BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Traitor: Dragonrider Chronicles [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Nicole Conway to talk about Traitor (17 May 2016, Month9Books, 244 pages), a Middle Grade Fantasy, book three of the Dragonrider Chronicles series.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to Nicole Conway; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

We love music, so Nicole has shared with us her music playlist for Traitor - enjoy!

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"There is a bit of me reflected in the main female character, Beckah Derrick. I was very tomboyish and feisty in my youth, although she is much more grounded in her desires than I’ve ever been. Her bond with her father is also something that I can directly relate to. My dad and I have always been very close and sometimes it’s like we share a mind about things. I think it actually made parenting me more of a challenge in some ways, though, because I could go round-for-round with him when I got stubborn about something. Beckah and her father are the same way. She respects Sile, wants his approval, but shares his stubborn demeanor about what she wants."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Traitor - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The series actually got a “facelift” for the release of this book! The old cover versions for volumes 1 and 2 were actually my designs. These new beauties, including the one for book 3, were provided by my publisher and the lovely folks at Beetiful Book Covers. Because this is the book that finally takes us over the threshold into the jungle territory of the gray elves, I loved the idea of having a gray elf (the princess in fact) featured on the cover and really bringing out the greens that would reflect their homeland."

Why should we read Traitor and the Dragonrider Chronicles? What sets it apart from the rest?

"This isn’t a series about dragons. It’s about the dragonRIDERS. I think that’s one major thing that sets this series apart from others of it’s kind. Yes, Jaevid and Mavrik do have a bond. Yes, the dragons are important. But this series is about a boy becoming a man, that man becoming a soldier, and that soldier becoming a legend."

Can you tell us something quirky about Traitor, its story and characters?

"There are TONS of easter eggs in these books – things that certain groups of people might pick up on. For instance, being a military spouse, I have a lot of influence from the Air Force in these books. The training, social habits, and mission for the dragonriders is a reflection of my husband’s career. They are medieval fighter pilots! And Jaevid is very much like my husband. Another example is Felix’s dragon, Nova, is named after one of the eagle mascots from my Alma Mater. Mavrik’s name is also a salute to Top Gun, every fighter pilot’s favorite movie. Beckah is named after my mother. And those are just the few I’ll own up to for now!"

Who would you recommend Traitor to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book (and the rest of the series) to young fantasy lovers of any age. I wrote them to be accessible for young readers, but with enough complexities to engage an older audience as well. The disclaimer would inevitably be that as the series goes, and as we delve deeper into the war and how it effects the main characters, things will grow increasingly darker before our heroes finally seen the dawn of their first peaceful day."

If you could / wished to turn Traitor and the Dragonrider Chronicles into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Oh boy! If only, right? I would love for Andrew Adamson or Mike Newell to direct. My dream cast for the major characters would be:

Jaevid Broadfeather: Oscar Spendrup
Felix Farrow: William Moseley
Beckah Derrick: Barbara Palvin
Jace Rordin: Chris Pratt
Kiran: Alex Pettyfer
Araxie: Abbey Lee

I can dream, right?"

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I have very diverse interests in writing and reading alike. I do enjoy exploring and stretching myself out of my comfort zone. I do love fantasy, but I’m also a scifi, romance, young adult, and middle grade literature fan, as well! Currently, I’m challenging myself by working on a scifi novel – a genre that has always intimidated me as a writer. I think it’s important to do take chances like that, even if it scares me."

What is your writing process?

"My writing process has been forced into evolution recently. I live a sort of chaotic lifestyle, courtesy of the military and being a mother, so I have to squeeze writing in whenever I can. I’ve found Wattpad very useful for this. So I work on books there, usually drawing out character profiles, maps, and rough outlines in my journal beforehand. I don’t like to plot –to— much ahead of time. It’s more fun to let the characters guide me and as long as I’m having a blast and eager to see what happens next, maybe readers will be, too."

What is in store next?

"This book is the third installment in a series of four called THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES. I’m currently working on a follow-on series, THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY, that will pick up 40 years later with a new generation of dragonriders (and a few old ones, too!). I’m very excited about it. The main character, Reigh, resonates more with my personality than Jaevid did, simply because he’s a little more chaotic, conflicted, and impulsive.

As if that’s not enough work to keep me busy, I’m also working on that aforementioned scifi novel, DIGGING IN THE ASHES, and have just finished a short romance novella ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES. I also have a YA Paranormal Teen book pending release next fall – so excited about that one. THE FIBBING GATE might be my favorite thing I’ve ever written."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?