Q&A with Author, Wendy D. Walter, featuring her YA Fantasy, Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith

Welcome YA fantasy author, Wendy D. Walter during her giveaway featuring her YA fantasy novel, Ambril’s Tale. Enjoy the Q&A and be sure to enter her giveaways! She’s offering a lovely silver tree of life pendant, a hand-painted gnome, and other goodies. Read on for details!

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Q&A from Wendy D. Walter

1. What got you into writing this book in the first place? Tell us a little about the book as you answer the question.

Ambril’s Tale grew out of a move that I made from sunny California to Utah, in the middle of a snowstorm. I was ten. My California friends smiled a lot, sunshine generally does this to people. Then suddenly, I found myself in a winter-witchy wonderland, buckled into snow boots and lady like behavior. It was such a shock. I longed for magic power tools to hocus pocus my way home but had to settle for escaping into books about Narnia and Oz.

I realized then, that the world wasn’t made up of people who were just like me. I had to figure out how to get along, but also find a way to keep that sunny, inquisitive California girl inside me alive and happy. The struggle for acceptance and making sense of that alien environment is what Ambril’s Tale is based on.

2. What was the most fun thing to do during the writing, producing or marketing of your book? 

I love to make stuff up. My industrial strength day dreams are what defines me. When I finally figured out how to craft Ambril’s world with them, I cheered. At long last, I found that writing and illustrating allows me to make stuff up, non-stop. I’m in heaven!

Writing and illustrating are, by far and away, the most fun. As marketing is mostly talking about how, why, and what I make up, it’s not too bad, but still a distant third.

3. What are readers saying about your book?

Many of my readers use the words vivid, creative, fun, imaginative, adventurous — all high praise in my book. They often put Ambril in the same category as early Harry Potter, which I take as a huge compliment!

I have also been fortunate to receive great reviews from SPR (Self Publishing Review) and Kirkus Review which have warmed me right down to my toes. Here’s an excerpt:

 Normal teenagers are thrust into a world of magic in this heartfelt, occasionally hair-raising story for the Harry Potter set. 

The SPR review brought tears to my eyes when the reviewer likened my work to my all time favorite fantasy writer, Diana Wynne Jones. Here’s an excerpt:

While Potter comparisons are inevitable, it is the work of Diana Wynne Jones that leaps to mind when seeking to place Ambril’s Tale in its proper place in the lineage of children’s literature. Walter’s off-beat humor, unique characters, and engaging story are similar to Jones at her best.

More of Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith reviews on Amazon 

4. Why did you decide to Indie publish?

The year before I published Ambril’s Tale,  the California Writers Club, an association which I belong to, was inundated with dire predictions of the imminent demise of the traditional publishing world, due to the Internet.

Let’s face it, the Internet is faster-cheaper-better. The traditional model of publishing will never be able to compete, unless they make serious adjustments to how they do business. As changes were not even a hazy gleam on the horizon when my book was completed, I decided to Indie publish. I’ll probably continue to do so for the next couple of years—then I’ll go for a movie deal!

5. What advice do you have to authors just starting out?

As Bruce Springsteen says, No retreat, no surrender.  Keep going until the end, then start at the beginning again.

It’s tough to endlessly redo, restate, and reorganize. We all know it’s loads more fun to build out the backend of a fantasy kingdom. But as Mark Twain said, “Writing is wrongly named, it really should be called Re-Writing.” Finessing sentences and phrases can get tedious the thirty fifth time around. But in the end, you’ll have created a better story.

Keep going!

6. Anything else you’d like to share?!

I do hope that Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith gives my readers a sense of just how big and bouncy Ambril’s world is. My goal was to provide a universe-sized escape from this reality.

Stay tuned, the adventure just gets better and better. Book 2, Riding the Cursed Shoots, is right around the corner.

I’d love to hear from everyone.

Thanks Beth!

You’re welcome, Wendy!

ABOUT Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith
Fourteen-year-old, Ambril struggles with the mystery surrounding her father’s death when she moves back to the mysterious town where she was born. When she accidentally uncovers a secret which threatens to destroy her entire family, she continues her quest, against all odds, to clear her father’s name. But will she be able to claim her magic and and heal the rifts in her family?

Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith has received great 4-5-star reviews. Readers are impatiently demanding Book Two, which will be out early Spring 2013.

You can contact Wendy D. Walter here:

Ambril’s Facebook page

Wendy’s Facebook page 

Wendy D. Walter on Twitter 

Wendy’s blog: www.WendyDWalter.com

Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith  on Amazon

Ambril’s Tale-Return of the Dullaith- BarnesNoble

Some of the Illustrations for Book One are available here: wendydwalter.com/illustrating

Enter into Wendy’s Giveaway here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Giveaway Info

At each blog stop on her tour, Wendy is giving away a prize, a copy of one of her books (paperback or e-book). You can also enter her 12-12-12 Grand Prize Giveaway of a sterling silver pendant of the Tree of Life, and an End-of-Tour Grand Prize Giveaway of a hand-painted gnome, hand-painted by Wendy herself! There will also be some surprise giveaways along the way! Stay tuned!

1. To win a book: Leave a comment on this blog post about what is magical about writing your novel to be entered to win a copy of Ambril’s Tale: The Return of the Dullaith in paperback or e-book format. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. This giveaway ends five days after the post goes live.

2. To win one of the Grand Prizes: Click the link to go to Wendy’s website and enter the Rafflecopter above. A winner will be selected on Dec. 12th for the 12-12-12 for the a sterling silver pendant of the Tree of Life. Or click here to go to Wendy’s site: http://wendydwalter.com/blog-tour/.

Good luck!

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About The Author: Wendy D. Walter

Writing was an early passion for Wendy. As a kid, she wrote lots of stories, but being shy, they usually ended up under the mattress. When she finally set out to tell Ambril’s Tale, she decided not to write a story but a world, full with her own marvelous illustrations. She considers The Return of the Dullaith as just the curly tip of the fairy boot. Wendy lives near San Francisco with her husband, daughters, cat and border collie. More information about Wendy’s book and art, check her site: http://wendydwalter.com.