Justine Manzano Today, I would like to introduce you to fellow Fantasy author, Andrea L. Staum. Andrea is here to tell us about the “Dragonchild Lore” series, and about herself. Enjoy!
Blood of the Sire, Book 1 of the “Dragonchild Lore” series: 
When Zabond’s raiders come to the shores of Kalahtaya, Kitra, the village outcast, is sent to find allies by the village’s Elemental Guardians. Forced to travel with the man she accuses of stealing her daughter and a granddaughter she has never known, Kitra soon uncovers the villages long forgotten past, as well as, learns how misguided her own memories have become.
The first book of lore reveals the birth of the Dragonchild and her tie to the Guardians of Kalahtaya.
Daughters of Kalahtaya, Book 2 of the “Dragonchild Lore” series:
AmazonZabond’s raiders continue to move inland away from Kalahtaya. As the Dragonchild stands in defiance against him, her sisters find their own roles aren’t as simple as they had once been.
Follow as the second book of lore follows Kitra’s granddaughters as they realize their potential in war torn Nivena.
Author Bio: Andrea L. Staum is author of the Dragonchild Lore series and The Attic’s Secret Novella. She is also a contributor to a wide variety of anthologies in numerous genres. She is a trained motorcycle mechanic, an amateur house renovator, and a record keeper for the characters in her mind. She resides in South Central Wisconsin with her husband and two ‘unique’ cats.
Mini-Interview with Andrea L. Staum
Q. What drew you to writing?
A. I’ve always been writing. My first big venture in writing a book was in middle school. I was a huge reader and loved my English and Literature classes, so it seemed natural.
Q. Tell us one thing you learned, during research or about craft, while writing your latest book.
A. The project that I’m currently working on I’m trying something new with. I’m usually a pantser when I write. I go for it and don’t worry about what is actually being written until the editing stage. This time I’m working on a more structured method. I have a full cast character biography document, a key scenes list that I’m expanding into a detailed outline, and I went through my stock photos to see if I could find images that I identify as the characters. It is a much longer writing process, but it is giving me a new appreciation to those who use this method regularly. It shows me where the glaring plot holes might pop up LONG before the chapter is on the page and gives me time to work them out. Part of the reason for doing this is I’m working on a thriller/mystery and a different type of structure needs to be in place for it to play out than my fantasy stories. I can’t say I’ll use this detailed of a method in the future, but I may hybrid it to suit my pantser nature.
Q. How do you de-stress?
A. There’s such a thing? Aside from writing and reading, I’ve taken to sewing. My grandma taught me how to embroider so I recently made her a peacock lap blanket. I also used a sewing machine for the first time and made a TARDIS cosplay dress that actually turned out. I think the problem is my de-stressors give me more stress. I don’t do easy things. The costume was a six piece one that included a corset, darts, pleats, linings….things a rookie probably shouldn’t go headfirst into, but I can’t go halfway. To relax though, a nice warm bath can definitely help or hot chocolate. Hot chocolate can solve most everything.
Q. What inspires you?
A. I don’t have a specific inspiration. The characters and plots come from what or who’s around me. Random things can make clever stories. Learning about different things can lead to stories. I never expected to write a fairy tale about brownies putting together a motorcycle, but there was an anthology call for fairy stories and I used my knowledge as a mechanic to pull something together. A phrase can spin into something later down the road and I may not realize it when I hear it.
Q. What kind of books to you enjoy reading?
A. I’ve just been introduced to Squirrel Girl comic books and they are fantastic! I don’t really have a genre that I stick to when it comes to reading. I grew up on fantasy and sci-fi. Anne McCaffrey was my ultimate author hero and I think that’s where a lot of my love for fantasy and sci-fi came from. She also had strong female characters and I never realized how important that was while I was reading. I think a big part of what I look for in stories is flawed characters. It makes things so much more believable. I like clever writing.
I hope you had fun meeting Andrea L. Staum! Stay tuned for more posts from me and Author Spotlights in the weeks to come!