In a thoughtless final act of destruction, humans wake the one creature of legend they have no protection against. Years after the complete subjugation of the human race, Derek, heir of the Dragon Queen, and Cecily, create a tentative friendship. But something or someone is stalking the human enclave. Cecily and Derek must find out who and why before she's next. Purchase on Amazon
The dragons' arrival was a terrible and fascinating time. It felt much like closing a favorite book only to discover its bad-ass characters were actually real – and coming for you. To many, the dragons' arrival was a nightmare turned into reality. To me, their presence gave man the chance to prove he could rise to the challenge.
I'm not too proud to admit I was wrong, horribly wrong.
Humans fought. Our fear of dragons created a unity among all humankind that was almost beautiful. After years of fighting amongst ourselves, we at last banded together against our common enemy. Maybe it wasn't surprising, considering our tendency to war. Perhaps it was inevitable.
So we fought – and we died. Dragonkind was too alien, too terrifying, and too impossible to accept. We would have fought and died to the last man, but they didn't allow it. They came among us in human form and I, even I, fell under their spell.
Dragons are beautiful and terrifying in any guise, but the appearance they took to end the war was the most terrible of all. The only way to stay safe from them was to never succumb to their gaze at all.
So, I give warning. Beware, those of you who have not seen them in that guise yet. They are only recognizable by these two things: Their exceedingly perfect beauty – and their eyes.
Tell us a bit about yourself
Well, Im 29 (soon to be 30 - don't tell anyone though...lol)
When did you begin writing?
When I was five. The story was about a diamond thief - I even drew a bookcover for it. Iwas bad all around lol
Have you ever been discouraged in regard to your writing ability and if so, how did you get past it and move forward?
Oh man, all the time. There is one story I've been working on for almost a year. If I ever finish it, I'll call it Dawn of The Dead. I received a really tough crit on it, and ended up experiencing writer's block on that story that lasted seven months. I finally got past it with a little encouragement from some friends and because I delved into photomanipulation and made the cover for it. Seeing the cover helped bust the writer's block- it made me feel inspired to write the story again.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
Creating a world different than the one I live in. I love imagining worlds where magic could exist, where a multitude of things are possible.
What is something you've written that will never see the light of day?
Well, I haven't written anything that I've decided won't see the light of day. I've begun writing many stories that I just don't have time to complete, and I've written stories that I refuse to put out until major revisions are made, but I've never thought of just killing a story. Although, now that I think of it - there are several poems I've written that I refuse to show anyone lol.
What is your writer food?
Coffee. Definitely coffee.
What's the hardest thing about writing for you?
The hardest thing is the blank page or a break between scenes. Often, if I have to stop writing, I'll stop mid-scene because pausing a scene, then continuing on later is easier for me than starting a new scene from scratch.
What inspires you to write?
Sometimes I'll get ideas from watching other writers. I wrote The Dragon's Call because I was inspired from Amanda Hocking's success and I wanted to write a YA novel - but hated the idea of anything to do with vampires. Other times, I'll just be walking along and have a thought like, "It would be really cool if life was like this." And then a storyline will flow from that.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I've written a number of short stories as well as two novels. One is The Dragon's Call, and the other is In Light of Burning, which is a story I pulled to work on revisions and rewrites.
What are some of your favorite books?
I love dark fantasy. I really love stories that have dark, twisted characters who struggle toward the light. Into The Darklands starts off an awesome short series, and Kushiel's Dart is another favorite of mine.
What authors do you like to read?
Jacqueline Carey, Michelle Sagara West, Robin McKinley, Patricia Briggs, Robert Marston Fanney, Misty Provencher, A.E. Marling.... Man, the list could go on forever. What can I say? I'm a bibliophile lol.
What inspired you to write The Dragon's Call?
I wanted to write a YA fantasy story, but I don't like writing in worlds that are perfect. In nearly all the stories I've written, the world the characters live in is flawed in some way. This is probably why the world in which The Dragon's Call took place is dystopian. Also, I love dragons. Dragons are awesome.
If you could choose a dream cast for The Dragon's Call, who would you pick?
Channing Tatum would be Derek, Cherlize Theron would be the Dragon Queen, and Kristin Kreuk would be Cecily. Russell Crowe would be Todd. Russell Crowe is right up there with dragons - he's awesome.
Would you say you relate to any of your characters? If so, which one and why?
I think, out of all my characters, I related with Todd the most. His initial rebellion while he was young, his determination to fight or die, then his desire to protect his children at all costs- being in his head made him real to me in a way. I have to say that out of all the characters I've ever written, Thomas (from Thomas Lord of Death) and Todd Burns (from The Dragon's Call) are my favorite.
About the Author
So, a little about me: I recently moved from the Bay Area in California to Minnesota where I live with my daughter and husband. Getting used to weather below 40F is hard- so I keep the comforters handy!
I have loved reading fairy tales, sci-fi, and fantasy, and I've been writing poetry and stories since I first started reading. I have worked as a library aide (the lowly person that picks up abandoned library books and reshelves them,) a library assistant (the slightly less lowly person who sits behind the counter and makes you pay your book fines,) a baby sitter, a mental health specialist, a counseling hotline intern, a case manager, and now a dedicated writer. And I say that because I have always written- but I haven't necessarily consciously dedicated myself to it.
In the past, I have always created art or written when I was inspired--it's impossible for me to do this any other way- but after reading several indie authors who make certain they are inspired everyday- I realized that I wanted something more out of my writing than just a splash here and a splash there. I want to truly emerse myself in words.
This is my attempt to do just that. Wish me luck.
Yay for coffee! and wow, she started writing when she was FIVE? That's amazing! Lovely interview!!
ReplyDelete- Farah @ MajiBookshelf