Interview With Author S.G. Blaise

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

The initial inspiration for the Last Lumenian originates from a dream that came to me during a cross-country European trip in 2012. That dream inspired a story across multiple books.

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

The Last Lumenian is a coming of age story of Lilla. She is a not-your-average princess and a rebel-in-disguise, fighting for the refugee's freedom. The arrival of the mysterious and ruggedly-handsome Callum brings news of a bigger battle - the Era War between the two ruling archgods- that threatens not only Lilla's home world but everyone else's in the Seven Galaxies. Lilla must learn to control her magic and defeat the dark god before He finds her - the last Lumenian.

The Last Lumenian series books are for readers aged 14+ who have a love for adventure, science fiction, fantasy, with a splash of romance. I wanted to write a cinematic and captivating story that was hard to put down. My goal was to create an immersive world for my readers to escape reality. Many readers have approached me to say that my books have helped them overcome a reading slump, and it brings me immense joy to know they are reading once more. 

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

This series is important to me because it has elements of female empowerment and community building. The main hero is a young woman. Although she is strong and has magical abilities, she isn’t perfect. She struggles with claustrophobia induced panic attacks. As the series progresses, this claustrophobia will play a vital role, tied to fantasy elements, but I can’t give away more than that. Making my hero confront and overcome both internal and external conflicts adds realism to her character. She also leans on her friends to help her throughout her adventures. It represents how vital it is to have a support system. After reading the Last Lumenian books, I hope my readers come away with the message that you don’t have to be perfect to be a hero.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

The title for my debut novel came about during a brainstorming session with my editor. My main hero is the last of her kind, and the title of the book reflects it. It was a lot of fun creating the cover that showcases the important elements of the story while also being eye-catching.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

I think one of the hardest lessons I learned when I started out writing this book was patience. Not knowing when the book would be ready to get published added a level of uncertainty that was difficult to accept. Once I embraced the journey and learned to enjoy the process, my focus shifted to appreciating the mini-accomplishments along the way. I would suggest reading as many books as you can; in and outside the genre that you are most interested in. Also, writing often, whether that be using writing prompts or having a diary, can be very helpful to achieve this. Make it fun! Not all writing needs to be for a specific manuscript. Writing for fun can inspire you when you least expect it. It gives your mind a rest from thinking about a singular idea. Lastly, find joy in the process of writing! If writing your story is not fun for you, it won’t be fun for the readers to read it.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

I believe there’s going to be a shift to more independently published books rather than traditionally published. Authors have long relied on agents to publish their manuscripts. There are many untold stories out there waiting to be shared. I chose to self publish my book to build a franchise around my characters and keep creative freedom every step of the way.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

I believe my childhood had an immense influence on my writing. I grew up in Hungary, experiencing the second half of Soviet oppression first hand. My Dad took a risk by smuggling in largely forbidden Hollywood movies so we could experience their magic. When I lost my dad at 13, I found some solace in reading, and later in writing fantasy stories-a genre my dad loved as well. All of these encouraged me to write my own stories and create the worlds I only ever imagined in my head. 

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

 My writing style is more “show” than “tell,” which allows me to create vivid, cinematic, fast-paced and captivating stories. I mostly prefer the first POV, let it be for the hero or for other characters. I love writing sci-fi fantasy stories sprinkled with humor and, of course, with a little romance. Everyone needs a bit of escape from reality!

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I think one of the hardest lessons I learned when I started out writing the first book was patience. Not knowing when the book would be ready for publishing added a level of uncertainty that was difficult to accept. Once I learned to embrace the journey and appreciate smaller victories, my perspective shifted. Doing this has changed the way I look at writing and gets me excited to achieve each one of those achievements. Instead of focusing solely on the primary goal of publishing, I get excited to finish the first draft and move to editing. It makes the writing process so much more fun!

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

The Last Lumenian series is a coming of age story of princess Lilla with many twists and turns. She is a not-your-average princess who embarks on a dangerous journey to become a hero. Along the way, she must deal with meddling gods, pesky love interests, and many unexpected dangers. Readers will be delighted with the fast-paced cinematic writing style, with rich world building, and diverse characters that will leave them wanting more. 

 

Author Bio: S.G. was born in a faraway land of castles, monarchs and fallen dictatorships. When S.G. is not working in sunny California, she can be found in a dreamland guarded by dragons, and sometimes by unicorns (if they are not on strike). See more here: http://www.sgblaise.com/

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.