Author Interview: AnnMarie Pavese

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!
Today, I’m coming back to you with another author interview! Today, I’m chatting with AnnMarie Pavese who is the author of So Sang The Dawn, which I read and loved in January. After finishing her book, I went and asked AnnMarie if she would come and talk with me on my blog. So, enjoy!

What, in your opinion, has been your biggest accomplishment so far as an author?

This is a really good question to start with because I’ve actually been in the process of reevaluating success and accomplishment in my writing career. I don’t have a major following or a ton of recognition, but I have an amazing circle of writer friends and readers who are crazy about So Sang The Dawn and will eagerly eat up anything I put out. I think that, right there, is accomplishment for me.


What’s the inspiration behind your novel, So Sang The Dawn?

A lot of things inspired So Sang The Dawn, the main one being my own battle with darkness. I’ve gone through a lot of hard things in my life, things that made me feel like I’d suddenly woke up as a captive in a foreign land, lost and alone, and I felt compelled to write a story about it.

As far as the physical world goes, I was largely inspired by where I live, in the mountains of northern Arizona, and by my affinity for the woods and snow. I’ve also had a lot of fun pulling on all different kinds of cultural elements from around the world and integrating them and letting them mesh together to make something new and intriguing that’s never been done before.

Why did you decide to write books?

I loved reading as a little girl, and I loved the sense of being able to escape to another place. I wanted to be able to give that same level of magic and entertainment to the people around me, while also being able to give my readers a message of hope and a promise that there’s always light, even in the darkest places.


Which character in SSTD was easiest for you to write?

Aurora, my main character, came very easy to me. She’s basically me, just thrown into a fantasy world. Her dialogue flows easy to me, and so does her natural thought process and her reactions to things. Her best friend, Raine, also flows well for me. I always say that Aurora and Raine are a split of my personality — Aurora is steadfast, enduring, and protective, with a weakness for fear on the side, and Raine is the gentle side of me, the peacekeeper, the encourager, the one who always knows how to find the hope and light in every situation.


What are some of your hobbies outside of writing?

I’m a huge gamer girl and being lost in a game world where the settings are so realistic and the storylines are really rich is like reading a book for me — very inspirational. I also love being outside, walking through the woods, studying the wild animals around where I live, and I love growing plants and flowers. That’s where Aurora gets her love of gardening from.