BRoP Interview with Sandra Saidak

Welcome to part IV of Sandra Saidak progressive interview with our Blog Ring of Power.

SANDRA SAIDAK graduated San Francisco State University in 1985 with a B.A. in English.  She is a high school English teacher by day, author by night.  Her hobbies include reading, dancing, attending science fiction conventions, researching prehistory, and maintaining an active fantasy life (but she warns that this last one could lead to dangerous habits such as writing).  Sandra lives in San Jose with her husband Tom, daughters Heather and Melissa, and two cats.   Her first novel, “Daughter of the Goddess Lands”, an epic set in the late Neolithic Age, was published in November, 2011 by Uffington Horse Press.  Learn more at http://sandrasaidak.com/

Here are the links to other parts of her interview.

Part 1 @ Teresa - Thursday, August 30th
Part 2 @ Emily - Friday, August 31st
Part 3 @ Sandra - Monday, September 3rd
Part 4 @ Dean - Tuesday, September 4th
Part 5 @ Terri - Wednesday, September 5th

Welcome to The Write Time.  Hope you've had a good time visiting our Blog Ring.  Today we are going to discuss your current works, so have a seat over hear and lets chat. 

Tells Us About Your Current Work

 

Tell us about your new book and when it is out? Where can people purchase it? 

Shadow of the Horsemen was released on July 1 on Kindle, and should be available in paperback...  soon; hopefully by the time this post is published.  It, along with the first book in the series, Daughter of the Goddess Lands, can be purchased on Amazon.

Is there anything new, unusual, or interesting about your book? How is it different from other books on the same subject?

There’s a lot of wonderful prehistoric fiction out there.  Many of those novels, like mine, deal with a clash of cultures that center on the role of women.  Where my series stands out, I think, is the focus on strong women who take back their power, even in seemingly impossible situations.  The focus stays on the protagonist, Kalieu and the reader gets to experience her outrage and growth, her understanding of the society she finds herself in, and, most importantly, her eventual victory.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Without giving too much away J I’d have to say the part I most enjoyed writing is in the second book, when Kalie turns the tables on her captors.  I especially liked it because it happens well before the last ten pages, when that kind of thing usually happens in books (in my experience, at least).  That’s always been my number one complaint in this kind of story: the author grants us a happy ending, and maybe some justice, but never enough time to savor it, or see what happens next.  When I sat down to write the series Kalie’s Journey, I really wanted to change that.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

I learned that I want to be a writer for the rest of my life (or maybe “confirmed” is more accurate; I guess I’ve always known that fact).  And writing the book I wanted to read was very rewarding: I didn’t just get to read the story I wanted to hear—for a time, I got to live it. 

 Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The messages in my books are not particularly new, but I feel they’re very important: it’s better (and more satisfying reading) when a victim defeats her oppressors herself, rather than being rescued by someone else; a society will be more successful when every member has the freedom to contribute and chart his/her own course, and others can label you as something—but that doesn’t define who you are.

Other Places you can find Sandra online:

Website: http://sandrasaidak.com/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/sandy.saidak 
Goodreads author page:  http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=sandra+saidak (but having difficulties; I keep adding the new book; it keeps not showing up!)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Saidak/e/B006C1QZR8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1342926719&sr=1-2-ent

Book blurbs:

Daughter of the Goddess Lands--Abducted by a tribe of violent horsemen, Kalie, daughter of a peaceful, goddess-worshiping society, escapes from slavery and returns home, only to find her trials are just beginning.  When her warnings of an upcoming invasion go unheeded, Kalie seeks sanctuary in a temple of healing.  Here, she learns to help others, yet is unable to heal her own pain or stop the nightmares.  When the horsemen return, it is up to Kalie to find a way to save her people from slavery and death, while at the same time, finding the courage to confront the ghosts of her own past.

  

Shadow of the Horsemen continues the saga of Kalie, the intrepid heroine of “Daughter of the Goddess Lands.”  Kalie is rising in status and influence among her captors, the horsemen that control the rugged steppes of prehistoric Europe.  Now she seeks the weapon that will save her people, but time is running out as Haraak the Kingmaker, forges a mighty federation of tribes, intent on invading Kalie’s rich and peaceful homeland. Kalie finds, an unlikely ally in Riyik, a powerful warrior whose crippled son Kalie has been treating with her healing skills.  Forced to work together, the two find themselves growing closer than either had intended.  But in the violent, chaotic world of the steppes, love can be a dangerous thing. As alliances shift and warriors battle for dominance, Kalie must use all her abilities see her enemies defeated and create a new life for all of those she has come to love.