Name:
Andrea L. Staum
The Title of Your Work or Group:
Blood of the Sire Book 1 Dragonchild Lore
Where are you from?
South-Central Wisconsin
In what genre do you write?
Fantasy and Science Fiction
In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?
When Zabond's raiders come to the shores of Kalahtaya, Kitra, the village outcast, is sent to find allies by the village's Elemental Guardians. Forced to travel with the man she accuses of stealing her daughter and a granddaughter she has never known, Kitra soon uncovers the villages long forgotten past, as well as, learns how misguided her own memories have become. The first book of lore reveals the birth of the Dragonchild and her tie to the Guardians of Kalahtaya.
What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.
I can’t outline. I just go with the flow of the story. Most of the time I’m surprised by where things end up because I thought I it was supposed to be something else entirely.
Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
If I didn’t it would be gathering dust in a file somewhere ^_^
Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern had a huge impact on my life. I would have to say she’s why I write. I discovered her in sixth grade when things were not so good and I escaped to Pern with every new release.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Time management. I’m fortunate to have ‘day’ job that’s seasonal so I have a lot more time during the Fall/Winter time. During Spring/Summer I just don’t have the time or energy to get things to paper. It’s my percolating time. However, we just bought a house that has some major renovations and finding time for everything is hectic.
Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
See question 6. I have no control. My husband thinks I’m crazy the way I talk about my characters like they are real, but they create themselves. I had a character assert himself in the final draft that hadn’t existed before and he’s proving to be important for book 2. Clearly, he knew at the time even though I didn’t have a clue about him….Maybe my husband’s right…
Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
I think there’s always some piece of the author in every character. They’re able to do and say things that we can’t but really want to. I don’t think I have any Mary Sues, but there are little Andrea attitudes and attributes scattered among characters. Things like hand-wringing when nervous or eye color pop up now and again.
Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
See Question 10 lol. I’ve spent 10 years in the motorcycle industry; the last five in my current job. It’s what I originally went to school for and I really like the work I do. I don’t think I could go full time writing. 1) not financially feasible at the moment and 2) where would I get inspiration? I have based characters off of people I meet at work.
If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
There are so many people I would love to sit and talk with and understand how their minds truly worked and whether history got it right. If I had to choose just one though, I would go with Anne Bolyn, so many conflicting stories about her true intentions whether she was a mastermind or a pawn, it would be interesting to know the truth.
There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
My characters. Blood of the Sire is the origin of the Dragonchild and through it the characters are forced to grow and learn. A lot of Fantasy focuses on the fantastical elements, but I think the human elements are more important. My lead, Kitra, is one of the oldest characters in the book, but even she finds herself growing and changing throughout. A lot of coming to terms with the past and learning the truth of matters occurs and I don’t think there’s a lot of that in Fantasy beyond taking up a sword.
In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
Going to the local library and getting to know the Director is a simple thing to get into the community. I had a huge squee-fest when Blood of the Sire was placed on the shelf. I’m in a library! Sure, it’s just one library in south-central Wisconsin, but it’s there!
Links to follow Andrea's work:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DragonchildLore
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sire-Dragonchild-Lore-Volume/dp/148256209X/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_tnr_1
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