Interview with Christi J. Whitney, Author of Shadow + Giveaway

Welcome to Christi J. Whitney, author of The Romany Outcasts trilogy! She was kind enough to join us today to answer a few questions about her writing and herself.

Tell us about the main character. Who is Sebastian Grey?

 At the beginning of the story, Sebastian thinks of himself as a fairly average teen – a little awkward, perhaps, with a sardonic personality and a great group of friends. He lives with his foster brother, tattoo artist Hugo Corsi. Sebastian has never really cared about his past, choosing instead to focus on his plans to go to work for his brother after high school. But everything changes when he discovers his brother is part of a secret clan of Outcast Gypsies. Suddenly, strange things begin to happen to Sebastian, and he struggles to figure out what’s going on.

I love that you write from the male point of view. What’s it like for a female author writing from the male perspective?

The decision to write from Sebastian’s point of view felt natural to me – maybe because I have boys or because the character reminded me so much of some of my students when I taught high school. Mainly, I think, it was just the way the story needed to be told. I share a lot in common with Sebastian, so getting into his head was actually pretty easy.

What are some interesting things you learned while writing/researching The Romany Outcasts Trilogy?

 I spent a lot of time researching Roma culture for my series. I wanted to create my own fictional world of Gypsies, but at the same time, I also wanted to be respectful and to present my characters in a way that felt both real and believable. I found the culture to be so rich, with great importance placed on tradition, and I really loved that.

When can we expect the third installment?

I currently writing book three now, and HarperVoyager has a tentative release date of early 2017, so we’ll see what happens!

If you could visit anyplace in the world (cost is no object), where would you go?

 Oh, hands down, I would go back to London. It’s just my favourite city. And since cost is no object, let’s say all of the UK and Ireland. That would be fantastic. I also would really love to visit New Zealand, but we’ll stick with my first answer!

What’s your favorite TV show or movie? Your Netflix addiction?

Wow, that’s a tough one to narrow down. Doctor Who will always be at the top of my list. I tend to watch a lot of fantasy and sci-fi. My all-time favourite movie is The Princess Bride. My Netflix addictions vary. I recently finished Daredevil, and now I’m juggling watching Dark Matter by myself and How to Train Your Dragon: Race to the Edge with my boys.

What is your favorite fairy tale, myth, or fable?

The story of Beauty and the Beast has always held a very special place in my heart, and I love reading and watching different retellings of the story. I actually wrote The Romany Outcasts Series to be a little bit of my own take on the tale.

Where can readers find you online?

I definitely use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, but I also use Tumblr and Pinterest for my fangirling and geeking out.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/christiwhitney

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christijwhitney/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Christi-J-Whitney-220577227350/

Tumblr:  http://theatrepirate.tumblr.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/christijwhitney/

Shadow
The Romany Outcasts #2

Christi J. Whitney

YA Urban Fantasy
HarperVoyager
June 2, 2016

Goodreads   

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD

The second volume in this incredible YA trilogy.

Sebastian Grey used to be a normal teenager.

Now he’s become a creature whose sole purpose is to act as guardian for secretive gypsy clans.

When the Romany gypsies claim Sebastian as their guardian, he is given a second chance to protect Josephine Romany, the girl he thought he might never see again.

But Sebastian is having his own problems. His transformation is still ongoing, and not everyone trusts the new gargoyle within their clan.

Then a tragedy pushes him to make choices to fulfil his duty, choices that might cost him everything.

Book One

Can you still love with a heart of stone?

Sebastian Grey always thought he was a fairly normal teenager – good friends, decent grades and a pretty sweet job in his foster brother’s tattoo shop.

  

But when Romany gypsies arrive in town, Sebastian discovers that his world is not what it seems. There is an age-old feud between his family and the gypsies – and this isn’t the only secret his brother has been keeping from him. His life is not his own. The girl he’s been dreaming about has just turned up at school, and he feels compelled to protect her at all costs.

  

Even if that means life might never be normal again.

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26115230-grey

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

About the Author

Christi J. Whitney is the author of The Romany Outcasts Series (HarperCollins/HarperVoyagerUK).

She's a former high school theatre director with a love for the dramatic. Christi lives just outside of Atlanta with her husband and two sons.

When not spending time with them or taking a ridiculous number of trips to Disney World, she is usually directing plays, geeking out over Doctor Who, making costumes for sci-fi/fantasy conventions, watching superhero movies, or pretending she's a tad bit British.

Connect with her on Twitter @ChristiWhitney 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest |Goodreads

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