Interview with Tricia Levenseller for The Shadows Between Us

The Shadows Between Us

by Tricia Levenseller
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: February 25th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.

2) Marry him.

3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

Can you briefly describe THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US and its characters?

TSBU is about an ambitious girl who decides to woo, wed, and then kill the Shadow King so she can take his kingdom for herself. Alessandra is our main character. As the second daughter, she was basically ignored by her family, forced to wait to enter society until her older sister was engaged. That gave her plenty of time to scheme. So when the time was right, she knew exactly what she wanted and how she would get it. The Shadow King is our other main character. His whole family was murdered, and he knows someone is trying to kill him as well. He hasn’t allowed anyone to get close to him for an entire year as he tries to solve the crime, but he’s wholly unprepared when Alessandra enters his life.

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

Definitely Alessandra. She’s just so fun to write! I love all her scheming and planning, the witty banter she delivers. She is definitely my favorite character I’ve written so far!

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

I was thinking about how much I love bad boys, but how the girls so often choose the nice guys because murderers make for poor love interests and happily ever afters. But then I realized that I might be able to pull it off if my main protagonist was also bad.

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

“Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer

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

Try and find the nearest Gothic Mansion. Extra dark hot chocolate.

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US?

The TV show The Vampire Diaries is my one true love, so I have to give a shout out to that. As for books, I recommend THE CRUEL PRINCE, WICKED SAINTS, and THREE DARK CROWNS if you’re looking for darker, more complicated romances.

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

The writing part. No, seriously. It’s so hard putting words on paper. I much prefer the editing process.

What’s next for you?

My next book is called THE SECRET BLADE, and it’s about a socially anxious blacksmith who forges magical blades. When she accidentally creates an all-powerful sword with the ability to extract secrets from those it cuts, she has to protect it at all costs.

Tricia Levenseller is the author of the Daughter of the Pirate King duology, Warrior of the Wild, and forthcoming The Shadows Between Us. She likes to describe her books as young adult alternate–world historical fantasies with heavy romantic subplots.

Initially from a small town in Oregon, Tricia now lives next to the Rocky Mountains with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English Language and editing, and she is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, playing Overwatch with her siblings, and watching shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Chelsea Bobulski for Remember Me

Remember Me

by Chelsea Bobulski
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: August 6th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Horror

Synopsis:

In this eerie and suspenseful YA, a teen girl discovers what connects her to the hotel she calls home as horrifying visions lead her to the truth. 

Nell Martin is moving again, this time to the Winslow Grand Hotel, built in 1878. As Nell is settling in, strange things begin to happen. Doors lock of their own accord, writing appears on bathroom walls--and most horrifying of all--visions of a dead boy permeate her waking life. Thinking it was her mind playing tricks on her, she soon finds the past and the present colliding as she learns horrific details of a murder that happened at the hotel in 1905 involving a girl named Lea.

Nell and a mysterious bellboy must relive that day in hopes of finally breaking a curse that imprisons them both. And Nell discovers what truly links her to the history of the Winslow Grand Hotel.

Can you briefly describe REMEMBER ME and the characters? 

Definitely! Remember Me is a young adult novel that can best be described as the horror of The Shining meets the romance of Titanic, told from two different points of view, Lea Sargent in 1907, and Nell Martin in 2019, as both girls arrive at the Winslow Grand Hotel to spend the summer. Lea arrives engaged to a man she doesn’t love in the hopes of securing her family’s financial future. Nell arrives with her father, the new guest relations manager, and quickly finds there’s more to the hotel’s past—and her personal connection to it—than meets the eye. As the past bleeds into the present, Nell finds herself haunted by an evil spirit in the hotel, and the only way out is to right a past wrong. 

Remember Me centers on three of my favorite things to write about—curses, star-crossed lovers, and vengeful ghosts—and I couldn’t love it more. 

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

It’s extremely hard to choose, but if I had to, I would say Lea. She is duty-and-honor-bound to follow a specific path that has been laid out for her. Her parents and her brother are counting on her to follow through with a marriage to a man she doesn’t love, but it’s more than that. They’re also asking her to give up any other potential future she might have had, and she’s willing to do it for their sake, no matter the cost to her, until she meets someone who makes her realize her true worth. I think most people can relate to that: fighting the ideas that people have about who you are and who you should be so that you can find out that truth for yourself, and then find the strength to follow through once you do, even if it means going against other people’s ideas for you, or going against the labels and limitations they’ve put on you. 

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

The idea came to me on a trip to San Diego with my mom in April 2015. At that time, I’d been out of college for 5 years, which also means I’d been pursuing traditional publication for 5 years, with 5 different books. I kept getting very close to landing that extremely elusive debut book deal, but it kept slipping through my fingers, and along the way, I lost my confidence. Not only was I seriously doubting whether or not I would ever be a published author (and trying to figure out what to do with my life now that I’d wasted the first five years of my twenties), but my husband and I had also been trying to get pregnant for over a year to no avail. Receiving rejection letters and negative pregnancy tests one on top of the other, combined with some other difficult circumstances and upheavals that had been simultaneously occurring in my husband’s and my families, sent me into a terrible depression. The two things I’d wanted to be for so long—an author and a mother—seemed like they were never going to happen, which is a very scary and debilitating thing to face when you’ve spent the past five years building your life around those two things. 

And then my mom and I found ourselves at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, which ended up being the inspiration for the Winslow Grand Hotel. For the first time in a long time, I was in a place where I felt the stories of past lives vibrating from its very walls, and I wanted to tell those stories. Then, while standing on the beach, my toes in the sand and the waves crashing around me, I felt God very specifically tell me to hold on just a little longer, to keep the faith that I would see all of my dreams come true. And then He filled me with a peace and a certainty I’d never felt before. 

Six weeks after visiting San Diego, I had my first book deal (The Wood, which released in 2017), and by the time Remember Me was ready to send out to editors, I was pregnant with my daughter (completely naturally after nearly two years of trying to conceive)! Now, Remember Me, my second book, is releasing five days before I’m due with our second child. To say that God answered my prayers is an understatement. I could not be more thankful for all of the ways that He has blessed me. 

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

“Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift. 

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

I mean, I think every YA author out there right now could see Noah Centineo as their book’s love interest, so it might be a bit cliché at this point but I’m going to say it anyway (Titanic-era Leonardo Dicaprio would also work). Unfortunately I can’t talk too much about my female leads without giving something away, so for now I’ll just let the readers decide who should play them.

Summer is here and we love to go out and enjoy the sun. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

Since many of its scenes are set on the beach, I would definitely say that Remember Me is the perfect beach book (paired with your favorite beachy-drink), but the haunting atmosphere also makes this book perfect for a coffee shop date, especially as the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to change. 

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

As a general rule, I always recommend Victoria/V.E. Schwab, Maggie Stiefvater, Marissa Meyer, and Cassandra Clare to everyone I meet. The Diviners by Libba Bray also meets that perfect historical horror vibe. I would also definitely recommend Stephanie Perkins’ lighter books, particularly Anna and the French Kiss, if you are craving another romance, as well as her horror/thriller, There’s Someone Inside Your House, if you’re leaning more that way. Gretchen McNeil is another great YA author to go to for all of your horror needs. If you’re craving more of the historical aspects of Remember Me, I would definitely check out Anna Godbersen’s The Luxe series. 

And, of course, you can never go wrong with Stephen King.

What’s next for you? 

I have a few projects in the works, although unfortunately none that I can discuss openly at this time. I am also awaiting the birth of our second child, so I am very excited to see what our new normal looks like once our little guy is here!

Chelsea Bobulski was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised on Disney movies, classic musicals, and Buckeye pride. She’s always had a penchant for the fantastical, the stories that teach us there is more to this world than meets the eye. She has a soft spot for characters with broken pasts, strange talents, and a dash of destiny in their bones. After graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in history, she promptly married her high school sweetheart and settled down in Northwest Ohio with her notebooks and daydreams and copious amounts of chocolate. THE WOOD is her debut novel.

Follow our Instagram to enter the Instagram giveaway where we are offering 1 copy of Remember Me by Chelsea Bobulski. Giveaway starts on 06 Aug 2019 and finished on 20 Aug 2019.

Enter now our second giveaway down below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Taran Matharu for The Chosen

The Chosen (Contender #1)

by Taran Matharu
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: June 4th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

Introducing an epic new trilogy from Taran Matharu, author of the New York Times–bestselling Summoner series. 

Throughout history, people have vanished with no explanation. A group of teenagers are about to discover why.

Cade is settling into a new boarding school, contemplating his future, when he finds himself transported to another realm. He soon discovers their new world is populated with lost remnants from the past: prehistoric creatures, ancient relics, and stranger still — people. Overwhelmed by his new surroundings, Cade has little time to adjust, for soon he and his fellow classmates are forced to become contenders in a brutal game, controlled by mysterious overlords.

But who are these beings and why did they choose these teens? Cade must prepare for battle . . . because hiding is not an option.

Can you briefly describe THE CHOSEN and its main characters? 

The Chosen tells the story of a group of modern-day American teenagers who find themselves transported through time and space to another realm. In this new world, they discover people, objects, artefacts and creatures from Earth’s history scattered through prehistoric jungles, and must scavenge an existence in this dangerous new world. But even as they get their bearings, they are forced to take part in a brutal tournament by mysterious overlords, fighting for their very survival. But what entities have brought them there, and for what sinister purpose? The only way to find out is to play the game. 

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

Cade Carter is sent to a court mandated boarding school as punishment after being wrongly accused of theft. Dejected and reduced to a shadow of his former self, Cade is at his lowest point when he finds both he and his classmates transported to this new world. 

Cade is resourceful, with a keen, curious mind that helps him stay alive in this new world. But he soon learns that merely surviving is not enough. He must earn the respect of his peers and lead them to victory. To do so, he will have to find the courage within himself to fight not only for his own life, but those of others. 

It is Cade’s internal journey that made me fall in love with his character. He transforms from merely a survivor looking out for his own interests to someone far more heroic. 

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

The Chosen is my love letter to Earth’s history. 

I grew up watching historical films, from Gladiator to Braveheart to The Last Samurai, not to mention the prehistoric saga of the Jurassic franchise. My favourite books were those that touched on our past—from War Horse to The Eagle of the Ninth. But I could never settle on one favourite time period. I wanted to write about them all. The Chosen has allowed me to do just that. 

History has always fascinated me, both what we do know and also what we don’t. From entire armies that marched to unknown fates, ancient cities once discovered and then lost to the mists of time, or treasure-laden ships that vanished without a trace, there are many mysteries and disappearances throughout our past. 

In The Chosen, these mysteries are answered. What if these disappeared groups and objects were taken to another realm, traveling across time and space? What if someone was taking these people? 

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

Definitely “Run Boy Run” by Woodkid 

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

That’s a difficult question! By the time a film might get made, usually the actors you’ve dreamed of have out-aged their role, so I try not to get attached. 

On top of that, the main character, Cade, is mixed race Indian and Caucasian, and there aren’t that many young actors out there with that racial background. I do imagine him to look a little like a young Avan Jogia. 

The main female character, Amber, is a British School Girl from the 1980s. She is half Chinese and half Caucasian. I imagine her looking a little like a young Kristin Kruek. 

Summer is coming and we love to go out and enjoy the sun. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

Since the setting is in a hot, exotic jungle, I think a picnic in the park might be a great place to go. As for a drink, perhaps something similarly tropical, like a fruit punch! 

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

Absolutely. Blue Light by Gary Paulsen has a similar premise and is an absolutely fantastic read. It came out in 1999 and was one of my favourite books growing up. 

What’s next for you? 

The sequel to The Chosen, tentatively titled The Arena (Contender #2), is coming in 2020. I’m almost done and I can’t wait to hear what people think!

Taran Matharu is the New York Times bestselling author of the Summoner series, which has been translated into 15 languages and has sold over a million copies. He was born in London in 1990 and found a passion for writing during early adolescence, beginning his first book at 9 years old.

Straight after graduating with a First Class degree in Business Administration, Taran was keen to explore a new avenue and get inside the publishing world, landing an internship in Digital Sales at Penguin Random House, from June to September 2013. 

Thereafter, while taking time off to travel, Taran began to write ‘Summoner’ in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’ and sharing his work on Wattpad.com. The shared sample of the story went viral, reaching over 3 million reads in less than six months. Taran went on to launch his professional writing career, and has never looked back.

His SUMMONER series is published by Hodder Children’s (Hachette) in the UK, Australia and Commonwealth, Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) in the US and Canada, Hachette Jeunesse in France, Heyne in Germany, Planeta in Spain, Crown in Taiwan, Record in Brazil, EKSMO in Russia, Jaguar in Poland, Ecliptic in Bulgaria, Alpress in the Czech Republic, Ithaki in Turkey, Forlaget Forar in Denmark and Unieboek in the Netherlands.