Introducing my author for March - Dara England.
Dara England has been writing fantasy for many years but
has only recently begun delving into the world of paranormal romance.
Her first novel is titled Brought to Life and will be released from
Lyrical Press this March. (Buy link: http://www.lyricalpress.com/brought_to_life.html )
Dara's short fiction has been featured in
numerous webzines, including Allegory, Art&Prose, and more. She is a member
of the online writing groups Romance Divas, Fantasy-Writers.org, and Absolute
Write. She can also be found on Facebook and MySpace.
Some other fun places youʼll find Dara on the
web:
www.daraenglandauthor.com --Her website (still under
construction)
http://www.lyricalpress.com/brought_to_life.html --Her author page on the Lyrical Press
website.
http://amusedauthors.wordpress.com/ --A blog run by a group of Lyrical
authors. Dara's fabulous new book is called Brought to Life and I had the pleasure of interviewing her about her book:
- As a writer what inspires your
stories?....I think reading great fiction is the best way ofinspiring yourself to write it. I can never read a really good book withoutfeeling a twinge of envy, a sense of “why didn’t I think of that?” That’s verymotivating to me. I also soak up themusic, conversations, and scenery I see around me and some of that goes into mywork. I think that’s a big part of beinga writer, having an imagination that’s always running, always turning the things your senses take in into a story.....
- Most authors are also avid readers, who do you enjoy reading?I am a very avid reader. My favourite genre toread is fantasy but I read a bit of everything I can get my hands on.Particular favourites of mine are Robin Hobb, Juliet Marillier, and Robert Jordan. ....
- What are you working on at the moment? I’m currently working on two historical/paranormals. The first is finished, so I’m just editing and reworking it a little. It’s a shape shifter novel set in the dark alleys and grand parlours of turn of the century London. The other work is still in its infancy, but it’s a time travel, also set in London during the Victorian era.
- Do you listen to music as you write, and if so what sort of music do you enjoy? I’ve never been able to listen to music while writing. I know music sets a lot of writers’ creative juices flowing but I’m the sort who has to have absolute silence to concentrate. I do enjoy music when I’m not writing though and I find it another good source of inspiration. I enjoy a broad range, everything from Metallica to Enya,
- Are you a planner or a pantser? A little of both. I usually have a basic plot in mind--a beginning, a middle, and an ending. Sometimes I’ll even write out a vague outline. The majority of the work is done in an as-I-get-to-it sort of way though. I’ve found that if I plan things out with too much detail it destroys the mystery and I lose interest in finishing it.
- Which character out of all your stories is most like you?and probably never will see the light of day. I created her several years ago when I wrote my first full length fantasy novel—the first one I ever finished at any rate. She’s a legendary Robin Hood type figure named Ilan a.k.a. BowFinder. She isn’t much like me on the outside. She’s tough and courageous and I’m not especially either of those. I guess she’s more a picture of what I want to be, the character I would like to morph into if I could step into a fantasy world. Interestingly, she’s a character that never has
- Finally, tell us why you feel a reader would enjoy choosing to read your book and where we can
it. I think Brought to Life would appeal to anyone who loved fairytales as a child, anyone who enjoys romance and happily ever afters. I label a lot of my writing as Contemporary Fairytales and that’s how I would describe Brought to Life. Its magic and the impossible being brought into the unlikely setting of modern day America Brought to Life is my first full length published work and it is available through the lovely people at Lyrical Press Inc. Buy link: http://www.lyricalpress.com/brought_to_life.html