Please welcome author Leslie D. Soule, here to talk about her fantasy book, Fallenwood!

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Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 23-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land’s magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.

Please tell readers a little bit about yourself.

Well, I’ve lived in Sacramento, California my whole life. I’m an avid reader. I’ve been writing since I was a child and I love painting, drawing, doing martial arts and practicing guitar. I’m in love with the fantasy genre, but I also think the Steampunk movement is really cool.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first considered myself a “writer” when I got my novel published as an ebook. Before then, I thought of writing as something I liked to do, but not necessarily something I did because I was a writer.

Please tell us about your latest release.

My novel Fallenwood is about a girl who loses her stepfather and runs away during the ash-spreading ceremony. She ends up finding her way into a fantasy world and has to cope not only with her own difficulties and loss, but also with the new challenges she faces in a world where magic reigns.

What inspired you to write this book?

I had a lot of ideas floating around in my head, and eventually they coalesced into Fallenwood. I was inspired by the loss of my own stepfather, boredom at a job I didn’t care for, despair at the time I wrote it, and my own need for escapism into a world that – while it’s got its own problems – has a gentler side to it.

Can you tell readers who are not familiar with the series what the premise of the stories are about?

Ultimately, these stories are about finding yourself “in over your head” and not knowing what to do or how to cope.

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? Were there challenges or obstacles you had to overcome?

Definitely. World building is a big challenge for fantasy writers, because you have to create something unique, that hasn’t been done before and isn’t a rip-off of something you’ve read. For example, dragons present their own challenges because you have to think about whether they get to have magic, and where they live, what they do other than running around eating people, etc. If you introduce a dragon from mythology, you have to explain how that myth originated in your fantasy world. In Fallenwood, I mention St. George and the Dragon, and then have had to explain that the story comes from the “real” world – Terra Aristo – connected to Fallenwood by way of portal and that someone must have brought the story with them from that other realm.

What does creating paranormal creatures allow for you that “normal” characters do not?

One word came to mind when I saw this question – shifting. With paranormal characters, you can give them the ability to shift into any number of things, and this creates all sorts of drama.

Which character has the most identifiable characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?

Ash has what we call in martial arts, an “indomitable spirit”. I talk myself into thinking I don’t have it sometimes, but I do. What this amounts to is that no matter how hard the challenge is that’s before you, you NEVER GIVE UP! You might take a break for a while to recharge your batteries, but you take the challenge with you and eventually rise to it.

Do you find it difficult to write in different genres?

Not really. My theory is that it’s the interpersonal connections between characters that comes first and then you sprinkle in the pieces of genre like seasonings. It seems to work.

What can readers expect next from you?

I’m writing a sequel to Fallenwood that takes off right where Fallenwood left off. It’s all in Ash’s point of view and will chronicle her misadventures in the two realms.

Can you leave readers with a little teaser from FALLENWOOD?

The dragon’s eyes glowed, for a flickering moment, with white light.

“Ash,” the dragon continued, “Welcome to Terra Illumina…or as it is more commonly known, Fallenwood.” Then a fierce roaring laugh erupted from the stone, as though the dragon thought the new name a joke. “A dark, difficult, dangerous path lies before you, Ash Kensington.”

Ash’s heart grew heavy. In truth, she knew that she was destined to some terrible, dark fate. For so long, her life was filled with sadness and doubt, and one horrible thing after another. What else can I hope for?

“But Ash, you must not lose hope. Our world needs you…”

What is one particular aspect about the book that you want readers to take away from this interview?

Be like Ash – no matter what challenges you face, they can be overcome, so never give up.

Where can readers find you on the web?

The hub for all my writing activity is my web site at http://www.lesliesoule.com

Book Details:

price: $4.99
number of pages: 194
genre: fantasy
publisher: Decadent Publishing
release date: March 2011
buy links: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=26&products_id=226

 

 

 

Giveaway Details:

  • Leslie will be giving away a $25 Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
  • Please leave a comment, or question for Leslie.
  • Contest is open the duration of the tour.
  • Winner will be randomly selected and notified.
  • Remember: The more tour stops you comment on, the greater your chances of winning!!

Tour Stops:
The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/11/virtual-book-tour-fallenwood-by-leslie.html