Avani from Sarah Remy's 'Stonehill Downs'

We’re thrilled to be talking to Avani from Sarah Remy’s Stonehill Downs.  It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Avani.  How old are you and what do you do for a living?

Thank you. You’re very kind to have me. I’ve seen twenty summers, my birthing day is in the fall. I’m a sheepherder, and a weaver of rugs and fine fabrics, and a magus’ assistant. Also, lately, a soldier.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features?

Oh, ai. That would be my nose, I’m sure. My son Liam’s always saying it’s a very proud nose.

What would I love the most about you?

My stubbornness. I never give up on a thing, so long as it’s worth doing.

What would I hate the most about you?

My stubbornness. It’s true I prefer to rely upon my own eyes and wits and knowledge and sometimes willfully refuse another’s aid.

Where do you go when you are angry?

I don’t get angry. I don’t have time to waste on anger, nothing productive comes of it. Although I have been known to break a vase or three over Mal’s foolishness. And regret the tantrum after.

What makes you laugh out loud?

The lambs in springtime, when they’re just born and learning the use of their legs. Jacob, when he’s caught in a particularly rough gust of wind and forgets how to use his tail feathers properly. Liam, when he’s half-asleep and mumbling before his morning tea. And the rain, when it comes down hard as pebbles across Wilhaiim’s walls and washes the dust and ash away.

What is in your refrigerator right now?

In my cellar I’ve set up roots and veggies and jams for the winter. Also the bits of virgin wool I’ve yet to dye. I’ve a few other less savory things hidden behind the potatoes, but it’s best not to speak of them in good company.

What is your most treasured possession?

My mother’s spiced cider recipe. I’m the last to have it.

What is your greatest fear?

Drowning. I nearly did, you know, when I was a child, as our island sunk beneath the sea. But for the king’s navy I’d be lost with the rest of them, naught but bones in the sand.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?

I’d think of the lambs in springtime, and take Jacob out in search of wind. I’d make Liam tea with milk, just the way he prefers it, and tell him stories of my family while we wait for the rain to come and wash Wilhaiim clean again.

 About the Author:

In 1994 Sarah Remy earned a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Pomona College in California. Since then she’s been employed as a receptionist at a high-powered brokerage firm, managed a boutique bookstore, read television scripts for a small production company, and, more recently, worked playground duty at the local elementary school.

When she’s not taking the service industry by storm, she’s writing fantasy and science fiction. Sarah likes her fantasy worlds gritty, her characters diverse and fallible, and she doesn’t believe every protagonist deserves a happy ending.

Before joining the Harper Voyager family, she published with EDGE, Reuts, and Madison Place Press.

Sarah lives in Washington State with plenty of animals and people, both. In her limited spare time she rides horses, rehabs her old home, and supervises a chaotic household. She can talk to you endlessly about Sherlock Holmes, World of Warcraft, and backyard chicken husbandry, and she’s been a member of one of Robin Hobb’s longest-running online fan clubs since 2002.

Her latest is the fantasy novel, Stonehill Downs.

For More Information

• Visit Sarah Remy’s website.
• Connect with Sarah on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Sarah at Goodreads.
• Visit Sarah’s blog.
• Contact Sarah.

About the Book:

Title: Stonehill Downs
Author: Sarah Remy
Publisher: Harper Collins/Voyager
Pages: 400
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback/Kindle/Nook

Stonehill Downs follows Mal, a powerful mage who functions as Lord Vocent, the king’s personal forensic scientist and detective.  Magic and murder are his calling.  Never have the two entangled in quite as terrifying a manner as on Stonehill Downs, where Avani, a Goddess-gifted outsider, has discovered a host of gruesome corpses reeking of supernatural malfeasance.  The investigation is haunted by ghosts of Mal’s past, and the two quickly learn that they must cast aside their secrets if they are to succeed in unearthing the pervading evil—before it’s unleashed from the boundaries of the Downs, straight into the heart of the kingdom.

For More Information

• Stonehill Downs is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.