Guest YA Author Natalie Wright
Today I'm excited to be hosting YA author Natalie Wright. I've downloaded her book EMILY'S HOUSE on my Kindle. I can't wait to read more of her story!
Q: What is your day job or are you lucky
enough to write for a living?
A: By
day, I’m an attorney and divorce mediator. By night, I write stories that take
myself and my readers to another world.
Q: What books have you written so far?
A: I
have published one book so far, Emily’s House, which is the first of a
three book YA fantasy series, the Akasha Chronicles.
Q: What works in progress do you have?
Q: What works in progress do you have?
A: I’m
currently working on, H.A.L.F. It’s a YA Science Fiction novel full of
government conspiracy, human-alien hybrids and lots of action and danger. Think
X-Files meets Area 51 but with teens!
I’m
also hard at work on the follow up to Emily’s House. The second book, Emily’s
Trial, finds Emily a year older, getting beyond the “Freak Girl” status,
and navigating her first love. But will she use what she learned in the
Netherworld wisely? Book 2 will test her and her friendships. If she thought
what she went through in Book 1 was hard, Emily hasn’t seen anything yet!
I’m
also putting together a novella that will be a companion to Emily’s House
and that Akasha Chronicles. It’s the story of Saorla, Emily’s ancestor that we
meet in the first book. I had a lot of material that I cut so for those who
enjoy the ancient Celtic backstory, the novella will explore that further.
Q: How long did it take you to write your
book/s?
A: Emily’s
House, being my first, took quite a while. From concept to completion, it
was about four years. My second, H.A.L.F., will be a little more than
two years from concept to completions. Emily’s Trial will hopefully
be about a year from concept to completion. I’m getting faster!
Q: Which character from your books do you like most / are most like?
Q: Which character from your books do you like most / are most like?
A: When
I first began writing, I found it hard to write the “bad guys.” I think I was
afraid to go there. But once I got into it, I LOVE IT! The dark characters are
so much fun. So far, my favorite characters are the dark ones, Dughall and
Macha (a nasty pixie) from Emily’s House. And in H.A.L.F., I
created a character named Commander Lilly Sturgis. She’s like a soothing mother
to her hybrid creatures one minute, then like “Mommy Dearest” the next! And in Emily’s
Trial, one of the villains from Emily’s
House is back (but I’m not telling which one!) and the readers will also
meet Ciardha, a powerful entity with a seriously bad attitude and an axe to
grind.
Of
all the characters I’ve created so far, I think I’m most like Emily Adams but
wish I was more like Madame Wong.
Q: Who is your favourite hero / heroine?
A: My
favorite heroine is Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games is my favorite
series and Katniss kicks butt. I love that she’s not perfect but she can be
counted on to do the right thing. She’s strong and powerful but not because she
has super powers or paranormal abilities. She’s a real person on this real
Earth and she finds the strength within to be a hero. I think she’s a
masterfully crafted character.
Q: Which book do you wish you had written?
A: The
Hunger Games trilogy. I aspire to write as well as Suzanne Collins and I hope
to have a story premise as amazing as the Hunger Games plop into my head
someday.
Q: Which three authors would you like to take to the pub?
A: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett – because they seem like a funny pair of blokes and I’d like to pick their brains about writing!
And
Maggie Stiefvater – because she is a multi-dimensional person who seems fun and
entertaining. I get the feeling you could talk to Maggie about any creative
subject and she’d have a great story to tell.
Q: Do you have a blog? What do you blog about?
A: I
do have a blog, http://NatalieWrightsYA.blogspot.com.
I post three times a week. Monday is “Manic Monday” where my posts can touch on
anything that I’m inspired to write about. The posts are sometimes humorous, other
times thoughtful/philosophical, or maybe inspirational. Wednesday is “Writer
Chat Wednesday” where I post interviews and Skype interviews with authors. I
focus primarily on YA writers but I’ll chat with anyone who I find interesting.
Then Friday is “Book Review Friday.” I also post about giveaways and blog tours
there.
Q: Beach or mountains?
A:
Beach at the edge of mountains. My “perfect spot” is on the North Shore of
Kauai, Hawaii – the Bali Hai spot. The jagged mountains meet the ocean there
and it is heaven.
Q: Double, bacon cheeseburger or
dairy-free, gluten-free vegan lentil burger?
A: I
would want to eat the double
cheeseburger with extra bacon! But my stomach prefers staying away from beef
and dairy ;-(
Q: What three words describe you?
A:
Passionate, Feisty & Free
My Summer Teen Reading Party giveaway is
going on now through May 21 so enter through the Rafflecopter below for your
chance to snag swag from me.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmZiNzQzN2ZlN2U4NDU4M2I4N2Y0NTQzYWIzZTQyOjA=/
From Kirkus Reviews: With her two best
friends by her side and her mother’s memory in her heart, a teenager undertakes
a journey to save the world from an ancient evil.
Emily Adams has always
known she’s special. Throughout her whole life she’s had visions of things that
haven’t happened yet and she could always read her mother’s mind. At least, she
could until her mother died. Emily thinks her abilities are just about gone,
but the arrival of a strange creature in her backyard one night proves
otherwise. Emily discovers she is the last of the Order of Brighid, an ancient
society of women sworn to protect the portal to the Netherworld. Now, with the
portal under attack, it’s up to Emily and her two loyal, wisecracking friends
to stop a villainous man before his actions destroy the world.
Author Bio:
Natalie Wright spent her
formative years growing up on a farm in Ohio. It was a fertile environment for
an active imagination and inquisitive mind. She is, however, a city girl at
heart and now finds inspiration in her travels and in the desert environment of
her home in Tucson, Arizona, where she lives with her husband, daughter and her
dog Molly.
You
can “find” me here:
Website: http://NatalieWright.net
You can Purchase Emily’s House
Here:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/A7jHsG
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