Celebrating Everything fun in fairy tales, the world of faeries and anything that sparkles!! With some great giveaways and fun stops from fabulous authors, this next month will randomly feature everything I love about this wonderful genre.....
So Today Im over the moon to welcome author Sarah Beth Durst author of Enchanted Ivy, the soon to be released Drink Slay Love and my favorite...a book that makes polar bears look cozy...ICE. I got the change to chat with Sarah and get behind the scenes of her journey writing Ice.
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for stopping by today. Ice is one of my favorite Ya fairy tales to date, what inspired you write this twisty icy story?
Thanks so much! I'm so happy you liked it!
A few years ago, I was out walking and suddenly ended up in a bookstore. (That happens to me a lot. Go out to buy milk; come back with a book. Go out to check the mail; come back with a book. Go out to return a video to the library... come back with twenty books.) Anyway, I discovered a picture book version of the Norwegian folktale "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon" illustrated by P. J. Lynch. The illustrations were glorious, but I was especially caught by the fearlessness of the "lassie." Here, at last, was a tale about a girl who rescues the prince! I knew I had to tell her story.
TBR- Did you do any major research on Polar Bears when writing Ice?
SBD- Oh my, yes! I read polar bear books, explorer memoirs, naturalist guides, survival guides, bird books... I littered my office floor with maps of the Arctic and charts of sunrise and sunset times at various latitudes. I watched dozens of documentaries over and over.
My version of the fairy tale is a modern retelling. My "lassie" is an Arctic research scientist, and my "once upon a time" is near Barrow, Alaska, in the present day. So before I added the magic, I wanted my icy world to be as realistic as possible. I wanted to find the details, such as, if you cry outside in the Arctic winter, your eyelashes will freeze and break off.
Plus it was an excellent excuse to be an armchair traveler. Really, one of the main perks of being a writer is that you can immerse yourself in another world and another life.
TBR- Note to Self: Never cry in the Arctic!!! So besides big polar bears and Icy parts of the world, What are some of your favorite Fairy Tales?
SBD- Beauty and the Beast, definitely. It's one of the few fairy tales where the guy and girl actually fall in love, as opposed to simply sharing a sleepy smooch. I also love Tatterhood (which is about two sisters -- one has her head turned into a sheep's head and the other rescues her whilst riding on a goat).
TBR- Do you write to music? Any particular songs that fit Ice?
SBD-Yes, I often write to music. For Ice, I listened to "Arctic Echoes" by Dan Gibson. It's Arctic-themed mood music. It even includes walrus noises. I'm betting there aren't many songs out there that include walrus grunts.
TBR- If you could pick the cast for Ice the movie, who would play the main roles?
SBD- I have absolutely no idea! Anyone have any suggestions? I picture Cassie as an 18-year-old redhead and Bear as a phenomenally handsome man...
TBR- OOOOOO- I get to pick!! Well lets see for Cassie I think Rachel Hurd Ward would be perfect... especially with that bright red hair. And phenomenally handsome dark haired guy who can play a polar bear king....hmmmm this one is really hard because Bear seems a lot older than Cassie, is a man but still has a youthful appearance, Id say lets go with Jake Gyllenhaal...and only because I would cast him in EVERYTHING and he's pulled off sexy marine, gay-cowboy, dead solider, drunk brother, Persian sand guy...so polar bear would be a piece of cake!! So Sarah, now that were speaking of hot guys in movies, what's the last great movie you saw?
SBD- Kung Fu Panda 2. Even though he plays a minor role in the sequel, I have a crush on Master Shifu. If I were a red panda, I'd have photos of him plastered all over my bamboo home. Or whatever kind of home red pandas have...
TBR- LOL- well I guess Master Shifu can hold his own but I think Ill still take Jake and if I was a teenage girl again I would plaster posters of him all over my wall!!
Ok enough swooning....Lets move on to books.....What are you reading now?
Ok enough swooning....Lets move on to books.....What are you reading now?
SBD- Just finished Daughter of Smoke and Bones by Laini Taylor. Absolutely stunning! It comes out this fall and should be on everyone's "must read" list. And I'm mostly done reading Tamora Pierce's Tortall and Other Lands short story collection, which feels like visiting old friends. Her books inspired me to become a writer. I read Alanna in fifth grade and thought to myself, "I want to do this!"
TBR- That's awesome, I love it when an author or a book can spark inspiration...I will have to add Smoke and Bones to the reading list.
Its been great chatting with you Sarah, before you leave can you share what's going on in the future for Sarah Beth novels?
Its been great chatting with you Sarah, before you leave can you share what's going on in the future for Sarah Beth novels?
SBD- My next book is called Drink, Slay, Love. It's about a sixteen-year-old vampire girl who develops a conscience after she is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn. It comes out September 13th from Simon & Schuster, and I'm really, really excited about it! Thanks so much for interviewing me!
And thank you Sarah for answering all those questions!! Im pretty excited that I got to read an ARC of Drink Slay Love....and let me tell you all... it doesn't disappoint....Sarah rocks the vampire just as deliciously well as the polar bear!! Wishing you major success in DSL's release date Sept 13!!
Photo Credit- Rachel Ward- ImbD
I've never tried her work before. Sounds like fun.
ReplyDeletePS LOVE this line: "Sarah rocks the vampire just as deliciously well as the polar bear."
Yay, Beauty and the Beast is one of my very favorite fairy tales too, I just adore it:) I can't wait to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, glad to know that one is good. Drink Slay Love is on my TBR list, I'm really looking forward to it as well, thanks so much for this interview!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read Drink, Slay, Love and hope I will be able to soon. Great interview. Beauty and the Beast is my fav too!!!
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst. That's great too! And I can't wait to read Drink Slay Love!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Beauty and The Beast is my favourite fairy tale too :)
ReplyDeleteI am excited for Drink, Slay, Love.
I heart Jake Gyllenhaal! I is truly a sexy SEXY man. *rawr* And, really, Rachel Hurd Ward is beautiful, she seems the perfect pick. I must read ICE asap! Plus, I was really wondering if Drink Slay Love was any good. I'm adding it to my TBR now!
ReplyDeleteJen
In the Closet With a Bibliophile