I was excited to have the opportunity to read the YA paranormal novel, PRAEFATIO. Here is my interview with the author, Georgia McBride. Make sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of the post!
1. I find the whole premise behind PRAEFATIO fascinating. What was the inspiration behind your story?
GM: I wish I could say. The characters starting speaking to me — literally. I was compelled to write it in order to make the characters shut up. I didn’t know until I was well into the story that it was about a girl who thinks she’s an angel. Sounds crazy, I know. But it is the only book I’ve written that practically wrote itself.
2. You nailed the whole ‘what’s real and what isn’t’ with this story. I’m referring to the very beginning scene—which is my favorite—of Grace being questioned. What research did you do for these scenes?
GM: Thank you. Oh, this was one of the hardest scenes to write. It was also the last one to be written. So, the book originally began with chapter 2 with Grace and Remi sitting atop the stairs eavesdropping. I actually had to interview journalists, criminal investigators, cops and child psychiatrists just to write the first chapter. It was pretty intense. Everything from what the journalists know to how a minor would be questioned and even held, etc.
3. Do you put together a playlist for your stories? Did you have one for PRAEFATIO? If so, can you share?
GM: This book has an extensive playlist. Some days it was all 30 Seconds to Mars, since Venus Unearthed is inspired by 30 Seconds to Mars. Others it was Marilyn Manson, Eminem, My Chemical Romance, Alice in Chains and Coheed and Cambria.
4. Can you give us a teaser on what we can expect next for Grace?
GM: Well, suffice it to say that Grace doesn’t very easily accept change. She will struggle and she will be hurt. Something big is coming that she does not expect. She has a lot of responsibility thrust upon her that she is not quite ready for. She will rebel.
5. Do you use an outline when you write?
GM: I usually outline AFTER I finish a story so I can be sure I have no plot holes. It’s backwards, I know. But I’ve found that when I outline, the story fails to adhere to it, so it ends up feeling more like restraints to me, rather than a guide.
6. I think it’s amazing what you’ve done with the YA community. Can you share what made you decide to start Month9books?
GM: That’s very kind. I wish I had a community like #yalitchat when I first started writing. I was engaging a ton with editors and agents on what they wanted to see, what was selling, how they struggled with marketing books, etc. I worked with authors directly on preparing queries and synposes. Then, I started freelance editing in an effort to do even more for writers and also to generate income. I found so many talented writers who could not sell their books because the big publishers were turning their backs on paranormal and speculative fiction in general. It seemed to me that I could do even more by becoming a publisher. Why turn away awesome books after I’d edited them? It just seemed like a natural progression.
7. What advice would you have for teens who want to be writers?
GM: Write what you are passionate about. Do not let anyone tell you that what you write will not sell. There is a market (whether large or small) for just about anything you can imagine. Keep at it. You will get better and you will succeed.
8. What’s next for you? Any future projects?
GM: I’m developing a line of books called Georgia McBride Books which are mostly contemporary women’s fiction. It’s kind of sekret at the moment. I am also working on a project called CONFESSIONS OF THE DARK QUEEN, a historical scifi fantasy. It’s without a doubt the best thing I’ve written to date. Thinking about serializing it. Other than that, just headed out on tour this summer to promote PRAEFATIO. Hope to meet some of your readers out there in Raleigh, NYC, Chapel Hill, Atlanta, Nashville, Elizabeth City, Duck, Holly Springs, Cary, Greenville, and Savannah!
PRAEFATIO
by Georgia McBride
Publication Date: May 21st, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0-9882513-7-3
ISBN eBook: 978-0-9882513-8-0
Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Grace Ann Miller is no ordinary runaway. After missing for weeks, Grace is found on the estate of international rock star Gavin Vault, half-dressed and yelling for help. Over the course of twenty-four hours Grace holds an entire police force captive with incredulous tales of angels, demons, and war; intent on saving Gavin from lockup, and her family from worry over her safety. But instead, authorities believe that Grace is ill, and suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, the victim of assault and a severely fractured mind. Undeterred, Grace reveals the secret existence of dark angels on earth, an ancient prophecy and a wretched curse steeped in Biblical myth. Grace’s claims set into motion an ages-old war, resulting in blood, death and the loss of everything that matters. But are these the delusions of an immensely sick girl, or could Grace’s story actually be true? Praefatio is Grace’s account of weeks on the run, falling in love and losing everything but her faith. Who do you believe?
ABOUT GEORGIA MCBRIDE:
Georgia loves a good story. Whether it’s writing her own, or publishing someone else’s, story is at the heart of everything Georgia does. Founder of Month9Books, YALITCHAT.ORG and the weekly #yalitchat on Twitter, Georgia spends most of her days writing, editing, or talking about books. That is, of course, when she is not blasting really loud music or reading. Born and raised in NYC, she now lives in North Carolina with four dogs, a frog, a parrot, 2 kids, parents and a husband. PRAEFATIO is her first novel.
TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY:
Grand prize includes a signed copy of PRAEFATIO, nail polish, Halo perfume, postcards, candy, Garnier Nutrisse hair color, and a PRAEFATIO keychain(US Only).
Congrats Georgia on th ebook! I cannot wait to read it.