Rockstar Tours: BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS (Alysa Wishingrad), Interview & Giveaway! ~US ONLY

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS by Alysa Wishingrad Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: BETWEEN
MONSTERS AND MARVELS

Author: Alysa Wishingrad

Pub. Date: September 12, 2023

Publisher: HarperCollins

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/BETWEEN-MONSTERS-AND-MARVELS 

A standalone high-stakes middle grade fantasy by Alysa Wishingrad, author of the Junior
Library Guild Gold Standard selection The Verdigris Pawn.

Monsters are still lurking on Barrow’s Bay.

Dare Coates
is sure of it. No drifter or ruffian could have killed her father, the Captain
of the Guard, while he was on patrol. But everyone insists that monsters have
been gone for years now. Dare’s mother. Her classmates. Even the governor, who
swiftly marries her mother just months after her father’s death.

Dare’s
suspicions grow even stronger when the governor suddenly ships her off to the
mainland, away from any hope of uncovering the truth about her father’s death.

Or so she
thinks. Soon Dare finds solid proof that monsters still exist and she starts to
question everything she’s always known. Was her father who she thought he was?
Who can she trust? Where is the line between good and evil?

The truth
hides behind danger and deception. But with the help of an unlikely crew of
cohorts and a stray beastie, nothing can stop Dare from finding out what
happened to her father and exposing who the real monsters are.

Perfect
for fans of Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters and Lauren Oliver’s The
Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street.  

 Interview:

1. What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

This book began with my main character Dare. As I remember it, she just landed in my lap one day along with the first line of the book; “Dare Coates was an awful girl, everyone on Barrow’s Bay said so.”

I know, I know, I find it disheartening when I hear authors say, “it came to me in a dream,” because I always feel like, ‘why can’t I have those dreams??’ But I think Dare has always been with me, it was just time to write her. She’s someone who reacts to rejection by pushing back even harder. A ‘You don’t like me? I’ll give you something to not like!’ kind of person. Now, I’m not like that, but I do remember my tender young heart being prone to a kind of defensiveness.

So, Dare was my first inspiration, but I also really wanted to explore what makes a monster, why are we so fascinated by them, and why do we fear them so?

2. Who is your favorite character in the book?

Dare! No question that she’s my favorite. She’s complex and spikey and fearless and stalwart in her pursuit of the truth. She suffers no fools and isn’t afraid to say exactly what’s on her mind. But she’s also got a very tender center. She is fiercely loyal, refuses to be underestimated, and will always do what she says she’s going to do. She’s the kind of person you want on your side and would do well to avoid making an enemy of.

3. Which came first, the title or the novel?

Oh, the novel came first! I find titles very hard to come up with and tend to just use my main character’s name as the working title. The working title for this book was AN AWFUL GIRL or DARE AND THE MONSTERS. My editor didn’t respond to the title/sub-title idea, and I didn’t want to use DARE AND THE MONSTERS as I’d just read a wonderful book with a similar title (Frances and The Monster by Refe Tuma). And

were all worried that AN AWFUL GIRL wasn’t right for this book. It took me well into the second round of developmental drafts with my editor to land on BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS.

4. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

There’s a scene where Dare and another character are in a shop. I can’t say much more about it, because . . . spoilers, but so much of what Dare has been trying to understand, so many of the questions she’s been chasing after are about to come into very disconcerting focus. This is a pivotal moment — there’s a lot of information that gets revealed here along with some big, complex emotions. It was a great challenge to balance all those elements while making sure to keep the pacing moving.

5. Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

That I love revision, and that writing a draft and then throwing it away to begin again with a blank page is incredibly liberating.

I first did this with my debut, THE VERDIGRIS PAWN, after a meeting with my editor. I realized that in order to do what  we wanted to do with the book, that I’d have to scratch it all and begin again.

I know it sounds daunting to some writers, but once I got over the doubts and the fears, it was so freeing. Having already written a draft where I got to know my characters and world meant that I had all the raw materials to now dig down and tell the story the right way.

Then again with, BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS, I white-paged the second half. I can’t tell you if I’ll always do this, but so far, it’s been the best way for me to get to know the landscape of my worlds and my characters. Then once that’s done, I can get down to building an arc that is less about what I think should happen and is more organic to who my MC is, what they want, why they want it, and how far they’re willing to go.

6. What do you like most about the cover of the book?

Oh my gosh! Everything! Look at it, it’s stunning. I truly am in awe of it. George Ermos’ artwork and Joel Tippi’s design are just brilliant. George captured Dare and her world so well, I really couldn’t imagine a better cover for this book. The colors are stunning, and there are so many wonderful details, it’s a cover to get lost in.

7. What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2023?

There are a couple of wonderful titles coming out this fall that I’ve already had the honor of reading.

Kate Albus has a new historical MG, NOTHING ELSE BUT MIRACLES, which is as warm-hearted and hopeful as her debut, A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON was.

Isi Hendrix has a fantastic new fantasy series, the first book of which release this month, ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS

And Jessica Vitalis’s COYOTE QUEEN is a deeply moving story with a touch of the fantastical.

8. What was your favorite book in 2022

There were a lot of wonderful middle grade books last year, but if I had to pick one, I’d have to say THE TROUBLED GIRLS OF DRAGOMIRE ACADEMY by Anne Ursu. It’s so smart and asks so many important questions about how and why society is the way it is. And it’s also a great adventure, and Anne’s writing is powerful and beautiful, it just transports you.

9. What’s up next for you?

I’m sorry I can’t say more than that I have a couple of fantastical projects coming up and I can’t wait to share more about them!

About Alysa Wishingrad:

Alysa
Wishingrad writes
fantastical stories for young readers, tales that ask; is the truth really
true? Her favorite stories are those that meld the historical with the
fantastic, and that find ways to shine a light on both the things that divide
and unite us all. The Verdigris Pawn, a Junior Library Guild Gold
Standard Selection, is her debut novel. Alysa lives in the Hudson Valley with
her family and two demanding rescue dogs. You can find her at www.
alysawishingrad.com or on Twitter at @awishingrad or Instagram at @alysawishingradwrites.

Sign up for Alysa’s newsletter! Scroll
to the bottom of the page.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS Bookmarks and stickers, US Only.

Ends October 3rd, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway