Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Conjuerer's Riddle! I have an interview with Andrea to share with you today! To follow the rest of the tour, check out the schedule at the end of the post!
The Conjurer's Riddle (Inventor's Secret #2)
Author: Andrea Cremer
Genre: YA Fantasy/Science Fiction/Steampunk
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Publisher: Philomel Books
Description:
The Revolution is beginning–and Charlotte may be on the wrong side.
In this sequel to The Inventor's Secret, Charlotte and her companions escape the British Empire, but they haven't left danger behind. In fact, if they go against the revolutionaries, they face even greater peril.
Charlotte leads her group of exiles west, plunging into a wild world of shady merchants and surly rivermen on the way to New Orleans. But as Charlotte learns more about the revolution she has championed, she wonders if she's on the right side after all. Charlotte and her friends get to know the mystical New Orleans bayou and deep into the shadowy tunnels below the city–the den of criminals, assassins and pirates–Charlotte must decide if the revolution's goals justify their means, or if some things, like the lives of her friends, are too sacred to sacrifice.
This alternate-history adventure series asks the questions: What would have happened if America had lost the Revolutionary War? And what would people be willing to do to finally taste freedom?
Praise for The Inventor's Secret:
* "Cremer...creates an inventive blend of steampunk and alternative history in this new series. She gives readers a fantastical world with mechanical wonders and an opulent vintage setting. The characters are interesting and well developed. Readers will be drawn to future installments."--VOYA, starred review
"[A]n entertaining romp in a richly imaginative setting."--Kirkus Reviews
1. What's the hardest part of writing a novel, in your opinion?
Staying focused on the task at hand. We live in a world of infinite distractions, and my eyes are easily drawn to the shiny thing in the distance. I try to avoid being pulled out of my work by listening to music while I write, which keeps me in the sensory space of the novel, and writing in places without WiFi.
2. Are any of your characters based on people you know or yourself?
I’m one of those authors who thinks her characters are real and they’d be offended if I said they were based on anyone in ‘our’ world. The exception is that when I was writing Nightshade I realized that Calla’s younger brother, Ansel, bore an uncanny resemblance to my own little brother. That wasn’t my intent when I was writing, but my brother and I have always been very close and that relationship crept into the relationship between my characters – to their benefit, in my opinion.
3. Was there a specific person or event that made you want to become an author?
I’ve always loved writing and have been making up stories as long as I can remember, but I never thought writing was a viable profession. I was a history professor for five years before I became a full-time writer. The event that started my writing career was a horseback riding accident that left me with a broken foot. I was stuck on the couch for twelve weeks and in that time I decided I would try writing a complete novel. As soon as I embarked on that endeavor I was hooked and have never looked back.
4. Favorite book and/or author?
Watership Down has been my favorite book since I first read it as a young girl. The book is so many things: a tale of loss and survival, an adventure and hero’s journey, an origin story. Richard Adams taught me so much about developing characters and creating mythology through Watership Down.
5. Any tips for aspiring authors?
Many people want to be writers, but few become writers for one simple reason: they don’t writer. It sounds silly, but it’s true. The most difficult part of being a writer is the writing. You have to discipline yourself to spend hours in front of a screen or staring at a page, willing words to come. Most people aren’t able to commit themselves to that kind of time alone with a story. You have to love the work enough to be willing to give yourself over to the process.
6. What's up next for you?
At the moment I’m revising the third book in The Inventor’s Secret series, which will be out next fall. After that – a new adventure!
Andrea has always loved writing and has never stopped writing, but she only recently plunged into the deep end of the pool that is professional writing. Before she wrote her first novel, Andrea was a history professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. In her books, she strives to bring together her two passions: history and fantasy. Andrea now lives in New York and writes full time.
To contact Andrea, please visit: andreacremer.com
Author Links:
http://www.andreacremer.com/
http://andreacremer.com/blog/
https://www.facebook.com/andreacremerwrites/?fref=ts
(Author into + picture taken from Goodreads)
Blog Tour Schedule:
Two Chicks on Books – Guest Post - 11/2
Reading is Better with Cupcakes – Review & Giveaway - 11/3
Jessabella Reads – 10 Random Things - 11/4
A Dream Within a Dream – Interview - 11/5
Butter My Books – Excerpt - 11/6
YA Books Central – Review - 11/9
Please Feed the Bookworm – Book Soundtrack & Review - 11/10
The Young Folks – Would You Rather? - 11/11
The Forest of Words and Pages – Interview - 11/12
Seeing Double in Neverland – Review & Giveaway - 11/13
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