LRC Featured Author interview with Elizabeth Isaacs (The Light of Asteria)

Thank you Beth for agreeing to participate and offering The Light of Asteria for giveaway. If you review The Light of Asteria this month, you will get extra entries for the giveaway.
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--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

Alfar warriors discover unbounded love, friendship, and adventure as they search for power and redemption in the dark world of man.

How did you get your idea for the story?

A few years back, Kate, my daughter, and I were driving home from school. Kate’s always been a compassionate soul, and at that time, she was surrounded by mean spirited people who loved manipulation. Tearfully she confided that she just didn’t belong; she’d never really felt like she’d had a place of her own.

 Parents understand that a child’s pain is much worse than their own. It was poignant to see such a beautiful, incredible girl struggle in this utterly mundane world. She needed somewhere to go, if not a physical location, somewhere in the realm of her imagination. Something inside of me just clicked, and when we got home, I warmed up the computer and started to type.

  Asteria started as a free write. The first scene was nothing but vast woodlands, the last pure land on earth, a place where selfishness and negativity didn’t exist, a place where Kate would always belong. The floodgates opened, and soon I found the true message my heart longed to share, the lessons I was unable to teach.

 It was a true sense of accomplishment when I handed Kate a two-inch binder, the first draft hidden inside; it was a gift from the heart. She read all weekend, and when she finally came downstairs, the only words out of her mouth were “Mom, you have to publish this.”

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I'd most want to have dinner with Malachi, simply because he knows so much about Kailmerya.

The least likely would be Jakkar, leader of the Dokkalfar.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

I'm working on the first revisions to the sequel,  and so I haven't had time for much reading. I think I've read more WIP's this year than books, but I love the fact that others ask, and so I always try to make time. :-)

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

 Harold in Harold and the Purple Crayon. Are you kidding? Be able to draw stairs as you climb up them? Now THAT would be fun!

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your book’s playlist-" songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

I'm a musician by trade, and so I'm sensitive to the sounds around me. I have to have complete and utter silence when I'm writing. To me, music is a distraction. I did listen to Orff's Carmina Burana before writing the prologue, which was an intense experience, but other than that, I need quiet so I can concentrate on the scene in my head. Oh, and I also need a big glass of iced tea. :-)

--Can you give us any teasers from the sequel? Is there a  publication date?

Keepers starts right where Asteria ended, if you get my meaning. :-) The Secret of the Keepers, Kailmeyra's Strength is slated for the fall of 2011.  

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Shapeshifter. Hands down. That way, I could morph into a gorgeous gal anytime I wanted. The possibilities are endless! 

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I'm am the children's music coordinator at a large church here in Lexington, I love to read (when I can), sing, play, and basically do anything musical. 

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

Thank you. Words are not enough to express the appreciation I have for those who've contacted me. Nora and Gavin mean so much to me, and the fact that hundreds of people have taken time out of their day to write and tell me how Asteria has touched them, moved them in someway, is truly humbling. This past year has been one of the best of my life, and I owe to everyone who embraces the power of positive thought. I'm truly honored, so, thank you.