Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Katie Zaber who’s here to talk about Stranger Shores, book three in the Dalya series. Katie is also the author of DNA: Demons N Angels.
Tell us about your current work in progress
I’m about to release Stranger Shores, the third book in my fantasy series, Dalya. It comes out on September 23rd. Dalya is a series following a group of young adults in a foreign world, trying to find a way home.
Who is your protagonist, and why are they compelling?
I enjoy writing stories about average people who face tremendous problems without the guidance or knowledge to overcome them.
Megan, the main character of my Dalya series, is a young woman who has had a tough life and can be a little rough around the edges.
She’s not a fighter, nor has ever wanted power or control—she hates responsibility, but she will have to learn how to take charge in order to save the people she loves.
Who is your villain and what makes them such a good foil for your protagonist?
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but the protagonist is someone Megan would never suspect and someone who used to be close to her.
The betrayal breaks Megan’s heart and sets her on a course of revenge.
Describe your writing process from idea to final product
Normally, it starts with either a dream or a nightmare.
I let my imagination simmer and run through possibilities until I develop a story I like.
After some rough outlining, I write the first draft. That’s a mess. I then take a break. A week or two later, I then reread and edit. Then I’ll have my second draft, I’ll break again, then reread. I’ll repeat that process until I’m happy.
Once I’m satisfied, I’ll send it over to my wonderful editor, Susan. After editing, I send it out to my beta readers and decide on a release date. From there it’s all marketing.
What’s been the biggest highlight or your writing career so far?
I think of myself as a small fish in a huge ocean of authors and I constantly suffer from imposter syndrome.
Earlier this year, I was at a book signing and a reader who was there for a big-time author recognized my book on display. She was a fan of my newest series, DNA Demons N Angels.
As an indie writer, the fact that anyone knows my name is an honor.
What’s your opinion on happy endings? Are they necessary to make a story satisfying?
Some stories don’t have happy endings. Not every story ends with celebration or joy. Sometimes they’re a warning.
The world’s most famous stories come from the Brothers Grimm and almost all of them end in tragedy. They might be bloody and gruesome, even detested, but they’re remembered.
As long as there’s an ending to the story, that’s all that matters.
How and when did you start writing?
I’ve always been creative, but never took up writing until I was recovering from surgery, was on a lot of meds, and let my imagination loose.
Once off the meds and healed, I edited the story, building and rearranging, working through drafts until I was happy.
That’s how I started writing the Dalya series.
About Stranger Shores, the Dalya series #3
Busy learning how to kill with her gift of life, Princess Megan craves time to practice how to heal, but knows that only death will win the upcoming war.
For the first time in Megan’s life, she has fallen in love, and with the wrong man, at that. As much as she loves Mana, will she have to end their relationship to keep her promise to the soon-to-be king of the Syreni, Prince Aenon?
Meanwhile, Kevin is busy preparing for his child with Dana and trying to keep Megan out of trouble. When Brynjar takes him to the Saoirson hideout, he realizes he knows nothing and if he wants answers, he’ll have to talk to people he never expected to meet and never wanted to.
On Earth, Carmia is learning what makes this foreign world spin. She discovers an island with inhabitants that appear primitive but are more sophisticated than anyone on Dalya. Their technology is more advanced than the inventions in her dreams. She flirts with the idea of staying on Earth forever until tragedy sends her sailing back to Dalya and into a deadly storm. She promises to return and never leave Earth again.
At the same time, the king of the Paradise Kingdom and secretly all of Dargone, Megan’s father, plans his next move against his daughter, giving her a surprise she will never expect.
You can grab a copy of Stranger Shores on Amazon.
About Katie
As a child, Katie’s parents read stories about Atlantis and other fictional places that she dreamed of exploring, fueling her love of history, adventure, and fantasy. She loves to spend what little free time she has winemaking, baking, and reading. When she has a full day to herself, you can find her at the beach or at a winery. Her favorite meals are the ones her boyfriend cooks, and she loves spending quiet nights at home with him, binge watching new fantasy shows or play video games. Subscribe to Katie’s newsletter and receive the free ebook of Ashes and Blood.
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