Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Blog Tour + #Giveaway: A Prophecy Fulfilled by Andi O’Connor @OConnorAndi @XpressoTours



A Prophecy Fulfilled
Andi O’Connor
(The Vaelinel Trilogy #3)
Publication date: December 9th 2018
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Regrouping after their escape from the Light Elves, Irewen and her companions fear the worst after black smoke plumes on the horizon. Allowing compassion to rule over reason, they ignore Finnwyn’s warning and return to Lilendvelle, hoping to help some of the survivors stranded in the city’s wake. Instead, they run into a trap.

Completely surrounded by an endless army of Drulaack, they fight for their lives, but their efforts aren’t enough. Irewen is captured and dragged into the heart of the Corrupter’s lair.

Having his prize, the others in the company are granted their freedom, but at a great cost: the one named in the prophecy who is meant to unite the elf forces and stand against the Corrupter is lost to the world – trapped beneath the Corrupter’s talons.

With the aid of his mother’s spirit, Brendell must now find a way to gather an alliance strong enough to march against the Corrupter and his army, but his time is running out. Each day that passes brings Irewen closer to death.

And the world closer to destruction.



Interview with Author Andi O’Connor


Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Prophecy Fulfilled?

Since A Prophecy Fulfilled is the final book in the Vaelinel Trilogy, the readers meet all of the characters in Silevethiel and The Speaker, so they’re quite familiar with everyone, which is nice. Many of them are in dire situations, particularly Irewen who finds herself isolated from the other members of her company for most of the book. Her, along with many others, need to find the courage to overcome their fears and insecurities, and stand up to accomplish what’s expected of them. Some secrets of the characters’ pasts are revealed throughout the story, particularly in regards to the aloof Sea Elf, Finnwyn. Along the way, many of the characters will find that help can come from the most unexpected of places.

Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?

A Prophecy Fulfilled is the last book in the Vaelinel Trilogy, and I’d toyed with doing another series in the same world, but in the end, I decided to do something completely different. My next series will be titled the Balance of Time. It’s an Urban Fantasy series involving time travel and the gods of Pestilence, Famine, Hope, and Peace. The first book in the series is The Door, and I hope to have that completed and released by late 2019 or early 2020. The second books in the series (yes, books, plural! Don’t worry, it will all eventually make sense!) will take slightly longer to release, as I need to write and release them at the same time. 😉

How long would you say it takes you to write a book?

From start to finish, including the whole editing process, it usually takes about a year. Just to get the first rough draft done, that usually takes anywhere between 3 to 6 months, depending on what else I have going on. I usually try to write a few short stories in that time as well. Sometimes I get quite involved with them, and that can slow me down significantly.

What is your favorite childhood book?

When I was little, I absolutely loved Tacky The Penguin and It Wasn’t My Fault by Helen Lester. I’d get them from the library and renew them whenever possible, and once I had them, I’d read them at least 5 times a day.

The first book that introduced me to the world of Fantasy was The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, and once I discovered it, I frequently gravitated toward that book and genre.

If you could spend the day with one of the characters from A Prophecy Fulfilled who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.

I almost chose one of the Guardians, because being in the company of a lion I could hold a conversation with would be heaven! But, in the end, I chose the Sea Elf, Finnwyn. I see our day together walking among the gardens in Trellünden, enjoying the peaceful surroundings, and talking.

As someone who has been through a great deal of hardship during her long years, and gained a great deal of wisdom, Finnwyn is someone who could teach me quite a lot. Not just with how to handle trying situations, but also how to deal with grief and how to continue soldiering on in spite of other factors that might be trying to convince me to pack it all in and run away defeated. At the same time, I fell like Finnwyn could learn a few things from me as well. Perhaps, with my help, she’d learn to trust again.

What was the hardest scene from A Prophecy Fulfilled to write?

It wasn’t a specific scene that was difficult to write in A Prophecy Fulfilled. Rather, it was the book itself. I’m a Pantser. I don’t outline or plan anything. I just write. The characters evolve and tell me where to go, and points and ideas come to me along the way. But with A Prophecy Fulfilled, my normal process (if you could even call it that!) wasn’t working. The characters weren’t speaking to me, and I was about a third of the way through the book with no idea of where the story was going or how the conflict was going to be resolved.

I was at a huge impasse, spewing words onto a page that were pointless and without direction. A writer’s worst nightmare.

Then, one day out of desperation and a lack of anything else better to do, I went onto my cover designer’s website and began looking through the pre-designed covers. Towards the bottom, I noticed a black cover with a man’s face behind snow and icicles, and in that moment, everything fell into place.

I knew how the conflict was going to be resolved and where the plot needed to go. The characters began screaming at me, and the words began to fly. I just needed that bit of inspiration from an unlikely source to spark the Pantser in me.

What made you want to become a writer?

I can never grew up wanting to become a writer. As an adult, that statement remained true, and my career formed rather accidentally out of tragedy.

I majored in music with a concentration in cello performance, and I taught and performed for a number of years after graduating. My love of reading and Fantasy followed me through the years, however, and one day I started writing down an idea I’d had for a book. It was an activity meant for fun and relaxation, and I frequently shelved it for months or years at a time.

In 2011, my mom died, and as a way to help myself cope, I decided to sit my ass in the chair and finish the book in her memory. Once it was finished, I decided I might as well look to get it published, and The Lost Heir was born. Things went on from there, and my career took off. Eight years, two series, and six books later, I’m happy I stumbled upon this profession, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.


Just for fun

(a Favorite song: Fall In Line by Christina Aguilera (featuring Demi Lovato)

(b Favorite book: Soledad by D.L. Young

(c Favorite movie: Deadpool

(d Favorite tv show: Still Open All Hours and Two’s Company (Actually, I’m kind of a British Comedy snob and could list about 20 here that I rotate regularly! I don’t know if I necessarily have a favorite.)

(e Favorite Food: That really depends on my mood, and anyone who knows me will tell you that changes frequently. But, I’d say the food I gravitate towards the most is potatoes. Any shape or form. Chips, fries, mashed, baked…doesn’t matter. As our good friend Samwise Gamgee would say, “Po-Ta-Toes. Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew!)

(f Favorite drink: Gin and Tonic with either Gunpowder Irish Gin or Hayman’s Old Tom Gin.

(g Favorite website: Even though, I hate admitting it, my favorite website is Amazon. Actually, I don’t if favorite is the right word. It’s more one that I visit frequently out of necessity. I go there to watch a lot of my fave British shows like Still Open All Hours, Two’s Company, and That’s My Boy 😉

Thanks so much for visiting with us today! 




Author Bio:

Andi O'Connor is the award-winning author of The Dragonath Chronicles, The Vaelinel Trilogy, and The Legacy of Ilvania. The Speaker is the 2018 Independent Press Award Winner for Fantasy and a Finalist in the 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards. Andi's novel, Awakening, is a 2018 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite for Fantasy. Her critically acclaimed novel, Silevethiel, is the 2015 Best Indie Book Award winner for Science Fiction/Fantasy and the 2015 New Apple Official Selection for Young Adult. Silevethiel was also named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2013.

You can frequently find Andi as an exhibitor and guest panelist at Comic Cons throughout the country including the Rhode Island Comic Con, Awesome Con, Philcon, Conclave, and Chessiecon. For more information, visit Andi's website at www.andioconnor.net





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1 comments:

Giselle said...

Thanks for hosting today, Nancy!