{Interview+Giveaway} Sanyare: The Last Descendant by @MeganPHaskell

Choice: make friends with the enemy dark elves or be executed for treason. She’s innocent, but Rie must break the law to prove it.

I’m not sure you’d call it a style, so much as a philosophy. In Sanyare, I tried to create a fantasy world where real people could live, work, and breathe. My protagonist is grounded in the daily life of the realms, and I’ve tried to incorporate some of the economic realities of the different worlds. But with all of that, I think my writing is tight and concise. I don’t waste words and I keep the story moving.

The short answer is time.

I’m a stay at home mom, so writing Sanyare took a long time. You’ll often hear advice from indie authors who say you should write fast and publish often to be a success. Well, that’s just not possible for me. I started writing Sanyare when my oldest daughter was about six months old. I began with a character, then spent two or three months researching, world-building, and outlining before I wrote a single word toward the first draft. I learned how to write in spare moments, how to think about the novel while taking a shower or doing the dishes. When sleep was problematic, I couldn’t write, so there were gaps of days, even weeks, where I barely wrote a word. I spent a year on the first draft, another year on editing, and a couple months for publishing.

At times, it was hard to keep slogging forward. There were days I was ecstatic just to get 500 words on the page or edit one chapter. But eventually we found a rhythm and I was able to make writing a priority.

I’m getting ready to have my second baby in April, and it will start all over again. This time, I hope I’m a little more prepared.

Several of the characters have aspects of my personality, or what I wish I was really like. I can have a bit of a temper, particularly when I’m short on sleep or low on food, so Daenor picked up some of his self-control issues from me. And I’ve always wanted to learn a martial art, especially knife fighting, but I’ve never had the opportunity. So, in a way, I lived vicariously through Rie in the fight scenes. I’d like to think there’s some alternate universe where I’m as kick-butt as she is.

I’d call it MMA with knives. When I envisioned the fight scenes, I pulled moves from capoeira, muay thai, and traditional Nepalese Kukri (or Khukuri) training.

Dog hair, toddler socks, and bits of wrapping paper leftover from Christmas.

I can play “Let It Go” on the piano. I can also pick things up with my toes.

I think I was born a reader. When I was a kid, my mom would ground me from reading in order to get me to do my chores. To this day, I can readily ignore the real world in favor of the imaginary one lurking between the pages of my current addiction.

Despite my voracious book appetite, I didn’t start creative writing until I was working as a number cruncher in a big accounting firm. With an hour plus commute by train every day, and a demanding left-brain occupation, I needed a mobile creative outlet. A pen and paper are about as mobile as it gets! As the pages began to fill, I quickly moved onto a tiny laptop, and a writer was born. Now I get to create my own fantasies!

I currently live in Southern California with my wonderfully supportive husband, precocious three-year-old daughter, number 2 daughter on the way, and a ridiculously energetic dog. Find out more about Megan at http://www.meganhaskell.com

Megan has offered up a copy of Sanyare: The Last Descendant to one lucky Commentor!

Open Internationally.
Book Briefs contest policy applies. No Purchase Necessary. Void Where Prohibited by law. 

All you have to do to enter is

Leave a question of Megan in the comments below

Be sure to leave a way to contact you as well.

Megan is having a facebook party all day today to celebrate the release of Sanyare: The Last Descendant, so head over there to join in on the fun.

There will be be all sorts of interaction and lots of other giveaways! (including gift card giveaways!)

Starts at 4 pm Pacific time! 

https://www.facebook.com/meganhaskellauthor

Megan will be answering the questions you guys leave for her here on her facebook as well, so stop by to see your question featured!

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