The WEEPING WILLOW SERIES consists of:
Book 1 - Wicked Chemistry: Original Weeping Willow Shorts
Book 2 - Wicked Magic: A Weeping Willow Novel
Book 3 - Wicked Love: A Weeping Willow Novel
Book 4 - Wicked Voices: A Weeping Willow Novel (Coming 2016!)
Book 2 - Wicked Magic: A Weeping Willow Novel
Book 3 - Wicked Love: A Weeping Willow Novel
Book 4 - Wicked Voices: A Weeping Willow Novel (Coming 2016!)
Title: Weeping Willow
Series: Weeping Willow PT1
Author: Sandra Madera
Release Date: 18th February 2011
BLURB supplied by author
Being teased at school, Chloe was awkward socially, finding it hard to relate to her peers. As an only child of a single mother, she had her share of loneliness. But when her mother buys a fixer upper on a large lot just outside of town, Chloe feels the she is on the cusp of change. Dreaming of another world and a handsome but alien stranger has her questioning who she really is, and what is real....
Series: Weeping Willow PT2
Author: Sandra Madera
Release Date: 18th February 2011
BLURB supplied by author
Now that Willow has met her twin soul and come to terms with who she really is, she is captured by King Callan, Ruler of the Dökkalfar. Jailed as an abomination to the Elven race due to her unnatural creation, Willow struggles to understand the dynamics of this new world and wonders who she can trust in order to gain her freedom once more. However, the prophecy of her kind is clear... She must put an end to the race wars, uniting two kingdoms, but only if she can survive the wrath of a powerful king.
Series: Weeping Willow
Author: Sandra Madera
Release Date: 22nd July 2012
BLURB supplied by author
After a time of peace, Willow's world is turned on its side when Nalin is captured and taken into the Underworld. (YA Fiction Novel, intended for ages 16 and up).
Just when Willow and Nalin were ready to bind their life forces in a marriage ceremony, their time of peace has ended.
Willow finds out a secret that is both the cause of their union and exile. Daphne, Nalin’s evil sister, has gathered a group of powerful allies in her quest to regain the Ljósálfar kingdom and overthrow their newly formed government. Hoping to separate Willow and Nalin forever, Daphne casts her brother into the darkest and deadliest realm imaginable... Hades.
However, Daphne never expected Willow to delve into the depths of hell to reunite with her lost love and try to set things right. Rules have been broken... Deals have been made... How much is Willow willing to risk to save Nalin’s soul?
Goodreads Link
Series: Weeping Willow
Author: Sandra Madera
Release Date: 1st February 2015
BLURB supplied by author
Waking up in a foreign land, Nalin ventures home only to find that it is not as he remembers it. His parents are dead and buried. His sister has been ruling in his place. He is wounded, and he dreams strange things... about a girl who calls out to him in the darkness. (YA Fiction Novel, intended for ages 16 and up).
Now that Nalin has returned to the Realm of Magic, the Elves hope that the end of the war is near, and the Ljósálfar can finally defeat the Dökkálfar after driving them underground.
However, it becomes clear that Nalin is not himself, and he knows it. He can’t remember a large portion of his life, and his parents have been killed. Everyone around him is just as oblivious to the time that has been robbed from them. Everyone except for the one that calls himself Avery. Nalin senses dark magic is at work when Avery talks of a raven-haired Elfling that traveled to the Realm of Disorder to save him from the clutches of the Dark King, a girl that has not returned. The same girl that cries out to him from his dreams.
Nalin knows better than to trust his Dökkálfar enemy, but something tells him this Elfling is not an ordinary girl. He is determined to find the one called Willow and set time right.
Goodreads Link
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Introducing the author
Sandra Madera currently resides in New York and is a recent college grad, obtaining her bachelor's degree in science. However, her true passion has always been reading and writing. She has been writing short stories since she was a child.
Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
I self-publish my work.
I basically do all the work myself, from conception to publishing. It's something I can do and enjoy for the
most part. It is hard to just hand over
something I have been working on for months to a stranger, so I prefer to have
my hands in everything. I used to edit
myself. That was just a bad idea,
because things get overlooked no matter how many times you go over it. I was blessed to have a fan offer her editing
services, and we have become great friends.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you
want to be?
I didn't know what I wanted to be. I dabbled around with a future in
architecture, but I found that I was always writing, either journal-ing or
coming up with stories. In middle
school, I began to write my first novel and asked my friends to read over the
prologue. They loved it and forced me to
continue, so every day I was writing a new chapter for them. I don't think I saw writing as any more than
a hobby then, but now, I can.
Is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
I read a lot as a pre-teen and teen. A friend recommended I read Point Horror's
Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick.
I loved it and read all of her books from then on. When I read the Unseen Series, I was so inspired
to be a great suspense writer like her.
I think her YA fiction is wonderful.
How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for
your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
With Titles, I can choose one from a word in the book
which sticks out to me. Sometimes I
choose a title based on the character or a word that sums up a key point in the
plot. Weeping Willow got its name
because the main character is named Willow and the journey which takes place
throughout the stories and books is an emotional roller coaster. The tree itself also plays a role in the
setting.
I design my covers using my own artwork before a book is
written. With Cover Designs, I usually
come up with them as I brainstorm and sketch them out. Once I have an image in my head, I create it
to the best of my ability, coloring the sketch digitally.
Are character names and place names decided after their
creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
For me, a place can be completely fictional or inspired
by a real place. In my Weeping Willow
Series, the realms were purely formed by my imagination. In my Restraint Trilogy books, the locations
and houses were based on real places throughout the United Kingdom. I don't have a preference, but the concept
happens usually before I even start writing.
In my idea notebook, I write down a general idea of where I want the
plot to go, places (real or imaginary), and character names which include their
meanings. I'm very big on matching the
appropriate name for a character. I
picture them in my head and based on the characteristics I have dreamed up, I
choose a name that embodies that. For
instance, if a character is strong, I want him to have a name that means
strong. In the Weeping Willow Series, Nalin
means peace which sums up his mission to bring peace to his realm.
What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
My best review is any review really. I am just happy that people are reading. I have met a blogger named Josie who has
become a fan. When I saw that she
downloaded all of my stories and liked them, I sent her my novels. If I need a review, I know I can count on her
for an honest and insightful one. She
does great reviews.
The worst review happened a few years ago. I sent out my first novel to a reviewer who
seemed really nice at first. She
reviewed my book relatively quickly, but I noticed when she emailed me, she
just sent a link to her review. There
were no other words in her email which I thought was odd. When I read the review, she just tore my book
apart. She hated my cover and said that
it wouldn't attract an audience. She
hated my writing, comparing it to two classic authors as if I somehow copied
them. She chose one line as her favorite
line that was bland. She claimed that I
never told her that my book was YA which was ridiculous since it was in the
initial email. Her negative review was
posted everywhere and it felt very personal... like an attack. I didn't understand the motive and looked
into her blog again. I realized that she
was an aspiring author who had written four books and was trying unsuccessfully
to find a publisher. I thought maybe she
was a bit resentful towards self-published authors since she had an English
degree and wanted to be traditionally published. Reading over her other reviews and seeing
that she didn't write things as horrible for other two star reviews as she did
mine... was confirmation enough. But I
didn't hold it against her. I asked for
her opinion after all.
Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if
it was not all positive about your book/books?
No. I have always
asked for honest reviews. Even after
that reviewer gave me a two star review, I asked if she would be willing to
review the second book in my Restaint Trilogy.
She never responded. See, it is
not how many stars I get. It is about
the exposure. Even if your book has one
star on Barnes and Noble, someone will buy it just to see how horrible it
is. They may walk away pleasantly
surprised and you walk away with a sale.
In essence, there is no such thing as a bad review.
What do you think about book trailers?
I love book trailers.
I create my own with my artwork and post them up to my site. They are like movie trailers for books. I think they help a prospective reader decide
if they want to take a chance on your work, because you're giving them a
glimpse inside this fictional world.
Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie
You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I prefer to write at night, because if I write during the
day, there can be many distractions. I
like it at night because it's quiet and my ideas flow better. I do like to hear music, especially if it
makes me get in the right mindset for the scene I'm writing.
What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Don't write anything that you wouldn't read. If something feels off about the plot or a
character, it usually is. Go with your instinct and make edits. Also, do not make rigid outlines which stifle
the flow of creativity. Have a general
idea of where you want to go, but sit in front of your computer open to
changes. The greatest plot twists I have
written happened as I wrote organically, allowing ideas to flow.
Where can readers follow you?
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