INTERVIEW
Interview with the Author
If you could tell your younger writing self one thing, what would it be and why?
Not to worry about trends and what people will think. It's best to write what you want, release it into the world, and trust that there'll be people who are your exact brand of crazy who'll love it just as much as you do.
Where did you get the initial idea for The Final Rider?
That's a funny story! I was helping my mom move rocks from the sheep pastures because she wanted to build a little creek and as we were tossing them over the fence I said to her "imagine if one of these landed on another rock and cracked open for a baby dragon to pop out." She looked at me like I was nuts, which is fair because that's a weird thing for an adult to say, but that's where the seeds were planted.
What was the hardest scene to write?
Hazel’s travel from the obsidian mine to Sunhelm. That part may have gone through the most editing because it just didn’t feel right for so long!
Name one way that your book has changed since the first draft. For example, is there a scene that you loved in the first draft that didn’t make the final cut?
Oh, it has changed so much! It started as snippets of scenes. The main characters, Hazel and Alastríona, were completely different people. The biggest difference is probably the beginning, though. At first, Hazel was pulling rocks out of a river to build a wall when one cracked on another rock and turned out to be a dragon egg. She also worked on a farm in this first draft!
What books or authors have most influenced your writing?
My earliest influence was definitely Tolkien (though I watched the movies instead of reading the books). The books that I've devoured since that changed the way I look at writing and helped me hone my craft were Throne of Glass (especially the later books), A Song of Ice and Fire, everything by Kendare Blake, and a couple of more recent influences are Kalynn Bayron and Brandon Sanderson!
What do you hope readers will take away from The Final Rider?
I suppose the biggest message that I hope comes through is that life goes on. In hopeless situations, when harangued by depression or anxiety or whatever other demons you wrangle with, life goes on. There's not always a light visible on the horizon, and you won't always be able to find that silver lining, but the best thing you can always do is march onward.
Name an underappreciated novel that you love.
Is it cheating to name the one I'm reading now? Because I'm currently reading Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar. I was originally turned off by the bad rating on Goodreads, but couldn't stop thinking about the fact that it's a gothic retelling of The Nutcracker, so I ended up getting it and I love it! It is slow-paced, and full to the prom of poetic language that sometimes verges on purple prose, but it's so magical and that flowery language paints the most stunning pictures in my head.
Aside from writing, what is one thing you do for fun?
I play video games! My number one favorite is The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, but lately I've been playing a lot of Minecraft and Deep Rock Galactic.
What exciting projects do you have coming up in the future?
Aside from the sequel to The Final Rider, I have a few projects I'm working on! Most are on the back burner, but one I hope to finish the first draft for soon is a dark fantasy about a woman who paints magical portraits, and a dashing sharpshooter who saves her from being framed for regicide and pulls her into a dangerous conspiracy to topple a demon court. It is very gay and I can't wait for you to meet them!
Where can readers purchase your books?
The ebook and paperback (to drop on release day) are only available through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JMFBYWX?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
The hardcover, however, is distributed through IngramSpark, who sells globally! It’s also available on Amazon, but you can also find it on Books-a-Million (https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Final-Rider/Elyzabeth-Trickey/9780578311876?id=8366803659007), Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-final-rider-elyzabeth-trickey/1140394774?ean=9780578311876) and even Booktopia if you’re in AU! (https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-final-rider-elyzabeth-trickey/book/9780578311876.html)
About the Book
Throughout her life, Hazel has kept her head down and avoided trouble. But everything changes when she unearths and last dragon egg. Whisked away to the castle to prepare for her new life, the dragon becomes her only constant and she finds herself the target of ancient powers.
The Heir to the throne of Gaelin is dead. But in reality, Alastríona Ashcoven has been biding her time in the monster-infested Wastelands waiting for a chance to go back to the country she lost. Her luck changes when the Witch Queen offers her the army she desperately needs to reclaim her throne... And all that the Queen asks for is a vial of the dragon's blood.
About the Author
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