Andi O'Connor is the
award-winning author The Dragonath Chronicles, The Vaelinel Trilogy, and The
Legacy of Ilvania. She’s written multiple books, including the critically
acclaimed Silevethiel, which is the
2015 Best Indie Book Award winner for Science Fiction/Fantasy, and the 2015 New
Apple Official Selection for Young Adult. Silevethiel
was also named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2013. Andi's short story
collection, Redemption, is a 2014
Kindle Book Awards Semifinalist.
You can frequently find Andi as a guest panelist at Comic Cons throughout the
country including the Rhode Island Comic Con, Philcon, Conclave, WizardWorld,
and Chessiecon. Andi also writes for Niume where she provides writing tips,
advice, and insight on her career as an author. You can connect with Andi on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, visit Andi’s website.
About the Book:
Darrak's
adventure concludes with this thrilling finale of The Dragonath Chronicles!
Following the betrayal of two of his trusted
companions and a devastating battle in Mystandia, Darrak's talents are
desperately needed by the citizens of both Earth and Dragonath. Torn with the
decision of where his loyalty should remain, he finally decides to confide in
Andillrian. Together, they craft a plan they hope will save Darrak's home
planet, but their optimism is short-lived.
The Hellborn's army has begun the march to war.
With less than two weeks of preparation
remaining, their weaknesses become unavoidably apparent. Planning for defeat
suddenly becomes as important as planning for victory. Darrak's insecurities
continue until the moment the first arrows begin to fly. He can only hope that
help from a few unlikely sources will be enough.
For if they fail, Dragonath will fall.
ORDER YOUR COPY:
As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always
curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books. How did you come up with the idea for your
book?
Call To War is the
3rd book in my trilogy, so it follows the story set up in the first
two books. I got the initial idea for The
Lost Heir by wondering what it would be like if someone on Earth suddenly
found they were the true heir to another planet and were suddenly expected to
reclaim the throne.
Can you tell us what your book is about?
As I mentioned earlier, Call
To War concludes the story set in The
Lost Heir and Awakening. With the
Hellborn’s army marching to war against Krémarra, Darrak and his allies find
themselves severely outnumbered and outmatched. With help from a few unlikely
sources that will hopefully turn the tide in their favor, they plan not only
for victory, but for defeat as well. With everyone unable to fight secreted
away to the island home of the dragons, Darrak and his allies wait for the
first arrows to fly. The battle begins, and the futures of both Earth and
Dragonath hang in the balance.
Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your
book?
I don’t want to give too many details so I don’t spoil
events from the first two books! But I will say that all of my characters are
extremely complex, and I’ve actually had many people tell me that they don’t
know if they should love or hate some of them, Mionee in particular, which is
one of the best compliments someone could give me! Most of my characters are
tormented with the decisions they’ve made and those they have yet to make. For
example, although Darrak is from Earth, the story takes place on Dragonath. He
wants to save his people on Earth, yet he’s also part of Dragonath. He’s the
rightful heir to the throne and the one everyone is depending upon to save their
world. He’s torn between the two planets. Where does he belong? Where should he
go? Who should he save? Is either world really his home?
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what
would that be?
Just write. Don’t worry about making it sound perfect the
first time. That’s what drafts are for. Put your insecurities aside and just
write.
What would you say is one of your interesting writing
quirks?
I handwrite everything before typing it up and absolutely
must sharpen my pencils before throwing them away. There are no exceptions. If
I’m traveling, I’ll save my pencil in order to sharpen it when I get home
before throwing it out.
Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?
I do! Sometimes it’s just a note to say keep up the good work.
Sometimes it’s to tell me how my books have touched them or what they
particularly liked. They also contact me to see where I’ll be or ask questions
about an event or upcoming book. Whatever it is, I absolutely love hearing from
readers! Contact me more! Don’t be shy!
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
A reviewer for the San Francisco Times left a scathing review for Silevethiel
saying he couldn’t stand my work and that it was the tritest thing he’d ever
read. It was my first ever bad review and came about a week after Silevethiel was named to Kirkus Reviews’
Best Books of 2013, so it absolutely devastated me because I thought maybe
Kirkus was wrong and it really was uninteresting and poorly written. I then
came to realize that it was only one person’s opinion, just as any other
review.
What has been the best accomplishment?
My book, Silevethiel,
has won three awards, and Awakening
was recommended by ForeWord Reviews as something for George R. R. Martin fans
to read while they waited for his next book. I still can’t believe my books
have actually received so much praise and recognition. It’s quite an amazing
feeling and a wonderful accomplishment!
Do you Google yourself?
Absolutely not! I probably never will!
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Just one, although it’s the 3rd book to my other
series, so it’ll be finished by the end of the year and published in the spring
of 2018. Then, I have to plan my next book or series! I do have a few short stories
that are unpublished and unfinished though. I guess I should get my butt in
gear and get them done!
Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to
your readers?
Thank you for your support and encouragement! Being able to
touch you with my work is so rewarding, and your kind words help get me through
the days when I want to start a bonfire and burn all my notebooks. You mean the
world to me, and I’m so honored you’re taking the journey with me!
