Author Interview: Anna Del C. Dye

I am delighted to introduce you to a fantastic writer and friend, Anna Del C. Dye. Anna is the author of a series of Elf books. If you like the fantastical elements of the Lord of the Rings with a little more romance built into the story, this series is for you. So without further introduction here is Anna:
Anna, I like to thank you for letting me interview you today. I always love to talk with you and hear the things you have to share. I remember the first time meeting you at LTUE. It was a panel on writing romance into your stories. You said that every story needs a little romance—which is so true! Plus, I love your accent.

Your stories are about elves, what inspired you to start writing about them?

Anna Del C. Dye: Tolkien. He opened the door for me to ask more. The character of Legolas was amazing and I wanted to know more about the Elf race, the giant eagles, the dwarfs and so on. To my regret my husband informed me that a conversation with Tolkien was out of the question as he was dead. I cried. That is when my husband suggested I answer my own questions…the rest is history.

Do you base any of your stories on legends, maybe some from your homeland? If so can you briefly share some?
Anna Del C. Dye: Not really. You see, usually moms are the tale tellers in a home. In my case, my mother died when I was six-years-old and I was deprived of childhood stories. I don’t even recall any legends.

If you were an elf, what kind of elf would you be?

Anna Del C. Dye: A beautiful one of course!!! Oh you don’t mean that…well then, I would be the epitome of grace, kindness and love. On the other side I would be the fearless and most tenacious warrior that existed. And I would switch from one to the other gracefully. You could say that I am a mother lion protecting her cubs. I take very personally the welfare of all.

Your stories involve elements of romance, sometimes crossing over into humans and elves falling in love. Have you encountered any struggles in writing a mixed-species couple?
Anna Del C. Dye: Not many, you see my husband and I are from two different cultures. I was born in Chile, South America and he here, in the North America. We speak different languages and our view on life is quite different too. You could say that there are many things that separate us, but at the same time many that don’t create cultural barriers between us… All this has helps to empower me to understand the characters struggles and I use them to enrich the telling. When they said Love conquers all, I have to agree.

You are an indie author, what drives you to be independent from the traditional publishers, and do you have any tips for writers trying to make the decision to go indie?

Anna Del C. Dye: First you have to research and see if this is best for you. In my case, I was so busy writing that it was my husband who decided that we should publish my books. I loved the idea, so he did the research and then we talked about it and chose a publishing company that would give me the freedom I wanted. Another reason is because English is my second language and I felt quite threatened by the many awesome authors out there that speak the language quite well. I didn’t feel I could win against them. One more reason is that I had no idea what I was doing when we published my first book. It was because of publishing The Elf and the Princess that I learned the rules for a writer. It was the best decision we ever made. It was then that I found writer’s groups and learned many things to make the second book better. I am still learning and making every new book better than the last one. Can I compare to Tolkien? I doubt it…just give me a hundred years and I will be there.

You have a new book coming out, what’s it about and when can we expect it to be available?

Anna Del C. Dye: My new book is Shahira and the Flying Elfs(yes, I do spell the plural of elves in my books: Elfs.) It is book number six in my Elf Series. The series has seven books so I am almost done with it. Here is a teaser:
What would you do if the world as you know it comes tumbling down? That is what happens to Shahira every time she tries to fly. You see she is an eagle and eagles fly…then why can she not?The wizard Huzan has spent his entire life under the shadow of his renowned brother Zanteon. But no more… He has discovered the book to his brother’s secrets. Now he is going to use it to destroy him and all the Wizarding School.
Llorradinn’s life has been simple and peaceful in the land of the elfs. That is, until the human caravan comes by and he is caught by the claws of a giant eagle. What does the eagle want with him? Elfs have not seen the wise-ones for many centuries; then why now, and why so hostile to the elf race?
You will find this and more answers in Shahira and the Flying Elf the epic book by Anna del C. Dye. Writing in the genre of Tolkien, Anna del C. Dye has created another unique, epic tale to take the reader to a new world, full of twist, secrets, and love. Shahira and the Flying Elfs is already available on amazon.com and other outlets.

What other projects are you working on?

Anna Del C. Dye: I am working on the last book of the Elf series. The Roilden Stone of Elf Mountain. This should have been the first book on this series but I felt that the Trilogy should be the door to my elf kingdom. Now The Roilden Stone of Elf Mountain will become the golden clip for this epic series.
I also have a Sci-Fi children book that needs edited The Intergalactic P.I. in the case of… This series has a possible 28 books on the back burner.

What would you like from the readers of your books?

Anna Del C. Dye: I would love for them to take the time and if they like my books to post a review


Thank you so much for taking the time to be a part of my blog.

and recommend it to their friends. (Reviews should be done on Amazon, B&N, Shelfari, Goodreads, etc.)
Anna Del C. Dye: It was my pleasure Mikey and my best to you and your blog friends.

Can you please share where people can find you and your books?

My website: http://www.annadelc.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaDelC
You can find all my books at:
Amazon: http://ning.it/19iThs3
Barnes&Noble. http://ning.it/1744E2U