by Lydhia Marie
From the first time Amya gains consciousness in a hospital, she tries to remember the train of events that landed her in a coma, as well as the lost memories of more than eleven months of her life. But her struggle does not stop when she wakes up. The world around her is falling apart. Her best friend Samera needs her help and urges her to work for the Protectors of Amani again and her friend Xander is the victim of a Rascal’s bite. A Rascal only needs to touch somebody in order to feed on their humanity: their energy, their youth, their dreams… But when they bite you, there is no going back.
Using her ability to Sojourn—to project her soul into people’s bodies—and Samera’s capacity to Travel between Dimensions, Amya risks her life and integrity to save a loved one. Little does she know that her friend might be lost forever.
Paperback, 370 pages
Expected publication: May 8th 2015
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Read It & Read: November 3, 2015
Lydhia Marie was born in a small town in Quebec, Canada. She discovered her passion for writing later in life during her last summer as an English student at Bishop’s University. To be honest, she wasn’t much of a reader before she started her degree, but this hate for words transformed into a passion for reading and then morphed into a need for writing. Strange but nonetheless true.After finishing her first draft, she attended a three-week creative writing course at the University of Oxford, where she realized that her first manuscript was very badly written. Fortunately, the idea behind the writing was “so unique and different,” according to an early critique of the novel, that she decided to write the entire manuscript anew, from a blank page to the epilogue.
She enjoys books that transports her into a new world and characters that are both original and relatable. But most of all, she loves spending time writing or reading with her dog, Bookie, on her lap, looking adorable with his legs in the air and his belly ready to be rubbed.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13719140.Lydhia_Marie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LydhiaMarieAuthor
Website: http://lydhiam.webs.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydhiaMarie
Q & A with Lydhia Marie
Q: Tell us a little bit about your main characters.
What I like the most about the main characters in AMANI: Remember is that they would go through anything to help and save each other. For them, family isn’t about blood, it’s about the people who stand by you no matter what happens or what you become. No matter what challenges the main characters face, they trust that they’ll overcome them together.
Q: Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author?
I designed the cover for my book and I really enjoyed the process. I went through almost 10 different covers and watched several Youtube videos to improve my skills on G.I.M.P. Of course, I still have a lot to learn, but the cover I was able to create fits the concept of the book and that’s all I could hope for. I don’t know how it works when an author doesn’t design their own cover, but I strongly believe that the cover has to be made by someone who knows the novel very well. Otherwise, it might be pretty and all but it certainly won’t convey a meaningful message about the book.
Q: Describe your ideal writing spot.
It’s hard to say because I could write almost anywhere, unless there’s a lot of noise and people bothering me. So I guess the ideal spot is a silent room where I’m allowed to bring my dog and drink a lot of tea. I once went on a trip in the Lake Districts in England. After a day of hiking and reading on beautiful hills, I was able to retreat in my dorm where only a few people were chatting, and I started writing. I had seen the most extraordinary landscapes and my imagination was at its peak… and that was one of the most inspirational moments of my writing career. So I guess that as long as I’m focused and inspired enough, anything is possible.
Q: What is the best advice you have been given?
I was once told that to be a great writer, you don’t need to write well from the beginning, but you need perseverance and enough character to keep honing your craft and then, eventually, you might not stink. And then, maybe, you’ll be worth reading. I don’t believe I’m there yet, but I do believe that the story I tell is interesting and unique enough to be worth reading. As for the writing, I have a life-long plan to become a great writer.
Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
There are so many answers to that question. I believe that I first wanted to be a spy. I remember spying on my family members during family gatherings. I even kept a secret journal in which I noted what they were doing and what might be their intention behind those actions. Then, I wished to be a ballet dancer, and after a while, an actress. That lasted until my second year at university, when I decided to write and fell deeply in love with my keyboard.
Q: Which do you prefer: hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A good hardcover will always win in my heart because it’s harder to break and I’m a sucker for smelling the pages before I start reading a book. However, a Kindle is very useful when you want to travel light or when you’re backpacking. I don’t want to think about the weight of my backpack it I were to fill it with all the books I downloaded on my Kindle. Paperback is cheaper, though, so I guess all three formats are important, depending on your budget, your way of living, and your personal habits.
Q: If you could be any supernatural power, what would you choose and why?
As much as I’d love to be able to read people’s thoughts or become invisible whenever I want, the greatest superpower for me will always be to fly. I envy birds and butterflies. I envy their freedom and wish sometimes that I could just follow them for a few days and see the world from up there.
Q: What book are you reading now?
I’m currently reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I thought I’d dislike it at first because it’s written in letters only, but I really like Charlie’s character development and it’s so rare these days in books for teens that I can’t help but enjoy it. There are many life-changing quotes and ways to see life, too. No wonder why it’s so popular!
Q: Tell us a little bit about your main characters.
What I like the most about the main characters in AMANI: Remember is that they would go through anything to help and save each other. For them, family isn’t about blood, it’s about the people who stand by you no matter what happens or what you become. No matter what challenges the main characters face, they trust that they’ll overcome them together.
Q: Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author?
I designed the cover for my book and I really enjoyed the process. I went through almost 10 different covers and watched several Youtube videos to improve my skills on G.I.M.P. Of course, I still have a lot to learn, but the cover I was able to create fits the concept of the book and that’s all I could hope for. I don’t know how it works when an author doesn’t design their own cover, but I strongly believe that the cover has to be made by someone who knows the novel very well. Otherwise, it might be pretty and all but it certainly won’t convey a meaningful message about the book.
Q: Describe your ideal writing spot.
It’s hard to say because I could write almost anywhere, unless there’s a lot of noise and people bothering me. So I guess the ideal spot is a silent room where I’m allowed to bring my dog and drink a lot of tea. I once went on a trip in the Lake Districts in England. After a day of hiking and reading on beautiful hills, I was able to retreat in my dorm where only a few people were chatting, and I started writing. I had seen the most extraordinary landscapes and my imagination was at its peak… and that was one of the most inspirational moments of my writing career. So I guess that as long as I’m focused and inspired enough, anything is possible.
Q: What is the best advice you have been given?
I was once told that to be a great writer, you don’t need to write well from the beginning, but you need perseverance and enough character to keep honing your craft and then, eventually, you might not stink. And then, maybe, you’ll be worth reading. I don’t believe I’m there yet, but I do believe that the story I tell is interesting and unique enough to be worth reading. As for the writing, I have a life-long plan to become a great writer.
Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
There are so many answers to that question. I believe that I first wanted to be a spy. I remember spying on my family members during family gatherings. I even kept a secret journal in which I noted what they were doing and what might be their intention behind those actions. Then, I wished to be a ballet dancer, and after a while, an actress. That lasted until my second year at university, when I decided to write and fell deeply in love with my keyboard.
Q: Which do you prefer: hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A good hardcover will always win in my heart because it’s harder to break and I’m a sucker for smelling the pages before I start reading a book. However, a Kindle is very useful when you want to travel light or when you’re backpacking. I don’t want to think about the weight of my backpack it I were to fill it with all the books I downloaded on my Kindle. Paperback is cheaper, though, so I guess all three formats are important, depending on your budget, your way of living, and your personal habits.
Q: If you could be any supernatural power, what would you choose and why?
As much as I’d love to be able to read people’s thoughts or become invisible whenever I want, the greatest superpower for me will always be to fly. I envy birds and butterflies. I envy their freedom and wish sometimes that I could just follow them for a few days and see the world from up there.
Q: What book are you reading now?
I’m currently reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I thought I’d dislike it at first because it’s written in letters only, but I really like Charlie’s character development and it’s so rare these days in books for teens that I can’t help but enjoy it. There are many life-changing quotes and ways to see life, too. No wonder why it’s so popular!
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