Abby is an ordinary girl haunted by dreams of an ivory castle, blood-thirsty monsters, and a striking stranger. Working as a babysitter for a family of mythology lovers in wealthy Newcastle Beach, California, she struggles to define herself among the elite class while trying to make sense of her strange visions. Upon meeting David, the doppelgänger of the mysterious young man in her dreams, Abby’s life is changed forever.
Encountering the queen of Cai Terenmare, a magical kingdom in a parallel world, Abby learns of an evil lord hell-bent on usurping the throne, the murder of Cai Terenmare’s king, the Solas Beir, and the kidnapping of the Solas Beir’s infant son.
As the kingdom struggles to endure, the queen shows Abby the full extent of her destiny. She must convince her mysterious crush, David, that he is the lost heir. While braving attacks from the dark lord’s sadistic minions, David must realize his true identity and return to Cai Terenmare to claim his throne before time runs out, lest the evil that was temporarily locked away be unleashed, threatening to destroy both the kingdom and all of humanity.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate Chip from the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
I need protein early in the day so breakfast usually involves something with cheese and hot sauce. Lots of hot sauce. Breakfast of champions.
Night owl, or early bird?
I’m not a morning person. My brain is much more active at night, sometimes too active.
One food you would never eat?
Caviar. I’m not a seafood person anyway, so the thought of eating fish eggs freaks me out. Part of it is the way it looks, all clumped together like a fish egg swarm. Pretty much anything en masse like that will freak me out: slugs, toads, zombies, hamsters.
Skittles or M&Ms?
M&Ms definitely. I have a secret chocolate stash squirreled away in my fridge. Actually, it’s not very secret, it’s just that my family leaves it alone. They fear my wrath should I become chocolate deprived.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?
I’m into science, so at various times, I wanted to be an astronaut, a geologist, and a marine biologist. I also love design, and in class I’d design houses with floor plans, along with doodling all kinds of mythological creatures. I usually finished my school work early, so reading and drawing kept me out of trouble.
You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?
A research submarine/lair, because that would be awesome, and I’m pretty sure that’s required to become an evil super villain plotting world domination. Or I would put it toward college savings for my twin boys.
Print or Ebook?
I read ebooks, but I prefer print because I take books to the beach and it’s easier to shake sand off a print book. Plus, I’m not going to get zapped if it gets wet from a sneaker wave.
What movie are you looking forward to this year?
I’m looking forward to the second Hobbit and Hunger Games movies because I loved the books so much.
Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....
The Alchemist, by Paula Coelho. It’s a gorgeous parable. In the book, Coelho says, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” I love that. It’s a beautiful idea. He also says that love can change the world. I believe that is true.
What is next on your to read list?
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I’ve been saving it as a motivator to finish writing The Sower Comes, the third book in The Solas Beir Trilogy, but I don’t know if I have to will power to wait. I love his books.
Any other books in the works?
There’s another YA Fantasy I’ve been working on in my head, but it’s on hold until I finish that third book, which will be available fall 2014 (the second book, The Rabbit and the Raven, will be released spring 2014). I can say that this other book will have a different setting than my current trilogy, and there will be romance and blood-thirsty monsters. So, if you’re into that kind of thing, stay tuned.
Thanks! You’re awesome! :D
Melissa Eskue Ousley is the author of The Solas Beir Trilogy. “Sign of theThrone,” the first book of this young adult fantasy series, will be released onSeptember 14. She is currently working on the second and third novels in thetrilogy, “The Rabbit and the Raven” and “The Sower Comes.”
Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and their Kelpie, Gryphon. When she’s not writing, Melissa can be found swimming, hiking, kayaking, scuba diving, or walking along the beach, poking dead things with a stick.
Before she became a writer, she had a number of educational jobs, ranging from a summer spent scraping roadkill off a molten desert highway to years spent conducting research with an amazing team of educators at the University of Arizona.
4 comments:
Loved the interview!!!
Thank you! Much appreciation to Michelle. This was such a fun interview!
Great interview and the book sounds really interesting.... can't wait to read it :D
Thanks for the interview! :)
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