Hey guys! The stung blog tour has finally stopped at my blog, and you won't believe how excited I am! :D
To follow the tour, just click on the BIG BANNER on the top of this page! Today, I'll have a review, an awesome interview from Bethany, an excerpt (to get your blood pumping), and.....(wait for it)....A GIVEAWAY!
PUB Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Pages: 304
There is no cure for being stung. Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right. Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark. Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.
Excerpts:
No one lives here. No one has lived here for a long while. But I remember Dad tucking me in a few nights ago—into a clean bed with crisp sheets and a pink comforter. In a room with a brand new London Symphony Orchestra poster tacked to the wall. I remember Mom checking to see that I dusted the top of my dresser. I remember Lissa leaving before sunrise for school. And Jonah’s Star Wars music blaring through the house. But somehow I am alone now, in a house where my family hasn’t been for a really long time.
The world swims before my eyes, a blur of brown coats, golden skin and guns, and my knees buckle. Bowen’s arm snakes around my waist and he drags me the last few steps toward the beast. In one swift move, he throws me down to the ground. And then he sits on me, his legs on either side of my hips. His eyes flicker to my bound chest and he freezes, as if everything in the world but the two of us has disappeared. Time stops, my eyes grow wide, and his green eyes take in every detail of my body before meeting mine again. When our eyes lock, his brow furrows, his eyes narrow in confusion, and he blinks. But then the cuffs on my arms fall from my skin. Bowen picks them up and stands, taking a slow step away from me.
Interview:
- What books have influenced your life most?
Honestly, the books I read as a young adult, like The Changeling Sea, The Hero and the Crown, Tomora Pierce's Alana series. Those books, read when I was young and impressionable, are the books that are still my go-to books when I need something good to read and can't seem to find anything new.
- When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I first considered myself a writer around age THIRTY! Yes, I got a late start. But as soon as I tried writing and had a few manuscripts under my belt, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I "grew up" and that was a writer.
- What book are you reading now?
AURA by Rebecca Lynn Talley.
- What are your current projects?
I am currently thinking about STUNG 3, have even penned a few sample pages. I will most likely be writing it as soon as I get all the blog tour stuff taken care of, and have the STUNG launch party (which you are all invited to! It's being held tomorrow night in Vernal Utah--yeah, kinda out of the way!).
- What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The hardest part was the chapter smack-dab right in the middle of the book. It is the last chapter I wrote, and the chapter that ties everything together (the one in the alley, where Fiona watches the shadows of two powerful men on a building in front of her). STUNG just didn't quite makes sense . . . until that chapter was added.
- Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Hmm. Never stop reading! And eat lots of honey! And chocolate!
- Do you write an outline before every book you write?
Typically, no. I like to just sit down and see what comes out. But sometimes (like lately) I have been plotting! Mwa ha ha!
- Have you ever hated something you wrote?
Sort of. I wrote this really dark novel a while ago. It is a beautiful story, but it is really sort of depressing. I don't like that!
- What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
Young adult with a little romance and a little sci-fi or magic.
- While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?
Yes! I feel like I am every character that I write--even the bad ones. I have to get in their heads to write them, so I have to know what they are feeling and what motivates them. Consequently, my favorite character to write from STUNG was Arrin the sewer rat! That was a very interesting head to get into!
About the Author:
Bethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid writer. She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible.
Once upon a time, Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. She is the author of SHIFTING, STUNG (April 2013), and CURED (2014).
Giveaway:
Stung prize pack:
*4 signed copies of STUNG
*Honey sticks! (Read the book to understand!)
That's it, you guys! :) What do y'all think? Comment below! And don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Thanks for having me on your blog.
ReplyDeleteThe pleasure was mine! :D
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