6/25/2012

Post Apocalyptic Jane Austen

Welcome Diana Peterfreund!

I've known Diana almost since I first started writing and couldn't be more excited about her latest release, For Darkness Shows the Stars!

ABOUT DIANA PETERFREUND
 
Diana Peterfreund is the author of eight books for adults and teens, including the four book Secret Society Girl series, and the “killer unicorn” novels Rampant and Ascendant. Her critically acclaimed short stories have appeared on the Locus Best of 2010 list and in The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, vol. 5. Diana lives in Washington, D.C. with her family. http://dianapeterfreund.com

You can keep in touch with Diana here:
 
http://dianapeterfreund.com
http://twitter.com/dpeterfreund


ABOUT THE BOOK
 
Generations ago,  a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.


Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 978-0062006141
Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.

But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she has lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s PERSUASION, FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Buy the book at your favorite bookseller:
·  Amazon

Read an excerpt here:  Excerpt

A FREE!! prequel is available here:  "Among the Nameless Stars"
 
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
 
“Will be a hit with fans of sci-fi romances… Readers will keep turning the pages right up to the end.”
-School Library Journal (starred review)

“Dystopian, ideological, rebellious-Peterfreund’s fantasy homage to Austen’s Persuasion departs from the original in many respects, and with great success …. a richly envisioned portrait of a society in flux, a steely yet vulnerable heroine, and a young man who does some growing up.”
- Publishers Weekly

“Succeeds in recasting Austen’s characters to bring her themes to a futurist society and provide wry comment on life in the twenty-first century …. will appeal to science fiction and romance fans alike."
- Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

"Don't you love it when a brilliant idea meets with brilliant execution? This book is meltingly good."
- Laini Taylor, National Book Award finalist and author of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone

"A beautiful, epic love story you won't be able to put down!"
-Simone Elkeles, NYT and USA Today bestselling author of Perfect Chemistry

"A smart and sexy tale of star-crossed love that's as thought-provoking as it is heartbreaking."
- Robin Wasserman, author of the Cold Awakening trilogy and The Book of Blood and Shadow

"An impassioned ode to Jane Austen, love, and the hope found in stars."
- Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Across the Universe

GET TO KNOW DIANA PETERFREUND

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite holiday? 
DIANA:  Halloween. I love playing dress-up, though most people don’t know that about me. After eight books. I’ve finally been able to incorporate costuming into my newest WIP, but aside from being frockalicious, that project is otherwise a big fat secret yet. 

MAUREEN: What’s next for you as an author? 
DIANA:  After FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS, I have two short stories out in anthologies this fall. “Burn Bright” will appear in the anthology FORETOLD, edited by Carrie Ryan (Random House). “Stray Magic” will open the anthology UNDER MY HAT: TALES FROM THE CAULDRON, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Random House). 

MAUREEN: Do shapeshifters exist? 
DIANA:  Um, have you seen the mimic octopus? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8oQBYw6xxc) That stuff is crazy and completely real. 

MAUREEN: I've seen that video. It's crazy the things that nature does! What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on? 
DIANA:  I don’t know if this is really a “vacation,” but in 2003, my boyfriend (now my husband) and I quit our jobs and went to Australia and New Zealand, armed only with some backpacks, a tent, and our hitchhiking thumbs. The things I saw in New Zealand inspired me to set FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS on those beautiful, remote islands. 

MAUREEN: Cats or dogs? 
DIANA:  Dogs. I’m a huge dog lover and used to foster rescue dogs, which inspired the story “Stray Magic”. 

MAUREEN: Hiking boots or high heels? 
DIANA:  Hiking boots! I actually own magical hiking boots. I inherited them from my great aunt, who got them from a hermit in the Alaska bush. True story. 

MAUREEN: I need some magic boots! What’s your favorite cartoon character? 
DIANA:  Toph (Awesomely snarky blind earthbender from Avatar: The Last Airbender). I love Toph so much we used to call my daughter that before she was born (she liked to stomp around inside me). 

MAUREEN: What hidden talents do you have? 
DIANA:  My elbows are double-jointed. According to my husband, it’s not a talent you actually want to witness. 

MAUREEN: What sound or noise do you love? 
DIANA:  These days, it’s the sound of my toddler singing. She’s pretty good for 20 months. 

MAUREEN: What’s the most romantic thing anyone ever did for you? 
DIANA:  My husband’s first big present to me was registration at my first ever RWA conference. He believes in me so hard. 

MAUREEN: That is romantic! What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book? DIANA:  Drink – usually something sparkly. And sleep. I love sleep, and I never get to do enough of it on deadline. 

MAUREEN: What was your favorite subject in school and why? 
DIANA:  In college my two favorite classes were called “Wilderness and the North American Imagination” and “Women and The Rise of the Novel” – which pretty much says everything you ever need to know about me. 

MAUREEN: Who was your first best friend? Are you still in touch? 
DIANA:  My best friend Elizabeth and I met when we were six. After being long distance BFFs for most of our lives, we lived a few blocks from each other in DC for the last six years, but she recently moved to Colorado, which – don’t get me started. I may cry. 

MAUREEN: Aw, sorry. :( What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? 
DIANA:  All of my dreams. I have a book on shelves that people read. I’ve got a circle of beloved friends who are writers just like me. I’ve met some of my favorite writers and talked to readers who have laughed and cried and loved my books. I have been paid to make up stories. I go to work in my pajamas. The fun thing about dreams though, is we always get to make more. 

MAUREEN: So true! Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? 
DIANA:  Tea: medium strength and otherwise plain. 

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER

MAUREEN: What was your favorite book when you were twelve? Why? 
DIANA:  My favorite books have changed remarkably little since I was twelve, to tell the truth. I still absolutely adore the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis (especially The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and the “Anne” series by L.M. Montgomery (particularly Anne of the Island). 
 
DIANA ASKS READERS

“Are you a Jane Austen fan? Which of her books are your favorite – or which of the movies do you like best and why?”

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Diana will give away a signed copy of FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS to one lucky commenter!

 Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address. 


Make sure you come back tomorrow when I'm hosting Molly O'Keefe whose new contemporary romance is creating a lot of great buzz. (Insider information. It's awesome.)

8 comments:

  1. What a lovely gift from your husband. And I love your comment on dreams.

    Jpetroroy@gmail.com

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  2. Who doesn't love Jane Austen? :) I love Sense & Sensibility because Marianne is so impossible. But movie-wise, the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice is easily my favorite, especially the scene where Colin Firth talks about walking putting a women's figure to best advantage. Cracks me up.

    Great interview, too! I always love to learn more about my favorite authors, and I'm super excited to read FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS. The cover is gorgeous and the plot sounds fantastic. I may have squealed just a little bit when I read the summary. Luddites! <3!

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  3. Congratulations on the book! Very nice interview. I like the Pride and Prejudice book for the characters.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  4. The mimic octopus is definitely a first for me! It looked like it had zebra stripes. Beautiful but at the same time scary because I'm not sure if it would be poisonous or not.

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  5. Hi Diana and welcome to GLIAS. I know you asked about Jane Austen, but for me, I'd like to thank you for the time you spent rescuing dogs.

    I'm the happy owner of two rescues at the moment: Dallas & Tex, a black lab and a black lab/border collie mix. Both were dumped, injured, and had three strikes. But more importantly, both were meant just for me and have completely filled my life now after losing our first two adored pets of the past 14 years. All made possible because people (like you) had such big hearts to rescue them.

    Thanks,
    ~Angi

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  6. My favorite Jane Austen book and movie is Pride and Prejudice. It was the first Jane Austen book I had ever read and for that reason it will always be my favorite. As for the movie, I fell in love with Keira Knightley and Matt McFayden. They had great on-screen chemistry. Thanks for the giveaway!

    molly(dot)frenzel(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. I'm not quite sure how this is related to Jane Austen... but I'm willing to give it a try!

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  8. I have to admit I've never actually read a Jane Austen book. I've watched several of the movies though, and I'd choose Pride and Prejudice as my favorite because it's such a great story, and because of Mr. Darcy, of course.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

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