Hi friends, how’s life? Things are getting better every day here in the UK, public spaces are reopening and the weather has turned to full Spring, bringing the cherry blossom out on the trees.
This week, I want to introduce you to another lovely writer friend of mine, N. D. T. Casale.
Hiya, thank you so much for joining me today! Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself, e.g. where you’re from, family, pets, hobbies, etc.
I live in the New England region of the United States. I am Italian-American and very proud of my roots. I have a love for learning languages. I am trilingual (I speak English, Italian, and Spanish), I am trying to learn French and I have aspirations to learn more languages. I like cooking and trying foods from different cultures.
I have a love for animals. I currently do not have any pets but I want dogs and horses in the future. In my free time I snowboard, ride horses, workout, dance, travel, and go on adventures. I am a bit of a fashionista, I have an obsession for shoes, makeup, and skincare products. Lastly, I have a love for mysteries, I like to give my brain a workout, and challenge myself by solving the crime.
Gosh, trilingual, that’s so impressive! I speak English and Spanish, but I’m really rusty so don’t ask me to prove it! Have you always been a writer, and what inspired you to start?
I have been writing stories since I was a child. My family had a big role in nurturing my creativity. When I was little during summer break, my mother gave me a notebook to practice my writing. She would give me random topics and challenge me to write a story. My dad and I read Harry Potter together and the book series drew me into the world of fantasy.
Lastly, I used to tell my sister stories I created myself before she went to sleep each night. This inspired me to envision magical realms and go on adventures. As I have grown my writing has blossomed into multiple books that I hope to publish in the future.
You must have some wonderful memories of telling your sister magical bedtime stories and creating your own worlds as a child, it sounds like an idyllic childhood filled with books and magic! What are your favourite genres to read and write now?
My favorite genres are fantasy and mystery.
Me too, I love fantasy, but my second favourite genre is definitely a good mystery, especially anything by Agatha Christie. I love the mixture of period drama and whodunnit. Can you tell us about your upcoming projects and works-in-progress?
Enchanted Waters is my first publication. I look forward to sharing The Arctic Mermaid and Sea Ghosts of the Isle with all of you. I have more novels that I am working on and hope to publish soon.
I’m so excited to read your stories in Enchanted Waters, and I can’t wait to see what you publish next. Where do you tend to find inspiration for your characters or settings?
I find inspiration through life. The highs, the lows, the joys, the trials, the tribulations, the people, the feelings, all have a big influence in my writing. I love the quote “what we give power has power,” because being a writer gives us power.
In many of my stories, the situations my characters partake in mirror experiences I have gone through and what I have felt. Throughout my life there were times I did not like certain outcomes or I would wonder why something had to happen how it did. I will revisit those scenarios and emotions in my novels and rewrite it to have a better resolution. This helps me cope in a way.
Most importantly, I write for others. People are my inspiration. I incorporate characters of different walks of life, nationalities, races, and backgrounds in my novels because I want everyone to feel welcome in my books. I hope that my stories can help people like myself who have gone through challenging times find hope again. I want readers to know they are not alone. No matter how challenging our lives can be, we can persevere. We can overcome, we are warriors, and we can find happiness again.
Lastly, many characters I magically create in my head. I wait for them to talk to me and tell me what to write.
I love that, life is the best source of inspiration, and it’s a beautiful gift to be able to make another person feel seen and understood. What are you working on right now?
I am in the process of revising my novel Sapphora: Shards of Secrecy. It is a fantasy story that combines sorcery and Egyptian Mythology. It is the first book in a trilogy.
Shards of Secrecy tells the tale of a young woman named Sapphora whose life is plagued by secrets. The secrecy begins when she discovers she is not a 19 year old college student. She is an 897 year old Egyptian princess, sorceress, and guardian of the Ankh for the magical realm of Avagodro. Avagodro is a parallel universe to Ancient Egypt. Sapphora’s memory has been wiped clean due to unknowingly consuming a magical potion for years. She has no recollection of her past life.
Sapphora discovers she is being hunted due to her failure to fulfill a prophecy. To make matters worse an evil foe is returning to Avagodro and seeks an ancient spell book that contains incantations of almighty control. In order to save the realm, Sapphora must navigate through a series of death challenges created by the Ancient Gods to protect the sacred book. As Sapphora continues to unravel the secrets of her past, she struggles with accepting her true self, who she can trust, and what to do when it comes time for her to battle evil to right the failures from the past.
I have more novels, short stories, and children’s books that I am in the process of creating.
Wow. That sounds incredible! I haven’t read any fantasy novels inspired by Ancient Egypt, I can’t wait to read it! What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Truthfully I still consider myself to be in the early stages of authorship. I am learning so much yet I still have a lot to learn. Advice I would give to others is write from your heart, believe in yourself, and believe in your writing. Never let anyone try to change your style. Get involved, join groups on social media, and talk to other authors.
Lastly, do your research, there are many steps to publishing a book that I never knew existed. Take your time and go at your own pace.
That’s great advice, it’s so important to be yourself and take as long as you need to write, edit and publish. It’s not a race, and we all have different speeds and are on different steps of the publishing journey.
Thank you so much for chatting with me today, it’s been so lovely getting to know you better! How can we find out more about you and your books?
Instagram: @ndtcasale (https://www.instagram.com/ndtcasale/)
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-d-t-casale
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21051236.N_D_T_Casale
I hope you enjoyed getting to know N. D. T. Casale as much as I did! How amazing does Sapphora: Shards of Secrecy sound?! You can read The Arctic Mermaid and Sea Ghosts of the Isle in Enchanted Waters from 16 July, along with 8 other magical short stories about fantasy water creatures.
Interested in getting your hands on a free ARC in exchange for an honest review?
You’ll receive two exclusive short stories by EW authors just for joining, and when we reach 100 members in the private Facebook group you’ll be entered into a huge giveaway to win a stack of fantasy ebooks and short stories!
Click here to fill in the Google form and join our street team.
Lyndsey
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Lyndsey Hall | Author 