Saturday, November 3, 2012

[Interview & Giveaway] With The Author of Trinity, Clare Davidson



Welcome Author Clare Davidson


Clare Davidson is a character driven fantasy writer, teacher and mother, from the UK. Clare was born in Northampton and lived in Malaysia for four and a half years as a child, before returning to the UK to settle in Leeds with her family. Whilst attending Lancaster University, Clare met her future husband and never left. They now share their lives with their young daughter and a cranky grey cat, called Ash. Clare juggles family life with writing, teaching and a variety of fibre craft hobbies.

Clare's Website ^ Twitter ^ Facebook ^ Goodreads


If you could travel in a time machine where would you go back to the past or into the future?
I'd go back to the late 13th/early 14th century, when Edward I was the king of England. My daughter is named after his wife, Eleanor of Castille. I've been fascinated with Edward as a king for several years, mainly because he seems to have been one of the few English kings who actually loved his wife. Besides, using the legend of King Arthur to promote himself was a great idea!

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
Wait, only three things? Would it be really cheating to have "my family" as one thing? Yes? Oh, OK then... My daughter, my laptop and some kind of solar power supply so my laptop doesn't run out of power! Sorry Tom, it was a tough choice between you and the laptop ;-)

If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
Funnily enough this is a question I've been asking some of my pupils recently. I think I'd like super speed, so I could get everything done and have more time to write and read.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
I'm actually rubbish at eating breakfast. I hardly ever have time to eat anything proper, so I rely on breakfast biscuits because they're handy and require no effort, plus I can eat them on the go. When I'm on holiday I love having a full English, with bacon, eggs, sausages and toast. It's lovely, especially when someone else is cooking it and washing up afterwards.

What book are you reading now?
Sciron by David Rashleigh. It's a modern day ghost story, using historical facts from the Second World War.

What’s your favorite season/weather?
I love warm, dry summer days. We don't get a lot of those around here! I should really consider moving to somewhere with a better climate. Lancaster has it's own little eco-climate due to the Gulf Stream running close by, so we tend to have more than our fair share of dull, damp weather.

What was your favorite children's book?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar! I adored that book and my little girl adores it too. It's a timeless book for babies and toddlers. Moving on to my pre-teen years, I loved the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. I've probably re-read those books more than any others and I'm looking forward to reading them to Eleanor when she's older.

Beach or Pool?
Pool. I hate sand; it gets everywhere and is uncomfortable when you're trying to get dry.

What is one book everyone should read?
I am going to cheat this time and choose a trilogy. The Regeneration trilogy by Pat Barker: Regeneration, The Eye in the Door and the Ghost Road. It looks at the First World War through the eyes of fictional characters and real people, such as Wilfred Owen. It's a harrowing read, with a massive emotional punch. There's two reasons why it's a trilogy everyone should read.
1/ It's a stark reminder of the horrors of war, including shell shock, conscientious objectors and the conflict itself. I know we see war and conflict on the news everyday, but unless you have a family member in the army it's too easy to be distanced from it all. Ms Barker's trilogy takes you out of that comfort zone and immerses you in what it was like for soldiers in the trenches: their hopes, fears and friendships.
2/ For writers, the trilogy is an example of beautiful prose and strong characterisation. You forget which characters are real and which are fictional, because they all seem equally lifelike. Their fates rip your heart out and tear it to shreds. It's well worth studying Ms Barker's techniques if you're serious about writing.
As a quick warning, the trilogy is fairly explicit in nature: language, violence and sexual content. For that reason it's a trilogy best left until you're an adult!

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? 
I'm working on two projects at the moment: a dark urban fantasy and I've just started the prequel to Trinity.
The prequel to Trinity is going to answer a lot of questions about what happened to Miale, how and why the War of Tears started and where Wolf magic comes from. You get one perspective of what happened in Trinity, but that's far from the whole truth.
I'm planning on releasing them both next year.


Trinity
Clare Davidson
Genre: Young Adult/High Fantasy 
ISBN: 978-14722200 paperback
9781476437484 ebook
ASIN: B008MYHASG
 Number of pages: 279
Word Count: 88,000
 Cover Artist: Bramasta Aji

Book Description:

Kiana longs to walk through a forest and feel grass between her toes. But she is the living embodiment of a goddess and has enemies who wish to murder her. Her death will curse the whole of Gettryne. Locked away for protection, she dreams of freedom. Her wish comes true in the worst possible way, when her home and defenders are destroyed. Along with an inexperienced guard and a hunted outcast, Kiana flees the ravages of battle to search for a solution to the madness that has gripped Gettryne for a thousand years. Pursued by the vicious and unrelenting Wolves, their journey will take them far beyond their limits, to a secret that will shake the world.
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It was great visiting with you today Clare. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)
Book Trailer



a Rafflecopter giveaway

6 comments:

ClareMDavidson said...

Thanks for letting me stop by for a chat!

JennH said...

Thanks for the chance to win!

Brooke Showalter said...

I enjoyed reading the interview! Thanks for the giveaway!

Elisabeth said...

OHMYGOSH! So I'm NOT the only one to fall for THE PRYDAIN CHRONICLES!

ClareMDavidson said...

No! I've loved the Prydain Chronicles since I was a little girl :) Someone should make proper film versions one day :)

Hot Off the Shelves said...

I can't get enough of High Fantasy...it's my lifelong favorite genre.