Rockstar Tours: THE GIFTED SOCIETY (Tatiana White), Q&A plus giveaway! ~ US ONLY

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE GIFTED SOCIETY by Tatiana White Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: THE GIFTED SOCIETY

Author: Tatiana White

Pub. Date: February 13, 2024

Publisher: The Muse Papers

Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook

Pages: 529

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-GIFTED-SOCIETY

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Sixteen-year-old Alexia has a secret; she’s a Varien—burdened with the
gift of shooting stars through her skin. And after watching her best friend
Sarai get falsely accused of murder upon changing into a Varien, Alexia wants
no one to know. She keeps her secret tight and close until an accident with her
strange abilities critically injures her father—threatening her identity to be
revealed. Alexia flees and goes on the run to avoid death row.
While in transit, she meets Greta, a quirky antique shop owner who promises her
safety with other Variens in a realm called The Grove.

Alexia is skeptical, but once she learns Sarai has been kidnapped from prison
and taken to The Grove to be sacrificed by Revenirs, a secret society of
hitmen, she becomes intent on finding and saving her from another dire fate.

Greta introduces Alexia to The Grove and her new home at Malveaux Prep Academy
and Sanctuary—a premier school for Varien teens to study and hone their
knowledge and skill. There, Alexia rooms with a pyrokinetic hot head who can’t
stop kissing her boyfriend and takes tours with her assigned campus mentor—a
wise-cracking morphing teleporter named Kyle.

With the help of her newfound friendships, Alexia delves deeper into The
Grove’s hidden history for clues on the present. All she wants is to find Sarai
and save her. But the closer she gets to the Revenirs, the more danger she and
her friends are in. Alexia must decide if friendship is worth the wrath of war,
suffering, and even worse … betrayal.

For fans of Legendborn and Gen V, The
Gifted Society adds to the mosaic narrative discussion of who is
allowed to harness power, adventure, and admiration. With its dark and light
academia themes of fantasy and found family, it creates a world which provides
a whimsical and sweet escape.

Review:

“The Gifted Society is
a thrilling and action-packed tale that delves into the world of Variens,
exploring the struggles of their lives. Tatiana White creates characters that
fans of coming-of-age and YA fantasy will adore. The character arc for Alexia
is impeccable. She is a young girl with powerful gifts, and the author’s
ability to create natural reactions to her discovery of what she is capable of
is ingenious. The characters are multifaceted and endearing, especially Alexia.
The plot is engaging and suspenseful, with unexpected twists and turns that
keep the reader on edge. The themes of identity, friendship, and sacrifice are
skillfully developed throughout the story. Overall, this novel is a captivating
read that will appeal to fans of young adult fantasy and adventure..”- Reader’s
Favorite, ★★★★★

YABC Q&A

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

Hindsight is always 20/20. This was not an easy question to answer years ago. If I was asked this then, I think I would’ve simplified it by saying I was tired of the lack of Black girls in fiction and fantasy. Growing up in the 90s/2000s, there was no magic gold mine for BIPOC led books. We were always after thoughts in the books I read. Side characters like Jessie Ramsey (who I love) in The Baby-Sitters Club—who had a few of her own books in the series, but it almost felt as if she got all the scrapped plots.

I was a very expressive and artistic child who made things and consumed a lot of media—books, film, comics, music, and magazines. I remember always making my own worlds up and coloring Disney Princesses brown in my coloring books, making storyboards with Black princesses and sending them to Disney (because I owned Disney stock—I swore I was important), creating magazine layouts, writing articles on made up celebrities and printing them, then I moved on to making fan fiction because I was a huge fan of X-Men via my relationship with my father, yet I wanted to see other Black characters attending Xavier’s Institute. So, it’s no surprise my journey brought me to publishing a book with a Black heroine and taking matters into my own hands.

The deeper context on why I wrote a book with tropes like a hero stepping into their power, found family, and self-discovery is because I was craving those things during my adolescence and a large chunk of my twenties.

At age 10, I moved from the city of Long Beach—which had a lot of community and culture—to a small and newly formed homogenous suburban town wedged in the middle of cattle farms. I was one of very few Black children in my school, and that was always brought to my attention because my presence came with questions/comments about my hair and other things significant to my culture—like food, my physical features, and speech. It came with racial jokes. I felt very isolated and insignificant in my classes. It’s no wonder X-Men resonated with me. It gave me a place to relate. A place where I could celebrate every piece of me. For that, I will always love X-Men so much.

As I grew up, the journey of finding myself and my tribe had many turns and dips, so what was fanfiction turned into something all its own. The Gifted Society is very reflective of my journey as a young Black girl navigating my place in the world despite what it imposes or sells you. And at its core, my protagonist, Alexia shared a desperation for community and found family with me. We all want a place or people to belong to. We want a home that makes so much sense without explanation. Something to always come back to.

I connected to my found family decades ago and have never looked back. They’ve made all the difference in my life, especially through hard times. I wanted to convey the fullness and warmth of finding your village vs. living without them and wondering if anyone will ever understand you and love you as you are. It is such a universal struggle.

2. Who is your favorite character in the book?

This is such a hard question for me to answer. I feel so connected to every character I write no matter how different from me they may be. I, of course love Alexia, but I have spent so much time in her head, I truly get excited from supporting characters. Alani has always been this empowering figure whose energy I wanted to harness as a girl. In a way, she’s Alexia’s other half because she says and does what Alexia could never. She has so much agency and grit for a young girl. Recently, I realized I modeled her after Shannen Doherty—who was dubbed and blacklisted as a bad girl in Hollywood. It’s been a fun realization to see where they overlap.

Kyle is another character I genuinely enjoy because he’s so complex in bringing comedy and drama. His dialogue has always been so clear in my head, even his inflections and expressions. And there’s a sweetness in him that is protective and endearing. I love that he provides Alexia security and trust.

As of right now, Andre is my absolute favorite. I love every scene he’s in. His dialogue with the kids is so organic and witty. Unlike the others, he was not an original character. In fact, I added him in the last round of re-writes. He must’ve been the missing piece because he really enriched the story and adventure. Andre has so many layers and qualities. I hope to enjoy writing him for a long time.

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

The novel, of course! Additionally, The Gifted Society had a different name once upon a time. It didn’t fit well, but it was mysterious and fit the YA book titles on the market. It wasn’t exactly my style, nor did it capture the aesthetic of the book. I really wanted a simple and classic title. After months of mulling over it. I came up with the title in 2020 as I had decided to independently publish upon my father’s passing.

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

One scene doesn’t come to mind at this moment. I am definitely most proud of the first 100 pages of the book. Those were the most critical and tasking pages to create. They have to be strong. They have to pull the reader in and read neatly in plot and pacing. You need just enough. Not too little and not too much. It can be hard to find the correct starting point and build from there. I can’t tell you how many versions of the first few chapters I have written. I poured myself into playing out those 100 pages and depicting the estranged relationship between Alexia and her father and their family. I worked with two different developmental editors on building its foundation. It was also something I had partially put together before my father passed and afterward, so there is a lot of angst and grief residing in that section for the reader to cling on to. And I believe it does so in a very relatable way that builds complex connections with a morally grey character like Alexia’s father.

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

This is probably cliché, but do not compare yourself to anyone else. Your journey is your own. You can be inspired by your peers and public figures, but you cannot possibly mimic their path. Success comes to us differently and appears differently. The times when I struggle most are when I am not nice to myself. Placing expectations on myself based on what other people have achieved is a poison. I’ve drank it a few times, but it did nothing but steal my time. It made me want to give up. To achieve any dream, you must see things through. So that’s what I’ve been doing. Staying in my lane and looking ahead, never quitting, and staying open to learning more. The best part of any dream is the journey. Even with adversity, mine has been sweet.

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

Everything! I love my illustrator’s style. It is so elegant and edgy all at once. I love that this cover makes a statement within dark academia and fantasy genres. It says that faces like Alexia’s haven’t been the standard, but she’s here and her story is worth hearing and investing in.

7. What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2024?

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

8. What was your favorite book in 2023?

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Washington

9. What’s up next for you?

Writing Book 2 & 3 of The Gifted Society Trilogy first and foremost. I also have two standalone novels I hope to work on after I wrap it up.

10.Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?

Raquel Ravenwood. She had more scenes in earlier drafts, which gave her more context, but slowed the book down. I kept resisting removing them, but it was really the right choice.

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

Revising is where the gold can be found and where the magic happens. I love revising so much. Perhaps because it is really an effort toward perfection and watching an idea become a masterpiece. I like seeing my characters work with me in revising. Drafting is getting all those ideas down on paper and you have to put your ego and perfectionist away. It’s a challenge. A very humbling challenge. You have to trust you’ll learn the lessons you need to learn to make it toward your goal.

12. What would you say is your superpower?

My persistence is one! Also, my passion for capturing and understanding moments in literature, history, pop culture or film. I love that I am unafraid to explore the piece of myself that always wants to know how things are made and come to happen. I am a student first. Always learning. I used to think I was so weird for having such an interest in these things, but this piece of me is why I was able to write my novel. It’s why I know how I want a scene to read and feel or how I want a character and their voice to come across. I’ve developed my own voice this way and have witnessed there is a story in everything, even when words are absent.

13. Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?

Covenant House California—a non-profit for youth experiencing homelessness during ages 18-24.

And also, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society—as my father passed away from Leukemia in 2019.

About Tatiana White:

Tatiana
White grew up on a creative diet of comics, poetry, film, essays, and books.

An advocate
for diversity, Tatiana studied the mechanics of film, creative writing, and
journalism with the overall goal of altering narratives and imagery imposed on
black youths and adults. She achieved a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media
Communications and went on to work for various Bay Area media staples before
returning to her first love: storytelling.

When
Tatiana’s not toiling over her computer, she’s occupied with her life as wife
to her college sweetheart and full-time role as mother of two girls (or
mutants, as she likes to call them) and a cantankerous schnauzer.

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE GIFTED SOCIETY & swag, US Only.

Ends October 26th, midnight EST.

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