Review: DRIVE by Stephanie Fournet
I have loved everything I’ve read from Stephanie Fournet, and DRIVE did not disa[...]
I’m thrilled to have debut author Sara B. Larson as a guest today for an interview as part of her blog tour for DEFY! Check out the book and her Q & A below, then enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.
Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king’s army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince’s guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can’t prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.
The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she’s sworn to protect?
Q & A with Sara B. Larson
In the length of a tweet (140 characters), tell us about your book.
Embroiled in a deadly game of secrets and lies, the fiercest member of a prince’s guard is actually a girl disguised as a boy.
Are you working on something new? Can you tell us what’s coming next?
I am actually in revisions with my amazing editor, Lisa Sandell, for the sequel to DEFY. I can say that in DEFY, we see a fairly limited view of Alexa’s world, because it’s from her point of view, and she has a pretty limited knowledge of what’s going on. But in the sequel, that view begins to crack open, expanding and bringing in much more information about what’s really going on in Antion, Dansii, and Blevon (the three kingdoms in DEFY), and of course there’s even more fighting, kissing, twists and political intrigue to hopefully keep you flipping pages!
If you were stranded on a desert island what are 3 things you’d want to have with you?
My family, my books, and a knife.
What are your pet peeves?
I can’t handle napkins tearing. It’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. I have to wipe my hands on washcloths or wipes, I HATE napkins.
If you could jump into a book and live in that world, which would it be?
Harry Potter, no question. J.K. Rowling is a genius and the world she created is absolutely amazing.
What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?
When I was in second and third grade I was obsessed with the Babysitter’s Club. I even dotted my I’s with hearts like Stacey did. (Which makes it so surreal and amazing that I’m now published with Scholastic!) As a teen, my favorite book was The Poisonwood Bible. I’ve always been fascinated by the jungle, and Africa, and the voices in that book are absolutely astounding. You can open to any chapter and know exactly who is talking without flipping back to see whose chapter it is.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Never, never give up. If you don’t give up, you WILL succeed.
What’s your favorite quote?
One of my favorite quotes is “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. I even have it as my header for my blog. I’ve held on to that hope through my entire journey, and now the dedication in DEFY might mean even more to you if you go back and read it knowing that.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?
I always wanted to be an author. I have notebooks full of books I wrote all the way back from second grade. This is quite literally my life-long dream come true.
What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
I can’t wait to see Divergent, it looks like a really good adaptation of the book. And I can’t wait for all of the end of trilogies that are coming out in 2014—THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT, EVERTRUE, and RUIN AND RISING are three of my most anticipated reads!
About the Author
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
Sara loves writing, reading, and dessert–but the order varies by the day. She wrote her first book in second grade about a woman who had a premature baby, complete with a “to scale” drawing of the baby’s size–while her mom was pregnant. To say she was a bit precocious is putting it lightly. Now that she’s an adult, she writes books for teens that have magic and romance and kick-butt girls (and very few premature babies). She lives in Utah with her husband, two young sons and baby girl. She writes during naptime and the hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims that she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” On occasion you will find her hiding in a bubble bath with a book and some Swedish Fish. she is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary and her YA debut DEFY is coming January ’14 from Scholastic!
Giveaway
5 Signed Copies of DEFY US ONLY
Tour Schedule
Week One:
12/30/2013- A Book and a Latte– Interview
12/30/2013- Book Nerd Canada– Review
12/31/2013- Primrose Musings– Review
12/31/2013- Fictitious Delicious– Guest Post
1/1/2014- Jessabella Reads– Review
1/1/2014- Dark Faerie Tales– Interview
1/2/2014- Curling Up With A Good Book– Review
1/2/2014- IceyBooks– Guest Post
1/3/2014- The Demon Librarian– Review
1/3/2014- Tales of the Ravenous Reader– Interview
Week Two:
1/6/2014- She Dreams in Fiction– Review
1/6/2014- Two Chicks on Books– Guest Post
1/7/2014- Bookish– Interview
1/7/2014- Hannah Reads Books– Review
1/8/2014- Fiktshun– Guest Post
1/8/2014- Crossroad Reviews– Review
1/9/2014- Fiction Freak– Interview
1/9/2014- In the Best Worlds– Review
1/10/2014- Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance– Review
1/10/2014- The Cover Contessa– Guest Post
Thanks for the interview. It’s amazing to me how many writers knew that would be their calling so early in life. I guess that’s what makes it a calling. Happy New Year to all!!
I too would live in JK Rowling’s world!!
And I totally agree with her wishlist books – lots of awesome trilogies are completed this year:)
Defy sounds amazing:)
Thank you and congrats for this awesome book release:)
I can’t wait for DEFY! And I love Sara’s advice—so hopeful!
Tracey Neithercott recently posted..Class of 2013 YA Superlative Blogfest: Day 3 & Giveaway Details
That was a fun interview to read. Looking forward to reading Defy next week
That’s so funny about hating napkins! So can’t wait for this book. I love fighting females disguised as guys ;D
Ellie recently posted..How Characters Deal With Loss
Twitter: LadybugLit
says:
Oh my goodness! A fellow Potterhead! I am now a big fan of Sara’s. 😀
Danielle @ Ladybug Literature recently posted..It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (35)
GREAT review! The cover is absolutely beautiful, and I cannot wait to read this!
Paij Slater recently posted..The Ominous Tour Grand Finale!!!
The book sounds awesome. Can’t wait to read it in 2014!
I cannot wait for DEFY (even though it’s only a week away now)!
I loved the interview! Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to reading Defy.
Def want to read this! It sounds awesome! 😀
Awesome! Def want to read Defy!
Defy looks really good! I can’t wait to read it.
Premise sounds awesome!
I love that quote by Eleanor Roosevelt! Also, I completely agree about Harry Potter. That is my all time favorite series and I would love to live in that world as well. 🙂
Kimberly M. recently posted..Happy New Years!!!
DEFY sounds absolutely amazing. And omg, I still need to read Divergent before I see it! AHH! Thanks for the amazing interview and giveaway 😀
Rabiah recently posted..Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum
Thanks for the great interview! I have heard such good things about this book, I have got to read it : )
I have read the arc of Defy and very much enjoyed it. I’m so excited for the next in the series…love hearing that it’s in progress. Wonderful interview and amazing giveaway!
Kristen@My Friends ARe Ficition recently posted..Review of Cress by Marissa Meyer
The cover of defy is amazing!!! I LOVE the rose dagger, it is beautiful. Thanks for the giveaway!!!
Defy looks like a great read! I’m definitely looking forward to reading it. 🙂