Thursday, March 6, 2014

Blog Tour: Astral Tide Author Interview

Today, I am honored to host the wonderful Anna Silver and her new release, Astral Tide, the second installment in her addictive dystopian series, Otherborn.  After reading and loving the first book (my review of which can be found here) I knew I had to read this one, too!  And let me tell you, I was not disappointed!  And I'm excited to announce that I had the chance to interview Anna about the series, her writing style, and some other fun stuff!

Title:  Astral Tide
Series:  Otherborn #2
Author:  Anna Silver
Age Group:  Young Adult
Published:  February 28, 2014 
London and her friends are fugitives in a reprocessed world where anything New is illegal. But as Otherborn, they’re different. They can dream and create, which hasn’t gone unnoticed. After fleeing Capital City with an assassin on their heels, the Otherborn found nothing went according to plan. Now, they are down by two and on the run in the Outroads, but the Tycoons keep mysteriously gaining on them. And seven months later, London is no closer to her promise to go back for Rye, if there is anything left to go back for. But Zen is teaching London that there may be more to her heart than the pieces she left behind, and London can’t help but feel guilty about not looking back since they fled New Eden. Should she hold on to hope that Rye is more than just a memory, or embrace a new life and love with Zen?

In their race to outrun their enemies, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: they can only run for so long. Eventually, they’ll have to face what waits when the road runs out. Eventually, their fates will catch up to them.
Find Astral Tide online!

Author Interview!

I was so happy to have the chance to ask all the burning questions I have for Anna and she was nice enough to answer them all for me!  So, without further ado, here is our interview!

1) Astral Tide is the second book in your series, Otherborn.  What were the biggest differences in writing a sequel rather than a first installment?  

For starters, it was important to lace the sequel with enough information from the first novel that a new reader could still follow the story. But you have to be careful not to info dump. Too much backstory at once weighs down the plot. Aside from that, I had to step back and decide where all these new character arcs were leading. How had my characters changed during the course of book one, and how much more did I want them to change in book two? There has to be growth there, or else there’s no point. 

2)  In this novel, we get to see a lot more of the world and how things have changed and how it has affected the people, especially our characters.  How did you come up with this world where nothing new is ever created?

I think the worst possible dystopia for me would be one where creativity was illegal. I would just shrivel up and die in those conditions, because self-expression is so vital to me. So it was a really easy leap for me to imagine this world. I mean, is there really anything more dreadful than a future of unending sameness? Ugh. Diversity is very stimulating to me and I bore easily. So, to me, that’s truly the worst foreseeable future.

3)  One of my favorite things about this book is the Astral element that you have entwined throughout.  Was this element of the series and the world something you knew about from the very beginning or did it surprise you as you were writing?  What inspired this unique twist?

I did know it from the beginning, though slipping into the voice of it was a unique surprise. It was nice to break away from the bleak setting the Otherborn are otherwise trapped in. And I needed the Astral to counter what was happening in the walled cities and Outroads. I needed it to feed the conflict and plot.

4)  London and her friends are all so interesting and each have such three dimensional personalities.  Were any of these characters inspired by people you know?  Which of them was your favorite to write about?

London and Si’dah were originally my favorite characters to write, but this time around I had a lot of fun with Rye and Zen as well. It was nice to flesh them out more and give them more voice. And I enjoyed pitting them against one another, with London in the middle. I also loved writing Elias. As far as inspiration goes, London has a few of my quirks, amped up with the kind of personality I think it would take to front a punk band. And I borrowed a trait or two from my husband for Rye, but mostly everyone is their own entity.

5)  What is your writing process like?  Do you listen to music and have a special routine you need to go through before starting?

I can’t listen to music while I write. In fact, I can’t have any noise at all. So I only write when everyone else is gone, and that really limits the amount of time I can devote to writing each day. Weekends are out. Aside from that, I like it best if I sit down and start writing first before doing anything else. I’m a morning writer. And I simply MUST have a window.

6)  Are you a panster or a plotter?  Why?

I began as a pantser and still am in many ways, but I have learned to incorporate a little more plotting into my process—kind of like a scaffold to hold the story up. For me, if I plotted the entire thing in advance, it would hold no more surprises and then I would lose interest. I need to know a little adventure awaits every time I sit down to the computer. And I am naturally very intuitive in my creative work.

7)  Was there anything in particular that inspired you to write London's story?  If so, what was it?  

I wanted to write something that spoke to the almost magical power of dreams. And I wanted to place that in the most striking context I could think of. And then I wanted it to happen to a very unexpected character. Voila! 

8)  The ending of Astral Tide completely blew me away - I NEED MORE!  Is there anything you can tell us about the next book?  

Not a lot! I’m still frame-working it myself. But I can tell you that we’ll get a much more up close and personal look at New Eden in book three, and London’s relationships with both Rye and Zen will continue to play tug-of-war with her heart.

This or That?

Coffee or Tea? Tough one. Coffee…most days.
Skittles or M&Ms? M&Ms of course! CHOCOLATE.
Salty or Sweet? Sweet.
Crunchy or Chewy? Crunchy. I have texture issues.
Sun or Rain? Sun. I get depressed when it’s overcast, even though I love the lush greenery rain produces.
Fall or Spring?  Fall. Hands down. Even though it’s hotter here than I prefer.
Phone or Laptop? Laptop!!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Anna!  I loved reading your responses!  And I have texture issues, too :)


 About Anna Silver!
Anna Silver is an author and artist living in the greater Houston area with her family, pets, and overactive imagination. Her art has been featured in the Houston gallery Las Manos Magicas. She studied English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. She's freelanced for private clients and small publications like the Hill Country Current. OTHERBORN, her first published novel, has been featured on 2 of Amazon's "Bestsellers" lists. She is represented by Rebecca Podos and Nicole LaBombard of Rees Literary Agency.
  


  
Find Anna online!


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