Interview and Giveaway with Maria V Snyder

Maria V Snyder

You may be familiar with her Study series and she's releasing the first book in a new series.  Touch of Power is book one in the new Healer series and we are very excited to have Ms. Snyder with us today so lets give her a warm welcome to UTC!



We are very excited to have you here spending some time with us today!

Thank you for inviting me!

Your books are a great mixture of fantasy, adventure, magic and a dash of romance all set in a new fantasy world. What gives you the ideas for creating a brand new world for your characters? Do you start by creating the world, or the characters in it?

I always start with characters first and then fill in the world details as I write.  With Touch of Power, I did make a map first, because I knew there would be lots of traveling within the Fifteen Realms and I didn't want to get confused, or to confuse my readers.

Do you have any favourite books that read over and over?

I'm not a re-reader.  I've only read a handful of books twice.  I think it's because I'm a very slow reader and there are so many books on my TBR shelf that I'd rather read something new.  Plus being slow, I really pick up on all the nuances of the story and characters. 

We love the covers to your books, especially your Study series do you have a hand in picking them?

Nope!  The covers are created by the art department and then approved internally by other departments like marketing and sales.  I did help with the cover for Inside Out.  When I saw the cover for the first time, the model's gaze wasn't direct – she appeared to be looking over your shoulder.  Trella is very direct and I thought she should be staring right at the reader.  So they sent me a bunch of pictures of the model and I picked the one on the cover.  That's the only time I've had any input. And that's fine with me as I agree all my covers have been rather fabulous!

If you could go on a date with one of your character which one would you chose and where would you go?

I'd chose Valek. I’d like to go with him to explore a new city.  So nice not to have to worry about wandering into the bad part of town! J

If you could go on a girls night out with one of your characters which one would you chose and where would you go?

I'd like to go with Yelena.  It’d be fun to go out horseback riding with her.

When writing a series do you start having the end in mind or do things come to you as you go along?

For me, starting a series is not any different than starting a book. I take it one book at a time and usually only have a vague idea of where the story is going and where it will end.  I discover the story as I write, which can be quite exciting and very scary at the same time. 

One day you are casually going about your business and a genie pops in to grant you three wishes, they can only be applied to yourself, so no world peace! What would you wish for?

LOL – this is an unique question!  I would wish for a beach house – I've always wanted one of those, I wish for my dog Hazel to be brought back to life as a puppy so I can have another 16 wonderful years with her, and I’d wish for the ability to heal people.

If you could bring of your characters to life for the day who would it be and what would you do?

I’d bring Ari and Janco to life and just hang out with them all day and listen to them bicker.

Do you listen to music while writing? What are some of your current playlists?

I do listen to music.  I tend to play pop, rock and classical.  Currently, I'm listening to 3 Doors Down, Rob Thomas, Shinedown, Maroon 5, and Mozart.

Please tell us a little bit about your latest release!

Touch of Power is a fantasy novel about a healer set in a world that is recovering from a deadly plague. Avry’s world has blamed the plague on the healers and has hunted them down.  She is finally caught only to be rescued by a group who wants her to heal their Prince.  The group's leader, Kerrick, knows the healers aren't to blame for the plague and that she could do some good for a change instead of hiding. Unfortunately, she believes this Prince is the one who started blaming the plague on the healers so she isn't risking her life for some pampered Prince. As they travel to the Prince's hidden location, they're pursued by others who have realized having a healer around might just be a good thing for them, but not necessarily for her.  

You can read the first chapter here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books/top.php

Also if your readers would like more info about me and my books, I have the first chapter of all my books on my website as well as a number of free short stories they can read.  Here’s the link: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/   And my blog is: http://officialmariavsnyder.blogspot.com/

READ OUR REVIEW

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

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