Thursday, November 15, 2012

Character interview: Mason and Fennrys from STARLING






Today I have the great pleasure of being a part of Leslie Livingston's blog tour for her new book, STARLING.  When asked what kind of post I wanted to do, I instantly jumped at the chance to interview the two main characters, Mason Starling and Fennrys Wolf.  I read STARLING, loved it, and had a few particularly burning questions I wanted to ask our two heroes.  Especially how Fennrys...well...I'll just let you read the interview.  *Evil author grin*  (I will do that a lot.)

So, anyway, here we go!  On with the interview.



1.  So, Fennrys, tell us a bit about yourself.  I heard you...um...sort of fell into Mason's life in the most interesting way.  Care to tell us about that night?  *Evil grin* 

I’d say it was a pretty normal night, really… Plummeting out of the sky into a maelstrom of apocalyptic weather, blackouts, storm zombies, abundant weapons-use, death, destruction, beautiful girl with a sword… hey. It’s NYC. Hell of a town, right? What… that’s not what you’re talking about? Is it the amnesia thing? The fact that I can’t really tell you who I am or where I came from? Or the fact that I can’t tell you because I don’t remember… and I don’t have any ID to help with that because I had nowhere to carry a wallet. On account of my lack of pants that night. Is that what your getting at, Ms. Kagawa? *Dangerous grin*,  

2.  The pants part, or lack thereof, definitely.  *Smiles back at Fenn*  Mason, you have two older brothers and a very protective father.  Being the only girl in your family, what is your relationship like with them?  Do you get along with your brothers, or do they drive you crazy?

Wow. Uh… both. The getting-along and the crazy-driving. I’m not going to say which goes with which, because that’s just not nice, but then… neither is one of my brothers. And you didn’t hear that from me. As for my dad? He’s kind of a force of nature. He’s pretty amazing, really, and I think I grew up trying to make him proud, and learn from his strength. I know I’m the only girl in the house and, yeah, sometimes it seems like there’s a fog of testosterone hanging in the air, but I can pretty much hold my own. But really, the Starling men are manly men. What are you gonna do? It’s probably one of the reasons I learned to fight.

3.  Fennrys, you've just come back to the mortal world after being away for a long time.  What's your favorite part about it?  Is there anything you love that wasn't around before?

Seeing as how I don’t really remember all that much about the world the first time around… I’m not exactly sure how to answer that. Except… you write books about the Fae, don’t you, Ms. Kagawa? Something about that seems… familiar to me. I dunno. I’m probably just imagining things, right?

My favorite part about the world now? It’s probably the same thing that I love—er… am extremely fond of that wasn’t here before. She’s sitting over there. But I’d rather you didn’t tell her I said that. I’m trying not to screw this thing up, you know?

4.  Mason, how did you first get into fencing?  Is it something you've always wanted to do?  What do you enjoy the most about the sport?

I’m not really sure how to explain it. All I know is, the very first time I ever picked up a sword, it just seemed absolutely… right. Like my hand had been waiting for it. I fight saber in competition and it’s definitely the most fun. The moves are bold and fierce and there’s a lot more yelling from the competitors. I think my dad worries sometimes that I’m a little obsessive about my practice. I think he’d like me to take up another hobby. I haven’t told him yet that I kind of have. Mostly because my new “hobby” still involves fighting. Just with more monsters, bigger swords and occasional moonlight and kissing added in. Um. *Blush*

5.  And finally, Fennrys, what do you think of Mason?  Any quirks or habits that drive you crazy?  What do you like most about her?  And Mason, same question.  What exactly are your thoughts on Fennrys?  (Feel free to spill juicy details if you like.  We'd all love that. *Evil author grin*)

I think Mason is… special. That’s what I think. I’m not really keen on her whole flinging herself into the path of danger impulses, but I’m certainly not going to try to curtail them—mostly because that would mean the first thing she’d have to do is stop hanging around me. Quirks? Sure. There’s the whole open window/ no enclosed spaces thing. But I like fresh air, so I’m okay with that. Habits that drive me crazy? She lifts her shoulder too much when she lunges and she clenches her toes on a thrust. We’re working on that—what? You’re doing that grin thing again, Ms. Kagawa. I’m talking about Mason’s fencing technique. Surely that’s what you thought I was talking about… right? *Evil Fennrys grin*

 

Well… I like the way he grins… And fights. And… uh… stuff. I like the fact that he treats me like an equal and that he’s not afraid to not hold back when we spar. The whole flinging himself into the path of danger thing is a little worrying. And the fact that, y’know, he doesn’t really know who he is. That’s a quirk, right? I think that’s a quirk. Habits that drive me crazy? The way he smiles. It’s not quite the same as the grin. It’s like, every time he does it… it’s for the very first time, and he’s not really sure how to make the muscles of his face be happy. But then this smile appears and it’s awkward and beautiful and it definitely makes me crazy—wait. I’m not sure we’re talking about the same kind of crazy… *Attempts evil Mason grin… winds up just blushing furiously*
 
 
Thank you, Mason and Fennrys, for dropping by.  I think we all enjoyed that peek into you...er...characters!  I was going to say characters, geez you people. :P  Be sure to check out STARLING, on shelves now.  You won't regret it.
Julie
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

FaerieCon East cancellation




It is with great sadness that I announce that I will not be attending FaeryCon East this year.  The storm out east has caused all kinds of issues and flight cancellations, making travel nearly impossible.  I do apologize to all my fans planning on attending FaerieCon East.  I hope to see you next year.  :(

Many regrets.

Julie

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Costume contest winners


Well, you've all done it again.

That is, made it supremely difficult to judge this contest based on all the AWESOME entries.  BUT, after looking through all the beautiful pics and agonizing over several, I have finally come up with my favorite three.

First and Second place winners are:







 
 
 
 
 
Aren't they gorgeous?  I love the mischievousness nature of the first pic, and the haunting surrealness of the second.  (Also the horse is beautiful.)  They two lovely fey will be receiving a signed Lost Prince in the mail soon.  Again, I wish I could've chosen EVERYONE, but alas, I only have so many books.  But, moving on...
 
 
The winner of the Grand Prize pack below...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Is....(drumroll)
 
 
 
 
 
 
ECHO, THE IRON FAERY!
 
 
 
 
 
Seriously, how cool is this?  I love the ears, the metallic skin, the computer cables for hair, even the tiny iron bug hovering in her palm.  She could've easily stepped out of the pages of The Iron Fey and into the real world.  Much, much love.
 
 
So, congrats to the winners!  I will be emailing you shortly for your mailing addresses, so be on the lookout for that.  Again, THANK YOU ALL for entering.  Everyone was so creative, so enthusiastic, and just all around awesome.  I hope you had fun with this, and until next time, keep on believing!
 
 
Julie



Wednesday, October 31, 2012

NaNo is here again



Hey fellow NaNoers.  This is a little post a wrote a couple years ago about that crazy time of year known as NaNo WriMo.  I thought I would share it again, as I think it bears repeating.  Just remember, we can do this.

***


Yup, its that time of year again.

NaNo Wrimo is upon us once more.

Even as I type this, I'm checking the NaNoWriMo official site, which is being ridiculously slow tonight, probably as hundreds (thousands?) of NaNoers are doing the exact same thing.

If you are one of these brave (insane) souls, kudos to you! Its comforting to know, as we gear up for the most frantic, stressful, neurotic month of the year (Christmas doesn't even come close) that there are thousands of writers going through the exact same thing. So, as the 1st of November looms ever closer, let's promise ourselves these things...

We will write everyday, through rain and sleet and falling snow, through TV shows and outings and parties and people who want you to socialize. By now, you should have warned any family, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, relatives, and spouses that they will probably not see you until December.





















We will not let our inner editor tell us our writing is crap. (Its 50k words in 30 days, its SUPPOSED to be crap.) This also goes for going back and "fixing things." Do not worry about fixing things; that will be December's project.


We will not fall behind.

If we do fall behind, we will soldier on and not give up.

We will not let the siren song of email, twitter, facebook, myspace, blogs, ect ect ect distract us from churning out our words. This also goes for phones, friends, children, pets, spouses, ect.


















At the end of the month, we will have written a 50,000 word mess of a story, with dangling plot threads, nonsensical scenes, holes you could drive a semi through, and so many mistakes our English teachers would scream, but we will have written a complete NOVEL. And we won't worry about the mess; we can always clean it up later.

So, my fellow NaNoers...on this last night of October, as the costumed children return from their candy begging, let us eat a good meal, get a good night's sleep, and say farewell to our loved ones.

For tomorrow, we NaNo.

I'll see you at the finish line.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Figment writing contest and more




A couple things I wanted to share with you:

First up, check out this awesome writing contest hosted by Figment, a fun creative writing site.


Inspired by Julie Kagawa’s new novel, The Lost Prince, and the faery world that only Ethan Chase can see, we’ve got a new short-story contest for you! Your challenge: In 1,200 words or fewer, write a story about secret world that only your main character can see.

And check out the prizes below.

One grand-prize winner will receive a copies of The Lost Prince and Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa, The Iron Fey boxed set (which includes The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight), Winter’s Passage and Summer’s Crossing eBooks, and a lock and key necklace, similar to the one that Ethan gives to Kenzie for protection from the fey.

One second prize winner will receive a copy of The Lost Prince, The Iron Fey boxed set, and a lock and key necklace.

One third prize winner will receive copies of The Lost Prince and Immortal Rules, and a lock and key necklace.



So, all you aspiring writers out there, head on over to Figment for the rules and deadlines, or to just vote for your favorite story.



Second, head on over to TheIronFey.com to unlock FREE books, exclusive content, and other cool things.  You can also see the full LOST PRINCE trailer, so what are you waiting for? 


Lastly, I was at Another Anime Con this week, and though I didn't get to take many pictures, here are a couple I thought you might enjoy.  =D
















Tuesday, October 16, 2012

To My Readers



The Lost Prince is only a few days away!  So, as we gear up for  it's release, here is a letter to the most important people, my readers.  And check out the teaser snippet for The Lost Prince trailer below!




 
 
 
 
 
Annnnnnnnnd, check out the UK's stunning cover for The Lost Prince! 
  
 





And, finally, here is the teaser snippet.  Be sure to check back later for the whole thing.







Hope you're excited!

Julie

Friday, October 12, 2012

Lost Prince trailer stills


Hey all!  Exciting times are soon approaching.  In preparation for the upcoming release of The Lost Prince, check out the trailer stills below!




 
 
 
 
Stay tuned for information on the full trailer launch and a Twitter Party closer to the release!  Until then, what are your thoughts?
 
 
-Julie