Take Five And Meet Author Sylvie Grayson

Woot! Another new author to me. I love finding authors to share with you.  

And wait until you read the answer to question #2!

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Sylvie Grayson.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book Weapon of Tyrants, The Last War: Book Four?

I started The Last War series a few years ago. My critique partners and I have been unable to decide whether these stories fit in the science fiction or fantasy category, so I list them as both - sci-fi/fantasy. In book three, Damian had a tough life and he goes through a very difficult situation where he ends up killing someone to protect his sister. He tried to ignore it but it continued to bother him.

I had started a different adventure for book four, but Damian kept talking to me and I decided he deserved his own story. So I put the original fourth in the series on hold and wrote Damian’s book. I’m happy with it – it’s the story of a good man caught in a tough spot and his redemption is as important as the continuing saga of the Last War.

If you were not a writer, what vocation would you pursue?

I have been a lot of things. I have been a lawyer, a businesswoman, a pub manager. I really loved being self-employed – it suited my personality to have that kind of freedom and responsibility. I think being an author is similar – freedom and responsibility. If I don’t sit down and work, the writing doesn’t get done.

Do you prefer to read in the same genre you write in, or do you avoid reading that genre?  Why?

I write sci fi/fsci-fi and contemporary romantic suspense – and I read a great deal of both of those. But I also read adventure, suspense, mystery. I don’t read thriller as a rule, as they are so often about psychopaths who murder people for the fun of it, and I don’t find that entertaining. I like to find a compelling story behind the actions of the characters. For favourite authors, I’d have to list Bernard Cornwell, Neal Stephenson, Anna Markland, Linda Howard.

How do you create internal and external conflict in your characters?  I find conflict often the hardest to create when I start planning a book.

Believe it or not, the conflict comes automatically. When I begin a story, I already know there is great hardship ahead for my characters J And their job is to work their way through the hotbed of chaos, conflict and catastrophe that awaits them. I usually have at least a couple of major hurdles in mind before I start writing, and that helps.

If you could live during any era of history, which one would you choose?

I would live today. I love history, and exploring former eras is great fun. But the freedom we have now is amazing, the things we are able to do today that weren’t possible even fifty years ago, this is a real gift. I wouldn’t trade it.

Give us a brief summary of Weapon of Tyrants, The Last War: Book Four:

Fanny Master is running for her life. Can she trust a criminal enforcer to keep her safe?

Fanny is from the elite in Khandarken, and when both her parents are murdered, she is forced to run for her life, or be the next victim of the people who hunt her. Amid the chaos of the International Head Ball Games, and as Emperor Carlton ramps up his plans for invasion to the north, her attacker makes another attempt on her life.

Damian Stuke was an enforcer for an illegal gamer, but now he is in training as an undercover agent for the Khandarken military. Then he encounters a fascinating woman with a hidden agenda. But when he discovers what she’s hiding, his protective instincts kick into high gear. Will Damian be able to save her from her unknown enemy, or is he still working for the other side?

 "Ms Grayson has created a fascinating new world with a lot of the same old problems. Sci fi and fantasy rolled into one with a sure hand and enormous imagination, a stunning portrayal of a new world created from fire and consumed at the edges …- sci-fi and fantasy at its best…"

Buy Links: 

Books2Read | Amazon

Bio:

Sylvie Grayson loves to write about suspense, romance and attempted murder, in both contemporary and science fiction/fantasy. She has lived most of her life in British Columbia, Canada in spots ranging from Vancouver Island on the west coast to the North Peace River country and the Kootenays in the beautiful interior. She spent a one year sojourn in Tokyo, Japan.

She has been an English language instructor, a nightclub manager, an auto shop bookkeeper and a lawyer. Now she works part-time as the owner of a small company, and writes when she finds the time.

She is a wife and mother and still loves to travel. She lives on the coast of the Pacific Ocean with her husband on a small patch of land near the sea that they call home. She loves to hear from her readers, so send her a message on facebook,  or drop by her website and leave a note.

Find Sylvie:

Website | Facebook | Twitter