Below you can learn about the panel and each other's book(s) so you can check them out yourself. At the bottom of the post you can win a signed paperback copy of TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard. If you're looking for the signed copy of WINDWITCH, that will be over on Books Are My Fandom!
Repeat Offence
It had been exactly one year since I met Susan Dennard and it was pretty close to being in the same place so it was basically magic! Just like last time, Susan was with a bunch of different authors and came to this event just after ConFusion. It was really great to see Susan and Kate again since I've seen them both before and I got to spend time with Alex, Theresa, Sarah, and Stephanie, which is always a bunch of fun -- and really the reason I love going to events!Introductions
Once the panel started, each author introduced themselves and their most recent book, so I'm going to do that for you now.WINDWITCH
Author: Susan DennardSeries: Witchlands #2
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: January 10, 2017
Summary:
Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…
After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.
When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?
After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.
Purchase:
AHSOKA
Author: E.K. Johnston
Series: N/A
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Summary:
Fans have long wondered what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clone Wars, and before she re-appeared as the mysterious Rebel operative Fulcrum in Rebels. Finally, her story will begin to be told. Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa, and the Rebel Alliance…
POISONED BLADE
Author: Kate Elliot
Series: Court of Fives #2
Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
Publication Date: August 16, 2016
Summary:
Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives—the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on Jes's traveling party puts her at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos—the prince she still loves—is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion...She must become a warrior.
Purchase:
FROSTBLOOD
Author: Elly Blake
Series: Frostblood Saga #1
Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
Publication Date: January 10, 2017
Summary:
The frost king will burn.Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.
Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating—yet irresistible—Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her—and from the icy young man she has come to love.
Purchase:
The Panel
All the authors had been at ConFusion this weekend, so they were excited to talk about different things and immediately opened the floor to questions from the audience. Most were about explaining the books to the audience and addressing specific aspects of their books, including how they wrote books.
The audience asked if they were plotters or pantsers and each discussed their writing. Elly Blake said that she has tried to outline but it just didn't work out very well for her, so now she just writes and rewrites to get the words out. E.K. Johnston takes two weeks, the first and last lines of the book, and soundtracks and finishes each book in her cottage. The most interesting advice was from Kate Elliot who says that for her books she thinks about the Hawaiian Islands. She sees and imagines plot points that she will eventually get to, but every time she has to travel from one island to another she never is quite sure how she will get there. Susan Dennard said that she needs to incubate her ideas before she can start writing them, but she is okay with rewriting and revising because at least there are words there.
Susan was asked how much Azula and Zuko influenced Merik and his sister in the book and Susan admitted that while there is some inspiration there, Merik's sister is the character that has the most of her and her personality in it. She went on to say that WINDWITCH looks at sibling relationships where they don't really know one another but do get to know one another over the course of the book because she feels like it is now that she is in her 30s that she has a solid relationship with her siblings.
When asked who their favourite character to write was, Kate Elliot discussed that she loved that Jessamy was able to be unapologetically sporty because she grew up having to defend her right to participate in sports. However, she loved writing Cat Barahal from COLD MAGIC because she was extremely funny in a way that Kate isn't.
The audience asked about their favourite recent read and Elly Blake stated that hers was WINTERSONG by S. Jae-Jones because it was lush, magical, and had everything she wanted in it. She was really excited about it and for us to get it (since it doesn't come out until February 7, 2017 and is BAMF's February Review book).
When discussing the books they are writing right now, E.K. Johnston was really animated and happy to talk to us about THAT INEVITABLE VICTORIAN THING, which releases in October 2017. It is a futuristic alternate history where the British Empire is still kicking around and the British Princess comes to Canada incognito to spend the summer relaxing. She meets a debutante and a lumberjack and Shenanigans Ensue. I am super excited to read this one so it was cool to hear more about it from Kate!
Then I got to chat with the other bloggers for a bit while the rest of the line went through to get their books signed before I got all my books signed. I left pretty early because I had to come home and do homework (which I didn't do). It was great to have an event really close to me and be able to go! I
f you missed seeing me (and Elly Blake!) this time around, you can come to the CARAVAL Tour event at Schuler's Books in Lansing, Michigan on February 13, 2017 at 7pm EST!
I haven't read these books yet, but have read so many great reviews that I'm missing out!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Truthwitch yet so I don't have a favourite part yet, just the cover that it's beautiful. But it sounds so amazing! It has been on my TBR for so long and I'm dying to read it! And I've heard so many great things about it. Thank you so much for this amazing giveaway! ♥
ReplyDelete