Today I'm pleased to present an interview with Elly Blake! Ms. Blake is the author of the YA book Frostblood, which releases tomorrow, January 10th! :)
Here's the interview!
The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.
1. Would you please describe your debut book, Frostblood, in seven words?
Fiery young woman versus maniacal frost king.
or
Fiery 17-year-old girl versus corrupt frost king.
or
Girl of fire must destroy icy throne.
or
Fiery girl seeks revenge, but finds her heart.
I really like all of these, but I think the third one is my favorite!
2. Where did the idea for Frostblood come from?
Well, to be honest, it's the old "it came to me in a dream" story. I dreamed about a girl with powers over fire and a king with an icy heart. I already loved elemental magic, such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. There’s something really exciting about throwing complete opposites together, whether in love or war.
3. Random question! If you could live in any fairy tale for one day, which one would you want to live in?
That's tough! I'd love to slip on a gorgeous ballgown and dance, a la "Twelve Dancing Princesses" or "Beauty and the Beast." But I'd also like to try my hand at a quest. I like the tales where the main character has to perform a series of impossible tasks, sometimes with magical help, as in "Boots and his Brothers," "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," "The Six Swans," or "Tam Lin." I have so many favorite fairy tales!
Ooh, all good fairy tales!
4. What's one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
The best piece of advice I can give is to persevere! Learning to write and pursuing publication are scary as hell, but desire can overcome fear. If you have a secret longing to write, follow it. My dad told me the adage that new business owners often overestimate short term gains, but underestimate long term gains. Keep that in mind! If your goal is to have a published book, it will probably take longer than you expected, but when you’re tempted to give up—well, that’s when you could be so close! Patience and persistence, along with an eagerness to learn, are your best allies.
Very good advice!
5. What are some MG and YA books you're looking forward to in 2017? And if you've already read some '17 books, which books have you loved?
So far, I've read and loved Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, A List of Cages by Robin Roe, Wait for Me by Caroline Leech, and Wintersong by S. Jae Jones. All of these were excellent, gripping reads that stay with you! I'm eagerly awaiting Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves, Caraval by Stephanie Garber, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields, American Street by Ibi Zoboi, and The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles. And so many more! I'm really going to need to hoard reading time in 2017 to catch up on all the exciting debuts. :D
All of these books sound so good!
Thank you so much to Ms. Blake for participating in this event! :)
Author bio: Elly Blake loves fairy tales, old houses, and owls. After earning a BA in English literature, she held a series of random occupations before landing her current dream jobs as library assistant and writer. The Frostblood Saga is her YA fantasy debut. (FROSTBLOOD, Jan 10, 2017. FIREBLOOD, Sept 5, 2017. DARKBLOOD, June 2018)
Here are a few links:
Love the interview! Need to read the book :)
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