Tell us about your latest book, who is
the main character(s) and what can we expect when we pick it up?
My latest book is ‘Blood for
the Snow’, Book 4 of the contemporary dark fantasy series, Light Adua. Book 5
should be following at the end of the month.
‘Silver to the Heart’, Book 1
is out already, of course, and it’s perma-free across all retailers. Set in
modern-day New Orleans, except for Ana, a human girl, all of my characters are
vampires. Called Elder in the series, the vampires wield magic, and they are a
diverse bunch.
For instance, one of my main characters, Drake (Vanya) is a Russian telekinetic, but he’s lived in New Orleans for almost three centuries and could be called Southern. My favorite, Ayasu Sasuke is a telepath and a Japanese warlord. He still lives in Japan but being the commander of the Elder Council, he comes to New Orleans when the dark war begins. Another important character who doesn’t appear till book 2, is Dalila, a healer from Tanzania, she an empath who can manipulate emotions. These are my good guys, and a twenty-seven-year-old girl from Maine is Guardian of the Realm.
The main antagonist is a mad templar knight who is dead at the beginning of ‘Silver to the Heart’, but in a world with magic, see where that goes…
Give us an out of context quote from your book to warm our hearts:
“I’ll hold Feodor and Darius
for you. So that you may have a little time with those who love you. But I
can’t free your mind, so this is a farewell, my child. And if you can find it
in your heart to do so, please consider forgiving an old man for his miserable
failings.”
Who are some authors that you look for inspiration?
I’m a working screenwriter and I also
write poetry, so my list is incredibly varied. But for fantasy, I love Naomi
Novik (His Majesty’s Dragon), Sue Lynn Tan (Daughter of the Moon Goddess),
Frank Herbert (Dune), and many, many more of course, but those three, I hold in
the highest regard.
For poetry, I love Silvia Plath and Yusef
Komunyakaa, and for screenwriting, my favorites are Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good
Men, The Social Network) and Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless
Mind).
However, do not take my list as a hallmark
of my writing. As a 1-star reviewer on Goodreads puts it, my writing is, “… not
YA fantasy, it’s urban/paranormal. The writing is immature despite the adult
content,” —what she calls ‘immature’, I call humor but potato, potahto…
Fire down below! What’s the first object you save?
My imaginary cat. Imaginary because my
husband is allergic, but his name (the cat) is Henry the VIII and he’s murderous
orange.
Advice for newly sparking writers in three sentences or less:
Hang in there and hold on for dear life.
Which of your characters would you want to share a campfire with, and
why?
Drake. And once you read my book, you’ll
know why (it has to do with fire). Also, he’s a good vampire who doesn’t kill
humans… most of the time.
Tell us about what you are reading at the moment or anticipate reading in
the future? Any new books you are looking forward to?
For fiction, I’m currently reading ‘Dreams
of the Dying’ by Nicolas Lietzau, and this summer, I’m looking forward to
finishing the Conqueror series by the fabulous Conn Iggulden. For non-fiction,
I’m reading ‘Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945’, and
it’s phenomenal.
Can you briefly describe your writing process for us?
First, I outline, then begins the mumbling
to myself as the characters start speaking to me. After the first draft, I do
multiple page 1 rewrites, and finally, I edit till I’ve lost my mind.
What is
next on your writerly horizon?
Light
of Adua is an ongoing series. I finish the series first, then in my head, I’m
fostering a few ideas for a historical fantasy leaning to the dark. I’ll be
back here when that happens but, in the meantime, please check the Light of
Adua, a contemporary dark fantasy series. ‘Silver to the Heart’, Book 1
perma-free.
Silver to the Heart
by Brien Feathers
GENRE: Dark fantasy, urban
fantasy (adult, not YA)
— So begins the
apocalypse, with death and a story of love —
An old soul (several
centuries old), the lover, fighter, and telekinetic Drake receives an order to
safeguard Ana, a mortal with Elder Talent.
Ana, an artist beset by
haunting visions, falls for the perfect stranger while venturing home to
mediate emergent family chaos.
Past-warlord and
present commander Sasuke wields his telepathic might to outwit Council traitors
in an effort to save the human realm and its Guardian from a new Dark War.
Criminal and light
bender Lou, now sought by the Council to answer for his sins, seeks shelter
with the Reverend—an Elder fit to bypass rules of magic meant to be
unbreakable.
As time’s last grains
of sand deplete, an ancient battle may renew, with pieces of the fractured
realm imperiling man’s modern world. Though few on Earth are cognizant, dark
days now lie ahead. . .
----------
One fate, two paths,
six singular perspectives, and plethoric danger.
Contemporary fantasy at
its polychromic finest—pure delight.
NOTE: This book is free.
https://books2read.com/u/
Excerpt
Two:
Arrogant men stood different, carried themselves different,
and smirked when they should smile. The redhead clearly enjoyed his own company
and Ana dug people who loved themselves—narcissists. Her therapist would say
that was a problem, but she wasn’t here, so who cared?
Tilting his head in a question and looking directly at her,
the redhead arched an eyebrow; she’d been staring at him. A normal person would
have smiled, maybe even waved, but Ana rolled her eyes and turned back to the
bar. Because I have no game.
“Here, girl,” said the bartender, and her drink appeared.
When Ana exchanged her card for the bourbon, he asked, “Open tab?”
“Nah, I’m about to be out of here.”
“Aight girl.”
“Hey, how old is the kid over there? The redhead on the
terrace, six o’clock,” asked Ana. She lived alone and had no dignity, so why
not?
The bartender stared behind Ana, squinting. “I carded him
already.” Yeah, because Ana looked like she was from the liquor license
revoking… agency?
“I’ve seen him in here before. He’s all right,” said the
bartender answering the question Ana hadn’t asked. “The blonde is hot, though,”
he continued.
“Is he looking at me?” Ana asked.
“Nope, he’s looking at the blonde.” With that, he took her
card and turned.
Ana threw a glance over her shoulder—carefully. He was
talking to a blonde wearing an off-the-shoulder black dress. The woman’s face
was turned away from Ana but the snooty attire said ‘not a college kid’. Perhaps he liked older women, which was good,
because Ana wasn’t eighteen or nineteen… or however old he was. At
twenty-seven, she was already trying to rob cradles—she would need more than one
therapist soon.
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46 comments:
Thank you for having me here at Dawn's Reading Nook. I'll be checking back throughout the day, so if you have any questions, please post them in the comment :) I'll be happy to answer them.
Thanks again,
B. Feathers
Thanks for hosting!
I liked the excerpt.
Thank you, Rita, I hope you give it a shot.
Thank you for sharing your interview and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading Silver to the Heart, it sounds like a thrilling story
Sounds like a book I would enjoy a lot.
Bea, thank you for following the tour.
That is awesome, Sherry :)
I don't see it in the thread, but I've received your comment, Stormy. Thank you so much. And you have a terrific day as well!
Hi, Tracie. I love traveling. I've traveled mostly through Asia, and of the places I've been to Seoul, South Korea is my favorite.
Outside of my continent, I've lived in Dallas, TX for years, and I've visited Berlin, Germany once. I'd like to travel through western Europe and look at castles one day. But sadly, such plans have been halted because I have two young children, and airfare for traveling as a family is more than I can afford at this time.
Thank you for the question. Have a marvelous weekend, Tracie.
Super weekend for you as well, Tracie.
What is the best piece of writing advice you have ever received?
Uuf, Tracie, that's a difficult question. Well-meaning authors give each awful advice all the time because it's such a subjective process. But as a guide, I follow the "write what you want to read" school of thought. I believe the original quote is by J.D. Salinger. So, I would say that is the best advice for me: be true to yourself despite the market trends.
Here, I googled (lol) and found the original quote:
“You think of the book you’d most like to be reading, and then you sit down and shamelessly write it.”
J.D Salinger
Thank you, Tracie. You have a great week.
Tracie is asking what my favorite childhood book was. I'm repeating the question because it's not visible in the thread.
I'm Mongolian, and my first language is Mongolian. When I was a child (late 80s-early 90s) we were still transitioning from communism. For reference, Mongolia is right in between Russia and China on the map.
So, in the early 90s, available literature was limited. We've always had translations of the classics though, and Jules Verne was one of my favorite authors. Alexander Dumas, as well.
Also, I've always loved Russian folklores, and enjoy that type of dark fantasy epic stories.
Thank you for the question, and for continuing to engage, Tracie.
One of my favorites was the The Velvet Rabbit which my mom read to me and my younger siblings nightly before bedtime.
I just googled, and it says, "Velveteen Rabbit", is that right? It says the stuffed rabbit hopes to become real with the love of his owner. That sounds incredibly layered for a children's book, how wonderful. I remember watching Pinocchio. I also cried when I first saw Steven Spielberg's AI.
Sound like a wonderful family :)
Do you prefer mountains or beaches?
Hi Tracie,
I definitely love mountains and forests way better than beaches. I also love fog and lakes, but not a big fan of tropical weather or the ocean. My children and husband love the beach though. We don't have any (beaches) in Mongolia, but the kids love traveling when we get the chance.
You also have a super week!
If you could spend the day with another author, would you choose and what would you ask them?
Hi Tracie,
It'd be with Sylvia Plath, and as dark as it may be, I'm fascinated with her mindset when she wrote "Ariel". For reference, she's a phenomenal American poet, who took her own life after an incredible burst of productivity. During one of those last days, I'd like to meet her.
Such an insightful answer I really appreciate your thoughtful responses -such a great way to know the lady behind the story!
Thank you for reading, Tracie. Have a wonderful day :)
What are a few of the things in your life that make you the happiest?
Oh just the regulars: writing, having money, sleeping well, having a cake, when my son does something cute, rainy days, mist, coffee, my cottage in the summer, having an entire day where I don't have to leave the house, etc.
Favorite cake flavor?
I don't eat the cake, only the frosting :) So any frosting will do. Although not a cake, my all time favorite is pumpkin pie.
I love pumpkin pie too!
Ah, you're my people. I knew it.
Yes pie and books - perfect combo!
Here's to a sensational September!
You as well, Tracie!
Any plans for the weekend? Reading , recharging and BBQ at home for me!
Do you have a favorite meal you enjoy making for your family?
Do you have a favorite memory from childhood?
I hope everyone has a fantastic week!
What is your favorite thing to do for fun ie hobby?
Hi, Dana! I love the cat! My doing all right and hope you are too.
Hope you are doing all right as well, Tracie. I don't enjoy cooking. My grandfather is my favorite memory. For favorite activities, I enjoy reading, running, yoga, and playing cards while drinking beer.
Do you have any weekend plans?
Do you have a favorite time of day to do your writing?
Here's to a fantastic Friday!
Hope all is well!
Happy October!
Here's to a fabulous Fall!
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