{"id":6946,"date":"2012-12-04T03:00:56","date_gmt":"2012-12-04T11:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=6946"},"modified":"2012-12-04T18:20:41","modified_gmt":"2012-12-05T02:20:41","slug":"qa-with-author-wendy-d-walter-featuring-her-ya-fantasy-ambrils-tale-the-return-of-the-dullaith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2012\/12\/04\/qa-with-author-wendy-d-walter-featuring-her-ya-fantasy-ambrils-tale-the-return-of-the-dullaith\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A with Author, Wendy D. Walter, featuring her YA Fantasy, Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Welcome YA fantasy author, Wendy D. Walter during her giveaway featuring her YA fantasy novel, Ambril’s Tale<\/em>. 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!<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Q&A from Wendy D. Walter<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. What got you into writing this book in the first place? Tell us a little about the book as you answer the question.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ambril\u2019s Tale<\/a> <\/em>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.<\/p>\n

I realized then, that the world wasn\u2019t 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\u2019s Tale is based on.<\/p>\n

2. What was the most fun thing to do during the writing, producing<\/strong> or marketing of your book?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love to make stuff up. My industrial strength day dreams are what defines me. When I finally figured out how to craft Ambril\u2019s world with them, I cheered. At long last, I found that writing and illustrating allows me to make stuff up, non-stop. I\u2019m in heaven!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>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\u2019s not too bad, but still a distant third.<\/p>\n

3. What are readers saying about your book?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of my readers use the words vivid, creative, fun, imaginative, adventurous —\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>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!<\/p>\n

I have also been fortunate to receive great reviews from SPR (Self Publishing Review)<\/a> and Kirkus Review<\/a> which have warmed me right down to my toes. Here\u2019s an excerpt:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Normal teenagers are thrust into a world of magic in this heartfelt, occasionally hair-raising story for the Harry Potter set.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s an excerpt:<\/p>\n

While Potter comparisons are inevitable, it is the work of Diana Wynne Jones that leaps to mind when seeking to place Ambril\u2019s Tale in its proper place in the lineage of children\u2019s literature. Walter\u2019s off-beat humor, unique characters, and engaging story are similar to Jones at her best.<\/strong><\/p>\n

More of Ambril\u2019s Tale, Return of the Dullaith <\/a>reviews on Amazon<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Why did you decide to Indie publish?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The year before I published Ambril\u2019s Tale,\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s 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\u2019ll probably continue to do so for the next couple of years\u2014then I\u2019ll go for a movie deal!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

5. What advice do you have to authors just starting out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Bruce Springsteen says, No<\/em> <\/strong>retreat, no surrender<\/strong>.\u00a0 <\/em>Keep going until the end, then start at the beginning again.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s tough to endlessly redo, restate, and reorganize. We all know it\u2019s loads more fun to build out the backend of a fantasy kingdom. But as Mark Twain said, \u201cWriting is wrongly named, it really should be called Re-Writing.\u201d Finessing sentences and phrases can get tedious the thirty fifth time around. But in the end, you\u2019ll have created a better story.<\/p>\n

Keep going!<\/p>\n

6. Anything else you’d like to share?!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I do hope that Ambril\u2019s Tale, Return of the Dullaith<\/em><\/a> gives my readers a sense of just how big and bouncy Ambril\u2019s world is. My goal was to provide a universe-sized escape from this reality.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned, the adventure just gets better and better. Book 2,\u00a0Riding the Cursed Shoots<\/em>,<\/a> is right around the corner.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to hear from everyone.<\/p>\n

Thanks Beth!<\/p>\n

You’re welcome, Wendy!<\/em><\/p>\n

ABOUT Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith<\/em><\/strong>
\nFourteen-year-old, Ambril struggles with the mystery surrounding her father\u2019s 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\u2019s name. But will she be able to claim her magic and and heal the rifts in her family?<\/p>\n

Ambril\u2019s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith<\/em>\u00a0has received great 4-5-star reviews. Readers are impatiently demanding Book Two, which will be out early Spring 2013.<\/p>\n

You can contact Wendy D. Walter here:<\/p>\n

Ambril\u2019s Facebook page<\/a><\/p>\n

Wendy\u2019s Facebook page\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n

Wendy D. Walter on Twitter\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n

Wendy’s blog: www.WendyDWalter.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Ambril\u2019s Tale, Return of the Dullaith\u00a0 on Amazon <\/a><\/p>\n

Ambril\u2019s Tale-Return of the Dullaith- BarnesNoble<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the Illustrations for Book One are available here:\u00a0wendydwalter.com\/illustrating<\/a><\/p>\n

Enter into Wendy’s Giveaway here:<\/p>\n

a Rafflecopter giveaway<\/a>
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