Derry Sandy is the author of Greyborn Rising, a book that combines fantasy and Trinidadian folklore and oral traditions. A portion of the summary describes Greyborn Rising this way:
“Formed by a group of enslaved men during Trinidad’s British colonial occupation, The Order has maintained the delicate balance between the three realms for centuries, but not everyone believes these worlds should be separate. Some long for the days when fear ruled the earth, and The Order finds itself embattled by enemies outside and traitors within who conspire to unite the Absolute and the Grey.”
Special thanks to Derry Sandy for taking some time to talk with Booked for Review!
B4R: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Derry Sandy: For this book I read all the available literature on Trinidadian folklore. I also asked my parents to tell me everything they know.
B4R: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Derry Sandy: I enjoy working out, gardening, cycling and even fish-keeping.
B4R: When did you know writing was your passion/gift/calling?
Derry Sandy: When I was younger, I noticed that I enjoyed writing and I always did well in my English courses. I suppose it’s because of my family encouraging me to read a lot from a young age.
B4R: What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Derry Sandy: The most difficult part for me is just finding the time. The content is there but unfortunately not the time to be consistent with it.
B4R: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Derry Sandy: I enjoy writers who write descriptively so Jack London, David Wyss, Roald Dhal and Anne Rice.
B4R: What advice would you give to other writers?
Derry Sandy: If you want to write a book, start writing one. Make a habit out of writing, be disciplined about it and eventually the accumulated words will be worthy of being called a book. Writing is not something that can be phoned in so plant the seed and come back in a couple weeks and you will see that a book or even a paragraph has sprouted. Sometimes I stop writing for a week or two and then I open the word document and to my disappointment the plot has not advanced during my absence…despite my best wishes. If you want to write, write and keep on writing until the job’s done.
Derry Sandy’s book, Greyborn Rising, can be found on Amazon.