Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Interview with Shonna Slayton, Author of Spindle + Giveaway


Welcome to Shonna Slayton, author of Spindle!

Tell us about the main character. Who is Briar Rose?

Briar Rose is an everyday girl from the 1890s. She’s the daughter of poor Irish immigrants, the oldest sibling, and the one left in charge after her parents die. She’s a girl who had it all worked out until her world fell apart. She doesn’t know it, but she’s on a journey of self-discovery, a shared journey with other girls during her time who learn that they can work together to raise each other up. She lives during the early days of the suffrage movement, working in the cotton mill, and living in the company boarding house. She is a girl who struggles between duty and love. And for her sake, we want love to win out.

Spindle sounds like an interesting twist on Sleeping Beauty. What inspired you during the creation? Did you have a plan before you started writing?

I started with a rough plan by brainstorming the major turning points. This way, I had targets to write toward, but left lots of flexibility to let events to unfold naturally. For historical inspiration, I read the writings of the Lowell mill girls from the mid 1800s to learn what life was like back then living in the boarding houses and working in the mill. These girls were pioneers, and quite well spoken. I hope I did them justice.

What is your favorite fairy tale?

Tangled, Disney’s version of Rapunzel. I was not a fan of the original fairy tale, but how Disney spun it was pure genius. I loved the addition of the lanterns on her birthday to give Rapunzel a dream to chase.

Brothers Grimm/Hans Christian Anderson or Disney? Which do you prefer?

Disney. I prefer the non-gory fairy tales with a Happily Ever After ending (see above question)

What must you have handy for a productive writing session?

Laptop running Scrivener software. If out in public—an ipod. Amaretto latte hot or cold; both are delicious.

If you could visit any fictional place, where would you go?

Oooh. Good question! Wow. The little kid in me is going crazy…which to choose!!?? Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. I’d like a taste of that chocolate river.

What’s your favorite TV show or movie?

Toss up between Anne of Green Gables and The Princess Bride. 


Where can readers find you online?

My website to sign up for my new release newsletter—home base for all upcoming book news and freebies. Twitter for occasional announcements, Facebook if you want to chat, Pinterest for my fairy-tale or history boards, and Instagram for random bookish and vacation photos.


Spindle

Shonna Slayton

Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
Entangled Teen
October 4, 2016


In a world where fairies lurk and curses linger, love can bleed like the prick of a finger
Briar Rose knows her life will never be a fairy tale. She’s raising her siblings on her own, her wages at the spinning mill have been cut, and the boy she thought she had a future with has eyes for someone else. Most days it feels like her best friend, Henry Prince, is the only one in her corner…though with his endless flirty jokes, how can she ever take him seriously?
When a mysterious peddler offers her a “magic” spindle that could make her more money, sneaking it into the mill seems worth the risk. But then one by one, her fellow spinner girls come down with the mysterious sleeping sickness…and Briar’s not immune.
If Briar wants to save the girls—and herself—she’ll have to start believing in fairy tales…and in the power of a prince’s kiss.

Entangled Publishing: http://entangledpublishing.com/spindle/

About the Author

SHONNA SLAYTON writes historical fairy tales for Entangled TEEN. Cinderella's Dress and Cinderella's Shoes, set in the 1940s are out now. Spindle, a Sleeping Beauty inspired tale set in the late 1800s, will be out October 2016.

She finds inspiration in reading vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a lot like teenagers today. When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona.

The best way to keep in touch is by signing up for her monthly newsletter. She sends out behind-the-scenes info you can't read anywhere else. Sign up is on the sidebar of her website Shonna Slayton.

Author Website: http://shonnaslayton.com/
Newsletter: http://shonnaslayton.com/new-release-mailing-list/


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5 comments:

  1. Beauty & the Beast & Briar Rose are favs of mine

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  2. Hey, Kimber Leigh! Thanks so much for hosting a stop on the blog tour! You had one of my most favorite/unusual questions ever with visiting a fictional place :)

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    Replies
    1. My pleasure! It's one of my favorite questions too. I answer it differently depending on my mood.

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  3. Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and by no means seem to get something done.ac

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