PSF Interview & Giveaway: Aprilynne Pike “Spells”

**Visit Tynga’s Reviews today for her PSF Guest Blog & Giveaway with Shannon Delany author of 13 TO LIFE**

I’m so happy to welcome Aprilynne Pike today.  Last year my sisters and I all fell in love with her beautiful faerie tale Wings.  On May 4, 2010 SPELLS was released and, as it’s name implies, it’s an enchanting addition to the series. Be sure to check out the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of SPELLS. Details below.

Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne recently returned to Arizona with her husband and three kids; she is enjoying the sunshine.

 

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Interview

ATUF: Your faeries aren't like any we've read before. As Laurel discovered in Wings, she is actually a plant and her 'wings' are a flower blossom. What led you to this concept of faeries as flowers.

AP: My very earliest idea for Wings was a sort of Gothic Goldilocks and the Three Bears meets Cinderella and Superman. The main character couldn't go out at midnight because there wasn't enough power from the sun or something.  It seemed like a great idea at four in the morning!  It seemed less cool at eight in the morning, but it sort of got me thinking about why she would be powered by the sun, and that connected in my mind with all the nature faeries I've seen in paintings and sculptures over the years.  I like to think of them as "flower faeries," however Brandon Sanderson dubbed them "veggie faeries" and I admit I still laugh about that.

ATUF: Before writing Wings, you had completed a traditional adult fantasy. Will that book ever see the light of day?

AP: Probably not.  I enjoyed writing that book, it's the book that got me my agent, and I learned a lot in the process, but it simply isn't my best work anymore.  I have occasionally thought about rewriting it, but honestly it may never happen.  And if it does, it won't be for a long time.

ATUF: There are currently four books contracted in the Wings series. Is that where you plan to end the series or would you like to continue beyond those four?

AP: The Wings series has always been planned as four books--and the ending has been planned from the beginning.  I think readers who have the patience to wait a year between installments deserve some closure!  Some authors are great at serializing but I tend to think in terms of a distinct beginning, middle, and end, so... no.  This series will end with Book Four. 

ATUF: I did a post recently talking where different authors talked about the books their characters would read. Apart from all the many faerie text books she has to study, what would Laurel read?

AP: Laurel's father owns a bookstore; Laurel reads a little bit of everything. :)  Like most girls her age, she prefers romance and some light fantasy, is no stranger to Jane Austen, and read many "classics" as part of her homeschooling curriculum.  I so suspect that, after her run-in with Barnes, she will avoid horror novels for a while, but otherwise her taste is eclectic.

ATUF: Large parts of SPELLS take place in Avalon. How is your Avalon unique compared to traditional faerie lore?

AP: I guess that depends on what you mean by "traditional!"  Avalon actually comes to us from Arthurian mythology, where it was sometimes associated with Morgan le Fay ("the faerie") but had no other ties to faerie lore--and in those days, "faerie" and "elf" and "sorceress" were often used interchangeably.  I don't know when Avalon became a "traditional" part of faerie lore, but you'd be surprised how many people think they have a corner on what counts as "traditional," so I don't worry too much about it.
Anyway, island paradises (and garden paradises) figure heavily in mythology all over the world--something I touch on in Spells.  In Irish mythology there were many other realms, including Tir na nOg, which is the other island most often referred to in modern faerie stories; in Greece they told stories of the garden island Hesperides, where golden apples grew; in Japanese mythology there was an undersea palace with four walls, each representing a different season.  Gardens, apples, oceans, any of this sounding familiar? ;)  The Avalon you see in Spells is a combination of many different "blessed islands" and "garden paradises," so in that sense is quite traditional.
The main thing I added without drawing from faerie mythos is the faerie caste system.  They have an extremely rigid social structure based on when a faerie is born and what their powers are; this is not something I drew from any faerie tales that I know of. :)

ATUF: Can you tell us about the meaning behind the names you choose for your main characters? I'm guessing you didn't find Tamani in a baby name book?

AP: Laurel's name was taken from a list of plant names.  Super original, right? ;)
David was originally named Glen, but I kept mis-typing it as David.  I have no idea why, and it was incredibly frustrating!  But I finally gave in and ran a find-and-replace on Glen, changing him to David through the entire manuscript.  I never mis-typed his name again!  So I tell people that David is the character who named himself.
In my earliest rough draft of Wings, Tamani was the name of a random sentry.  "Tam" is a name that pops up frequently in Irish mythology (most notably in the stories of Tam Lin) and for some reason this triggered a memory of a high school history lesson where we talked about Tammany Hall.  I changed the spelling to give it a more "faerie" feel and Tamani was born.  He ended up playing a slightly larger role than I originally intended!

ATUF: What other projects can we look forwarding to reading from you soon?

AP: I have written a one-book story about a teen-aged ghost that will be coming out from HarperTeen at some yet-to-be-determined point.   I am also working on a couple of ideas for my next series, but that's a little further off.

ATUF: What are some of your favorite titles/authors in the paranormal genres?

AP: Well, let me be super original here and start by saying that I was a big fan of both the Harry Potter books and the Twilight series. :)  I never know when people ask me this whether I should just confirm what everyone has already heard (Mistwood by Leah Cypress is as good as everyone says!) or point people to great books that they might have missed (Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell was one of my very favorites of 2009!) or try to give targeted recommendations (if you like faeries, you should also check out these books by Carrie Jones!).  So I always end up with a different list of "favorites" when I'm interviewed. :)

ATUF: Can you tell us about your favorite scene in SPELLS?

AP: Nope. :)  My favorite scene is almost always the one I just finished writing, unless it just isn't working--but then, if I do get it working, I'm so proud of it that it becomes my new favorite.  I do really adore writing beginnings and endings, though, and I really enjoyed writing in Avalon this time.

ATUF: If SPELLS was a Frankenstein book compiled from elements of other books, what would some of those other books be?

AP: Well, Booklist said Harry Potter and Twilight, so who am I to disagree? ;)  I do feel that The Giver by Lois Lowry had a lot of influence on how I structured Avalon, but then, I love that book and I've probably mentioned it in every interview I've ever given. 

ATUF: In honor of Paranormal Summer Fest, can you describe your perfect Paranormal Summer read? And where would you love to be vacationing while reading it?

AP: I love books with magic, and I love books with kissing.  So I guess the perfect Paranormal Summer read for me would be a book with lots and lots of magic, and lots and lots of kissing. :)  As for where: the beach.  This is one point on which Laurel and I vehemently disagree.  I.  Love.  The beach.

ATUF: Thanks so much for stopping by Aprilynne.  Come back anytime!

Visit Aprilynne online:

• Website
• Blog
• Facebook
• Livejournal
• Myspace
• Twitter

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Want to read more from Aprilynne Pike?

1. Wings (read my Review)
2. Spells (read my Review)

 

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Aprilynne Pike

One (1) signed copy of SPELLS by Aprilynne Pike

 

Book Description

"I can't just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I can't ‘steal' you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday, you'll ask," Tamani said.

"And if I don't?" Laurel said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then I guess I'll be waiting forever."

Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she refuses to turn her back on her human life—and especially her boyfriend, David—to return to the faerie world.

But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel's feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani are undeniable. She is forced to make a choice—a choice that could break her heart.

Click HERE Browse Inside SPELLS

GIVEAWAY GUIDLINES

1. Open to US only
2. Fill out the form below
3. Entries for all Paranormal Summer Fest giveaways must be received by Midnight MST on July 4th.  All the giveaways winners will be announced on July 6th.

I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks.  And please say hi to Aprilynne. Thanks!

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