Author Interview: Andi O'Conner

I have a special treat for you all.  I recently had the honor of conducting a small interview with Andi O'Conner, author of The Dragonath Chronicles (so far two volumes).  Along with the Dragonath Chronicles, Andi has also written the Legacy of Ilvania (short story {2 volumes}), and The Vaelinel Triology (So far one book).  Andi is exceptionally talented and I am so very excited to share her interview. 
 
 Where did you get the inspiration for your novel?  

The inspiration I get for my writing comes from life. I know it sounds like such a simple answer and kind of a cheat, but it's true. Even though I write fantasy, a lot more can be taken from real life events and issues than most people think. In order for fantasy to be relatable and resonate with your readers, it needs to be real. Characters need to experience real emotions, issues, and situations. I've included things such as abortion, discrimination, religion, epidemics, rape, and spousal abuse in my books. Of course, the topics I write about fit within the realm of the world and story I'm building, but my readers can easily relate to the characters and events.

As far as inspiration for plots and characters, all I can say is that my brain works in mysterious ways. I can't really say where any ideas come from. People think I'm lying when I say things just pop into my head, but it's true! I recently got the entire plot for a short story because I decided I wanted to write about an assassin. That got my brain spiraling off and some really neat twists on the typical assassin were born. The best answer I can give is that I'm exceptionally creative and quite content to sit back and observe.

Who designed the cover?

The cover for Awakening was designed by Damonza.com. I had used them for my short story Redemption and they did such a great job I decided to stick with them. I gave them the idea I had for the sword and kraylock (the red and black sphere) and they designed such a brilliant cover! It's eye-catching and perfectly captures the feel of the book. It's mysterious in the fact that it makes people want to know about the sword and kraylock and what they have to do with the title. It also captures the darker feelings and themes of the book
 
Can you walk me through your writing process?

My writing process is extremely unstructured. I don't outline. I don't write out the plot line from beginning to end. I don't have a list of characters who will be in the book.

When I begin a new work, I have the most basic of an idea, and I just start writing. I let the characters and events tell me what to write. I don't know what's going to happen at the end of the book when I begin. I don't know what a certain character is going to be like, though I know they most likely won't be the same as they were at the beginning. I am a firm believer in letting my characters and imagination carry me through. I let my characters evolve and react to situations in their own ways, and I can't know what that will be until they get there. I have come up with so many ideas half-way through a book that I know I wouldn't have thought of if I'd written an outline and planned out the plot and story arc. Many people ask me what happens next, and I honestly can't tell them. I'll find out what happens pretty much around the same time as they will.

I'll take notes to make sure I'm consistent between different books or short stories in a series, but I refuse to outline. It's too restrictive and won't give my characters enough freedom to learn from their experiences and evolve into (hopefully) better people.

How did you come up with the title?

The title Awakening comes from a few events that happen throughout the book which center around the theme of an awakening. A spirit is awakened and returns to Dragonath. After Darrak, the protagonist, is betrayed, a strength and resolve he didn't know he had awakens within him. Dragons, who were thought to be a myth, appear to lend their aid, so there is a sense of awakening there as well. The theme of awakening also appears in other ways, but I don't want to spoil everything!

What authors have inspired you? And in what ways?

My biggest inspiration has been Terry Brooks. He was my first major foray into the fantasy genre, and I was immediately drawn into the world he created. His Shannara series introduced me into how real and relatable make-believe can be. The complexity of his magical objects (the elfstones) was fascinating, and I began to realize how intriguing and interesting fantasy can be. It doesn't have to be just mindless entertainment. It can be extremely thought-provoking as well as being fun. To this day, the only time I've cried while reading a book is reading one of his works.

The other major author that has inspired me is Tolkien, though not in the way you may think. He taught me what not to do. The world building is very descriptive and well thought out, but there's no connection with the characters. He didn't bring any emotion to me as a reader. He created this beautifully detailed world, but then left all these holes in the plot. He constructs this supposedly horrifically powerful magic ring, but then doesn't show his readers WHY it's powerful. There's all this magic in the world - wizards, magic rings, elvish magic - yet it's never used or explained. His battles are almost non-existent and honestly quite unbelievable. If this one ring is as powerful and coveted as it's supposed to be, the conflicts and battles over winning its possession would be much more epic. Many people love his work, and he's kind of seen as the god of fantasy, but for me he's served as an example of things to avoid doing. Or better put, things to make sure I include in my writing.

What is it about a particular genre that draws you in?  Would you say you typically stay within a chosen genre or do you experiment?

I love fantasy because it serves as an escape to another world, yet at the same time it's extremely relatable. I think the major draw of fantasy is the belief that it could be real-that it could exist. When characters and worlds are created well, the reader not only feels like they're there, but they feel like it's real. I mean honestly, how awesome would it be if magic existed? What if there really were elfstones or kraylocks or magic rings? It's intriguing. It's exciting. And who knows...it could actually exist.

I stay within the same genre. Fantasy is what excites me and intrigues me the most, and what I feel is most in tune with my brain. :) That's not to say I'm not opposed to trying something new, and I may if an idea pops into my head, but for now I'm sticking with fantasy, particularly dark fantasy.

With so many books being made into movies, what actors to you see staring as your characters?

This is such a fun question! I actually haven't thought about this before (and I hardly ever watch movies) so I had to do some research! Here we go:

Darrak - Elijah Wood
Andillrian - Emma Watson
Anarra - Dakota Fanning
Mionee - Natalie Portman
Ipzaag - Matthew Lewis
Garenth - Colin Farrell
Captain Rorend - Luke Evans
Biran/Payton Niemel - Bryan Cranston
Detaldin - Aiden Turner

How do you think your specific genre has influenced pop culture?

There has been a definite increase in fantasy/sci-fi movies and a renewed interest in the genre. I think the pop culture and literary culture have sort of fed off one another. Tolkien has such a huge fan base and the books were what inspired the movies. But the movies created a buzz and helped bring a lot more fans to the world of fantasy. I think that helped people see that fantasy can and should be taken seriously and more authors began to write in the genre. Many series and authors became extremely popular and again, influenced movies which have continued to bring in new fans of the genre. Because of both the literary and pop cultures, fantasy is no longer seen as only for 'nerds'. It's something everyone of all ages can enjoy and relate to.

Each one of Andi's books seem so fascinating.  Unfortunately I have not had the honor of reading any of her books, yet, but they are on my list of To Read.  Be sure to keep checking back for a review of any one of her books, I am sure I will devour each one. 

For more about Andi visit her site here. Or you can follow her on goodreads.

Blood Faerie

Title: Blood Faerie by India Drummond
Media: E-book: Kindle

Rating 3 out of 5 stars
Recommendation: If you enjoy fantasy stories with faeries this is a good book for you.  It takes a different look at the mythical creature we all know so well.

Blood Faerie is the first book in the urban fantasy series Caldeona Fae.  It follows Eilidh as she struggles with deciding to do something right or remaining hidden from not only the home she ran from, but also the human world.  As well as a police constable whose dormant druidic powers begin to surface whenever he is around Eilidh.

Eilidh is a faerie who ran away from her kingdom because she was sentenced to death, even though she was innocent.  She escapes to a church in Perth, Scotland, where she thinks she is safe to hide.  That is until a murder happens close by, one she believes is committed by one of her kind.  Munro is a police constable tracking down a serial killer when he runs into a mysterious woman.  He finds it hard to believe the killer he is chasing is something supernatural.  Whenever he is around Eilidh, Mundo witnesses things, including his own dormant druidic powers awakening.

There are a lot of things that have gone into this story.  It is not only a fantasy novel, but also mystery, even a little romance.  There are times when it seemed as though the author didn't know which direction to take the story. The story jumped a lot between different themes/plots, although it was not difficult to keep track of the story.  It was slow to start, but the pace picks up quickly, almost too quickly to effectively tell the story.  Some things seem to get overlooked such as an accurate development of the characters and the relationship between them aside from a "magical bond." 

Drummond does a good job incorporation the mythos of the Faerie realm with a few innovations of her own, which is refreshing.  Too often authors rely completely on the mythos without creating their own characters.  The two main characters were developed nicely, but there was one character that got mentioned but never followed up on.  Readers are left wondering about this character.  The author does portray deep emotions, especially lose and sacrifice with Eilidh leaving her home.  The ending does draw the story to a close, but opens the story for the next book. 

While there were some things that deterred the novel from receiving a higher rating, it was a great story.  It had well develop plot and the characters were built nicely even if there were some you wanted more of (maybe in future novels?).  I would recommend it and I would continue to read the series to see where the story takes us.

So sleepy

Ever fall asleep during a good book?

Ever Shade

Title: Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1) by Alexia Purdy
Media Source: Ebook: Nook

Rating: 3 out of 5

Recommendations: I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys young adult, and fantasy tales.

Every now and then I find a book on Bookbub that sparks my interest. This novel was one of them.  The cover I found to be pretty and drew me into wanting to know what the story was about, the cover did it's job.  After reading the synopsis, I decided to give it a shot and see what the story held.

Ever Shade is a fantasy novel revolving around a teenage girl named Shade.  She discovers she is not completely human, but part faerie, and the one faerie prophecies have spoken about.  Shade is thrown into a quest to obtain water from a magical fountain in order to help the Seelie faerie court fight against the Unseelie faerie court.  Will Shade be up for the task?  Can she handle everything thrown at her throughout the journey across the realm?

Shade is plagued with voices whispering in her head.  If she ignores them, they get ever more persistent.  On this day they are ever vigilant that she enter a creepy abandoned warehouse building. She finds her way in and follow the directions of the voice only to find herself the witness of a battle between a woman and a man.  To add to the creep factor, the man fights with lightening and the woman a sonic blast.  Shade is frozen in place as the woman flies out the window.  What is going on?  After she is discovered and she explains the voices brought her there.  Without a second thought the man (Jack) tells her to follow him to the "oracle."  She goes along with him through the forest as he explains there are faeries.  Once she is among the faerie court, she finds out that she is the one the prophecy speaks about.  The one who could help save them from war with another faerie court.
Shade and an entourage of faerie warriors embark on a quest through the lands to obtain water from a magic fountain.  Along the way Shade and her friends are thrown into trial after trial, attack after attack including an attack from another faerie race.  The result of the attack is Shade is bonded to another faerie: Dylan a warrior who took the punishment of his brother.  Meaning he must forever be at her side until the land decides the debt is paid. Shade must find the power and courage within to accomplish her goal.

Overall this was a well written story, but there were some things that seemed a little too far fetched.  I mean a young woman meeting a guy for the very first time and willingly follows him into the unknown without a second thoughts.  The adult in me yelled at her to be more cautious, but the young woman in me told the adult to hush and read the book.  So, I locked the adult woman away and just enjoyed the novel without being nitpicky.  That being said...wow. The idea of different species of faeries was interesting especially the Teleens who were comprised of electricity or fire.  It was unique from some of the other faeries seen in other novels.  There were some things that didn't make sense such as the faerie realm being able to make their own light and things such as that, but there were outlets in some of the rooms.  It seemed convenient that whenever Shade needed something it was magically there.

Slowly Shade develops from the scared girl to one with a little courage.  She still has fears, but she overcomes them with her friends and her own learning of the realm.   She goes from hating the outdoors to beginning to enjoy it.  Although again, any time she had to do anything outdoorsy, she suddenly has the ability to do so because of some event in her childhood like scouts or camping with her family.  I think those elements would have been better if she struggled with learning how to pitch a tent or tie a good knot.  Through this journey Shade is supposed to be learning magic and how to fight, but oddly no one thinks to show her any of this except the one occasion she learns to make a wytch stone and when Dylan starts to teach her sword fighting, but not enough to defend herself in an attack, and they were attacked an awful lot.

While there were elements that made readers questions things, it was a great story.  The plot, dialog, and descriptions help make up for all those things.  Characters develop as the story progresses, while Dylan began hating Shade, they soon grow to like each other, maybe a little more than friends.  There were some things that seemed closely related to other fairy tales such as the man made of bark Shade meets.  He shins a woman who curses him to look hideous until he is kissed by a "queen to be."  Sound familiar?  I enjoyed the character interaction and communications.  There was a great deal of elements relating to accepting one another and being tolerant of one's differences.

Overall the story was an interesting read, I was so engrossed in the story I couldn't put it down.  Some things were hard to overlook, but there were plenty of things to make up for it.  Check out Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1)  if you enjoy a good fantasy novel.

Against Their Will

But we can't flinch when it becomes necessary to proceed in a manner that is beyond the normal, accepted limits.  we cannot lose sight of our goals."    -- Charles, Against Their Will.

Against Their Will by Nancy Livingstone
Media Source: Paperback
Rating 3 out of 5

Recommendation:  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller, medical or not.  It is a good read and will keep you interested  until the very end

In this medical thriller by Nancy Livingstone, Matt Grayson and Lynn McCane find themselves searching for answers and running for their lives.  Matt, Hollywood's hottest new talent, and Lynn, report for the Houston Chronicle, find themselves the only survivors when their plane is struck by lightening and crashes in East Texas.   Lynn is severely injured and goes into shock while Matt tries to save both their lives.  They are aided by a local farmer and his wife, but when Matt awakens in the hospital he is informed that he is the sole survivor, all others died on impact. Matt is not convinced of this and believes Lynn is still alive.  When he has an interview with a reporter from the LA Times, his thoughts are validated.  He tries to convince the reporter she is Lynn, even though she insists her name in Linda McGowen.  After a brush with the FBI and several unmarked vehicles, Linda begins to believe the circumstances of her car accident do not add up.  Soon Linda/Lynn and Matt discover a secret organization performing medical experiments on people against their will, Lynn being one of them.  The pair work together to find a way to expose the organization and obtain the answers they are desperately seeking.

When I found this book on Book Reading Club List, I couldn't resist wanting to read it.  I admit I normally do not read medical thrillers, mostly psychological thrillers, but this one caught my eye.  I loved stepping out of my comfort zone and reading this novel.  It was well written and it is evident that the author: Nancy Livingstone understood the material before writing the novel.   Some of the characters are well rounded such as Lynn/Linda.  We have so much of a background for her, but when it comes to Matt, there is little background other than him being a Hollywood hopeful.  So much was built up for Lynn that it seems Matt was left hanging.

While there were surprising twists in the novel, there were things that were pretty predictable.  One thing would happen then "oh surprise" this is also a thing:  for example the organization began experiments on a town in the 1940's, surprise they used those people to harvest organs.  Lynn uncovers the organization before her memories are erased, surprise she has a disease she wanted cured.  There were also a lot of questions that were left unanswered such as why was Lynn different than the other subjects, why did the farmer acquire special powers whereas no one else did.  The novel is filled with a variety of different things happening from the plane crash to the pair finding out about the organization and each other, to farmer revealing information (I don't want to give anything away), to even a romance between Lynn/Linda and Matt.  It is understandable for a lot of novels to try and include a romance between two characters.  In this case it is not needed, the story stands on it's own without the romance element.  It seems a little misplaced with everything else happening in the story.

Against Their Will is a very well written novel.  You can imagine every scene happening from the way she describes things.  Nancy includes similes that just make you giggle for example "they stayed on him like bubble gum on a flip flop."  That sentence is a great way to describe someone tailgating.  Throughout the novel there are elements such as the previously mentioned simile that makes the story enjoyable; they are things that catch the reader off guard.  I am glad I took a shot on a book that is outside my normal.  I think I need to do that more often

Check out the author interview here.
Want more from Nancy visit her site here.

**I was provided a copy of this book for an honest review**

Literary Cat: Falcor won't give up his book

"Once someone dreams a dream, it can't just drop out of existence.  But if the dreamer can't remember it, what becomes of it?"  ~~ The Never Ending Story - Michael Ende