Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 23-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood's power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land's magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.
"All fairy tales have a villain, but what happens when the darkness in your soul is far more dangerous than any boogey man? This is the struggle that Ash faces each and every day, and while her depression and insecurities are ever present, she tries valiantly to make her very existence mean something. It is just sad that she never seems to realize that it is her caring and giving soul that makes her far stronger and more deserving of love than any amount of muscle. I am hoping there are many more adventures to come for Ash, Edward, and Will in Fallenwood, and I am sure every one will be well worth the read." - Coffeetime Romance & More
"Overall, Soule writes beautiful prose. Sometimes her wording is elegant and other times it is playfully creative. An example: "The sun had not fully risen, but the sky was like a punk teenager on a redecorating kick." The fantasy world of Fallenwood is packed with marvelous places and creatures, reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Illeydra is a dragon statue that comes to life twice a day to listen to people's worries and offer guidance. In the dream world of the Pan Experiential, Ash is confronted by Discordia who helps Ash decide to accept her fate, whatever it may be. Plus there is a giant magic crystal, a black unicorn, and dragons. Fallenwood is a heartfelt psychological wonderland inspired by those difficult years when a young adult must pick a path and travel it with purpose." - Her Ladyship's Quest
The overall story is good, and I loved most of the ending... I'll leave you with a line which I'm quite taken by (and now can't remember where I found it or who said it). The world belongs to those who see the beauty in it all." - Enduring Romance
Leslie Soule lives in Sacramento, California. Fallenwood is her first fantasy novel. She has received her B.A. in English from Sacramento State University and is currently working on her Master’s degree in English at National University.
Also by Leslie Soule
Short stories: "The Devil's Bidding" and "Birds of a Feather: The Search for the Universal Solvent"
An Interview with Leslie Soule
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Leslie, thank you for talking with us at TRS. Your featured book is Fallenwood and it takes us to a world where a brave young woman fights her inner battles while she fights to save her world. Where did you get the idea for this amazing story?
LS: Thanks for having me! Well it took a long time to develop the premise for Fallenwood. When I first started writing Fallenwood, I knew that I wanted it to be semi-autobiographical. It follows the journeys of a young woman coping with the death of her stepfather and its consequences because that's what I went through when I was nineteen years old. Just a month before I turned nineteen, my stepfather passed away after a bout with diabetes and I found myself lost, stuck in a horrible depression. Much to my surprise, life continued, whether I wanted it to or not. Several years later, when I looked back on what I went through psychologically and began sorting out my thoughts, only then was I able to get to a place where I could fictionalize it.
HH: What do you like best about Ash and why will readers identify with her?
LS: You know, Ash is based on myself and maybe this says something about me, but I didn't expect readers to actually like Ash. I've been very surprised by the responses I've gotten from reviewers that Ash is a readily identifiable and likeable character. But I guess what I like best about Ash is that she's a "fighter", trained in martial arts. I'm writing a sequel and will be delving a lot more into her fighting abilities in the sequel. We didn't get to see them used in Fallenwood.
HH: Is there a special guy for Ash?
LS: Yeah, there's a special guy for Ash. I'm not going to say who, because it will give things away. But I'll suffice to say that he's a guy who can appreciate Ash for who she is instead of trying to turn her into someone she's not. I'd like to think there's a guy like that out there for me. :)
HH: How did you go about building the world Ash's story takes place in?
LS: I started by drawing a very crude map. I actually drew it in Microsoft Paint and I still have it somewhere. I looked at other maps to get ideas of place names and I played with words until I found names that sounded evocative. I'm planning on creating a larger, more detailed map of Fallenwood, but right now it's just a blank sheet of poster board, taped to my closet.
HH: Will there be other stories set in this world?
LS: Yes! I'm currently writing a sequel and I don't know how many books I'm going to write for it. In order to give the novels their required depth, I have to write about things I've gone through, and then fictionalize them. So it's hard for me to look several books down the road. But a sequel's in the works, for sure.
HH: What else do you have in the works?
LS: Well, I've started writing a prequel myth for Fallenwood, explaining how the realms split apart, where magic came from, etc. I'm a huge Tolkien fan, so I'm trying to continue in the tradition of The Silmarillion, where Tolkien explains everything about how Middle Earth was created.
HH: What do you enjoy most about the writing itself?
LS: To me, it's therapy. I enjoy writing because it allows me to just "let it all out". There was a writer who once said that writing is easy because you just sit at a keyboard and open a vein.
HH: What advice would you give to aspiring writers today?
LS: Don't give up! And I would also say, "To thine own self be true", to borrow a quote from the Bard.
HH: What are you reading right now?
LS: Well I've been working hard lately and now I've finally gotten some "down time", so I'm reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for the fun of it and I just love it.
HH: Any fun plans for the summer?
LS: I'm hoping to go camping and kayaking. Other than that, no big plans yet, but we'll see.
