Author Interview: Slactivite Yami on "Wolfbound"

Ana: Today we have our very own Slacktivite Yami introducing her novella, Wolfbound. I haven't read this book myself, but Yami was kind enough to agree to guest blog about their book to any readers who might be interested in the subject. Yami, how would you describe your novel to your prospective readers? In broad terms, what is your novel about?

Yami: This is a book for Team Jacob *laughs* No, I'm kidding. It's a sort of coming-of-age story about a young woman named Eileen who moves from California to the UK after a car accident leaves her partially crippled, and a boy named Zachariah who claims to be a werewolf. It's contemporary fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy, low fantasy, whatever you want to call that odd genre that encompasses both Dresden Files and Twilight. There's some romance, as well.

Ana: What themes does your novel explore and what do you hope the reader will take away from the experience? Is there a particular feeling or experience that you hope to evoke in the reader? Essentially, do you hope your novel will mean to a reader?

Yami: It's mostly about finding your inner strength, discovering the things only you can tell about yourself. It also touches on what it's like to have an invisible disability, what it's like to cope with being non-neurotypical, and what makes for a good relationship.

Ana: What prompted you to write this novel and did you have a specific inspiration in mind? Were you influenced by a certain author or work that inspired you to add your voice to this genre? Besides the boatloads of money and rockstar fame, what motivated you to write this book?

Yami: I was very lonely while I was overseas; I knew I wanted to use the time to write something, but it wasn't until I was reading the Twilight deconstruction here that the idea began to solidify. In many ways, Eileen and Zach's relationship explores the sorts of unfortunate implications in the Edward/Bella relationship.

Ana: I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be listed as an inspiration, thank you. If you could compare your novel to any other existing works, which ones would it be and why? If the one thing you could say to a prospective reader was, "If you like X, you'll love my book!", which work would be invoked so that a reader could judge whether or not your novel is their cup of tea?

Yami: In addition to the connection with Twilight, it also is written similarly to the Kitty Norville books by Carrie Vaughn.

Ana: Is this your first or only published work, or have you published other novels? If you have published other novels, how do they compare to this one? Do you have any more novels planned, either as a follow-up to this one, or as a completely different novel or genre?

Yami: This is my debut novella, but I'm already working on a longer piece called The Hunt (title may change) and am drafting an outline for the sequel. The Hunt will be a lot darker, more like Dresden Files than Twilight, whereas the sequel will focus on a side character from Wolfbound and explore her story in more depth as the overarching plot continues. I'm hoping to get a series out of Wolfbound and a second series out of The Hunt; characters I write never seem to want to leave the spotlight.

Ana: Where can readers obtain a copy of your novel for them to enjoy? How can they contact you with any thoughts or questions? And do you have a means by which they can "sign up" to be notified when your next novel comes available?

Yami: It's available now for 99 cents, both at Smashwords and Amazon; more information and direct links can be found at my blog. My blog is the best way to stay informed as well.

Ana: Thank you, Yami. I understand you have the first chapter of your novel available as an excerpt for interested readers? And is there anything else you wish to add for our readers?

Yami: Wolfbound's excerpt has its own page on my blog. I hope you enjoy it! If anyone is willing to publish a review on their own blog, let me know and I'd be happy to send a free review copy; I'm not concerned with money so much as getting the book out to people who might enjoy it. Oh yeah, and there's a little graphic sexual content in the book, as well as a less-than-healthy relationship, so if that's not your cup of tea, you might want to pass.