Brandi Breathes Books: Giveaway of Forsaken and Interview with author Lisa Stasse

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Giveaway of Forsaken and Interview with author Lisa Stasse

A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

Interview with Lisa M. Stasse

Author of The Forsaken

(coming July 10, 2012 from Simon & Schuster)

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

In a dystopian future, a teenage girl fails a personality test and is banished to a prison island—she must fight back and escape.

--How did you get the idea for the story?

I was imagining a nightmare version of the SAT (or any of those standardized tests that everyone has to take in high school) that if you failed, you'd get exiled from your friends and family. In The Forsaken, when Alenna Shawcross fails her government personality test, her whole life is ripped away from her. She's banished to Prison Island Alpha (aka "The Wheel"). When she gets there, she has to chose a tribe, forge alliances, fight the machines that control the island, and try to escape. Along the way she learns some secrets about her own identity, and she also falls in love.

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

It would be awesome to have dinner with Harry Potter! J

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

I have a massive stack of books to read (seriously, it's several feet high). I'm also a librarian at UCLA, which means I'm surrounded by books all the time. I wish I had more time to read! My favorite books include The Road by Cormac McCarthy, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Sula by Toni Morrison, and anything by Joan Didion or John Green.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

I'm just finishing the second novel in The Forsaken trilogy. The working title is The Uprising.

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

Pride & Prejudice, because I love the world of that book so much and all the characters too.

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

Coffee is a must, and so is music. I listen to music all the time when I'm writing (all different styles and genres). I listened to a lot of Cat Power when I wrote The Forsaken. I also listened to a lot of Arcade Fire, Salem, Feist, Belle & Sebastian, Bon Iver, Taylor Swift, Skrillex, Neil Young, and Tim Buckley.

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

To be able to travel through time.

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

I love traveling—especially camping and hiking. Most of my free time is spent hanging out with my husband and three-year-old daughter.

--What is one thing you would tell your 15 year old self?

"Don't stress out so much about everything! (And yes, you will get a boyfriend one day)."

Lightning round: this or that?

Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate

Edward or Jacob? Edward

Hockey or soccer? Soccer

Ebook or paper? Paper

Salty or sweet? Sweet

Beach or mountains? Beach

Phone call or email? Phone/text