Summer of Indie's next guest author writes under two different
names: A.D. McLain and Amanda Young. Amanda writes paranormal romances and
fantasy novels "where anything is possible, faith is everything and no one can
escape their destiny", and her books are often paranormal romance books (that
usually involve werewolves). Today we spoke with Amanda about her more recent
book Suriax, a fantasy
novel.
Suriax
If it was legal to kill, would you?Suriax and Aleria were sister cities, separated by the Therion River. Both were founded on a strict observance of the law, but they could not have been more different. For King Veritan founded Suriax on the teachings of Venerith, the Corruptor, a god of laws devoid of morality. In Suriax there is no "right" or "wrong." There is only "legal" or "illegal."
Kern was an assassin for the Flame Guard, mercenaries dedicated to Venerith. He never questioned his life until the day he learned the truth about his past.
Pursued by a queen willing to do anything to keep her throne, Kern must face an uncertain future and a bargain that will change the people of Suriax forever.
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/wotpast
Other Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/wotpast-amandayoung
After finding out more about Suriax,
Summer of Indie held a short interview with Amanda:
What
inspired you to write your first book?
I wrote my first book when I was twelve years old. It was a short
science fiction story that helped me pass the time during summer vacation. I
don't remember too much of where the ideas came from, but it was the first time
I ever finished any of my various artistic projects and helped me to know I was
meant to write. My second book was very different. It was the first book of my
Spirit of the Wolf series. I wrote "Wolf of the Past" after watching
a movie at Halloween that gave me ideas for a story involving werewolves. I
didn't expect it to lead anywhere. Now, that book is the basis for my main
series.
Do you
have any advice for other writers?
Write. Write as much as you can, even if you don't have a
publisher or aren't ready to self-publish yet. That way, once you have the
connections and website or blog or fan page all set up, you can jump right in
and grab your readers. Don't just write one book and wait for it to succeed to
write another. You may not be successful until the third or fourth or fifteenth
book. But when it does happen, you will have all those other books already
available for your fans to find.
Why do
you write?
I love to write and what I want most is to be read and enjoyed. I
want to touch readers the way I was touched. Books helped me get through some
difficult times in the past. I was able to escape for a bit, learn some coping
skills and lift my spirits. I want to be that for someone else. I get
inspiration from everything; work, my family, television, books I read.
Sometimes it is a movie I love that gives me an idea. I get so caught up with
the characters, I think of what happens after the credits roll and the idea
shifts into something that works in my stories. Other times it is a movie or
book I hated that spurs and idea. I never know where my ideas will come from. I
can only be prepared to write them down when they do. Other than that, I am
inspired to write and be successful by my family. It is my dream to write full
time, so I can stay home with my children. Whenever I have writer's block, or
just don't feel like typing another word, I think of my kids and work on
something to help my writing career become a reality.
Pretend
for a moment I'm a reader looking for my next book. Pitch me one of your books
in five to ten sentences.
If it was legal to kill, would you? Welcome to Suriax, a city
where killing is accepted as normal and laws mean everything. Kern must grapple
with questions of morality, destiny and a queen who wants him dead. Throw in a
pact with a god and you have an event that will change the people of Suriax
forever.
Tell us something about yourself. (Where are you from, what
is your background, how long have you been writing or anything we might find
interesting about you.)
I was born in
Mississippi, but I spent a great deal of time in Texas and now live in
Louisiana. I was always drawn to the paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy. I wrote
school papers on time travel and Bigfoot, took physics and astronomy for fun,
played dungeons and dragons, read comics, watch anime and frequently attend
renaissance festivals. Yes, I’m a nerd.
What inspired you to write this book?
My husband was creating a world for a dnd (Dungeons and Dragons) campaign and asked for my help in working out some of the back story and mythology. I came up with some short descriptions for the history of a couple of cities and an origin story for some important characters. When I began my National Novel Writing Month challenge last November, I decided to take my four page summary and turn it into a full blown story. It was my first attempt at writing fantasy, so my husband played a big role in the development of the story. Without him,“Suriax” would not exist.
What motivated you to become an indie writer?
I love the freedom to set my own prices, run my own contests and
free promotions, design my own cover and have control over when it is released.
Whether you self-publish or go through a publisher you have to do almost all
your own marketing. The only difference is how much you get paid for your work.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am working on book 3 in my Spirit of the Wolf werewolf romance
series. It is titled “Wolf of the Future.” For that series I write as A.D.
McLain. I am also working on book 2 in my History of Ondar fantasy series. This
is a joint project with my husband. I write as Amanda Young for my fantasy
books.
Amanda Young (a.k.a. A.D. McLain) is a writer of Paranormal
Romance (specifically werewolf romances) and Fantasy.Having completed her first story at the age of twelve, Amanda knew at an early age that writing was her passion. She attended South Jones High School in Ellisville, MS and graduated from the University of New Orleans in 2003 with a degree in English.
She currently resides in Louisiana, where she is married to her soulmate, Raymond. They married in a magical, Renaissance themed wedding ceremony in 2006 and had their first child in May 2008. They welcomed their second son in 2011.
You can
find author Amanda Young/A.D McLain online at:
www.wotpast.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wotpast
blog: http://wotpast.wordpress.com
twitter: https://twitter.com/wotpast
goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6655305-a-d-mclain-young
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/wotpast
Email: wotpast@yahoo.com
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/wotpast/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/wotpast
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/wotpast
Other Author Page: amazon.com/author/wotpast-amandayoung
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