Indie-Licious Interview: Prepare to be dazzled by Dawna Raver's Fantasy World ~ IndieLicious

Dawna Raver is an author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Colour Wielders, book one of the Heirs of the Magykal Realm series, is her debut novel. When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen. Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order.

Happy release day to you, Dawna, and to the entire cast of Colour Wielders! (Pops champagne cork). I couldn't be happier for you and all the lucky readers who will get to have this book for their collection. Allow me to pour you a glass of Dom Perignon (and myself, of course) to celebrate the occasion.

About Dawna Raver:

1)Dawna, I know you've waited a long time for this publication, and at sometimes, thought it would never happen. (I know the feeling). Why don’t you start by telling us just how EXCITED you really are?!

"Well, too excited! You're enthusiasm has ramped up my excitement greatly. This is crazy. Sometimes I can't believe I wrote a book and it's published. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen. And the path here as been bumpy at times."

2)For most of us, publishing a book is a "dream come true", an achievement we never thought possible. Is it your dream, Dawna? Or is it a goal you can now scratch of your list of many? Maybe both?

"Actually, I never thought of doing the publishing thing. I've only been writing for about five years now. I certainly didn't start writing with this goal in mind. I was recovering from surgery and was bored. I'd never written for fun before, but with nothing else to do, I sat down and started writing about an old memory. Eventually, the memory morphed into a story, and that story evolved into Colour Wielders."

3)Did your publishing journey take you on a long, difficult road? Or did it happen over night for you?

"Once I saw that Colour Wielders might be a story others would enjoy, I thought about self-publishing. But my critique partner and friend, Krystal Wade, encouraged me to submit to her publisher, and now mine, Curiosity Quills Press. It's been about nine or ten months to bring Colour Wielders to market."

4)Where is your favorite place to write? Home office, comfy chair in front on the TV, dark, dusty, attic?

"I have an office with a lovely leather chain and a new desk. I really should be sitting in there everyday. But, we just bought a new leather couch and it's very comfy. I'll admit, unless I'm on deadline, I usually work from the couch. So, I guess that makes me a couch potato writer. Sigh."

5)Besides reading / writing, what is your favorite pastime?

"Watching football. Love, love, love football. In fact, I'm counting down the time until preseason starts. 107 days and 8 hours, in case your interested. 139 days and 8 hours until season. You might not believe this, but right now, I have the NFL channel on in the background. Yes, I am that obsessed. Shout out to my pitiful Miami Dolphins and amazing Denver Broncos."

The unimportant, important stuff. What makes Dawna Raver . . . Dawna Raver?
Favorites:

1)Food – ice cream – peanut butter and chocolate to be exact.
2)Color – red and black
3)Song / Music – Alternative rock. Foo Fighters, Incubus, Linkin Park...
4)Movie – All the Harry Potters.
5)Book – Harry Potter series. Sookie Stackhouse series (though I have a bad feeling Charlaine Harris is going to break my heart. Eric and Sookie belong together, damn it!) Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
My newest favorite is Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series.

About Colour Wielders:

1)My favourite question maybe becoming clichéd, but like I said; it's my favorite question to ask so: If you should be so lucky, who would you choose to play your main characters in the movie?

"*Big grin* Arik would be the hot Alexander Skarsgard. (If you're reading this Alex, call me, k?)
Quinn I don't have an actress for. I have a picture of what I think she looks like, but not a particular actress."

2)How did Colour Wielders blossom into the magical fantasy it is? What was the first tidbit of info that popped into your head for this story? Was it a word, song, dream?

"As I said, the whole think started from me recalling a memory. Factoid: Arik was originally the antihero, and Devin was the hero. But, in writing Arik, I feel in love with him. I wanted to give him a chance to be the kind of character that might have the opportunity for redemption. Whether he gets there or not, you'll have to read the series to find out."

3)Is Quinn Sinclair anything like Dawna Raver?

"Ha! I think there's a lot of Quinn in me. Which is probably why I can't assign an actress to her."

4)The cover is one of my all time favorites. Did you have other cover ideas you scrapped for this one?

"When I first thought I'd self-publish, I toyed with making the cover myself. One of the reasons I signed with Curiosity Quills was because of their amazing covers. Actually, Lisa, your cover for The Gathering Darkness sent me in the direction of the amazing Ricky Gunawan. I loved the feel of your cover so much, I just had to have Ricky. I told Curiosity Quills and they agreed.
Ricky was amazing to work for. I sent him pics of what I wanted. Then he and I worked together on the final concept. I can't imagine ever using anyone else, to be honest. Here's his website: http://ricky-gunawan.daportfolio.com."

5)What piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?

"Write, write, write, and write more. Read, read, read, and read more. Don't wait until your book is about to be published to start promoting yourself. Do it as soon as you think you want to embark on this crazy endeavor."

"Whenever I see this cover my jaw drops at its beauty" -Lisa Collicutt

Behind the Faerying Mysts, hidden from Mortal eyes, is a land where Gods, creatures of myth and legend dwell. And in the Mortal Realm, their Princess lives.

Quinn Sinclair is clueless to who she is. She thinks she's an ordinary young woman—well, mostly ordinary—living an ordinary life with her less than loving mother in Conifer, Colorado. On the night of her birthday, Quinn finds herself betrayed by a man who sends her life spinning out-of-control.

As she struggles to pick up the pieces, a vision of a man with haunting tourmaline-blue eyes begs her for help, and she finds herself transported into a Magykal battle forever changing her life.

Arik Morgaine—Demigod bad boy and outcast of the Magykal Realm—tried to avoid contact with Princess Quinn Sinclair for eighteen years, not wanting to make good on an old threat. But the fates have other plans. Arik can no longer deny his growing desire for Quinn, or the need to protect her from those wanting to control her burgeoning powers. Can the two of them come together and save the Magykal Realm from being destroyed by the Darkest of Magyks, or will powers beyond their control destroy them and their world forever?