Venus and Lysander Interview
About the Book
Title: Venus and Lysander
Author: Yoshiyuki Ly
Genre: Historical Romance / Fantasy
Living as a nobleman and as a woman, Valerie of Lysander is sick of waiting for the world to change. The discrimination she suffers as an outcast builds into resentment. Once Val takes matters into her own hands, the whole Empire of Tynan feels her brand of justice. The Emperor’s adviser, Lucrezia of Azrith, wants more of Val’s ruthlessness—for revenge against the unjust, and for her own desires. Venus and Lysander is an intricate romance set in the fictional Victorian city of Eden, 250 years after the events in The Scorpion’s Empress.
Lucrezia is Lady Chancellor for the Emperor and a sorceress-in-hiding. She is forced to conceal her identity from the religious public for fear of death. As she learns to trust in Val’s chivalry and affections for her, they both fall for the softer sides behind their similar bulletproof personas. Lucrezia receives a mysterious warning about a sadistic enemy threatening the Azrith and Lysander families. Once they discover their nemesis’ true motive, Val and Lucrezia’s tyrannous devotion for one another is all they can count on to survive.
This week I am happy to welcome Yoshiyuki Ly to my site. I thank her and Enchanted Book Promotions for bringing us together.
- Let’s start at the beginning… how do you like to say hello? Do you have a favorite greeting? Are you a hugger?
I usually say “hey” or nod my head. Not much of a hugger unless I know the person well and haven’t seen them in a long time. - I’m finding the character of Val fascinating. A woman living in a man’s world is at once very timeless and completely modern. Shades of Orlando. What inspired this character? Can you give us a glimpse into her head?
I was inspired by my own androgyny as someone who looks feminine but thinks and sometimes acts in masculine ways. She doesn’t fit in. She knows that the binary ways of seeing gender end up causing issues for most people in the world, and not just her. But because she’s affected by this mentality more so than others, Val is the one who’s compelled to change the world “for the better,” even though she’s inherently self-motivated. - Fantasy can be so all-consuming (in such a good way) for readers- why did you choose the Victorian era to color your world? What can you tell potential readers about why they should visit the city of Eden?
I played a lot of Bloodborne while writing this story. It’s a horror action role-playing game with Lovecraftian themes, set in a fantasy Victorian setting. The stark darkness of that setting compelled me along with the soundtrack. Eden doesn’t feature the horror from Bloodborne, but there’s a lot of history from the institutions there: it’s a hotbed of history-in-the-making with a revolution for civil rights at its tipping point. - What is next on your writer’s journey? What goal do you have in your sights next?
Working on a distant sequel for this book that ties everything together. - Have you had any cool fan interactions? Have any of your readers’ responses particularly touched you?
Most of my current fans have been with me since I wrote fanfiction. A few of them are my friends today. Forming those unexpected bonds was nice for me. - Can you share three new, relatively unknown books? We all love recommendations so choose three awesome titles to champion. (No fair picking your own!)
I’m not sure about new, but anything by Pixelnyx, my favorite author, is worth my recommendation. - Can you share one resource: website, marketing strategy, social media medium that you feel has most helped you and could help other writers on their way?
I keep a blog that I update regularly with my writing process and anything else that I’m up to. I think it helps readers stay connected with me. - What do you wish your readers could know about you?
Nothing they don’t already know. I’m a private person. - If you could play Fairy Godmother for one night and give three people a gift, which three would you visit and what would you give them?
It would be three specific people that I don’t speak to anymore. I’d like to give them a smile for once—something they rarely got from me. - Mimosa vs. Bloody Mary- the debate rages on… compare and contrast, please.
I actually don’t think all that much. - If you had to choose… country music or rock and roll… what would you choose and why does your choice speak to you?
I can’t think of any country songs I like, so rock and roll. If it includes alternative rock like Radiohead and IAMX, then that’s perfect. I tend to like a blend of genres. - And lastly… what is your favorite reward after a long day of writing—that little treat you give yourself?
Actual sleep. I have a bad habit of not sleeping for days at a time when I’m working on a series of chapters. Not because I’m avoiding sleep—the insomnia takes over when I have too many ideas and my mind won’t shut off. It’s a blessing and a curse.
Author bio
Yoshiyuki Ly was born in San Diego, CA. She lived there until moving away to college. In high school, she began writing fanfiction as a serious hobby. Her pen name represents her multiracial heritage and a unique, diverse outlook that reflects in her work. She is a writer and a gamer.
The Links
http://mybook.to/venusandlysander
http://mybook.to/thescorpionsempress
http://facebook.com/yoshiyukily
http://yoshiyuki-ly.livejournal.com/
This post was written by Erika Gardner. She’s a native Californian, lifelong lover of fantastical adventures, and a dedicated Whovian. If you enjoyed it, please sign up to receive updates on www.erikagardner.com Or you can follow Erika on Twitter @Erika_Gardner, “Like” her Facebook page Erika Gardner- Writer and Storyteller.Or check out her contributions to the BBB Blog. Erika’s debut novel, The Dragon in The Garden can be found at Tirgearr Publishing.
