Interview with Andrea Cremer

I am trying to start an Author Interview Monday (and yet I posted on Sunday, lol)- hopefully I can keep this going for a bit!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer 

--Can you give us a brief description of Nightshade in your own words?           

Nightshade is Calla's story and she was the inspiration for the book. I tend to write from characters and Calla was floating around in my head for a week or two before I started putting her story onto the page. I knew she was a girl who was also a wolf. I knew she was strong, but also in serious trouble. I couldn't figure out how someone so powerful could be in that sort of a fix. That's where Nightshade's world emerged it was all about building a history and society that explained Calla's predicament.

--How did you get the idea for the story? Did you do much research for your book?

Like I said earlier, Calla started it all. The world of Nightshade came as I tried to figure out how someone like Calla, a girl who I knew was incredibly powerful, could be afraid and angry. What was controlling her? Why would she be fighting against her own destiny? I realized that she was facing off with something even more powerful than herself. That’s where my background as a historian came in. I teach early modern history (1500-1800) – a period of immense, violent change in human societies. This is the time of witchhunts, religious warfare, colonization, the Inquistion; all types of cataclysmic social transformation that turned the lives across the globe upside down. The more I thought about Calla I thought about the ways in which wolf warriors and witches could have intertwined lives.  The mythology in Nightshade is a blend of history and lore plus new twists I imagined along the way.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

Most: Mason because he’s sweet and funny – hanging out with him would be a blast. Least: Efron Bane, but at least the dinner would likely be at a swanky restaurant. He’s loaded.

--Can you give us any teasers from the sequel? What about tentative dates for release?

I can’t give teasers as I have a strict no spoilers rule, but I’m happy to share the release dates. Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) will be published in July 2011. Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) is scheduled for spring 2012.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

I love books and yes I read all the time. My all-time favorite book is Watership Down – that’s one of the few things Calla and I have in common. Other writes who had a major impact on my life are Marion Zimmer Bradley, Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood, and Neil Gaiman. Current authors I think are fabulous include Libba Bray, David Levithan, John Green, Maggie Stiefvater, Cassandra Clare and that’s just to name a few. There are so many fantastic writers!

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

Harry Potter for sure - I’d love to be a young witch hanging out on Diagon Alley.

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on the Nightshade "playlist-" songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

You named both: music and coffee! I create playlists for all my books and keep a French Press coffee pot ready at all times. A few of my favorites from the Nightshade playlist are Sea Wolf, Big Pink, Bat for Lashes, and TV on the Radio.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Flying.

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I have two dogs, a border collie and a pug, and we spend lots of time together. My husband and I play quite a bit of World of Warcraft. I also like getting to the gym and doing yoga.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

Thank you so much for reading Nightshade; I’m so excited you’re joining Calla and her pack on their journey!

 Andrea Cremer's site here