Book Review--The Ember Gods

The Ember Gods by Andrea Pearson is part of The Kilenya series. (Check out my review for book one The Key of Kileyna here.) I liked this book a lot more than the first one. I was able to get into it more quickly and it flowed very well. There were more fantastic creatures and I learned a lot more about the characters. I really liked the involvement of Jacob's brother, Matt as well as the twist that happened. I'm excited to see what happens in the next one. This book receives a :):):):). Here's a blurb and an interview with Andrea!

Jacob Clark has just returned from the world of Eklaron, where he frustrated the evil plans of the Lorkon and returned the magical Key of Kilenya to its rightful owners. His quest is far from over, though—Aloren is trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods, and Jacob can't return to save her until he receives the potion that will protect his team from the corrosive influence of the Lorkon.

Balancing between this new world and his own proves tricky. Not only has he started his first year of high school, but his magical abilities are bringing him too much attention. He feels pulled by both sides, hoping he'll be able to figure out his special powers to save Aloren in time.

What made you decide to become a writer?

I was serving a mission for my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints), and had only two outlets for expressing emotions: my
journal, and writing home to my family. I discovered a love for words and
their meanings, especially while studying the Spanish language. :-)

Who inspires you?

Bonnie - is this authors who inspire me? Or anyone in general?

Both.

I know he's not in my writing "genre," but Michael Crichton is the very
first to come to my head. He's been one of my favorite authors for a long
time. He really knew how to grip his readers. And I love logical,
scientific type books—he excels at that. Next, J.K. Rowling, for starting
at the bottom of the totem pole and making it so incredibly high up,
maintaining humility through it all. I can't stand arrogant authors. :-)

Anyone in General:
My husband, parents, and readers inspire me a great deal to write new
things that challenge and strengthen my skills. Having a great support
structure really helps!

What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

Enjoyment. I don't write to teach, I write to entertain. :-) Of course, I
hope they'll want to read more of my books, but I think that's every
writer's goal.

Where did this idea come from?

We used to live in an old house – when I was a kid. I found a skeleton
key, and used to pretend it was magical. I built on that idea over several
years, eventually adding Jacob and Dmitri to the story. For book two, The
Ember Gods, I just continued what I'd started. I knew my ideas would end
up becoming several books in a series – I would need time to explain where
Jacob's abilities came from.

Who was your favorite character to develop?

The Fat Lady. :-) She's based off of a favorite person in the movie
Matilda, and it was so much fun to create her. :-) Also, I've loved
working on Matt's character, and Gallus as well.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Edit, edit, edit! But don't over edit or you'll remove yourself from the
writing. I did that at one point, and it took a large chunk of time to put
my voice back into the manuscript. There's a fine line to learn, and it's
different for everyone. Also, learn as much as possible about the
publishing world – Indie publishing (going at it on your own, like I am),
or traditional. If you don't understand traditional publishing thoroughly,
don't go the Indie route. (A lot of writers self-publish because they're
afraid of rejection or because they don't want to put the work into
finding representation. I don't recommend doing this.) Make sure you know
where you want to be. Set goals and achieve them. :-)

What can we expect next from you?

Samara: A Kilenya Romance was released today as an eBook (it's a novella,
teen romance), and Book Three, August Fortress, will be out early 2012.

Where can we purchase your book?

Wherever eBooks are sold - Kindle, Nook, etc. The Paperbacks, for now, are
only available through Amazon.

THANK YOU ANDREA!