Welcome to the "The Beast of Callaire" Blog Tour!
Presented to you by Diverse Book Tours!
We got a chance to sit down with the author of "The Beast of Callaire" for a Diverse Book Tours/Twinja Book Reviews exclusive interview =) She's a first timer on our blog, so hopefully we gave a warm welcome!
Presented to you by Diverse Book Tours!
We got a chance to sit down with the author of "The Beast of Callaire" for a Diverse Book Tours/Twinja Book Reviews exclusive interview =) She's a first timer on our blog, so hopefully we gave a warm welcome!
Since this is your first time on Twinja Book Reviews, what can you tell us about yourself that folks may not already know?
I’m a 22 year old writer from Yorkshire in the UK. I live surrounded by fields, I’m a feminist and firm believer in every kind of equality, and I have a cat named Nolan after my favourite show, Revenge. I find writing incredibly hard and reading incredibly easy, but I love to do both.
That clarifies everything! Now that we know Saruuh the person, what can you tell us about Saruuh the writer?
I’m a 22 year old writer from Yorkshire in the UK. I live surrounded by fields, I’m a feminist and firm believer in every kind of equality, and I have a cat named Nolan after my favourite show, Revenge. I find writing incredibly hard and reading incredibly easy, but I love to do both.
That clarifies everything! Now that we know Saruuh the person, what can you tell us about Saruuh the writer?
Well, my first series (The Lux Guardians) is a Sci-Fi that crosses many
genres and focuses on a band of teenagers as they discover themselves in the
midst of the world’s end. I wanted to explore human survival with this series.
Now I write about non-human survival with my Legend Mirror series, which follows
teenage mythologicals as they’re swept into a war between the Gods. At the heart
of all my writing is the characters’ self-discovery.
What
do you thing is the hardest thing about writing a book?
For me, it’s the effort of sitting down to write on the
days when my creativity is depleted, having to scrape up the motivation to type
out words when it’s the last thing I want to do.
What
makes you choose a cover for your book?
I design all the covers for my books. I have a bad habit
of creating covers for books I’ve not written yet, for books I have absolutely
no time to write, so sometimes when I want a cover for a book, I already have
it designed. But when I set out to design a cover, for me the most important thing
is knowing recent covers for the same genre and age bracket. If I know that, I
can appeal to the same audience, and my books (hopefully) can hold their own
against traditionally published books.
Do
you typically start with characters, or plot first?
Plot usually comes to me first, and by writing out the
initial idea for the story, I find the characters. Then, by learning more about
the characters and their histories, the plot emerges further. So really, it’s a
bit of both.
Why
do you find diversity important in your writing?
I write diversely because I can walk into any bookshop
in any city and see myself, a cis white person, reflected in every single book.
Because there are so many people out there who can’t do the same, and because I
wish there were books for them in every bookshop, too.
Since
you are an accomplished author, what have you learned each time you've penned a
new book, that perhaps you didn't know from the last book?
I don’t know that I’ve learned much, since each new book
I write is just as hard as the first, but I noticed with my most recent work in
progress (The Dryad of Callaire) that it’s easier to spot when the writing is
good and when it’s atrocious. It’s quite useful, and I hope it stays with me
for my next draft!
Do
you have any current favorite reads?
I recently finished the Yelena Zaltana series by Maria. V. Snyder, which I adored. The
world and the characters are both so rich and fascinating that it’s a treasure
to read.
What
can you tell us about your future in writing? Anything in the works?
I’ve almost finished writing The Dryad of Callaire, the
second Legend Mirror novel, and right after that I’m writing the third book.
Those are my only novels to be released this year, but you can expect some
short stories in my Fissure Chronicles as well.
What
are some themes or genres you'd like to explore in your future writing that you
haven't?
I’d love to write mystery. Maybe a murder mystery in
space. As for themes, both my series will explore war in some way in their
later books, but I’d love to write a book that revolves wholly around one. I’m
not entirely sure why it interests me, but something about the brutality and
hopelessness of it draws me.
Where
can potential readers learn more about you and your current and future
projects?
The best place to learn about me and my books is my website (my books
page has the most information, and my sidebar always lists my latest and next
releases!) but my
blog and facebook
pages are also updated regularly with dates and info and
fancy graphics.
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Here's that oh-so swoony book information
Word of Caution:
This book contains PoC protagonists, Queer themes and all types of awesomeness. Don't say we didn't warn you when you can't put it down!
The Beast of Callaire
Saruuh Kelsey
ISBN: 978-1291790603/1291790608
Publisher: Smashwords
Pages: 190
Genre: YA Fantasy/LGBTQIA
Synopsis:
Yasmin is a descendant of the Manticore. A creature of Persian mythology.
A Legendary.
But she doesn't want to be. Unlike the Legendaries in The Red, Yasmin wants nothing more than an ordinary life. She tries to fool herself into believing that she doesn't change into a beast every full moon and savagely kill innocent people.
But when Yasmin starts hearing a voice in her head and is drawn into dreams that aren't her own, she is led to Fray-a girl who once saved Yasmin from hunters, who has shadowy memories that hint at her having Legendary magic-and Yasmin is catapulted into a life of Majick and malevolence.
Despite the danger around her and Fray, Yasmin might finally have a chance at being a normal girl with a normal girlfriend. But with Legendaries being killed, a war between the Gods brewing, and the beast inside Yasmin becoming stronger each moon, her mundane life is little more than a dream.
Spark your interest? Click below for the available purchase links!
About Sarah
Saruuh Kelsey is the author of several novels for young adults, including the free Lux Guardians series and The Legend Mirror series. Her latest releases include THE BEAST OF CALLAIRE, the first novel of a new YA fantasy series, and a collection of diverse fairy tales in LOVE IN THE GILDED AGE. Find her online at saruuhkelsey.co.uk.
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