Friday, September 13, 2013

Author's Slambook: Sara Grant, author of Half Lives

Friday, September 13, 2013

Author Bio
Website | Twitter | Goodreads

I was born and raised in Washington, Indiana, a small town in the Midwestern United States. I graduated from Indiana University with degrees in journalism and psychology, and later I earned a master's degree in creative and life writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London. I live in London and write full-time.

Favorites
1. What is your favorite color? Orange
2. Favorite food? Chips and salsa
3. Favorite movie of all time? I have lots of favorites, but IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE has been a favorite since I was a child.
4. Favorite song? Again, I have many favorites, but 'Fire and Rain' by James Taylor is probably at the top of my list.
5. Favorite book of all time? Oh, it's very difficult to pick only one. I seem to be giving you all my classics -- TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD by Harper Lee.

All about Writing
1. How did your interest in writing originated?
I always wanted to be a writer. I remember writing my first proper story when I was eight years old. It was called 'A Dream I Wish Was True'. In the story, I got to meet my favorite movie star. I've been writing stories ever since.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I write every day. When I'm in the middle of writing a first draft, I try to write two chapters a day. I'm a morning person so my best writing time is first thing when I get up. If I'm on a deadline with revisions, I can work ten to twelve hours a day.

3. Do you work with outline or just write?
I'm definitely a planner. I create an outline with milestones, but I do allow for surprises and twists and turns along the way.

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?
The most difficult part is when the book is published, and people are reading and reviewing it. You've worked on it for years, and it’s stressful to wait for the world’s response.
The easiest and most joyous part is writing the first draft when you are discovering what the story is about.

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love to read and travel. I'm also a bit of an entertainment junky. I love movies and TV shows. But even when I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing or researching or discovering story ideas.

Finish the sentence
1. The difference between fiction and reality is control. I can control what happens in a story.
2. Research is what I'm doing when I'm breathing. Research can be anything and everything -- from what it's like to feel embarrassed to discovering what’s it’s like to sleep on a bed of ice at the ice hotel in Lapland .
3. I can write better when I'm in love with my idea.
4. Sleep is an excellent way to be frustrated. I don't sleep very well.
5. A room without a book is not worth visiting!
Books
Title: Half Lives
Genre/s: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Publisher: Little Brown Books FYR
Expected Publication: July 9, 2013
Buy: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Book Depo
Synopsis:

I learned that surviving isn't all it's cracked up to be. If you survive, you've got to live with the guilt, and that's more difficult than looking someone in the eye and pulling the trigger. Trust me. I've done both. Killing takes a twitch of the finger. Absolution takes several lifetimes.

Seventeen-year-old Icie's parents have given her $10,000 in cash, a map of a top-secret bunker, and instructions to get there by any means necessary. They have news of an imminent viral attack and know that the bunker is Icie's only hope for survival. Along with three other teens, she lives locked away for months, not knowing what's happening in the outside world or who has survived. And are they safe in the bunker after all?

Generations in the future, a mysterious cult worships the very mountain where Icie's secret bunker was built. They never leave the mountain, they're ruled by a teenager...and they have surprising ties to Icie.

This high-stakes, original, and thought-provoking adventure from Sara Grant follows two unlikely heroes, hundreds of years apart, as they fight to survive.

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