Deanna R. Sweeney has a book that is due to be published with us on the 27th April 2017. We caught up with Deanna to discuss her upcoming book and the inspiration that went into it. For more information, follow the link below to access the author's own page:

 https://www.facebook.com/LegionsOfLilith/

Q:  How would you describe Legions of Lilith: The Awakening and who would you say it is aimed at?

A: Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye and when you turn to look there is nothing there? Have you ever had a sense that you knew a place, felt a familiarity to it deep in your soul, even though you’ve never been there before? Have you ever thought to yourself that there must be more to life and your purpose than this everyday pointless routine? Well, if you answered yes then you have something in common with both myself and the main character of my book. I am a firm believer that there is more to this world than what we allow ourselves to see or believe. The Legions of Lilith Series explores some of those possibilities and the first book in the series, The Awakening, is a fast-paced exciting ride into the abyss.

Q:  You have already cited that this is book one of a series. Can you give us a sneak peek on how you’re going to develop the plot and characters into a second book?

A: The second book picks up where the first book left off. Veronica must unlock her past, or more accurately, her past life. This is the only way to retrieve the knowledge she needs to overcome Lilith, and set the souls free that have been her prisoners at the plantation house for over 200 years. Veronica gets more than she bargained for when the ghosts from the past, present revelations that she was not ready for.

Q:  What inspired you to write Legions of Lilith?

A: I get most of my inspiration for my stories from dreams. I keep a notebook and a pen in my bedside table, so that when I wake up from a dream that I think may make a good story someday, I can write it down while the memory of the dream is still vivid. I have a couple notebooks full of ideas for novels.

Q:  Have you already begun writing the second book?

A: Yes I have. I am about halfway through the second book and it looks like it will be quite a bit longer than the first one. There is a lot of story to tell in the second book. I have started the notes on the third and final book in the series as well.

Q:  Your main character, Veronica, has visions and experiences that can only be described as supernatural. Will other supernatural beings appear in the story and, if so, can you give us a hint as to what they are?

A: There are several supernatural beings in this novel as well as the rest of the series. I don’t want to give away too much but… a story is just not complete without a dragon or two…

Q:  What supernatural being would you most like to be and why?

A: I would want to be a vampire, because they are immortal, beautiful, lethal, and powerful. They are also on the darker side of the spectrum of supernatural creatures and I have always been a troublemaker, so it would be a natural fit.

Q:  Other than this series, are you working on anything else? Any thoughts on branching into other genres?

A: I have started preliminary work on a novel called The Soldier. It is about a female sniper who is on a tour in Afghanistan when her patrol is ambushed. Everyone is killed except for her; she is taken prisoner and tortured for information. Her captors eventually realize they are not going to get anything out of her, so they leave her in the middle of the desert to die of her injuries. She is brought back from the edge of death by the most unlikely of saviors…but did he really save her or just damn her to an eternity of endless nightmares? 

I do plan on branching into other genres. In fact, I have another novel that I have mapped out and even written the first couple chapters of that is a murder mystery.  

Q:  What advice would you give other young authors wanting to be published?

A: First, you need a completed novel to send out. Don’t try to romanticize it and fool yourself into thinking that writing a novel isn’t work. It most definitely is, and it takes dedication and discipline. You’ll have days where you can pump out a couple chapters like it’s no big deal, and then you’ll have weeks where you just can’t seem to get anything written down that works. That’s reality and all writers experience it. The important thing is not to stop. Set yourself a daily goal, 500 words a day for example, and stick to it. It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around, you can and will go back several times to fine tune your work, but make sure you keep moving forward. Set aside dedicated time everyday to meet your daily goal, even if it’s just an hour, and don’t let life get in your way. Don’t get discouraged if you get rejected by a few publishers. Very few people get a contract from the first publisher they send their work to. The important thing is to not give up. Also, make sure that you are targeting publishers that are looking for the type of work that you are offering. Not every publisher is interested in your genre of work. That’s key.