The Indie Mine has your next “gem” of a book!
Wringing your hands because you still haven’t gotten your free copy of The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt? Fear not, gentle readers! There’s another e-book giveaway of my middle-grade fantasy novel at The Indie Mine. Details are at the end of this post. But first, here’s an excerpt from my interview with this fabulous book blogging website!
Author interview from “The Indie Mine”
(go here for the complete interview)
Indie Mine: Over the past decade, Young Adult literature has been making its way to the big screen through series like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. The rise in popularity of these ongoing worlds hasn’t gone unnoticed, and many authors and readers alike will be looking for that next literary escape. In our latest interview, we talk with Ilana Waters, author of The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt trilogy. In the interview below, we cover both her journey as a writer and Stanley’s journey through the world of Hartlandia. We also mix in some discussion on the changes in the writing industry.
Although the book is set in fictional Hartlandia, the story begins in the village of Meadowwood. I couldn’t help but be reminded of The Shire and other literary towns that time forgot. Where did you draw your inspiration from for these worlds?
Ilana: It’s funny you reference works like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings—that’s sort of the feeling I was going for. Not to copy Tolkien of course, but to return to that need for home deep within us. I specifically wanted to create a timeless world where nothing changed—until adventure came calling!
Indie Mine: As the title suggests, in the book we’re following the journey of young Stanley Delacourt, a shy, quiet, but precocious boy. He’s obviously had to grow up a lot faster than most kids, but it’s obvious he still has a youthful fascination with the world. What was the thought process that went into creating this character, and do you feel like he’s an identifiable figure for any particular type of reader?
Ilana: The character is a combination of someone I knew in real life, and my own relationship with the world. Specifically, Stanley is the part of me that is (was?) afraid to take a chance. Some of us won’t do anything outside our comfort zone unless we’re pushed to. And as you can see from your reading, Stanley is definitely pushed! I think shy, quiet kids (and some adults) can relate to him, as well as anyone who wants to escape the real world . . . but can’t.
Indie Mine: You also mentioned earlier that you had this book in mind for 10 years. What was the tipping point in getting you to write and publish it?
Ilana: I finally got to the point where I had to follow my dream of being a writer. I was in a very stable job, but it failed to satisfy me (to say the least). I thought I’d got what I wanted. But when it wasn’t enough to make me happy, I decided to take the leap into something that did. To my delight and surprise, Stanley was waiting.
Indie Mine: What are your thoughts on the Young Adult genre in literature today? Obviously big name series like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games have made people of all ages take notice.
Ilana: I think the Young Adult (YA) genre today is fantastic. I wish we’d had books like this when I was a teen. I mean, we did to some extent, but not nearly in the numbers we have now. There were a few Middle Grade (MG) and YA fantasy authors, like Tamora Pierce and Patricia C. Wrede. But most literature—especially fantasy—was aimed at adults. If you were younger and not up to that reading level, there was little from which you could choose. Now we have things written at all levels, being enjoyed by all ages. It’s a great time to be a writer for young people!
Indie Mine: I’m big on technology, so I’d like to know what you think about e-readers and self-publishing methods that allow more authors to get their works to more people. What has this done for you personally, and do you feel like this is necessarily a good thing for the industry?
Ilana: I used to despise technology. Then, with a lot of practice (and more than a little hair-pulling), I slowly realized its benefits. I think a lot of this had to do with online shopping. 
And that’s sort of what e-readers (and free e-reading apps) are all about, in a way. The bridge between authors and readers has shortened considerably, making for a much more streamlined experience. What this has done for me (and countless other authors) is let us launch new careers over which we have complete control. Of course, it also comes with a ton of work, but I think the freedom is worth it.
I also think the new technology is a great thing for the publishing industry in general. Readers get more books faster and cheaper. Their money is then freed up to pursue traditionally-published books as well, so that side of the industry benefits. Really, I think whatever is done to get people reading more can only be good for the business side of things.
Indie Mine: Readers can pick up Book I of Stanley’s adventures right now, but when can we expect to see the sequel?
Ilana: I’m hoping to have the sequel to Stanley out sometime in 2013. But before that, I’ll have a Hartlandia novella and short story made into e-books. Oh, and a vampire paranormal romance as well—really! Because I heard there was a shortage. 
So hopefully, readers who enjoy Stanley will have something to tide them over until that sequel!
The e-book giveaway
For this e-book giveaway, there are only three copies of The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt available until October 20th! So head on over to The Indie Mine right now for full details. Don’t worry–entering is super-easy. And the Smashwords coupons are good for formats like mobi (used with Kindle devices), e-pub (used with Apple I-Pad , Nook, Sony Reader, and Kobo), PDF’s, and more. You don’t even need an e-reader to use the coupons. There are plenty of free e-reader apps to download, including ones that let you enjoy books right on your computer.
Thank you Indie Mine, for hosting this e-book giveaway. And good luck to all contestants!
What other great indie finds have you discovered recently? Was it through an awesome book blogger? Let me know in the comments!
(Top image by The Indie Mine)