Andrea Cremer Author Interview + Giveaway

Andrea Cremer Author Interview + Giveaway

Andrea Cremer is the Author in the Spotlight here on Booksnob and I had a chance to ask her some questions about her new book, The Inventor's Secret, her writing life and of course her favorite YA authors.


1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My childhood home is Ashland, Wisconsin, a town of about 8,000 people nestled on the south shore of Lake Superior. My imagination flourished playing in the grand forests that bounded my hometown. I have a Ph.D. in early modern (1500-1800) Atlantic World history. Prior to becoming a full-time novelist, I was a history professor at Macalester College in St Paul, Minnesota.


2. What is the inspiration behind The Inventor’s Secret?

The Inventor’s Secret allowed me to bring together my two great passions: history and fantasy.

3. Usually an author puts some of his own life experiences in the book. Did you do that?  Do you have anything in common with your characters?

Strange as this might sound, my characters are adamant that they are real, unique individuals. They wouldn’t take kindly to my suggestion that they are based on anyone from ‘my’ world rather than being original products of their own universe.

4. What authors or books influence you?

As a young reader I was deeply influenced by J.R.R. Tolkein, C. S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander, Susan Cooper, Marion Zimmer Bradley and David Eddings. Contemporary authors whom I greatly admire are Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Barbara Kingsolver, Jane Smiley, Margaret Atwood, Libba Bray, Laini Taylor.

5. Name one Young Adult book that you believe is a must read for everyone and tell us why?

Ooh, that’s tough – there are so many amazing and worthwhile YA novels. Under duress I’ll say Watership Down by Richard Adams. It’s my all-time favorite novel and it’s classified as YA in the UK. Adams created a universe in which rabbits are the protagonists, but in no way is this a cutesy-adorable animal novel. The story is about courage, transformation and survival. Adams’ invents an entire worlds and cosmology belonging to his rabbit protagonists and it’s utterly breathtaking and the
reason this book remains my favorite into my 30s.

6. What motivates you to write for teenagers in the Young Adult category?

I think coming-of-age stories are the most profound, exciting, and compelling narratives in novels.

7. How do you carve time out of your busy day to write? Are you a full time writer or do you have a day job?

I’m a full-time writer now, but prior to 2012 I was a college professor in addition to being a novelist. Even when you move from a ‘day job’ to writing full time, finding the time to write remains a struggle.  In today’s environment, being an author involves much more than writing – authors are expected to promote their work, be engaging in social media, and create a presence in the online world. It’s a lot and remembering that writing should be the central focus of all that effort sometimes can be hard to do!

8. How has being a successful author changed your life?

I am grateful every day that I get to write for a living. I still pinch myself because it honestly is a dream come true.

9.  What is the most important lesson/idea you want readers to take away from your book, The Inventor’s Secret?

That history isn’t inevitable, there is no providence, it’s people making choices. Change any piece of the historical narrative and you’ll end up with an entirely new timeline.

9. Tell us in one sentence why we should read:  The Inventor’s Secret.

Discover a world you didn’t know was possible.


Thanks Andrea

If you would like to win a copy of Andrea's new book please click here:  The Inventor's Secret Giveaway

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

NightShade by Andrea Cremer

Note:  This is a re-post of my book review of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer from 2011.

Do you like books with bite?  Well, let me introduce you to Calla, who is the alpha of the Nightshade pack of wolves.  Calla is a sexy teenager, a bit unsure of herself, and she is betrothed to the alpha of another pack whose union will carry on an important tradition that has existed for centuries.  They roam the hills of Colorado by night and go to Mountain school by day.  Calla knows what her destiny is and intends to follow it until she meets a good looking human boy named Shay who literally changes the world as she know it.

Nightshade is a plant that is toxic to humans and animals but this book is not toxic at all, in fact, it was hard to put down.  The storyline moves fast and draws in the reader quickly.  It is intelligently told with history and philosophy intertwined within the reality of wolves who rule over humans.  It is a interesting, adventurous, paranormal read with Calla being an excellent main character.

Thomas Hobbes is a political philosopher mentioned frequently in the book.  Shay studies Hobbes, whereas the students in Calla's school have been forbidden to study his work. Hobbes was censored out of the Mountain school curriculum.   Here is a quote by  Hobbes that I think conveys some of the themes in Nightshade.

Moral philosophy is nothing else but the science of what is good, and evil, in the conversation, and society of mankind. Good, and evil, are names that signify our appetites, and aversions; which in different tempers, customs, and doctrines of men, are different.

There are several books in the Nightshade series.
#2 Wolfsbane
#3 Bloodrose

The are also 2 pre-quels.
Rift
Rise

Andrea's new series is called The Inventor's Secret.  It is being categorized as Steam Punk YA.

The Thing About Great White Sharks Giveaway Winners

The Thing About Great White Sharks Giveaway Winners

Rebecca Adams Wright along with TLC book tours is giving away one copy of her short story collection, The Thing About Great White Sharks.  This giveaway was open to BookSnob followers who live in the United States.

And the lucky winner is:

Brittany from Georgia.

Congratulations Brittany.  Enjoy your new book.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

In this collection’s richly imagined title story, our brutal and resourceful protagonist is determined to protect her family from a murderous, shark-ridden world—at any cost. Elsewhere, an old woman uncovers a sinister plot while looking after a friend’s plants (“Orchids”), and a girl in the war-torn countryside befriends an unlikely creature (“Keeper of the Glass”). In “Barnstormers,” a futuristic flying circus tries to forestall bankruptcy with one last memorable show. At the heart of “Sheila” is the terrible choice a retired judge must make when faced with the destruction of his beloved robotic dog, and “Yuri, in a Blue Dress” follows one of the last survivors of an alien invasion as she seeks help.

Extending from World War II to the far future, these fifteen stories offer a gorgeously observed perspective on our desire for connection and what it means to have compassion—for ourselves, for one another, for our past…and for whatever lies beyond.

The Inventor's Secret Giveaway

The Inventor's Secret Giveaway

Andrea Cremer is the March Author in the Spotlight here on BookSnob and she and her publisher are giving away 5 copies of her new young adult series to followers who live in the U.S. or Canada.  Yahoo!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape from the coastal cities or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery.

Contest Rules:
Fill out the form
Ends March 31st at midnight
Must be a U.S./Canada resident
Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Life We Bury Giveaway Winners

The Life We Bury Giveaway Winners

Allen Eskens was the February Author in the Spotlight and he is giving away 3 copies (2 ARCS) of The Life We Bury.  The Life We Bury has been nominated for a Edgar Allen Poe Award, the Minnesota Book Award, and the Rosebud Award.

And the winners are....

Carol from Pennsylvania
Carl from Arizona
Sharon from New Mexico

Congratulations Winners.
I hope you enjoy your new books.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

Allen Eskens has written a page turning mystery with characters you care about and who grab you and won't let go. The Life We Bury is the type of novel that everyone will enjoy, full of complex characters, a kickass storyline, with a little love and a lot of crazy thrown in.   This debut novel will grab you right from the first page. The Life We Bury is full of grit and guilt, twists and turns and I could not read it fast enough.

Announcing March Author in the Spotlight

Announcing March Author in the Spotlight

Happy March!  I hope you are feeling green because Spring is around the corner and I have an awesome Author in the Spotlight this month.
You are going to scream with excitement or at least do a happy dance.

March's Author is Andrea Cremer.  When I started blogging 5 years ago, she was a new author and Nightshade had just came out.  I reviewed her book, did an interview and she spoke at South high, where I teach everyday. Then she moved to New York and hit the big time. Andrea has a new Steampunk series starting and she has moved back to Minneapolis. So this is the perfect time to feature her on Book Snob.

The Nightshade series contains four books and two prequels.  If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it.

Here is the synopsis of Nightshade:

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads of Andrea's newest book, The Inventor's Secret:

Sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape from the coastal cities or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery.

This month we will have a book review, a contest, an author interview and a possible guest post.  You can learn more about Andrea Cremer and her books, The NightShade series and The Inventor's Secret at her website: www.andreacremer.com

Have a Great Month.  Happy Reading!