Author Spotlight with Sara Ella

Scroll down for a chance to win a copy of Sara Ella’s book, Unraveling. Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to last week’s winner of Flourished, Kim Salch! Please e-mail your mailing address to my assistant Christen (christenkrumm@gmail.com).

One kiss changed her future. Can another alter her past?

Eliyana Ember doesn’t believe in true love. Not anymore. After all she’s been through between capturing the Void and saving the Second Reflection, El only trusts what’s right in front of her. The tangible. The real. Not some unexplained Kiss of Infinity she once shared with the ghost of a boy she’s trying to forget. She has more important things to worry about—like becoming queen of the Second Reflection, a role she is so not prepared to fill.

But why does she feel like something—or someone—Is missing?

When the Callings, those powerful magical gifts, become threatened, Eliyana discovers her connection with Ky Rhyen may have something to do with it. El needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can she find a way to sever her tie with Ky without killing him, and keep herself from truly falling for him in the process?

Can you tell us about your newest release? Is it part of a series or a stand-alone?

Unraveling is the second book in the Unblemished trilogy. It starts off about 2 months after the first book, Unblemished, ends. I’ll let the blurb tell you the rest . . .

What happens when happily ever after starts to unravel?

Eliyana Ember doesn’t believe in true love. Not anymore. After defeating her grandfather and saving the Second Reflection, El only trusts what’s right in front of her. The tangible. The real. Not some unexplained Kiss of Infinity she once shared with the ghost of a boy she’s trying to forget. She has more important things to worry about—like becoming queen of the Second Reflection, a role she is so not prepared to fill.

Now that the Verity is intertwined with her soul and Joshua’s finally by her side, El is ready to learn more about her mysterious birth land, the land she now rules. So why does she feel like something—or someone—is missing?

When the thresholds begin to drain and the Callings, those powerful magical gifts, begin to fail, El wonders if her link to Ky Rhyen may have something to do with it. For light and darkness cannot coexist. She needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can El find a way to sever her connection to Ky and save the Reflections—and keep herself from falling for him in the process?

Is anything or anyone in this book based on real-life experiences?

Elizabeth, my main character’s mother, is based very much on my own mom. From her favorite Earl Grey tea to the way she guards El with her life, Elizabeth is pretty much the woman who raised me.

Eliyana is also very close to my heart. Her insecurities most often stem from real experiences or emotions I’ve had. I’ve had people who know me well tell me that El has my personality in more ways than one.

Who was your favorite character in this story, and why?

I feel like I can’t share this bit of information without giving something away . . . so instead I’ll share my favorite SIDE character and that has to be Ebony. She started off as a walk-on but became so much more in the closing chapters of Unblemished, and now in Unraveling she often times takes center stage. I love her feisty attitude and the way she approaches things as if she doesn’t care, but deep down she harbors insecurities just like Eliyana.

Compared to your other books, was this one easy to complete or challenging? Any idea why?

Oh wow, what a perfect question! If you read the dedication at the opening of Unraveling you will notice I dedicated the book to my editor, Becky Monds. As I wrote Unraveling, so many things in my real world unraveled around me as well. Those trials made the book feel impossible to complete, but in the end I think this book turned out even better than the first. My heart and soul went into this book and I hope that comes through to any reader who picks it up.

What was the hardest scene in this book to write? What made it difficult?

How do I choose just one? Haha! I’d say it was most difficult for me to write the scenes from Joshua’s POV. El’s voice is so clear to me, but as Joshua is a guy I had to take a little more care in constructing his inner monologues. He goes through quite the transformation in Unraveling and it was challenging to pace that while also finding his unique voice.

What did you (or your editors) edit out of this book?

I honestly couldn’t tell you unless I went back and read it. Writing and editing Unraveling was a whirlwind. I think we added more than we took out, only because the first draft was a scraggly, bony thing. All the more reason the book is dedicated to my amazing editor!

What’s the most difficult thing about writing from the point of view of the opposite sex?

Um . . . I’m not a guy! LOL! But seriously I think it’s hard to see through a man’s eyes because I don’t think like a man. Everything is so vast to me, and I know men are a little less descriptive and get to the point faster (usually, haha). I think it was hard for me to make Joshua’s and Ky’s thoughts and speech more concise than Eliyana’s. I was constantly whittling down Joshua’s dialogue and thoughts in particular. Ky can be more chatty when he opens up, but Joshua is a tough shell to crack and it was a huge challenge to keep his point of view true to his character.

Read the first five chapters of Unraveling here.

Purchase your copy here:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD | SaraElla.com

Not so long ago, Sara Ella dreamed she would marry a prince (just call her Mrs. Charming) and live in a castle (aka The Plaza Hotel). Though her fairy tale didn’t quite turn out as planned, she did work for Disney—that was an enchanted moment of its own. Now she spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses and conquering realms of her own imaginings. She believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away” for those who put their faith in the King of kings.