Hey,
today I have two exciting things. Well, one exciting thing
for two reasons- we’re
kicking off the blog tour for Lisa O’Kane’s
Essence, and being the next stop on the Countdown to 5 June tour organized by
Jim at YAYeahYeah which has been
generally fabulous over the past few weeks, and will continue to be so. So
here, my interview with Lisa.
1. What
emotion or feeling would you think drained Essence the most?
I drew inspiration for the concept of
Essence from the Taoist belief that every light must have a dark and every good
must have an evil. Therefore, Centrists believe positive emotions are just as
dangerous as negative ones, and they try their best to repress everything.
That being said, I know I have personally
felt my most incapacitated in times of great loss and sadness. These emotions
were almost always due to my attachments to other people, so I’m sure the
Centrists would probably say I shouldn’t allow myself to feel things so deeply.
2. Would
you rather live in the security of the Centrists or the freedom of the
Community?
Easy. I would much prefer the Community and
the freedom to make my own choices, even if I ended up making some bad ones.
I think one of the best ways to grow is to
take risks—and to fail from time to time! Our struggles keep us humble, and
they make us appreciate our victories in a way we couldn’t otherwise.
I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today
if I hadn’t been given the opportunity to find my own balance. As John Augustus
Shedd once said, “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are
built for.”
3. What
was your favourite thing about writing Essence?
I am very analytical and organized by
nature, so I initially approached ESSENCE the way I would approach any other
project: I analyzed, categorized, structured and dissected it. Unfortunately,
the story fought back, and it died on me every time I tried to control it.
The moment I dropped the reins and finally
allowed the story to tell itself is the single most terrifying and exhilarating
moment I have ever experienced as a writer. I will never forget the electricity
of that feeling.
4. Who
would be in your dream cast of Essence?
I am a very visual person, so I have spent
a lot of time thinking about my characters’ appearances. I haven’t picked
celebrity doppelgängers for everyone, but I definitely have a short-list of
actors and actresses I think would be perfect for my dream ESSENCE cast:
Photo Courtesy of Anomoly1101
Photo Courtesy of Etlfc1999
Photo Courtesy of MyCanon
Photo Courtesy of LGEPR
Photo Courtesy of MingleMediaTV
5. What
do you want people to get from Essence?
The biggest thing I want people to know
about ESSENCE is that it is not a traditional dystopian novel. It is a novel
about cults, and although cults inherently have dystopian qualities, ESSENCE is
instead a very personal account of one girl’s experiences as she escapes from
one cult only to find herself accidentally joining another.
The theme of ESSENCE is balance: between
right and wrong, between too much and too little, between feeling everything
and feeling nothing. I hope readers will find its message empowering, and I
hope it will inspire them to question things and to be true to themselves while
they search for their own personal balance.
6. What's
your favourite thing about being a YA author?
I have always considered myself a people
watcher. I love exploring the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, so my
favorite thing about being a YA author is the opportunity to create characters
and allow them interact with each other.
7. How
do you write? Do you have any rituals/specific things that need to be in place,
or can you do it anywhere?
I am definitely the hare, not the tortoise.
My muse is fickle and hard to catch, so I often have periods of intense
creativity followed by stretches of intermittent spurts and droughts.
When my muse is active, I can write pretty
much anywhere. If she’s a little more hesitant, I do have a few rituals that
usually help jump-start me. My favorites are Nag Champa incense, a strong cup
of chai tea and any music by Bob Dylan, the Shins or Bon Iver.
8. What
other books or authors would you recommend that are coming out on 5 June?
I am so honored to be in the company of so
many incredible authors! I am particularly excited about TAKE BACK THE SKIES by
Lucy Saxon, LIES LIKE LOVE by Louisa Reid, and TRUST
GAMES by Simon Packham. This is going to be a fabulous summer for UK fiction!
Here’s the blurb: Autumn escaped a cult,
but now she realizes she's fallen into another.
Growing up in San Francisco’s Centrist
Movement, sixteen year-old Autumn Grace has always believed
emotions—adrenaline, endorphins, even happiness—drain your Essence and
lead to an early death. But her younger brother’s passing and a run-in with a
group of Outsiders casts her faith into question.
Ryder Stone, the sexy, rebellious leader of
the Outsiders, claims Essence drain is nothing more than a Centrist
scare tactic -- and he can prove it.
Autumn follows Ryder to his Community of
adrenaline junkies and free spirits in Yosemite National Park, and they
introduce her to a life of adventure, romance, sex, drugs and freedom. But as
she discovers dark secrets beneath the Community’s perfect exterior, she
realizes the more she risks in search of the perfect rush, the further she has
to fall.
As for the Countdown, check tomorrow on
Debbie’s site Snuggling on the Sofa
for something with Lucy Saxon.