WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: YA Author, Andrea Buginsky

Andrea Buginsky, author
THE CHOSEN

YA Author Andrea Buginsky brings us THE CHOSEN,  “a great YA fantasy” according to reviewers. Andrea writes to inspire young readers to “imagine and create.” She produces a fantasy world with a heroine who doesn’t “feel like a heroine.”

When not writing her novels, Andrea is a free lance writer. She grew up with heart disease, which she describes in her book My Open Heart. She considers herself a “kid at heart,” and loves to fantasize. Family is important to her.

Be sure to explore the excerpt of THE CHOSEN at the end of her interview.

Q: If you could describe the purpose of THE CHOSEN to its readers what would you say to them?

Andrea Buginsky: I wanted to create a heroine that didn’t feel like a heroine. Halli had a lot to learn about herself and the world around her. She had to overcome her shyness, and learn to believe in herself. I wrote Halli this way because I thought my readers would identify with her.

Q: Why do you write for young readers?

Andrea Buginsky: I loved reading when I was young. Books gave me a chance to escape my world and enter thousands of others. They inspired me to use my imagination and create. I wanted my books to do the same for today’s young readers, to teach them to reach for the stars, and make their dreams come true.

Q: In the fantasy world of THE CHOSEN, what pulls in your readers? Do they care about your characters? Or is the primary reason for their interest suspense?

Andrea Buginsky: I’d like to think that it’s the characters that pull my readers in. Halli is the spotlight character, but she is surrounded by five other main characters who have their own individual character traits. I created these characters differently so my readers could find one they could relate to.

Q: What makes your readers care about your characters?

Andrea Buginsky: They’re real. They have issues, feelings and flaws. They can make you laugh or cry. You can get a real feel for who they are, and imagine them becoming your friends.

Q: How important is believability? What do you do to make the world of THE CHOSEN credible?

Andrea Buginsky: Since I write fantasy, I’m not overly concerned with believability, at least not on the surface. I do want my characters to fit their world and their role. I think I made THE CHOSEN’s world real by creating a variety of places these characters come from that are unique from one another, just like our world.

Q: Do your characters push you around and make you write what they want? Or are you in control?

Andrea Buginsky: I feel mostly in control, but sometimes they’ll reach out and tell me what they want to do. I honestly wish they would do that more often. It makes the writing more interesting, and the story, too, I believe.

Q: What are the characteristics of a hero? A villain? Are they relevant to THE CHOSEN?

Andrea Buginsky: I believe a true hero is someone who can overcome obstacles to help someone else in need. They’re not looking to be a hero. Villains, on the other hand, are all about showing off. They’ll do anything to get attention, even if it’s negative attention. Heroes and villains are both absolutely relevant to THE CHOSEN.

Q: Why are you a writer?

Andrea Buginsky: Because I love to create my own worlds, characters and stories, and I wanted to share them with readers.

Q: What else have you written besides THE CHOSEN?  What’s next?

Andrea Buginsky: (1) Nature’s Unbalance, which is the second book in THE CHOSEN series. (2) My Open Heart, an autobiography of growing up with heart disease. (3) The third book in THE CHOSEN series, which has not been published. I’m currently working on a new YA fantasy series

Q:  Tell us something about Andrea Buginsky? What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Andrea Buginsky: I’m a kid at heart. I love to fantasize. I watch a lot of TV and movies, read, and daydream. I’m very big on family, and like to spend time together. Now that I’m in Kansas, that time together is more over the phone than in person, but staying connected to my family is very important to me.

About Andrea Buginsky

Andrea Buginsky is a freelance writer and author. THE CHOSEN was her first book, and was followed by “My Open Heart,” an autobiography about growing up with heart disease. “Nature’s Unbalance” is the second story in THE CHOSEN series. Andrea plans to write more in the series. She’s already done with the first draft of book 3 and has a concept for book 4. You can find Andrea on her website, Andi’s Realm. Her books are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Remember to sign up for Andrea’s  newsletter to stay up-to-date on all of her exciting events.

About THE CHOSEN

Halli is a shy, young dwarf who has no idea of her true calling. When the evil Prince Gastle sets out to destroy the world of Phantasma, Queen Laurali of the Elves comes to tell Halli she's a Holy Paladin with the power to heal, and will join The Chosen, a group of brave warriors being sent to defeat the evil beast and save Phantasma. Will Halli be accepted by her group, and be able to keep them alive through their adventures? Will the evil Prince Gastle be defeated, freeing Phantasma from his destruction? Only time will tell.

Excerpt

Queen Laurali and Halli set off on their ride from Drumple to the Castle of the Elves.  Along the way, the Queen told Halli about the journey she was about to take.

            “You’re going to meet a special group of people.  They are called The Chosen.  Striker is the leader of the group.  He and his family are elves too.  He and his wife, Kaidyla, are hunters.  Their daughter, Lumina, is a druid.  She has magical powers that can help during battles, and she can also heal.  Their good friends, Silvorhawk and Redsham, are Goliaths.  Silvor is a mage, with the power to control both fire and ice.  Red is a shaman.  They grew up with Striker.  He and Silvor were raised together like brothers.”

            Halli silently took in all of this information about the group she was soon to join.  Her eyes grew big when the Queen mentioned Red and Silvor were Goliaths.  She had heard her whole life about the gentle giants who lived in Phantasma, but had never met one.  She knew they weren’t as big as the Great Giants of Phantasma, like Prince Gastle, but that they were still very large in size in comparison to other creatures in the land, especially dwarfs.

            “They sound like a good mix.  But you said that Lumina was the only healer, and only a partial one?  That means that I’ll be responsible for keeping this group alive.  I don’t know if I’m ready for that.  I don’t even know how to use my powers yet...”  Halli trailed off quietly, nervous about what Queen Laurali told her about The Chosen.

            The Queen smiled.  “Don’t worry, Halli.  I have a lot of confidence in you, and I know that you can handle this.  Remember, I’ve known you since the day you were born, and I saw something in you that day that told me you are the best healer for this quest.  You just have to trust yourself.”

            They rode silently for a while, and stopped under a large oak tree for lunch.  It was here that Halli finally had the courage to ask Queen Laurali something that had been burning in her mind since she told her who she was, and that it was time to fulfill her destiny.

            “Queen Laurali, what exactly is this mission you’re sending The Chosen, and me, on?”

            The Queen smiled gently.  She knew she needed to choose her words carefully so she wouldn’t terrify the young dwarf.  “Halli, Prince Gastle must be stopped.  The only way I know how to stop him is to send my best warriors after him.  The Chosen is the best group of warriors I know, and I have faith that they’ll be able to conquer him.  But they need a strong healer to help them, and I know in my heart that that’s you.”

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