Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Sherry Rossman ~ an interview and her novel ~ Wake



I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME AUTHOR
Sherry Rossman


 
Young Adult Christian - Science Fiction - Fantasy
Date Published: February 1, 2016





Bio:
Sherry wrote children’s books before digging into genres for older audiences. Her short stories have been published in The Relevant Christian Magazine and Wordsmith Journal Magazine. Recently, she became the author of the bestselling YA novel Faith Seekers, and is also the project leader for Roots Writers and Social Media Critique Group. She is bold when she feels there has been too much silence, and quiet when there is too much noise. She lives in Northern Arizona with her husband and children.

BANTER – STUFF ABOUT YOU
Q: How would you describe yourself as a color? Think personality here. Are you a light and airy pastel person, or more of a deep, dark, sultry and mysterious color?
A: I’m a mood ring.  That’s why I love writing and all of the arts—they’re great avenues for expression. Color is very important, though. I took a color class in college—one of the things I remember:  avoid red plates if you want to eat less. Choose blue instead. And…never paint your kitchen yellow—it can cause anxiety, heh.

Q: If you could morph into any creature what would it be?
A: A raccoon (Really, I just love the mask). They’re nocturnal, so they’re usually able to avoid things like heavy traffic and sunburns (important for us fair-skinned types that live in Arizona). They’re attractive in a don’t mess with me sort of way. Lastly, they have hands able to hold a decent sized bar of chocolate.

Q: If your life were a movie would it be considered an action film, comedy, drama, romance, fantasy or a combination?
A: It would be something like Groundhog Day, *snort*. Lots of do-overs—seeming to get nowhere, and then, finally—a new day. Now, repeat to get to the next level. I think this is actually the technical definition of success.

Q: Did you like school when you were a child?
A: In general, I wouldn’t say I liked school—it was a bit tortuous for this former wallflower, however, there were a few things that got me through each day: lunchtime with friends, the tree that shaded us during lunch, and…..lunch. Oh—and art class.

BOOKS – ABOUT THE CRAFT

Q: Would you ever consider a joint project?
A: In theory, however, I’m a panster, which would make it difficult for other, more organized writers to work with me. But writing is a lonely vocation, so I might attempt it for the sake of being social.

Q: When crafting the story do you go from beginning to end, or do you jump around writing the scenes that are pushing themselves forward in your brain?
A: I start from the beginning, even if the only solid idea I have is the ending. This helps with self-discipline and getting the creative juices flowing. It’s also good for my “panster-style”, because then I don’t get in the way of the story.

Q: Have your characters ever taken the story in a different direction than you had originally planned? Do you have a for instance, for us?
A: All the time! In Wake, there are a few unexpected scenes with Preston (antagonist) and Monet (protagonist). Writing them was a bit uncomfortable, but it was necessary, because that’s what would happen given the circumstances and their personalities.

Q: Which holiday celebrations do you like to incorporate into your stories and why?
A: So far, Thanksgiving (very unconventional) in Faith Seekers, and the End of the Year Celebration in Wake. Neither holidays were added for the sake of throwing in a party scene, but had definite intention/symbolism.

BOOKS - NOW LETS PROMOTE – STRUT YOUR STUFF

Q: What are you working on now? Would you like to share anything about it?
A: I’m working on the sequel to Wake, second in the trilogy (City of Light series). After finally gaining freedom, Luke and Monet discover they have an even bigger hill to climb—and, of course, there is a love story to work out.

Q: Do you have a new book coming out soon? Tell us about it.
A: The next installment will probably be out closer to the end of this year, but I have a new idea sliding around my brain for when I complete my current trilogy. *Top Secret*.

Q: How can we find you? Do you have a web page, FaceBook page or any buy links?
A: Website: http://sherryrossman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sherry-Rossman-155850011109024/
Twitter : @SherryRossman

Q: Are you currently participating in a blog tour? If you are let’s tell everyone where you’re going to be so they can catch up with you again.
A: Yes! It’s a long list, so I won’t take up too much room here, but the tour kicks off at Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours (March 8), which has listed all the tour stops and dates. 

 
Blurb:
Serve the community. Obey the laws. Exist on anxiety pills. This is all Monet, a ward of her city, can hope for until she and her friend, Luke, find an old book that shows the history of mankind—a past that’s been hidden from them and all the citizens of Titus. As their curiosity takes them down a dangerous path, extraordinary events begin to occur, showing them God may exist and is reaching out to them through illegal art and a realm of paranormal activity. Monet and Luke find themselves at a crossroads: live within the safe, logical confines of Titus, or embrace the wild truth and risk death.

Excerpt:
I NEVER THOUGHT a pile of scraps could be formed into indescribable beauty. The angel’s hair lifts in a single wave like my friend Luke’s, and his face is a perfect sculpt like his creator’s as well, but the resemblance stops there. Instead of haunted eyes and scarred forearms, he’s polished smooth with pieces of scavenged metal. Gears unfurl his wings, skeleton keys make up his sword. But the clock over his heart is my favorite—it’s hand hewn, pointing to twelve. Something about the angel digs deep inside me; it has life. But if anyone finds out Luke made it, he would be taken from me like my mother was.
I watch the moonlight cast Luke in silver like his angel. He opens the dusty book he found on this hill six months ago and places it on my lap. “Here. Angels were symbols of the cult your mom belonged to.” He aims the headlamp strapped to his forehead at the book and points to the faded photograph. I place my hand on the page, run it over the angel, but snatch it back when the paper tears. It’s beautiful, but it doesn’t move me like Luke’s angel. Finding myself drawn back to his sculpture standing guard over the city where we placed it ten minutes ago, my eyes sting.
“Aren’t things fine how they are?” For the billionth time, my mother’s face flashes before me. She had gathered me in her arms when the guards came for her. She nearly squeezed the breath out of me as her tears spilled over my head, her breath tender-warm on my ear when she said, “See you soon.”
That was ten years ago.
Luke kneels in front of me and places his headlamp on the ground. It slants the shadows across his face in an odd array of angles. “Do you still take the pills?”
I try to swallow the hot lump filling my throat, but it just burns through my effort to look calm.
“Your mom wasn’t crazy, Monet. She knew something.”
“The something that destroyed the people? We were only seven when They took her—how do we know she wasn’t?”
“I don’t think that’s what did it. They haven’t told us everything.” He settles next to me, and I follow his gaze toward the center of town—a splatter of light surrounds the rubble where the Mayor’s house used to be when there was a Mayor, and a governor, and individual states. The rubble is a reminder to the people of why religion and expressive art have been banned.
They haven’t told us everything.
They.
They, who ripped my heart out. I hate Them, but I need Them. They keep us fed and housed, even those who would be homeless without Their efforts. We are as efficient as ants, marching like clockwork—every tick is service to others, every tock is honor for our good deeds; how much we cling to the work of our hands as if the world spins because of it. Does it?


Buy Links:

I’m happy you could join me on Books and Banter.  I hope you had fun with the Q & A’s
I did!!! It was a lot of fun.



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1 comment:

  1. Thank you for having me on your blog today! The interview was fun!

    ReplyDelete

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