Interview with Danielle L. Jensen for Dark Skies

Dark Skies (Dark Shores #2)

by Danielle L. Jensen

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: May 5th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

A RUNAWAY WITH A HIDDEN PAST

Lydia is a scholar, but books are her downfall when she meddles in the plots of the most powerful man in the Celendor Empire. Her life in danger, she flees west to the far side of the Endless Seas and finds herself entangled in a foreign war where her burgeoning powers are sought by both sides.

A COMMANDER IN DISGRACE

Killian is Marked by the God of War, but his gifts fail him when the realm under the dominion of the Corrupter invades Mudamora. Disgraced, he swears his sword to the kingdom’s only hope: the crown princess. But the choice sees him caught up in a web of political intrigue that will put his oath – and his heart – to the test.

A KINGDOM UNDER SIEGE

With Mudamora falling beneath the armies of the Corrupter, Lydia and Killian strike a bargain to save those they love most—but it is a bargain with unintended and disastrous consequences. Truths are revealed, birthrights claimed, and loyalties questioned—all while a menace deadlier and more far-reaching than they realize sweeps across the world.

Can you briefly describe the DARK SHORES series, its characters and what’s going to happen in DARK SKIES? 

The series takes place in a world divided by fantastical seas, each half of the world unaware of the other’s existence. When that secret is revealed, the Dark Shores of the West comes under siege from both supernatural and human forces that each seek to conquer for their own gain. In DARK SHORES, Teriana and Marcus are forced to lead the Empire’s armies across the seas in search of conquest neither of them wants, but in DARK SKIES, Lydia and Killian join together to fight back against the incursion of a dark god’s armies into their homeland. I make all four characters face impossible choices as they fight to protect those they love most, each novel raising the stakes and bringing readers closer to an epic collision of good and evil. Expect a huge world with a large cast, plus lots of action, political intrigue, and romance! 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why? 

As a writer, Marcus is my favorite, because he has a deep backstory that impacts the plot of the book in so many different ways. I also love his moral ambiguity, as it makes his actions less predictable. But teen me would’ve had a huge crush on Killian, would’ve been friends with Lydia (we are both bookish), and would’ve envied Teriana’s adaptability and ability to make friends with new people. All four protagonists are very different from one another, and I love seeing who readers connect with most! 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere? 

I’ve been working on this series since 2007, and it has been through so many rewrites and plot changes that very little of my original inspiration remains! I take a lot of inspiration from historical time periods that interest me, like Ancient Rome, but I also take a lot from television and movies. I really like cinematic action, so I try to replicate that feel when I’m writing. 

If you could choose one song to describe your books in the series, which ones would it be? 

I’m the rare author who doesn’t listen to music when she writes! But I DO listen to music, primarily soundtrack music, when I’m brainstorming. For this series, I listen to Pirates of the Caribbean, ROME (HBO), Spartacus, and the Tudors soundtracks. But the one song that really ties to DARK SKIES for me is Requiem for Tower, especially for the battle scenes toward the end of the novel. 

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters? 

Young, attractive, interesting people who aren’t yet famous! I think new talent is the best for YA adaptations. 

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

I think the best place to read my books is on a beach or next to a pool with a yummy frozen drink in hand! 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish DARK SKIES? 

I’d recommend THE WINNER’S KISS (Marie Rutkoski), DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING (Tricia Levenseller), AN EMBER IN THE ASHES (Sabaa Tahir), TO KILL A KINGDOM (Alexandra Christo), SEAFIRE (Natalie C. Parker), or TRUTHWITCH (Susan Dennard). 

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book? 

For me, it’s not allowing my frustration and self-doubt to get in the way. I often have a really strong idea in my head for how I want a scene to go or how I want the reader to feel, and when I can’t translate the mental image to words on the page, I feel like a failure. And when I’m in that sort of negative headspace, I have a hard time writing anything at all. 

What’s next for you? 

I am currently working on the third book in the Dark Shores series, which is titled GILDED SERPENT! The first draft is already written and I’m working through the editorial comments. It has all four point of characters in it and more plot lines than I care to count, so it’s been a huge project for me! But I love it! I’m also working on the third book in my Bridge Kingdom series, so my head is full of the voices of many characters right now.

Danielle L. Jensen is the USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Trilogy (Angry Robot), the Dark Shores series (Tor Teen), and The Bridge Kingdom series (Audible Originals). She lives in Calgary, Alberta with her family.

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Interview with Demetra Brodsky for Last Girls

Last Girls

by Demetra Brodsky

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: May 5th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

No one knows how the world will end.

On a secret compound in the Washington wilderness, Honey Juniper and her sisters are training to hunt, homestead, and protect their own.

Prepare for every situation.

But when danger strikes from within, putting her sisters at risk, training becomes real life, and only one thing is certain:

Nowhere is safe.

Can you briefly describe LAST GIRLS and its characters? 

Last Girls is a twisting, YA Thriller about sisterhood, survival, and family secrets. Three sisters being raised as doomsday preppers in the Pacific Northwest face a different kind of threat when one sister’s actions draw the unwanted attention to the secret compound where they live. As the group leader’s erratic behaviour and actions increase, they have to decide if it’s better to run or take their chances against the very people sworn to protect them. 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

That’s such a tough call. Honey is the oldest of the three Juniper sisters, and the POV character for all three sisters, but Birdie and Blue come with their own strengths and worthiness. If I have to pick just one, I’d say Birdie (the middle sister) is my favorite. I don’t think she’d be the choice of most readers. Maybe that’s why I love her. She is, in my own opinion, the most misunderstood. Headstrong, independent, and impulsive, Birdie rarely shows her more sensitive site. But when she does, it’s visceral. Throughout the story Birdie is the one that suffers the most, and I felt so her emotions viscerally while writing her into the scenes she shares with her sisters. 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere? 

I’d love to say I had this unforgettable ah-ha moment. The truth is, I was curious about the lives of doomsday preppers. Not the variety that are sensationalized on television, but the ones who homestead and try to live mostly off the grid. It was a combination of that and an episode of Criminal Minds titled Amplification that dealt with a jilted scientist creating a pathogen to use as a biological weapon. My research spread into military history until I had the makings of my own thriller. Being the youngest of parents’ three daughters, I’ve always wanted to write a book about three sisters. I love a good power trio. 

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

My favorite question. Mother, by Pink Floyd. The book opens with a quote from this song. You can find my public, author-curated LAST GIRLS playlist on Spotify.

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

I love dreaming about who would play my characters. This is always so much fun. 

Honey: Diana Silvers

Birdie: Emily Rudd

Blue: India Eisley

Toby: Cole Sprouse

You can visit the Last Girls Pinterest board to see more.

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Tazo makes a heavenly Juniper Mint Honey tea. Sipping that in front of campfire would be amazing while reading Last Girls. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish LAST GIRLS? 

There are some great books with similar themes that I love. 

Day Zero and Day One by Kelly deVos

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

H is Hawk by Helen Macdonald

Macbeth by Shakespeare

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

The hardest part for me is creating a viable villain or villains. The main characters usually come to me easily and I just have to massage them into existence. Once I have an idea of who the story is about, I jump into creating the villain because their motivation is what will drive the character’s actions and reactions. I have to know why they feel compelled to do the things they’re going to do, what their lives were like, who or what happened that made them the way they are. That advice was given to by Lois Duncan (I Know What You Did Last Summer) when she read an early copy of Dive Smack, my debut. She told me she always starts with the villain and to have more information on them than I needed, stuff that will never even make it into the book as long I knew them as well as I knew my protagonist. She then proceeded to email me a bunch of questions to help me flesh out the villain (Dr. Maddox) in my debut. 

What’s next for you?

I’m currently outlining an adult Greek Mythology story, which is a revision and reimagining of the first YA book I ever wrote. It also contains a power trio, and you won’t be surprised to hear that I’ve spent a long time developing the villain. As a first-generation Greek-American, this story is very near and dear to my heart and I can’t wait until the day I can share it with readers.

The Juniper sisters in LAST GIRLS don't go anywhere without a backpack (what they call an EDC: Every Day Carry) and they take great pride in their artwork. Honey paints, Birdie draws comics, and Blue uses embroidery to fancy up her clothes (when she's not spending time with her beloved falcon, Achilles). To honor the sisters' talents, I'll be sending one lucky winner some artistic inspiration by offering up a fabulous pre-order Grand Prize. But don't worry, everyone who orders will receive a gift with purchase. And, as a bonus, I'm including a 2nd prize that holds a special place in my author heart.

ALL PREORDERS WILL RECEIVE: Last Girls 5x7 Glossy Art Print & Signed Bookplate (see above)

ALL PREORDERS WILL BE ENTERED FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THE GRAND AND FIRST PRIZE.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: (chosen at random on or before 5/19) will receive a BUILT NY grey & blue camouflage backpack with thermal lunch compartment. Inside you'll find a mini acrylic painting kit (From Honey), a sketchbook & pen (From Birdie), an adorable 10" peregrine falcon plushie and mini sewing kit (from Blue), a flashlight (with batteries), a rosy tinted lip balm, camouflage band-aids, a 3-pack of portable tissues printed with positive messages, and a dehydrated camping meal like the one the sisters eat in the book.

FIRST PRIZE: (chosen at random on or before 5/19) A signed hardcover copy of my debut novel, DIVE SMACK, to round out your collection (Surprise! There's a big Dive Smack Easter Egg hidden in the pages of Last Girls).

TO ENTER: email proof of purchase to demetrabrodskybooks@gmail.com before May 5th. You'll get one entry for each copy of the book you purchase.

Available wherever books are sold.

Whenever possible, please support Indie Bookstores by buying through www.bookshop.org

Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego will have signed copies (not bookplates) and offers Free shipping for media mail rate within the U.S. on orders over $35. https://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9781250256522

VISIT: https://www.demetrabrodsky.com/last-girls-preorder-campaign to learn more!

*Open to U.S.A. Residents Only

*Sweepstakes run and fulfilled by the author

*Share with your friends

DEMETRA BRODSKY writes twisty thrillers about dark family secrets. She is an award-winning graphic designer & art director turned full-time. A native of Massachusetts with a B.F.A from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Demetra now lives in Southern California where she's always exploring and researching, looking for clues to things that might feed into her next book. She is a first generation Greek-American and a member of International Thriller Writers. Dive Smack, her debut YA Thriller, is a 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection, an (ALAN) Pick (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE), and a Publishers Marketplace Buzz Book for Young Adults for Spring/Summer 2018.

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Interview with Mary Cecilia Jackson for Sparrow

Sparrow

by Mary Cecilia Jackson
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: March 17th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

In the tradition of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, a devastating but hopeful YA debut about a ballerina who finds the courage to confront the abuse that haunts her past and threatens her future.

There are two kinds of people on the planet. Hunters and prey

I thought I would be safe after my mother died. I thought I could stop searching for new places to hide. But you can’t escape what you are, what you’ve always been.

My name is Savannah Darcy Rose.

And I am still prey.

Though Savannah Rose―Sparrow to her friends and family―is a gifted ballerina, her real talent is keeping secrets. Schooled in silence by her long-dead mother, Sparrow has always believed that her lifelong creed―“I’m not the kind of girl who tells”―will make her just like everyone else: Normal. Happy. Safe. But in the aftermath of a brutal assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend Tristan, Sparrow must finally find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past, or lose herself forever….

Can you briefly describe SPARROW and its characters?

Sparrow is the story of Savannah Darcy Rose, a seventeen-year-old ballerina who suffers physical abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, Tristan. In order to find a path to healing, she must confront the abuse that haunts her past and work to create a positive future for herself, in spite of her grief and pain. It’s also the story of Lucas, Sparrow’s close friend and dance partner, who tries his best to be a strong ally for her, even though he’s facing a tragedy of his own. 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

That’s a tough question! Obviously I adore Sparrow and Lucas, but I’m also completely in love with Granny Deirdre, Lucas’s grandmother. She’s Irish, devoutly Catholic, and came to America to escape the violence in Northern Ireland that killed her youngest brother. She’s seventy-two, and though she’s seen her own share of grief and hardship and loss, she is never bitter or angry. Instead, she is deeply kind and loving and wise, but not preachy. Lucas desperately needs to hear what she has to say, because he’s been too stubborn and enraged and sad to hear it from anyone else. Of all the people in his life, she’s the one who manages to get through to him, without pushing, without lecturing, without making him feel guilty and terrible about his choices. She simply envelops him in love and tells him the truth of things. I love her for that. 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

When I began Sparrow, I was struggling with the first draft of another novel. It wasn’t going well, and while I was trying to accept the fact that I am really awful at world building and would probably never be a fantasy writer, a terrible news story went viral. A high-school girl had gotten drunk at a party and passed out. While she was unconscious, a group of boys took naked pictures of her and posted them on Facebook. I was so horrified by that cruelty and depravity that I felt sick for days. I couldn’t stop thinking about that girl. I dreamed about her. I wept for her. I kept imagining how she must have felt when she woke up and realized what had happened to her. Finally, after a few restless nights, I got up before sunrise one morning and wrote the first line of the first draft: I am not the kind of girl who tells. 

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be? 

“Til It Happens to You” by Lady Gaga. It’s so powerful, so heartbreaking, so absolutely wrenching that I can’t listen to it without crying. 

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

If I were in charge of the world and made these kinds of decisions, I would go to every professional ballet company in the country - the New York City Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Boston Ballet, to name a few – and look for young dancers to play these roles. Ballet dancers have to be able to act, to show the deepest human emotions on stage in front of thousands of people, all without saying a word. I like to think that the actors who would play Sparrow and Lucas and all their friends would be as-yet undiscovered. I could see Nicole Kidman playing Sparrow’s Aunt Sophie, and I would completely bliss out if Queen Latifah played Dr. Seraphina King, Sparrow’s empathetic, compassionate therapist. (Also, in my head, Sparrow’s father looks exactly like Gregory Peck, just so you know.)

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

Definitely hot chocolate with big, fat marshmallows in a thick ceramic mug that warms your hands. As for place/setting, I think a rainy day in the fall, lots of crimson and gold leaves swirling to the ground in the wind, the sound of raindrops against casement windows. You, Dear Reader, are curled up in a window seat with sapphire-blue velvet cushions, a soft blanket on your lap, turning Sparrow’s pages, while the rain falls and the gray afternoon turns to dusk. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish SPARROW?

Pointe by Brandy Colbert

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson 

All the Rage by Courtney Summers

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book? 

The hardest part for me is writing the first draft. My first drafts are raging dumpster fires, so the whole process makes me feel like Sisyphus, pushing his massive boulder uphill over and over again. It’s tough showing up to the blank page every day, when you know that eventually your book will be much better, but right now, you have to write this terrible, stinky thing. Occasionally during that process I have days (okay, minutes) where everything comes together and I write something I love and know in my bones is good work. It’s tough, but I’ve been writing long enough to know that this is just the old, familiar first-draft angst, so I sit at my desk and power through until I get to the end. Then I breathe a sigh of relief and make everything beautiful in revisions. Lots and lots and lots of revision. So. Much. Revision. 

What’s next for you?

I’m not sure, to be honest. I’m gathering some notes and thoughts about another YA novel, but I don’t want to say too much about it, because then I will be jinxed by the Evil Nasty Book Fairy and all my ideas will disappear. I also have about a hundred pages of an epistolary novel that I love and worked on whenever Sparrow was out with my editor. Right now, I am focusing on all the writing and reading I’m doing in advance of Sparrow’s release. After March 17, I’ll figure out which project speaks most to me.

Mary Cecilia Jackson has worked as a middle school teacher, an adjunct instructor of college freshmen, a technical writer and editor, a speechwriter, a museum docent, and a development officer for central Virginia's PBS and NPR stations. Her first novel, Sparrow, was an honor recipient of the SCBWI Sue Alexander Award and a young-adult finalist in the Writers' League of Texas manuscript contest. She lives with her architect husband, William, in Western North Carolina and Hawaii, where they have a farm and five ridiculously adorable goats.

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