Ilana Waters Interview

I hope you enjoyed and have been enjoying the interviews that I have been directing to you in the recent  past. I am hoping that this series of interviews brings you all some new work to peruse whilst you wait with baited breath for my next novel... :)

Continuing with the interviews from fellow fantasy/sci-fi authors, I was able to track down Ilana Waters on twitter and asked her  some questions. The following is the result of that interview~

When did you start writing? What inspired you to pursue writing?

I’ve wanted to be writer since I was six years old. My first grade teacher said I was good at writing, so I figured that’s what I should do (this really tells you something about the power of labels). I didn’t take writing seriously as a career until a couple of years ago. I figured it was now or never. I chose “now.” J

Why do you write?

I think a famous writer once said “I write for the same reason I breathe. Because if I didn’t, I would die.” I apologize for not remembering the name of that writer, but safe to say, I share his/her sentiment!

What would be your choice for a superpower?

Reading people’s minds. I believe it was Anne Rice who said “If you can read the minds of men, you can have anything you want.” Heh-heh. ;-)

Who is your favorite author?

Hmmm . . . there are too many to choose just one, but off the top of my head I can think of Lemony Snicket, Michael Ende, Philip Pullman, and Diana Wynne Jones.

What are you reading now?

I’m currently looking for new things to read, because I’m in mourning after having finished all of Roald Dahl’s children’s books.

Who is your favorite character to write?

In The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt, I think my favorite character to write was Sophie (the apothecary). I could see her so clearly in my mind: smart, feisty, with an explosion of curly hair. Plus, she blows up at people the way I wish I could sometimes, so that was easy to visualize. J

Do you have a writing process?

Hmmm . . . usually I procrastinate a bit in the morning, followed by some dawdling, then lollygagging until noon. Just kidding! Sort of. I do tend to procrastinate a little, but when I sit down to write, it’s often so much fun I can’t stop!

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Read books that you feel are well-written. Read the kind of books you’d like to write. Sometimes, seeing something done gives you a better idea of how to do it than someone explaining it to you. You can read all the books on writing you want, but until you actually witness those ideas in action, they’re hard to emulate.

Tell us about your books:

My first book, The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt: Book I of Hartlandia, is a middle-grade fantasy. It’s available at Amazon, Barnesandnoble, Apple, Kobo, and Smashwords. Look for the release of Book II of the Hartlandia trilogy in 2013.

Summary:

Ten-year-old Stanley Delacourt loves his quiet life in the peaceful village of Meadowwood. At least, he does until his best friend is killed. Then the town library—where Stanley lives and works—is burned to the ground. The individuals responsible for both tragedies are a nasty group of soldiers. They work for the kingdom’s new leader: Christopher Siren.

No one understands the rules Siren’s creating. They don’t know why breaking them means death, or why the leader is so keen to destroy books. And no one can figure out where the former queen and king disappeared to—or if they’ll ever return.

With the grown-ups too fearful to take action, Stanley vows to confront Siren. He plans to get answers and demand justice. Little does he know that his journey will involve sword-wielding knights, kidnapper fairies, and dark magic.

Stanley has only two allies back home. One is an intimidated witch named Meredith. The other is a young apothecary called Sophie—who may have enchantment problems of her own. Can they help him discover the reason behind Siren’s crimes and end this terrible reign? Or is Stanley set to become the next victim in the tyrant’s evil plot?

If you enjoy the fantasy works of Rick Riordan, Lemony Snicket, or Philip Pullman, then explore the world of Stanley Delacourt today!

Read the first chapter here for FREE!

Also, I can be cyber-stalked at these fine locations:

IlanaWaters.com

Twitter

Goodreads

Thanks, Ilana and I hope to see you stalking us here at Eye on Ashenclaw in the future!

 Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

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