Monday, December 13, 2010

Guest Author Interview: Sarah Ettritch












Please welcome today's guest author Sarah Ettritch!  Sarah is the author of Rymellan 1: Disobedience Means Death, A Tragic Romance, and The Salbine Sisters.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Sarah: 
I was a late bloomer. I only started to write seriously when I was in my early-forties (I’m creeping up on my late forties now).

EJ:  What brought you to the fantasy genre?

Sarah: 
My muse. I don’t decide up front what genre of story to write. I write whatever my muse throws at me and figure out the genre later. I like to read fantasy books, and I enjoy computer role-playing games with fantasy settings, so it’s not surprising that I ended up writing a fantasy story.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Sarah: 
I’d love the ability to read the minds of animals. Having said that, finding out what my cats are thinking might scare the heck out of me or scar me for life. What’s going on in their little heads when they do that “staring into space” thing?

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Sarah: 
The Salbine Sisters has a touch of romance, two strong female protagonists, and an engaging story that twists and turns to its end. You can download the first chapter at the book’s website, where you’ll also find information about the main characters and Salbine lore.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Sarah:
  Interesting question! For Lillian, a younger (and plumper) Judi Dench. Lillian is a strong but vulnerable woman, the sort of character Dench plays well. For Maddy, Ellen Page. She’s about the right age, and I’ve always visualized Maddy with dark hair.























The Salbine Sisters by Sarah Ettritch.

She gave up everything to become a Salbine Sister, member of a religious order of powerful female mages. But when Maddy nearly dies while trying to draw forth elemental fire, she learns that Salbine has withdrawn from her the gifts every sister works to master. Feeling trapped in an order to which she no longer has any right to belong and believing herself unworthy of the love of Lillian, one of the most powerful mages in the sisterhood, Maddy begs the abbess to let her travel to another monastery to research her condition.  On her journey, Maddy's faith in both herself and Salbine are tested to their limits. When she attempts to draw fire and fails horribly, frightened townsfolk throw Maddy into prison. Fearing that the abbess will never learn her fate and rescue her, Maddy resigns herself to a short and brutal life.  The only bright spot in Maddy's existence is Emmey, the pickpocket with whom she shares a cell. Through her and the steadfast love of Lillian, Maddy learns that Salbine's purpose is not always the same for everyone, and that love and compassion are more valuable than magic.


Thank you Sarah for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Sarah Ettritch and her books, please visit her website.

7 comments:

  1. Oh, I really love the synopsis of the book!
    And haha, omg I'd dread to find out what cats are thinking too! lol

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  2. Thanks for interviewing me, E.J. You have a wonderful community here!

    Kelly, it's a good thing cats can't talk. The stories they'd tell...

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  3. Lovely interview, Sarah and E.J.!
    Reading a dog's mind probably pretty cool - a cat's... you're right, maybe a bit scary!
    The Salbine Sisters sounds really fascinating and I wish you much success with it and all your writing!

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  4. Great interview. The book sounds like my kind of read. It's nice to know there are others out there that start their writing careers a bit later in life and still achieve success. Very motivating

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  5. Great post! Thank you for sharing!

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  6. Great interview, hon. I'm reading Salbine Sisters now, and I must say it is quite the lovely read - I'm thoroughly enjoying it, although I think I'm a little too deep into it to be recasting my imagination with Judy Dench and Ellen Page. :)

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  7. Sally: To be honest, I don't like to describe the characters unless there's a story reason to do so. I like to leave it up to the reader's imagination. You can imagine Maddy and Lillian however you like!

    LJ: I always think of P.D. James when I'm looking for reassurance on the "I'm too old!" front.

    Krisi and Moonlight: I'm glad you enjoyed the interview!

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