Topic: Author Interview
Sandy Lender the person:
1. What three words do you think describe you as a human being?
Creative
Environmentalist
Determined
2. How do you think others would describe you?
I've actually had a bunch of people tell me that I "inspire" them, which freaks me out. But I think most folks would tell you I'm obsessed with Duran Duran and I'm usually fairly smart.
3. Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
Stalking Duran Duran
Saving sea turtles
4. Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.
Joshua, the 20-year-old red-eared slider (that's a water turtle); Josh went to college with me
Buttermilk, the pancake tortoise
Petri, the sun conure-Petri is the love of my life. He's very smart, very demanding and very loving. I owe him everything because he's the reason I didn't commit suicide one horrid day back when I was still stuck in unemployment and marriage hell. He squawked before I took a bottle of migraine pills. It was a very sobering moment. He's a special little bird with a quirky personality. Anyone who's thinking about getting a bird as a pet should seriously consider the lovable nature of conures because, wow, these little guys are just tops.
5. What is your most precious memory?
The most precious one has to be feeding Petri when he was still a baby bird. (I didn't have to regurgitate. Baby bird food can be mixed with water and fed through a syringe-like tube. No barfing necessary.)
6. What is your most embarrassing moment?
Holding a note too long. I was in marching band in high school and for one semester, the director asked me to play the F-horn. So I taught myself to play the thing over the summer but I failed to stop playing it at a competition one night. Ugh! So the whole band stopped-except me.
7. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
I think I would have kept up the musical instruments. Maybe I'd be playing the violin somewhere.
8. In two paragraphs or less, write your obituary.
The winner of the Pick Sandy's Drop Date is Laura Crawford. Ms. Crawford correctly guessed that world-renowned fantasy author Sandy Lender would die from exhaustion while on tour with her latest release, It Wasn't the Percocet.
Fantasy enthusiasts and movie-goers from around the globe celebrate Ms. Lender's life and works with viewings of the movies based on her best-sellers in fantasy and paranormal fiction. Fellow sea turtle conservationists are planning a sea turtle walk each night this weekend to party on the beaches she patrolled during her many years of work with different conservation organizations to raise awareness and funds for sea turtle research. Of course, her massive estate goes in part to continued sea turtle research. Her beloved feathered friend Petri is now selecting which of her friends to live with.
Sandy Lender the writer:
9. Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a "real" writer?
I'm not sure that I ever had that moment. I've always written stories that people liked to read...since I was a kid.
10. What is going on with your writing these days?
Absolute chaos.
11. What are your future goals for your writing?
A near-future goal is to get back on a regular schedule.
Another near-future goal is to get another short story anthology in addition to What Choices We Made published so some more of these stories from the Choices trilogy can stop driving me insane.
A more long-term goal is to finish a few of the WIPs I have on the desktop and get an agent who'll help me find appropriate homes for them. Not all of them will be full-length novels that my current publisher will be interested in.
12. Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
I used to be able to, but there's so much chaos in my life right now that the weekdays have become random. My writing schedule is in upheaval, which affects my ability to think straight in other areas of my life...like driving.
13. Why do you write?
I love spending time with the characters.
14. What writer most inspires you? Why?
Charlotte Bronte. Hands down.
She overcame incredible family tragedy and a horrific case of unrequited love to write some of the greatest stories in English literature. Jane Eyre is the single greatest book I've ever read, and it amazes me that Charlotte, who saw adversity at every turn, was able to take the characters she dreamt up as a child and come up with novels that we still teach in universities today. I learned how dialogue should work by reading Charlotte Bronte. I learned how passion should grow by reading Charlotte Bronte. I learned how a leading man should hide a secret by reading Charlotte Bronte. Criminy, I just think every author who wants to include mood in his or her work should read the Bronte. Those sisters knew what they were doing.
15. How do you define your writing?
Straight-up fantasy. Dragons, monsters, sorcerers, wizards...I love that stuff and that's what I like to write best.
16. In one sentence-what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
Fantasy Author Sandy Lender's work mixed shadow, mood and world-building with a pace unmatched in the genre while subtly nudging the reader's sense of purpose in the real world.
Sandy Lender the details:
17. Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog?
Nigel Taiman's blog gives info about me at http://sandylender.blogspot.com/
My publisher's site gives some info about me.
My amazon page gives reviews and whatnot.
18. Is there a place where readers can reach you?
I run my own blog, mostly for writers, at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/
19. Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?
Choices Meant for Gods (March 2007)
What Choices We Made (November 2008)
Choices Meant for Kings (late 2008)
20. For new readers-what can they expect when they read your book(s)?
Straight-up fantasy. Dragons, monsters, sorcerers, wizards...
My Choices trilogy is a very girl-power sort of story because Amanda Chariss is empowered, but no one should expect one of those abrasive, harsh heroines that you see in some novels these days. She's a pleasant young woman with a quick wit and a strong sense of self. Of course she has flaws-this makes her human and likeable. No one should come in expecting the heroine to be perfect and all-knowing. But you should expect good entertainment. There's a bit of humor, a bit of a sweet romance, a bit of scary stuff, a lot of action-adventure, a lot of plotting and conniving, a lot of sword and sorcery, a lot of character-driven action, a lot of character growth...but it's all wrapped in a structured fantasy world.
In conclusion:
21. Take as much space as necessary to speak to our readers-what would you like them to know about you and your writing?
Honestly, I'm not sure. I just keep plugging away...
