Author Interview: Samantha LaFantasie + Free Book Giveaway!

 

Author Samantha LaFantasie is spreading the Christmas cheer with a holiday giveaway December 24-26th. Her book, Heart Song, will be available for free download at Smashwords during these days. All you have to do is check out the Facebook event page or her website for details.

In addition to sharing with me the deets on her latest giveaway, Samantha was kind enough to give an interview amidst a busy, hectic month. Check out what she had to say about Heart Song, and some of the behind-the-scenes world-building she came up with:

 

Q. In your book, Heart Song, the protagonist (Relena) has a dark, hurtful past. How has her past shaped who she is when the reader meets her?

Relena is a bit jaded and guarded when the reader first meets her. She’s sealed herself off and is a little weary of letting anyone get close to her. She’s also very determined. This is all just the outside shell of her appearance. On the inside, she’s vulnerable, easily hurt, and much softer than she shows to people. As the reader learns through the story, Relena has been shunned from her community and even her father doesn’t want her. Then, when she’s betrayed by her best friend, she’s determined to never let anyone close to her again.

Q. Several readers have remarked that they loved the concept of a “Heart Song.” Can you explain what that is in your story?

A heart song is something like soul mates but much more deeper and the bond is so much stronger. A heart song is an immortal bond between two souls. One cannot exists without the other. And once they find each other, nothing can separate them, not even death. But the heart song shared between Marren and Relena has another characteristic and that’s the ability to share in each other’s thoughts and feelings as well as death. If one dies, so does the other.

Q. Having read the book, I also noticed that you describe and present the world your characters live in with great detail. Was there anything extra that didn’t make it into the book but would be interesting for us to know about?

I think that if there was anything that was left out, it would’ve been like plain lands and more lakes and villages. Just basic details of what any world would have. But what I described was basically the world we live in today, just in an alternate reality and quite possibly long before the beginning of time. I wanted the world to be a character of itself, especially when Relena crosses over into the immortal realm.

Q. Marren is mysterious, handsome…and dangerous. If he were sitting down with us for a chat, how do you think he would describe himself?

Quite possibly the same way that I described him. He’s very composed and at ease with basically everything until you threaten his family or try to get into his way and then he becomes a bit more protective and angry.  He’s likes to think of himself as an equal to those around him. He’s very observant of everything as well so he would most likely only show what he thinks would help make his company comfortable.

Q. I’ve heard others say that you portray werewolves differently or in a unique way in Heart Song. Can you describe what you do differently with these creatures?

I wanted my werewolves to be more human-esque. Mine don’t change into wolves but rather their appearance changes, gaining more wolf-like features. I wanted them to remain up right, but still have the ferocity that a wolf has, i.e. sharp teeth, sharp nails, and speed. Their face even keeps it’s human shape but hold features akin to the wolf. Their nose blends into their cheeks to the point it’s almost no telling where one ends and the other begins and a wider forehead.

Q. Who are your favorite characters from the book and why?

Ah! That’s like being asked to pick your favorite child! I think my absolute favorite was Lernn. He was such an unexpected character and came to me so clearly that even now I can see him in my mind. The next would be Raden, because who doesn’t love a dwarf?  I definitely feel very close to Relena and Marren, for obvious reasons but I love all my characters. 🙂

Q. Is there another book in progress? We want to know what’s coming from Ms. LaFantasie!

I’m currently working on edits for a trilogy. The first book is titled  Fated: An Ithia Novel. It’s a story of a reincarnated queen born to overthrow the corrupted Society of Mages that are out to kill her. She just doesn’t know it yet.

I’m already plotting to get my hands on an advanced copy–heck, I’ll beta read! Thanks Samantha for stopping by, and remember folks, Heart Song will be FREE December 24-26.

 

Samantha’s Website

Find Samantha on Facebook