sara

Denise: We look forward to learning more about your writing. Your creative realm focuses on fantasy and paranormal romance. What authors inspired you to write these genres?

Sara: I've always been fascinated with the unknown, even as a child. Myths, legends, paranormal phenomena -- it's all intrigued and inspired me. When I was a little girl, I was as apt to be caught reading about unicorns as I was about UFOs, or a copy of "The X-Men." These interests have always reflected in my writing. I love the possibilities that come when you explore these themes in your writing -- the 'what ifs' you get to answer and address. Even magic systems have parameters, preternatural powers must have logical rules, and as I invent them, as I personally come to discover and define their limitations and capacities, it helps make the worlds I'm creating, the races, cultures and characters all seem more real to me. I think in turn, that realism is conveyed to my readers. That's my intention, anyway. :)

Denise: Let's talk about your debut fantasy, "Book of Days," published by Double Dragon Publishing in Sept. 2005. Tell us about Trejaeran Muirel and Qynh Reoder and their journey toward their destinies. What is their world like and during which time period do they live? What type of lifestyles have they experienced before their lives grew more complicated?

Sara: Trejaeran and Qynh are the heroes of "Book of Days." They're twins, brother and sister, and the rightful heirs to the throne of Tiralainn. They're the son and daughter of a king of men and a queen of Elves, both of whom are murdered during a violent coup when Trejaeran and Qynh are just infants. The twins are smuggled out of the palace and brought to their uncle, Dagarron Atreile, who in turns secrets each of them away to foster homes. They're raised apart, oblivious to who they really are -- and to each other -- for sixteen years. Trejaeran is raised as the son of a peasant farmer, and Qynh, the daughter of a blacksmith. But before she died, their mother, the Elfin Queen, had offered a prophecy that one of them would overthrow the ancient, evil being that had taken over the crown, a dark witch-queen named Ciardha. Ciardha spends sixteen years hunting for the twins and when she finds them, she sends her minions to murder them. The twins escape, with the help of their uncle Dagarron, and are brought among a group of rebels in alliance against Ciardha. They're reunited, but it's only a brief reintroduction. Trejaeran's foster father has been abducted by Ciardha, and Trejaeran leaves, accompanied by a small band of loyal warriors, to try and rescue him. Qynh, meanwhile, finds herself traveling in the ranks of the rebel army to lay siege against the royal city and Ciardha herself, to try and reclaim the throne.

Trejaeran and Qynh don't live in a timeline of our history. Tiralainn is a fantasy realm, part of a world called the Bith. It's a large island continent, approximately a fifth of the size of Australia, and the culture at the time of "Book of Days" is based loosely on feudalistic British and Celtic cultures.

Denise: Was it your intention to present a tale of good vs. evil and that one can not turn their backs on their pre-destined futures?

Sara: In terms of "good versus evil," yes, I purposefully set out to write an epic fantasy along those traditional veins. The book was written in memory of my late uncle, James E. "Pete" Howard, who loved epic fantasy tales, like Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" and Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." That's what I set out to create in his honor. But as far as the central theme of predestined futures, I think the book more specifically explores whether anyone's future can truly be predetermined, or whether we choose our destinies for ourselves.

Denise: In "Resurrection," to be published by Inara Press in 12-weekly e-book format installments, Jay Frances can raise the dead. We are talking about major powers and responsibility here. When did he learn he had this ability? Is it something inherited through his family or individual gift/curse? What has Jay's life been like?

Sara: "Resurrection" is available for sale now. And yes, Jay Frances has extraordinary power -- and responsibility. He learned of the ability as a very young child, when he witnessed the death of a playmate. This was his first occasion to resurrect someone from the dead. This isn't something that runs in his family or anything like that. He can't explain how it happens. He doesn't know how he does it. It's a compulsion; something he's helpless against. In a lot of ways, it's a power that acts through him more than anything. It is physically agonizing for him to raise the dead, and to do so leaves him nearly comatose, often for days. It's almost as if it takes away from his own life force to restore someone else's. He's terrified of what he can do. He wants to stop, but he can't. He can't control the power at all, and to him, it's very much a curse. He doesn't consider it a blessing at all. When he raises people from the dead, it's only their bodies he restores. Their minds never return to them; they linger in persistent vegetative stages, a fate worse than death to Jay. He's never been able to bring anybody all of the way back before...not until Jobeth Montgomery.

Denise: One day he finds JoBeth Montgomery brutally murdered in a darkened stairwell and resurrects her? Why does he return her to the world of the living?

Sara: He can't stop himself. He has no choice. In the book, I describe him as being an unwilling marionette forced into action by a cruel puppeteer. So yes, when he stumbles accidentally upon Jo's body, only moments after she's been murdered, he is compelled to touch her and resurrect her. He is helpless to prevent himself.

Denise: Who also knows about his remarkable ability?

Sara: His older brother, Paul, who is a homicide detective with the local police department. Paul had witnessed Jay's first resurrection when they were children. No one else knows of Jay's abilities, except for Jo...and the Watcher, of course.

Denise: You've also written a historical romance called "An Unexpected Engagement." It sends the reader back to England in 1748 "when romance was irrelevant and adventure is thoroughly unladylike," according to your publisher Medallion Press (Feb. 2007). Tease us with the plot without giving too much away.

Sara: Charlotte Engle finds herself on the wrong end of a pistol when her coach is stopped by notorious highwaymen, the Black Trio. Although Charlotte survives the encounter none the worse for wear, her mother, Lady Epping, decides Charlotte is in need of a husband to protect her. Charlotte is inclined to agree only when introduced to Kenley Fairfax. Kenley is charming and handsome, a young lord with a sordid past and a reputation for trouble. He's just the sort to strike Charlotte's fancy-and horrify her mother. When Lady Epping arranges a marriage to an insufferable cad, however, Kenley comes to her rescue declaring she has already agreed to marry him. Kenley charms and excites Charlotte more than any man she has ever met, but can she really marry someone she has known less than a week? A man with secrets in his life he keeps fiercely guarded? Not to mention one her mother despises? The closer Charlotte draws to the truth about Kenley, the more she realizes he might be capable of far more treachery than she had believed possible, and the more she finds herself involved in a web of deceit that includes late-night conspiracies, highway robbery, cold-blooded murder, and-most unexpected of all-love.

Karen Robards, NY Times, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly best-selling author said of "An Unexpected Engagement," "This is the way historical romance should be written! I loved it!"

Denise: I see that you also have a science fiction thriller called "Tethers" coming out in e-book and trade paperback from Samhain in 2006. Gotta know about that one.

Sara: Survivor Kathryn Emmente must decide who is friend and who is foe when her cargo vessel, the Daedalus explodes under mysterious circumstances, killing many among her crew and leaving the rest of them helpless and stranded on a terra-farming colony moon of Jupiter called X-1226. They have no means of communicating with Earth or even the nearest stellar platform for aid. And as Kathryn learns that the detonations aboard the Daedalus and the deaths of her fellow crewmates may not have been as accidental or incidental as they first appeared, she realizes that one among the survivors may be operating on a hidden, sinister agenda -- and that she and her young daughter, Jerica could be the next victims.

Look for "Tethers" either late this year or early next. Good old-fashioned suspenseful fun!

Denise: You've also written "Book of Thieves," the second part in the Chronicles of Tiralainn series due out in late 2006 from Double Dragon Publishing. What is this series about?

Sara: The Chronicles of Tiralainn follow the central characters, conflicts and cultures introduced in "Book of Days." In "Book of Thieves," twenty years have passed since the events in "Book of Days" and now a new and even darker evil is threatening the land. The Shadow Stone, an ancient and indomitable talisman has been discovered, and its dark sentience is awakening, searching for a chosen soul to bear it. Throughout history, the Stone grants each of its bearers command of one natural element: earth, air, fire or water. These forces once helped to create the world, and through the Shadow Stone, legends say they will be used to destroy it. Kaevir Macleod, son of a disenfranchised nobleman and frequent guest of many a fine county jail, is an unlikely choice to be the bearer of such a powerful totem. The mastermind behind one of the midrealm's most notorious band of highway bandits, Kaevir also hardly seems the sort to help prevent a royal assassination, overthrow a violent revolt, rescue a kidnapped queen, stage a prison break and restore peace and order once more to the realm. But sometimes heroes are found in the most unlikely of characters...

Denise: I notice that you're published by several publishing houses. Do you ever run into problems because of this?

Sara: Not at all. I try to find the best "fit" for my work. Double Dragon is perfect for my Chronicles of Tiralainn series, because they specialize in fantasy and science fiction titles. And while there are strong romantic elements in "Book of Days," it can just as easily not be classified as a romance. But "Resurrection" is a speculative romance, a completely different vein of story; it's also a lot grittier, tougher, more sensual. Inara Press, specializing in speculative, non-erotica romance was the perfect place for it -- "Resurrection" was actually custom-written for their Seron Serials line. If I'd never learned of Inara Press, I probably never would have written "Resurrection," even though the idea had been in my mind a long time.

"Tethers," too, touches on a lot of stronger, more graphic subjects than "Book of Days." Because it's not a romance either, I felt the harder edge made it a better fit elsewhere than either Double Dragon or Inara Press. I had heard great things about Samhain and after looking into them myself, felt this would be the best home for "Tethers."

You have to look at what a publisher can offer you as a writer, but also what they can offer your books -- and go with your gut instinct as to which manuscript best suits which publisher. Look at a company's online catalog and see if what you're writing suits what they produce.

Denise: Where do you reside and what do you do 9-5?

Sara: I live in Kentucky, and am a freelance writer and editor.
Thank you so much again for this wonderful opportunity! I'd like to invite your readers to visit my website to read excerpts of the titles mentioned above: www.sarareinke.com You can also find links to my blog at my website, learn about upcoming appearances, promotions and contests, read the latest reviews of my titles, and check out my latest bi-monthly newsletter. I also have a Yahoo! group, so please consider this a standing invitation to join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tiralainn.
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