S.G. was born in a faraway land of castles, monarchies and fallen dictatorships, aka Hungary. Hollywood movies were largely forbidden under Soviet oppression during her childhood, but her dad smuggled them in anyway, risking his life so that his children could experience the magic and hope inherent in those stories. She watched rebellions unfold in real time. Journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean for love. She ended up in sunny California, where she is living her dream — writing stories and annoying family members.
This is her interview… about her newest book True Teryn
True Teryn, book 2 in The Last Lumenian series by S.G. Blaise does not disappoint. It is a stellar read that lives up to the sci-fi/fantasy adventure genre. With a relatable main character in Lilla and a plot to keep anyone engaged, this book takes readers on an adventure through space, galaxies, and time. A dynamic story with great characters, comedic relief, and a thrilling adventure, this book is well written and hits all of the major genre benchmarks.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
As a child, I had a terrible nightmare with spider-like creatures. It inspired me to put that dream to paper. The following day, I read the story to my class and got a positive response. Adding a joke or two helped.
I didn’t really think at that time that I would be a writer. To be honest, I wasn’t thinking about much at that age. . . not to mention, I really didn’t like to read. In one moment it all changed. At thirteen, I picked up the book my dad had been trying to convince me to read for years and decided to give it a chance. I read it standing by the bookcase (it was a small book, no more than 200 pages). From that point forward, my passion for books and reading continued to grow. In 2012, a European road trip changed my life forever. It was an amazing experience filled with fun, laughter, and some adventures (namely, driving on a highway without a speed limit). During that trip, I had an idea for a story, a lightbulb moment. Although English was not my first language, I knew in my gut that I was a writer and would not let anything stand in the way of creating my first book. Other than actually writing it that is. After many exhausting conversations with my very patient husband, he finally said, “Stop talking about it and start writing.”
*What is your book about?
The Last Lumenian Book series is a coming of age story of Lilla. She is a not-your-average princess and a rebel-in-disguise, fighting for the refugee’s freedom. The arrival of the mysterious and ruggedly-handsome Callum brings news of a bigger battle—the Era War between the two ruling archgods—that threatens not only Lilla’s home world but everyone else’s in the Seven Galaxies. Lilla must learn to control her magic and defeat the dark god before He finds her—the last Lumenian.
True Teryn is book 2 in this series. Lilla must recruit the biggest and most dangerous army in the Seven Galaxies, but the Teryn emperor will not comply unless Lilla earns the blessing of the Teryn Guardian Goddess Laoise. Dealing with gods is never easy. Guardian Goddess Laoise’s condition for bestowing her blessing is for Lilla to bring her the mysterious Heart Amulet. Now Lilla is trapped in a strange place with no way out, no idea where to go or how to find the amulet. The only way for Lilla to complete her mission is to uncover the
biggest secret of all Teryns. Will she survive discovering the secret of what it means to be a True Teryn?
Why did you want to write this book?
Writing this book series was important to me because it has elements of female empowerment. The main hero is a young woman. Although she is strong and has magical abilities, she isn’t perfect. She struggles with claustrophobia induced panic attacks.
As the series progresses, this claustrophobia will play a vital role, tied to fantasy elements, but I can’t give away more than that. Making my hero deal with internal and external struggles and overcoming them makes her more real. I hope my readers come away with the message that you don’t have to be perfect to be a hero.”
What was the most difficult part about writing the book? The most rewarding?
When I started out writing The Last Lumenian, I had to start from ground zero. I didn’t know anything about the craft of writing. I overcame my lack of knowledge by immersing myself with those in the craft. Whether it’s a read and critique group, writing classes or conferences, I became a sponge for information. As the years progressed, I gained more knowledge and developed a writing style that I can call my own. It was an amazing and fun experience. The most rewarding part of writing my books is the response I get from my readers. One of the goals for my stories is to create a cinematic experience that’s deeply entertaining while also using the fantasy genre to touch on important topics like female empowerment, mental health and peer pressure. When readers contact me via Instagram or write reviews, it’s an amazing feeling for them to reflect with their own personal stories of struggle and success. Makes me want to write 100 more books!
*What do you hope other people will take away from reading your book?
First, I hope my readers can see the world through the eyes of the diverse set of characters in Lilla’s world and use this to look at their own lives a little differently. The more we can see the world through the eyes of others, the more
we can act with empathy and compassion to hopefully make the world a slightly better place each day.
Second, many of the heroes we see in movies and TV appear perfect. My main character Lilla is brave and strong, but flawed. The truth is we all have strengths and opportunities as people. I hope my readers come away with the message that you don’t have to be perfect to be a hero.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I believe my younger self would be proud of how far I have come. I would never have thought I could become an award-winning author of a Sci-fi/Fantasy book series, not to mention write my books in another language.
There are two bits of advice I would give my younger self. First, don’t give up. There will be obstacles and barriers along the way, but you need to push through and find people around you to help. The second advice is to enjoy the journey and not just the destination. The process of writing, publishing and marketing your book is a big part of the fun, not just seeing the finished book in your hand.
How long did it take to write your book?
My journey as a writer started with 3 years spent learning the craft via books, conferences and R&C. (I.e.: acclimating to the life of writers: no sunshine, bad food, balled up pages thrown around, emerging from writing looking like the Loch Ness monster would on land, etc.)
I churned out 6 versions of the story – starting from a blank page and writing 500 pages as an average length. (What was I thinking?!) Each version was better than the previous one (in my opinion at least) but still not quite right to publish them.
I spent another 3 years -now involving editors to look at the final version polishing the story, called Dawn of Threat. (The title made sense to me so don’t judge.) It needed a few more rounds of copy editing and a new title. The Last Lumenian.
What was the biggest challenge in writing your book?
I went to my first workshop at the San Diego Writers Ink. A wonderful lady taught us about writing. At the end, she said there were 2 spots open in her Read & Critique group. I had no idea what that meant but jumped at the chance and took it. Only to realize I would have to consistently provide 25 pages of material for the others to critique biweekly! I learned a lot about being open minded while in a supportive environment. I had a lot of support in a vulnerable time of writing journey – at the beginning when self-doubts can creep up on the unsuspecting writer!
Who are your favorite authors (and why)?
There are many amazing authors who influenced me both professionally and as a reader. They include authors like Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Ilona Andrews, Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Danielle Steele, Sydney Sheldon, Robert Ludlum, Karen Marie Moning just to name a few.
These authors inspired me to write stories rich in world building. I want my readers to imagine a world and see it as if they are walking through it themselves. My goal was to create a cinematic experience, like all of my inspirations did.
What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
The best advice I’ve ever received is patience. Not knowing when the book would be ready to get published added a level of uncertainty that was difficult to accept. But once I embraced the journey and learned to enjoy the process, my focus shifted from the unknown to appreciating all the mini-accomplishments along the way.
What do you do when you are not writing?
When I am not writing, I like making diamond painting notebooks and bookmarks. I also enjoy building miniature dollhouses alongside reading and watching movies.
What’s next for you?
True Teryn is book 2 in the Last Lumenian book series. There are 10 more books in the series so there are still lots of stories to tell about Lilla and her friends. Book 3 is currently at the editor, meanwhile I’m working on a couple of short story prequels to further build out the “Seven Galaxies”.
*How can our readers get a copy of your book?
The Last Lumenian Books Series, including book 2 True Teryn are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play and Kobo.
https://www.amazon.com/True-Teryn-Adventure-discovering-greatest-ebook/ dp/B09GL5J2KG
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-teryn-s-g-blaise/1140872280 https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/true-teryn
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=pNJYEAAAQBAJ&gl=us
*What is the best way for our readers to connect with you?
Readers can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at the locations below.
https://mobile.twitter.com/sgblaiseauthor
@SGBlaiseAuthor
https://m.facebook.com/thelastlumenian
https://www.instagram.com/sgblaiseofficial/
@sgblaiseofficial
