INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR MARA VALDERRAN
Emma: Tell me three interesting facts about yourself!Mara: Hmmm… Questions like these are always the toughest. J One: I’ve never actually seen Star Wars all the way through. Two: I got my license when I was 25. Three: Goats freak me out.
Emma: Summarize your book in one line.
Mara: If I said “Girl power, magic, and crap like that” it probably wouldn’t sell, so I’ll go with: Seventeen year-old Zelene doesn’t give a damn about magic or prophecies—she’s getting her sister back.
Emma: Tell me something cool/crazy/quirky about the book – it can be anything!
Mara: I like to think that it’s cool that I have five female main characters who are all very different. I also make a lot of geek references to stuff I love like Stargate, so judge that how you will. ;)
Emma: Why did you decide to write this particular book?
Mara: These characters and this story had been in my head for the better part of ten years before I sat down and wrote it all out, and I honestly couldn’t tell you what made me sit down that day and start the draft that I’d end up finishing. Something just clicked into place, and before I knew it, I was finished with the first draft I’d restarted a dozen times over the years.
Emma: Best part of the writing process?
Mara: New things. I love sitting down to write something fresh, because there’s always surprises. That’s when I get to have my fun and explore and watch everything play out in my head. Whether I’m learning something new about a character, creating a brand new character, exploring my world more, or starting a brand new story in a brand new world…it’s all thrilling. If I go too long without writing something new, I start to get cranky.
Emma: Share one thing you learned writing this book.
Mara: There’s more to a character than their eyebrows and how said eyebrows move with each line they speak. Lol I’ve learned so much from this book and from my editor during this book. One thing I am trying to strengthen is being descriptive outside of the characters and really exploring the other senses and the settings. I always say I’m a much better story teller than I am writer, and being descriptive is definitely one area where that shows. Luckily, I have a brilliant editor who pushes me to be a better writer, so I’m constantly growing and learning.
Emma: Tell me about one strange experience you’ve had. Again, it can be anything!
Mara: This might sound weird, but I get the strangest and most random deja-vous ever. Like I will have a dream about a bit of conversation before it happens, or finding something random like a pink sock under my bed and what happens when I find it. Usually it is really small, stupid stuff, but I did once freak a boyfriend out by basically telling him exactly how I dreamed a make-up conversation of ours would go, even down to him telling me about a letter he wrote me. I’m pretty sure he might still think I’m psychic (I’m not, but it is weird.).
Emma: Name one fictional place you’d love to visit.
Mara: Hogwarts, hands down. And not just because I love the books. I mean, I love The Hunger Games too, but I think I can do without visiting that world. Ever. But Hogwarts? J.K. Rowling did an amazing job of creating this beautiful, mysterious, magical, and enthralling place that is so big, you are bound to be able to find some corner of it that feels like home. That’s pretty awesome.
Emma: Name one real place you’d love to visit.
Mara: It would be a tie between New York and Los Angeles. Luckily, I’ll be seeing both over the next couple of months, which is really exciting for me! As someone who has always loved the arts and used to dream of becoming an actress (before I discovered that I can have more fun creating characters than playing them hehe), I’ve always been drawn to those two cities.
Emma: Share one sentence/mini-excerpt from the book!
Mara: How about a teaser image that is a mini excerpt from the book? =D
ABOUT THE HEIRS OF WAR SERIES
The NA fantasy series Heirs of War has taken Wattpad by storm with over one million reads, and the second installment has arrived. Catch up on Heirs of War (#1) for just 99 cents now!
Heirs of War #1:
When seventeen year-old Zelene finds herself thrust into a world of magic and prophecy, she discovers fighting destiny might not be the toughest battle she has to face. Now she must join with three other girls, complete strangers linked only by blood relation, to fight a war they know nothing of and rescue the twin sister she's never met.
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The adventure continues with Heirs of War, Crown of Flames...
Heirs of War #2
Mara Valderran
Cover Art by Gretchen Byers
Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen's dungeon, but danger isn't far behind them. The guilt of his past weighs heavily on Alec’s shoulders, and his secrets only push Ariana further away. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another.
The world appears to be going on regardless of the risks Ariana faces. The Duillaine insist that they are doing everything they can to find Ariana, but their actions betray that claim. Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival and Terrena’s betrothal than rescuing Ariana.
Well…not everyone.
Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene’s plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.
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Find Mara Online:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman
with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating
and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat.
She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s
not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until
DragonCon.
Find Mara Online:
Website & Blog Twitter Facebook Google+ Goodreads Wattpad Amazon
Author
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Ooh! I love that cover, and characters that are a decade old are amazing. They've got so much depth to them.
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