The Nerd's Wife

Author Interview: Andrea Cremer (and a giveaway!)

by 18 Comments

 
It’s time for another Fall into Fantasy post!
 
 
Today, I’m interviewing Andrea Cremer, author of Nightshade.
 
You can read my five-star review here.
 
What inspired you to write Nightshade?
Calla was the inspiration for this trilogy. My favorite characters were always strong heroines – and I was weary of reading stories where the female protagonist kept getting dragged into adventures with the boy who had all the powers. I wanted this story to explore what it means to be a strong, independent woman in a world that often limits tries to limit female power.  
I understand that there will be a second book. Will it be told from Calla’s perspective, too?
Yes, all three books in the Nightshade trilogy are told from Calla’s perspective.
There are many references to flowers and herbs in the Nightshade. I imagine that Calla is named for the flower on the cover. The titles of the first and second books in the series are also flowers. What’s the significance of those references, and why did you choose those particular flowers?
Calla is named for the flower, which represents the tension between what her mother and her masters, the Keepers, want her to be – lovely and submissive – versus what she wants to be – a warrior.  
Nightshade and Wolfsbane are powerful herbs. I wanted to evoke the elemental forces of the earth as they play an important role in the plot.
In the weeks leading to Nightshade‘s release, we’ve been able to meet one of the characters, Shay Doran, through his blog and Facebook page. Why introduce Shay and not Calla, who is the narrator of the story?
Calla’s life is bound by secrets. She could never expose herself to the real world, whereas Shay – a human – doesn’t have those sorts of restrictions on his life.
The book takes place in Vail, Colorado. Why did you choose that as the setting for the story?
A couple of reasons: first, I needed a mountain. Second, Calla’s masters, the Keepers, are very powerful and very wealthy but they also live on the edges of human society, manipulating it but not fully participating in it; thus, they wouldn’t be in Manhattan but they do still seek out luxurious, exclusive locations for their residences. Vail fit the bill.
Which character can you relate to the most? Why?
Probably Ansel, Calla’s younger brother. Ansel is the only character who is (loosely) based on a real person: my own little brother, Garth. He and I are very close and we’re a lot alike, so that means I’m a bit like Ansel too.
What do you want readers to take away from this story?
I hope that readers will be invested in the lives of Calla and her pack. I love the characters so much I want to share their adventures with as many people as possible.
And now, for the most pressing question of all: Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, what will you be this year? 
Yes! And, I haven’t decided yet. 
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Thank you so much for the interview and thanks to everyone for reading NIGHTSHADE!
 
 
Last weekend, I had the chance to meet Andrea at the Texas Book Festival.


While there, I got her to sign a copy of Nightshade to share with my lovely readers!



 

The Rules:

Only one entry per person.

The contest is open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

You *must* be a follower of my blog to enter.

If you are a new follower, you will receive 1 entry.
If you were a follower prior to the start of this contest, you will receive 2 entries.Fill out the form below to enter. Do not leave your entry in the comments.

Increase Your Chances:

Complete the following tasks to increase your chances to win!

  • +1 – Become a fan of The Nerd’s Wife on Facebook.
  • +1 – Follow The Nerd’s Wife on Twitter.
  • +2 – Tweet about this contest. Sample tweet: Enter to win a *signed* copy of Nighshade by @andreacremer from @thenerdswife: http://bit.ly/aQZxzV
  • +2 – Subscribe to my Youtube Channel.
 
Contest ends Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Good luck!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Casey (The Bookish Type)

    Great interview! Ansel was one of my favorite characters =) It makes me smile that he's based on Andrea's brother.

    Reply

  10. Arena @ {thenerdswife}

    You guys are most welcome!

    Ana Lucia – If you look around my site, you'll see that I've done international giveaways in the past. I live in the US and it is very expensive to ship books overseas.

    I pay for most of my giveaways myself (this one included) and if I had to factor in the cost of shipping overseas, it would greatly diminish the number of contests I'm able to host.

    I have done giveaways in the past through The Book Depository that were international. In my July Book Extravaganza contest, I gave away *nine* books — that contest alone cost me more than $100 and it was international.

    I'm sorry that I can't have every contest be international, but that's just the way things work out.

    I hope you will continue to read my blog. I'm sure there will be more international contests in the future.

    Happy Reading!

    Reply

  12. Bere

    Wonderful interview, Arena! Nightshade sounds like a fantastic book and I love that Andrea Cremer wrote about a strong heroine. Yay for girl power! Thanks a bunch for the contest. I'll definitely be keeping my fingers cross hehe. =)

    Reply

  18. Speer

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