Author S. T. SANCHEZ: Interview with Daccari Buchelli author of Phoenix

Today we'd like to welcome Daccari Buchelli author of Phoenix!

Daccari, tell us a little about yourself.

Hi, I’m Daccari. I’m a native Englishman that’s always been fascinated by books. I started writing short stories from the age of eight after my English teacher showed one I had done for class. Since then, I have been in love with the craft.

What got you into writing?

Following a primary school English project, I discovered my passion for writing short stories, which progressed into full length novellas by the time I turned fourteen. During my teen years, I practised writing novellas in the thriller and speculative fiction categories, all of which have yet to be re-written and published into a collection I’m aiming to produce in the near future.

I find that every story enriches our lives in some way and I’ve been determined since childhood to fill my head with as many of them as possible.

Share a short excerpt from your novel, Phoenix:

'Darius, can you feel that?'

A tingling sensation seeped into her bones. It pulsed through her, prickling the hairs on the back of her neck.

'Darius, something feels wrong.'

Violetta turned and was surprised to find Darius facing away. His tall frame appeared to have frozen beside her much loved tree, his face turned up toward the sky.

'Brother? What's wrong? Tell me.'

Violetta followed her brother's gaze.

Darkness stole over her. Violetta could see the storm a mile off and it showed no signs of letting up. She flinched as she felt something hit her face. Water? Darius began to stir, but Violetta's eyes remained fixed on the sky. She had heard of rain. It was said that the Air Realm was frequently visited by such cool showers, but never had she heard of a storm in the Flame Realm. At least, not since the Almighty Storm of the Ancients.

Violetta felt her courage flee her. She let out a high-pitched squeal; a reaction to the hands that had forced themselves around her arms.

'Shh, it's just me.' Darius stroked the golden waves of her hair. 'We must get inside. Understand?'

Violetta gazed into her brother's dark eyes. She nodded.

'Yes.'

'Good, we haven't got long before the storm hits.'

Violetta dove toward Jork's ball. She trapped it between her wrinkled skirts, gathering it up in her slender arms. The rain gathered speed.

'Darius, I've got it!' she squealed. Silence greeted her. 'Darius? Where are you?'

Violetta could hear raised voices in the distance. They were muffled, likely from inside the secret passage they had used to get down here.

'Darius?' She spotted a limp shape stretched across the lap of her tree. 'DARIUS!'

Something struck Violetta hard in the shoulder, lifting her clean off the ground. Her mouth formed a silent scream as she flew through the air, clinging tight to Jork's ball. To Violetta's surprise, she landed on her feet.

Violetta's vision swam, her shoulder screaming in agony at a chunk of ice that had pierced the flesh. She glanced about, searching for Darius when something else zipped past her ear. Violetta tried to put thoughts of the pain aside. She gazed above her, where the sky had become a blinding white.

Violetta's fingernails dug into her ball and the agony she felt appeared to diminish. Her eyes snapped down to her shoulder, which only moments ago had been spiking with pain.

'That's not possible,' she gasped.
Violetta's skin was pale and smooth, not a cut or scratch anywhere in sight. Her eyes wandered down to Jork's ball, before flocking back to the pale skies above. This had to be a dream. The sky here wasn't white. It was a bright and beauteous blue, always.

Remembering how Darius had been struck, Violetta returned her gaze to her tree.

'Darius?'

Her legs carried her over to him, aching with the sudden chill. Violetta was unsure of what she was going to find. She drew close and saw the tree's tangled roots embracing Darius. His mop of dark hair was slick with the rain, his eyes only just glazing over.

'No.'

Violetta knelt down and gasped at the sight of her brother's chest. A large needle of ice had speared his flesh, spilling ruby liquid around its edges. A banshee's wail exploded from her.

All sound escaped Violetta's world. The edges of her vision darkened, leaving her only with eyes for her brother.

'Good Lord, Prince Darius!'

Clarisse's harsh voice cut through the silence. The elderly nursemaid sprinted past, her cold stare fixed on the limp form of their Realm's heir. She bent down to examine the prince's wounds, shooting an angry scowl Violetta's way.

'Just what did you think you were doing?' she snarled.

The veins in her forehead began to rise, as though attempting to escape from their fleshy prison.

Violetta's face was devoid of emotion. She could do little more than stare when a startled scream sounded nearby.

'My boy!'

'Mother?' Violetta got back to her feet. 'Mother, ice is coming down from the sky. We must go. Darius said-'

Violetta locked eyes with her parent. Tears ran afresh down Queen Isobel's face as she raced through the rain to reach her child. Her golden curls, which were usually pinned atop her head, now hung loose and trailed limply down her back.

No-one noticed the shards of ice soaring past. Violetta wanted to run. She wanted to warn her mother before it was too late, but her body felt like it had frozen in place. She strained against her fear with all her might.

'Mother, we must go! Now!'

The queen darted across to the great oak tree. She scooped up the body of her only son, wailing against his dark mop of hair.

'Darius!'
The despair in her voice matched the feelings that stirred within Violetta.

Queen Isobel refused to part from her son. He lay there, still as stone, his flesh growing colder by the moment. Violetta would remember this day for the rest of her life. She clung tight to Jork's gift and prepared to race, to grasp hold of her mother, when another shard shot out of the darkness. A struggling scream filled the air. It was a scream that would haunt her forever.

Wow, what a great selection! It is full of action and suspense and leaves us on the edge of our seats.

When you pick up a book which do you prefer: print books or ebooks?

Print books will always have a special place in my heart. I love the smell, the feel of the pages turning between my fingers, and that satisfying click when you break in a new spine.

I totally agree. Daccari, can you tell us what you're working on?

I’m currently preparing the second book of The Peradon Fantasy Series for publication, as well as re-drafting my first to be published Thriller novel, entitled See. See follows seventeen year old Evylia Wilde as she navigates a world of high-school crushes, strange clairvoyant abilities, and a deadly secret.

What is something not a lot of people know about you.

What few people may know about me is that I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at aged 20 and sometimes find it difficult engaging with new people. However, one aspect of this is my having highly trained senses, which come in handy when creating particular images in a reader’s mind.

Is this a stand-alone novel or part of a series?

Phoenix is Book One of The Peradon Fantasy Series. Four novels are scheduled for this collection, with the sequel in its editing stages, and the third book slowly being planned as we speak.

I am a big fan of series. One book is never enough for me. When you are writing what is the easiest part of the writing process? What is the hardest?

Everyone is different when it comes to what they find easy and difficult in regards to writing. For me, the easiest part is allowing your mind to drift into strange new words and to describe what it is you see in your mind’s eye. What is perhaps most difficult for me is negotiating the social aspects of book writing such as dialogue and character relations. This is due to my having been born with Asperger’s Syndrome as I must work a lot harder to determine the correct means of body language and self expression that appears between characters in varying scenarios.

Who designed the artwork for your cover?

The cover art for Phoenix was designed by a rather talented graphic designer that I found online. We have since worked together on several projects and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for an affordable and professional cover (See link below, in Links section.)

That's great. Covers are the first thing a reader sees. Finding one you work well with is critical. What brought about the idea for your book?

When I first began drafting Phoenix, I had recently suffered a devastating break up. The person I had been seeing had appeared sweet at first, with a kind heart. Then, after time began to pass, they seemed to transform into someone else.

First, it was like another personality was bleeding through the mask they had created, then it began to take over. This is how I came up with the infamous yet charming Emperor Ryore. He is a tortured soul who wants to feel love, but is only able to feel obsession. Violetta's story is in part the journey I went through to learn that not everything is as it seems and that each of us is stronger than we might initially believe.

Daccari, do you have any last words for me?

Thank you for having me. It’s been an honour.

Find more about Daccari and her book at all these great sites.

Happy Reading!!