Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Katie Specht is talking with Erin Tunney, author of Beast Heart Series Book #2: Wolf Warrior.

FQ: Tell our readers a little about yourself. Your background, your interests, and how this led to writing a book?

TUNNEY: I live in the Midwest. I'm an avid lover of fantasy, animals, and I do enjoy a good mystery (Normally, the cozy ones). I've had two novels published so far. A long time ago, someone suggested that I should write things down. In Middle School, I found myself enamored with ideas of what stories could be created and enjoyed it ever since.

FQ: Have you always enjoyed writing or is it something you’ve discovered recently?

TUNNEY: It was something I've grown to enjoy since Middle School, and it followed me to today.

FQ: Tell us a little about your book – a brief synopsis and what makes your book unique.

TUNNEY: Wolf Warrior is a continuation of the Beast Heart Series. It focuses on a girl named Clara. She was born with a dragon mark, silver hair, amber eyes, and is bonded to two beasts (a wolf and a unicorn). She and her friends find themselves in the Selkie Kingdom, a land comprised mostly of ocean. They find themselves in a hostage negotiation when two of her friends are being imprisoned for a simple skirmish on the beach. Clara has a choice: Kill the Leviathan King, or lose her friends.

FQ: What was the impetus for writing your book?

TUNNEY: It actually started with an online course about fantasy writing while the epidemic was going on. I found myself wanting to complete the story, and it built up from there.

FQ: Please give our readers a little insight into your writing process. Do you set aside a certain time each day to write, only write when the desire to write surfaces, or …?

TUNNEY: I do write my story whenever I get the chance. Most of the process is done at night. I use some music to help motivate me when I'm stuck.

FQ: What was the hardest part of writing your book? That first chapter, the last paragraph, or …?

TUNNEY: Mostly the middle portion of the story since you have to connect both the beginning and the end. You also have to make sure it makes sense for the story to end the way it did. Otherwise, the ending would feel out of the blue or make a reader feel ripped off.

FQ: The genre of your book is Young Adult Epic Fantasy. Why this genre?

TUNNEY: I chose Young Adult Epic Fantasy because I felt that the structure of the story made sense. In terms of reading it, I sometimes favor it depending on the story and if it's done well. The most challenging part of the genre is figuring out how dark and violent you can get away with without scaring the daylights out of the reader.

FQ: Do you have any plans to try writing a book in a different genre? If so, which genre and why?

TUNNEY: Actually, I'm working on a dark fantasy novel for a young adult audience as well as trying to set up a horror/dark fantasy novel for adults.

FQ: Is there a genre you have not yet delved into that you would like to attempt in the future?

TUNNEY: I'd say it would be mystery. I've had some dreams in the past that could work well as mystery novels.

FQ: Who are your favorite authors?

TUNNEY: Tui Sutherland of the Wings of Fire series. I've enjoyed most of her dragon characters and the world she'd set readers up with. Each dragonet had a quality that made them lovable and, in some cases, relatable.

FQ: Which do you find easier, starting a story, or writing the conclusion?

TUNNEY: I find starting the story is easier than writing the conclusion. You have something to go on, but it's hard to figure out how you want it to end. Especially when you're writing a standalone novel.

FQ: As an author/writer, what famous author (living or dead), would you like to have dinner with, and why?

TUNNEY: I would like to have dinner with C.S. Lewis. He had such an engaging fairytale at the beginning with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I would've loved to talk to him about world-building and how modern fantasy holds up.

FQ: What is your all-time favorite book? Why? And did this book/author have any influence over your decision to become an author?

TUNNEY: Hard to choose because I have several. However, I do enjoy rereading An Owl Too Many. Mostly because of one scene where Professor Winifred Binks finally lost it after being kidnapped, dealing with corruption and murder, and almost drowned in a riverboat during a storm only to find her trust officer denying her entry. Understandably, she breaks in with the smack of her heel and walks in to see her trust officer stuck in a vent. This book didn't influence my writing, but it was still a fun read.

FQ: Where do you think you’ve improved the most in your writing process and ability and how do you think you have evolved?

TUNNEY: I think it was when I did the second book, that I started to see some improvement. I didn't struggle as much compared to the first book in where I wanted it to go. I still had to think about how morally grey I wanted some of my characters to be. However, I was pleased with the results.

FQ: How do you approach a new story and when you set pen to paper, is there a specific process you follow (or do you just write and let your story take the lead to where it must go)?

TUNNEY: I tried to look at things in their perspective. Not an easy thing to accomplish, but it helps with the editing process.

FQ: If you were to teach a class on the art of writing, what is the one item you would be sure to share with your students and how would you inspire them to get started?

TUNNEY: When writing a story, make sure you add logic to the story.  With fantasy and horror, it's understandable some people would want to go over the top. However, if they pull last minute plot twists that make no real sense, you'd make the reader feel like they've wasted their time.

FQ: Is this the first book, the second, etc. in the series and how many books do you anticipate writing in this series?

TUNNEY: Wolf Warrior is the second book. Right now, I'd say I will be doing four books for the Beast Heart Series.

FQ: Tell us a bit about the series. Do you know where the series will take the characters or are you working that out as you go along with each book? What has been the reader response to your series?

TUNNEY: I have a good idea where Clara's journey is going to go and where it'll end up. Right now, I'm just writing a rough draft for book three. In terms of the series, a few readers seem to like my world-building for the most part.

FQ: Have you been contacted by fans anxiously awaiting the next book in the series?

TUNNEY: No, but I would love to hear any feedback from them!

FQ: Do you feel any pressure to hurry up and get the next book in the series published? Does this make it harder to write or do you work better under such pressure?

TUNNEY: No, I don't feel that pressure, but I do feel that I want to complete the story to the best of my ability.

FQ: Do you see your series going longer than originally expected? More stories to write than originally planned?

TUNNEY: No.

FQ: Many authors say that it’s hard to say good-bye to the characters in a series? Do you think it will be difficult for you? Have they become part of your life?

TUNNEY: I don't know for sure, but I've grown fond of how they're set up, so I'll feel a little sad.

FQ: Where did the idea for your story come from?

TUNNEY: It developed from an exercise in my online fantasy writing course. It evolved after writing down a few more ideas.

FQ: Did the story change as you wrote the book?

TUNNEY: There were some changes as I wrote the book and really thought about how it effects the reader's perspective on the material.

FQ: Was the plot worked out completely before you started or did it evolve as your wrote?

TUNNEY: The plot evolved as I wrote it down. I did have to reread a few times just to be sure it had a good flow.

FQ: Tell us about the protagonist in your story.

TUNNEY: Clara is a unique protagonist. She's zoophobic at the beginning of the series. Clara had amber eyes, silver hair, and a dragon mark on her back. She's self-taught in her magic, so she has some ideas of how it works. Clara's loyalty is one you can respect! She'd go through hell and back to save her friends. In Wolf Warrior, she does get a little snarky at times.

FQ: Are any of the characters based on real people you know? If so, how closely does your character mimic the real person?

TUNNEY: No, they're all fiction.

FQ: The “bad guy/gal” in your book … was he/she fun to create and how difficult was it to write those scenes where he/she plays a central role?

TUNNEY: My villains, Duke Averance and Lady Maroona were a bit of a challenge to write. I try to make sure they pose as a threat even when they aren't present. For Maroona, I wanted her to be a character you'd really don't want to be alone with.

FQ: Tell us about your favorite character and why that person is your favorite.

TUNNEY: Aside from Clara, Twitch was a fun one to write! She has that energy that gets you up and a real ride-or-die friend.

FQ: What was the most difficult scene to write and why?

TUNNEY: The moment where Clara's on the boat of the pirate ship and discovers a room where the Selkie's "lose" their pelts. I had to figure out the dark tone and set up that grim reality of the corruption that Clara's dealing with.

FQ: Was it important to you to have a plot that would keep readers guessing about the outcome?

TUNNEY: I didn't think much about readers guessing the outcome. I was more focused on the pacing and the mood of my novel.

FQ: How did you approach the need to keep readers engaged and tuned in to keep turning those pages?

TUNNEY: I tried to look at things in their perspective. Not an easy thing to accomplish, but it helps with the editing process.

FQ: Why did you decide to write this book? Did you see a need?

TUNNEY: When I tried to think of the novel the first time around, I realized that it was way too big to fit into one novel. So, yes, I did see a need to include to write it.

For more information about Beast Heart Series Book #2: Wolf Warrior, please visit the author's website at: fantasyrealmbooks.wordpress.com/