Welcome Laurie Faria Stolarz to my Fan Group and get a chance to win a prize!

GO TO THE Q&A HERE!

I'm SO EXCITED to welcome the AMAZING author, Laurie Faria Stolarz, author of Deadly Little Secret (Touch series), to the David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite group on Goodreads!


Not only is Laurie Faria Stolarz going to be around from Jan 27 to 30 to answer ALL your questions for her, but she's generously donating TWO books for a giveaway, a paperback of Deadly Little Secret and a paperback of Deadly Little (U.S. only). Here are the two books you have the chance to win:

 

So how do you enter the giveaway? Simply go to the Q&A discussion thread in my Goodreads fan group HERE and ask a question to Laurie Faria Stolarz. It's that simple! So think up some fun questions for Laurie and I hope you win the prize!!


Have fun and I can't wait to see all your questions :)


Note: You must be a member of the group before you can ask a question--Goodreads rules, not mine.

The Book that Changed My Life

Originally posted on Book Gift Guide 2013

I read The Hunger Games and it made me want to read more dystopian novels. I read Divergent and it made me want to write dystopian novels. And then I wrote The Moon Dwellers and it changed my life.

When I started writing The Moon Dwellers while holding down a fulltime day job as an operational risk officer at an investment manager, I never would’ve guessed it would turn into a 7-book series with thousands of sales and fans. Not in a million years would I have guessed it would be listed on Buzzfeed as one of “15 Series to Read if you Enjoyed The Hunger Games,” alongside bestselling series such as The Mortal Instruments, Divergent, and Delirium. And if you told me that 18 months later it would be compared to Divergent in The Book Gift Guide 2013, I would have said you were crazy.

But life’s funny that way. It throws you curves when you expect it to be straight—and is like an arrow when, from a distance, it looks all twisty. That’s what keeps it interesting.

So here I am, almost two years after finishing my first draft of The Moon Dwellers, shaking my head and pinching myself. I’m an agented full time writer of YA and Children’s novels travelling the world. I sometimes wonder if I’ll wake up from an exceptionally vivid (and long) dream. I think I’d cry on the way into the city, completely unready to take my place back in my tiny cubicle.

So where did The Moon Dwellers come from? Was it the result of a strange dream about people living underground or did I simply watch one too many episodes of Fraggle Rock growing up? Honestly, I have a terrible memory, and I can never seem to pinpoint the exact moment that the idea popped in my brain, but I do remember cocking my head and thinking “Hmm…interesting.” I thought about it during meetings, during my commute to and from work, and in the shower, and as I did I got more and more excited at the potential. There are so many dystopian novels out there, but one thing they almost always have in common is that they’re set aboveground for most, if not all, of the story. So I went deeper, deeper, deeper…underground.

It’s hundreds of years in the future and the citizens of the United States have been forced underground due to the earth’s surface being deemed “uninhabitable.” Living conditions are harsh for the lower classes and plush for the upper classes. Rebellion is stirring. And at the center of everything is a middle class girl, Adele, whose parents have been arrested for treason, and the upper class son of the president, Tristan, who’s quickly learning of the inequalities of the world he’s destined to govern over.

The Tri-Realm’s are about to explode in violence; and in this world there’s only one truth: Someone must die.

Honestly, I’m just thankful that I had the inspiration to write the book, and the motivation to see it through for six sequels. I’m even more thankful for the thousands of people who have given The Moon Dwellers a chance and written the most moving reviews and messages I’ve ever read. You are my inspiration every day of my life. And to my future readers, I hope you enjoy the world and story I’ve created!

 

Happy reading!

 

Romance and Dystopia

Originally posted on Boricuan Bookworms

I write dystopian novels. I write dystopian novels with romance. Does that make you cringe or make you smile? I’ve heard a million opinions on the matter, some who say dystopian novels should be completely free of romance, because “Who’s thinking about love when the world is crumbling around them?” Others say romance is important in all settings: it’s what gives people hope, something to live for, and perhaps something to die for.

In the explosion of dystopian novels, we’ve seen all kinds of romance. Some series, like Chaos Walking and Gone, have just a touch of romance set amongst harsh worlds where people do terrible things. But romance is far from the focal point. Others, like Delirium and Matched, put romance and love triangles at the forefront of the story, making it every bit as important and captivating as the plot and world building. All four of these series are popular. So which authors made the right decisions? Or did they all choose right, in their own way?

Well, I’m sort of in the middle, which I’ve tried to reflect in my combined Dwellers/Country Saga (7 books, starting with The Moon Dwellers and Fire Country in each series). I personally believe that humans will find a way to love, even in the darkest, most corrupt worlds, but that doesn’t mean they’ll obsess over “the way the sun hits Simon’s sparkling blue eyes even as he swings his sword at the demon-zombie.” I believe there has to be a balance and that the “romance” needs to take a back seat to the more important aspects of dystopian novels.

So what are those aspects? In my opinion, dystopia should be more focused on 1) world building, 2) plot, 3) character development (villains in particular), and 4) twists. Those are the elements, which, if done well, make for a good dystopian novel. So that’s what I focus on in my dystopian novels. However, I do include a touch of romance in each of my novels, because, well, because my characters are only human and they have the need to be close to others, to care, to grab hold of their feelings and clutch them to their chests and never—not ever—let go. They fight for those they love. Love gives them purpose, gives them strength, and sometimes, gives them terrible sorrow.

For me the key is realism. The love should feel real, natural, not forced, not included just for the sake of including romance. That either means it needs to develop slowly over time, or be there from the start because the characters have a long and powerful history. In Fire Country, for example, the protagonist, Siena, and her best friend, Circ, have known each other their whole lives. Although they aren’t been romantically involved at the beginning of the novel, their bond and connection has been growing for years. It’s time to take the next step...but only after they go through the harsh trials that their world requires. But…and this is a big BUT…the romance NEVER gets in the way of the story, never BECOMES the story, never takes precedent over building the world. It simply exists amongst the threads of the story’s fabric. And for me that’s what makes it real.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Probably neither. I’m just one opinion amongst thousands. So what’s your opinion? Do you love romance in dystopian novels? Hate it? Are you indifferent? I’d love to hear your thoughts by commenting below, and I hope you enjoy my dystopian novels as much as your other favorites!

Happy reading!