Thursday, July 19, 2012

Sara Walsh Interview and Giveaway!

Hello all you wonderful people!  Today, I have the super awesome Sara Walsh here for an interview and a giveaway of her upcoming book The Dark Light, set to be released on August 28th.  Here's the blurb from Goodreads as well as the new slightly tweaked cover:


"Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she's concerned, that's about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.
That is, until Sol arrives. Mia's not one to fall for just any guy, but she can't get Sol--or the brilliant tattoo on his back--out of her mind.
Then Mia's brother goes missing, and Mia's convinced that Sol knows more than he's sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol's not who Mia thought he was--and neither is she." 










It sounds so great and lets not even get me started on that cover!  I mean, sheesh.  I'm gettin' the vapors over here (you really have to imagine that in my best Scarlett O'Hara voice.)  So, anyway, while I calm down, let me introduce you to the fabulous Sara Walsh!



From her bio:  Sara Walsh is British, but happily lives in Annapolis, Maryland. She graduated college with a degree in psychology, but soon decided that telling stories was much more fun. When not writing, Sara is usually reading, drowning in tea, or frolicking around town with the world's cutest St. Bernard. The Dark Light is her first novel.


And now, onto the interview!



Hello Sara, thanks so much for hanging out with us today!


Hi, Catie! Thanks so much for having me here!


First some bookish warm-up questions:


Hardback or Paperback? Hardback


Stand-alone or Series? Series.


Favorite book/series of all time? Harry Potter.


Favorite character of all time? Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind  


Best book to movie adaptation? Gone with the Wind. Love it!  
(There seems to be a Gone with the Wind theme with this post and that is fine by me)


Mr. Darcy or Mr. Rochester? Mr. Darcy!


And now, on to the real questions:


First, some cover talk. The cover of this book is being raved about and it is GORGEOUS! How
important was the cover design to you and how important are covers in general?


Great question. Covers are crucial. We all know the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover”. Yet covers remain a major reason why a reader will pick up a book. Publishers are very aware of this, and put huge amounts of time and effort into creating book covers that perfectly capture an author’s story. My editor did ask me about ideas for covers, but I have to admit, I’m no designer and really wasn’t very helpful. I knew that my publisher created amazing covers, but I had no idea it was going to be such a showstopper. I literally screamed when I first saw it.


Along the same lines, some readers have said that this cover may be too risqué for a YA book,
thoughts?


I have heard that, and I understand the point of view. In fact, the cover has very recently been tweaked to address those views. To me, the image was always more romantic than risqué, but then I know the characters well and know the connection between them. Mia is strong and determined. Sol is focused, but reserved. I think the models perfectly capture that.


Can I have the number of the male model on the cover? (Pretty please?)


Sure, it’s 555… I know. He’s yummy. Here’s a fun fact: The tattoo was actually designed by a real life tattoo artist, and then digitally added to the model’s back--a very fun job! Apologies if you’ve heard that before, but I tell it to everyone, because I think it’s so cool!


Why did you choose to write Young Adult lit as opposed to adult fiction?


I actually write both! In fact, The Dark Light was the very first YA I ever wrote. I worked in a British high school for seven years, and had always wanted to write for teenagers. When I got the idea for The Dark Light, I decided to go for it, started writing, and had an absolute blast. I wrote for fun and had no idea it would ever be published. I feel incredibly blessed by how things turned out.


What drew you to Paranormal Romance?


That’s another good question. To me, The Dark Light was always going to be a full on, action-packed fantasy with tons of drama and adventure. I knew there was going to be romance in it--I love romance! --but I had no clue that Mia and Sol’s relationship was going to become as central as it did. It was only when people started reading that I realized I had something a little different on my hands. I think we’re calling it an epic romantic fantasy! I like that!


Who is your biggest inspiration, either personal or literary?


So many. I’ve always admired Stephen King, not just because I enjoy his stories, but because his work ethic is so amazing. To be able to produce so many fantastic stories over such a long period of time is a huge inspiration to me as a writer.


The action in this book is kicked off when Mia’s brother goes missing and she tries to find out what happened. How big of a role does family play in Mia’s story?


A huge role, but I don’t want to give too much away. I love a story that contains some family soap opera and The Dark Light certainly has plenty of that. There will be revelations!


What do you want readers to take away from The Dark Light?


I want for readers to escape for a few hours and have fun. I read a lot as a teenager (I still do) and the stories I remember most fondly are the ones that took me away from the world. There are some more subtle messages within The Dark Light, specifically about our environment and how we connect to the world. I like that it’s in there, and hope some readers will enjoy that aspect of it.




I just want to thank Sara again for the amazing interview and for agreeing to a giveaway!  That's right, one of you lucky people with be getting your hands on a copy of The Dark Light.  This will be for a pre-order of either a Hardback copy of the book (US/INT) or an e-copy (US only).  Just fill out the rafflecopter below and good luck.






4 comments:

  1. I'm so psyched for this book. I'm in love with the cover and I want it for my shelf just for that! But it sounds great, too, and now I'm even more excited to realize that it is more epic fantasy than I realized. So excited!

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  2. I want this book so bad! It sounds amazing. Thanks for the awesome giveaway :)

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  3. I personally think that the cover is HOT with serious capital, but I understand that some readers may find it risque! The cover surely gives me trouble in sleeping though (Sol! I can't wait to meet you! <3)! ;) LOL, I totally understand the need to ask for the male model's phone number, Catie! <3 Please do tell me if you finally have it by any chance! ;)

    This is such a fabulous interview! <3 Thank you for the chance to winning too! x)

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  4. I cant wait to read this book sounds so good!!

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