Another author interview, this time with the author of the original book, Spectral! Spectral is an amazing book so you should definitely check it out.
Fiction Freak: What inspired Spectral?
Shannon Duffy: What inspired SPECTRAL, was I guess first wanting to write a book about witches. I like to write what I like to read and after reading some witch books and loving them, I decided to give it a try. Then when I couldn’t sleep one night, the idea was born.
FF: What is your funniest moment?
SD:One of my funniest moments when looking back on it was when my sister and I were kids. We were on a family vacation in Florida and decided to make up a fake language. Completely random, gibberish, but we totally believed it sounded real. We actually went around “talking” to people and each other, pretending we were these foreigners with a fancy language. The people kindly went along pretending we weren’t insane faking, and we thought it was the funniest thing. I still laugh about it today.
FF:Spectral is a parnormal/romance, correct? What made you want to write this kind of genre?
SD: SPECTRAL is paranormal romance. I wanted to write this genre because it is one of my favorite genres. I tend to read a lot of paranormal and dystopian. When I was a kid, I read tons of fantasy. So, those genres are what I’ve been writing. It just seems natural to write what you love to read.
FF:Where do you find yourself 5 years in the future?
SD: In five years I’ll probably still be writing. Sometimes I think I’ll stop, but I just like to take a couple months off in between books, and then the itch creeps in. I’ll playing it by ear though, and as long as my muse stays alive, I’ll continue to write.
FF: Why write YA fiction?
SD:Why Ya fiction? Again, because I love to read it. I love the angsty-ness of the teen years. It’s fun to read and write. I remember those days well myself. J
FF:What do you, as the writer, gain?
SD:I gain first of all an adrenaline rush when I write. There’s nothing like it really when you get on a roll. Also, if even one person loves what I wrote, it makes me smile. It’s a great feeling to create something that others can enjoy. It’s a real sense of satisfaction.
FF: What is one YA book you'd recommend?
SD: Only one? Well, one of my favorite YA books is Delirium by Lauren Oliver
FF: Favourite scene in Spectral and why?
SD: Ooh, Favorite scene in SPECTRAL? Wow, that’s a good one. Hmmm, I think one of them is a scene at a party at Taylor’s house, where something interesting happens to Jewel, and she’s able to get some revenge. Also, the tension at the end of that chapter is intense. I can’t give details cause it would be a spoiler alert! Haha
FF: What do you think of the tour so far?
SD: I’m enjoying the tour so far. You guys have lots of questions and enquiring minds. It’s humbling that people want to host me and my book on their blogs. I’m very thankful.
Spectral Summary:
Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe — the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.
As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.
Short Author Bio:
Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release.
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