Interview with Amber Argyle, author of Witch Born, releasing September 5th

I'm tickled to death to tell you that Amber Argyle has a sequel to her lovely Witch Song book coming out today!  She is a good friend of mine, not to mention an exceptional writer. See my interview with Amber below. 

You can read my review of Witch Song here.

To purchase Witch Born today, click here. 

Christy:  How did writing a sequel differ from writing the first book in your series?

Amber:  Holy crap it was hard. I've written 8 books, but most were the first in a series, so a continuation was fairly new territory for me. Plus there's all this pressure for the second book to be better than the first book. The first book was out, so I couldn't change anything to make things fit. I had to figure out how to work with what I already had. I think I nailed it though.  

Christy:  You had such vivid cultures, lyrical songs, and even some great foods in Witch Song. Will readers be treated to such goodies in Witch Born?

Amber:  Yup. I wrote some scenes in just for you, Christy. :) I imagined something I really wanted to eat so you could write me a recipe (I'm super sneaky that way). I'm salivating just thinking about it. Here's a taste for you:

~

Mistin pointed out the best of the greens—one mixed with a dried sour-sweet berry, candied nuts, and a sunset pink dressing that tasted of onions and wine vinegar. Mistin piled their plates high with some kind of meat drenched in a sticky sauce with more dried berries and nuts.

Senna glanced at the numerous faces around the room. She caught snatches of conversations, everything from intercity trade to orders for weapons, while they ate food Senna had come to consider Witch staples—greens and herbs, berries and nuts, growing things that were easy for Witch song to create.

But where Haven’s fish usually was, there was some kind of meat. She bit into it—sweet and sour, like the salad. Why did every nation besides Nefalie think meat needed to be sweetened? “What is this, anyway?”

“Lamb with dried bitterberries,” Mistin whispered.

As the warm savor and sweetness filled her, she had to admit she was starting to get used to it. Like it, even. “Joshen would have loved this meal.”

~

Wait? What happened to Joshen? I'll leave you with that line as an ending. Mean aren't I???

Christy:  That's awesome!  Thanks for writing some food in for me. :)
Is Brusenna based at all on your own strengths and/or weaknesses?

Amber:  I wrote some things in the book in hopes of helping young girls going through what I went through. I was bullied and struggled with self esteem issues (both of which plague Brusenna). I wanted girls to find someone they could relate to. Someone they could see strand tall and learn to fight for herself, to believe in herself, to love herself. 

Christy:  What do you eat while you are reading/writing?

Amber:  I usually have to have a chocolate break in the middle of my writing, though I'm trying to be more healthy and grab a piece of fruit. Though sometimes a spoonful of nutella is just too tempting. 

Christy:  Is there a Witch Song 3? Are you working on other projects that you can share with us?

Amber:  I'm writing a short prequel, Witch War, that involves a minor character present in both books. I've already started it and it's awesome!

Also, I have a book ready for my editor to start on it. It's called Winter Queen. It's my most powerful work to date. You can learn more about both here: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4629065.Amber_Argyle

Interview with Amber Argyle, author of Witch Song

Amber Argyle, author of Witch Song

Amber Argyle is the author of Witch Song, released September 1, 2011.

Read my review here. 

The world in which you wrote Witch Song has many characters and races. Can you tell us what the inspiration was behind such people as Tartans and creatures like Pogg?

I wanted to take full advantage of the America’s resonance with witches—the most famous being the Salem Witch Trials. So Nefalie (my character’s home country) is very New England in setting with similar technology to what you might find in 17^th century America (muskets/Spanish galleon sailing ships).

As far as the Tartens (the enemy nation), my brother-in-law works for the US embassy program. He’s been in a few South American countries where there is almost no middle class. Just a few very wealthy and many very poor. I also loved the idea of adding a tropical flavor to the novel, as most high fantasy is strictly castles and knights.

As for Pogg (my frog person), my main character grew up landlocked, so I needed a character that could help her make the connection to the sea creatures and also serve as a guide.

What makes Brusenna the perfect heroine for your novel?

I’ve read so many sarcastic, masculine heroines that I wanted to showcase a different kind of woman—one with a quiet strength. Brusenna is shy and unsure of herself. She’s slow to trust anyone, including herself. People and large groups terrify her. She has to learn to overcome all of her fears in order to save the people she loves.

How does it feel to have a debut novel in print?

It’s wonderful! There’s a strong sense of accomplishment ,and I’ve learned so much. Although I think I’ll need a solid year worth of sleep and a gallon of hot chocolate to return to normal. ;)

What do you want readers to take away from Witch Song?

Trust yourself. Love yourself. Honor yourself. Because if you don’t, no one else will.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?  What inspires you?

Yes. Whenever teachers would ask what we wanted to be when we grew up, I always answered a writer or a ballerina. Since I have the grace of a one-legged zombie, I think I chose well.

Are you working on any future books?  Can you share with us?

I have another novel, Daughter of Winter that will hopefully be released sometime next year. Here’s the cover blurb: 

"Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year old Ilyenna is healed by Winter Faeries who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over Winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family.

Unwilling to forsake humanity or family, Ilyenna is enslaved by the raiders. While in captivity, she learns that the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation. In order to save her people, Ilyenna risks her life to warn her people. Her captor, the traitor Darrien, proves his cunning by convincing their people she is lying.

Only Ilyenna knows the truth.

With the invaders stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, she’ll have to decide whether to resurrect the power the faeries left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the invaders; but if she embraces Winter, she’ll lose herself to that destroying power—forever."

What do you eat while reading/writing?

A handful of chocolate or a cup of hot chocolate (sometimes with marshmallows).