Beth Revis's Blog, page 12
March 6, 2014
A Conversation with MG Buehrlen on Embracing Your Inner Nerd
Today it is my pleasure to welcome debut author MG Buehrlen to my blog! Her new book, The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare hit shelves this Tuesday. It's a story of past lives and time travel, fitting in and accepting yourself. You can read all about here or on MG's site here--you should totally check it out!
To celebrate the book, MG and I did a very special interview. Rather than just make up questions for her to answer, MG and I wrote back and forth, talking about various different topics that span the YA world and The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare. Read on for our talk, as well as more info on the book!
MG: So, let's talk about EMBRACING YOUR INNER WEIRD. This is something I struggled with so much as a teen — that fear of being ridiculed over something I was deeply passionate about. My passion has always been writing epic adventures and twisty mysteries, but I didn't share that passion with the world until I was much older and much more confident. I was terrified of being teased, so I swept my dream of being an author under the rug. Why is it that girls seem to be criticized more than guys when it comes to expressing their dreams and passions?BR: Maybe it has something to do more with the nature of the dream than with the dreamer. Because the arts--any arts--are so subjective, there's always the chance that someone won't like the work. If you want to paint a house, there's a clear end-goal in sight, and everyone knows when a house is painted well or not. But if you want to paint someone's portrait, it become a little trickier. Is a photo-realistic portrait of a person "better" than a cubist one? Is something very classical, like the Pre-Raphaelite art, a successful portrait, or is Impressionism? And don't even get me started on Jackson Pollack.
Jackson Pollack artSo, I think it may have less to do with gender lines than it does with the artistic pursuits--perhaps it's just that more women tend to go into the liberal arts than men.
Writing is, in some ways, one of the most soul-crushing dreams to have in the modern world. Successful traditional writing requires many people--an agent, an editor, a publisher, marketing, etc.--to all agree with you that your dream is worthy of success. There are a lot of chances to fail. Add to that the fact that writing requires solitary time--for most people, at least a year to produce a finished work, and nothing to show for it but words. No one expects a painter to sell his first painting in a major gallery, but the first question anyone gets when she's finished a book is, "When will it be published?"
But of course, the thing the writer must do at the end of the day is to stand up, present the work, and hope for the best. When were you able to seize that part of the dream, and how did you find the courage to push past your fears?
MG: That’s a good point. I wasn’t teased when I said I wanted to be a teacher or work with computers. Maybe it wasn’t the profession choice that brought on the fear of being teased, but rather the fear that I wouldn’t be any good. The fear of folks pointing at my painting and saying it was no good. Honestly, my courage came when I was out on my own in the world, when I was no longer being graded on everything I did (like in school). I pulled back and created in private. I didn’t let anyone critique me for years. It was bliss. It was freedom. No one had a say in my writing except me. Thankfully, I was tough on myself, and I pushed and pushed until I knew I had something worth publishing. That’s when I put my work out there again. I think the difference was that I wanted to be graded on my work instead of being forced to be graded, whether I wanted it or not. The love of the craft had outweighed my fear.
Maybe that’s the heart of the matter. When you’re being bullied and teased, you’re not being allowed to LOVE something with all that’s in you. I think that’s why being a part of a fandom is so important. Within those community walls, you’re allowed to adore something so much that you totally spaz out with ALL THE FEELS. I think we all need that kind of freedom in some area of our lives.
It kind of reminds me of Amy in Across the Universe -- how she never thought she’d miss the sky until she didn’t have one. She was cooped up in that box of a spaceship, with hard and fast rules and walls and boundaries. She didn’t have the freedom she needed to fully live and breathe. I think I felt trapped like that too much as a kid, especially in the public school system. Did you?
BR: YES! I think you've hit the nail on the head entirely. One of the worst things about being bullied and teased is that often, the bullies will tease you for two key things: What you are and cannot help being, and what you want to be. What we are and what we desire are two fundamental parts of our psyche. That's why bullies are so cruel--they're picking on you for things you can't change even if you wanted to. They are the antithesis of acceptance, lovers of conformity, and crushers of our true selves. It's hard enough for someone to be who they want to be on an everyday basis--add to that someone who's constantly telling them that what they want to be is WRONG, and it's little wonder why people get pushed to the edge.
Embracing who you are and what you want out of life so hard that the haters can't make you question yourself is the surest way to escape the vicious cycle of bullying. That or a punch in the face. But I probably shouldn't recommend violence.
Jamestown, site of the "Starving Time"I loved how you connected this to Amy--so true! The claustrophobia she experiences is so much more than the steel walls around her. Ironically, growing up, I think I put myself in the box, though. I was lucky to not really have many experiences with bullying--but I wanted to belong so much, I willingly tucked myself into a corner of conformity. It wasn't until college--when I moved away from home and started seeing others embrace individuality--that I started to change and become the person I am today. College was a huge transformation for me--and, it should be noted, the first time I started embracing the idea of becoming a writer.
To turn the question back around to you, in your debut, The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare, Alex is teased for something she can't help--slipping back in time to other lives. Even her teachers turn on her--when she argues about a history lesson (because she was there! and knows the teacher is wrong!), I found the teacher's reaction to be even sadder than the kids who tease Alex. Fortunately, though, Alex soon learns what she really is, and comes into her own...
MG: Ha! It's funny you mention Alex's jerky teacher. I modeled that teacher directly after a teacher of mine who seemed to enjoy sucking the life out of me and my passions. I don't think this particular teacher knew they were doing that to me at the time, but I certainly had my share of adult bullies as well as peer bullies. I wrote that scene in 57 Lives partly because it was cathartic, but also because I know there are kids out there who are butting heads with jerky teachers of their own. I wanted to show them that it happens to the best of us, and we do get over it/get past it eventually. I also wanted to show that Alex's world is so much bigger and more important than this one little class with this one little teacher. She has to learn that what that teacher thinks of her doesn't define her.
This version of the print is available here.That's another thing I struggled with as a teen. Letting others define me. Label me. Get mad at me when I didn't fit into the box they'd created for me. I think most people have a good college experience like you did, one that opens their minds to individuality. Sadly, I didn't. The more I tried to express myself, the more I was judged. The more I reached for my goals, the more I was told I would never meet them, so I should change my focus. I think I just chose the wrong school, honestly. If I had chosen a more artistic-minded college, my experience might have been better. It wasn't until I took control of my path, and stopped letting others map it for me, that I found my feet.
My mom gave me the best gift ever recently -- a framed print of this quote, "She believed she could, so she did." How true for me, personally. No matter how many times people tried to redirect my dreams, I kept the course I believed in. And I came through the other side. I'm pretty proud of that. :)
BR: As a former educator, hearing that teacher was based on real life makes me want to punch things. How horrid! Not that I'm surprised--I definitely witnessed that with others, both as a student and a teacher. But still: horribly bad.
I think it's true of the world that people want others to fit into a box. Part of it is human nature: we want to understand, but understanding requires a definition of what a thing is. Obviously in some ways this is needed--if you have a medical complaint, it's important, for example, for the doctor to know if you're a boy or a girl, or certain ethnicity, or have a certain background. But on a societal level, a human being is hard to define, and when people buck the definitions expected of them, people panic--they try to force you back into the box, or try to relabel you as something else, something other, something dangerous.
What people often forget, though, is that each and everyone one of us is in a constant state of defining and redefining who and what we are.
That's another thing I really liked about Alex--and it reminds me of the quote your mom gave you, too--that she really came into her own when she decided who and what she wanted to be. She dabbles with trying to cram herself into the box, but rejects others expectations in order to be herself--and once she decides to do that, there's no stopping her.
MG: So true. I guess that's a part of myself that I wrote into Alex. I'm just glad she learns that lesson while still in her teen years (unlike me). And I'll definitely let you do some punching on my behalf. ;-)
Thanks for having me on the blog today, Beth. I certainly wouldn't be here if I hadn't embraced my weird!
Thank you so much for being here! Readers, you can find MG's book, The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare wherever books are sold. Here's a little more about it:
For as long as 17-year-old Alex Wayfare can remember, she has had visions of the past. Visions that make her feel like she’s really on a ship bound for America, living in Jamestown during the Starving Time, or riding the original Ferris wheel at the World’s Fair.But these brushes with history pull her from her daily life without warning, sometimes leaving her with strange lasting effects and wounds she can’t explain. Trying to excuse away the aftereffects has booked her more time in the principal’s office than in any of her classes and a permanent place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Alex is desperate to find out what her visions mean and get rid of them.
It isn’t until she meets Porter, a stranger who knows more than should be possible about her, that she learns the truth: Her visions aren’t really visions. Alex is a Descender – capable of traveling back in time by accessing Limbo, the space between Life and Afterlife. Alex is one soul with fifty-six past lives, fifty-six histories.
Fifty-six lifetimes to explore: the prospect is irresistible to Alex, especially when the same mysterious boy with soulful blue eyes keeps showing up in each of them. But the more she descends, the more it becomes apparent that someone doesn’t want Alex to travel again. Ever.
And will stop at nothing to make this life her last.
Order links:
Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Amazon | Indiebound | The Book Depository | Waterstones
About MG Buehrlen:
When she’s not writing, M.G. moonlights as a web designer and social media/creative director. She’s the current web ninja lurking behind the hugely popular website YABooksCentral.com, a social network for YA (and kids!) book lovers. The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare is her debut novel. M.G. lives nestled away in Michigan pines, surrounded by good coffee and good books, with her husband and son and three furbabies. Say hello on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr.
Diverse Worlds + Winner
I want to thank everyone for participating in my series on diverse worlds and settings. Authors, thank you for sharing your stories! Readers, thank you for sharing the love of stories!
I hope you liked this series--if so, please let me know on Twitter or Facebook so I can plan more features in the future.
And now for the moment you were all waiting for--the winner of the prize pack!
We had nearly 900 entries total, and I used Rafflecopter to randomly select one winner. And that winner is...
AMANDA T.
Congrats, Amanda! I've emailed the winner already--thanks to everyone who participated!
I hope you liked this series--if so, please let me know on Twitter or Facebook so I can plan more features in the future.
And now for the moment you were all waiting for--the winner of the prize pack!
We had nearly 900 entries total, and I used Rafflecopter to randomly select one winner. And that winner is...
AMANDA T.
Congrats, Amanda! I've emailed the winner already--thanks to everyone who participated!
March 4, 2014
Where in the World are Christina Garner, Myra McEntire, & Jessica Spotswood?
Due to popular demand, this feature is extending by one more week! You still have one week to enter the contest, too!
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Gateway
by Christina Garner
Set in: Los Angeles
Why did you pick this setting? I chose to set Gateway in Los Angeles because I've lived here for many years and know it better than any other city. I wanted L.A. to be more than a setting; I wanted it to add to the mood of the book. Growing up in Los Angeles has definitely shaped the personality of Ember, the main character in the novel.
Also, if you've lived in Los Angeles--especially if you've attended a few Hollywood parties--it's pretty easy to believe that a mansion in the hills could house a gateway to a demon world...
What makes your book's setting unique? It is illegal within the city limits of Los Angeles to place two children under the age of two in a bathtub at the same time.
__________________________
Hourglass
Series by Myra McEntire
Set in: Franklin, Memphis, New Orleans
Why did you pick this setting? Because I was born and raised in the South, and I think we get a bad rap. It seems like Southerners are the only people group who are still free game for reality television and media. I chose the fictional town of Ivy Springs (which is actually Franklin, Tennessee) because it's historical and hip at the same time. Is hip the right word? Do the kids still say hip? Memphis = barbecue so that's a win all around. And New Orleans? You can fill in the blank. It has BOURBON STREET and The Originals takes place there!
What makes your book's setting unique? Carnton Plantation is located in Franklin.
"Beginning at 4 p.m. on November 30, 1864, Carnton was witness to one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Civil War. Everything the McGavock family ever knew was forever changed. The Confederate Army of Tennessee furiously assaulted the Federal army entrenched along the southern edge of Franklin. The resulting battle, believed to be the bloodiest five hours of the Civil War, involved a massive frontal assault larger than Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. The majority of the combat occurred in the dark and at close quarters. The Battle of Franklin lasted barely five hours and led to some 9,500 soldiers being killed, wounded, captured, or counted as missing. Nearly 7,000 of that number were Confederate troops. Carnton served as the largest field hospital in the area for hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers
A staff officer later wrote that "the wounded, in hundreds, were brought to [the house] during the battle, and all the night after. And when the noble old house could hold no more, the yard was appropriated until the wounded and dead filled that....""
__________________________
Star Cursed
by Jessica Spotswood
Set in: alternate New England in the 1890s
Why did you pick this setting? In the Cahill Witch Chronicles, I wanted to play around with the notion of witches as women outside the Victorian norm in some way -- too educated, unmarried, poor, not straight, not Caucasian. In my books, New England is its own country bound by the Spanish territories to the south and Indo-China to the west and ruled by the patriarchal priests of the Brotherhood. Magic has been outlawed. If a woman is suspected of being a witch (or caught with banned books, or caught kissing another woman) she'll be thrown into an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave. Women have to announce an intention to marry before they turn 17 or the Brothers will choose a husband for them. Dancing and music have also been outlawed. This creates an environment where powerful, frustrated witches might be secretly seeding rebellion...which is brewing in STAR CURSED and comes to a boil in SISTERS' FATE.
What makes your book's setting unique? In STAR CURSED, the Brotherhood rules that women should no longer be allowed to work outside the home - or learn to read. They call on the faithful to bring books to burn in town squares across New England. One of my favorite scenes takes place during a book-burning in Richmond Square in the capital city of New London. The notion of tossing books in a bonfire horrifies me, so it was easy to make it terrifying for Cate!
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Gateway
by Christina GarnerSet in: Los Angeles
Why did you pick this setting? I chose to set Gateway in Los Angeles because I've lived here for many years and know it better than any other city. I wanted L.A. to be more than a setting; I wanted it to add to the mood of the book. Growing up in Los Angeles has definitely shaped the personality of Ember, the main character in the novel.
Also, if you've lived in Los Angeles--especially if you've attended a few Hollywood parties--it's pretty easy to believe that a mansion in the hills could house a gateway to a demon world...
What makes your book's setting unique? It is illegal within the city limits of Los Angeles to place two children under the age of two in a bathtub at the same time.
__________________________
Hourglass
Series by Myra McEntireSet in: Franklin, Memphis, New Orleans
Why did you pick this setting? Because I was born and raised in the South, and I think we get a bad rap. It seems like Southerners are the only people group who are still free game for reality television and media. I chose the fictional town of Ivy Springs (which is actually Franklin, Tennessee) because it's historical and hip at the same time. Is hip the right word? Do the kids still say hip? Memphis = barbecue so that's a win all around. And New Orleans? You can fill in the blank. It has BOURBON STREET and The Originals takes place there!
What makes your book's setting unique? Carnton Plantation is located in Franklin.
"Beginning at 4 p.m. on November 30, 1864, Carnton was witness to one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Civil War. Everything the McGavock family ever knew was forever changed. The Confederate Army of Tennessee furiously assaulted the Federal army entrenched along the southern edge of Franklin. The resulting battle, believed to be the bloodiest five hours of the Civil War, involved a massive frontal assault larger than Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. The majority of the combat occurred in the dark and at close quarters. The Battle of Franklin lasted barely five hours and led to some 9,500 soldiers being killed, wounded, captured, or counted as missing. Nearly 7,000 of that number were Confederate troops. Carnton served as the largest field hospital in the area for hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers
A staff officer later wrote that "the wounded, in hundreds, were brought to [the house] during the battle, and all the night after. And when the noble old house could hold no more, the yard was appropriated until the wounded and dead filled that....""
__________________________
Star Cursed
by Jessica SpotswoodSet in: alternate New England in the 1890s
Why did you pick this setting? In the Cahill Witch Chronicles, I wanted to play around with the notion of witches as women outside the Victorian norm in some way -- too educated, unmarried, poor, not straight, not Caucasian. In my books, New England is its own country bound by the Spanish territories to the south and Indo-China to the west and ruled by the patriarchal priests of the Brotherhood. Magic has been outlawed. If a woman is suspected of being a witch (or caught with banned books, or caught kissing another woman) she'll be thrown into an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave. Women have to announce an intention to marry before they turn 17 or the Brothers will choose a husband for them. Dancing and music have also been outlawed. This creates an environment where powerful, frustrated witches might be secretly seeding rebellion...which is brewing in STAR CURSED and comes to a boil in SISTERS' FATE.
What makes your book's setting unique? In STAR CURSED, the Brotherhood rules that women should no longer be allowed to work outside the home - or learn to read. They call on the faithful to bring books to burn in town squares across New England. One of my favorite scenes takes place during a book-burning in Richmond Square in the capital city of New London. The notion of tossing books in a bonfire horrifies me, so it was easy to make it terrifying for Cate!
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 3, 2014
Where in the World are...Leah Cypess, Gwenda Bond, & Kami Garcia?
Due to popular demand, this feature is extending by one more week! You still have one week to enter the contest, too!
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Death Sworn
by Leah Cypess
Set in: In a maze of underground caverns
Why did you pick this setting? I wanted Death Sworn to be a self-contained, claustrophobic murder mystery, and what better place to create that atmosphere than in a series of dark, underground caverns? I'm also generally fascinated by caves, and have written descriptions of every cave I've been in since I was a teenager - this seemed like a fabulous excuse to use them.
What makes your book's setting unique? In the original version of the book, the caves had bats, mostly because I once walked into a cave full of bats and wanted to use that description too. However, my awesome caving expert friend Leah Clifford was kind enough to read the book and point out some minor inconsistencies, like the fact that the cave system I had set up wasn't really equipped to keep bats alive. So they had to go.
__________________________
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
Coming October 2014
Set in: A glamorous modern circus.
Why did you pick this setting? I've always been obsessed with circuses and books set against that backdrop, but never thought I'd write one of my own. Then, of course, I had an idea I could not resist. GIRL ON A WIRE is an epic family drama in which a daredevil high-wire walking heroine and a gifted male trapeze flyer, the latest generation of two rival families, are forced to work together to solve a dangerous and possibly magical mystery. And thus my own personal modern day dream circus, the Cirque American, was born.
What makes your book's setting unique? There may not be big cats or elephants at the Cirque American, but secrets, danger, and buried history are in plentiful supply.
__________________________
Unbreakable
by Kami Garcia
Set in: Washington, DC
Why did you pick this setting? UNBREAKABLE begins on the Georgetown University campus, a few blocks away from my 17 year-old heroine's row house. Kennedy is a regular girl. But when her mother dies, she discovers that her mom was a member of a secret society of ghost hunters, who protect the word from a vengeful demon. Kennedy has to join four teens and take her mother's if she wants to learn the truth and stay alive. I chose Washington Dc -- and Georgetown -- because I know the area well. I grew up in Maryland and attended school in DC. Georgetown University is steeped with folklore related to the supernatural, and Dc is a historic and romantic city. With Lukas and Jared, two hot twin boys in the novel, a romantic setting is a must.
What makes your book's setting unique? Georgetown University was built around a tiny Jesuit cemetery that is still in the center of the campus. But Healey Hall is the building with the most haunted history. There's a video on my YouTube Channel where I'm on the campus talking about it.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Death Sworn
by Leah CypessSet in: In a maze of underground caverns
Why did you pick this setting? I wanted Death Sworn to be a self-contained, claustrophobic murder mystery, and what better place to create that atmosphere than in a series of dark, underground caverns? I'm also generally fascinated by caves, and have written descriptions of every cave I've been in since I was a teenager - this seemed like a fabulous excuse to use them.
What makes your book's setting unique? In the original version of the book, the caves had bats, mostly because I once walked into a cave full of bats and wanted to use that description too. However, my awesome caving expert friend Leah Clifford was kind enough to read the book and point out some minor inconsistencies, like the fact that the cave system I had set up wasn't really equipped to keep bats alive. So they had to go.
__________________________
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
Coming October 2014
Set in: A glamorous modern circus.
Why did you pick this setting? I've always been obsessed with circuses and books set against that backdrop, but never thought I'd write one of my own. Then, of course, I had an idea I could not resist. GIRL ON A WIRE is an epic family drama in which a daredevil high-wire walking heroine and a gifted male trapeze flyer, the latest generation of two rival families, are forced to work together to solve a dangerous and possibly magical mystery. And thus my own personal modern day dream circus, the Cirque American, was born.
What makes your book's setting unique? There may not be big cats or elephants at the Cirque American, but secrets, danger, and buried history are in plentiful supply.
__________________________
Unbreakable
by Kami GarciaSet in: Washington, DC
Why did you pick this setting? UNBREAKABLE begins on the Georgetown University campus, a few blocks away from my 17 year-old heroine's row house. Kennedy is a regular girl. But when her mother dies, she discovers that her mom was a member of a secret society of ghost hunters, who protect the word from a vengeful demon. Kennedy has to join four teens and take her mother's if she wants to learn the truth and stay alive. I chose Washington Dc -- and Georgetown -- because I know the area well. I grew up in Maryland and attended school in DC. Georgetown University is steeped with folklore related to the supernatural, and Dc is a historic and romantic city. With Lukas and Jared, two hot twin boys in the novel, a romantic setting is a must.
What makes your book's setting unique? Georgetown University was built around a tiny Jesuit cemetery that is still in the center of the campus. But Healey Hall is the building with the most haunted history. There's a video on my YouTube Channel where I'm on the campus talking about it.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 2, 2014
Where in the World are...Sonia Gensler, Alexandra Duncan, & Marissa Meyer
Due to popular demand, this feature is extending by one more week! You still have one week to enter the contest, too!
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler
Set in: Cambridge, England, 1901
Why did you pick this setting? The story centers on three teens whose parents are paranormal investigators. These investigators are loosely based on actual founding members of the Society for Psychical Research, most of whom had a Cambridge connection. One of the founders went on to set up a women's college called Newnham, which inspired the main setting of The Dark Between--Summerfield College. Cambridge dazzles with its grand architecture and storied past, but it also soothes the soul with meadows and pastures and quiet wooded walks. I wish I could set all my novels there!
What makes your book's setting unique? Cambridge is always teeming with people--students, locals, tourists--and probably has for centuries. But Newnham College, the inspiration for Summerfield, is set a little distance from the city center in a quiet neighborhood. When you walk inside, you feel as though you've entered another world--a safe, calm refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. It seemed the perfect place for three characters to hide from their problems . . . but also the perfect place for a murderer to hide illicit activities.
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Salvage
by Alexandra Duncan
Set in: The Gyre - aka the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Why did you pick this setting? Truth is definitely stranger than fiction, and sometimes you hear about something that's too good not to include in a story. There is an area in the Pacific Ocean where currents converge in such a way that all kinds of garbage and debris collect on the ocean surface. In SALVAGE, people in the future have constructed a floating patchwork city that allows them to collect, clean, and resell this refuse. This isn't such a stretch as you might think. People in all corners of the world actually live in garbage dumps and make their living picking through the trash. It isn't impossible to think people in the future might do the same in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
What makes your book's setting unique? True, real life fact - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is what scientists call an "ocean desert," which means that it is basically a dead zone in the middle of the ocean with very little marine life.
Made up fact from my book - It never storms in the Gyre. Or does it?
__________________________
Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
Set in: New Beijing (futuristic China)
Why did you pick this setting? Cinder is a futuristic retelling of the fairy tale "Cinderella." For the setting I was largely inspired by what some scholars believe is the earliest Cinderella tale, “Ye Xian,” which was written in 9th-century China. Additionally, some believe that the iconic glass slipper (which was gold in the Grimm version) came to us from China’s tradition of foot-binding and a culture in which women were praised for tiny feet. So setting Cinder in China seemed to have a great cyclical quality to it, and paid homage to some of the tale's roots.
What makes your book's setting unique? One of my favorite parts of writing in this setting was researching traditional symbolism I could include in the books, particularly when it came to festivities and celebrations. For example, in the Chinese culture, bats symbolize good luck - so I decided to give my own twist to that and have all Eastern Commonwealth spaceships have bats in them somewhere/somehow, so that they no longer just symbolize good luck, but good sight in the darkness of space. (Come to think of it, this may not get mentioned until the fourth book of the series...) But a lot of the elements mentioned for the coronation and peace festival and the ball in "Cinder" were also taken directly from Chinese culture. For example, the ball is decorated with a theme of longevity (cranes, tortoises, bamboo, etc.) to encourage long life for their emperor.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
The Dark Between by Sonia GenslerSet in: Cambridge, England, 1901
Why did you pick this setting? The story centers on three teens whose parents are paranormal investigators. These investigators are loosely based on actual founding members of the Society for Psychical Research, most of whom had a Cambridge connection. One of the founders went on to set up a women's college called Newnham, which inspired the main setting of The Dark Between--Summerfield College. Cambridge dazzles with its grand architecture and storied past, but it also soothes the soul with meadows and pastures and quiet wooded walks. I wish I could set all my novels there!
What makes your book's setting unique? Cambridge is always teeming with people--students, locals, tourists--and probably has for centuries. But Newnham College, the inspiration for Summerfield, is set a little distance from the city center in a quiet neighborhood. When you walk inside, you feel as though you've entered another world--a safe, calm refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. It seemed the perfect place for three characters to hide from their problems . . . but also the perfect place for a murderer to hide illicit activities.
__________________________
Salvage
by Alexandra DuncanSet in: The Gyre - aka the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Why did you pick this setting? Truth is definitely stranger than fiction, and sometimes you hear about something that's too good not to include in a story. There is an area in the Pacific Ocean where currents converge in such a way that all kinds of garbage and debris collect on the ocean surface. In SALVAGE, people in the future have constructed a floating patchwork city that allows them to collect, clean, and resell this refuse. This isn't such a stretch as you might think. People in all corners of the world actually live in garbage dumps and make their living picking through the trash. It isn't impossible to think people in the future might do the same in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
What makes your book's setting unique? True, real life fact - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is what scientists call an "ocean desert," which means that it is basically a dead zone in the middle of the ocean with very little marine life.
Made up fact from my book - It never storms in the Gyre. Or does it?
__________________________
Cinder
by Marissa MeyerSet in: New Beijing (futuristic China)
Why did you pick this setting? Cinder is a futuristic retelling of the fairy tale "Cinderella." For the setting I was largely inspired by what some scholars believe is the earliest Cinderella tale, “Ye Xian,” which was written in 9th-century China. Additionally, some believe that the iconic glass slipper (which was gold in the Grimm version) came to us from China’s tradition of foot-binding and a culture in which women were praised for tiny feet. So setting Cinder in China seemed to have a great cyclical quality to it, and paid homage to some of the tale's roots.
What makes your book's setting unique? One of my favorite parts of writing in this setting was researching traditional symbolism I could include in the books, particularly when it came to festivities and celebrations. For example, in the Chinese culture, bats symbolize good luck - so I decided to give my own twist to that and have all Eastern Commonwealth spaceships have bats in them somewhere/somehow, so that they no longer just symbolize good luck, but good sight in the darkness of space. (Come to think of it, this may not get mentioned until the fourth book of the series...) But a lot of the elements mentioned for the coronation and peace festival and the ball in "Cinder" were also taken directly from Chinese culture. For example, the ball is decorated with a theme of longevity (cranes, tortoises, bamboo, etc.) to encourage long life for their emperor.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Where in the World are...Sonia Gensler, Alexandra Dunca, & Marissa Meyer
Due to popular demand, this feature is extending by one more week! You still have one week to enter the contest, too!
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler
Set in: Cambridge, England, 1901
Why did you pick this setting? The story centers on three teens whose parents are paranormal investigators. These investigators are loosely based on actual founding members of the Society for Psychical Research, most of whom had a Cambridge connection. One of the founders went on to set up a women's college called Newnham, which inspired the main setting of The Dark Between--Summerfield College. Cambridge dazzles with its grand architecture and storied past, but it also soothes the soul with meadows and pastures and quiet wooded walks. I wish I could set all my novels there!
What makes your book's setting unique? Cambridge is always teeming with people--students, locals, tourists--and probably has for centuries. But Newnham College, the inspiration for Summerfield, is set a little distance from the city center in a quiet neighborhood. When you walk inside, you feel as though you've entered another world--a safe, calm refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. It seemed the perfect place for three characters to hide from their problems . . . but also the perfect place for a murderer to hide illicit activities.
__________________________
Salvage
by Alexandra Duncan
Set in: The Gyre - aka the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Why did you pick this setting? Truth is definitely stranger than fiction, and sometimes you hear about something that's too good not to include in a story. There is an area in the Pacific Ocean where currents converge in such a way that all kinds of garbage and debris collect on the ocean surface. In SALVAGE, people in the future have constructed a floating patchwork city that allows them to collect, clean, and resell this refuse. This isn't such a stretch as you might think. People in all corners of the world actually live in garbage dumps and make their living picking through the trash. It isn't impossible to think people in the future might do the same in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
What makes your book's setting unique? True, real life fact - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is what scientists call an "ocean desert," which means that it is basically a dead zone in the middle of the ocean with very little marine life.
Made up fact from my book - It never storms in the Gyre. Or does it?
__________________________
Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
Set in: New Beijing (futuristic China)
Why did you pick this setting? Cinder is a futuristic retelling of the fairy tale "Cinderella." For the setting I was largely inspired by what some scholars believe is the earliest Cinderella tale, “Ye Xian,” which was written in 9th-century China. Additionally, some believe that the iconic glass slipper (which was gold in the Grimm version) came to us from China’s tradition of foot-binding and a culture in which women were praised for tiny feet. So setting Cinder in China seemed to have a great cyclical quality to it, and paid homage to some of the tale's roots.
What makes your book's setting unique? One of my favorite parts of writing in this setting was researching traditional symbolism I could include in the books, particularly when it came to festivities and celebrations. For example, in the Chinese culture, bats symbolize good luck - so I decided to give my own twist to that and have all Eastern Commonwealth spaceships have bats in them somewhere/somehow, so that they no longer just symbolize good luck, but good sight in the darkness of space. (Come to think of it, this may not get mentioned until the fourth book of the series...) But a lot of the elements mentioned for the coronation and peace festival and the ball in "Cinder" were also taken directly from Chinese culture. For example, the ball is decorated with a theme of longevity (cranes, tortoises, bamboo, etc.) to encourage long life for their emperor.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
The Dark Between by Sonia GenslerSet in: Cambridge, England, 1901
Why did you pick this setting? The story centers on three teens whose parents are paranormal investigators. These investigators are loosely based on actual founding members of the Society for Psychical Research, most of whom had a Cambridge connection. One of the founders went on to set up a women's college called Newnham, which inspired the main setting of The Dark Between--Summerfield College. Cambridge dazzles with its grand architecture and storied past, but it also soothes the soul with meadows and pastures and quiet wooded walks. I wish I could set all my novels there!
What makes your book's setting unique? Cambridge is always teeming with people--students, locals, tourists--and probably has for centuries. But Newnham College, the inspiration for Summerfield, is set a little distance from the city center in a quiet neighborhood. When you walk inside, you feel as though you've entered another world--a safe, calm refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. It seemed the perfect place for three characters to hide from their problems . . . but also the perfect place for a murderer to hide illicit activities.
__________________________
Salvage
by Alexandra DuncanSet in: The Gyre - aka the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Why did you pick this setting? Truth is definitely stranger than fiction, and sometimes you hear about something that's too good not to include in a story. There is an area in the Pacific Ocean where currents converge in such a way that all kinds of garbage and debris collect on the ocean surface. In SALVAGE, people in the future have constructed a floating patchwork city that allows them to collect, clean, and resell this refuse. This isn't such a stretch as you might think. People in all corners of the world actually live in garbage dumps and make their living picking through the trash. It isn't impossible to think people in the future might do the same in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
What makes your book's setting unique? True, real life fact - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is what scientists call an "ocean desert," which means that it is basically a dead zone in the middle of the ocean with very little marine life.
Made up fact from my book - It never storms in the Gyre. Or does it?
__________________________
Cinder
by Marissa MeyerSet in: New Beijing (futuristic China)
Why did you pick this setting? Cinder is a futuristic retelling of the fairy tale "Cinderella." For the setting I was largely inspired by what some scholars believe is the earliest Cinderella tale, “Ye Xian,” which was written in 9th-century China. Additionally, some believe that the iconic glass slipper (which was gold in the Grimm version) came to us from China’s tradition of foot-binding and a culture in which women were praised for tiny feet. So setting Cinder in China seemed to have a great cyclical quality to it, and paid homage to some of the tale's roots.
What makes your book's setting unique? One of my favorite parts of writing in this setting was researching traditional symbolism I could include in the books, particularly when it came to festivities and celebrations. For example, in the Chinese culture, bats symbolize good luck - so I decided to give my own twist to that and have all Eastern Commonwealth spaceships have bats in them somewhere/somehow, so that they no longer just symbolize good luck, but good sight in the darkness of space. (Come to think of it, this may not get mentioned until the fourth book of the series...) But a lot of the elements mentioned for the coronation and peace festival and the ball in "Cinder" were also taken directly from Chinese culture. For example, the ball is decorated with a theme of longevity (cranes, tortoises, bamboo, etc.) to encourage long life for their emperor.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 27, 2014
Where in the World are...Alethea Kontis, PJ Hoover, & Colleen Houck?
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Dearest
by Alethea Kontis
Set in: Arilland
Why did you pick this setting? Arilland is the country I chose to be the High Seat of my fairy tale universe...where it is assumed that all the fairy stories we know and love came from one family, Once Upon a Time. Beyond Arilland are The White Mountains, Sandaar, The Troll Kingdom, and Faerie, of course. In Hero (Book Two of the Woodcutter Sisters Series), Saturday Woodcutter throws a magic mirror that calls the ocean and splits the continent almost in two. Dearest is a parallel novel, dealing with the aftermath of that impossible ocean, and the refugees that pour into Arilland as a result.
What makes your book's setting unique? Because many of the popular fairy tales have a very strong French influence, I have a plethora of French words and names in this series without ever directly referring to the country of France itself. I consider Arilland to be set during the same "once upon a time" period as Florin and Guilder in William Goldman's The Princess Bride: Before Europe, but after Paris.
__________________________
Solstice
by P.J. Hoover
Set in: Future Austin Texas during the time of extreme global warming
Why did you pick this setting? I set Solstice half in future Austin, Texas and half in the Underworld. Why the Underworld? Because there's lots of mythology in the book. Why future Austin, Texas?
(1) because I live in Austin
(2) because in Solstice temperatures are like 120 degrees each day. We had this summer here in Austin where it didn't dip below 100 for something like 3 months. It was brutal and made me wonder what it would be like if it stayed that way year round. I'm thinking tank tops and shorts 24/7.
(3) because it may be the most awesome city in the entire country. If I had to live anywhere in the US, it would be Austin. And hey, look at that, I do!
What makes your book's setting unique? Austin is home to North America's largest urban bat population! The bats are a huge thing here. People set out picnic blankets hours ahead to get a good spot to watch them. Vendors sell glow bracelets to the kids. And the bats do what they do every single day. They fly out from under the bridges en masse at dusk. Definitely a must-do if you come to visit!
__________________________
Tiger's Curse
by Colleen Houck
Set in: India
Why did you pick this setting? India was not my first choice. I knew nothing about India when I started writing but I'd selected a Beauty and the Beast theme for my series and chose a white tiger for my beast. Originally, I thought I'd set the book in Russia because I thought white tigers came from Siberia but after research I discovered that all white tigers are related to a small male cub that was captured in India in the 1930's.
What makes your book's setting unique? India is full of ancient ruins and temples that make for fantastic, dangerous, and breathtaking scenes. In my third book, Tiger's Voyage, I found a story about a sunken city called the City of the Seven Pagodas that everyone thought was a myth until a tsunami hit India in 2004. The ocean receded off the coast and they discovered the ruins of this ancient city. I knew that had to be the basis of my water themed book.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Dearest
by Alethea KontisSet in: Arilland
Why did you pick this setting? Arilland is the country I chose to be the High Seat of my fairy tale universe...where it is assumed that all the fairy stories we know and love came from one family, Once Upon a Time. Beyond Arilland are The White Mountains, Sandaar, The Troll Kingdom, and Faerie, of course. In Hero (Book Two of the Woodcutter Sisters Series), Saturday Woodcutter throws a magic mirror that calls the ocean and splits the continent almost in two. Dearest is a parallel novel, dealing with the aftermath of that impossible ocean, and the refugees that pour into Arilland as a result.
What makes your book's setting unique? Because many of the popular fairy tales have a very strong French influence, I have a plethora of French words and names in this series without ever directly referring to the country of France itself. I consider Arilland to be set during the same "once upon a time" period as Florin and Guilder in William Goldman's The Princess Bride: Before Europe, but after Paris.
__________________________
Solstice
by P.J. HooverSet in: Future Austin Texas during the time of extreme global warming
Why did you pick this setting? I set Solstice half in future Austin, Texas and half in the Underworld. Why the Underworld? Because there's lots of mythology in the book. Why future Austin, Texas?
(1) because I live in Austin
(2) because in Solstice temperatures are like 120 degrees each day. We had this summer here in Austin where it didn't dip below 100 for something like 3 months. It was brutal and made me wonder what it would be like if it stayed that way year round. I'm thinking tank tops and shorts 24/7.
(3) because it may be the most awesome city in the entire country. If I had to live anywhere in the US, it would be Austin. And hey, look at that, I do!
What makes your book's setting unique? Austin is home to North America's largest urban bat population! The bats are a huge thing here. People set out picnic blankets hours ahead to get a good spot to watch them. Vendors sell glow bracelets to the kids. And the bats do what they do every single day. They fly out from under the bridges en masse at dusk. Definitely a must-do if you come to visit!
__________________________
Tiger's Curse
by Colleen HouckSet in: India
Why did you pick this setting? India was not my first choice. I knew nothing about India when I started writing but I'd selected a Beauty and the Beast theme for my series and chose a white tiger for my beast. Originally, I thought I'd set the book in Russia because I thought white tigers came from Siberia but after research I discovered that all white tigers are related to a small male cub that was captured in India in the 1930's.
What makes your book's setting unique? India is full of ancient ruins and temples that make for fantastic, dangerous, and breathtaking scenes. In my third book, Tiger's Voyage, I found a story about a sunken city called the City of the Seven Pagodas that everyone thought was a myth until a tsunami hit India in 2004. The ocean receded off the coast and they discovered the ruins of this ancient city. I knew that had to be the basis of my water themed book.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 26, 2014
Where in the World are...Amy Plum, SR Johannes, Ruta Sepetys, & Jeri Smith-Ready?
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Die For Me
by Amy Plum
Set in: Paris
Why did you pick this setting? Have you been to Paris? Or have you always dreamed of going there? Either way, you must have some idea of how magical the city is. Even having lived 1/3 of my life in France, even though I live right in the middle of Paris, every day I walk out of my front door and look around me and think, "I am the luckiest person in the world." I tried to convey a little bit of the wonder and love that I feel for Paris on to every page of the DIE FOR ME series.
What makes your book's setting unique? Almost every place I used in the books has been either an old apartment where I lived, an old hang-out, or one of my favorite museums or cafes. I drew from my experiences: riding on a scooter behind a handsome artist through the streets of Paris, kissing a boy on the Pont des Arts, dating a zombie. Okay, one of those isn't true. Although sometimes, I've had my doubts.
__________________________
Unstoppable by SR Johannes
Set in: Everglades, Florida
Why did you pick this setting? A wilderness thriller that explores the various habitats and talk about conservation around the florid panther and the elimination of roadside zoos.
What makes your book's setting unique? The Everglades has 4 distinct environments from swamps to the pines to the plains and the saw grass. It I the only place where the Florida Panther is found and there are only 100 left in the wild.
__________________________
Out of the Easy
by Ruta Sepetys
Set in: 1950 New Orleans
Why did you pick this setting? Secrets and scandal! New Orleans is full of both.
There's a story lurking behind every door in the French Quarter. The architecture, the music, the food, the local superstitions - they're all full of story.
What makes your book's setting unique? The setting in "Out of the Easy" is a 1950's brothel in the French Quarter. During my research I was given an extensive tour of the former brothel building by an elderly gentleman who...knew the operation well. The former madam of the house had recorded her memoirs on cassette tapes. Shortly after, she took her own life. A current resident in the building had the cassettes and I got to listen to some of them while standing in the madam's old bedroom. Hearing her voice, in her room, in the brothel. Wow.
__________________________
This Side of Salvation
by Jeri Smith-Ready
Set in: Main Line of Philadelphia
Why did you pick this setting? I went to college (Villanova University) in this area west of Philadelphia, so I was familiar with the location and unique culture. Since many books that focus on religious zealotry are set in small towns, I thought it'd be interesting to set This Side of Salvation in a wealthy suburb. Play against stereotype, you know? The main character's family falls on economic hard times, which creates an interesting conflict between him and his friends who can afford anything.
What makes your book's setting unique? This area was originally settled by the Welsh, so lots of place names are seriously lacking in vowels (e.g., Bryn Mawr, Bala Cynwyd, and Tredyffrin Township).__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Die For Me
by Amy PlumSet in: Paris
Why did you pick this setting? Have you been to Paris? Or have you always dreamed of going there? Either way, you must have some idea of how magical the city is. Even having lived 1/3 of my life in France, even though I live right in the middle of Paris, every day I walk out of my front door and look around me and think, "I am the luckiest person in the world." I tried to convey a little bit of the wonder and love that I feel for Paris on to every page of the DIE FOR ME series.
What makes your book's setting unique? Almost every place I used in the books has been either an old apartment where I lived, an old hang-out, or one of my favorite museums or cafes. I drew from my experiences: riding on a scooter behind a handsome artist through the streets of Paris, kissing a boy on the Pont des Arts, dating a zombie. Okay, one of those isn't true. Although sometimes, I've had my doubts.
__________________________
Unstoppable by SR JohannesSet in: Everglades, Florida
Why did you pick this setting? A wilderness thriller that explores the various habitats and talk about conservation around the florid panther and the elimination of roadside zoos.
What makes your book's setting unique? The Everglades has 4 distinct environments from swamps to the pines to the plains and the saw grass. It I the only place where the Florida Panther is found and there are only 100 left in the wild.
__________________________
Out of the Easy
by Ruta SepetysSet in: 1950 New Orleans
Why did you pick this setting? Secrets and scandal! New Orleans is full of both.
There's a story lurking behind every door in the French Quarter. The architecture, the music, the food, the local superstitions - they're all full of story.
What makes your book's setting unique? The setting in "Out of the Easy" is a 1950's brothel in the French Quarter. During my research I was given an extensive tour of the former brothel building by an elderly gentleman who...knew the operation well. The former madam of the house had recorded her memoirs on cassette tapes. Shortly after, she took her own life. A current resident in the building had the cassettes and I got to listen to some of them while standing in the madam's old bedroom. Hearing her voice, in her room, in the brothel. Wow.
__________________________
This Side of Salvation
by Jeri Smith-ReadySet in: Main Line of Philadelphia
Why did you pick this setting? I went to college (Villanova University) in this area west of Philadelphia, so I was familiar with the location and unique culture. Since many books that focus on religious zealotry are set in small towns, I thought it'd be interesting to set This Side of Salvation in a wealthy suburb. Play against stereotype, you know? The main character's family falls on economic hard times, which creates an interesting conflict between him and his friends who can afford anything.
What makes your book's setting unique? This area was originally settled by the Welsh, so lots of place names are seriously lacking in vowels (e.g., Bryn Mawr, Bala Cynwyd, and Tredyffrin Township).__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 25, 2014
Where in the World are...Christy Farley, Kat Parrish, Frankie Ash, and Natalie Parker?
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Gilded
by Christy Farley
Set in: Korea
Why did you pick this setting? I was teaching at Seoul Foreign School, an international school in Korea, and I wanted to do a comparison unit of Greek mythology to Korean mythology. When I came across the myth of Haemosu and Princess Yuhwa, the story of GILDED just unfolded for me.
I'm also a history fan and I'm addicted to traveling. I loved visiting the ancient palaces and temples scattered between modern skyscrapers and tucked away in the mountainsides of Korea. Nearly every scene in GILDED is based on my own personal experiences—minus the fantasy element, of course!
But there's so much more to Korea than even that. I wanted my readers to get out and experience Korea for all of its beauty. So GILDED takes the reader from the modern city of Seoul, to the mud flats of Muui Island, to the snowy peaks of Yongpyong, to the underwater tomb of King Munmu.
What makes your book's setting unique? The mud flats on Muui Island (Muuido) is one of my favorite places to visit. We'd pack up the picnic basket and swim gear, and drive out to the coast for a day on the beach with friends.
Interestingly, I was writing GILDED when we first visited Muui Island and the mud flats completely fascinated me. When the tide is down, you can cross slabs of stone to another tiny island called Silmi. On Silmi there's a cute beach with towering rocks to climb. While climbing the rocks, the whole cave scene in GILDED came to me. That night I went home and wrote it. It's still one of my favorite scenes in the book.__________________________
Frontier by Kat Parrish
Out September 12, 2014
Set in: Frontier--a planet colonized by a galactic trading company with roots in old China.
Why did you pick this setting? I am fascinated by the techno boom in China and the way the country is reaching out into space. I am also fascinated by the way the old Dutch East and West Indies companies. I wanted a colonial planet where people in the employ of a massive trading company lived alongside scientists and the prison labor imported to strip the planet of resources. There are two nearby planets under the control of the "Double Happiness" corporation; they're Beixing (the political center) and Zhanghai (the trading center).
What makes your book's setting unique? Zhanghai, the trading planet of the story, sits on a galactic crossroads, which makes it a kind of space-going Mall of America and the universe's largest "duty-free" store. Anything you can imagine is bought and sold here--even intangibles like ... your soul.
__________________________
Eramane
by Frankie Ash
Set in: fantasy medieval period/ a mountain palace
Why did you pick this setting? I chose to use this period because I'm a huge LOTR fan and, to me, love and magic and monsters and battle are wickedly awesome when fitted in furs and accessorized with swords...yes?
A good chunk of the story takes place atop a mountain palace. This is where Eramane is forced to give up her humanity. But it is also where book #1 ends.
What makes your book's setting unique? The mountain palace, and its location, are important because of the location. It is basically a large chunk of rock surrounded by the ocean. If you want to reach it....you'd do well to have wings, or be an ancestor to Michael Phelps.
__________________________
Beware the Wild by Natalie Parker
Out October 2014
Set in: Sticks, Louisiana
Why did you pick this setting? When I was a little girl, my grandfather would let me sit on his knee while he drove one of his giant tractors through the Parker Pecan Orchard. He taught me about grafting trees, about wormy parasites, and about how letting crimson clover flood the orchard in springtime was a natural fertilizer for Mississippi soil. He knew the secret history of every tree he’d ever planted and I always thought that was a little bit like magic.
Around the same time, my grandmother on my mother’s side was filling my head with old stories. Some were traditional like Billy Goat’s Gruff, which she told with voices and a dash of terror, and some were about her children, like how my mother and uncles once tried to keep an alligator as a pet in the misty lake sitting in the middle of their old vineyard. The attempt failed, but left a rather vivid impression on me.
In short, my childhood experience of the south was deeply entrenched in the idea that our environment has its own transitory history that lives and changes through the stories we tell about it. I became fascinated by this idea that something as incredible as my grandfather’s history of trees could also be so fragile – it passed away when he did and his children and grandchildren have only pieces of that quiet knowledge with us. Most of that history is now a secret we’ll never uncover again.
And as writers, I suppose, are wont to do, I began to consider what might happen if those secrets were protecting something dangerous. What if my grandmother’s stories weren’t just a trick to get me into bed on time, but contained careful warnings about the world around me?
One sticky summer day in Southern Louisiana, I was sitting on a porch swing trying not to move more than was required to breathe when I was struck by the thought, “the air is trying to swallow me.” And that was it, the seed that grew into the tenacious, weedy little plant that would become BEWARE THE WILD.
What makes your book's setting unique? Sticks, Louisiana itself doesn't actually exist. I named it Sticks because I imagined the swamp as a liminal space between worlds....like the River Styx in Greek mythology. 'Styx' isn't a very Southern-looking word. 'Sticks' on the other hand? Well, I couldn't get more pointed than that.
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Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
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Gilded
by Christy FarleySet in: Korea
Why did you pick this setting? I was teaching at Seoul Foreign School, an international school in Korea, and I wanted to do a comparison unit of Greek mythology to Korean mythology. When I came across the myth of Haemosu and Princess Yuhwa, the story of GILDED just unfolded for me.
I'm also a history fan and I'm addicted to traveling. I loved visiting the ancient palaces and temples scattered between modern skyscrapers and tucked away in the mountainsides of Korea. Nearly every scene in GILDED is based on my own personal experiences—minus the fantasy element, of course!
But there's so much more to Korea than even that. I wanted my readers to get out and experience Korea for all of its beauty. So GILDED takes the reader from the modern city of Seoul, to the mud flats of Muui Island, to the snowy peaks of Yongpyong, to the underwater tomb of King Munmu.
What makes your book's setting unique? The mud flats on Muui Island (Muuido) is one of my favorite places to visit. We'd pack up the picnic basket and swim gear, and drive out to the coast for a day on the beach with friends.
Interestingly, I was writing GILDED when we first visited Muui Island and the mud flats completely fascinated me. When the tide is down, you can cross slabs of stone to another tiny island called Silmi. On Silmi there's a cute beach with towering rocks to climb. While climbing the rocks, the whole cave scene in GILDED came to me. That night I went home and wrote it. It's still one of my favorite scenes in the book.__________________________
Frontier by Kat Parrish
Out September 12, 2014
Set in: Frontier--a planet colonized by a galactic trading company with roots in old China.
Why did you pick this setting? I am fascinated by the techno boom in China and the way the country is reaching out into space. I am also fascinated by the way the old Dutch East and West Indies companies. I wanted a colonial planet where people in the employ of a massive trading company lived alongside scientists and the prison labor imported to strip the planet of resources. There are two nearby planets under the control of the "Double Happiness" corporation; they're Beixing (the political center) and Zhanghai (the trading center).
What makes your book's setting unique? Zhanghai, the trading planet of the story, sits on a galactic crossroads, which makes it a kind of space-going Mall of America and the universe's largest "duty-free" store. Anything you can imagine is bought and sold here--even intangibles like ... your soul.
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Eramane
by Frankie AshSet in: fantasy medieval period/ a mountain palace
Why did you pick this setting? I chose to use this period because I'm a huge LOTR fan and, to me, love and magic and monsters and battle are wickedly awesome when fitted in furs and accessorized with swords...yes?
A good chunk of the story takes place atop a mountain palace. This is where Eramane is forced to give up her humanity. But it is also where book #1 ends.
What makes your book's setting unique? The mountain palace, and its location, are important because of the location. It is basically a large chunk of rock surrounded by the ocean. If you want to reach it....you'd do well to have wings, or be an ancestor to Michael Phelps.
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Beware the Wild by Natalie ParkerOut October 2014
Set in: Sticks, Louisiana
Why did you pick this setting? When I was a little girl, my grandfather would let me sit on his knee while he drove one of his giant tractors through the Parker Pecan Orchard. He taught me about grafting trees, about wormy parasites, and about how letting crimson clover flood the orchard in springtime was a natural fertilizer for Mississippi soil. He knew the secret history of every tree he’d ever planted and I always thought that was a little bit like magic.
Around the same time, my grandmother on my mother’s side was filling my head with old stories. Some were traditional like Billy Goat’s Gruff, which she told with voices and a dash of terror, and some were about her children, like how my mother and uncles once tried to keep an alligator as a pet in the misty lake sitting in the middle of their old vineyard. The attempt failed, but left a rather vivid impression on me.
In short, my childhood experience of the south was deeply entrenched in the idea that our environment has its own transitory history that lives and changes through the stories we tell about it. I became fascinated by this idea that something as incredible as my grandfather’s history of trees could also be so fragile – it passed away when he did and his children and grandchildren have only pieces of that quiet knowledge with us. Most of that history is now a secret we’ll never uncover again.
And as writers, I suppose, are wont to do, I began to consider what might happen if those secrets were protecting something dangerous. What if my grandmother’s stories weren’t just a trick to get me into bed on time, but contained careful warnings about the world around me?
One sticky summer day in Southern Louisiana, I was sitting on a porch swing trying not to move more than was required to breathe when I was struck by the thought, “the air is trying to swallow me.” And that was it, the seed that grew into the tenacious, weedy little plant that would become BEWARE THE WILD.
What makes your book's setting unique? Sticks, Louisiana itself doesn't actually exist. I named it Sticks because I imagined the swamp as a liminal space between worlds....like the River Styx in Greek mythology. 'Styx' isn't a very Southern-looking word. 'Sticks' on the other hand? Well, I couldn't get more pointed than that.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 24, 2014
Where in the World are...Alex Mallory, Janni Lee Simner, & Cindy Pon?
All this month, I'm featuring authors and the settings of their books, showcasing a variety of locales and characters from around the world--and sometimes off it!--in order to show readers new places and people.
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
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Wild
by Alex Mallory
Set in: Pulaski County, Kentucky
Why did you pick this setting? This book is a retelling of Tarzan. My first question when I started writing was: where could Cade live in a forest, in the United States, and reasonably never be found? It was important to me to retell this story without reusing the colonialist bits from the original.
Looking for locations, I started close to home, and discovered Daniel Boone National Forest-- in southern Kentucky.
After speaking to a park ranger, I discovered a lot of great details: it's not illegal to camp indefinitely without a permit, as long as you follow conservation laws. It's one of the few places in the US where primitive hunting is permitted.
The forest is patrolled, but because of the cliffs and caves, it would be easy to stay there, unseen, for years. If you're smart and careful, you can live off the land there indefinitely.
Finally, there's plenty of wilderness in the western US, but I've never been there. Because Cade had to be intimate with his forest, I had to be, too. Since Daniel Boone is part of my backyard, I was confident I could describe it accurately for Cade.
That made southern Kentucky the perfect place for a modern Tarzan to go untouched by the modern world, while still being quite close to it. WILD couldn't have been anywhere else!
What makes your book's setting unique? Daniel Boone National Park has one of the largest concentrations of caves in the world. If you combine the caves in Wayne, Rockcastle and Pulaski counties, there are 173 miles of MAPPED caverns. Who knows how many unmapped caverns remain?
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Thief Eyes
by Janni Lee Simner
Set in: Iceland
Why did you pick this setting? Iceland has long been home to mythic stories and sagas. On my first visit to the country, I was struck by how I was walking the very same ground the characters in the thousand-year-old saga I was reading had walked. That shivery sense that the past was breathing over my shoulder was one of the things that led me to write Thief Eyes.
(I talk a lot more about my explorations of place and story in Iceland here.)
What makes your book's setting unique? Already a geologic hotspot, Iceland is also a place where two tectonic plates meet. The combination results in one of the most geologically active places on the planet--and for a powerful sense of landscape.
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Silver Phoenix
by Cindy Pon
Set in: Kingdom of Xia
Why did you pick this setting? Because fantasy has always been my first love. I was a new Chinese brush painting student at the time and learning more about Chinese history and culture. I wanted to combine my two loves when I finally decided to try and write a novel!
What makes your book's setting unique? My heroine Ai Ling must journey to the The Palace of Fragrant Dreams, loosely based on China's actual Forbidden Palace. Emperors kept concubines to show their status and virility, and some kept women in the thousands, sequestered away.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to enter the contest for a signed Across the Universe trilogy and swag from lots of authors--not just those featured this month! The contest is open internationally, and is super simple to enter--just tweet or share with a friend some of your favorite unique books, and enter in the Rafflecopter embedded below (or at this link).
__________________________
Wild
by Alex MallorySet in: Pulaski County, Kentucky
Why did you pick this setting? This book is a retelling of Tarzan. My first question when I started writing was: where could Cade live in a forest, in the United States, and reasonably never be found? It was important to me to retell this story without reusing the colonialist bits from the original.
Looking for locations, I started close to home, and discovered Daniel Boone National Forest-- in southern Kentucky.
After speaking to a park ranger, I discovered a lot of great details: it's not illegal to camp indefinitely without a permit, as long as you follow conservation laws. It's one of the few places in the US where primitive hunting is permitted.
The forest is patrolled, but because of the cliffs and caves, it would be easy to stay there, unseen, for years. If you're smart and careful, you can live off the land there indefinitely.
Finally, there's plenty of wilderness in the western US, but I've never been there. Because Cade had to be intimate with his forest, I had to be, too. Since Daniel Boone is part of my backyard, I was confident I could describe it accurately for Cade.
That made southern Kentucky the perfect place for a modern Tarzan to go untouched by the modern world, while still being quite close to it. WILD couldn't have been anywhere else!
What makes your book's setting unique? Daniel Boone National Park has one of the largest concentrations of caves in the world. If you combine the caves in Wayne, Rockcastle and Pulaski counties, there are 173 miles of MAPPED caverns. Who knows how many unmapped caverns remain?
__________________________
Thief Eyes
by Janni Lee SimnerSet in: Iceland
Why did you pick this setting? Iceland has long been home to mythic stories and sagas. On my first visit to the country, I was struck by how I was walking the very same ground the characters in the thousand-year-old saga I was reading had walked. That shivery sense that the past was breathing over my shoulder was one of the things that led me to write Thief Eyes.
(I talk a lot more about my explorations of place and story in Iceland here.)
What makes your book's setting unique? Already a geologic hotspot, Iceland is also a place where two tectonic plates meet. The combination results in one of the most geologically active places on the planet--and for a powerful sense of landscape.
__________________________
Silver Phoenix
by Cindy PonSet in: Kingdom of Xia
Why did you pick this setting? Because fantasy has always been my first love. I was a new Chinese brush painting student at the time and learning more about Chinese history and culture. I wanted to combine my two loves when I finally decided to try and write a novel!
What makes your book's setting unique? My heroine Ai Ling must journey to the The Palace of Fragrant Dreams, loosely based on China's actual Forbidden Palace. Emperors kept concubines to show their status and virility, and some kept women in the thousands, sequestered away.
__________________________
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Open internationally, and you can enter every day.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
