I'm super excited to have Amy Kathleen Ryan, author of the Sky Chasers Series, with us today. Glow is the first book in the Sky Chasers Series. Before I start questioning Mrs. Amy, check out a little info about GLOW. (Scroll to the bottom for the full Promo Schedule)
Genre: Young Adult (Science Fiction/Dystopian/ Romance)
Date Published: September 13, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?
Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...
Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.
But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.
How long have you been writing?
Professionally, since about 2005 when my first novel was published. But like most writers, I've been writing for fun since I was a child. There's just something about the permanence of writing, churning out thoughts, perfecting their presentation, offering them to others. It makes me happy.
What inspired you to write GLOW?
I became fascinated thinking about what it would be like to be isolated in deep space in a spaceship, with no one to help you when you are attacked by your supposed allies. My characters Waverly, Kieran and Seth all had to figure out their own solutions if they were going to survive.
When you first started writing GLOW, did you plan for it to be a series?
I had no idea I was writing a series until I was deep into the last chapter of GLOW, and I looked at how many pages I'd written, and how many I'd have to go to finish the story. I got to that last scene between two characters who are unsure of whether to trust each other, and realized it was a great place to end the first book.
Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
It's hard to choose because there's a bit of me in all of them. Seth is a lot meaner than I am, Waverly a lot braver, and Kieran is a lot more idealistic. The character I'd most like to be friends with? Arthur, my little scientific genius. I just love that kid.
What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
I eat dill pickles every day. I love them.
If your real life as a teenager was a Young Adult book, what would you, the main character, be like?
I think my single greatest emotion as a teen was anxiety. I was anxious all the time. If I were to write a book about me as a teen, I'd write one where my protagonist learns to be more calm.
What book have you read too many times to count?
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle. It was the first book I found as a child that didn't feel at all like it was talking down to me.
What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
From my writing teacher, Jeffery Renard Allen, and I'm paraphrasing: "Most writers have the talent they need to succeed, but only a few have the will." Remembering that helps me during those downtrodden moments.
If you could hop into the life of any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I love Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice because she's so incredibly witty, and smart, and she seems to always know what to say. I'm a lot more awkward than her!
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
When a spaceship is traveling at extreme speed through the vacuum of space, a single particle the size of a dust mote floating in its path could blow it apart. Neat, right?
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I have a garden, and I play with my dogs and my kids, and relax with my husband. I've got a full life and I'm really lucky to have so much love.
Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
What I take from life is not so much from my autobiography as observations I've made about human behavior. How do people act when they're lying? When they're pretending not to be scared? Those little brushstrokes help a lot in my writing.
Thanks for the great questions!
Thank you for the great answers! I hope you come back to visit again soon!
Amy only reviews books she thinks are excellent.
To learn more about Amy Kathleen Ryan and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.
I've heard quite a lot about glow- it sounds like a real good book.
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