Today I have Belle Whittington author of Cicada in the spotlight!
Welcome to the blog Belle, What inspired you to write CICADA?
There’s not any one thing that inspired me to write Cicada. I find inspiration in everything around me, and there are a lot of cumulative memories of inspiration from over the years that all culminated into the Cicada trilogy.
Growing up in Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, afforded me summers full of adventure with my friends. I call on those adventures and memories a great deal for my YA stories. Cicada has a lot of the energy of those childhood adventures spun throughout. One of them is something that actually happened to me when I was thirteen years old. I was on one of my adventures in the woods with my dog, Dusty. We made our way through the woods to a neighboring pasture and crawled through the barbed wire fence. When we got to the top of one of the rolling hills in the grassy field, I realized I was standing in the middle of a giant circle imprinted in the pasture grass. No one had ever told me about crop circles at that time in my life, so I just thought it was an odd occurrence that there was a strange circle in the tall grass. Now that circle is forever memorialized in a YA novel, Cicada!
Indie publishing- Why do you think it’s becoming so popular?
Traditional gatekeepers (agents, etc.) have long held the power of setting trends of what was published and when it was published, thereby deciding for the masses what would be in vogue in the writing world. The pendulum has swung toward the readers and book bloggers/reviewers, who are now the new gatekeepers. I think Indie Publishing is becoming so popular because authors finally have a venue to publish their works without having to conform to what the traditional gatekeepers want. Indie authors are now able to offer readers a wider variety within each genre, which is better for the reader. Also, there are so many viable options for indie publishing available now, allowing authors to create quality books for readers. That’s my two-cents-worth!
CICADA has become a movie, who is playing your main character and why?
Oh, I really do love this question, because I actually have in mind a list of actors who could easily step into the shoes of my characters. By no means did I pattern my characters after these actors though. However, I feel they would fit the parts very well! How about I go a step further and show you who I think could fill all their shoes? Drum roll………..
Blair Reynolds: Amanda Seyfried
Andrew (and the memory of Aaron): Zac Efron
Andrew, Blair’s surviving big brother, is one of those souls who is loved and respected by everyone. He’s got that All-American charismatic appeal, and he is a genuinely nice guy. Andrew is very protective of his little sister Blair and their mom. After losing his twin brother Aaron and their father, he turned to religion to deal with the pain and loss. Zac Efron would be an excellent actor to fill the part of Andrew, because he’s got that same good-guy persona and really looks a lot like Andrew’s character.
Everett: Carter Jenkins
Everett Forster, loved by all–readers and fellow characters alike! He is probably the most loved character by my readers. And I’m not surprised. Everett is super-loyal and brilliant! He begins the story as the typical nerd and ends as a sexy hunk! Not only is Everett the best friend of Blair, but he’s also her true love. He would go to any lengths to protect her. And he does, almost to the point of paying the ultimate price. Carter Jenkins would be a terrific actor to play the part of Everett. I knew this as soon as I saw him in Aliens in the Attic. I was flipping through the channels one day and came across that movie! I froze! There was my Everett on the TV!
David: Kellan Lutz
David Hargrave, high school sports star, is Andrew’s best friend and Natalie’s boyfriend. David is huge, strong, and straight forward. He doesn’t have a lot to say, but when he says it, he means it. David is handsome, blonde, with blue eyes. And he’s definitely got Andrew’s back. He helped Andrew get through the loss of his brother and father. And he loves his girlfriend with his whole being. Kellan Lutz is a good fit as David. He’s big, strong, and good looking!
Natalie: Lucy Hale
Natalie is David’s true love. We don’t really know much about Natalie’s family or even her last name. What we do know is that she wants to be a kindergarten teacher after she graduates from college. But the most important thing to Natalie is to marry David and have children. Beautiful Natalie was a high school cheerleader and homecoming queen. She and Blair were not necessarily friends in high school. Lucy Hale looks very much like Natalie and would be a very good actor to fill her part.
Grandpa: Sam Elliot
Grandpa is actually based on my dear father, whom I love and miss dearly. He is protective of his family…and family is the most important thing to him in the world. Grandpa is a large animal veterinarian and has a clinic on his ranch where he has trained Blair to work with animals so that she can take over the clinic one day. Grandpa has played a huge role in Blair’s and Andrew’s lives since the loss of their father. Sam Elliot really looks and sounds like Grandpa. He would be perfect for the part!
Grandma: Gena Rowlands
Grandma is the typical grandmother. She loves her two surviving grandchildren with all her heart, and she’s very close to her daughter, Blair’s mom, who is an only child. We don’t know a lot about Grandma, except she likes to cook and entertain at the ranch. And she’d do anything for her family. Grandma seems meek and mild. But we might find out there’s a different side to Grandma before it’s all over with! The lovely Gena Rowlands would be a wonderful actress to fill the part of Grandma.
Mom: Gillian Anderson
Mom owns a bakery called Sprinkles. She works long hours and loves her children very much. She’s been a single mom since she lost her husband and lives with a broken heart beating in her chest. Mom has secrets, and to tell too much more here about Mom would give away spoilers. Gillian Anderson looks almost identical to Mom. She would be an excellent choice for the part!
Dad (the memory of him): Daniel Craig
Dad was an explorer and had served in the military during Desert Storm, before Andrew and Blair were born. Dad loved Mom very much. They were soul-mates. Daniel Craig is a dead ringer for Dad!
Well, there you are! A list of possible actors and actresses who would fill the shoes of my characters beautifully!
What top three Indie books would you recommend to readers and why?
1. Cicada: because it’s a really good read, has a terrific storyline and characters.
2. Grimsley Hollow-The Chosen One: because it’s a well-written, magical story that conveys that anyone can make a difference.
3. My Blood Approves: because it’s a great book, and also because if one is considering indie publishing, one must study an author who has done it successfully.
Whats on the horizon for BELLE WHITTINGTON?
I’m currently writing the two sequels to Cicada. My goal is to release Firefly, which is book 2 in the trilogy, in July 2012. The third book hasn’t named itself yet; however, I know how the story ends, and I think readers will be both pleased and surprised! Book three is certainly not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure! And I’ve got a few ideas I’ve been kicking around for my next series of books.
What do you want readers to walk away with after reading CICADA?
Above all, I would like readers to feel they’ve read a great story when they’ve read the last sentence of Cicada. I hope they would have enjoyed my writing, characters, setting, and storyline. And all-in-all, I would hope that once the reader has gotten to know my characters, and what they face and overcome, they would get the sense that no matter what obstacle one faces, anything can be overcome if one has a strong group of family and friends. And lastly, I would hope readers would be itching to read Firefly!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to stop by for a coke and a chat. It has been wonderful getting to know you and your readers! I hope everyone will stop by any or all of my social networking sites and say “howdy”! I simply adore hearing from readers!
My Facebook Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/BelleWhittington.Author
My website: www.bellewhittington.com
My twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorofCicada
My tumblr: http://bellewhittington.tumblr.com/
My book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF2fd2GxVKo
GIVEAWAY
Summertime for Blair Reynolds and her friends had always been carefree and fun...until the summer they happened upon something that was not human. As they band together in a fight for their lives, Blair's true love becomes something more than human. Something unnatural. And their survival depends entirely upon their ability to keep a secret.
**Amanda Seyfreid- Creative Common - Free Use Photo**
I love how much she's thought about her cast of characters! It would be really fun to imagine who would play these people you've had in your head and are sharing with the world:) Blair sounds like my kind of heroine!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great "casting!" The story sounds absolutely captivating and I love that color...the blue just sucks me in!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds really good, love the cover, and great cast. I'd cast Zac in my book as a movie, too. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Very nice casting choices.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Tina! I've been on vacation, and that is why I'm spamming your inbox right now. I'm sorry. LOL
ReplyDeleteWow! A Texas gal. Love, love, love that the inspiration for Cicada came from the oldest town in TX.
And, seriously, that is a stunning cast! That is a movie I'd definitely want to see.
This cover is gorgeous and really makes me want to read the book!
ReplyDelete