WRITING WITH WOLVES

by Gina Sestak

How old were you when you began to write?  When you began to make up stories?

I remember crafting stories from the time I was old enough to print words on a page, but my niece Sam [Samantha] Sestak has gone me one better.  At the age of seventeen, she has self-published a 514-page book, the first in a series.

Here is a brief interview with the author:

How old are you?

Seventeen.

You're still in high school?


I'm a senior.  

Do you have any other noteworthy talents besides writing?

I play the snare drum in my high school band.  And I draw.

Yes.  I've seen some of your drawings on your website.  You seem to have a fascination with wolves.  Is that why you included werewolves in your book?

I do like wolves, but the story is more complicated than just another werewolf story.  

Right.  According to the summary on your website:  The Darkness Series, starting with Darkness, Obliged, follows the 17-year-old girl Xylina Ulrica (z-lean-a), through her newfound adventure in a brand new world.  After being chased out of her house by her homicidal cousin and knocked out in a forest, she wakes up in a brand new world, meets a prince, and figures out something about herself that even she didn't know. Thrown into a world at war, the fighting between werewolves, vampires, and dragons, she and her new friends have to help bring peace. But that's just the start of things.

How long did it take you to write Darkness, Obliged?

Two years.

Are you a fan of the Twilight series? 

Not really.  I prefer real wolves.  My pet husky looks like a wolf herself.

What are your plans for the future?  Will you be going to college to study writing?

Yes and no.  I'm planning to go to college, but I want to study zoology.

Thank you, Sam.  And best of luck for the future.

BTW, I've read Darkness, Obliged and enjoyed it.  You may, too.