Interview with Jo Anderton and Giveaway - June 30, 2012

Please welcome Jo Anderton to The Qwillery. Jo is the author of Veiled Worlds series that begins with Debris and continues with Suited.


TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery!

JA:  It's very kind of you to invite me again!


TQ:  Suited, the second novel in The Veiled Worlds series, was published on June 26, 2012 in the US and Canada. Tell us something about Suited that is not in the book description.

JA:  Hmm, what does the book description say? Tanyana has chosen to side with the Keeper... stand against Puppet Men...own suit becoming aggressive against her... yes that all sounds about right... What else? Ah, I know. On the surface, this book might look like it's very focused on Tanyana, on her struggle against the Puppet Men and her fight against the suit drilled into her bones. And sure, it is. But it's also about Lad.

Suited is where Lad comes into his own. He changes, in this book, from the scared half-man, half-child, listening to the voices in his head and relying heavily on his older brother. He starts to come to terms with his role as a Half, to understand the importance of his connection to the Keeper, and insist his own voice is heard accordingly. This is Tanyana's book -- her journey, her choices, her mistakes -- but it's also Lad's.


TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Suited?

JA:  That's so hard to say! There are parts in this book that make me cry, and moments -- at the end in particular -- that still send a tingle up my spine. But I can't tell you about any of those without being frightfully spoilerific. So instead, I'll tell you about Tanyana and Kichlan ostensibly on assignment, stealing a sweet moment together. Hiding in the shadows, sharing homemade food and cheap wine. Close to each other, comfortable with each other, and happy.


TQ:  Which character has surprised you the most in The Veiled Worlds series so far?

JA:  Natasha, definitely. You'll see why...


TQ:  What do you wish you'd known when Debris, the first Veiled Worlds novel, came out that you know now?

JA:  That it's always good to have a short, sharp spiel about your book handy at all times! Because people will ask you, 'what's your book about?' And you really will have little more than thirty seconds to tell them, before they lose interest. So in order to take that opportunity, to engage with them, to get them interested, you gotta know what you're going to say in advance!


TQ:  What is most challenging thing for you about writing?

JA:  I think that changes. Sometimes it's a simple matter of forcing myself to get off the comfy, comfy couch, stick my butt in my chair and be productive. Other times it's dealing with the pain of my dodgy back. At the moment, it's a matter of focus. My brain is swimming in stories and I want to write ALL THE THINGS. But you know what, I can't! No one can. So I need to train myself to pick a story and stick with it. The others will wait.


TQ:  You are stuck on a deserted island for a year. Which 5 novels/series would you want to have with you?

JA:  Okay, the first has got to be Tolkien, Lord of the Rings. I can reread these books over and over and never get bored of them. My Dad read them to me when I was a kid, and they are the reason I read, write, live and breathe speculative fiction.

Next, Robin Hobb -- Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man Trilogies. Because they're awesome. Surely that needs no more explanation. Also, I'm sorry but I'm counting them as one! To balance all of those -- Rebecca, by Daphne de Maurier. Because it's beautiful, and oh-so creepy. Then, the Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass. And Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo, to round it all off nicely.

Yep, that'd keep me happy for a while!


TQ:  Debris combines Science Fiction and Fantasy. Are there any other genres or sub-genres in which you'd like to write?

JA:  I'd love to write a horror novel. I've written horror short fiction and continue to do so, but to sustain that sense of wrong, or creepy, or downright terrifying over a whole novel? That's gotta take serious skill. And I'd love to get there, one day.


TQ:  What's next?

JA:  Ah, well there could actually be a third book in the series, but I guess we'll just have to see how that goes...


TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

JA:  Thank you for having me!



The Veiled Worlds

Suited

The Veiled Worlds 2
Angry Robot Books, June 26, 2012 US/Canada
July 5, 2012 UK/RoW
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 416 pages

The Veiled Worlds, Vol II

Tanyana has chosen to help the Keeper, to stand against the Puppet Men, who continue to force the Debris into unnatural creations.

And when even her own suit becomes aggressive against her, Tanyana must weigh some very personal issues against her determination to serve the greater good.

File Under: Science Fiction [ Parasite | Make Monsters | Hidden Strings | Needs of the Many ]

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Debris

The Veiled Worlds 1
Angry Robot Books, October 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 464 pages

In a far future where technology is all but indistinguishable from magic, Tanyana is one of the elite.

She can control pions, the building blocks of matter, shaping them into new forms using ritual gestures and techniques. The rewards are great, and she is one of most highly regarded people in the city. But that was before the “accident”.

Stripped of her powers, bound inside a bizarre powersuit, she finds herself cast down to the very lowest level of society. Powerless, penniless and scarred, Tanyana must adjust to a new life collecting “debris”, the stuff left behind by pions. But as she tries to find who has done all of this to her, she also starts to realize that debris is more important than anyone could guess.

Debris is a stunning new piece of Science Fantasy, which draws in themes from Japanese manga, and classic Western SF and Fantasy to create this unique, engrossing debut from the very exciting young author Jo Anderton.

FILE UNDER: Science Fiction [ Sentient Matter | Cast Down | Cruel Betrayals | All Is Lies ]

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Jo

Jo Anderton lives in Sydney with her husband and too many pets. By day she is a mild-mannered marketing coordinator for an Australian book distributor. By night, weekends and lunchtimes she writes science fiction, fantasy and horror. Her short fiction has most recently appeared in Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear! and Epilogue. Her debut novel, Debris (Book One the Veiled Worlds Series) was published by Angry Robot Books in 2011. Book two Suited will be published in 2012. Debris was a finalist for the 2011 Aurealis award for Best Fantasy Novel, and Jo won the 2012 Ditmar for Best New Talent. Visit her online at http://joanneanderton.com and on Twitter @joanneanderton








The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a signed copy of Suited (The Veiled Worlds 2) from Jo!

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Who (or what) is the last fictional character that you really cared about? 

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Saturday, July 7, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*