My Sister's Reaper
Author: Dorothy Dreyer
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Synopsis: There’s
bragging, there’s trying to impress a boy, and then there’s
Sixteen-year-old Zadie. Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she’s
crushing on that she could bring her dead sister back to life.
Her second mistake? Actually doing it! When Zadie accidentally messes with
the Reaper’s Rite that
should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong
(you think?). Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s
completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined
to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how
to defeat her sister’s Reaper, intent on claiming
both girls, or let Mara die … this time for good.
About the Author: Dorothy Dreyer has always believed in magic. She loves reading, writing, movies, and spending time with her family and friends. Half-American and half-Filipino, Dorothy lives in Germany with her husband and two children.
Interview With Author
TeamNerd Reviews: Here, at TeamNerd Reviews, we
are quite proud of being book-a-holic, chocolate lovin’, nerds. Tell us: what
would you say classifies you as a nerd?
Dorothy Dreyer: Aside
from being a book-a-holic and loving chocolate myself, I’m a web-surfing, Star
Wars AND Star Trek loving, Sims 3 playing, pop culturist. Or something like
that. *cheesy smile*
TeamNerd Reviews: My Sister’s Reaper is your debut novel and comes out June 18, 2013.
You venture into the world of Reapers and dark fantasy. What inspired the leap
into fantasy and supernatural?
Dorothy Dreyer: I tried my hand at contemporary fiction, but
somewhere along the line—no matter what I wrote—some form of magic or
supernaturalism snaked its way into my story. It gets me more excited about the
story if it has a fantastical element in it. So I guess you could say the genre
found me. It’s my niche, and I’m glad.
TeamNerd Reviews: Tell us about My Sister’s Reaper (not found in the
blurb). What can readers expect to encounter?
Dorothy Dreyer: My main character, Zadie, has other problems in
her life. Problems that existed before she was even aware of the Reaper
business. Her mother is in a mental hospital. She has serious envy problems
when it comes to her sister. She’s capable of things she doesn’t understand.
Not to mention issues with boys. So in the midst of dealing with these things,
something unbelievable happens, and she doesn’t know how to deal with it. She
has to decide if she should turn to someone else who might help her—no matter
how scary that would be.
TeamNerd Reviews: What is the Reaper’s Rite?
Dorothy Dreyer: Without
giving too much away (you’ll have to read the story for that), it stems from an
ancient pact made between a witch and a Reaper. The pact gives Reapers claim on
certain souls, and the Rite is the process of how the Reaper gets those souls.
TeamNerd Reviews: Break down your characters from
My Sister’s Reaper. Who’s who and
what can she/he do?
Dorothy Dreyer: Zadie and Mara are sisters. They have powers
neither one of them can explain, and they’re also not so clear as how to
control them. Lilura is the town’s most eclectic woman, whom most people refer
to as a witch. She knows a thing or two about what Zadie and Mara are going
through. Chase is Lilura’s grandson, and he’s pretty skilled with chemistry.
Gavin is Zadie’s love interest and possibly the best grounding mechanism to
keep Zadie from breaking down.
TeamNerd Reviews: Zadie, the main character in
the book, gets into a heap of trouble by bringing her sister back to life.
What’s one of the craziest things you’ve ever done for a family member or close
friend (Something you can say. Don’t want you to get arrested or anything
*wink*).
Dorothy Dreyer: I can’t say that I’ve done anything particularly
crazy. But I did once let a friend sneak in my window (when I was a teenager)
in the middle of the night because she wanted to talk. When my parents came by
my room, I hid her in my closet until the coast was clear.
TeamNerd Reviews: If someone checked through your
computer’s history as to what you searched for on Google, what kinds of info
would they find?
Dorothy Dreyer: Oh, man. Let’s hope that never happens. Aside
from all the grim reaper stuff, there are sites about witches, spells, faeries,
comas, mental hospitals, crossbows, knives, shotguns. I mean, I probably would
be on a few watch lists, for sure.
TeamNerd Reviews: All writer’s go through a
self-loathing period and a period of triumph when writing a book. What would
you say you can struggle with sometimes as a writer and what would you say is
your biggest strength?
Dorothy Dreyer: I struggle with eloquently getting a fight or
action scene out on paper or the monitor. Action scenes are more visual to me,
and so to explain every move the way I picture it in my mind is like pulling
teeth. My biggest strength? I hope it’s pulling the reader into a particularly
creepy scene. Though I do have to say I enjoy writing witty dialogue. My characters
come to life—all on their own—when they start talking in my stories.
TeamNerd Reviews: You live in Germany with your
two kids and husband. What’s Germany like? What are some of your favorite
hangout spots?
Dorothy Dreyer: Germany is really pretty. The old castles and
towns are fascinating. I really like Heidelberg, with it’s deteriorating castle
standing prominently over the quaint town below. It’s really cool.
You also have to check out the gardens of Mainau, an
island in Lake Constance in the south of Germany. It’s amazing what they do
with flowers! It’s gorgeous. Just be sure to go in warm weather.
TeamNerd Reviews: Fun Question Time!
Dorothy Dreyer: Yay!
Your bio says you like to sing, particularly
karaoke. Favorite go to song and why?
I tend to sing older songs, like stuff
from the 80’s, sometimes even older. Like The Pointer Sisters’ I’m So Excited. I won money in a couple
karaoke contests singing Madonna’s Crazy
for You. But I think my best “performance” as of yet was Aretha Franklin’s Natural Woman.
Favorite chocolate brand or type of chocolate:
I prefer dark chocolate over milk
chocolate (not that I’d say no to milk chocolate, mind you). I’m a sucker for
the dark chocolate Bounty bars. I don’t think they have Bounty in the states,
but it’s equivalent to Mounds, I suppose.
Favorite place you’ve travelled to and would love
to revisit:
So many! Ireland was beautiful. We didn’t
get to see everything, so I’d love to go back and explore the rest of the
island. Italy was fun. Singapore was neat. I loved Edinburgh, which has such a
fascinating history. I can’t pick a favorite.
What supernatural power would you want to have
and why:
Mind control. I have two teenagers, so
you can probably guess why that’s my choice. But mind control would also come
in handy for other situations, like when driving, or if you need a raise at
work, or getting the husband to make dinner for a change.
About the Author: Dorothy Dreyer has always believed in magic. She loves reading, writing, movies, and spending time with her family and friends. Half-American and half-Filipino, Dorothy lives in Germany with her husband and two children.
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