Author Interview: ANA del C. DYE

Curse of the Elfs

by Ana del C. Dye

Award-winning, multiply-published YA fantasy author, Anna del C. Dye, is releasing “Curse of the Elfs,” the next volume of her YA Elfin Series.

Anna is a great fan of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” and she credits this marvelous work as her inspiration.

I was particularly inspired by Anna’s reply to a question about who she would like to give a copy of her book to. Read the interview below to find the answer. I think this author is also an inspiration to aspiring writers and authors who have yet to fulfill their dream of being published. English is Anna’s second language, but creativity has no language barrier, so she creates her story, and partners with a good editor to help her with what she calls her “English mess-ups.”

Her advice to those with book ideas buzzing around in their head? Never give up! Thanks, Anna. Now on to her book. From the back cover:

When an Immortal race ceases to be immortal woe to the land. Ancient legend tells of elfs crossing paths with a dying wizard named Zoltan. The Old Sorcerer’s unrepentant deeds had caused the wizarding school to chastise him severely. On his deathbed Zoltan asked the elfs for help. Losing patience in his delirium, he cursed them. Now, the immortal elfin race is slowly, but surely dying. Their only hope lies in a servant of kings who must learn to love the elfs before he will attempt to save them. But no one, elf or mankind, has ever heard of this man. Can the healer be found before their race is gone forever?

Anna del C. Dye was born in Valparaiso, Chile. After meeting Rodney, a native of Idaho, in her hometown, Anna traveled to Utah on Christmas Eve and married him two weeks later. Their love story, "Why Him?" was published by Covenant in the book entitled "Tender Mercies." Anna and Rodney reside in Taylorsville, Utah and are the parents of three princes and a princess.

Anna is an accomplished, multi-award winning author. One of her short stories entitled "Amerine—Fairy Princess" won an award in the Oquirrh Writers contest. The first book in her new YA Romance Series entitled “A Kingdom By The Sea” also won an award. Anna’s works also include The Silent Warrior Trilogy, the beginning saga of her YA Elf Series.

Anna, how long have you been writing and why did you start?
About seven years ago I started because my husband wanted to live to the ripe age of fifty. He thought my imagination would be the end of his days. He actually ordered me to. He is awesome. What are your books titled? In the order they were published, they are: The Silent Warrior Trilogy Book 1 - The Elf and the Princess Book 2 - Trouble in the Elf City Book 3 - Elfs in a conquered Realm and now: "Curse of the Elfs"

Anna, What is your writing strategy? I hear it’s unique.
The Trilogy I started in the front. Curse of the Elfs came to me in the middle, then it took form toward the front and the back. I am not sure why… it just happened.

Was there a particular person or event that inspired you to write this story?
The last movie of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. I wanted to know more about the character’s lives and couldn’t find enough. My husband said, “Why don’t you write your own.” I answered, “Yah right!” But his answer haunted me and in three days I had the draft of The Elf and the Princess in my mind. When I told him the story he came back with a laptop and told me to write it. The rest is history.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors? Never give up!!! Join a writer's chapter close to you right now, and learn the craft from them.


What is the coolest thing about being an author?
Meeting great people and other authors.

What would you say is the most challenging part about being an author?
Spending hours promoting my books while I would like to be writing another.

Do you have a particular goal you aim to achieve with your writing? To take people to a wonderful world where they can forget reality’s cold hand and safely enjoy fantasy. Life is tough and we need something to help us make it more fun and worth living. Fantasy is the way I choose to do it.

You once told me that English was your second language. What sort of challenges did you meet in trying to write your books, if any?
Not many really. I write and my editor has to figure out what I am trying to say. (If I can't figure how a word goes in English, I put it in Spanish...he speaks Spanish very well.) We have a lot of fun when we edit the books; because of my English mess ups.

If you could give your book to only one person, who would it be and why?
A teenager in trouble... In the hope that he/she could discover the power they have deep inside to change and become better. I want them to see that nothing is impossible if we put our minds to it.

That’s lovely. Can you share with your fans how you became adept at describing the swordplay in your battle scenes?
We found a medieval sword fighting class at the local high school and my husband and I took it. My husband liked it so much he has taken it for a few years now and has even earned two different belts with the clan.

Where can we purchase a copy of your books?
http://www.amazon.com/Curse-Elfs-Anna-del-Dye/dp/1432760947
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://www.annadelc.com/

Thanks, Anna. We wish you much success.
Thank you for this opportunity to visit with you and your friends.

For more information contact Anna at http://www.annadelc.com/. Also, take a look at her book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UmwuqT8gMU