It’s
finally here: the release day for DEVIANTS!
**cue the fireworks**
It’s hard to describe how
much this day means to me. Yes, I do have two previous books out, but to risk
delving into boring publishing business jargon, my first two books were done on
a write-for-hire basis and had a rather difficult route to publication, so I
wasn’t really that invested in them by the time they came out. Certainly nowhere near as invested as I am in DEVIANTS. In fact, I was completely wrapped
up in DEVIANTS by the time the Twisted Tales books hit the shelves.
That’s a long way of saying
that, to me, DEVIANTS is my debut. ☺
I’ve enjoyed being part of
this blog and reading our guests’ answers to our questionnaire—even seeing
which questions each author chooses to answer—so today, I’ve decided that I want to take my own crack at our author interview. So, today my
guest is... ME!
So..... Welcome, Maureen!
Thanks, Maureen. ☺
ABOUT MAUREEN MCGOWAN
You can read my official bio
on my page on this blog. But for the inside scoop, suffice it to say that I’ve
been working a long time for this day. It’s no secret that publishing is a
difficult business and that every writer’s journey toward publication is
different, but my road, at times, has seemed excessively rocky. I had so many
times when my fingers brushed the brass ring, only to have it snatched out of
reach. I know I’m not unique in this, but it does add to the sweetness of
today!
In a post-apocalyptic world,
where the earth is buried by asteroid dust that’s mutated the DNA of some
humans, orphaned, sixteen-year-old Glory must hide and protect her younger
brother. If their Deviant abilities are discovered, they’ll be expunged—kicked
out of the dome to be tortured and killed by the Shredders.
Glory would give
anything to get rid of her unique ability to kill with her emotions, especially
when Cal, the boy she’s always liked, becomes a spy for the authorities. But
when her brother is discovered, and she learns their father, who was expunged
for killing their mother, is still alive, she must escape the domed city that’s
been her entire world.
Outside in the ruins, they’re pursued by the
authorities and by sadistic, scab-covered Shredders who are addicted to the
lethal-to-humans dust now covering the planet. Glory’s quests to transport
herself and her brother to safety make up the thrilling and fascinating first
volume of The Dust Chronicles.
“A deliciously dark, harrowing world, brightened by
dazzling characters and sparkling prose." -- #1 NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong
"A tense thriller
with a strong, beating heart at its center. Glory and her impossible choices
will keep you glued to the page. I'm still trying to catch my breath!" –
Diana Peterfreund, author of For Darkness Shows the Stars
“Exciting... McGowan keeps
the suspense throbbing...” – Kirkus Reviews
"McGowan launches the Dust Chronicles with a bang, painting her post-apocalyptic world with a dark brush and featuring a strong-willed and determined protagonist. Readers will be immediately transported to this world where businessmen rule the job-based class system." -- RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
GET TO KNOW
MAUREEN MCGOWAN
MAUREEN: Where do you most like to
read and how often?
MAUREEN: Traditionally, I’ve most
often read in bed. But since I bought my kindle, I actually now read a lot on
subways and streetcars, also waiting in lines, and in movie theatres before the movie
starts. Basically any second of down time. I’m too disorganized to pack my
“bed” book with me every day, and if I don’t get a seat on the subway it’s hard
to hold a book anyway, but it’s easy to always carry and hold my kindle and so now I usually have
at least two books going: a bed book and a purse book. ☺
MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kind of
story to get lost in?
MAUREEN: These last couple of years,
it’s been young adult fiction. When I was a teen, most YA fiction was decidedly
juvenile. Either heavy-handed “message” books or genre fiction minus the
elements that makes readers love genre fiction—thrillers with no violence or
thrills, mysteries with no murders, romances with no sexual tension, horror
with nothing gory or scary. Boring.
But today’s YA is not like
that at all and most are decidedly un-juvenile. The books are fast-paced,
tackle big subjects, and are highly entertaining for readers of all ages. I
also love how YA novels blur genre lines.
MAUREEN: Cats or dogs?
MAUREEN: Dogs.
MAUREEN: What hidden talents do you
have?
MAUREEN: I’m actually a good
knitter. I love doing complicated patterns where the color changes with nearly
every stitch. I haven’t knit as much since I started writing, though. Partly
due to time availability, but it’s probably more because I’ve got
an outlet for my creative side now that had been sorely lacking in my previous
career.
MAUREEN: What turns you off like
nothing else?
MAUREEN: Arrogance. I have zero
patience for arrogance and this got me into trouble more than once in the
corporate world which has more than it’s fair share of men (in particular) with
this flaw.
MAUREEN: Would you rather sky dive or
scuba dive?
MAUREEN: Ha! I’ve done both. (This a
question I added to our questionnaire.)
I did a tandem sky dive and
it was amazing. I like to joke that I jumped out of a plane at 13,500 feet
without a parachute. And that’s true. Technically. But the burly dude who was
strapped to my back had a parachute strapped to his back. ☺
The cool thing about tandem
dives is that you can experience a free-fall on your first jump—and with very
little instruction
.
The hardest part was
standing up and walking forward in the plane while strapped, very tightly, to
the instructor. Once we jumped (fell), it took about a minute to go the first
10,000 feet, and then about ten minutes to go the final 3,000 or so, once the
chute was open.
I did scuba in a slightly
“cheater” way too. I did a “resort” dive when I was at the Great Barrier Reef
in Australia. For resort dives, you don’t need much training and you can’t go
below 10 feet (or so) which was plenty deep enough for me! And plenty deep on
the reef. I think we had three of us to an instructor and he constantly
monitored our equipment so that we didn’t need to know that much about the
gauges or how anything worked. I always thought I’d find scuba diving
claustrophobic, but I loved it. Some day, I’d love to get certified and try it
again.
MAUREEN: What sound or noise do you
love?
MAUREEN: Toddlers giggling. When my
niece was little we used to spend hours doing very silly things that made us
both giggle. I wish I’d had a tape recorder running the entire time. ☺
MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kind of
cheese?
MAUREEN: I could eat goat cheese at
every meal. On special occasions I love yummy cheeses from France or Québec.
The stinkier the better.
MAUREEN: Vanilla or chocolate?
MAUREEN: I’m in camp vanilla. Heresy,
I know.
MAUREEN: What’s the first thing you
do when you finish writing a book?
MAUREEN: Collapse. Sometimes cry. If
she’s around, I go for a drink with my critique partner, the fabulously
talented Molly O’Keefe.
MAUREEN: What’s your favorite
dessert?
MAUREEN: Lemon meringue pie.
MAUREEN: Strawberry daiquiri or a
beer?
MAUREEN: Beer. No question. If I want
a cocktail, I’ll usually choose a dry gin martini, with a twist. Or a margarita
or mojito in the summer--if--it’s a place that uses real lime juice.
MAUREEN: Do you remember your grade one
teacher’s name?
MAUREEN: Miss Chevalier.
MAUREEN: Who was your first best
friend? Are you still in touch?
MAUREEN: My family moved—a lot—when I
was a little kid. I’m sure I had BFFs before this, but the first name that
popped into my mind was Shelley Martin, who was my best friend from kindergarten
through grade two. Sadly, we’re not in touch anymore. ☹ Shelley, if you see this, e-mail me.
MAUREEN: Did you belong to a clique
in high school? Which one of the standard high school stereotypes did you best
fit in to?
MAUREEN: I feel like I kind of defied the stereotypes. I’d be interested in asking
some people I went to high school with this question to see how I was
perceived.
I was a “brain”, but I
was also an athlete and was also in the musicals and the “folk club” and
several nerdy and/or artsy things like that.
Believe it or not, I played
Oliver in my high school musical when I was in grade 12. Yes, a
seventeen-year-old girl playing a nine-year-old boy... Elastic bandages were
involved.
MAUREEN: Do you read reviews of your
books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your
writing?
MAUREEN: I do read them... Although I
try not to. The ones on Goodreads and Amazon can be harsh! But one good thing
about having two books already out there, and taking part in the Amazon
Breakout Novel competition a few years before that, is that I became used to
seeing reviews and accepting that no book is ever going to please every reader.
But for DEVIANTS it’s going to be harder. I’m really proud of this book and
it’ll be hard to hear when people don’t like it.
MAUREEN: Tea or Coffee? And how do
you take it?
MAUREEN: Coffee. Black. And keep it
coming.
MAUREEN ASKS
READERS
According to a recent study,
55% of all YA books were purchased by adults intending to read the books
themselves. If you’re an adult, do you read YA? If not, why not?
Where can I buy DEVIANTS, you ask?
Why, right here or at your favorite bookseller:
