Curiou to know more about the author behind the Goddess Test Trilogy? Why not check out this Q+A!
How
familiar were you with Greek myths and folklore before writing the Goddess Test
series? Was a lot of research
required?
I first
fell in love with Greek mythology when I was a kid learning how to read, and my
infatuation only grew from there. I’ve studied various kinds of mythology for
years, sometimes for class and always for fun, but even then I put a great deal
of research into the Goddess Test series. Mostly as a refresher to make sure I
was getting my facts right, but I also researched the various myths looking for
ways to tie the plots and characters together in unexpected ways.
You
give the gods and goddesses in the series “ordinary names” – Zeus is named
Walter, Aphrodite goes by Ava, Hermes is named James. Why did you do that and do the more contemporary names have
any significance?
This
was something I went back and forth on multiple times. Initially the characters
Kate encounters weren’t council members at all – I changed that very, very
quickly though. By the second draft, I had a place for each of the Olympians,
and I did some heavy rewriting to replace my first draft characters with the
gods. I wanted to find a way to keep their names the same, but since they’re
supposed to live among us in secret in the modern world, it didn’t really make
sense. How many men named Zeus do you know, or women called Aphrodite? On top
of that, keeping the council’s identities secret was incredibly important to
the plot. So eventually I decided they would have changed their names when
Western civilization stopped worshipping them as gods, allowing them to live
freely among us.
I did
choose each name for what it means, some more than others – Walter, for
instance, means “army leader”, while James means “supplanter”. The exception is
Calliope, which in the story was chosen by her counterpart for its Greek roots.
The reason the gods changed their names – and why Artemis didn’t wind up with
the name Diana – is explained throughout the series, but you get to actually
see this happen in The Goddess Legacy (July 31).
Goddess
Interrupted begins with the main character Kate Winters adjusting to her new
life as an immortal. Given Kate’s
innate strength and stubbornness, was it difficult to switch gears to portray
her as a bit more vulnerable and unsure of herself in her new role as goddess
AND wife?
Not so
much, to be honest – her progression felt natural to me. While Kate is very
tough in certain ways, she’s extremely vulnerable as well. She’s emotionally
dependent on the people around her (her mother in the first book, Henry in the
second), and that in and of itself carves the path she takes in the sequel.
She’s spent six months with Henry, falling in love with him and forming a
relationship she thinks is going to last for eternity. But Henry is battling
his own demons and isn’t ready to be the person she needs him to be, and
because Kate is so stubborn, she has a hard time coming to terms with that. In
the sequel, Kate really is her own worst enemy emotionally – her entire world
has changed, after all, and that’s a lot for anyone to take – but it’s all part
of her development into a goddess and queen.
What
is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?
Outlining is by far my favorite part of the process. I love the idea stage,
where anything’s possible, and it’s such a shiny place. All of that comes
crashing down when I write the first draft though, which is the hardest part
for me. I tend to get mentally exhausted about two thirds to three quarters of
the way into the manuscript, and it’s always a struggle for me to push through
it, especially if I’m on a deadline. And inevitably there are a ton of problems
I didn’t notice in the outline stage that have to be fixed for the story to work.
I’m a perfectionist, so in order for me to continue writing the story,
everything I’ve already written has to make sense.
When
is the next book in the series due out? Any hints on what will happen in book
3?
Goddess
Interrupted, the sequel to The Goddess Test, came out in late March. The next
book in the series, The Goddess Legacy, will be out July 31. It’s a collection
of five novellas told in the perspectives of Calliope, Ava, Persephone, James,
and Henry, and together they form one story.
The third
book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance, is currently scheduled to be
released in March 2013. Unfortunately I can’t say too much about it, but the
challenges that Kate will face are pretty clear by the end of the sequel!
After
the huge success of The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted is on many, many TBR
lists for this summer. What’s on
your TBR list?
I’m so
excited for a slew of books coming out – The Girl in the Clockwork Collar,
Grave Mercy, The Selection, The Serpent’s Shadow, Philippa Gregory’s YA novel,
and a ton of others. I never have as much time to read as I want, but I’m
definitely making time for all of those and more!
Yearbook
Superlatives! If you went to high school with the Greek gods and goddesses, who
would you vote for?
Most likely to succeed? - Hera
Class clown? - Hermes
Nicest? – Demeter or Hephaestus
Best dressed? - Aphrodite
Best dancer? - Apollo
Most school spirit? - Iris
Most likely to attend summer school? - Ares
Teachers pet? - Athena
Q+A courtesy of MM publicity and Aimée Carter
The Series so Far
Coming Soon:
A luxury watch is noticeably more than merely your horological piece of equipment its either your replica chanel formidable device with archaeologist, as well as vivid report pertaining to the one who might wear them. Unquestionably it gives you genuine time frame, might straight away viewed a development of your celestial satellite, and also plenty of time around London, uk, Paris, france , and also Los angeles, nonetheless more than merely revealing time frame, it usually is a strong tag heuer replica uk heirlooms this even though it explains time frame, it is actually incredible. A luxury look at is definitely more than merely the sum it has the countless portions, this is the must-see built hence quickly, dads normally is required to from a single generating to another, plus during each one growing, the following deliver the results with fake rolex splendor continue to performs beautifully. While you eyes along at the will work of your Owners : been trained in artistry to be look at employees : when people ourselves may perhaps be vanished, its deliver the results as well as emotional baggage people display currently have transcended time frame, the following in truth is definitely splendor, plus available on the market a superb deluxe tag heuer Replica uk look at might display. A luxury look at, seriously isn't a little something you could find an area cheap save, nor are going to be associated with a bargain-basement profits, them features a package price that is certainly reflective of your level of quality. It is the amount of money whole of one chanel outlet watchmaker, or perhaps compact company who seem to contributed its eye sight so that you can finalization.
ReplyDelete