Monday, March 4, 2013

#BookChat THE CHOSEN by Andrea Buginsky #fantasy



Halli is a shy, young dwarf who has no idea of her true calling. When the evil Prince Gastle sets out to detroy the world of Phantasma, Queen Laurali of the Elves comes to tell Halli she's a Holy Paladin with the power to heal, and will join The Chosen, a group of brave warriors being sent to defeat the evil beast and save Phantasma. Will Halli be accepted by her group, and be able to keep them alive through their adventures? Will the evil Prince Gastle be defeated, freeing Phantasma from his destruction? Only time will tell.

From the Author
I wanted to write a book. When I started, I thought I’d love to write adult romance novels because my favorite author is Danille Steel. But my first attempt didn’t go very well. I had a lot of trouble writing in an adult voice and in adult language. So, I decided to write for children. But what? I had no clue.

Then, one day, I was watching the movie, “The Seeker: The Dark is Rising,” and I thought, “I love fantasy! I want to write a children’s fantasy novel.”

I had read “Harry Potter” and loved the series. So, I decided I wanted to write my own fantasy series for teens. At the time, I was playing an online role-playing game with my family and friends, and I decided to take our characters, build a world for them, and write adventures for them to go on. And so, “The Chosen” was born.

As I began writing the book, and subsequent books, I realized that I was basing the heroine on me: a shy girl who comes in to her own with the help of her friends. I then decided I wanted to use my books as a way to reach teens like me who were a bit shy and had trouble forming friendships in school. I wanted them to learn how to reach out and become the hero in their lives. That’s when I came up with my mantra, “Reach for the stars, and make your dreams come true.” I think that’s the message my books, starting with “The Chosen,” put forth. I hope my readers are receiving and understanding the message.

Reviews of “The Chosen”
“A great YA fantasy.”

“Great read for a young fan of fantasy.”

“Video game meets fairy tale.”

“Choose the Chosen.”

“Excellent read, aimed at younger audiences, my son loved it!”

Behind the Scenes
While writing the book, I learned that things can change on you along the way. You may have started out with one plot in mind, but in the middle of the book, suddenly things will change, and the plot will go in another direction. The story truly comes to life! The characters do really talk to you!

And ideas really do come to you in the middle of the night. I remember I’d been trying to come up with a scene that had to be acted out perfectly in the book so my audience could vividly see it in their heads. I’m very bad at “show don’t tell,” so writing this part was really hard for me. Then, one night, it hit me: I knew exactly how to write it. Luckily, I had a pen and notebook on my nightstand. I grabbed them and began writing ferociously until the scene was completed. The next day, I added it to the book, and it was perfect.

So, you never know what’s going to happen to your book while you’re writing it. It’s a roller coaster ride. You have to hang on and take the ups and downs as best you can, then put them all together in a concise storyline.

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3 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me, Rachelle :)

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  2. This book sounds really good. I can't wait to check it out.

    I found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!

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