Interviewing Author Tobie Easton + Enter to Win Debut Novel EMERGE & a Kindle Fire!

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Don't forget to check out today's review of 

EMERGE by Tobie Easton!!!!

 

 An Interview With

Tobie Easton

AUTHOR BIO: 

Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books at www.TobieEaston.com.

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EMERGE has some of the freshest concepts on mermaid lore and life that I've seen in a long time. What were some of your writing inspirations?

Wow—thank you so much!  I can’t tell you how much that means to me!

As a writer, details are really important to me.  My favorite fictional worlds are the ones in which every detail is thought through, and some that seem insignificant end up mattering in unexpected ways.  That’s why I’ve been drawn to the vivid worlds of fantasy writers like J.K. Rowling and Tamora Pierce.  I also learned a great deal about incorporating detail, building magic systems, and writing dialogue from watching and re-watching the works of Joss Whedon throughout high school and college.  And of course, I’ve always been intrigued by mythology and fairy tales—and by attempting to understand in what ways they’re still relevant in modern culture.

How much research went into creating your mer world? How did it all come together?

    I would say EMERGE is about equal parts research and make believe.  I spent quite a lot of time researching all the different seashells, plants, sea creatures, and ocean facts used in the book to make the Mer world feel as real as possible.  I also researched mermaid myths and legends from a variety of cultures—then I put all the research aside and let myself play!  One of the most fun parts of writing Emerge was thinking of ways to make pieces of different legends and stories fit together into one cohesive world, and then filling that world in so that readers could get a sense of how the Mer in EMERGE lived. 

I love the way you innovatively twined the tale of The Little Mermaid into EMERGE. What made you choose such a daunting task?

When I decided to write a book about mermaids, I started thinking about the original version of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, particularly the part that’s generally left out of more modern versions—that the Little Mermaid chose to die at the end instead of killing the prince and saving herself (yep, it’s a dark story!).  My imagination started spinning and I began to think about what the consequences of that action might have been for modern mermaids.

If you could trade in your land legs to be a mermaid for a day, what would you do?

I would explore!  Okay, well, first I think I’d just spend a lot of time staring at my shiny tail and doing backflips (and hair flips!) in the water.  Then I would want to see everything.  I’d start with the hidden mermaid grottos where Lia’s community lives in EMERGE because I’d want to see their abalone walls and cave formations for myself.  After that, I wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation anymore, and I’d dive right into the ocean.  How incredible would it be to be able to breathe underwater and see everything in the ocean with crystal clear vision?  Then, as the day was coming to an end, I’d break the surface right in time to share a kiss with someone special in the waves at sunset.

What books and/or movies/TV shows about mermaids would you recommend to other mermaid-loving fans? 

I’ve purposely stayed away from other mermaid books, movies, and T.V. shows lately so my writing wouldn’t be unintentionally influenced.  As a kid, I loved the (all too brief) mermaid scenes in Peter Pan and Hook. I also tried to make myself a mermaid tail out of my ballet tights after watching Splash.  I’ve heard a lot of people recommend H2O: Just Add Water and Aquamarine, as well as The Syrena Legacy series by the awesome and talented Anna Banks and Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon, who is a fellow fairy tale lover.  When I was little, I used to love a film version of The Little Mermaid done by Faerie Tale Theatre that was much closer to the original story.

There are so many amazing creatures that live and play in the sea. What's your favorite sea animal?

I find dolphins really fascinating because of their high intelligence and playful nature. 

EMERGE is the first book in a series, but it ended so well! What do you have in mind for future books?

Thank you!  I can’t share too many details yet (I know, I know, don’t kill me!), but I can say I’m working on Book 2 now, which is entitled SUBMERGE—and so much happens!  It definitely has more romance and magic (my two favorite things), and there are more difficult choices ahead for Lia.  If I had to sum up SUBMERGE, I’d do it in two words: magical and heart-wrenching.

~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title:  EMERGE

Author: Tobie Easton

Release Date: April 19, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books
Received: For Review

 

Purchase Links:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indie | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD 

 

SUMMARY:

Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid, but she’s never lived in the ocean. Ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the Seven Seas.

So Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk. So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right?

That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay than ever. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with Clay, the harder it is for Lia to deny her feelings. After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.

~*~

Enter to win...

*An Amazon Fire Tablet (US Only)
*EMERGE stickers and bookmarks, one set of mermaid flash tattoos, a seashell necklace, and a signed paperback of Emerge (US Only)
*Three (3) digital copies of Emerge by Tobie Easton (INT)

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