Author Interview: Mandi Oyster

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing amazing! Today, I am so happy and excited to present an author’s interview of Mandi Oyster, the author of the very enthralling Fantasy Series – Dacia Wolf. 

Shreya Vijay: Hello Mandi! It is a pleasure to have you here with us today! First of all, congratulations on the release of your Dacia Wolf series.

Mandi Oyster: Thank you so much, Shreya. I am happy to be here too.

Shreya Vijay: Great! So Mandi, why don’t we start off with you telling us something about yourself and your books? I am sure our audience would love to get to know you.

Mandi Oyster: I live in Southwest Iowa. I’ve been married to my soulmate for 24 years. We have two kids, four cats, and two chinchillas. My favorite place to be is camping in the mountains.

I started writing Dacia Wolf & the Prophecy about 15 years ago. I wrote, I learned, I edited, and I rewrote. I queried agents and received some positive feedback and some requests for more of the story. After several rejections, I decided to write Dacia Wolf & the Dragon Lord in the hopes that having two completed novels would help draw the attention of agents. I queried more and had the same results as before. So, I decided trilogies sell well. I wrote Dacia Wolf & the Fallen Prince.

After agents didn’t seem interested in picking them up, I started researching other avenues. I wanted my books to be published. I wanted to be able to hold a copy in my hands, and say, “Look! I made this.”

Toward the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019, I found the Facebook group 20Booksto50K®. There is so much information there. At times it’s overwhelming, but I dug in and decided to self-publish my books.

I designed my covers, wrote my blurb, and formatted the book. On July 16, 2019, I became a published author. Since then, I have published three more books, finished one book, and nearly finished another.

Shreya: Wow Mandi! This is some inspiring story right here! I am so happy that you never gave up chasing your dreams. So, what was your inspiration behind writing this amazing piece of Fantasy?

Mandi: I had heard the Harry Potter books were really good, but I hadn’t read for a couple of years because I had either an infant or a toddler or both. Between taking care of them, working full-time, and helping my husband with all the daily chores, there just wasn’t time.

I went home from work on a Thursday night because I was sick. My husband stopped at the store on the way home and bought the first three Harry Potter books for me. I read all three of them that weekend, and immediately after, I felt the need to write.

Shreya: Haha! Harry Potter is love! It is one of the best Fantasy books around. Anyway, coming back, what off-the-scene tidbits in your life would surprise your readers the most?

Mandi: I’m going to be perfectly honest and say that I have no idea how to answer this question. Okay, I got something. I have no idea where my characters will end up when I start my books. They lead the way as I’m writing. Sometimes, I have everything planned out, but suddenly, one of them points off to the side and says, “Hey, what’s over there?” So, over there we go, and the book turns into something I never expected.

Shreya: Now that is something really amazing! Tell me, Mandi, out of all the genres you could’ve written, why did you choose to write Fantasy?

Mandi: There are so many problems in real life. Child hunger, homelessness, war, disease, greed, bad people … The list goes on and on. I like to read fantasy because if I want to see real world problems, I can just turn on the news or read articles on the internet. I want a place to escape to, and I have always been fascinated by magic.

Shreya: What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

Mandi: With Dacia Wolf & the Prophecy, it was finding my voice and figuring out what to tell the reader and what to leave to their imaginations.

Shreya: Are your characters mere fragments of your imagination or they hold some relevance to real life?

Mandi: They are their own people. There are little pieces that are based off of real people. Cody’s compassion and understanding, the way he treats Dacia, those things are all how my husband treats me, but for the most part, they came from my imagination.

Shreya: Which is your favourite character from your book and why?

Mandi: That’s a really tough question. I love them all. Dacia is afraid, but she still tries to be strong. Samantha is the best kind of friend. Cody is a rock. Sarah is no nonsense. I don’t know that I can pick just one. They’ve been part of my life for so long that it’s hard to have a favorite

Shreya: Who is your favourite author?

Mandi: This is another really tough question for me. My favorite author depends on the day. I really like Melissa Marr, Becca Fitzpatrick writes the most amazing body language, Sarah J. Maas, Cassandra Clare, Janet Evanovich, John Flanagan, Johnathan Stroud, and so many more.

Shreya: What book is currently on your bedside table?

Mandi: I want to read Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare, but I keep telling myself I need to finish writing book six first.

Shreya: Is there something you would like to say to your readers?

Mandi: Thank you so much for picking up my book and reading it. It is such a wonderful feeling knowing that people like something that I poured my soul into.

Shreya: Finally, where can the readers find you and interact with you?

Mandi: My website is mandioyster.com. My Facebook page is MandiOysterAuthor. My Instagram is @mandioyster.

Shreya: Thank you so much for being here with us today, Mandi! It was wonderful to get to know you. It was a really fun session. I wish you all the very best for your future. 

Purchase Dacia Wolf & The Prophecy on Amazon – https://www.amazon.in/My-Mothers-Love-Ever-Trickery-ebook/dp/B0886L1XFT