Author Chat with Ava Jae, Plus Giveaway!

YABC: What surprised you most while writing your latest book?

Ava Jae: I sort of surprised myself by writing Beyond the Red, to be honest. When I first got the story idea it was so huge and the idea of building an entire planet and multiple cultures and histories from the ground up was very intimidating. But I did it one page and one day at a time, then kept building the world up one round of revision at a time. By the time I was done, I’d learned so much and best of all, gained a lot of confidence about what I was capable of doing, as a writer.

YABC: If you could live in any fantasy world, which one would it be?

AJ: This is probably really obvious, but I’d love to live in Harry Potter’s wizarding world, especially Hogwarts. Except, post-­war, post-­Voldemort Hogwarts. Like, I’d like to go to school with Albus Severus Potter and his generation.

YABC: Do you have a mantra that gets you through the drafting phase?

AJ: ”You can’t edit a blank page.”—Nora Roberts. No matter how badly I think a scene is coming out, this reminds me to get the story down and keep writing. I can always fix whatever I need to later, but I need to lay down a foundation for the story, first!

YABC: Do you enjoy writing to music? If so, do you have a go ­to playlist?

AJ: When I’m drafting, I do really enjoy writing to music—oftentimes music can be my gateway into getting into the zone. My playlist varies manuscript to manuscript, however, and I tend to stick to one artist or album per manuscript, sometimes two. With Beyond the Red I listened to Imagine Dragons’s Night Visions album and 30 Seconds to Mars’s Love, Lust, Faith, and Dreams album. For other manuscripts, I’ve used Fall Out Boy’s Save Rock and Roll, and Maroon 5’s V.

YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?

AJ: The whole diversity movement in the media and especially books is definitely important to me. I wholeheartedly believe everyone should be able to see themselves represented in the media­­and not only that, I think it’s equally important for others to see people not like them portrayed respectfully as well. Understanding leads to empathy, and the first step to understanding is learning about others­­which can start in books, in TV shows, in movies, etc.

YABC: What’s a book that you’ve read recently that you would recommend to your readers?

AJ: The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig just recently released, and it’s suuuch an incredibly great fantasy. Time­traveling pirates, complicated conflict, a swoony Persian thief love interest, and a truly memorable protagonist who I quickly came to love. Couldn’t recommend it more!

YABC:  Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?

AJ: Definitely revising. First drafting is fun and exciting, but it’s also kind of terrifying because you’re creating something out of nothing. When you’re revising, you have a foundation to build off of, and I love the process of watching your story grow and develop, sometimes into something even bigger than I originally imagined. It’s hard work, but a really gratifying experience.

Meet Beyond the Red!

Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.

Meet Ava Jae!

Ava Jaeis an author, blogger, YouTuber, college student, and assistant editor at Entangled Publishing. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a BA in English in April 2016, Ava will probably find a bookstore to live in, where she can write her next novel surrounded by the smell of new books and coffee. She can be found on Twitter at @Ava_Jae or at her website avajae.blogspot.com. She resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Beyond the Red

By: Ava Jae

Release Date: March 1, 2016 

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