Monday, November 19, 2012

An Interview with the Stars of "Trapped on Draconica"

I had the privilege of reading/reviewing Dan Wright's debut manga-inspired novel, Trapped On Draconica in May of this year. From November 19-25, he's touring the blogosphere, and I get to kick off the tour! At the end of this post, you'll have a chance to win some fabulous prizes, so stick around.
Click HERE for the complete Tour Schedule!
Being the nosy interviewer that I am, I've gathered up some of the interesting stars of Trapped on Draconica and asked them a few questions. Here's what happened:

Mysti: Ben, you fell into the wrong crowd with some other mischievous teens, and on one of your escapades, you found yourself transported into a whole other world. If you had to sit down and tell your Earthbound friends about your journey there, how would you sum it up in one paragraph?

Ben: Not sure how I would to be honest. Although, to be fair, I doubt I’ll be speaking to the guys after what they pulled on me. I know who my real friends are now. 

Mysti: Erowin, you're the youngest Dragonkin sister, and you found Ben when he arrived on Draconica. What did you think of him at first?


Erowin: He seemed a little strange at first. His manner of speaking confused me a little bit – but he seemed nice enough. Then I got to know him better and I’m glad that I did. (shies away).

The Stars of Trapped On Draconica, from left to right: Daniar, Kalak, Ritchie, Erowin, Rana (top), Zarracka, & Ben
Artwork by Alexis M. Centeno
Mysti: Princess Daniar, as the "muscle" of your father's kingdom and some really powerful Dragonkin abilities, why do you feel so strongly about NOT killing your enemies?


Daniar: You don’t have to call me Princess – but I appreciate the gesture. I’ve never really told many people this, but when I was young (I think about five or six) I used to play swordfights with the son of one of the Paladins, who are the personal guard of my father. We used fake swords (made of wood) but I really wanted to fight with real swords.

One day, I managed to sneak out a couple of short swords so that me and Anthony could have a real fight. But during the process I accidentally stabbed him at a vital point. As luck would have it, he survived – but when I saw the look of horror and pain on his face, and realised that it was ME that caused it... It traumatised me. I made a promise never to kill anyone because I could not bear to look at someone dying before me.

People may think I’m strange for not killing my enemies – but I don’t believe that life is mine to take. If I can inspire others to think that way then maybe I could make Draconica a better place.

Mysti: Prince Kalak, I confess that I found you hard to stomach at first. Though you did grow on me, and I hope to see you in the next book, I'm still not certain what Daniar sees in you. For the sake of like-minded ladies, if you could start over with her, let's play the dating game: What is your idea of the perfect date?

Kalak: Dates? My people don’t do “dates”. In Leonida, if you see a woman you want – you TAKE her by force. If she fights you off, you’re not worthy of her love, but if YOU can force her into submission...

Daniar: (cutting in) Excuse him. Leonida is a warrior culture and they tend to do things a little... differently there. But in answer to your question as to what I see in him. To tell the truth, I actually wondered that myself at first and only really let him join us because I thought he’d be a good ally against Baalaria. Kalak can be a bit of a thug I won’t lie, but there is a gentle side to him that people just don’t see. He likes to hide his true self under a tough mask – but he’s actually not that bad if you get to know him.

Kalak: I can speak for myself, woman!

Daniar: (sighs hard).

Mysti: Rana, as eldest and most secretive sister of the Dragonkin clan, you've kept to yourself for many years. What have you been doing in your solitude to pass the time?

Rana: From Skycrack Mountains, I was able to hear the voices across the world. My Dragonkin abilities give me a greater hearing than most and I hear whispers in the wind. This is how I heard what was going on – and the wars that men started. I learned through this that men are worthless and violent.

I made friends with the hyppagryphs that lived around Skycrack. They can be quite loyal companions if you treat them right. Much like me.

Buy it HERE!
Mysti: Zarracka, I do believe you were one of my favorites of the whole bunch. Yes, you're bad to the bone, but you're certainly a lively one! I'm certain you'll hate me for this, but if you could become Empress by naming one good thing about each of your three sisters, what would those be?


Zarracka: Firstly, I’m not in the least surprised that I’m your favourite! How can anyone not like someone as likeable, and absolutely gorgeous person like myself. (smiles in a smug way)

Do I really have to answer your question? Oh well, I suppose I should do. Ok, let’s get this over with.

Daniar – She’s easy to torment!
Erowin – Shes easy to beat up!
Rana – She’d make a good ally for when I was Empress.

That answer your question? Good. Now how about you introduce me to that Jayden Ravenwing fellow? He seems quite my type! I like a good, strong man that can look after himself.

Mysti: Err, actually I think he’s spoken for.

Zarracka: Really? Shame. Never mind (looks at Kalak). Hey, Kalak. Fancy spending some time with a REAL woman? (gazes at him with a sultry look and angles her chest).

Daniar: Hey! Get away from my man! (punches Zarracka)

Zarracka: WAAAAGGGGGH! (sniff) I’m telling Daddy!


Mysti: (trying to get order): Last, but definitely not least, let's hear from a real favorite of mine, a talking tiger by the name of Ritchie! As Kalak's companion (I wouldn't call you a pet), you definitely experienced his bad side on more than one occasion, but you remained loyal. What is redeeming about him in your eyes?


Ritchie: Aww, you’re too kind. Yes, I know Kalak can be weally nasty sometimes – but I’ve been with him thwough the good and bad. He’s confided in me his deepest pwoblems so I knew he wasn’t all that bad. Even though he was weally nasty to me, I knew that was just a cover. I could take his abuse because I knew he wasn’t weally like that.

Now that Daniar’s managed to bwing out his gentle side, I think we’ll see a new side of him.

Kalak: Shut your face, furball!

Daniar: Kalak! Don’t be so mean!

Ritchie: Told you! She’ll make a new man of you yet.

Kalak: (under his breath) You are so dead...


Thanks for stopping in, gang. I can't wait to read more about your adventures on Draconica!


GIVEAWAY TIME!

***Leave a comment with your e-mail address ON THIS POST for a chance to win ONE limited edition Trapped on Draconica e-book. This edition includes the original action-packed story, along with a teaser for the upcoming sequel! Winner to be announced Nov. 26***


Also, don't miss this tour-wide prize pack! The more activities you complete, the more entries you'll earn:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio
Dan lives in the UK, his hometown being Canterbury, Kent. A huge fan of both Fantasy and Manga, he has a style that combines both within his writing, which lets him tell stories that are both dramatic and tongue-in-cheek at the same time. Dan also runs his own website, blog and even a wiki page that goes into detail of the world of Dra­conica. He is also a book reviewer, which he does independantly and on his website Read2Review.Authors who have inspired Dan are Douglas Adams, J.R.R Tolkien, Harlan Ellison, Alan Moore, Joss Whedon and Hiromu Arakawa.

Contact Dan via the following links:

TWITTER: @PandragonDan


Where to buy Trapped on Draconica:

6 comments:

  1. Great stuff. Can't wait for more. D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent-- very exciting and brilliant illustrations as ever,

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really like this stuff, Dan, keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Glad to see everyone made the interview!

    ReplyDelete
  5. A huge thank you for Mysti for having me (and the guys) on your blog. It was a pleasure as always!

    Enjoy the rest of the blog tour! :)

    ReplyDelete

***NOTICE*** Thanks to a spam bot infestation, every comment must now be subjected to a full-body search. If you pass, you can skip the anal probing...maybe.