Hi!
It's Lauren from LaurensBookLife and i'm thrilled to bring you another exciting post today!
I was sent a copy of Phoenix Rising by the lovely Jessie over at Stripes Publishing,so I could read it in preparation for the amazing release of Phoenix Rising blog tour celebration that's over two weeks!
Phoenix Rising is an explosive new YA series,the first book came out on the 1st June 2015 which you can buy from Amazon here
I'm a proud member of the #BansheeCrew and I've pledged my allegiance to them! I will not show weakness and I'll survive at all costs. I'm feared and I'm FEARLESS. There's no way the #PhoenixCrew will get to the island before me!
For my part of the blog tour,I thought i'd bring all of my readers an interview with Bryony and get some answers to my burning questions!
My first question would have to be,where did you get the idea for Phoenix Rising? What was your inspiration for the book?
As with all my books, the character comes first. I always wanted to write about pirates and Toby appeared in all his bright, curious, bravery. He didn't fit in the past though, and so I came up with his world, a dystopian future with an environmental message so important to me.
I'm really loving dystopian adventures at the moment and this book didn't disappoint! What is your favorite genre to read and why?
I'm a huge fan of the genres YA, science fiction and fantasy, but I'll generally read anything and everything, except historical novels about war, I hate historical novels about war, they really upset me.
I'm also really intrigued by the cover,I think its lovely! What are your thoughts on it?
I adore my cover, I was really lucky to have an amazing designer who has absolutely captured the soul of the book, and I love how the more you look at the cover the more you see - the fact that the image is carved into the side of the ship, the flames at the bottom, the landscape in the skulls mouth, Toby and Ayla in his eyes. Its really arresting.
I'm sure you get asked this a lot but i'm always looking to collect more and more advice as I too would love to write my own book one day. Do you have any tips for upcoming writers? How do you stand out among the crowd?
I believe the best way to become a writer is to read everything you can and write whenever possible. It's always worth joining a critique group or an organisation such as SCBWI, who are hugely supportive to new writers and have a lot on. How do you stand out from the crowd? Develop your own unique voice, be technically excellent (by which I mean avoid basic errors like spelling, grammar, punctuation and so on) and finally, finish what you are writing. There are a lot of aspiring writers out there with half finished manuscripts, you can stand out by being one of the few who can finish what they start. Half of being a published writer, in my opinion, is persistence.
Is there any characters in the book that are based on people you know? Or are they all entirely made up?
There are inevitable aspects of people I know in the book, because a writer does not live in a vacuum and I am constantly getting ideas for characters and quirks from those I see around me, but I would never take someone I know and fully transpose them into a book, I'd be far too afraid of the consequences! There is a lot of my son, Riley, in Toby and my daughter's stubborn stoicism went into Ayla.
Do you have a favorite character out of Phoenix Rising or a character that you enjoyed to write about the most?
I think Ayla is brilliant. There are few people I wish I'd had the guts to head butt on first acquaintance. She is the part of me that does the things I wish I could!
Can you sum Phoenix Rising up in three words?
Sail. Salvage. Survive.
Could you possibly give us any information/exclusive about the second book Phoenix Burning?
Phoenix Burning is more of a heist novel. The crew has one more thing to find before they can reach the island and Ayla tells them where it is. But she needs Toby to complete her plan. There are crosses and double crosses, the return of someone they thought long dead and lots more action and adventure.
What do you hope people take away from reading Phoenix Rising? Was there any important messages you wanted to get across?
The main theme of the book is the importance of trust in any relationship, but the message is environmental. I want people to think very hard the next time they decide to throw something away.
What inspired you to become an author? Was it someone,or something?
I've always wanted to write and can't remember a single event or individual who propelled me in that direction. My Dad however, has always been very interested in my story ideas and encouraged me to achieve my ambition.
When I started to read the book,I was really pleased that it jumped straight into action,it was fast paced and wasn't slow.Do you think that this is something a book needs to be good? Or can a good book also start slow and build?
Not at all, slow burning books can be wonderful, some of my favourites are slow burners - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Five People you Meet in Heaven, Captain Correlli's Mandolin, the list goes on. But I also love fast paced action. It's certainly a lot of fun to write.
Finally,for those that haven't read the book yet,(and I really recommend you do!) can you give them a brief summary of what the book is about?
A young pirate searches for a way to survive in a post-apocalyptic, junk filled future.
For more information and a sample from the first chapter, do check out my website www.bryonypearce.co.uk
Chat to Bryony on Twitter
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| check out the lovely posts coming up next week! |
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