Wednesday, November 12, 2014

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Tania Westing from The Sixth Power

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

I’m Tania Westing from San Diego, California.  I just finished my senior year in high school, and I have a track scholarship to the University of Arizona in the fall.  I have long, black hair, brown eyes, and I’m tall.  I am interested in archaeology, sociology, and the history of the Native Americans, but ever since I learned about my Gift to heal, it seems to have taken over my life as a priority.  I may have to change my major in college.

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

What spare time?  My aunt drives me constantly to practice with the Gifts.  Actually, if I do get some free time, I enjoy reading fantasy and running.

What is your favorite color and why?

Definitely blue, the shade of Dan’s eyes!

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

I love pizza, especially my own creation of sausage, mushroom, and jalapeno pepper on a thin crust.  I love how the combination of spices, meat, tomato, and cheese flavors burst in my mouth, and I enjoy the crunchiness of the crust.

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

I enjoy teaching my dog, Peter, new tricks and watching the faces of my astonished friends as they try to figure out how I taught him that, or if he really is that intelligent.  I play it cool, but inside, I’m laughing.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? 

I've come to despise Dan’s uncle, Ray Maclean, because there is no goodness left in him.  He’s made my life miserable from the first day we met.  But I also pity him, because I know why he turned out the way he did.  His boss, however, is so evil that I hate and fear him unconditionally.  He thinks nothing of killing and torturing innocent people in order to further his aims.  

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

I’d have to say, my boyfriend, Dan Maclean.  I’d do just about anything for him, and I know he’d do the same for me.  He’s saved my hide more than once.  But my dad and Dan’s sisters come in a close second.


What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

Although my brother, Tom, died a few years ago, he still has this hold over me.  I loved him so much, and his death seemed like such a waste.  Everything that’s happened since then has to do with the problems he dumped on me.  It’s almost as if he’s still orchestrating things from the grave. 

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

I know I’m supposed to use my Gifts for good, especially my Gift of healing, but it’s so frustrating because I wasn't trained as a child for this responsibility, and now these bad guys are after me, and the people I care about are in danger, and sometimes I just want to scream.  I wonder if there will ever come a time when my life will settle down, and I can have some happiness and peace.   

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

Where do your characters come from?  Are they real to you?  Do you care about them and all the challenges they are going through?  Sorry, that’s three questions, but they’re all connected.

Thank you so much!

My characters come from my imagination as well as my heart. Sometimes they are bits and pieces of me or bits and pieces of who I wish to be. They are very real to me, and when I finish a book, it's hard for me to continue on without them. Perhaps that's why I enjoy a series so much. I want my characters to learn and grow and become better than they were at the first of the book, just as I hope to learn and grow and become a greater individual throughout my life.

Thanks for asking.

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Learn more about Tania and The Sixth Power:


The Sixth Power is available

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