Guest blogs

Today, I’m pleased to welcome epic fantasy young adult author Morgan Rhodes to my blog. She’s the author of Falling Kingdoms (and a whole bunch of other books as Michelle Rowen). Take it away, Morgan:

 

 

Question: Hi, Morgan. Thanks for taking the time to guest blog. Please tell us about your new book, Falling Kingdoms.

 

Morgan: Thanks for inviting me, Jennifer! 🙂 Falling Kingdoms is the first book in a YA high fantasy series from Penguin/Razorbill. It’s about four very different teen characters from neighboring kingdoms, both royals and commoners, who find their lives irrevocably intertwined in a time of war and magic.

 

Question: What inspired you to write Falling Kingdoms? Is this your first time writing epic fantasy YA?

Morgan: It is my first time writing epic fantasy — YA or otherwise! For some time, I’ve been wanting to tackle a story with a big world and multiple characters to really challenge myself as a writer. I definitely love fantasy, but I’ve written paranormal in the past so this was another fun challenge since the genres are definitely different. I’ve always loved both fantasy and gritty action movies and TV series, so my inspirations included A Game of Thrones, The Princess Bride, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, and Spartacus … to name only a few!

Question: Will Falling Kingdoms be the start of a series? If so, how many books are planned? And what obstacles do you see the characters facing in future books?

Morgan: It is the first book in a series. Four books are officially under contract and the second book, Rebel Spring, will be out December 2013, which picks up the story three weeks after the end of Falling Kingdoms.

 

As far as obstacles … my characters face a lot of them! In this series there is war to deal with — both the literal kind and that of the heart. In book two, I introduce a couple new characters who shake things up in good ways and bad. And the characters readers have already met have a lot to juggle … and I can promise more twists that will hopefully have readers gasping in surprise.

 

Question: What do you like about writing in the YA genre?

Morgan: There’s something about writing teen characters that really appeals to me. Teens are falling in love for the first time in these books, they’re being betrayed for the first time, they’re finding out who they really are and what they believe in down deep. Their personalities are being forged by good experiences and bad, which will make them into the adults (villains or heroes) they’re soon to become.

Question: You also write under the name Michelle Rowen. Please tell us about your various projects.

Morgan: I do … and Michelle Rowen is quite prolific this year. I have several releases, including Wicked Kiss (out Feb 26 from Harlequin Teen), which is the sequel to Dark Kiss.

 

I also tap into my funny side with my second Immortality Bites Mystery, Bled & Breakfast, out in June from Obsidian.

 

Question: What are some of your favorite YA books?

 

Answer: Some of my faves include both Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy. Lauren Oliver’s Delirium (but I haven’t read book two yet!!). And I can’t wait for June, which is when my friend Eve Silver has her YA debut with Rush, an amazingly exciting book I was lucky enough to read super early.

 

Question: What’s next for you?

 

Answer: I’m pretty excited to be included in Penguin Teen’s 2013 Breathless Reads Book Tour, which starts on Feb. 10. I’m on the “East Coast leg” of it, and will be visiting seven cities to promote Falling Kingdoms. Anyone interested in learning more can visit https://www.facebook.com/breathlessreads for more details about the other authors, locations, and dates!

 

 

Morgan is offering a print copy (unsigned) of Falling Kingdoms. The giveaway is open to those 13 and older, U.S. only, and will run through midnight, EST, Jan. 23. The winner will be announced here on my blog on Friday, Jan. 25.

 

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog talking about a YA book that you are looking forward to.

 

 

Morgan Rhodes lives in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess — the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, and reality TV, and is an extremely picky yet voracious reader of all kinds of books. Under another pen name, she’s a nationally bestselling author of many paranormal novels. Falling Kingdoms is her first high fantasy.

 

You can find Morgan online at Twitter, Facebook, and her website. Thanks so much for being here today, Morgan.