Author Interview: Amira Aly

Books: 

- Egypt: The Uprising

Twitter * Website * Blog *  Amazon * Goodreads

Description of the book:

A debut novel like no other-- touches on the apocalyptic flavors of the times and tells of a history that transcends the past.

Why is the Arab world in turmoil? What instigated the Spring of Freedom?
There is more to the story than meets the eye...
The very fabric of the world is at stake.

And , believe it or not, your fate lies in the hands of one book-loving Egyptian teen with an extraordinary heritage .

Aya is an Egyptian teenage girl trying to mind her own business and take care of her brother. As their country is swept by the tides of a revolution against a tyrant nicknamed the vile pharaoh, Aya tries to stay adrift. But her blood has something different in store for her.

Learning what the Ancients have always known, She joins a battle for truth and freedom-- a battle for Ma'at.

It is not just a story, however, it is a world-within-world, and a fresh tantalizing outlook on the events in our modern events.

This elegant novella is an introduction to a multi-volume series... The Battle for Maat

***

Describe your book in 3 words.  

 Unique layered adventure.

As a matter of fact, I took the three words most reported by reviewers for that one. 

When did you decide to write Egypt: The Uprising?

Aya , my protagonist, and Ma'at were initially going to be featured in a post-apocalyptic novel set in a near future Egypt where the Nile Delta drowns because of the rising sea levels. This novel would have had an environmental , green, twist to it.

I wanted to write about a post apocalyptic Egypt because I felt that a sense of impending doom was hovering around the country with all the injustice people were suffering from.

I felt that I no longer needed the apocalyptic setting. The renewed sense of hope set forth by the revolution took over the story. Ma'at, goddess of justice, would surely help out the revolutionaries oust the shadowy figures.

When I heard of the looting of  the Egyptian Museum in Cairo on the night of January 28th 2011, I knew that I found a nugget to build my story on.

How is Egyptian Mythology differing from Greek Mythology?

Greek mythology somehow "survived" through oral tradition, poems and ballads, and, of course, through Greek literature.

Ancient Egyptian mythological accounts have been put together from translating glyphs. Considering that the Rosetta stone has been deciphered only a couple of centuries back in the early 1800s . This is not very far back, given the intricate effect Greek mythology has had on the modern world. Most of the information we had about Egyptian mythology prior to the translations came from Greek and Roman thinkers, like Plato.

We have really not had that much time to mull over Egyptian mythology. A lot is missing and much of the information we have is fragmented.

Something as simple as the name for the god 'Horus' is not entirely figured out. Horus, Hrw or Hr, is not just a name. It's a catch-all term for a bunch of deities. One of them is involved in a creation myth, another is seen as the brother of Osiris, and the most famous is Hr as the son of Osiris and Isis.  Confusing, eh? Well there is lots more where that came from.

I think that this renders Egyptian mythology to alternate explanations and makes it all the more exciting.

In your book, why didn’t you mention Mubarak, instead of Mubasher?

Oh, I am just following in the footsteps of my ancestors here. Ancient Egyptians believed names to be sacred and to them the utmost insult was to erase a person's name from history.

And so I did not want to commemorate Mubarak by putting his name down in my novel as it were. I called him Saye' (Arabic for bad) Mubasher ( directly, or as I meant it here straight-out.)

What is the message you're trying to deliver from writing Egypt: The Uprising?

I believe that nothing sums up the message better than Aya' s closing sentences:

" I am writing to you because I wanted to get the word out. That our world is not at all what it seems. It is infinitely more beautiful and poetic and just. And one day, I am sure, one day Ma’at will be restored. And tyrants will fall and, eventually, we will overcome."

Interview: Simone Elkeles

HeyHiHello

I have a huge surprise for you. I interviewed one of my favourite author of all times. Her books are an example of a perfect book. Each one of her books take us on an unexpected journey. Please everyone help me welcome Simone Elkeles. Simone Elkeles is the author of Perfect chemistry, Rules of attraction and many other books.

The interview:

What are "The Rules of Attraction"?

The rules of attraction are a list of reasons why Kiara Westford is an attractive and very dateable girl.  This list was made up by Kiara's best friend Tuck in my book Rules of Attraction.  I don't want to give too much away, but I will tell you that Tuck is an outgoing character who isn't afraid to say what he's thinking, so "perky breasts" may or may not appear on the list . . .  Rules of Attraction is actually a sequel to my book Perfect Chemistry.  In Rules of Attraction, Alex’s brother Carlos is sent to Colorado to live with his big brother.  Carlos lives his life on the edge and breaks rules whenever possible.  When this bad boy is forced to live with good girl Kiara's family, he has finally met his match!

What inspired you to write the "Perfect chemistry" novels?

 I base Perfect Chemistry off of Highland Park High School, which is near my house.  It’s a high school that mirrors Fairfield with a wide variety of students.   I wanted to explore what might happen when a boy and girl from different sides of town and a different socioeconomic status fall hard for each other.   It’s a modern West Side Story/Romeo and Juliet (with a better ending). 

 

Will there be another perfect chemistry novel? Maybe based on Alex's youngest brother?

Yes!  You are exactly right!  The third novel in the Perfect Chemistry series will be about Luis Fuentes, the youngest Fuentes brother.  He’s such a good guy who doesn’t live with the angst that his big brothers have always lived with.  Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams.  When he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he’s never known to try and save her from herself.  Just when he thinks he’s got life all figured out, Luis learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life.  Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father? 

Is there any news on Perfect chemistry turning into a movie?

I would LOVE to see the Perfect Chemistry series turned into movies!  It's a project I have been working on for quite some time.  I've been in contact with several directors with hopes of getting a movie contract, so keep your fingers crossed for me!  In the meantime, I filmed a book trailer that looks just like a movie trailer for Rules of Attraction.  Have you seen it?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhEx0kaUlrU

How do you feel after winning the RITA award for Perfect Chemistry?

AMAZING!  This has been an incredible year for me!  I've hit the New York Times Bestseller List with both Rules of Attraction and Leaving Paradise, AND I won a RITA for Perfect Chemistry.  I'm on top of the world!

What should we expect from the author, Simon Elkeles, in the near future?

More!  As long as I have fans who will keep reading, I will keep writing.  I'm not sure exactly what my next project will be yet, but I'll make sure to tell everyone once my publisher and I make a decision.  If you are interested in following me, I'm on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and I have a website  www.simoneelkeles.net.

Thanks to Simone Elkeles for answering my questions

Author Interview: Melissa Walker

HeyHiHello

Today I shall interview Melissa Walker, the author of A Place for Delta. You can read the review of the book here. 

So without further or do, here is the interview

What inspired you to write "A Place for Delta"?

Way leads on to way for writers, and I have been concerned about preserving a healthy environment most of my adult life.  In the last two decades I have focused on dangers to wild lands, particularly designated wilderness in the United States.  That work took me to Alaska where I’ve learned about many threats to the pristine waters, air quality, wildlife, fisheries, forests, and the integrity of still intact ecosystems.  Oil spills, trophy hunting, mining, and clear-cutting threaten in one way or another all of the resources that make Alaska what it is.  More than half of the land protected under the Wilderness Act is in Alaska, and several times that acreage is still in a wild state there.

When I first went to Alaska, global warming was already a concern of climatologists, other scientists, and environmentalists, but in the last few years, it has become evident that global warming is not just a problem for the future, but it is already causing harm in many ways, especially in the Arctic, where the ice cover is rapidly receding. 

When I first visited the Arctic, I was already working on a story of an orphaned polar bear, and the more I learned about the threats to the habitat of arctic animals, the more I was inspired to tell the story in the context of climate change. 

 How did you develop the voice of Joseph, the main character, and his relationship to Delta, the polar bear? 

Writing fiction is very different from any writing that I’ve ever done, as the characters, both civilized humans and wild animals, must have unique personality traits and characteristics.  When I wrote dialogue, I imagined Joseph talking in a voice that was appropriate to his age and interests.  Once I knew who Joseph is, capturing his voice was easy.  The same was true of Ada—a smart, confident, and independent Eskimo girl.  She is from a very different place and her voice is uniquely her own.  Delta, on the other hand, has no voice in the way human characters do, but she does make sounds that communicate contentment, hunger, anger, and fear to Joseph.  Their relationship grows from his commitment to learn what she needs and to meet those needs as best he can. 

How important is it to educate children about the environment?

          In this age when many kids seem to be almost physically connected to cell phones, computers, and iPods, and middle grade fiction consists mainly of fantasies involving aliens, wizards, and vampires, I can’t think of anything more important. Education about the environment is reality-based and teaches children the value of closely observing what is actually happening instead of engaging in escapist fantasies.  In only 5 short years, many of today’s middle grade kids will be voting, helping to select government leaders from the President on down, and making important choices about further education, their life’s work, or possibly whether or not to serve in the military. Having an understanding of issues such as climate change, energy independence, threats to clean air and water and other important environmental concerns will serve them well when they have to make these important decisions, whereas learning more about computer games or Harry Potter may not.

Do you think the killing of polar bears is happening because of the existence of oil in their habitat?

      This question is never answered in the book, which after all, is a work of fiction.  When the story ends, we still don’t know who hired Sally, the sniper, or why.  For sure polar bears are dying because we humans have burned up so much fossil fuel that the climate has warmed and the polar ice cap that provides their habitat and hunting ground is literally melting away. Our search for ever more oil to burn has now sent oil companies to prospect in the Arctic where pollution from spills like the recent one in the Gulf of Mexico are a very real danger, not just to polar bears, but to the entire ecosystem.  Just how far oil companies would go in their search for oil if denning areas happened to be in the way is anybody’s guess. 

Why "A Place for Delta" was targeted for kids and not for teens or adults?

    

  See the answer for question # 3 for much of my thinking about why education of kids is so crucially important.  A Place for Delta began as oral stories told to my grandchildren and gradually evolved into the book in its’ present form.  I don’t think that I started with a story and then made a conscious decision about the best audience for that story.  In other words, children were involved from the very “birth” of this book and it never occurred to me to write the story for any audience other than children. As it turns out, the book has had a wide appeal to all age groups.

Tell us about the sequel to "A Place for Delta."

      

In the second of the Delta books, the action shifts between the North Georgia mountains and the Arctic.  Joseph discovers that his grandfather, long missing, has been working undercover for conservation organizations in the far north.  He and Ada join an effort to thwart a major poaching scheme while grappling with the demands of their older polar bear cub.

This was our interview. Thanks to Melissa Walker who took the time to answer the questions. 

Tata for now

Interview: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

HeyHiHello

So if you follow me on twitter, you would know by now that I had been hinting about posting an interview with an author. Well, guess who is the author for today's post. She is Lauren Baratz-Logsted the author of Crazy Beautiful. She decided to have a blog tour but in a different way. You might ask me what is the different way? Well, instead of asking Lauren Baratz-Logsted all the questions that I could think of, I am only limited to a one question. Its funny because I sent her 5 questions (I mean come on, it was my very first author interview and I was excited for it) but she picked the best and answered it.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted  released her latest book called THE EDUCATION OF BET on July 12, 2010. Make sure to check it out.

Now without further or due, read the one question-interview.

What should we expect from the author, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, in the future?

The immediate future for me would be the rest of 2010. On August 31, Bloomsbury will publish my next YA novel, THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER. It's a dark suspense novel set in Victorian England about a teenage girl who discovers that her gorgeous society mother has an identical twin who was raised in the workhouse. Then on October 12, the sixth book in The Sisters 8 series for young readers aged 6-10, PETAL'S PROBLEMS will be published. In terms of the longer-range future, meaning beyond the end of this year, you can expect that I'll keep writing, always stretching myself as a writer in terms of style or genre or age group and hopefully entertaining the reader in the process.

So that was the end of the interview.

Make sure to catch Lauren Baratz-Logsted next tour stop at Bookshipper where answers the following question:

Where do you see the publishing industry/world in 5 years? 

Tata for Now

Interview: Jennifer Hubbard

Hey

Few weeks ago I reviewed a book called: "The Secret Year". The book was awesome and I really like it. So I decided to send Jennifer Hubbard ( the author) some questions for a blog interview and and she was kind enough to answer them. I recommend you read the review before the interview <-- that totally rhymed 

Now I am going to leave you alone to read the interview

Have Fun !!!!

When did you discover that writing should be your career?

I have always written, because I love it. I had short stories published over several years, and a few years ago I got serious about writing novels.

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

One of my all-time favorite books is The Dharma Bums, by Jack Kerouac. My favorite recent YA novel is Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You, by Peter Cameron. But I have many, many favorites. Some of them are listed on my website:

 (http://www.jenniferhubbard.com/ and click on “Bio”)

What inspired you to write "The Secret Year"?

I started with the idea of a secret relationship, a sudden death, and a notebook left behind. I wrote it to find out what would happen next.

Is there anything from the book that is based from real life experience? Which part?

At least one of the dreams Colt had about Julia was based on a dream I once had about someone who had died suddenly. And the river in the book is loosely based on rivers and creeks I have lived near. But the book is fiction; the characters and situations are not intended to literally represent real-life experiences.

What is the lesson you want your readers to get after reading "The Secret Year"?

I want readers to decide that for themselves. But if people want specific questions to think about, I do have a reader guide for the book: http://www.classof2k10.com/secret_year_reader_guide.pdf

I sometimes wonder how female authors write from a guy's perspective. How did you get into Colten Morrissey's head (the novel's main character)?

His voice came to me, and I suspect his voice has two sources: 1) Underneath, human beings are more alike than different. Colt is a person first; he just happens to be male. 2) Whatever I know of a “male” voice comes from having lived and worked with men, having them as friends and family members and colleagues and boyfriends, reading their work, listening to them.

How would you describe the relationship between Julia and Colten and their conflict of rich and poor situation?

I’d like readers to think about this relationship, why it had to be secret and what each person got from it. That is probably tricky since Colt and Julia lied (even to themselves) about what the relationship was and what it meant to them. Secrecy was an extremely powerful force, and it deeply affected how they related to each other. And in the end, they got emotionally involved much more than they had planned to.

That was the end for the interview. I would like to thank Jennifer Hubbard for answering my question.

Tata for now :D

Interview: Message to Venus

HeyHiHello

Today I will be featuring a new band called "Message to Venus." So without further or do here is the interview.

1.              How/when did the band started?

Jandre: A few years ago I had this project I was trying to get together, but I couldn't seem to get musicians that where on the same page as me. So right when I was about to quit the boys from “De’fekt” where recording a new album. During that time their singer left the band for personal reasons and then they called me. We recorded down some tracks to see how the chemistry worked and it’s been a great experience so far.

John: All of us are originally from Puerto Rico. We have been friends for many years now and have worked together in many past projects. When the singer from our old band decided to leave the project JuanMa, Edgar and I approached Jandre to take over the singing duties. This was back in late 2008. It worked out really well and here we are, ready to rock n' roll!

JuanMa: Like Jandre and John said in the middle of recording our 2^nd album as “De’fekt” we found ourselves without a singer. Around that same time on the other side of the island (Puerto Rico), Jandre found himself without a band. Our producer, Leo Alvarez, suggested we called him and so we did... the rest, well we're still in the middle of that!

2.              What is your favorite band?

Jandre: I grew up listening to classic rock n’ roll and the blues because my dad had a band. But I’m a big fan of Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, Tool, Deftones, Pantera, STP (Core album) and I also enjoy Incubus.

John: I can say that Tool is right at the top of my list.

Edgar: I would say that I admire anyone that has the courage to do music and live happy by doing what he or she does best…

JuanMa: I love so many bands/groups/artists it's difficult to give you only one name...

3.              Everyday there is a new band, how do you see yourselves different from other bands?

Jandre: Music is an art and we are the painters, we’re not trying to be different but we have a great chemistry together and we’re not trying to follow the "new trend". We’re just doing what we love to do, and that's the problem with a lot of bands nowadays they try to imitate other bands, we are not saying we’re the most original band out there but we’re not trying to sound like anyone.

John: We strongly believe in our music and are very passionate about it too. Also, we understand that the music business is a lot of hard work, so we don't have any “fairy rock n' roll tales” on our heads. We are here to work hard and do the best we can do. It's up to the fans to decide if they support us or not. So far the response has been great, but like I say, fans always have the last word. 

Edgar: In these times yes, too many bands rising and falling at the same time, the difference about us and the rest, good music, great energy and the power to tell a story beyond your imagination.

JuanMa: I have no idea… LOL!

4.              So right now the band is recording their debut album, what should we expect from it and when is the release date?

Jandre: Hopefully by the end of November, this album has so many different colors and textures; it’s going to be a very dynamic album lyrically and musically.

John: We are working very hard on this album. It’s our finest work yet. You can expect lots of energy and melody with very interesting stories. We are shooting for a release date before the end of 2010. 

Edgar: Lyrically, it is a story with a bunch of chapters that complements fiction and reality to a whole new level.

JuanMa: A good solid album with a very live feel!

5.              What are your favorite songs off your unreleased album?

Jandre: Well, not all songs are done but so far I love “The Unknown”, “Pre-Violence” and “Cold & Grey”.

John: The album will be called "Victims and Villains" and I can say that my favorite songs are "Cold & Grey", "The Unknown" and "Over and Done".  

Edgar: All of it! I like the album very much…

JuanMa: Any song that has distortion in it! :P

6.              What are "M2V" long term goals?

Jandre: World tour, studio, and a nice fucking tour bus. HAHA, well like any other bands that dream of these things, I just hope we can make it big. I love creating music; hopefully we will be together for a long time.

John: Play, play and play some more. Release our EP, "The Envelope", this summer and our debut album, "Victims and Villains", before the end of 2010. Continue gaining fans all over the world and make a decent living from our music. 

Edgar: To do what we do best, music. Be an escape for our fans and please their senses.

JuanMa: Play till our hands bleed!!!

So this was the end of the interview...

Here is a sample of their music

If you want more, you can go to their myspace page here

You can follow them on twitter here

Or you can become a fan on their facebook page here

Special thanks goes to John

Tata for now

P.S. I apologize for the weird white background text. I dont know whats the story behind it.