Character/Author Interview + Giveaway: Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Please welcome debut author C.J. Redwine to the blog today.  C.J. is the VERY talented author of Defiance (August, Harper Teen), the first novel in a new YA fantasy trilogy.  I recently had the chance to read an ARC of Defiance, and I loved every page of it.  It's fast-paced with a fascinating society, believable characters that WILL tug at your heart-strings, and a beautiful romance that I just wanted to sink into.

I'm so excited for y'all to read this book, so today I have a short character interview with Rachel and Logan, C.J's main characters, and a short author interview with this amazingly talented lady.  Then there's a giveaway of my ARC, plus the chance to win some awesome signed Defiance bookmarks! Please check out both interviews, and make sure to add Defiance to your TBR if you haven't already.  I laughed, cried, swooned, raged, despaired, swooned again...and fell IN LOVE with this YA fantasy.  I AM BEREFT that I am finished with it.  Plus, C.J. is so friendly to talk to, and funny, and I will definitely be buying a finished copy of Defiance. 

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan--the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

C.J. Redwine loves stilettos, lemon bars, and any movie starring Johnny Depp. She lives in Nashville with her husband, four kids, two cats, and one long-suffering dog. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/

Connect with C.J. online:  Website | Twitter | Facebook

 Character Interview

{ 1 } What is the best advice you were ever given?

Rachel: My best advice always came from Oliver (my surrogate grandfather) and my dad. Oliver once told me that hope is precious, and I should hang on to it. Sometimes life rips hope away from us, and it's hard to follow his advice, but I know he's right. My dad always told me to keep a loose grip on my weapon and aim for the arteries. I've used his advice even more often than I've used Oliver's.

Logan: Oliver always gave me the best advice, too. When I was young, he told me that to earn the respect of others, I first had to earn respect from myself. That helped drive the choices I made as I grew up. But lately, the piece of advice that I wish I'd heeded was the time he told me never to underestimate Rachel. And never to let her out of my sight. And never to spar with her unless ... well, never to  spar with her. Period.

Rachel: *sounding smug* He didn't want your ego to suffer at the hands of a girl.

Logan: Or he loves you too much to want to see me teach you a thing or two.

Rachel: Bring it, tech head.

Logan: *grins* As soon as this interview is over, you're mine.


{ 2 } If you had to leave home with only three possessions, what would they be, and why?
Rachel: My bow and arrows so I can hunt for food, my Switch so I can defend myself against enemies, and my cloak so I'm protected from the elements.

Logan: I'd bring my sword for protection and hunting, a bag of tech supplies so I can invent anything I need, and my mother's necklace because it's all I have left of her.

{ 3 } What is the one dream or wish you've never told anyone?

Rachel: When I was little, I once wished that my dad and I could leave Baalboden and start our own city-state somewhere else. I also dreamed of never having to wear a dress again.

Logan: That would be a shame.

Rachel: Are you serious? Do you have any idea how hard it would be to defend yourself in battle when you have all that shiny, useles fabric tripping your legs while the stays in the back are laced so tight you can barely breathe without worrying you're going to pop right out of the thing? It's a ridiculously impractical garment.

Logan: I can think of several interesting uses for one.

Rachel: *laughs* Yes, if you put me in a dress, maybe you have a chance of beating me in sparring practice.

Logan: We can test that theory when we're done here.

Rachel: Oh, please. One wrong move and that dress would be history.

Logan: Really? *smiles*

Rachel: *blushes and looks at the floor* Aren't you supposed to share a wish you haven't told anyone?

Logan: I think I'll keep my current wishes to myself.

{ 4 } What is your favorite, and least favorite thing about each other?

Rachel: My favorite thing about Logan is his determination. Once he's decided to do something, nothing stands in his way. If something does try to get in his way, he's prepared for it because he's spent forever thinking through every possible scenario and has a back-up plan or twelve.

Logan: So you love my determination but don't like the way I go after my goals?

Rachel: I don't think you're supposed to critique my answer.

Logan: I don't think you answered my question.

Rachel: *glares and says nothing*

Logan: My favorite thing about Rachel is her courage. And her loyalty to those she loves. And her red hair.

Rachel: You're only supposed to pick one thing! Plus you didn't say your least favorite thing about me.

Logan: And since you're currently carrying a weapon, that's another thought I'll be keeping to myself.

Author Interview

{ 1 } What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Wow. No one's ever asked me that before, and I honestly don't know what to say. I love the first date butterflies when a promising new idea/character waltzs into my head. And of course, I love the honeymoon period after I finish the last sentence and before I reread it and realize how much I need to revise. :) I even love writing the middle and the end. But the beginnings? You can have the beginnings. Ugh.

{ 2 } Is there any one particular memory you associate with writing DEFIANCE?

Well, there was the time Beth Revis tried to kill me with Nutella while I was writing the end. You can find that story on my blog by searching Beth Revis. Or Death. Or any combination thereof. But an even stronger memory is how deep I had to dig emotionally for one of the pivotal scenes in the first third. It's a scene where Rachel breaks inside, and after I wrote it, I couldn't write another word for three days. I had to recover.

{ 3 } In DEFIANCE, there is a very male dominated society.  What made you structure your world that way?

Honestly, everything in the story is character-driven, including the world. The particular city-state that Rachel lives in is ruled by the Commander, and so it is a male dominated society because he is a misogynistic douche. (Can I say douche in an interview? Twice?) Other city-states have very different cultures because the culture is determined by the leadership. Once the Commander became a fully formed character in my mind, I understood what he would and would not tolerate from his citizens, and the rules and culture of Baalboden took shape.

{ 4 } DEFIANCE is told in dual narratives, between Rachel and Logan.  Do you have a preference of which one of them you like to write for?
 
Rachel is easier for me because I can identify with her faster than I can identify with Logan, but I love the way Logan's mind works (and the fact that he tries so hard to be honorable), so I guess I don't have a preference.

{ 5 } Knowing what you know now about the journey you went on while writing DEFIANCE, is there any one thing you would tell yourself upon starting the book, any one piece of advice you'd give?

Don't read emails from Beth Revis until you finish the book! Also, don't worry so much about the beginning. You're going to have to rewrite it five times no matter what. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway