INTERVIEW
The Coming Storm
by Valerie Douglas
Spanning an epic series of books, The Coming Storm series by Valerie Douglas takes you to the heart of a conflict between magic users, and those without magic, good and evil, love and loss. Join Ailith and Elon as they have to choose between love, duty, and everything they've battled for.
The Coming Storm is the first in the series. Also available: A Convocation of Kings, Not Magic Enough, and Setting Boundaries.
Valerie is currently on tour with The Finishing Fairies and stops by today for an interview. Please visit all the other tour stops as well.
Description
Elon of Aerilann, Elven
advisor to the High King of Men, helped negotiate the treaty between Elves,
Dwarves and men. He suddenly finds that fragile truce threatened from without
by an unknown enemy and from within by old hatreds and prejudice. With the aid
of his true-friend Colath, the wizard Jareth and the Elven archer Jalila, he
goes in search of the source of the threat.
Ailith, the Heir to
Riverford, fights her own silent battle. Her father has changed, but her quest
to discover what changed him puts her life and very soul in danger and leaves
her only one direction in which to turn. Elon.
To preserve the
alliance, though, Elon will have to choose between his honor, his duty and
everything for which he fought.
Review
By Drew Stevens
Very good story! The plot is well
developed and fast moving with strong, well developed characters that are easy
to identify with and yet complex. The battle scenes are intense, and the ending
left me eager for more - both on the history of the world the author created
and on what happens to the characters afterward. Well written epic fantasy in
the middle earth tradition and definitely a must read!
Interview with the
Author
Hi Valerie, thanks for
joining me today to discuss your book, The Coming Storm.
Which writers have influenced
you the most? J. R. R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey ...
What age group do you
recommend your book for? Adults over 18
What sparked the idea
for this book? I missed classic fantasy, with people who understood the difference
between good and bad, and some who couldn’t. I wanted a book, characters and a
story that would wrap you up and draw you into that world, a world full of
characters that you would miss when you finished.
Which comes first? The
character's story or the idea for the novel? I’ve always felt that you can’t have one
without the other, that they come together to become complete.
What was the hardest
part to write in this book? As in life, there’s good and bad. It’s difficult to write the painful
parts, the loss of people, or describe the battle scenes accurately –
reflecting the death and dying, the struggle, the grief and sorrow.
How do you hope this
book affects its readers? Books are a refuge and an escape, I hope they love the characters, laugh
and cry with them, and miss them as much as I sometimes still do.
How long did it take
you to write this book? The first draft just swallowed me up – I wrote it in
72 straight hours, fell into bed, slept, woke and started in on the second
draft. Additional drafts followed…
What is your writing
routine? *laughing* I don’t have routines… When the muse strikes, I write.
How did you get your
book published? I had been told that no one was taking chances on epic fantasy, that I
needed to establish myself, so I tried another genre and submitted to a small
publisher. I got some good reviews but it wasn’t a good fit. About that time
Indie/Self-publishing was just breaking out of the ‘vanity’ label and phase, so
I tried that with a standalone fantasy. It still does well for me.
What advice do you
have for someone who would like to become a published writer? Don’t limit yourself –
try self-publishing even if you want to go with a traditional publisher. Having
established writing credentials will only stand you in good stead.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing? Read, read and read. Watch movies. Play with my dogs, cuddle my cats and
my husband.
What does your family
think of your writing? My husband – bless his heart – is hugely supportive. He’s actually read
some of my books. An uncle let me know he read one. No one else has commented.
*laughing*
Please tell us a bit
about your childhood. I was the independent one, the wanderer and explorer – I had friends in
places my parents didn’t know about.
Did you enjoy school? I loved school – I was
bright, and curious. Dictionaries were way cool.
Did you like reading
when you were a child? I loved to read. I went through the children’s section in 3rd grade, by
the time I was in the 7th grade, I was into some classics. My reading teacher
ran out of assignments for me, so she had me tutoring others in the class.
What was your favorite
book as a child? To Kill a Mockingbird. I identified with Scout and wished my father was
Atticus.
Who were your favorite
authors? As I grew, I had a lot of favorite authors – most of the classics. I’d
also discovered sci-fi fantasy thanks to Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.
When did you first realize
you wanted to be a writer? I wrote my first book at eight – non-fiction about dinosaurs *grins* -
but I didn’t consider it a career. I kept writing – a book at thirteen, and a
sixteen. Following the advice of the time, I wrote a short story and submitted
it to an anthology (they said it was ‘too dark’). Discouraged, and with so much
life getting in the way, it would be almost 15 years before I tried again.
Did your childhood experiences
influence your writing? No, I try to stay away from that. It’s boring. *grins*
Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say? I hear from them now and
then, mostly – “When’s the next book coming out” kind of thing. That’s always
gratifying! Sometimes just “Hello,” which is great, too.
What can we look forward
to from you in the future? A prequel to The Coming Storm, a short novella that’s part of my Servant of the Gods series, and a sequel to Nike’s Wings. At least, that’s the plan. The muse may have another.
Thank you for taking
the time to stop by today. Best of luck with future projects. It sounds like
you're busy!
About the Author
Valerie Douglas is a prolific writer and a genre-crosser, much to the
delight of her fans. A fan of authors of almost every genre from Isaac Asimov
to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, she writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and as V. J. Devereaux, erotic romance. Who
knows what will pop up down the road!
Happily married, she’s companion to two dogs, four cats and an African
clawed frog named Hopper who delights in tormenting the cats from his tank.
Links
