Thursday, September 28, 2017

Author Interview with Giveaway: Savage (Dragonrider Legacy #1) by Nicole Conway

Book info:
Title:  Savage  
Author:  Nicole Conway
SeriesDragonrider Legacy #1  
Genre:  YA fantasy
Publisher:  Month9Books
Release Date:  September 26th, 2017

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Link to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35300138-savage
 
Synopsis:

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Savage begins the Dragonrider Legacy series, a thrilling companion to the international bestselling Dragonrider Chronicles.



Never send a hero to do a monster’s job.



Forty years have passed since Jaevid Broadfeather brought peace to Maldobar and Luntharda. But that fragile truce will be tested as darkness gathers on the horizon. The vicious armies of the Tibran Empire have crossed the far seas and are threatening to destroy Maldobar completely. Not even the dragonriders can match the Tibran war machines. And after an attempt to awaken Jaevid from his divine sleep fails, the fate of Maldobar is looking grim.



Reigh has never known what it means to be a normal human. Raised amongst the gray elves in the wild jungle of Luntharda, he’s tried everything to fit in. But the dark power within him is bursting at the seams—refusing to be silenced. And while his adoptive father, Kiran, insists this power must be kept secret, Reigh knows he’s running out of time.


As Maldobar burns, the world is desperate for a new hero. Destiny has called, and one boy will rise to answer.


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Purchase Links:


Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | TBD | iBooks  

Author Interview:

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1.  What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?

So my process is a little different for every book/series I create. But usually, it starts with one character and grows from there. I seldom know the whole story or how it will end when I start, but I generally know the direction of where it will go – just not the finer details. I don’t like locking myself in completely to a specific plotline because then I loose the spontaneity of the writing that, for me, makes the story feel more natural and alive. So I guess it’s sort of a mixture of planning and “pantsing,” as they say. I keep lots of notebooks chocked full of ideas and characters, things I want to include, and I go into a lot of detail when I’m world building. I also love to draw maps!


2.  How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?

It’s hard to point to any one thing that is responsible for my ideas. Something (a song, someone I meet, an experience I have, something I see in passing) sparks my interest and gives rise to a character. We travel a lot, and I love including elements of the places and cultures we experience in my works. I also studied a lot of classical history in college, and those elements always seem to seep into my work.

3.  How long have you been writing?

Forever! I finished my first book in 6th grade. It was awful. Really, truly, just terrible. But I finished it and it was about 600 pages long. I still have it buried somewhere, I think. I’ve known I wanted to be an author since I was little. My mother read to me a lot and so telling stories and creating worlds just took root in my brain from a very early age.

4.  What tips do you have for aspiring writers?

Always be writing something. The difference between writers and “writers” is actually writing!! A lot of people claim to be writers but don’t have anything to show for it. So keep log of your ideas, develop them, write and rewrite, and always have something you’re working toward. 


5.  How important are names in your books, characters or places?  Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds, or the meaning?  Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?

The names are always important! I do a lot of research about names before choosing them. It’s like naming a child (to me), so I don’t like for it to be random. Granted, there are some characters that just sort of name themselves – it fits and changing it just feels wrong. But most of the time, I try to hunt down something that reflects their character or something about them. There’s lots of great sites online for researching names. I tend to keep stockpiles of them I’ve found on Pinterest, though.

6. What are your favorite:

Books/authors/genres
I pretty much exclusively read Middle Grade, Teen, and YA. I try not to read anything from the genre I’m writing in while I’m working on a particular book/series (so there’s no cross-contamination), so my TBR pile is always out of control. But I can’t resist Rick Riordan’s works. I loved Percy Jackson books and his characters always capture my imagination.

Movies/TV Shows
Since we live in South Korea and I don’t speak Korean, our options are kind of limited. The things available on Netflix and Hulu are not the same as they are in the states. Because of that, I have really had to branch out and watch a lot of shows that I normally would have skimmed over. It’s been good, though! I binged on a Historic Mystery show called The Grande Hotel for about a month and it was AMAZING. I couldn’t get enough. It was all in Spanish, with subtitles, but the acting and story were just enthralling. I also have gotten hooked on a lot of British Crime Dramas like Luther, River, and Marcella that were so good but sort of lesser known in the States. All were excellent.

Music
My music tastes are all over the place. Currently trending my playlist is Sabaton, Jonas Blue, CLC, Red Velvet, Imagine Dragons, and the Pacific Rim Soundtrack!

Food/Writing snack

Popcorn! I’m a salty over sweet person, and popcorn is my favourite snack. I make it myself on the stove and season with garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. It’s delicious!
About the Author:

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Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.
Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.


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Giveaway:

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·       Kindle Fire + Drawing Dragons book + signed art from the author


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