Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Book Tour: Ice Red by Jael Wye Interview & Giveaway

 BLURB:
Mirror, mirror, full of stars,
Who will claim the throne of Mars?

The princess: Engineer Bianca Ross, heir to a megacorporation and the Mars elevator, needs to acquire a mine on the surface to secure her place in the company. All that stands in her way is the mine's charming owner, Cesare Chan.

The evil stepmother: Victoria Ross is plotting to gain control of Mars. She plans to assassinate Bianca and seduce Cesare to further her goals, and Bianca's trip is the perfect opportunity.

The charming prince: Cesare shouldn't get involved. Bianca's visit could reveal the escaped slaves he's hiding at his mine, but he can't ignore a damsel in distress--especially one as beautiful as Bianca.

Alone, neither would stand a chance against Victoria. But together, they could rewrite a tale that's meant to end with Bianca's blood.

EXCERPT:
Time to begin the charm offensive. “How could I forget?” he said. “You were my damsel in distress. Standing on a balcony, no less. A bloke couldn’t ask for a more dramatic introduction. Though we didn’t get around to exchanging names, did we?”

“Well, M’Chan, I am grateful…” She trailed off, as if she didn’t quite know what to say next.

Cesare said thoughtfully, “But I think my heroic actions deserve a more substantial reward than I got. Buying you a drink was nice first installment, but it’s not quite enough.”

She blinked. “Reward?”

“Ay. In return for saving your travelpac, I want you to call me Cesare.”

She looked at him for a moment, her chin tilted up, brows slightly raised. He suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that she was studying him as if he were an amoeba crawling around on a petri dish. Right, so maybe the charm offensive needs some retooling.

Then again, maybe not. Icy as her expression was, her delicate ivory skin was blooming with heat along her throat and her fine cheekbones.

“Cesare,” she finally said, imbuing the two syllables of his name with a sense of how utterly unimpressive she found him. For some reason Cesare found himself smiling wider.

“Is there something you would like to discuss with me?”

“Ay, Bianca,” he said, reining in his smile. “In fact, I’ve wanted to introduce myself to you, ever since you started trying to take over my company.”

Her expression didn’t waver. “Your company? I believe you mean your father’s company.”

He shook his head slowly. “No, Bianca. My company. No matter what the legal documents say, RedIce is mine.”

INTERVIEW:
  1. Where did you get the idea for the novel?

I’ve always been fascinated by both space exploration and fairy tales, but the idea for Ice Red really began to crystalize when I read Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars series. His use of mythological themes in a hard science fiction setting influenced me profoundly. But there isn’t nearly enough romance in his books, or in science fiction as a genre. I decided to correct that oversight. And so Ice Red was born—a romance novel based on Snow White, set on Mars 300 years in the future.

  1. Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title?

The original working title for the novel was Red Ice, which was a nod to the setting—Mars, the red planet--and to Snow White. When the book was going through editing and copywriting, the title was changed to Ice Red to more closely echo Snow White.

  1. Why did you pick this genre? What do you like about it?

I chose science fiction romance because I wanted to create larger than life characters and adventure filled plots. Closely related genres like paranormal romance and steampunk also tap that vein, but there were already plenty of authors working with vampires and airships. I felt the need to explore underused territory. With a science fiction setting, I can not only write exciting stories, I can speculate about how society and culture might develop in the future, and how science might change who we are as humans. Also, I get to write love scenes set in zero gravity. That’s fun.

  1. Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?

The most exciting moment for me was getting the e-mail offering me a contract with Carina Press. I had officially become an author! 

  1. What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?

Right now I’m rereading one of my old favorites by Linnea Sinclair, Games of Command. It’s definitely one of the best scifi romances ever written.

  1. What is your writing process?

I plot my books out thoroughly before I start writing. I also do an in depth character study. Because each of the stories in my Once Upon a Red World Series is based on a classic fairy tale, I always have a specific framework to adhere to. Since Ice Red follows the story of Snow White, Bianca, my heroine, has to leave her home and take refuge with seven strangers. But it’s important that Bianca’s actions be organic to her character rather than simply dictated by the plot. What are the emotions and thoughts that drive her to leave home? What drives Cesare, the hero, to rescue her? I try to answer those questions before I type my first word. Some details change as I go along, but I always know where I’m going and how I’m going to get there.

  1. At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say? 

Whenever people talk to me about my book, I always ask them about their own experiences with it and with the genre. Readers love to make connections like that, and so do I.

  1. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I was a painter before I put my art career on hold in order to write novels. My style was surrealist, and had almost nothing to do with my fiction ideas. The creative muse is funny that way.

  1. How do you react to a bad review?

I never take bad reviews personally, and I never try to argue with someone’s opinion. I’ve found criticisms to be useful if they point out weaknesses in my craft that I can work on, but I don’t let negativity undermine my confidence in my larger vision. I just shrug and remind myself that some people don’t like bacon.

  1. How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?

I celebrated with champagne, loud music, and a really late night!


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jael Wye grew up on the American Great Plains, went to school in the Midwest, and now lives in beautiful New England with her family and her enormous collection of houseplants. For more of Jael’s unique blend of futurism and fairy tale, don’t miss her ongoing series Once Upon A Red World.

Links



Twitter -- @jaelwye





GIVEAWAY:
Jael will be awarding an eCopy of Ladder to the Red Star to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 


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