Friday, June 3, 2011

Crystal Tomb: Character Interview and Giveaway


In honor of the release of Crystal Tomb the characters of the series have stopped by to give us some inside to who they are.





OR   Raea What was it like when you found out that you were different?







 Raea I wish I could say it was easy. It was like…like I was in a weird, twisted dream. You know, one that is so vivid you wake up not knowing where you are? In my case it was about not knowing what I was, and it wasn't a dream but a vision. Everyone thinks they're like totally odd, but this was way way beyond just the usual awkwardness.






Yet, there was this part of me that said it was real and right. I always thought the dreams of me and my mom flying were just dreams, you know. That's what Debbie always said.


Oh, but Debbie…I can't believe she of all people knew the truth and didn't tell me! That totally pissed me off. I mean, I trusted her. I thought she was like a friend, but here she had this HUGE secret, about me of all things.


But that passed after I thought about why she kept the secret. I could see her point. I kind of still feel like my own mother betrayed me, but I love them both, so I can't stay mad or anything.






OR   Elis Was it hard for you to keep your secret undercover while trying to move in on Raea?






 Elis I…wasn't trying to 'move in on Raea', as you put it. I was there to protect her, to keep watch on her. It was hard to keep my distance when I wanted to tell her everything, but I was forbidden. After what Debbie told me about her mother, it hurt to sit in the shadows, but I couldn't disobey a Crystal Keeper.


It was even harder to not be myself. I've always loved flying. It's who I am and I can't give that up. I was devastated when Saffir asked me to come to Earth, because I knew it meant I would have to give up all I had left of myself.


Thanks to Evelyn's hint, I found a way around that limitation, and I rediscovered myself in the process.






OR   Josh is it hard being the go to friend, the one everyone confides in?






 Josh Psh…Yeah! Why me?


Still, it's pretty cool to know that they trust me that much. It makes me feel good to know I can be there for my friends. Oh, man, though. Keeping Raea's secret is the hardest thing. Her and Elis—Wow! My friends are the sickest! I'm friends with Dark Angel, and I can't tell anyone, not even the fan group I lead online. It is sooo hard to pretend to still be interested in learning about the angel. I've found I have to just keep silent, and a couple of them have noticed, so I just say I'm investigating or busy or something like that. You know what I mean—I can't, like…I don't know. It's just really super hard to not blurt it out.


I hate keeping secrets, but this is important.






OR   Josh what where your feelings when you found out that not only was the Dark Angel in your grade but that your friend was an angel also?






 Josh I guess I kinda answered that but not quite.

The finding out part was like—Holy bleep! Elis is Dark Angel. ELIS IS DARK ANGEL!! It was like being run over by a semi…not that I would know, but that's how it felt when I saw his wings—black wings.


And then everything sort of made sense in an instant, except I still wasn't sure about Raea's connection, until he explained that Raea was like him. I couldn't believe it. I'd known Raea since first grade. Never would I have suspected in a million years that she wasn't human. But seeing her return home with her wings made my chest swell with pride. She was gorgeous! My best friend is an angel.






OR   Raea can you describe what it feels like going through the wing transformation?






 Raea Painful. You know those growing pains you had as a kid? Imagine them like a thousand times stronger all at once on your back.






OR   Elis can you tell us was it attraction at first sight or did it take time to develop feelings for Raea?




Elis
It was definitely an attraction at first sight, but I didn't lose my head. I knew it was likely my desperation speaking, so I tried to stay reasonable; but it was hard because it was my job to protect her. Being so close but so far away and not knowing what would happen was the hardest test of patience. I'd already been through a lot, but it kept me going, that slim hope that something could happen.






 OR  Raea, can you tell us your thoughts on the experience with the "out of Towner" who almost killed you?


Raea
Bastard. I'm glad it's over.


Chill, Josh. I know what you're going to say. I don't care if it's inappropriate language.






OR Raea, Elis made you mad by concealing a big secret from you. Was it hard to forgive him?


Raea  You mean bonding? It was hard to accept that he hadn't told me. That's kind of important, you know. I mean, it's permanent, all our lives, so yeah, I was a little pissed. We'd only been together for what…a month, not counting before I admitted my feelings. So, yeah. But he's too cute to stay mad at, and I realized when I was on Inar'Ahben that they just learn it. I could see why he didn't think about telling me.






OR Raea, what emotions did you experience when you were kidnapped?


 Raea    Frustration, 'cause I couldn't get home. Anger, at myself mostly, for being stupid enough to go flying without Elis. Nare didn't know what she was getting into. And speaking of her, I was a bit mad at her too for letting her come between me and Elis. Then again, if Elis had been there when the Shirukan attacked, he might have died, so I guess I have Nare to thank for that. Weird how things work out.


It's a mixed bag. I'm just glad I survived.






OR  Elis, what was it like for you when Raea was gone?


 Elis In a word—torture. I felt like a part of me was gone forever. Knowing the Shirukan had taken her left me empty from my failure and from the reality that I would likely never see her again.




OR  Josh, tell us your thoughts on the time when Raea was gone.


 Josh I just kept praying she was safe and would return. I had to believe. I didn't want to consider the alternative. As long as there was a slim hope, I held onto it. My faith saw me through, because…well…she came back safe and sound.






OR  For all of you. What does the future hold for you as far as relationships friendships education etc.?


Josh—NDSU. Go Bison!


Raea *chuckles at Josh* --Yeah, that. If all holds out, I had planned on UND, but now I don't know. So much has changed. If I stay on Earth, I suppose I need something to fall back on, so I suppose I'll continue my education; but I'd like to do that on the home world, if it the empire ever falls and I could feel safe there.






Elis—wherever Raea goes, I'll go.


Raea—as for the rest…Spoilers!


Learn more about Raea, Elis, Josh, and others in the Starfire Angels series (STARFIRE ANGELS, BROKEN WINGS, and CRYSTAL TOMB) and the website at starfireangels.melanienilles.com.


GIVEAWAY TIME

To enter the grand prize drawing of a set of signed paperbacks, please post your comments on or before June 5th. (Comments may include questions for the author or the characters interviewed here; please specify which individual you wish to address.)

13 comments:

  1. Those are some great names. As an author, do you have a process for choosing character names? Do you already have a list of them?
    follower

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vivien, I usually have a type of name for characters of a certain background, no matter what world they're from. In ND, where I set my story, we see mostly German and Scandinavian names, at least for family names. For my offworld characters, I'll devise a naming structure and stick to that. Naming databases are a writer's best friend ;)

    Melanie

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  3. Melanie, do you/did you know how long you wanted the series to be from the beginning? I've always wondered whether most authors just let the writing and story dictate how many books there will be in the series, or if it is well-planned in advance.

    heykiddego (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Also Fans be sure to order your copy of Star Fire Angels from Amazon. If we help sell 100,000 copies Melanie will give away a nook or kindle to one lucky fan. You can read more by going to her Website.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I finished Crystal Tomb and it's amazing. I can't wait for the next one.

    -Tori

    tori_rATymailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  6. I haven't read this series yet, but now I really want to!
    Raea and Elis, what is it like to be angels? Do you ever wish you weren't?

    liedermadchen(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. @heykiddego--I wasn't sure in the beginning. I shifted around different ideas while writing Broken Wings, especially since it took four starts to get it right. By the time I finished that, I had pretty much settled on four. But then I wanted to do Elis's backstory and decided that it would be a fifth book in the Dark Angel Chronicles. I don't know how many will come after DAC is done (at 5 books), but I laid the foundation for many more adventures in the overall Starfire Angels series. I have no idea how many there will be, but they will feature a variety of new characters.

    @Lieder (from Raea)-- Sometimes I wish I could just be human and have a simpler life, like all of you, like I used to have when I believed I was human. But I couldn't give up flying. Life might actually be boring.

    @tori_r--Thanks :)

    Yes, I will give away a Kindle or Nook if my Kindle sales hit 100,000 by my birthday (July 24) this year. Unfortunately, it's slowed down so much there that it doesn't look like that will happen. I may alter that when the time comes and goes without it happening, but the numbers and dates will change. One way or another, I'll make it happen, but there will still be a sales challenge involved. It shouldn't be too hard, though, because the first book, STARFIRE ANGELS, is free as an ebook.

    Melanie

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  8. Hey, thanks for the interview. This was my first time hearing about the Starfire Angels series, but the story sounds fascinating. It was great getting to know Raea, Elis, and Josh. I give props to you Josh. Being friends with angels and having to keep silent about their secrets has to be tough, especially when trouble lurks behind the shadows. Raea, how long did it take to master flying, or have you mastered it yet?

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  9. Thanks for hosting!
    Question for Melanie:
    Is it harder to do character interviews than it is to do author interviews? Which do you prefer?
    bevsharp@desch.org

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  10. @Joanna (from Raea)--I already knew. My aunt Debbie (my human stepdad's sister who raised me) told me I used to dream of flying, but the truth is that I did fly with my mother when I was a toddler, before she and Scott died. When I learned to fly the second time, it wasn't that hard. I knew what to do but was just way out of practice.

    @Beverly -- Actually, I prefer the character interviews. It's fun getting back into their heads. It's easier to think of their lives than to try to dissect my own.

    Melanie

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  11. Thank you, everyone, for your participation. I have contacted the winner of the drawing.

    Melanie

    ReplyDelete