THE CONCLAVE Blog Tour - Interview + Giveaway!

I'm so excited to be apart of The Conclave Blog Tour today! These books look and sound amazing and now that the third one is out, binge reading the series will be infinitely easier!

  

Find the first two books in the series online!

The Convergence || The Keep

Title: The Conclave 

Series: The Converters Trilogy #3 

Author: Tenille Berezay 

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: July 21, 2017 

Having escaped the dangers of The Keep, Desiree is determined to free Blake. But when a government-enhanced converter goes rogue, the ensuing battle for power, control, and lives makes Blake’s rescue a secondary mission. As Desiree struggles to overcome past demons and new, stifling expectations, she faces converters more powerful, dangerous, and desperate than ever. To protect those she loves, redeem the convergence, overtake The Keep, and honor the Conclave, Desiree will have to redefine her future.
THE CONCLAVE is the intense, action-packed final book in the Converters trilogy; the conclusion of Desiree’s journey. 

Find The Conclave online!

Amazon | Goodreads 

I'm so happy to welcome the author of this trilogy, Tenille Berezay, to the blog for an interview! 

Hi Tenille!  I’m so excited to have you here on the blog today and to discuss your trilogy, The Converters!  What initially sparked the idea of these novels?

The Converters Trilogy came from my realization that we all have tons and tons of untapped potential. This story is my idea of what we could be and do if we were able to access all of that awesomeness.

Do you find you’re more driven by the story or by the characters when you write?

As the third book in the series, The Conclave was totally character driven. I had an idea of what I wanted my main characters to go through and become. From there, it was just a process of adding in all the events that would push them to the outcome I wanted and making it all flow together. 

Are you more of a “fly by the seat of your pants” writer or do you like to plot when you write?  What do you do when you have writer’s block?

This go round I was definitely a “pantser”. I wrote this during NaNoWriMo, so it was a lot of speed writing for me. And then a lot of editing. As for writer’s block, I find I can always write, it’s just sometimes really, really bad writing. Which brings us back to the editing. I plan for lots of edits.

Do you have a writing routine you go through? Any snacks or a specific place you go to when writing?

With kids, my routine is to not have a routine. ;) But seriously, I usually fit my writing in where I can. I’m also lucky enough to have a husband who lets me escape occasionally to a writing trip where I immerse myself in writing…and gluttony. I’ll admit there are copious amounts of candy and Dr. Pepper consumed.

Do you listen to music when you write?  If so, what was the most inspiring song to you when writing each book in The Converters series?

I love this question! Music is a huge inspiration for me. I have a top ten song list for each book I write, but I will narrow it down to one song for each. Let’s see…for book one, I’ll go with Fix You by Coldplay. For book two, One Thing by Finger Eleven. And for The Conclave, Hurricane by Truslow. There are so many others, but these are my top three!

How has writing the second and third books in this series differed from writing the first?  Is it easier now than it was in the beginning?

Yes! I keep saying each book gets easier to write. I’m not sure if this is because I’ve been writing a series and I’m familiar with the characters, or if I’m not as overwhelmed by the whole process as I was the first time. I guess I’ll just have to write more books to see!

Where’d the inspiration for Desiree, the main character of The Converters come from?  Do you see yourself or anyone you know in her?

Desiree is who I wish I was in high school—confident and powerful throughout her process of self-discovery. She was inspired by my favorite fictional women…I took all the attributes I liked and left out all the things that drove me crazy. I wanted a character that starts out tough and learns that her emotions and sensitivity don’t make her weak, but stronger.     

Blake is so intriguing!  How did you come up with him as a character?  Did you find him easy or difficult to write about?

Blake was harder. Since the book is written from Desiree’s perspective, it was more difficult to show his growth. I had to do multiple rewrites tweaking his conversations and reactions as I took his perspective into consideration. The second and third book were easier, because I felt like he didn’t alter as much in these books. The strength of his ?emotions and his convictions only grew deeper.

What was your favorite part about writing this series?

The ending! J No really, it was! I loved the closure. Loved bringing the story full circle and bringing the characters all the endings they deserved. And there’s something crazy-satisfying about having a story fully told.

Tea or Coffee? Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper should always be an option.

Skittles or M&Ms? Skittles

Sweet or Salty? Sweet then salty.

Action or Romance? Action makes the romance 10x better.

Vanilla or Chocolate? Vanilla with a touch of chocolate.

Rain or Shine? Rain for reading, shine for writing.

Don't miss the chance to read this awesome trilogy!  And don't forget to enter the giveaway!

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About Tenille Berezay

After living throughout the western U.S., Tenille now claims rural Northern Nevada as her home. If she's not being consumed by a book--whether her own or another author's--she'd like to be found horseback riding, backpacking with her high-school sweetheart/husband, or photographing their three beautiful children.

Tenille loves to read any genre (as long as there's great dialogue with a touch of snark). She believes in authentic characters, romantic sub-plots, and realistic, happy endings.

Author Interview: Sherry Thomas

Today, I am lucky enough to have the pleasure of hosting Sherry Thomas, the author of The Burning Sky and several historical romances, here on the blog!  

Title:  The Burning Sky

Series:  The Elemental Trilogy #1

Author:  Sherry Thomas

Age Group:  Young Adult

Publication Date:  September 17, 2013

My Review

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…
Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.
Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.
But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

Find The Burning Sky online

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads 

After reading and completely falling in love with The Burning Sky, her first young adult novel, I just needed to get in touch with her and ask her all the questions I had!  So, without further ado...

Q & A

The Burning Sky is a novel full of intense action and – my favorite - tons of magic!  How did you come up with the specific forms of magic within this story? 

Whenever I am asked to describe The Burning Sky, I tell people it’s Harry Potter with cross-dressing. So obviously I enjoy magic portrayed as an ordinary component of life—i.e., everyone around you can do it, just like everyone around you can drive a car and turn on a computer.  

But I wanted to give my world some depth and history. Since elemental magic is so different from the more “tech-heavy” forms of magic like charmed objects, potionmaking, etc., I decided to actually classify it as a class of magic on its own, a more instinctual and primal power, one that has long been in decline.

I loved Titus and Iolanthe!  Seeing from both their point of views added a layer to the novel that I enjoyed immensely!  Out of the two of them, which one of their POVs did you enjoy writing from the most and why?

I might have to say I enjoyed Titus’s POV scenes a tad more, just because boyfriend is such a different person beneath that veneer of disdain and aloofness. And the stakes for him are so high.

The world within The Burning Sky is very intricate and so beautiful.  What was your process when you began to build it?  Was it always a clear picture or did you run into challenges?

I started with a very fuzzy picture—all I knew at the beginning was that there was a meteor storm on the night of the heroine’s birth, and everything else had to be filled in. Seriously, in the first draft, I came very close to having a scene of herb-gathering, which is just about the most cliched thing you can do in fantasy!

But as I went through draft after draft, it emerged that I wanted my magical world to be modern. The mage realms are urban, highly organized, with very fast travel and fairly instantaneous communication—more like the developed nations of the 21st century and not at all medieval or agrarian.

There is a very colorful cast of characters within this story!  Are any of them based off of people you know?  Did you have a favorite?

LOL. Whenever I am on a panel with authors, at least one of them will tell the audience that they should be careful what they say or do, because it might go into the next book. And then I’ll always have to clarify that not all of us do that: I have never based a character on a real person. They are constructed entirely in my head.

I do love Kashkari, who embodies exactly what a gentleman should be. But I also love Cooper, because he is so full of squeals and feels and makes for such a funny contrast to Titus’s icy majesty.  (Actually, you see more of that in The Perilous Sea.)

Oh, I forgot: While the Inquisitor is not based on a person, I wrote her looking at images of Tilda Swinton.

I absolutely loved the idea of the Crucible!  Being able to jump into any fairytale and live it would be like a dream!  If you could be in any fairytale, which would you choose?

Probably not one in which a dark forest predominates the landscape—I don’t think I’d enjoy groping my way through that. But maybe as the cat in Puss in Boots? (Wait, there is a forest in that one too, isn’t there? I just can’t get away from the woods.)

Iolanthe has control over the elements – such a cool ability!  If you could pick any element to have control over, which would it be?  Why? 

Water. You always need water. (Of course you need air too, but air is usually already there.) ☺

When you initially got the idea for this story, which came first: the characters, the world, or the plot?  Or something else entirely?  What was your inspiration?  

A sentence—On the night I was born, stars fell—dropped into my head as I was crossing the parking lot at Costco one afternoon.

The sentence never made it into the book, as I switched to third person POV fairly early on. But that was the starting point. I looked up the last great meteor storm, which was in 1866, which meant my young mages would be living in the early 1880s. I also write books for adults set in the late Victorian period, so that was more or less perfect.  

If your protagonists are sixteen, chances are they are in school.  And there is no point doing a magical school, since that has already been done to perfection. So I decided that my mages are attending a nonmage school. And the only good nonmage schools in the 1880s are boarding schools for boys. I chose Eton, since it’s one of the most famous boarding schools in the world. And that choice obliged Iolanthe to dress as a boy and pass herself off as one, which was, of course, a ton of fun for the author.

When you write, do you normally listen to music?  Did you have a specific playlist for The Burning Sky? 

I did. I listened to a lot of production music—i.e., music that is recorded for the purpose of licensing to film, television, etc. Also known as trailer music. The tracks are often composed to evoke an epic feel, which was what I wanted. And most of the tracks on my playlist came from a production company named Two Steps from Hell. 

Besides writing YA, you also write Historical Romances such as My Beautiful Enemy and The Luckiest Lady in London!  How did your writing process change going into young adult?

It didn’t change at all. When I write, I don’t think about the audience, only the story. I do have to say though, that when I revise my romances, the changes I made flow from changes to characterization, whereas when I revise my YA fantasy, I make more changes to plot. Which makes sense, since romance is character-driven and fantasy is plot-driven.

I am so excited for the second book in The Elemental Trilogy, The Perilous Sea, to release!  Only about two more months left to wait!  Can you tell us what we can expect in this next installment?  

A breakneck pace, lots of revelations, a swoony romance—and if I’m completely honest, some heartbreak along the way. So gird yourself! 

This or That

Coffee or tea? 

Tea

M&Ms or Skittles? 

Twix

Rain or shine? 

Rain

Action or romance? 

Action with a touch of romance

Sweet or Salty? 

Salty

Edward or Jacob? 

I can has Dr. Cullen?

Okay, fine, you can have Dr. Cullen!  Thank you so much for answering these questions, Sherry!  I can't wait until The Perilous Sea releases!  

If you haven't already, make sure to buy The Burning Sky, the first book in The Elemental Trilogy!  It has magic, adventure, romance, fairy tales, and cross dressing!  What more could you ask for?

About Sherry Thomas

Sherry Thomas writes both historical romance and young adult fantasy.
On the romance side, she is one of the most acclaimed authors working in the genre today, her books regularly receiving starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.
On the young adult fantasy side, there isn't much to say yet, as her debut book is not scheduled for publication until September 2013.
Sherry writes in her second language. She learned English by reading lots of romance and science fiction--every word Isaac Asimov ever wrote, in fact. She is proud to say that her son is her biggest fanboy--for the YA fantasy, not the romances. At least, not yet...

Find Sherry online

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Have you read The Burning Sky yet?  What did you think?

Author Interview: Hannah M Davis

Today we have the awesome Hannah M Davis on the blog!  She's the author of the book Voice of Angels, which you can find here.

1.  Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?

Yes! Ever since I was a little girl with blond pig-tails I loved reading and writing. At school, I found great pleasure in exploring the realms of my imagination in my English assignments. I think my love of exploring the boundaries in writing began then because it seemed like unlike real life, anything was possible in writing. You could literally bring people back from the dead if you wanted to ....

2. How did you come up with the idea for Voices of Angels?

I get asked this question a lot and I wish there was a more interesting answer! I sometimes want to invent something amazing like how an angel came to visit me and gave me the story. But the truth is much more mundane than that and probably how most books are written. It started with an glimpse of an idea and then I filled in all the rest. So the initial idea was this ability to foretell death - the black marks above people's heads - and I just took it from there. 

3. There's a lot of interesting elements and plot points in Voices of Angels.  Did all the ideas come easily?  What was the most difficult scene to write?

That's a great question and in truth the novel took a long time to write. It was my debut book so my first draft came easily and fast but actually wasn't that marketable. Although publishers liked it, it didn't really fit any particular genre as I'd made the classic first-time writer mistake of just writing it without really thinking who would read it. So I rewrote it from scratch as a teen novel aimed at teenage girls and this new perspective allowed in lots of different ideas and - unexpectedly - a deep emotional layer that was missing from the first draft. I found myself going back to my school days as a 15 year old girl and revisited, sometimes painfully, all the burgeoning and sometimes overwhelming feelings I had back then - those of identity, self-esteem, confidence - and it was these feelings that changed the book from being a black and white story of death (and what, if anything happens afterward) into something which would connect to readers of all ages - that of self-belief and love.

The most difficult scene to write? Probably the scene where Joopy (the dog) gets knocked over. It was loosely based on my own pet cat getting knocked over and killed when I was 15. I was absolutely heartbroken. So with these emotions in mind I wrote the scene again and again and again and didn't stop until I actually cried when I wrote it. That way I knew it packed emotional punch. A lot of readers tell me they find this scene the most painful in the book and that it often brings them to tears. Although I don't really like making people cry - I do know that I've succeeded in creating a story which touches hearts.

4.  Spain is a unique setting in the YA book world!  Did you always know that Lizzie's journey in Voices of Angels would happen there?

Yes because I spend 10 years of my life there in South Spain, Andalusia, and I love how new cultures can transform us. It certainly had a profound affect on my life. Spain is a vibrant, colourful, intense country and the heat of the summer was the perfect backdrop to Lizzie and Rafa's passionate love story.

5.  Which character was the easiest to write about?  Which was the hardest?  Why?

The easiest character to write was probably Lizzie's eccentric grandmother, Ariadne as she seemed to write herself. Rafa was quite easy to capture too. I think because both characters are deliberately intense and full of life - it's easy to capture them. The hardest character to write was actually Lizzie. It was hard to make her interesting and yet a bit passive in the beginning of the novel. But as she gradually finds her voice and grows in confidence she became easier to write. Plus it's always a bit weird writing a female character and trying to distance yourself from her. People inevitably draw comparisons!

6.  If you could pick any character to hang out with for a day, which would it be and why?

Ariadne probably. I'd love to listen to sit down in the dusty courtyard of her Andalusian house as the sun is setting and simply listen some of her stories of her world travels. She's the kind of person who will lift you regardless of what mood you are in because of her infectious enthusiasm and love of life. I think a day in her company and I'd be a lot wiser.

7.  Voices of Angels has a lot of romance in it.  Did you always intend for it to be a love story?

The love story only came when I rewrote it as a teen novel and yes I did intend it to be a love story. I'm a sucker for romance in real life and in books so I loved writing about Lizzie and Rafa! I don't think I intended it to be quite so passionate but that came with the heat of the summer and the intensity and rawness of the passion was the fitting companion to that heat!

8.  While reading the story, I was really struck by how easily I related to Lizzie, even though what she was going through was quite extraordinary.  Did you always intend for Lizzie to be so easy to relate to?

The idea was to create a central character who was actually quite ordinary - hence the reason why she was quite hard to write! I read so many teen novels where the female lead is exceptional in some way and I wanted to go against the grain. Most girls I know are struggling to fit in, to find themselves, to be accepted by their classmates - and I wanted to relate to this kind of girl, not the popular one on the block. Growing up, I doubted myself a lot and questioned my place in the world. All those existential questions of where do I fit in, where do I belong? Am I liked? Those kind of things. The funny thing with age is I don't think they ever go away and that's why the book speaks just as loudly to adults as it does teenagers. You just get better at dealing with it, that's all. 

9.  Do you have a special routine you go through before sitting down to write?

I'd love to say yes but the truth is I've just moved house and country to be with the man I love!  I write about this true life story on my blog if you're interested in romance!  It's unbelievably romantic I have to say. So I'm not in any kind of routine at the moment! I"m in nesting phase. But when I write I do some loose writing first in my journal, then a quick meditation to centre myself and then I just sit down and open the laptop.  I either try to write to a certain time limit or a word amount.  I'll write first thing to get it out the way too!

10.  There were still a lot of loose strings at the end of Voices of Angels.  Are there any plans for a book two?  If so, when is it's estimated release date?  I'm eager to find out more about Lizzie's gift!  

There are plans for a book 2 but I'm focussing on creating a companion book of short stories first to release alongside Voices of Angels. These will be told from the point of view of other characters in the book, such as Rafa, Ariadne and Bee.  Once I've done that, I'll get cracking on book 2!

You can read more of Hannah's story on her blog:  www.hannahmdavis.com

About the Author:  When I was about 7 I started to write my first ever book. I didn't get very far (in fact I think I hid it in my wardrobe!) but it did begin a life long love affair with reading and writing.

I'm now a bit older, although I'm not saying how much . . . and I wrote my second ever book, a young adult novel called Voices of Angels. Luckily I didn't give up with this one and as you can see, it's available to buy now.

Voices of Angels is a dark and sexy paranormal romance following 15 year old, Lizzie Fisher, who can see when people are about to die. What she does with the frightening ability is the premise of the story. And along the way she moves country, falls in love and discovers lots of things about herself.

A sequel is currently being written.

As for me, I live in Spain, I love traveling and I love meeting new people. I also change my hair colour constantly, love the sound of the sea and have a middle name beginning with M.

You can read my full author profile and see some exclusive behind the scenes videos about the book on my website:

http://www.hannahmdavis.com/

Or if you prefer, you can check out my official author Facebook page - Hannah M Davis - and meet some of the gang:

Thank you for reading and do feel free to drop by my pages and say hi!

Hannah 

About Voices of Angels:  When Lizzie Fisher sees a black mark above her teachers head, she has no idea how much it will change her life. Seven days later the teacher is dead and Lizzie must come to terms with a frightening new ability: she sees when people are about to die. Sent to Andalucia to live with a grandmother she has never met, Lizzie falls in love with gifted musician, Rafa. All seems well until one day the black mark appears above her grandmother’s head. Horrified, Lizzie finds herself in a race against time to find out what the gift really means. Will Rafa help her? And can she save her grandmother’s life before it’s too late?

You can find Voices of Angels here and my review of it here.