It’s great to be back with yet another
fantastic Author Suzanne Fuller.
Welcome Suzanne, It’s lovely to meet you.
SF: Thanks for having me, it's lovely to
be here.
How exciting is it to have your first
Young Adult book released?
SF: Very exciting, and also terrifying!
It's not a genre I ever saw myself writing in as there are so many
restrictions, but when characters call, then you must obey. J
If you don’t mind, before we get on to
discussing the book, I wanted to get to know you a little bit.
SF: Not at all. I'm a 26 year old
Scottish author with an imagination that gives me no breaks!
Now, I heard that you were born in
Scotland and also spent 10 years living in the State of Arizona, where you met
your husband. Although you have both returned to Scotland to where you live now
with your three cats?
SF: You heard right. I moved to the US
when I was 11. It was there that I found my love for writing, in fact. I was
lucky enough to attend an Arts based High School who had the most incredible
Creative Writing teacher. I have her to thank for where I am now.
I am sure that you have answered this
question many times recently, but I hope you don’t mind answering it
again. How did the writing start?
SF:
I have been
writing for twelve years, dabbling mostly in poetry but started writing novels
when a friend mentioned NaNoWriMo to me. Since that moment you can now find my
nose touching the Mac and my fingers on the keys at every given chance.
Said with such passion J. Do you have time for other hobbies?
SF: Not so much (ha!) but when I do have
some free
time I likes to draw, paint, crochet (amigurumi), and play the odd videogame. I
pride myself on being a bit of a geek, especially when it comes to Batman, and
I am a sucker for anything horror related.
There’s
nothing like having a good fright! But before I get sidetracked, shall we move
on to the book? North: The Lycans, a
new Young Adult book about a shifter girl, and how her life is suddenly faced
with love and war.
So
without further waiting, let’s have a look at the Blurb:
Riley
Olssen is a born and bred Lycan who lives in the quiet suburbs of Valdez,
Alaska. Her life is simple: she goes to school, comes home, and shifts in the
forest behind her home. When her father receives word that his brother has
died, they must return to his home in Sweden to take care of the pack Davin
left behind.
Soon
after they arrive, Riley realizes there is much more to the small town than
she'd ever expected. She discovers that the Lycans are not the only creatures
to hide behind a human façade. Falling in love with the wrong Lycan is only one
of the problems she encounters. In one day, her life is forever changed, and
she must discover her own inner strength because all signs seem to point to a
war heading her way.
If
that isn’t enough to entice you, take a look at this stunning cover:
Very
mysterious and intriguing! I absolutely love
the wolf face in the background.
The book is available now from… (Omnilit: http://www.omnilit.com/product-norththelycans-830447-228.html)
(Lycaon Press: http://www.lycaonpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=1&products_id=6&zenid=1752cocejpeqrjp8i6gnp9c8k4)
But if the above hasn’t convinced you
enough to buy it, here’s a little excerpt:
The line began to move,
and once I handed my ticket to the flight attendant to rip, I barreled down the
Jetway, making a few passengers uncomfortable as it swayed under us, and practically
fell in the door of the plane. Two men were checking seat numbers. One of them
giggled at me, the other rolled his eyes. I beamed as brightly as I could at
them–the most fake smile I have–and ran to my seat. 32F, window seat behind the
wing. The seats were well cushioned and there was a sufficient amount of leg
room, although I wondered how my six-foot-four father would fare for nine
hours.
I strapped myself in,
kicked my backpack under the seat and waited for mom to give me my book, a new
Jeff Lindsay thriller, and sit down next to me. Dad always took the aisle so he
could stretch out. The engine roared to life and mom held my hand, knowing that
my nerves would be racking up by then. I might be eager, but take off always
terrifies me.
I see a red door, and I
want it painted black.
Singing a song in my
head always seemed to calm my nerves. We were on the runway now, moving
forward. The engines roared again and my heart kicked into overdrive. Sweat
seeped from everywhere, and I gripped mom's hand even tighter.
No colors anymore, I
want them to turn black.
We were moving fast, the
seat belt sign blinked a few thousand times, and I scrunched my eyes shut. The
plane tipped up, the floor beneath us shook, and I could hear my breath echoing
in my ears. Midnight woke up, her whines turned to growls, and soon I was
struggling to keep her in. My chest burst into flames as I sensed her trying to
escape. I looked at mom, who had been watching me from the moment we took off.
She looked worried, and I panicked. I unbuckled and shuffled past mom and dad
and, clutching my chest, my nails already in transition, I ran to the bathroom.
"Hey! We're still
in takeoff! You can't get up!" The flight attendant said and tried to grab
me. I ripped my arm from his grasp. Midnight growled, the flight attendant
cowered, and I locked myself in the bathroom. Sliding against the door, I
pushed Midnight down and tried to tell her to stop, but she wouldn't listen.
I shifted. 10,000 feet
in the air, a black wolf squeezed into a tiny box.
Shit! Midnight, stop! Not
now, dammit!
The plane began to shake
and jump, and with my paws outstretched I slammed into every wall at least a
dozen times. I tried to turn, but my head just got wedged between the door and
the sink.
This has to be the smallest
damn bathroom ever!
"Are you all right
in there, miss?" A man said from the other side of the door and knocked.
Double shit! Now what am
I going to do?
The seat belt sign went
off with a ding. There was a rustling outside the door and muffled voices. Mom
was coming to our rescue. We could smell her, and then her motherly voice spoke
to us.
"Riley? Are you all
right, darlin'?"
Midnight whined but I
managed to muffle most of it and force her to sit back.
"Think of the snow
between your feet," she whispered so only we would hear. "Think of
the lands you can run wild in when we get there."
Midnight latched to that
thought and started to let me regain control over my body. She retracted
slowly, and I curled in a ball next to the door, naked as the day I was born
and staring at my torn clothes as if I could mend them together with my mind. I
slid the lock along for mom, and she sneaked inside, a change of clothes and
shoes at the ready. She smiled sweetly and rubbed my shoulder.
"Don't worry,
honey. You'll gain control of her soon." She kissed my forehead and helped
me clean up.
I have to say Suzanne,
that even as an adult this story really appeals to me. I can remember growing up and being at that
age where life changes dramatically and you don’t always feel in control. The fear of the unknown, taking chances and
growing up. I have already purchased a copy and it is now lined up on my Kindle
to be my next read.
SF: Thank you very much
for the kind words and support! I can only hope that Riley speaks for a lot of
people out there, not just teens.
If you would like to
find out more about future releases from Suzanne Fuller, you can find her at Young adult blog (created
with J Lilley) Dark & Dusk. www.darkanddusk.blogspot.com
Suzanne, it has been a pleasure
having you here, thank you so much for taking the time out to speak to us
today, and I wish you every success.
Take care
SF: Thanks so much for having me
J.P. <3
J.P. Stevens
Hey ladies! Great interview and wishing you all the best with your release Suze xx
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