[Day Twenty Seven of 31 Days] Author Interview: Selina Fenech, author of Memory's Wake

Hi guys! Today, Selina Fenech is visiting The Fairytale Nerd for an author interview. Selina is the author of Memory's Wake.

It’s an undeniable truth that Selina Fenech has been lost to the realms of fantasy since she first laid hands on books. Faced with overwhelming heartache that our own world wasn’t so full of magic and adventure, Selina did the only thing she could. She began creating her own worlds of magic by painting and writing.
Then one day, the other children told her that books weren’t cool. Selina turned away from books and writing and submerged herself in her visual art. She became a successful fantasy illustrator, supporting herself with sales of her art that now have a worldwide following. Australian readers will recognize Selina’s fairy and fantasy artwork from bookmarks available in most major Australian bookstores. But the desire to tell stories remained. Because books are cool. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.
Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, an unnamed cat, and a lorikeet who’s far too clever. During her life Selina has found ancient Roman treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, been mugged for doughnuts and eaten every bizarre and wonderful food put in front of her. And now, she’s also written and published a novel.

Stalk Selina here: Twitter Facebook Website


Welcome to my blog Selina! First question... what do you do when you are not writing?
My main career at the moment is as a visual artist, so I spend most of my time working at that. I’ve been earning a living from my fairy and fantasy paintings for almost ten years now and only recently begun trying to also be successful at my other love- writing. As well as painting, I also run a company selling prints and merchandise of my artwork and some other artists work at www.fairiesandfantasy.com

What is your most treasured possession?
I used to be a very material person and had a million treasures, but over the years I’ve become less interested in tangible possessions. I’d almost say my cat was my most treasured possession, but we don’t really possess cats, do we? It’s more like they own us! I guess I’d have to say my computer, because it’s the tool that lets me create so much art and writing and design and share it with the world through the internet. I’d be lost without it.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I always wished I could sing! I’m completely envious of people who have beautiful singing voices, it’s such a gift. I believe that most talents (art, writing etc) can be learned rather than being born “talented”, but a good singing voice really is something you have to be born with.

What is the worst thing about being a writer? What is the best?
The worst thing for me is self doubt. I want my stories to be the best they can be, but worry I won’t be good enough to get them to the best level. The self doubt and worry holds me back a lot when I should just go for it. It makes me over think things a lot and spend more time on planning when I should be writing.

The best thing is having people read my stories and enjoy them. When a reader notices something that I’ve worked really hard to achieve in my writing, that’s the best feeling ever.

If you are invisible, what is the first thing you would do?
Practical jokes on my friends would be the first thing, and then I’d probably try and work out how I could become a superhero!

What is the message (from your books) that you want to convey to your readers?
Memory’s Wake is all about finding yourself. I wanted the message to be about growing and becoming a stronger person, rather than looking back to the past and anything bad it might hold. In my story, the main character Memory doesn’t know who she is, and thinks she can find that out by getting back to where she was before, some physical house or home, a family she can’t remember. She learns over the story that she has to make new decisions about who she wants to be, and it’s the choices and actions she makes NOW that will define who she is, not what has happened in her past.

If you could change one character in your book, who would it be? Why?
I would change Eloryn, because a lot of people don’t like her. When I was writing, I was most worried that people wouldn’t like Memory. A lot of bad stuff happens to Memory and I was worried she might seem too harsh or complain too much. But everybody likes Memory so far. Eloryn, on the other hand, is more polite and quiet. Due to how she’s been brought up, she spends most of the book always obeying what anyone else suggests she should do rather than making her own decisions. This is her “character flaw” I guess you would say, one she does eventually change at the end when she stands up for herself and starts making her own decisions, but up until then I think I could have made her a bit more likable. I’m hoping people will like her more in the next books as she continues to grow.

Where does Will go when he’s angry?
Will spends most of his time watching Memory. Even if he gets angry and runs off on her, he will find somewhere nearby where he is hidden and keep an eye on Memory. When he’s not doing that, he is with Mina. Sometimes when he leaves it’s because Mina is calling on him. Mina will also take him into the fairy’s world at times, which is separated from the main lands in the book.

What makes Eloryn laugh out loud?
Dry, academic humour. And Roen, when she finally manages to relax around him, which we will see some of in book two of the Memory’s Wake trilogy.

Thank you for your time Selina!

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BUY

Memory's Wake

by Selina Fenech

In a culture of cravats and corsets, a troubled sixteen-year-old stands out in her t-shirt and torn jeans. She takes the name “Memory” because hers are stolen, and she’ll do anything to get them back. Lost in a world not her own, where magic and monstrous fairies are real, Memory has enough to handle just trying to stay alive. Chased by wizard hunters, hunted by a dragon, stalked by a strange, handsome savage, despised by the fae and wanted by the king himself – everyone is after Memory, and she suspects it’s not just for her eye-catching outfit. Her forgotten past holds dangerous secrets that will change everything. Memory will fight to get back to a family and home she can’t remember but desperately desires, even at the cost of new friendships and romances. On the run with no name and no memories, she thinks she has nothing left to lose. She couldn’t be more mistaken. This paperback edition of Memory's Wake includes 44 black and white illustrations by fantasy artist and author Selina Fenech.

Read my review of Memory's Wake here.

Selina is also giving away a SIGNED paperback copy of her amazing illustrated novel. Fill out the form HERE for a chance to win.