Sunday, September 4, 2016

Truthsong by Elisabeth Hamill Interview


Truthsong
Songmaker
Book 2
Elisabeth Hamill

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Fire and Ice YA

Date of Publication:  July 26, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-68046-326-2

Number of pages: 236
Word Count: 80K

Cover Artist: Caroline Andrus

Book Description:

The long awaited sequel to SONG MAGICK

When Telyn’s song magic freed ancient spirits of the Wood, it also awakened a long-slumbering evil. Now she and her beloved Mithrais must battle a spreading shadow that ignites crippling fear, and deal with the unexpected consequences of magic’s return.

More danger arrives with a royal delegation to the forest realm, sweeping Telyn back into court intrigue and the sights of a murderous lord. Mithrais may be forced to choose between his service to the Wood or the obligations of his royal blood.

As Telyn’s bond with Mithrais grows, she is torn between her love for him and the freedom of a wandering bard’s life. But when dark magic plunges the Wood into chaos, she must balance the two halves of her heart—or the Fates may take Mithrais from her forever. 

Amazon     Smashwords     BN    Fire and Ice


About the Author:

Elisabeth Hamill is a nurse/wife/mom by day, unabashed geek/chocoholic/closet sci fi and fantasy novelist by night. She lives with her family, dog, and cat in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.

Song Magick, her first novel, won first in category for Teen Fantasy in the 2014 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction.





Interview:

Where are you from? 
Kansas City, Kansas
Tell us your latest news?
I am working on an adult sci-fi that I’m ridiculously excited about.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing as a kid – fan fiction before we called it fan fiction, LOL. I had books I loved and I would write myself into them. Then Star Wars came along, and I started writing stories about Luke Skywalker. In high school, I started writing original science fiction stories.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I got serious about it again, finally, about eleven years ago.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I was taking some anatomy courses in college and saw a tree that looked exactly like I pictured the axons and dendrites of nerves. I had this weird idea that trees can transmit impulses to each other like nerves can…thus, was SONG MAGICK born! I actually completed the book while I was in treatment for cancer. It was a way to amuse myself and to escape. After I finished the first draft, I realized it wasn’t too bad, and started learning how to improve my craft.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I tend to write high fantasy in third person, using more formal language. My contemporary fantasy and sci fi are more relaxed, and my latest is in first-person.
How did you come up with the title?
TRUTHSONG is a specific talent that Telyn’s ancestor was famous for—and she is the first bard in over a hundred years to be born with that power. She uses it in the book, although it makes her uncomfortable. She and Mithrais are challenged throughout the story to be true to themselves, and I felt this title fit.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The person who truly loves you will never force you to change who you are.
How much of the book is realistic?
In regard to the time period, which is vaguely Middle Ages, I’ve tried to remain true to the way of life people had.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Only in that I played a bard character in Dungeons and Dragons, and later in LARP’ing events!
What books have most influenced your life most?
My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Moon, read us THE BOOK OF THREE by Lloyd Alexander. I was enchanted. Then my dad gave me a copy of THE HOBBIT when I was eleven or twelve. I turned into a voracious reader of fantasy and science fiction.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I couldn’t possibly choose just one. For my fantasy, probably Katherine Kurtz, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Nina Kiriki Hoffman. I have wonderful critique partners and editors, some of whom are published, some who are not. The writing community on Twitter is amazing.
What book are you reading now?
ERRANT SPARK by Ronelle Antoinette.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Colleen Halverson! THROUGH THE VEIL was amazing.
What are your current projects?
I’m in edits on my adult sci-fi called DALI with plans to start querying in September, and I’m querying an adult urban fantasy, NECTAR AND AMBROSIA. The third and last book in the Songmaker series will be called LORD OF THE WOOD, and it’s in plotting stages at the moment.
What would you like my readers to know?

It’s never too late to chase your dreams. 



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