Fantasy
Date Published: 3/20/2014
Given the burden of safeguarding a precious treasure at a tender age, Sabetia is placed squarely in the middle of a fantastical legend. Swords, demons, magic, a curse: it has everything a great epic tale should. All she needs to do is face the danger that could threaten the world if left unchecked. If only it were so simple. A hero could solve this problem, but she doesn't happen to be one.
A good wife is obedient, patient, obedient, quiet, obedient, doting, and above all, obedient. Sabetia was raised to be a good wife. It makes her perfect prey, a perfect damsel in distress.
Given the burden of safeguarding a precious treasure at a tender age, Sabetia is placed squarely in the middle of a fantastical legend. Swords, demons, magic, a curse: it has everything a great epic tale should. All she needs to do is face the danger that could threaten the world if left unchecked. If only it were so simple. A hero could solve this problem, but she doesn't happen to be one.
#1 – Do You See Writing as a Career?
I can't use the word 'career' in this context and keep a
straight face. A career is supposed to be serious and something you do because
you have to pay your bills. Writing is something I do because I can't not
write, and it feels more like a hobby than a job. I've been doing it since I
was a little kid.
#2 – What was the Hardest Part of Your Writing Process?
Endings are my nemesis. It takes me several tries to get one
that really closes the story. I attribute this to my background in gaming – the
Dungeons & Dragons type. In games, we don't often have actual endings, just
beginnings, middles, and pauses before the next beginning. It's also hard to
set characters aside when I like them, making it difficult to actually want to
end the story.
#3 – Did you have any One Person Who Helped You Out with
Your Writing Outside of Your Family?
Aside from numerous teachers who showed me what I love and
hate the most about writing, my co-author for a series I write called The
Greatest Sin, Erik, was the first person to ever say to me (that I can
remember) “I would pay to read this”. There are a few other people who supply
enthusiasm and confidence (most notably Gwen, Anastasia, and Bob), but he's the
single person I credit the most with my actually becoming a published author.
#4 – What is next for your writing?
I have tons of plans. Damsel In Distress is just the first
book to be set in the fantasy world of Ilauris. I have ideas for at least ten
more. I'm already writing the second book of The Greatest Sin. The Maze Beset
Trilogy is complete, but I'm not done with the characters from it. And more!
I've got thoughts about some goofy paranormal romance, standalone science
fiction, and action/adventure thriller stuff.
There's a lot going on inside my head.
#5 – Do you have an addiction to reading as well as writing?
If so, what are you currently reading?
I'm a voracious reader, though I do sometimes have trouble
tearing myself away from writing to do it. By the time you read this, I'll be
on to something else, but as I write this, I'm reading Storm Dancer by Rayne
Hall.
DESCRIBE Your Book in 1 Tweet:
Sabetia was raised to be a Damsel In Distress. Waiting for a
hero to rescue her only gets her one thing: hurt. She's got to be her own hero.
This or That?
#1 - iPd or Mp3? Mp3. Despite growing up in the same town as
Steve Jobs, I've always been a PC person, and don't subscribe to the Apple
vision.
#2 – Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla. I find the flavor they
call 'chocolate' when applied to ice cream and cake to be icky, though I do
like actual chocolate, and occasionally have brownies.
#3 – Mashed Potatoes or French Fries? Mashed, totally. With
cheese and bacon. Mmmmm, bacon.
#4 – Comedy or Drama? Drama? I don't like slapstick comedy,
but do appreciate the kind of humor that comes in action movies, and George
Carlin's routines. My favorite movies are all more dramatic than funny, if you
use a loose interpretation of the word: The Abyss, Aliens, The Matrix,
Serenity, Ironman, Terminator. Then again, I also love Strictly Ballroom, Clue,
and Johnny Dangerously, which are clearly comedies.
#5 – Danielle Steel or Nicholas Sparks? Jim Butcher.
#6 – Fantasy or Reality? Some parts of reality definitely
suck. The part where we're all inexorably trudging towards death is kind of a
downer. My kids are pretty awesome, though. So...hm... If I have to choose, I
suppose I pick fantasy, just because it's cooler to see dandelions as
chlorofiends to defeat with my axe , than as plain ol' plants I pull out with a
weed popper. Thar be dragons in my backyard.
#7 – Call or Text? Text. Since I was young, I've always had
a strange phobia about telephones. Something about directly talking to another
person when I can't see them makes me very anxious. I have no such anxiety
about written mediums. Ironically, before I stopped working to have kids, I
worked in call center tech support and customer service. Granted, it was a
crappy job that I wouldn't go back to for anything, but I was pretty good at
it.
#8 – Public School or Home School? Public school. It served
me well, and I believe in the promise of educating everyone, regardless of
parent income or ability. I wish we had national standards that didn't involve so
much standardized testing, but I really don't feel qualified to instruct my
kids in all the subjects they need to learn for survival in the modern world,
and definitely not to give my autistic daughter all the services she needs.
#9 – Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. I tried coffee
in college, because it was a thing college kids do, but have never really liked
it without adding enough stuff it might as well be hot cocoa. That said, I'm a
hot cocoa snob, preferring Ghirardelli to any other brand.
#10 – eBook or Paperback? Ebook. If you make me choose
between ebook or hardcover, though, I'm stumped. Paperbacks feel like something
you read and recycle, where hardcovers are a multi-sensual experience. I like
ebooks for the mere fact that my Kindle is much lighter and causes no strain on
my fingers. It's easier to read in bed, too, where I can just prop it against
something and swipe the pages aside without having to turn a light on.
Lee French lives in Worcester, MA with two kids, two bicycles, and too much stuff. She has written several books, including the Maze Beset superhero novel trilogy. In addition, she is an avid gamer and active member of the Myth-Weavers online RPG community, where she is infamous for finding unexpected ways to use squirrels. She also trains year-round for the one-week of glorious madness that is RAGBRAI, has a nice flower garden with absolutely no lawn gnomes, and tries in vain every year to grow vegetables that don’t get devoured by neighborhood wildlife.
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April 1 - Hooked in a Book - Review/Interview
April 2 - In Between The Lines- Review
April 3 -
April 4 - RABT Reviews - Wrap Up
I really enjoyed reading about this book! Looks like a lot of interesting things that takes place! Thanks for sharing and good luck with your book and I'm looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's always nerve-wracking to wait and see what new people think of a new book. I can't help but secretly suspect my beta readers are just telling me nice things to boost my ego. :D
ReplyDeleteI love books from that historical fairytale perspective! It sounds really interesting and it is in my TBR list, thank you!
ReplyDeletethe story intrigues me
ReplyDeleteThe cover and the blurb :) I haven't read a fantasy in a while.
ReplyDelete