Today I have the pleasure of welcoming author Sandy Williams to the blog along with the kickass heroine from her THE SHADOW READER trilogy, McKenzie Lewis! I hope you enjoy the interview and don’t forget to enter the fab giveaway at the end of the post before you leave!
1- You finally had the “normal” life you’ve always wanted so why did you go running back to The Realm at the first sign of trouble?
[box]I couldn’t not go back. Kyol was in trouble. I had to help, and I was kind of out of my mind with his pain. I suck at blocking it. Plus, once I did return to the fae’s world, I realized I couldn’t have a normal human life and help the Realm. I’d have to give one up. I couldn’t give up the fae.[/box]
2- What’s it like being human in a Fae world? Do you ever feel out of your depth?
[box]Being in the Realm is… different. On Earth, I blend into the background. With the chaos lusters on my skin, it’s impossible to blend in when I’m in the Realm. It’s uncomfortable sometimes, but I’ve gotten used to the stares, the whispers. And sometimes, I just get caught up in the magic of it all. The fairytale feel of the Realm. I know I’m out of my depth, but I couldn’t live with myself if I turned my back on my friends.[/box]
3- What exactly is it that you see when you read the shadows? Do you go into a trance?
[box]Nah, not a trance. I see shadows. Look at a bright light for a while. When you look away, you’ll see shadow-like things moving and twisting in your vision. That’s what I see, only they’re darker, and their twists and turns form mountains and rivers. When I draw out those shapes, the maps tell me the precise location those shadows showed.[/box]
4- As sexy as Aren and Kyol are; have you never been tempted to try your luck dating a nice “human” boy instead? Or is it because once you go Fae you can never go back?
[box]Heh. Well, I have tried dating normal humans off and on over the last ten years, but it never works out. Not one of them compared to Kyol. Not one of them compares to Aren. And the fae’s war takes up so much of my time anyway, I rarely had the time or desire for second dates.[/box]
5- Do you ever wish that you’d never shown up on the Fae’s radar and just lived a normal existence blissfully unaware of The Realm?
[box]Yes. Often. Usually when I’m running for my life. But then, I look at Kyol, Aren, Lena, Naito. I wouldn’t have met them. I respect them, and a part of me has fallen in love with the Realm. No one should have to live in the violence and oppression of that world. I can help. I want to help.[/box]
6- If you could go back in time and change one thing about your whole journey; what would it be and why?
[box]Woah, that’s a tough question. Little decision come with big consequences. If I’d walked away from the Realm and the fae all those years I worked for the king, I never would have met Aren and Lena. More importantly, Kyol wouldn’t have met either of them, and if he hadn’t joined their side, Atroth and Lord General Radath might still be in control of the Realm. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and bad decisions, but I’ve made a lot of good ones, too, and I think things have worked out the way they’re supposed to.[/box]
7- Do you ever worry about the technicalities of dating a fae? Like kids, life span, etc?
[box]I’m okay with the no kids thing. The life span issue will work itself out. The Realm ages fae slower than the Earth ages humans, but if a fae lived in my world his whole life, they’d have a shorter than usual lifespan. And if I live in the fae world, I’ll live a longer than usual lifespan.[/box]
8- Was it hard learning the Fae language? Do you have a favourite word or expression?
[box]It wasn’t as tough as it should have been. I’d picked up the sound and feel of the language over the ten years that I worked for the king, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to learn than English, in my opinion. Their rules for speech are actually rules – there aren’t a hundred thousand exceptions to any of them. So once I got the basics down, it became more a matter of just memorizing new words.
As for my favorite word, don’t tell Aren, but I’ve grown kind of fond of nalkin-shom.[/box]
9- Did you ever second guess yourself and think that you may have possibly picked the wrong side in the Fae war?
[box]This is the part where I come off completely naïve , isn’t it? The answer is no. I didn’t. I had complete faith in Kyol. He was a good and honorable man, and even if Aren hadn’t abducted me, I think he would have confronted the king or resigned as swordmaster within a year. The king wasn’t always evil, and the false-bloods we hunted down for ten years were. The rebels were new and different and had noble intentions. I just didn’t know them well enough to see that until they abducted me. Plus, they did want to kill me.[/box]
10- What’s it like having two hot men vying for your attention?
[box]It’s heartbreaking. And confusing. And I don’t recommend it at all.[/box]
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1309403925p5/969638.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]
Sandy Williams has lived and breathed books all her life. When she was a teen, she was always the first to finish her class assignments so that she could read as much as possible before the bell rang. Her grades didn’t suffer (much), and she was able to enroll in Texas A&M University. She didn’t sneak in novels there, but every other line of her college lecture notes are filled with snippets of stories. After she graduated, she decided to turn those snippets into books.
Sandy is the author of The Shadow Reader novels, an urban fantasy romance series about a human who can both see and track the fae. When Sandy isn’t writing, she’s taking care of her twin boys, who also debuted in 2011. They keep her busy, but she’s occasionally able to sneak in time to read books by her favorite authors, and she still enjoys playing EuroGames like Dominion, 7 Wonders, and Agricola.
Torn between two worlds.
Torn between two lives.
McKenzie Lewis’s ability to read the shadows has put her—and …those she loves—in harm’s way again and again. The violence must end, but will the cost of peace be more devastating than anyone ever imagined?
After ten years of turmoil, the life McKenzie has always longed for may finally be within her grasp. No one is swinging a sword at her head or asking her to track the fae, and she finally has a regular—albeit boring—job. But when a ruthless enemy strikes against her friends, McKenzie abandons her attempt at normalcy and rushes back to the Realm.
With the fae she loves and the fae she’s tied to pulling her in different directions, McKenzie must uncover the truth behind the war and accept the painful sacrifices that must be made to end it. Armed with dangerous secrets and with powerful allies at her side, her actions will either rip the Realm apart—or save it.
  |
  |
  |
Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!
I really like them all depending on what I want to read. I love following characters to a new book to find out what happens next or finding out more about the secondary characters. But if the standalone has a satisfying conclusion I am happy too.
There’s nothing wrong with being an equal opportunity reader! 😀
I prefer series.
Me too but because of them I never seem to read stand-alone books anymore.
I have enjoyed them all 🙂 However series sometimes drag on too long and sometimes there are characters I don’t like and don’t care anything about reading their stories. I guess a lot depends on the author too.
Happy Holidays
I hate it when authors drag a series on for too long instead of ending things on a high note.
Stand alones are nice sometimes because it’s one shot and your done, but I like trilogies and series because you can learn more about favorite characters and worlds. I agree that sometimes authors don’t know when to end a series and it drags on too long.
I like to read a nice mix of series, trilogies and stand-alone’s, although admittedly, I need to read more of the latter.
I prefer series. I love a great stand-alone, but sometimes I want more.
I can definitely understand the wanting more!
I am a fan of them all. With series I get to know the characters more and enjoy the build up of the story lines. Stand alones can be great if they get me interested in the characters and have a HEA.
I’m happy with any time of book so long as the writing is good and it’s paranormal.
I love them all. I think with series. You learn alot more about each character and the story line are really good. Thanks for the giveaway.
It’s true. A series really allows you to develop a relationship with the characters.
i prefer a trilogy! it’s not only one for we want more but it doesn’t have thousand books!
I think trilogies are the perfect middle grown. You get to spend enough time with your fav characters yet the story isn’t unnecessarily dragged out.
I prefer stand alones. I do like trilogies if it’s a series of stand alones.
Sometimes I hate being committed to so many series something I think it’d be easier if I could bounce around more.
as long as the story flows well and logically, I like them all! I only get series fatigue when the series arc gets tedious and each “edition” sounds the same. Thanks for sharing and I’m dying to read this book 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Exactly! As long at the storytelling remains interesting I don’t care how many books there are.
I like them all, but I probably enjoy series the most, since I always want more when I enjoy a book.
Part of the fun is waiting for the next installment, right?
I prefer series, because I get to know the characters and their universe better.
Well said! 🙂
I love them all. A stand alone is nice, but getting to see familiar characters in a continuing series is even better. 😀
I try to balance-out my reading by jumping from fav series to new authors.
I prefer series.
Me too. As a general rule.
I love them all!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Happy New Year!
I love them all, but since I read so many books, I find on series that I tend to wait until several are out before I will read it. That’s especially true if new ones are only coming out once a year. I forget too many details between books otherwise.
Thanks for the chance to win! Happy New Year!
I like both. There are some amazing stand alone books but you get invested in series because you feel more of a connection to the characters.