Elle Lewis geeks out with fantasy author, David McDaniel!

Why do you like SF/F? What book got you hooked in the genre?

The Sword of Shannara most likely. Lord of the Rings directly afterward. Shh little secret. I read the Hobbit many years before that and it did not hook me into fantasy. I remember at the time thinking it was a kid’s book. Which I know it really was written for Tolkein’s kids, but I didn’t like it.  In high school I read Michael Moorcock’s Elric books because I loved the Black Soulsucking sword Stormbringer.

What is your favorite book to film adaptation and why?

I guess it would have to be The Lord of the Rings because it is done so well. I really can’t say that for Game of Thrones though. Don’t get me wrong, I love both the books and the HBO series, but the books have so much detail in them, the story lines go so deep and the HBO series, as good as it is, misses so much. I really don’t know how anyone who hasn’t read the books can really know what is going on.

If you could live in a fictional world, which would you choose and why?

Wrae-Kronn of course. I went there once in a dream, but the Rager’s House of Renegades found me wandering the realm and told me I was not welcome there and that I had to leave immediately. They said my role in telling the tale was too important and the realm was too dangerous for me to be there. However, I did make them initiate me into the guild. They reluctantly agreed and named me Wordblade and then promptly sent me home.

If you could wield and be proficient with a fictional weapon, which would you chose and why? Or would you rather practice magic? And if so, what is your favorite set of magic laws from a Fantasy book?

What a loaded question! Haha… I like the Vorpal sword from Dungeons and Dragons, but I guess it really is the sword from Alice in Wonderland used to slay the Jabborwocky. I also would like to be a wizard and cast Fireballs. In AD&D I used cast Time-Stop followed by a Delayed Blast Fireball. Very effective!

What is your greatest pet peeve while reading a book? DO NOT BEND THE PAGES TO MARK YOUR SPOT!

Who is your favorite antagonist in a book or movie? Why?

Don’t laugh. Hook is the best! He is mean and cruel, yet he is very dignified and follows a set of rules to keep him elevated above his enemies. I also think Brutus from Julius Caesar is pretty wicked. To be his most trusted advisor, general and friend to Julius and to still assassinate him at the end. I also like villains who are active in their role and not sitting in a room, so to speak, waiting for the protagonist to show up and defeat them in the final chapter.

What do you geek out over?

I am a big D&D nerd. I am attracted to elves and all stories about elves. I always play a Elven Ranger…I know… Boring and overdone, but I cannot help it! LOL

Do you like maps in Fantasy books? Why?

Of course, I do! I love following the trek of the characters as they traverse the land. I love world creation of all of the fantasy books I read. I even love, no really love, when authors spend pages upon pages of explanation of their world, and even the history of such world. I know as an author myself, most readers find that type of exposition boring, so I have to be careful not to go too crazy in my own writing. But I like it!  George R.R. Martin does a lot of that, and I love it.

How did you hear about Dark Touch?

We have the same publisher.

Are you a fan of Horror? If yes, what type and what are some of your favorite books/authors/movies?

Horror is not my genre; however, I am a big fan of it. When I was 14 or 15 I read The Amityville Horror and the book scared the shit out of me…I loved it. I never thought a book could scare someone. My mom let me watch Horror at a young age. I remember watching The Omen at around age 12, also The Other. Some scary stuff right there. I do like Stephen King, and I prefer scary ghost/ paranormal stories.

What do you like about Urban Fantasy?

I am really new to the genre, but I like the mix of the element of fantasy blending into our world.

Do you have a question for Elle Lewis?

If you could go back in time and be a person from our history, what time period would you go to, and who would you want to be?

Lewis: There are a few time periods that I would love to experience firsthand, but my answer might seem a little strange because if I'm going back in time, I would want to be a man.

Now before you say- whoa, what? -allow me to explain. I understand that time travel is not possible, so this is a fantastical question. However, I'm answering as if it were possible. And, if I'm going back in time, to a place in this world, in this reality, then hell no, I'm not going to be a woman. The idea of childbirth without modern medicine is terrifying. And that's just the tip of the iceberg if we are thinking about the thing's women use to endure back then.

 So, moving on!

I'd love to be an Egyptian Pharaoh. Any Pharaoh will do, let's just pick the most handsome one (if I'm going to be a man, I have to be an attractive man). Ancient Egypt has always fascinated me. The pyramids, the gods, mummification. I'd love to stand on the steps of a pyramid and gaze out over the desert.

My second choice would be a Viking King. Again, pick the most handsome one with long blonde hair. I'd have the cutest man braids. And I'd keep my beard all nice. Again, this time period is fascinating to me. It would be amazing to experience-seeing the fjord, the ships, the weapons. I'd strut around with my sword and go into battle, a fur mantle draped over my shoulders.

And my third choice (I know you only asked for one but oh well, you're getting three)… would be to spend a night in the 1950's. I guess I could be a woman in the 50's for one night. I honestly just want to go to a dance and then have a burger and milkshake after at a cute diner. Cruise around in a vintage car, wear a petticoat under my cotton candy pink dress. This may sound strange after wanting to wield a Viking Sword and run into battle but (shrug) there you have it.