Today we are taking part in The Iron Knight blog tour. Here is our interview with Julie Kagawa:

Give us a little intro to yourself
Well, I was born in California, moved to Hawaii when I was nine, and started
tormenting my teachers with mice and centipedes in their desks. I read a lot (often
in Math class, hiding novels behind my textbook), and started writing my own stories
in high school (also in Math class, behind my textbooks). After graduating (my
teachers had a party, I think), I worked as a book store clerk, a vet tech
assistant, and a dog trainer, until the day I sold The Iron King to Harlequin TEEN
and stopped working to write full time. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Tell us about The Iron Fey series
The Iron Fey series is about a girl named Meghan Chase who, on her sixteenth
birthday, discovers her little brother has been kidnapped by faeries, and goes into
the Nevernever to find him. Along the way, she finds out that she is the daughter
of the Summer King, falls in love with a cold, dangerous ice prince, and discovers
that a brand new species of faery—The Iron Fey—are destroying the Nevernever. Her
journey, which ends in The Iron Queen, is about her and her friends trying to stop
the Iron Fey, and finding a way for both species to survive.

Ash’s journey continues in The Iron Knight, after the events of The Iron Queen. And
revealing any more about his story would be a huge spoiler, so I will leave it at
that.

How did you begin writing and what was your journey to publication like?
I started writing seriously in high school, with the intent to be a published author
one day. I had this ridiculous notion that I could publish a book before college
and then I’d be set for life. Hahaha! No, that’s not what happened, obviously. It
took many years of practice, of learning the business and honing my craft, before I
was finally good enough to get a book publisher. Even after I met my fabulous agent
at a writer’s workshop, I still didn’t get a book published until over a year later.
After trying to sell my current book with no luck, my agent told me to start
working on something else. So I did. I wrote The Iron King in a little under two
months, and Harlequin TEEN bought it in a matter of weeks.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working both on my new vampire series, Blood of Eden, as well as the
second series in the Iron Fey saga. Blood of Eden is a post-apocalyptic series
where vampires rule the world, and the second Iron Fey series stars Ethan Chase,
Meghan’s brother, when he is older.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
I’m a video game nut, so you can usually find me on either the Xbox, the PS3, or
playing Sims3 on my computer. I also take Kung Fu four nights a week. And, if I
have any down time at all, I will curl up with a good book.

Thank you Julie!
The Iron Knight is available now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Knight-Fey-Book/dp/1848450605/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327987890&sr=8-1

As part of the blog tour for Touch of Power we have an interview with Maria V Snyder…

Tell us a little about yourself
I live in the United States, I’m married, have two teenagers (Luke, 16 and Jenna,
14), and have a black cat (Valek, 2). I started out working as an environmental
meteorologist and eventually switched to writing fiction. I have nine novels
published and a whole bunch of short stories in various anthologies. Your readers
can learn more about me and my stories on my website at: http://www.mariavsnyder.com

Who were your favourite authors when you were younger?
How young are you talking? ? I remember enjoying Dr. Seuss and Leo Lionni when I
was little, then I was addicted to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries then
graduated to reading Agatha Christie, Ed McBain, Dick Francis, and Robert B. Parker.
My brother-in-law introduced me to science fiction and fantasy when I was in
secondary school and I loved Ursula K. LeGuin, Piers Anthony, David Eddings, and
Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Tell us about Touch of Power
Touch of Power is a fantasy novel about a healer set in a world that is recovering
from a deadly plague. Avry’s world has blamed the plague on the healers and has
hunted them down. She is finally caught only to be rescued by a group who wants her
to heal their Prince. The group’s leader, Kerrick, knows the healers aren’t to
blame for the plague and that she could do some good for a change instead of hiding.
Unfortunately, she believes this Prince is the one who started blaming the plague on
the healers so she isn’t risking her life for some pampered Prince. As they travel
to the Prince’s hidden location, they’re pursued by others who have realized having
a healer around might just be a good thing for them, but not necessarily for her.
Your readers can read the first chapter of Touch of Power here:

http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books.php

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Scent of Magic. It’s the second book of the Healers series and it’s
due out at around the end of 2012/early 2013.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
I enjoy playing volleyball, skiing, and photography. I also make jewellery and
still love to read. Travelling is another thing I love doing and I never say no to
a trip. ;>

Thanks Maria!

Here is some more exciting news which gives you the chance to win an ipad:
Create a video review of A Touch of Power and be in with a chance of winning an iPad!
Maria V. Snyder has teamed up with top teen mag Mizz to give you the chance to win
an iPad and be the official book review for MizzMag TV to boot! All you need to do
to enter is make a video review of A Touch of Power. MIRA Ink is giving away free
review copies to the first 50 people who get in touch, so visit facebook/MIRAInk for
more details on how to get involved! Also, check out Mizz Mag TV at
www.youtube.com/user/MizzMagTV for an exclusive video of Maria talking about her new
Healer series!

Today we are taking part in the blog tour for India Dark and have an interview with Kirsty Murray…

Tell us a little bit about yourself
A publisher friend of mine who specializes in children’s and YA writing says that anyone who writes for young people is suffering from arrested development. He believes that authors are usually the emotional age of their protagonists. That’s good news for me as I started out writing about eleven year olds but the last few years my protagonists have averaged around 14 years of age. I may be growing up at last!

I’ve been writing fiction for children and teenagers for around thirteen years and in that time have had nine novels published plus an assortment of smaller books – both fiction and non-fiction – for younger readers. I’m lucky enough to be able to write full time, though I also spend a couple of months of the years visiting school to teach creative writing and speaking at writers festivals and literary events.

Tell us about India Dark
India Dark is based on a true story. It’s a fictionalized account of the collapse of a famous troupe of child performers – Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company. I spent years researching the lives of child theatre performers of the late 19th and early 20th Century before I began work on the novel. I decided to tell the story as fiction as I believe it’s a much more powerful way of telling the truth about people’s lives.

What was your inspiration for India Dark?
I’ve always been drawn to stories about gutsy kids who stand up to authority or take charge of their own destiny. I think many people under-estimate the strength and resourcefulness of children and teenagers. When I first came across the story of Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company I realized there was enough material for half a dozen novels about the troupe but it was the final closing chapter that was the most compelling. The novel details the last months of the troupe.

The kids who worked in the theatre industry in the late 19th and early 20th Century were amazing. They were smart, funny and incredibly versatile. There were dozens of ‘lilliputian’ troupes around the world but they were particularly popular in far-flung posts of the British Empire. How could I go past a story that featured fabulous locations, gutsy teenage characters and an international scandal?

Who were your favourite authors when you were younger?
The first author that I fell completely in love with was Mark Twain. As soon as I read the last page of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer I turned back to the first and started reading it all over again. But there were a lot of authors that I loved from all over the world. I went through a big Lucy Fitch Perkins stage when I was very young and was intrigued by all the novels she wrote about twins. I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe’s historical fiction, Astrid Lindgren and H.J. Kaeser’s spunky characters as well as most of the novels of C.S. Lewis and Frances Hodgson Burnett. There wasn’t a lot of YA fiction around during my teens so I quickly graduated to reading classics like Jane Austen’s novels but when I did bump into a work of genuine YA such as Hesba Brinsmead’s Pastures of the Blue Crane I was really excited.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing an historical fiction set in South Australia in 1919. It’s very loosely based on my grandmother’s adolescence. She was one of four teenage sisters who lost their only brother in WWI. The family thought he was coming home – they’d even received a telegram to say he was looking forward to seeing them – but he was shot by a German sniper who wasn’t aware that the war was over. The novel is about how the sisters come to terms with losing their brother and the repercussions of the war on the lives of young women in the post-war period.

What do you like to outside of writing?
Everything I do connects to my writing in one way or another, not because I’m particularly conscientious but just because everything I love everything that connects to books. My favourite leisure activity is reading. I love hanging out in bookshops and libraries. I’m a member of a couple of different book clubs too. My husband and kids are big readers as well so there’s a lot of conversation within our family about books.

Most years I spend several months travelling but for the last year I’ve been continuously on the road while my husband toured his puppet show in remote areas of Australia. Meeting new people, catching up with old friends, and discovering new places all add to my understanding of stories and how each of us connects to a different kind of narrative.

Thank you Kirsty!

We have a copy of India Dark to giveway. Just retweet this post or leave a comment to enter. Giveaway ends on Friday 20th January. Open to UK residents only.

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m a mom of three kids, wife to an awesome husband, and now a former gymnastics coach turned writer/stay-at-home mom. I love reading more than any other hobby or activity. But I also enjoy running, swimming, roller blading and years of ballet have made it virtually impossible for me to walk across a smooth kitchen floor in my socks without attempting a few pirouettes. Listening to music is must for me at almost all hours of the day, but I’m completely tone-deaf and no amount of voice lessons could improve my efforts.

How did you begin writing and what was your journey to publication like?
My writing journey began in May of 2009 and it started with scenes from a story in my head. I wrote them in random order in a small notebook, before deciding to start typing and creating a bigger plot.

I finished my first novel and starting submitting it to literary agents by the August, 2009. Really, I only did it for fun at first. Just to see what would happen. I sent tons of query letters and then dove into a totally new book. I had many requests for more material and also MANY rejection. I kept writing and having friends and family read chapters and sometimes entire manuscripts. I didn’t do much editing or rewriting in that first year. There were so many stories I wanted to tell that moving on to the next project was very easy for me.

By April of 2010, I had completed seven young adult novels…each one very different and showing some kind of growth from the last. Then an editor who requested my very first novel got back to me with a couple rejections and suggestions before asking me if I was willing to do a complete rewrite and work on a true YA time-travel story with him. Of course, I said yes. And it was such a blast to bounce ideas and create something totally new. By June of 2010, I not only had an agent, but a three book deal with St. Martin’s press and studios interested optioning TEMPEST for possible film adaption. It was quite a wild ride.

Tell us about Tempest and your inspiration for the book
My inspiration for TEMPEST comes from the very basic love story. Two characters who are very different, meeting and falling in love. If I compared TEMPEST to a big pot of soup, the love story would be broth. Then of course, time-travel would be the main ingredient…like the noodles. After I had that established and I began writing it, it was like tossing random items from the fridge into the soup and hoping it creates a brand new dish that many people would like. A little government thriller. A dash of family drama and emotion. A pinch of mystery. It sounds kind of silly, but that’s really how it happened. In layers, one idea at a time.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a third draft of book 2 and a first draft of book 3 pretty much at the same time. I go back and forth between the two depending on when I get edits from my agent or editor on the second book.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
Reading! I love GLEE and a few other regular shows that I watch. I have different volunteer projects that I work on and that’s really enjoyable because being a full time writer means no co-workers and it’s nice to be around people that aren’t related to me sometimes.

Thank you Julie for the opportunity to do this interview!

Tempest is published on the 5th January. You can order a copy here

You can find Julie on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FansOfJulieCross
and on Twitter: @JulieCross1980

 

 

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

 

Hello. I’m Gill Lewis. I live in the depths of Somerset, surrounded by dairy farms and cider orchards. My husband and I are both vets and we have three children 13, 11 and 8. We have an ever increasing menagerie of pets, many of which are rescued animals. Our latest addition is a huge pup with a taste for mince pies and Christmas cards. I’ve always been fascinated by animals. As a child, I could be found in the garden looking for bugs and beetles or catching newts from a neighbour’s pond. It seemed natural that I went on to study to become a vet after leaving school. I was lucky to be able to work as a vet in many different countries, although it was always the wildlife that I was drawn to. I think it was this, and the stories of the people who live alongside these animals that inspired Sky Hawk.

 

 

Tell us about your debut novel Sky Hawk

 

I had the idea for Sky Hawk on a freezing New Year’s Day while looking at an empty swallows’ nest in the eaves of our garden shed. I wondered where the swallows were? Were they swooping in African skies? Could children in Africa see the swallows that my own children had watched all through the summer? I began to research about bird migration and I became fascinated by websites following ospreys fitted with satellite transmitters. I began to wonder if an osprey could connect children across different continents. And so the idea for Sky Hawk was born. The story follows two Scottish children, Callum and Iona, who forge a deep bond of friendship after discovering a pair of ospreys nesting on Callum’s farm. Their friendship is challenged by prejudice against Iona and her family from the local community. But when Callum and Iona find one of the ospreys injured, they do all they can to save it and keep it safe. Events take a tragic turn and it is the journey of the osprey that brings communities together, challenges prejudices and changes Callum’s world forever.

 

 

How did you begin writing?

 

At school I was a real daydreamer and loved writing stories, but my handwriting was very messy and my spelling was so shocking that I never even thought I could be a real writer. It wasn’t until after my children were born that I rediscovered writing. I used to tell my children stories on long car journeys and make up bedtime stories. I loved creating characters and worlds in my head. I wrote several picture books and stories. I had one picture book published, but found it very difficult to find a publisher for my other work. I eventually went on a writing course where I really learned to craft my writing and shape a rather baggy first draft into a novel.

 

 

How long did Sky Hawk take to complete?

 

Sky Hawk took nine months from thinking of the idea to the complete manuscript. The actual writing time was much shorter. I spent much time researching about ospreys and Gambia and learned an awful lot about fly-fishing too.

 

What are you working on now?

 

I’ve just finished White Dolphin, my second novel, which comes out next May 2012. There is an environmental theme running through this book too, about the fragility of the marine life around our coastline. But the heart of the story is about a girl called Kara who is desperate to find news of her missing mother. When an injured dolphin is washed up on the beach, it seems to hold the clues Kara is looking for. Researching this story was great fun. I got to go out on boats looking for dolphins and also learn to sail a dinghy in rough Cornish seas.

 

What do you like to do outside of writing?

 

Our family holidays are often centered in wild places where we look out for wildlife. Last summer, we were very fortunate to be able to travel to Scotland to see Roy Dennis, (the UK osprey expert) fit a satellite transmitter to an osprey sponsored by the UK, US and foreign publishers of Sky Hawk. You can follow Ozwold’s incredible journey on the osprey diary on my website; gilllewis.com

 

I also love swimming. I mull over my story ideas as I swim. It’s a great way to relax. I have a secret desire to swim the English Channel, but I’ve heard it’s a bit chilly and I’m put off by the thought of huge tankers and meeting a Portuguese man-o-war.

Thanks Gill for this great interview!

Sky Hawk has been shortlisted for the Red House Children’s Book Award. To vote, visit www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk

You can find Gill Lewis on twitter: @GillLewis and at her website: www.gilllewis.com

Sky Hawk is out now to purchase..

 

Today we hear from our author in residence, Jessica Warman…

Tell us a little about yourself: 

I’m 30 years old.  I’ve been married for 10 years, and we have two daughters, ages 4 and 6.  I am a terrible homemaker; I can’t cook at all, I’m lousy at doing laundry (imagine a lot of bleeding colors and shrinking), and I don’t even attempt to do any ironing.  I love ice cream; I eat it every single day, always with sprinkles on top, and I don’t feel a bit guilty.  (Life is short!  If I want ice cream, I’m going to eat ice cream!)  I’m an odd kind of introvert: I really enjoy social situations, but they leave me emotionally exhausted, and it often takes me a day or two to fully recover.  Outside of part-time work in college, I’ve never had a job aside from writing.  I would love to own an enormous, slobbery dog (preferably a Saint Bernard, which I would name Marcellus), but my husband won’t stand for it.  I don’t think skinny jeans look good on anyone.

Who were your favourite authors when you were younger?

As a kid, I was absolutely OBSESSED with Ann M. Martin’s Baby-Sitter’s Club series.  I belonged to the fan club and everything; I think I still have my BSC sleeping bag and matching pillowcase stashed away somewhere.  I also LOVED Roald Dahl – I used to read “Matilda” over and over again.  When I got a bit older, I read pretty much everything I could get my hands on.  YA literature wasn’t nearly as big when I was a teen as it is now, so there were way fewer choices – I mostly read the classics.  JD Salinger was my favorite writer for years; I think I’ve read “Catcher in the Rye” at least 20 times.  I fell in love with F. Scott Fitzgerald in high school when I read “The Great Gatsby,” which remains my all-time favorite love story.  Hemingway was (and still is) a favorite of mine, especially his short stories (specifically “Hills Like White Elephants” and “Indian Camp”).  And I think every teen should read “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut.  It’s magical.

Tell us about Between

BETWEEN tells the story of Liz Valchar, a spoiled, pretty, popular girl who somehow ends up dead on her 18th birthday.  She is joined in the afterlife by Alex Berg, another boy from her high school who was killed a year earlier, and whose death remains a mystery.  Though they weren’t friends in life, the two of them form a strong bond as they are forced to work together to uncover the circumstances that led to their deaths.

What are you working on now?

I’m in the process of revising my fourth novel, which doesn’t have a title yet.  It’s a thriller about identical twin sisters with a unique bond.  When one of them disappears, it is up to her remaining twin to figure out what happened.  The book will be out next year, and I’m REALLY excited about it –  I’ve had such a blast writing it, and I can’t wait to see how readers respond!

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Everything!  I absolutely love my job.  I feel so lucky that I get to do what I love for a living.  I think the best part of the writing process is when I become so totally engrossed in a project that I can’t think about anything else.  I love getting up in the morning and starting to write, only to realize later that four or five hours have passed in a blink.  I love getting to know my characters inside and out, learning all the details of their lives and histories, even if those facts don’t end up making it into the book.  I really enjoy all the other aspects of my job, too – going to conferences and interacting with other writers and readers, responding to emails I receive from fans – it’s all wonderful.  I never wanted to be anything besides a writer, and the fact that I’m actually able to do it is a dream come true.

What do you get up to when you’re not writing?

I read a LOT.  It’s definitely my main form of entertainment – we don’t even have cable television in our house.  My life is really pretty busy with writing, promotion, and taking care of my kids, but I always make time to go running.  I’m a distance runner, and it is an absolute passion of mine.  Running is like meditation; it calms your mind and dissolves stress like nothing else that I know of.  Aside from those things…  well, I can tell you that I’m a beer lover.  But not in an excessive way – I love good, strong craft beers with complex flavor, the kind of beers that you drink slowly in order to savor every last sip.  To me, the alcohol content is quite secondary; I drink beer because it’s delicious, not because I want to get drunk.  Aside from all that, I don’t do much else – I don’t really have time!

Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview!  It was fun!

Jessica’s book, Between, is out this month, and here for you to buy now…

Today we share with you our Q&A with Aimee Carter, and then Pamela reviews her debut book, The Goddess Test..

Q&A with Aimee Carter

Tell us a little about yourself

Hi! I’m Aimée Carter, and I wrote a book called The Goddess Test. I live in Detroit, love books, movies, and Harry Potter, and I’m an Aquarius. That just about covers the basics.

Tell us about The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test is essentially a sequel of sorts to the myth of Hades and Persephone, and it’s about a girl, Kate, who takes a test to see if she’s fit to become a goddess. I’ll let the back of the book do the talking for me.

“Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it’s Kate’s turn.

When her mother’s dying wish is to return to her home town, Kate’s willing to do anything to make it come true. Even if it means starting at a new school with no friends—and no hope.

Then she meets Henry. Dark, tortured and mesmerising. Henry offers Kate a reprieve. She thinks he’s crazy. Yet when he brings a dead girl back to life right in front of Kate’s eyes she’s not so sure any more…

Claiming to be Hades, God of the Underworld, Henry’s prepared to make Kate a deal.

He’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

If she succeeds, she’ll become a goddess—and Henry’s bride. If she fails she’ll never see her mother again…

Though based on a mythological tale, how did you come up with your storyline?

It was a process that literally took most of my life. The ‘what if’ if the scenario – what if Persephone left Hades? – came to me when I was young, and that niggled in the back of my mind for a very long time. It wasn’t until I started to write original stories as a teenager that it came back to me, and it took a while for me to sort out how I wanted to explore that scenario. Eventually I figured that there was a test to see if a mortal was worthy of becoming a goddess, but the circumstances behind Kate’s situation didn’t occur to me until about a year before I started writing the book. That final piece – her mother dying from cancer, and Kate walking into this test in order to buy more time – was what really pushed me into the story properly.

What’s your favourite tale from Greek Mythology?

Probably the myth of Hades and Persephone, but I’m also partial to Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as Castor and Pollux. I love the idea of someone loving someone so much that they’d be willing to go to hell and back to save them.

What were your favourite books when you were younger?

I was really into a lot of series when I was younger, including The Babysitters Club and the Thoroughbred series, by Joanne Campbell. I also love The Giver, and I’ve been a fan of Harry Potter since I was in middle school. Mostly I read whatever I could get my hands on, even the backs of cereal boxes.

Thanks, Aimee! Aimee will be on Twitter this Sunday from 8.00pm-9.00pm doing a Book Club so you can join in and ask her any more questions you have about The Goddess Test! Follow her on @aimee_carter. And now onto Pamela’s review..

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter 

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

The Goddess Test, quite simply, was one of the best YA novels I have read this year. And trust me, I’ve read a lot.

The story follows eighteen year old Kate as she moves from New York City with her mother to quiet and rural Eden. Kate’s mother is dying and her days are numbered – and she wants to spend them where she grew up. At her new high school, Kate isn’t interested in making friends or fitting in. All she wants is to make her mother happy…and being in Eden does that.

Kate elicits unwanted attention at school and becomes the target of a cruel prank that has deadly consequences. Popular and beautiful Ava wanted to scare Kate and give her a warning – not lose her life. Ava’s death brings Henry into Kate’s life. Gorgeous and mysterious Henry who, if he is who he claims to be, has the power not only to bring Ava back, but prevent her mother’s death also.

But the question is – what price is Kate willing to pay?

For anyone, let alone a teenager, Kate is under a great deal of pressure. She struggles to come to terms with her mother’s illness and what it will take to save her. Kate was a likeable and sassy character and it was a pleasure to read her story.

The Goddess Test had plenty of twists and turns – a great mystery and also a heart-stopping romance. The Greek mythology throughout was well placed, informative without being overwhelming.

The author’s new and exciting twist on the Olympians was nothing short of fabulous. The great thing about myths is they are open for interpretation – and I loved Aimee Carter’s.

I’m recommending this book to anyone who will listen and I myself cannot wait to reread it. As for the next instalment…can it be 2012 right now?

There aren’t enough stars that will do justice to this sensational novel.

Wow, thanks, Pamela! Thanks to Mira Ink for sending us a copy. It’s available to buy here now..

 

Today we ask put our questions to our author in residence, Mary Hooper….

Tell us a little about yourself

I live about 30 miles outside London, so not too far when I have to do research (inevitably in London). I have a husband and a cat, two little grandchildren, drive a Beetle.

Of the many books you’ve written, do you have favourites or favourite characters, and if so, what and who?!

I am very fond of Eliza Rose, because I had such fun writing that book, and it still makes me cry when I get to the end. Come to think of it, though, I love all my heroines – they are all a lot braver than I could ever be.

How do you come up with your plots and characters?

This is another version of that question that all writers dread: “Where do you get your ideas from?” It is almost impossible to say where stuff comes from. Sometimes you make it up, sometimes you copy things, sometimes you read something and it sets off a chain reaction. It usually starts with the author thinking, “What if…?”

What is it you most enjoy about writing historical novels?

I like finding out things (writers are always nosy) and I think things that happened a couple of hundred years ago are so much more fascinating than modern stuff. Well, don’t you think that Highwaymen, Midwives, Plague, Funerals and Frost Fairs are much more compelling than websites, Twitter, Blackberries, i-tunes and texting?

Tell us about Velvet

The year is 1900 and Velvet works as a laundress in a great big old steam laundry. Following an accident, she is selected by Madame Savoya, a medium (someone who purports to talk to spirits) to go and work at her luxurious house. Madame and her assistant, George, are kindness itself and Velvet immediately falls for the good-looking George. But is all as it seems…?

What are you working on at the moment?

A book set in 1813 – Regency time – but not with fops and dandies, tea dances and polite society taking the waters, but much more about the dark side: the difficult lives that ordinary people led.

When you’re not writing, what do you love to do?

Read, see friends, eat out, swim in the sea. And oh, I have just bought an inflatable canoe and have been paddling up and down the Thames. Have only fallen in twice so far…

Thanks, Mary! You can find out more about Mary and her books here. Look out for our review of Velvet coming soon, along with a giveaway…

 

Today we’re taking part in the Hunting Lila blog tour. We’ve a Q&A with the author, Sarah Alderson, followed by our review of the book. You can then catch the next part of the tour tomorrow over at Nayu’s Reading Corner.

Q&A with Sarah Alderson

When did you first decide to start writing?

I didn’t grow up with a burning desire to be a writer. I didn’t staple paper together when I was six and write stories about fairies that lived at the bottom of the garden. OK, I wrote some really, really awful poetry for a while which I think my ex-boyfriend still has and hopefully won’t put on ebay when I’m famous. When I was about ten I was asked to write a story about an invention – any invention that we could think of – and the page stayed blank. When I was eighteen my English teacher told me not to bother applying to read English at university.

I did write other things despite these early warnings to take up maths instead; diaries, newsletters, amusing emails to friends, love letters (sent and unsent) an early blog at the start of the century, countless essays about the Renaissance, the resistance and neo realist cinema, and then once I started work I wrote millions of words of wildly creative nonsense in the form of funding reports and applications to government for large amounts of money.

Then, in 2009 my husband and I decided we’d had enough of living and working in London and wanted to travel the world looking for somewhere else to live – somewhere hot, somewhere we wouldn’t have to work 9-5. So I resigned, and then started having panic attacks over what I would do to earn money.

That very day I was swimming and trying to work out what I could do and I thought ‘I know I’ll write a book’…and that really is the story of how I decided to write.

Hilariously, if I’d done any research and discovered what the average writer earns I might have kept swimming until I came up with another idea. But luckily I didn’t because once I started writing I couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured it out before. I’m meant to write. It’s my passion. I get lost in it every day.

Before I got a publishing deal I had constant doubts that I could actually be a writer, call myself that or even make money from it. And then I met someone, a journalist, and told her my dream and she looked at me as if I was being stupid and simply said, ‘Be a writer.’

I said to her, ‘I can’t just be a writer.’

And she asked, ‘Why not?’

It was the best advice I ever got. Because from that point on I started calling myself a writer and actually believing it. Two days after she told me that I had my first feature piece accepted by the Guardian. Four months afterwards I signed my first book contract.

What made you set ‘Hunting Lila’ in California?

I love California. After Bali it’s my favourite place in the world. It’s so spectacularly beautiful. I wanted to write about places I had been to, that I would feel confident describing, and I knew I didn’t want to base the book entirely in south London where I grew up. I mean it’s just not as glamorous really, is it?

But the ultimate decision to base it in California came when I was researching Marine bases. Lila’s brother Jack and his best friend Alex work for a shady military organization. I wanted them to be trained marines (too much watching 24 and Generation Kill). They needed to be able to handle weapons, kick serious bad guy butt, have access to sensitive information, know how to go on the run without being detected and… ok, maybe I just have a thing for a man in uniform with an amazingly ripped body who rides a motorbike dangerously…yeah, that would be closer to the truth.

When I was researching the book I looked up Marine bases in the US and found there was one in southern California. And double excitement… it was where Top Gun had been filmed. It was a Bingo! moment. I think I sat there grinning as all the pieces slotted into place (minus Tom Cruise).

How long did the book take to write?

Hunting Lila took me about four and a half months to write. I was working full time when I wrote it and so could only write in the evenings after my daughter was in bed. OK… I’d also write a little bit when no one was watching at work. Don’t tell them.

My first draft was very, very long. My agent made me edit it and that took another month. I’m a really fast writer though, and now I live in Bali and write full time (and have a housekeeper to do all my laundry) it only takes me about four to six weeks to write a book.

What are you currently working on? Is a sequel to Hunting Lila planned?

I’ve already written the sequel to Hunting Lila. I finished it before I even had a book deal. It just needed to be written. And I didn’t care if it ever saw the light of day. I wrote it for Alex and Lila. That sounds crazy but in my head they were so real I felt like I had to finish their story – I couldn’t leave them hanging. Luckily Simon & Schuster didn’t want to leave them hanging either – book two comes out in summer 2012.

I have a really good idea for a third book but we’ll see how the first two go before I start writing that one!

I’ve written three books in another series too (I told you I’m a fast writer). The first of those, Fated, is out in January. It’s about a seventeen-year old girl who finds out she’s a demon slayer. There’s a powerful love story, a cast of colourful characters and tons more action. I like my girl characters to be the ones who can really handle themselves, who don’t need rescuing all the time. I love the theme of that book – it’s about whether we’re in control of our own destiny or not, and how important it is to determine our own identity; not letting ourselves be told as a teenager who we are and what to believe in, but figuring it out for ourselves and then holding true to it.

What do you like to do other than writing?

I read voraciously. But only when I’m not writing. I find it too distracting to read other people’s books when I’m writing one.
I live on a tropical island so I spend a lot of time hanging out at the beach, machete-ing coconuts and getting massages. It’s a tough life but someone’s got to do it.  My husband’s a DJ and I’m obsessed with music (you can follow my playlists for Hunting Lila and my other books on spotify http://open.spotify.com/user/sarahalderson ).

I dance. A lot.

And watch a criminal amount of movies and TV series’ – basically anything made by HBO, written by David Simon or created by Alan Ball.

What are your favourite books?

This changes over time but the most constant ones on the list are:

Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord – Louis de Bernieres
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
A Room with a View – E.M. Forster
If this is a man – Primo Levi
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkein And from the last couple of years in young adult:
The Hunger Games Trilogy – Suzanne Collins
Perfect Chemistry – Simone Elkeles
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour – Morgan Matson

Tell us a bit about Hunting Lila

There’s a girl – Lila. She’s half-English, half-American. She’s been in love with her brother’s best friend Alex for most of her life but he doesn’t know it. She’s also hiding the fact that she has the ability to make things move just by looking at them, except she’s not very good at controlling it.

One day walking home from school she gets mugged at knifepoint and accidentally turns the knife on the mugger, almost killing him. She hightails it to southern California, where her brother and Alex live. They’re working for a mysterious organization called The Unit.
Lila discovers pretty early on that her brother and Alex are hunting down the people who killed her mother five years before and then comes a series of other revelations which force Lila into a series of situations.

I don’t want to give too much away, suffice to say there are several gasp out loud moments and just when you think you know where it’s going there’s another twist.

Lila’s on the run a lot of the time, being hunted, and it’s not until the end of the book that you find out exactly why she’s being hunted and what exactly the stakes are.

Nothing’s really what it seems. It’s a love story, but it’s also a thriller. And Lila’s pretty funny so it’ll make you laugh too.

Are any of the characters based on real people or are they purely fictional?

Well, my dad read Hunting Lila and thought Lila was just like me but he’s the first person to think that. She has elements of me, but so do all my characters – even the psycho ones – they’re all a part of me.

Alex, Lila’s long-term love interest, is based on a few people – initially I was inspired by Alex Skarsgard (yep, I even named him after him!) after seeing him in Generation Kill but then as I wrote he took on a lot of my husband’s characteristics – and his eyes – this intense crystal blue colour with flecks of amber at the centre, also my husband’s integrity and his inscrutability. The fact Alex is hard to read makes him mysterious but he also has an innate kindness and gentleness. He’s not macho or aggressive because he doesn’t need to be. He’s completely self-assured. Basically, all the qualities that in my mind make up the perfect man.  The possessiveness that Jack, Lila’s brother, demonstrates and the relationship he has with Lila, is based a lot on my own brother and our relationship – there were a few times when we were growing up he got mad at me for dating his girlfriends’ brothers. And a few times he defended my sixteen-year old honour. He never punched a tree though.

The only character who is based completely on an actual person – kind of, well all apart from his telekinetic ability – is Harvey. He’s based on my best friend’s husband. I put him in the book because my best friend reads every chapter as I write and I thought it would amuse her. I didn’t realize how big a character Harvey would become. In book two he rocks it. I have a whole fantasy cast in my head. You can see more here: http://sarah.johnalderson.net/casts/

Thanks, Sarah! Those questions were put together by Bookbabbler Sarah, and here’s her review of Hunting Lila…

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson 

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever. After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust – her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they’ve found them. In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone – there are others out there just like her – people with special powers -and her mother’s killer is one of them…

Hunting Lila is a paranormal thriller, which will leave you on the edge of your seat. This is Sarah Alderson’s first novel and it is an amazing debut.

The novel begins in South London, but is mainly set in California. Lila Loveday, the heroine, is a seventeen year old girl at pains with herself for two reasons; firstly she is in love with her brother’s best friend Alex (but he doesn’t know this) and secondly she possesses a secret power allowing her to move items with her thoughts, but she does not really know how to control this.

After a mugging where Lila sees her powers come into action, she flees to Los Angeles (buying a ticket on her father’s credit card) to the sanctuary of her elder brother Jack. However, rather than a few days to relax it is here that Lila’s life really begins to change and paranormal seems to become normal. Lila goes to California to escape her fears and yet it is here that she must confront them.

Lila discovers that Jack and Alex are working for an organization called ‘The Unit’ and are trying to track down her mother’s killers. I fell totally in love with the character of Alex, both protective and gorgeous and I can see why Lila is obsessed with him! By the end of the novel, I felt that I knew the characters and I think this is because the author has cast their roles so well. Lila is funny and approachable and her obsession with Alex makes her very down to earth. The characters of Alex and Jack are the type of male that every girl dreams of; good looking, in uniform, and brave!

The ending of this book is real edge of your seat reading, I was totally enthralled. This is my favourite read of the year so far, gripping throughout it is a paranormal and romance linked perfectly together. I cannot wait to read the next book from Sarah Alderson. Fans of paranormal and romance should read this, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks, Sarah, it sounds brilliant! Thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending us a review copy – it’s here for you to buy now…

It’s a new month, so we have a new ‘author in residence’ with us – a warm welcome to Stephanie Burgis! Stephanie has a new book, A Tangle of Magicks, out this month, and we’ll be bringing you our review of it (along with a chance for you to win it!) later this month, along with hearing more from Steph. In the meantime, get to know her a little better…

Give us a little intro to yourself

I’m a dual UK/US citizen, and I live in Wales with my husband, web designer (and writer!) Patrick Samphire, our toddler son (known on my blog as “Mr Darcy”), and our sweet border collie mix, Maya. My trilogy of Regency-era fantasy novels for kids, The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson, started with A MOST IMPROPER MAGICK, and Book 2, A TANGLE OF MAGICKS is out now. You can read the first three chapters of both novels on my website (www.stephanieburgis.com) .

What made you start to write?

I’ve been obsessed with books ever since my parents first started to read them to me. It wasn’t until I was seven years old, though, that I finally realized there was something even more fun than reading: writing! I was determined from that moment to be a professional writer when I grew up. I feel incredibly lucky that I am actually living that dream now.

Tell us about A Tangle of Magicks

A Tangle of Magicks is Book 2 in The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson, but it can also stand on its own for readers who haven’t had the chance to read A Most Improper Magick yet. Here’s what my publisher says about it:
Kat’s stepmother drags their family to the fashionable city of Bath to remove Kat’s sister Angeline from a most improper suitor. But unbeknownst to Stepmama, Regency-era Bath is full of notorious rakes, Napoleonic spies, and dangerous wild magic!
When Kat uncovers a plot to harness the wild magic in the Roman Baths, she finds her brother Charles is unwittingly involved. Now Kat must risk her own newfound magical powers as she defies the powerful Order of the Guardians to foil the plot and clear her brother’s name.

Where did the inspiration come from for your heroine, Kat Stephenson?

I always adored the novels of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, and several of them include younger sisters who only pop up in the book for long enough to say something snarky and disrespectful to their older sisters (the romantic heroines). I thought it would be really fun to make my heroine the *youngest* sister, busy carrying out her own fabulous magical adventures even while her older sisters are distracted by mere romance.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love playing with my toddler son, reading books (both to him and to myself), visiting gorgeous natural places like woods and lakes, and visiting castles. (I *love* castles – one of my favourite things about the town I live in now is that there are two different castles within a 20-minute drive from my house!)

Hard question – if you could only read 3 more books again (giving you 3 choices, as 1 must be impossible!), what would they be?

1. The Collected Works of Jane Austen (I know, this is cheating, but still…!)

2. The Lord of the Rings (in a collected 1-volume edition, of course!

3. The Talisman Ring, by Georgette Heyer. Sooo delicious and funny!

Thanks, Steph! Look out for more from Steph with us this month, visit her website here, and follow her on Twitter here.