Mundie Moms

Thursday, May 4, 2017

RT TEEN DAY Author Interview with Erin Beaty #RTTeenDay


Who's ready for this year's Romance Times's TEEN DAY? It's THIS weekend! Every year RT has an amazing line up on YA authors. Geared towards teens, and open to everyone, Teen Day is the chance for YA readers to attend panels with their favorite YA authors, as well as a signing, and so much more. Find out more about this year's RT Teen Day line up, here and follow them on Facebook, here

Thank you to RT Teen Day, I'm thrilled to share an interview with one of this year's YA authors, Erin Beaty



Why are you excited to attend RT Teen Day?  

This will be my first author event ever! I’m both super excited and super terrified. Not that I think something bad will happen, more like I’ll freeze up and forget how to write or say my name. Also, I’ll be able to meet so many of my debut author friends I only know through the internet and some of the authors I’ve been reading for years. I think my suitcase will be packed mostly with books I want signed by them. 

Who doesn't love a good romance? Whether it's the driving force of the story or snuck off to the side, I'm always up for it! What appeals to you about including romance in your stories? 

Every situation has more at stake when someone you love is involved, and everything is complicated at the beginning of a relationship. There’s always so much uncertainty and fear, and often you can’t even control that you’re falling in love. It’s a huge risk to open yourself up to another person – not only because you are letting them see the deepest part of your soul, but you don’t know if your feelings will be returned. And with all that, the happy endings are happier when there’s love involved – it’s so much more personal, especially to the reader who is so close to the characters. 

What are some of your favorite romance tropes? 

I adore enemies or rivals to lovers, but my favorite is meeting in disguise. There’s something about playing a part that actually frees people to act more like who they are deep inside. Rather ironic (and romantic), don’t you think? But the best aspect of that kind of romance is that what your characters fall in love with is the truest part of the other person. Wealth, looks, place in life… it’s all just trappings. What’s inside is important.

Who are some of your all-time favorite fictional couples? 

Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe probably top the list – talk about enemies to lovers! There’s a special place in my heart, too, for Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Not only is it a story about naval officers, it tells of a lost romance being rekindled. And to round it out, I’ll pick the princess and the pirate of my generation: Leia Organa and Han Solo. 
Recently we’ve learned the relationship didn’t have a happy ending, but you know what? That’s true to life. And despite everything that tore them apart, they still loved each other. 

We think Young Adult books are simply incredible. I love the variety and the quality. What's your favorite part of being an author of young adult books? 

I love the enthusiasm teens have for the characters – they can become the friends they can’t find elsewhere, especially for those who don’t feel like they fit in. (Psssst! That’s actually everyone.) There were so many books that inspired me as a young adult, and the idea that I could have the same kind of influence on a teen today makes me very conscious of the responsibility. 

If you could spend a day inside the world of any book, which would you choose and why?

I’ve been in love with Robin McKinley’s Damar since I was a teenager. The land and the people are intertwined in a fierce and powerful magic. 

What have you been reading or recommending lately?  

Right now I’m reading Taran Marathu’s Summoner Series alongside my teens. It’s so much fun, and I can’t wait to meet him on the Fierce Reads tour after RT.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Erin Beaty was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, which means she can't drive a tractor, but she won't eat veggies that come from a can. She graduated from the US Naval Academy with a degree in rocket science and somehow always ended up writing her study group's lab reports. After serving in the fleet as a weapons officer and a leadership instructor, she resigned to pursue her side hobby of populating the Church of Rome. It still amazes her when other people want to hear the stories that come out of her head.

She and her husband have five children, two cats, and a vegetable garden and live wherever the navy tells them to go.



* Author interview questions provided by RT Teen Day 


BLOOD ROAD by Amanda McCrina / Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway


Hello and welcome to the next stop in the BLOOD ROAD blog tour. Today's stop features my review, as well as a giveaway for Amanda McCrina's upcoming release. First, here's a little bit about the book.

ABOUT THE BOOK 



By: Amanda McCrina
Published: Month9Books
To Be Released on: April 25, 2017
Series: Blood Oath #1
Purchase it from: Amazon | B&N | TBD
Add it to: Goodreads
*An e-arc was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Nineteen-year-old Torien Risto has seen dissidents dealt with before. He knows the young local girl who just knifed him will hang for assaulting an Imperial officer, unless he can stop it.

Someone inside the provincial government is kidnapping Imperial citizens and selling them across the desert to the salt mines, silencing anyone who tries to intervene. The girl’s brother is one of those who has been taken. Rejected by the corrupt courts, she’s waging a personal war against the Empire.

Determined to save her life, Torien sets out in search of answers on the Salt Road, the ancient trade route running deep into the heart of a desert—territory claimed by the hostile Mayaso tribe.

Now, Torien is no longer sure where his own loyalty lies, or how far he will go to break the cycle of tyranny, political bullying, and social injustice in an empire that seals its borders in blood.

A debut rich in world building, and full of danger, BLOOD ROAD is a book that brings to life an early empire full of deadly secrets, deception, murder, and greed. At it's heart is a Commander who will risk his life to keep his blood oath he made, and avenge those who have suffered at the hands of his very people. Not knowing just how dangerous this is, and what it will cost him, Torien Risto is a man of his word, and a man on a mission to stop a very corrupt government.

Torien is a man who is more brains than strength, although his strength lies within. It's his ability to endure all he suffers on this journey of turning against his very government, to keep an oath he made to a poor girl. A man of his word, Torien will do everything he can to destroy those who have caused so much havoc, fear, and bloodshed through out his land, even if that means his own life. Having no idea what depths this will lead him to, Torien finds a few good souls along the way. His journey is definitely not without heartache, and suffering. 

One of the characters I really enjoyed getting to know, aside from Torien, is Lt. Senna. His bluntness, and honesty are admirable. His unwavering devotion to helping Torien is what I admired the most. Both Senna and Torien have that brothers in arms kind of relationship, were they would, without thought, lay down their lives for each other. I liked that they both without a doubt, knew that the other one would always have his back. 

The world building is one of the things I like about this story. It's rich, and vivid. It was easy to visual Torien's world while reading his story. It's definitely a dangerous, deadly, blood thirsty place. Yet, I was intrigued with it's early Roman empire feel to it. It was obvious McCrina put a lot of research into her world building. 

There's one thing I have to mention, that really bothered me with this story. In fact, it ended up annoying me so much I almost put the book down, but I needed to know how the book ended, so I kept reading. The problem I have with this story was the numerous times Torien lost consciousness. I understood the first few times this happened, based on the circumstances, and what happened to him. However after that, it almost felt like a coup out for not knowing what to do with Torien, because it happens countless times through out the entire story. Torien himself is a very strong character, who endures a lot in this story. I felt like it contradicted who Torien is, because he was losing consciousness so often. Maybe this was suppose to be part of who Torien is, and it's his way of not wanting to do deal with what was going on, so he passes out. Either way, it happened far too often, and I'm hoping this might have been something that was accidentally overlooked. 

Having said that, over all, this was a good debut. It's strong point is definitely in the world building, story telling and with some of the character developments. The world building is what I was most in awe with. McCrina has definitely created a story that leaves you wanting more. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next with Torien. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Amanda McCrina has studied in Italy, taught English in Japan, and currently tutors Latin in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BA in History from the University of West Georgia, and is now pursuing her MA. She writes stories that incorporate her love of history, languages, and world travel. She drinks far too much coffee and dreams of one day having a winning fantasy-hockey season.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

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Thank you to Month9 Books, 1 winner will receive a 1 month subscription to Owl Crate, US Only.

FOLLOW THE TOUR
4/24/2017- Rockin' Book ReviewsReview
4/24/2017- Month9BooksExcerpt
4/25/2017- Two Chicks on BooksInterview
4/25/2017- Doodle's Book ReviewsReview
4/26/2017- Don't Judge, ReadInterview
4/26/2017- Book-KeepingReview
4/27/2017- A Backwards StoryReview
4/27/2017- Hazel West's Character PurgatoryExcerpt
4/28/2017- LILbooKloversInterview
4/28/2017- Wishful EndingsReview

5/1/2017- Exploring the Inner UniverseReview
5/1/2017- So Few BooksInterview
5/2/2017- Book Review BeccaReview
5/2/2017- Bibliobibuli YAInterview
5/3/2017- Reading for the Stars and MoonReview
5/3/2017- I am not a bookworm!Review
5/4/2017- YA and WineGuest Post
5/4/2017- Mundie MomsReview
5/5/2017- Never Too Many To ReadReview

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