The Ring Academy: The Trials of Imogene Sol received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author CL Walters.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The Ring Academy: The Trials of Imogene Sol was published this past August (2023), but my newsletter subscribers got to read the first draft when it was serialized in my newsletter back in 2020.
What’s the book’s first line?
“Imogene raced across the room to grab the bo staff leaning against the wall, her opponent just steps behind her.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”:
Imogene Sol has worked hard to be a top-10 cadet at The Ring Academy on Serta. When the Final Trials begin—tests to determine her job placement—she’s ready. Her hope to shed her infamous name—a name synonymous with her traitor parents—rides on her performance. When a mysterious saboteur interferes with her Trials, Imogene must uncover who’s behind the treachery but who can she trust? The stakes aren’t just for her future anymore but her life.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
Sometimes we get stuck. Stuck in our fears, our past, our traditions. There are all kinds of ways that we can get locked in (that have nothing to do with pandemics). As a teacher of high school students grappling with identity, I wanted to write a hero that was independent and strong, but also used that as a way to remain stuck. I wanted her to face her fear to trust and find that vulnerability to grow forward. I wrote The Ring Academy: The Trials of Imogene Sol through that school-life lens, wondering not only what a school might look like thousands of years into the future, but also what kind of students might attend it?
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Because they are looking for a fun way to escape for a little while. The mystery element makes this story a lot of fun.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Imogene is tough. She’s had to be, but she’s grappling with what it also means to be vulnerable when it doesn’t feel safe to be so. I think Imogene has that toughness like Katniss Everdeen but discovers that softer side of herself that Katniss isn’t allowed to uncover.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
The Trials of Imogene Sol is the twelfth book I’ve written and published. The first book I wrote and published was Swimming Sideways, which also was Indie Reader Approved!
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am a high school English teacher.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
When I’m not working or grading, any free time I have is spent writing, probably between 10-15 hours a week.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The most difficult part of being an indie author is getting the word out. Sometimes it feels like shouting into the chaos a very noisy train station without an intercom. I just keep writing the best books I can and shouting into the chaos of that train station platform hoping someone will climb aboard the train.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Read, read, and read some more. This is how you build your sense of language and build your writing toolkit.