to offer, once it has all been written and I type out the final The End on that last book.
Who knows what the future holds? I certainly have ideas brewing in my mind, but honestly, all my attention gets focused on this series, on creating the worlds and creatures and adventures for this story. It’s what I have to give right now, at this moment in time, and that’s good enough for me.
What does success mean to you as an Author?
Success… It was a success to get that first chapter written. It was a success to keep at it and finish it. It was a success to type “The End”. It was a success to find someone that believed in my story enough to take a chance on publishing it. (Thank you, Tyra Hodge!) It was a success to see that very first sale.
In my opinion, success is not limited to becoming an instant bestseller and does not necessarily mean becoming rich and famous. Those are certainly some great aspirations, but a win is a win. I’ll take them in whatever form I can get them. Big and small.
What are your views on the publishing process and its nuances?
Publishing. Is. Hard. It has been so much more difficult than actually writing the books. There are so many things to learn, especially if you are technologically impaired like I am!
One learning that you’d like to pass on to young debut authors.
KEEP GOING! Never stop, and never let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Your opinion is the only one that matters in your story!
Your opinion about Vowelor.
So far, five out of five stars! I’m new to the whole published author scene, so there is a lot that I’m still learning. Guneet Chawla has been very patient and helpful. Hopefully, with Vowelor’s help in the advertising and marketing departments, I’ll see an increase in popularity and sales!
