BooksChatter: ℚ Enlightenment: The Driel Trilogy [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Liz Keel to talk about Enlightenment (18 April 2016, Fire Quill Publishing, 190 pages), a Young Adult Fantasy, book one of The Driel Trilogy series.

Synopsis | Playlist | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaways & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to fellow Brit Liz Keel, who actually only lives less than 30 mins away from us :-D Thank you for joining us on BooksChatter, Liz!

To start, do check out Liz's YouTube playlist for Enlightenment, which is on our main feature!

What was the inspiration for Enlightenment?

"I’ve always loved reading especially the paranormal and fantasy genres, and with so many talented authors out there, over the years they have helped provide inspiration for my own story. I also have a vivid imagination which helps!"

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

"I’d say that my personality is similar to Thea’s, the protagonist in the story. Her determination to face what’s thrown at her head-on, and to fight for what you believe in, are ideals I totally agree with."

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

"I LOVE the cover for Enlightenment and it’s all thanks to the talented Joemel Requeza. He totally took my thoughts and ramblings and made Thea come to life, so much so when I first ‘met’ Thea, it was like looking back at the exact same person who had been in my head talking to me for the past two years. It is certainly surreal seeing your characters staring right back at you!

Visually I wanted something intriguing which hinted at what the plot may be about, including that it’s a fantasy story. I particularly like Thea’s expression – you can tell there’s a whole lot going on in her life at that moment and you want to find out more about her."

Why should we read Enlightenment and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Enlightenment has the perfect blend of fantasy and adventure for Young Adults upwards. It’s fast-paced, has characters that you’ll want to know and become your friends, and an ending that will leave you wanting to know more about the faey world of Aroben!"

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

"Enlightenment has the perfect blend of fantasy and adventure for Young Adults upwards. It’s fast-paced, has characters that you’ll want to know and become your friends, and an ending that will leave you wanting to know more about the faey world of Aroben!"

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

"Enlightenment is a Young Adult book aimed at 12 years or above and would appeal to both boys and girls. It does contain mild violence, infrequent use of strong language and mild sexual content."

If you could / wished to turn Enlightenment and the The Driel Trilogy series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Definitely Peter Jackson to direct, location – New Zealand (and not just because of Lord of the Rings! I’ve been there 3 times now and it’s such a beautiful, mysterious place). Acting wise, for Isaac – Liam Hemsworth, Eli – Chris Pine and Thea - Mila Kunis."

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

"Paranormal or fantasy are my favourite genres, I love the escapism you can feel when reading these types of books, especially as they don’t have to be conform to what is ‘normal’ or should happen in a story."

What is your writing process?

"The prewriting stage is always a lot of fun. It’s usually spent with me reflecting on the characters over a month or so before I put anything down on paper. I can often end up dreaming about them as well or think about the plot and how they would react in different situations. I don’t tend to write too much when planning the plot as I like to launch right into the storyline and see what happens; I find a lot of the time the characters will let me know if they want something changed or I need to re-write a section. By the time I’ve finished my second set of edits, I like to get my editor’s thoughts – I can get so caught up in a story/the world I’ve created, it’s good to step back and see what someone else thinks. All in all, from start to finish, a book can take me about 6 months before I feel happy with it."

What is in store next?

"I’ve finished writing book 2 – Entanglement and am ready to share it with my editor and then book 3 – End Games I hope to finish by Christmas time/earlier next year. Hints on future developments in the story…we’ll I don’t want to give away too much but needless to say things are going to get a lot tougher for Thea but at least she’ll have a certain Thill guard who will look after and protect her! ;)"

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?