In this third edition of “Seven Questions”, I chat with author Sandy Lender, author of the Choices series, and prominent figure at the Imaginarium convention in Louisville, KY. Sandy is a bright light in the indie author community, and I’m thankful she took the time answer a few questions.
You’ve recently revised and re-released your Choices series (Choices Meant for Gods, Choices Meant for Kings, and Choices Meant for All) through 7th Star Press. As I’m in the process of revising some older fantasy work of my own, I’m curious how it felt to revisit those stories as the writer you are today.
Some of the Choices characters have been in my mind, dictating new/ongoing stories, for years, but for some of the characters and some of the places, it was like visiting old friends to revise the trilogy. That made it heartbreaking at times. Without giving away specifics, I’ll tell you there are characters whose arcs are tragic. When they’re introduced in Choices Meant for Gods or Choices Meant for Kings, it shocks me. Maybe that’s trauma. Maybe I deserve it.
You have a well-documented love of dragons as well as not-so-mythical flying creatures. Tell me about what draws you to dragons…and about the winged friends you care for in real life.
Dragons are often seen as this huge flying reptile that burns whole swaths of countryside, demanding virgin sacrifices and hoarding wealth. But a fantasy author can turn that stereotype on its head. And I love turning the stereotype on its head. Sometimes. I also love having the big, huge, menacing dragon decide a human is worth helping…and vice versa. That juxtaposition is intriguing. It’s even more intriguing when you put them in outer space and have the bad guys traffic them.
And anyone who’s kept a conure parrot knows those little birds think they’re dragons. For one of my YA fantasy novels (Move the Stars), I invented a species of shoulder dragon that selects the humans they want to bond and communicate with…and I based each of the shoulder dragons on a parrot in my care. Their “personalities” are in their dragon in the story. Strike is based on my darling sun conure, Petri.
You do a lot of reading and reviews for your YouTube channel, where you often shine a light on indie authors. What prompted you to take the “BookTube” plunge and start your own channel?
A fellow author and friend in Italy, Jo Linsdell, mentioned BookTube during her PromoDay event back in 2018 during one of the marketing sessions we were doing and I asked for more details. It intrigued me greatly that people were doing book reports in front of cameras for entertainment. I loved it. And I saw ways I could sneak in mentions of my books in addition to my friends’ books, thus my channel could market and promote everything. Win win win. (If you’re cool with it, please put in a live link to Jo’s blog. She’s got an amazing blog for writers and readers at https://www.jolinsdell.com/ which she’s built into a powerhouse over the years.)
In my own work, I find myself returning to certain themes like hope and grace. What would you say are the themes most likely to pop up throughout your work?
I’ve definitely seen the “hope” messaging in your short stories I’ve read, especially in The Christmas Cabin. I think I weave “hope” into some of my work, but my fantasy series often have themes or warnings against the seven deadly sins. There’s hope that a hero or heroine will work through the trial before them, and there’s hope in people working side-by-side, but there are warnings against the rot of negativity. You’ll see the theme of jealousy/envy in the bad guys of the Choices series. (There are some other traits that’ll get a bad guy killed: bigotry being a big one.) But if pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony, or lechery show up in a character…watch out. That character’s either getting an arc or…well…
Your reputation among the indie publishing community is stellar. I’ve yet to hear a negative thing about you, which I credit to your approachability and kindness. Have you found the writing community to be fairly welcoming or do you feel that’s more specific to the communities you’re most active in…like the Imaginarium event?
Thank you for the kind words. I try not to get angry and say awful things online… There are members of the writing community (a literary agent from New York at a RWA conference comes immediately to mind) who have not been welcoming by any stretch of the imagination. From writer groups on facebook who publicly shame members for asking questions to random writers on twitter who jump into a thread to blast you for suggesting your book to a reviewer, the writing community can be UNwelcoming. I’ve had people accuse me of trying to get their books for free, and tell me to buy their book when it’s released rather than receiving an ARC for my BookTube channel. Just random crazy responses happen and I think that’s because the writing community can be competitive, toxic…And I want to step away from the toxicity and focus on helping someone who’s in the same boat I’m in. Luckily, there are lots of nice people who are also interested in helping one another. Those people? They’re my tribe.
Speaking of Imaginarium, which is where you and I first met, what is it about that event that keeps you coming back year after year even though Louisville is a long, long way from your front door?
Imaginarium is a rare gem. I’ve attended and presented at dozens of writer conferences and fan conventions – I was the director of the Naples Press Club Writers Conference one year – and I can say the Imaginarium convention is the one place where the positivity and genuine desire to network and help one another weaves through the entire event. The people brainstorming ideas and doing it with excitement is inspiring. I dig it.
Tell folks what’s on the horizon for you and let them know where they can find you on social media, YouTube, etc.
I have a short story from my Onweald/Choices world in an anthology Michael Knost is editing, and that feels like a badge of honor. I also have a few works in progress, a couple being dictated by a dragon…I’m also working with a friend’s son on a line of candles scented like elements from my Choices series. We’re almost ready to announce some awesome stuff there.
Thank you for sharing my info with folks out there. You can find my Choices series on the Seventh Star Press site at https://bit.ly/ChoicesAnnounced and subscribe to my BookTube channel (SandySaysRead) on YouTube at @SandyLender. Folks can also check out my website at www.SandyLenderInk.com. Some days, you just want the dragon to win.
Thanks for the interview, Sandy! And thanks for being a bright light in the writing community!
