Author Interview - Suzanne Young + Giveaway

Today, I'm excited to be interviewing with Suzanne Young about A Want So Wicked, the sequel to A Need So Beautiful.

Book synopsis

Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?

Author Bio

Suzanne Young is a brilliant scientist. Not really. But she is a former middle school teacher turned zookeeper (mother). When not fending off zombie squirrels, Suzanne can be found in Arizona writing novels for teens.

I saw that you used to be a middle school teacher. How did you go from being a middle school teacher to writer? What was the transition like?
I’m actually a high school teacher now! But I did take some time off when I first started writing. I’ve been writing since *I* was in middle school. On a long break, I started yet another short story. Only this time it kept going, and going, and going. When the novel was done, I had no idea what to do with it—it hadn’t occurred to me to try to publish my work. But thanks to some friends, I figured out the business side of things and ended up selling my first book in 2008. Been writing novels ever since.

And coming up with brilliant ideas! How did you come up with the idea of the Forgotten and the Shadows? Did you draw from any previously existing myths and legends while working on it?
I didn’t. I drew on an experience I had with a stranger who helped me through a tough time. She only spoke to me for a few minutes, but it was exactly what I needed to hear at the exact right moment. She could have been a Forgotten. From there, I knew I’d have to balance out the good with some sort of evil (even if it’s not that simple). And so the Shadows were created.

It's really cool how that one moment led to your books. How is writing the sequel different from writing the first book?

Sequels are always more difficult. You have to figure out exactly how much back story to sprinkle in because people forget between books. And then you have to make sure the story is different enough so that you don’t just repeat the first one.

You did a great job with that in A Want So Wicked. I felt as though while we learned more about the Forgotten in A Need So Beautiful, the second book is about the Shadows. What do you feel are the most important characteristics in a Forgotten?
The Forgotten are like regular people. They can be selfish, sweet, or desperate. But it’s their love for others—a love that builds as they help people—that sets them apart. They are true sacrifice.

Both Elise and Charlotte showcase this trait. Yet both are from very different backgrounds. What was is like balancing the two personalities of Elise and Charlotte?
The characters are so different in their mannerisms that it helped me to keep them separate. Elise is very sweet, and not nearly as street smart as Charlotte. But it’s nice to see Elise grow stronger through this book, where with Charlotte we had to watch her breakdown first.

I saw in an interview that Abe was a complicated character to write about. How has he changed since you first envisioned him?
In my original version, Abe was just a poor guy who got caught up in the middle of all this. He fell for the wrong girl. Once I started to evolve him, I knew he wasn’t so innocent after all. But the balance of making someone do terrible things, and yet showing their motivations at the end is a tough trick to pull off.

What can readers expect from you next? Will there be a third book to A Need So Beautiful?
There's no word yet, but I'm hoping! If there is a third, it'll be called A Desire So Deadly and it'll be about the Seers. In April 2013 I have The Program coming out from SimonPulse. It’s about a suicide epidemic and the cure—which is The Program. It erases all of your bad memories, but it also erases your life. No one wants to go into The Program, and one couple will fight like hell to stay out of it.

I'll be waiting and hoping for a third book. Thanks for interviewing with me!

Related Posts
Review - A Need So Beautiful
Review - A Want So Wicked

I know I mentioned earlier that you were only going to get a chance to win A Want So Wicked, but things have changed since. If you haven't read A Want So Wicked yet, you may enter to win a copy of A Need So Beautiful. I'll even throw in a signed ANSB bookmark for the winner along with his or her choice of the two books. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents. International entries welcome if willing to pay for shipping and handling.

The giveaway is open through July 16th.

To enter, follow Imaginary Reads and leave a meaningful comment on the interview. Extra entries for tweeting about the giveaway, commenting on my review of A Need So Beautiful, and commenting on my review of A Want so Wicked. Then fill out the form below. Do not leave your email in the comments section.

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