Today I am joined by young adult author, Tonya Royston, as she chats about her latest release, Shadows at Sunset (Book One in The Sunset Trilogy).
The Fun Five:
- What part of the world do you come from? – The eastern United States. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and currently live in northern Virginia outside Washington, DC.
- What did you want to be when you grew up? – I always wanted to be a writer. Then I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I found I really liked numbers and ended up going into business. But now I’m back to my first dream of writing!
- List three words to describe yourself. – Dreamer, introvert, homebody
- Who would play you in a film about your life? – Probably someone no one has heard of – but if I have to name someone, maybe Leah Pipes (she plays Cami on The Originals) {I love Leah Pipes}
- Who is your favourite author? – It’s hard to pick a favorite because there are so many authors now. I admire anyone who has worked hard to publish a book. But if I had to pick one, I’m going to say Nora Roberts. I read her books twenty years ago and I still read her newer titles.
The Sensible Six:
- What inspired you to write your first book? I presume you mean the book I recently published, Shadows at Sunset. I wrote a lot when I was younger, but gave it up for about fifteen years. I was inspired to write again after I had a brush with cancer. I was diagnosed with a growth on my pancreas and went through cancer tests. I ended up having it removed. The recovery was awful. I was in the hospital for a week and spiked a fever. There was a point that I didn’t know if I was getting out of there alive. After that, I knew I needed to pursue my dreams. Life is too short and I felt like I had a second chance that I needed to make the most of.
- What made you choose to write for the YA genre? I love the age of about 17 to 18 years old. It’s a time in life when you don’t have a lot of problems that adults have. Jobs, bills, health issues, children. It’s that time when everything is fresh and new. But I also remember being very shy and not fitting in at that age. I love the paranormal genre where characters can take on a unique gift.
- I loved Shadows at Sunset, the first book in your Sunset Series. You left it wide open at the end so what can we expect in book two? In the second book, Laken learns about her ancestry. She also learns that her magic comes with a price. She gets to know Xander better as her relationship with Noah grows. But then things take a turn in the end as danger closes in. The third book is where everything comes together. It starts off with a startling confession and a situation that puts Dakota in danger. This book is my favorite! I wish I could share more, but all I will say is that I really think the final installment will be worth the wait.
- You are passionate about making a difference for animal welfare, and this comes across strongly in your writing. Tell us a little about this aspect of your story. I didn’t write the Sunset Trilogy with the purpose of showing wolves as good animals. I wrote it because that’s just how I imagined a wolf to be – loyal, protective, smart. But when I started researching wolf causes, I couldn’t believe how many people hate and fear wolves. This species is so polarized – people either love them or hate them. Personally, I don’t understand the fear. They are just animals trying to survive. So that’s when I started to hope that my story can help turn around the general perception of wolves – from the blood-lusting monster that folklore has shown them as over the centuries to a friend, protector and hero.
- What can we expect from you in the future? Hopefully another series! While I’m waiting for the releases of the second and third book in the Sunset Trilogy, I’m working on new story about witches with a magical connection to horses. But like the Sunset Trilogy, the horses are more of a subplot while it’s the human relationships that will take center stage.
- How can we contact you or find out more about your books? Anyone can contact me through my website at www.tonyaroyston.com. But I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, and I recently signed up for Instagram – my name is tonyaroyston5.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tonya-Royston-Author/409934569109204?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/TonyaRoyston
To buy your copy of Shadows at Sunset:
Amazon.co.uk – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadows-Sunset-Book-Trilogy/dp/1626943176/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443518788&sr=8-1&keywords=Shadows+at+Sunset
Shelley Wilson Author 
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I wanted to add that twenty-five cents for every printed and ebook copy sold will be donated to the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping animals and the environment.
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