Author Interview - Annie Douglass Lima

Hi Readers! It's been a long time since I did an author interview. My friend Annie is releasing her second book in a series with a fun giveaway. Let's get to know a little more about her and her books. Give her a warm welcome and feel free to ask questions in the comment or visit her at the social media links below. Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Southern California but raised mostly in Kenya. After college (in Southern California), I spent a year teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Indonesia, which was an incredible experience. Shortly after returning to the States, I married my husband Floyd, and the two of us lived in California for several years. Eventually all the pieces fell into place for us to move overseas together, and now we’re serving at Morrison Academy, an international school in Taiwan. I’ve been teaching fifth grade here for nearly nine years now, and I love it!

How fun! What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can recall. When I was seven years old, I had a sudden inspiration for what I thought was an amazing story and decided then and there that I was going to write a book and be the world's youngest author. I ran to my room in great excitement, found an old notebook and a pencil, and started in. Well, that first novel was never actually finished, let alone published, but it got me started. After that, I can't remember a time that I wasn't working on at least one book.

Seems many of us get started young. When you're not writing, what do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy reading (especially fantasy and science fiction) and scrapbooking. Hiking and other outdoor adventures are high on my list, as well as travel (especially internationally).

I love being outdoors. Who is your favorite author?
I have several, but if I had to pick just one, it would probably be Anne Elisabeth Stengl, author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood. I love the way some of the books in her series take place in overlapping time periods, from the perspectives of different characters. I did something similar in my Annals of Alasia fantasy series.

Tell us about the books you write.
I have a fantasy series called the Annals of Alasia. There are three main books in it so far, but each of them can stand on its own. Each book deals with events surrounding the same major political incident: the invasion of the kingdom of Alasia by the neighboring kingdom of Malorn. Prince of Alasia begins on the night of the Invasion and describes what happens to twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin after he is forced to flee for his life. In the Enemy’s Service features a girl as the protagonist and tells the story of those who were not able to escape from the Alasian palace when the enemy invaded. Prince of Malorn begins several months earlier and focuses on the Malornian perspective of the events leading up to the Invasion. In each of the books, main characters from the others make brief appearances and interact with each other at the point where the timeframes and settings overlap. I also have a short ebook of “interviews” that I conducted with the characters in the other three books. Annals of Alasia: The Collected Interviews is not available on Amazon, but I send a free copy to anyone who signs up for my mailing list (to receive updates once or twice a year when I release new books).
In addition, I have a young adult action and adventure series (with just two books in it so far), called the Krillonian Chronicles. They take place in an alternate world that’s very much like our own. Although most aspects of the culture are just about what they are currently on Earth, a few sports are different, such as the martial art known as cavvara shil. The main difference, however, is that slavery is legal there.

What a fun concept! Where can readers go to learn more about you and your books?
Readers are welcome to visit my blog, my Goodreads author page, or my author page on Amazon.

Congrats on your new release! This is the second book in a series. Can you tell us a little about both of the books and the world they’re set in?
Sure! The Gladiator and the Guard is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, the first one being The Collar and the Cavvarach.
The Krillonian Empire rules much of the world. An emperor governs from the capital city, Krillonia, on the continent known as Imperia. Eight separate provinces (originally independent nations before they were conquered) can be found on nearby continents.
The prevalence of slavery is probably what would stand out the most to visitors from Earth. There are nearly as many slaves in the city of Jarreon, where both books take place, as free people, and they are easily identified by the steel collars they are required to wear locked around their necks. From each collar hangs a tag inscribed with the slave’s name, their owner’s name, and a copy of their owner’s signature. On the back of the tag is their owner’s phone number and a bar code that can be scanned to access additional information.
To read more about the culture of the Krillonian Empire, take a look at this post on my blog.
Here’s the back-cover blurb for The Collar and the Cavvarach :
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?
And the blurb for The Gladiator and the Guard :
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?

Sounds like quite the adventure! What was your inspiration for this story?
I’ve had the idea growing in my mind for the last few years. It started as just a picture of the setting and its culture: a world almost exactly like ours, but with legalized slavery. The main characters, Bensin and Steene (his owner and coach) emerged gradually, along with the plot (Bensin’s struggle to protect and free his younger sister, and then later his struggle to survive as a gladiator).

Which of your characters was your favorite to write? (We won't tell the others.)
I always enjoy it when characters step forward and decide they want a different role than the one I’ve planned for them. For example, a City Watch officer (the equivalent of a police officer) named Kalgan Shigo ended up playing a much bigger part in both books than I had anticipated. While still a minor character, he is a more important one than he was originally supposed to be, and he plays a different – and much needed – role in Bensin’s life. I loved watching him take charge and step into the position he wanted!

I love those minor characters. What was your favorite scene to write?
That’s probably the final scene of the book. I can’t say anything about what happens in it without giving away major spoilers, but I will tell you that the original version was very different than the current one. I was never completely satisfied with it – I knew how I wanted the book to end, but I couldn’t find a logistical way to make it work. Finally I figured out what I could do, and I redid the ending to totally change things. I’m much happier with the new version!

I understand you're doing a giveaway with this release. What can you tell us about it?
Readers can enter to win an Amazon gift card or one of three digital copies of The Collar and the Cavvarach.

Where can readers go to order your book?
All my books are available through my author page on Amazon. In addition, The Gladiator and the Guard can be purchased in Kindle format at http://smarturl.it/gladiatorguard or in other digital formats at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/628699

Thank you for joining us today! Good luck with your release.
Thank you very much! It’s a pleasure to visit your blog.

Excerpt:
“This is scary.” Ellie clutched Steene’s hand with one of hers and Bunny with the other. “I wish we knew when it would be Bensin’s turn so we wouldn’t have to watch everyone else.”
“Yeah, me too.” Though Boris had alerted them that Bensin was scheduled to fight today, he hadn’t been able to tell them where in the program Bensin would come. Now Steene understood why.
And speaking of Boris, there he was, whip in hand, standing out on the sand with another guard. They were keeping an eye on the action through their face masks from a safe distance away, backing even further away whenever the fighting started to move in their direction.
Steene picked up the remote control with his free hand, thumb poised over the power button so he could turn the TV off if it looked as though anyone were about to die a bloody death. Bensin wasn’t out there yet, but he didn’t want Ellie to have to see anyone else expire on the sand either.
If it hadn’t been for the very real risk of injury and death, this would have been an interesting battle to watch. The martial artist in him found it fascinating to see the different styles of combat pitted against each other and to try to predict which warrior would emerge victorious. Some of the fighters were fairly evenly matched, some far from it. But things were made more interesting by the fact that it wasn’t one-on-one combat. Even now, the guy with the spear knocked his opponent’s scimitar out of his hands and then turned to aim a jab at a man wielding double daggers.
Already they had seen blood flow. One guy from Red Arena had gone limping back to the Cave. One guy from Yellow Arena had fallen after a hard blow to the head. A close-up of his face suggested that he was alive but barely conscious. No one came running out with a stretcher, though. That would probably have to wait until the whole event was over. Steene hoped the man would still be alive by then.
“Bensin will be okay,” he assured Ellie. “Most of those other weapons aren’t as long as a cavvarach. No one will be able to get close enough to hurt him.”
“That spear is longer.”
“Yes, but Bensin will have his shil. He’ll be fine.” I hope. From Annie:
I'm excited to announce that my young adult action and adventure novel,  The Gladiator and the Guard , is now available for purchase! This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, sequel to  The Collar and the Cavvarach . 
First Things First: a Little Information about Book 1: 
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time.  With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?


What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?
The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone.  Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).  
Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.
Click here to order  The Collar and the Cavvarach  from Amazon  
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through April 28th!
And now,  The Gladiator and the Guard , with another awesome cover by the talented  Jack Lin !
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?
Click here to order  The Gladiator and the Guard  in Kindle format  from Amazon 
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!
Click here to order  The Gladiator and the Guard  from Smashwords (for Nook or in other digital formats)  for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published twelve books (two YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.

Connect with the Author Online:
Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Blog:  http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Amazon Author Page:  http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnnieDouglassLima
LinkedIn:  http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
Google Plus:  http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
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