A Million Suns hits shelves today! Check out the interview below and find out how to enter to win a signed book!
Virtual Party! Each hour of the day, from 9am to 5pm EST, there will be a
different feature on a different blog. And each stop, in true party fashion,
will have a party favor to give out—in the form of a signed book plus some cool
swag—and a party game: a puzzle piece to a truly epic prize for one winner! So
read on to find out exclusive information about A MILLION SUNS and enter to win
a signed book!
1) I broke my thumb in elementary school, and it grew back funny, so one thumb is nearly an inch shorter than the other.
2) I once met Tyne Daly (Lacey of Cagney and Lacey fame), but I didn’t believe she was actually Tyne Daly until halfway through our conversation.
3) ACROSS THE UNIVERSE was my original title for the book, but I changed it to LONG WAY HOME because I thought no publisher would want a book with the same title of a famous song and famous movie. Ironically, this is the title the publisher wanted it changed to!
4) My dog’s name is Sirius. I told my husband the name was for the constellation, but it was totally for Sirius Black.
5) I have double-jointed shoulders. It’s not as handy as you might think.
Tell us about your journey to becoming a writer.It was a long one! I wrote ten novels over the course of ten years…and not a single one of them sold. I was getting depressed, and really felt like I should just give up. But I had one last idea…and that idea became ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. I was so surprised when I found out that I had a book deal that I threw up! And when it hit the NY Times bestseller’s list…well, my husband has learned that there’s no point in celebrating with fancy dinners.
A Million Suns is the second in a series. How was writing a second book different from writing the first?
First, there was the deadline. I used to write when I was a student and then later when I was a teacher, so I never had much time. But, somehow, even after I had quit my day job, I had less time to write. I turned the book in at midnight on the day it was due!
It was also different because suddenly I wasn’t just writing for myself. I had my editor’s input, of course, but also reader expectations. And I was determined not to suffer a sophomore slump.
What was your favorite chapter/scene to write and why? Give us page numbers/chapter title/etc no need to spoil it =)
Ah! I have one specific sentence—actually, just three little words—and I wrote the entire book around those three words. They won’t make much sense out of context, but when you read the book, you’ll totally get this–I wrote the whole book for these words: “Silence and stars.”
Amy is a very strong character can you tell us a little bit about her development from book 1 to book 2?
I think I struggled with Amy more than any other character. Elder may question whether he’s good enough, but he knows who he is. Amy isn’t so sure. In the first book, I think she was still struggling to stay the person she was. In A MILLION SUNS, Amy must come to accept the fact that she is not going to get back to Earth, and things will never be the same. So A MILLION SUNS is much more about Amy adapting and becoming a new person in a new setting rather than stubbornly holding onto the past.
When we last saw Elder he had revealed a pretty damaging secret to Amy and he was now in charge of the ship. How does Elder develop into a leader?
One of the most important things to me was to keep the book realistic. Realistically, would a ship of a couple thousand people want a sixteen-year-old as a leader? He’s definitely going to face confrontation and challenges to his authority. And always, in the background, Elder’s wondering if he should put the ship back on the mind-control drug, Phydus. Whether he’s successful or not…
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
In general, the toughest criticism hasn’t been something constructive—I actually very much value constructive criticism. It’s when the reviewer gets something factually wrong that drives me mad. I have a no-comment policy—I never want to impede a reviewer from speaking without censorship, but it’s a hard policy to uphold when the reviewer states something that is simply incorrect.
The best compliment? I honestly have so many. It’s so thrilling to finally share my words with the world! But there are a few fan mails that really stand out. One was a girl who told me she had been picked on her for red hair, but reading about Amy gave her courage. Another was from a girl who was very ill, who told me my story helped her forget about her pain. I’m not ashamed to say I cried at both letters.
Where’s your favorite place to write?
Anywhere! I have a laptop, so I write any chance I get.
What character do you relate most to?
Probably Elder. He’s always questioning whether he’s good enough, and that’s something I can definitely relate to.
What is easier to write: The first line or the last line?
Oh, gosh! It’s probably easier to write the last line. I usually have an idea of what the last line will be, so getting there is grueling, but a very satisfying event.
What one YA novel do you wish you had when you were a teen?
I wish I had had Harry Potter when I was a teen. Technically, I did—I read the first novel when I was 19 or so, but I definitely got the novels late, and by the time they were done, I was a working adult. I wish I could have experienced them as a kid. They’re still magical, but I wish I could have grown up with that magic.
Do you have things you need in order to write ie. coffee, cupcakes, music?
If I don’t have my coffee, someone’s getting cut.
What are you working on now?
I just finished the first draft of SHADES OF EARTH, the last AtU novel. That was amazing—wrapping up the final scene with Amy and Elder was really emotional for me. I’m waiting on my editor’s notes for that, and in the meantime I’m working on a totally new project, a fantasy novel that has birds.
]
receive a signed paperback of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, the first book of the
trilogy, along with some custom swag, including a poster, an art print of a koi
fish (made by the student who inspired Beth to write the character Harley), NASA goodies, and
more. This contest is open internationally, and will end in 24 hours.
to enter for the GRAND PRIZE—a signed paperback of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, a
signed hardback of A MILLION SUNS, an exclusive water bottle, a poster, an art
print, and more!
In order to win that grand prize, you need a clue. And the clue for this blog stop is…
Fan of our book coverage? Why not join our Hypable Books Facebook group!
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.