We have somebody very special stopping by today!
Sophie Jordan, author of Firelight, took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for you guys here on WORD as part of a tour. (She'll be back again later this month for a Final Fridays interview.) Firelight is released on September 7 - and may I say, it is worth the money? Dracons and danger; what's not to love?
Here's the summary on Firelight (and here's my review) in case you want a wee bit more information:
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
Doesn't that sound epic? Click read more to check out what Sophie has to say about writing Firelight - and what TV character she would adopt!
N: If you were a draki, what kind of draki do you think you would be?
SJ: Well, as I’m working on book #2 of my Firelight series, I’ve been expanding on my world and creating or elaboration on other types of draki. Although Jacinda being a fire-breather is probably the coolest and that’s probably why I chose to make her the protagonist of Firelight.
Still, I’ve had fun elaborating on the visiocrypter draki. They have the power to make themselves invisible … I think that would be a “fun” (in a scary kind of way) talent to possess. It’s been fun to write at least!
N: How was writing Firelight different than writing your other novels?
SJ: Writing YA wasn’t a difficult transition as one might expect. It was a lot of fun – a very liberating experience. Something new is always fun and exciting. And aside of writing in first person, it wasn’t even markedly different. One of the first things I learned was not to try to sound teen. Jacinda is Jacinda. I didn’t dumb her down because I thought I needed to. That’s insulting to teen readers and just doesn’t come across as authentic. I didn’t stuff slang into her mouth because I think that’s how teens are supposed to sound. I write Jacinda like I would write any other heroine. She just happens to be sixteen.
I also made the romance significant to Firelight. The fact that it’s YA didn’t stop me from putting in a few steamy scenes. Writing romance is very familiar to me. It’s what I know.
Regardless of genre, any book I write is going to be about the relationships between the characters... the growth of the lead characters, and how they react to stimuli.
N: What are some of your favorite books?
SJ: Gosh, so many!! I’m in love with the Hunger Game series, of course. But classically, I’m a big lover of To Kill a Mockingbird. I’ve read it many times. I loved the recent release, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. And I thought Kimberly Derting’s The Body Finder was just a phenomenal read.
N: Does Jacinda have a theme song?
SJ: I guess I’ve always liked Miley Cyrus’s The Climb and it applies well to Jacinda and her plight…
N: You have to adopt a TV character as a child. We're not quite sure why, but what TV character would you choose?
SJ: Hmm, probably Sabrina the Teenage Witch … but only if she came with the talking cat! I just loved that she was trying to figure out her powers and getting into scrapes. Lots of fun! But she was also a very “real” and down to earth girl.
We'll forgive Sophie for giving Jacinda a song by Miley Cyrus and instead check out Firelight, in stores Tuesday! You can order it online or pick it up at your local bookstore.