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Author/Character Interview – Eleanor Wood/Sorana Salem
Yesterday I reviewed Gemini Rising by Eleanor Wood – today I get to interview both Eleanor and her main character from Gemini Rising – Sorana Salem
Eleanor
Thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions and to bring your main character from Gemini Rising, Sorana Salem along for the ride.
Gemini Rising has been published as an eBook by Carina UK, a new digital imprint of Harlequin UK. What made you go for digital and how did the process of submission to publication work for you?
It was more of a natural process than a conscious decision – my agent sent the manuscript out to a few editors, and the one who was most enthusiastic about it in the end was Anna at Harlequin. We went to their offices to meet her and found that we had very similar ideas about the book. It seemed like a good fit and I’ve been delighted with the process so far (I especially love my cover!); it’ll be interesting to see what happens with the digital side of things.
Which character in your book do you want to know more about?
I love that question! I’ve tried really hard to make every single supporting character a ‘proper’ person, and I have lots of backstories and information on them that I haven’t used in the book. I love Sorana’s mum, Lucy, and I’m interested in her wild-child past! I also have a lot of time for Nathalie and think she has hidden depths that nobody bothers to investigate. And of course Mel is so mysterious and still fascinating to me.
Did you have to fight to keep the pop culture references (e.g. to the Craft, Heathers) in the book? How important was it to acknowledge your inspiration in this way?
Luckily I didn’t have to fight for them – but I would have if necessary, because they are all really important to me. Throughout the story, music, books and films have a big effect on Sorana, and I think that was really crucial to her character. I loved writing the scene with the little nod to The Craft and Heathers – obviously they were a massive influence and it just felt like a sneaky little wink.
Why do you write?
I don’t know; I just always have! I am constantly writing, all sorts of things. I’m not being flippant when I say I think I have some sort of hypergraphia. I think I would genuinely find it impossible not to do it. Because it’s such a natural thing for me, I actually can’t really understand people who don’t write! I’m really evangelical about it – I am constantly trying to get all my friends to write books. You know, just because why wouldn’t they?
What are you working on now? (I read over here http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/review-gemini-rising-by-eleanor-wood.html that you have considered writing more about Gemini Rising – I’d love to see what happened at the twins old school – from Melanie’s perspective – and maybe something after the events of the current story too).
I really like those ideas! I am working on another Gemini Rising story, told from the point of view of other characters. I’ve also got some ideas for new novels brewing, some more similar to this one than others. Also, I would love to write a memoir and have been working on some ideas for that.
What advice would you give regarding editing? I found the first draft process quite comfortable but I’m stuck on how to take my story forward into completion.
I’m so sorry I can’t be more help – but I am exactly the same! I love letting it all out and getting everything down, but then editing is my least favourite part of the process. Gemini Rising had to go through a lot of editing and it was pretty painful! I try to cheer myself up with that old saying ‘you can’t edit a blank page’ – at least you’ve got something. If I have any advice, it’s to know that sometimes you’ve got to rip it up and start again – it’s easy to get too attached to things that you don’t actually need. I’ve had to learn to be less sentimental.
Earth, Air, Fire or Water?
I’m a real-life Gemini, so I have to say air!
Sorana
Sorana, I love your name, can you tell me more about its origins?
Thanks! Well, officially it’s of Romanian origin and means ‘beautiful aurora’… In reality, back in her wild days, my mum met a shaman called Sorana at Glastonbury festival in the 90s and always liked the name after that!
What name, given to you by bullies, hurts you most and why?
Amie Bellairs and her friends used to call me ‘Skeletor’ – it might not sound like that big a deal, but something like that wears you down. It makes you so paranoid, but there’s nothing you can do to change yourself.
I have to admit to being more like Nathalie, and refusing to take part when my friends wanted to try a Ouija board at school. What did you expect to happen?
It’s such a weird combination – I didn’t really think anything would happen, but I was still scared. To be honest, I was not scared so much of spirits and the supernatural – but I was scared of that energy in the room and what kind of stuff might come out from my friends themselves.
How do you think the experiences with the twins have affected you – positively and negatively?
It sounds bad to say it, because the after-effects have been so serious and I wish that so much of it had never happened – but I feel like some of the changes for me personally have been positive in the end. I feel much more confident and like I can just be myself – I don’t care what anybody things of me anymore. However, having said that, if I could go back and change it all, of course I would.
You were shocked by what you read in Melanie’s diary – what part of your diary would you not want someone to read?
All of it – it’s so embarrassing! Especially the bits about boys – pages and pages of bad poetry about Jago and Vincent August. Actually, I’d be most embarrassed if anyone read some of the stuff from ages ago when I still had a crush on Josh – it’s such an embarrassment that I ever felt that way about him!
What advice would you give your sister Daisy about friendships?
I would tell her: never try to be something you’re not. Not that she would listen to me!
Jago or Vincent August?
Oh my god, that’s such a hard question! Obviously I love Vincent August and I always will, but I’m going to say Jago because at least he’s actually a real person. You know what I mean!
Earth, Air, Fire or Water?
These days, water – I’d rather put fires out than start them!
Great answers from both of you there, now I want to know more about Sorana’s mum Lucy too and I don’t get why people wouldn’t want to write either. Eleanor if you ever want a beta reader for your other Gemini Rising stories let me know ;o)
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Gemini Rising – Book Review
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In ‘Gemini Rising’ Sorana Salem’s life is changed forever when two twins, Elyse and Melanie, join her all girls school. Sorana’s existing friends Shimmi and Nathalie have different reactions to the twins and Sorana is surprised and delighted when the twins choose to spend time with her over the popular crowd, whose leader Amie’s reaction to this is rather unusual.
This book is very much influenced by the film The Craft (one of my all time favourites – see a Pinterest board of Eleanor’s other inspirations here) but with the action taking place in the UK. There is also less focus on actual magic and more on the intensity of female relationships at that age. This is a contemporary story not a supernatural one.
It reminded me very much of my school experience where friends wanted to try a Ouija board in a mobile classroom – I didn’t take part – they freak me out. There are a number of spooky scenes in the book which raise the heartbeat, many taking place in the dark by a river.
Sorana, the author admits, is a little whiney but she’s still likeable. I wasn’t always sure why she didn’t back away after some of Elyse’s behaviour but that’s peer pressure for you. Sorana’s mum recognises and is exasperated by the fact her eldest daughter is putting friends before herself and her family. Familiar arguments in houses of teens everywhere.
Boys do exist in ‘Gemini Rising’, but they aren’t the main focus, instead highlighting the different personalities of the main group of girls. There is some bad behaviour from all concerned and a scene with Shimmi highlights the vulnerability girls can experience when they don’t look out for each other (Americans’ idea of a sober sister is a sound one).
The prologue does hint at what is to come but the ending might not quite be the one you are expecting.
What stopped me giving it 5 stars – I simply wanted to know more, I think reading series has spoilt me in terms of detail. I’m very happy to hear the author may be considering writing more set in this world. If I’m honest the fact that there wasn’t the supernatural element went against my expectations but I’m looking forward to a future re-read now I know fully what to expect.
Thanks to Carina and NetGalley for the eCopy – review is my own honest opinion.
I hope to interview Eleanor Wood and Sorana Salem soon.
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Finding out about Booktrust and Rosi Crawley
If you can remember a few weeks ago I wrote about the Get Dads Reading campaign by the charity Booktrust (logo provided by Rosi below). Because I wasn’t very familiar with the charity (awful I know) I asked their new press officer Rosi Crawley if I could interview her about her new job (Rosi previously worked in publishing at HarperCollins and was very lovely and gave me some ARCs of books – to further my love of reading even more).
Hi Rosi – hope you’ve settled in. Can you tell me what a ‘typical’ work day is like for you?
This question is actually much easier to answer now than when I was in publishing! I have much more of a routine now – I arrive at Book House where we all work in Wandsworth and take a look at my emails, checking all the news bulletins I receive first thing and scanning the online news sites for any relevant books or education news stories. We’re a reactive PR team so we do try and provide comment when news comes up that relates to education, literacy, libraries etc. We either use our lovely CEO Viv Bird to provide comment or often the children’s laureate will have opinions on the matter.
There’s a very kind man called Ron who is in his 80s and comes in every morning to read through all the papers. He marks up anything relevant and once he’s done that, either myself or my manager will read through and then we’ll regale each other with the most interesting news of that day.
The rest of the day is spent working on press releases, contacting authors and celebrities to work as spokespeople, and pitching PR around the awards we administer (which includes the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, Sunday Times Short Story Award, Roald Dahl Funny Prize and Blue Peter Book Award). Soon I’ll also be spending a lot more time working on the announcement of the new Laureate in June, which will start to take up a lot of my time, and I’m very excited!
And how does what you do fit in with Booktrust’s aims?
More than ever Booktrust really needs PR support – with Government funding looking less stable, we have to ensure we keep the charity funded from as many sources as possible. Among many other things, we give away books to every baby in England each year through the Bookstart scheme, as well as every 4-5 year old in reception through Booktime. The whole aim is to keep that completely free to ensure every child in the country owns a book and that can only be done if we keep fundraising. Knowing that there are children in this country who don’t own a single book is unacceptable to me – it’s a level of deprivation we simply shouldn’t allow. By promoting Booktrust to the world as much as possible, hopefully we’re raising awareness of the organization with the public, but also with the government and those in command of the purse strings!
Other than the Get Dads Reading Campaign are there any other campaigns that we should know about?
This year we launched the Children’s Reading Fund – this is a public facing fundraising campaign, where the money raised will go specifically towards helping deprived and disadvantaged children and those in care. Before I started, I read a really shocking statistic that children in care are more likely to go to prison than to university. Through schemes like the Letterbox Club, where Booktrust sends book parcels to children in care, we hope we can encourage reading through that ever-exciting moment of receiving post addressed to you. The idea is to “Change the Story” and turn around children’s lives through reading. I really strongly believe that grasping a love of reading can change your whole life and hopefully we can do this with the CRF.
What if people want to get involved in supporting Booktrust’s work – what can they do?
There’s a page on the Booktrust site about how to support us – just £4 a month could mean seven disable children receiving specially tailored book packs to help them get ahead in their literacy. Or if you’re running a marathon, holding a bake sale, any fundraising of any kind is vital and hugely appreciated!
I couldn’t let Rosi go without finding out a little more about her.
Who is your go to author – someone whose books you’ll always read?
When I was younger I read absolutely everything by Jacqueline Wilson and could probably settle down with her books quite easily still today! But the one person I will always stump up for a shiny hardback for these days is Patrick Ness – I was blown away by the Chaos Walking books and am thrilled he has two new books coming this year – I’m reading The Crane Wife at the moment and it’s gorgeous!
Top recommended book?
Probably A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – a bit predictable as it DID win both the Carnegie and Greenaway medals in the same year and is pretty universally adored by all children’s book people, but it is THAT good. The other favourite in recent years for me was Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough. Absolutely terrifying and fantastically written by the nicest lady you could ever meet!
When you are not working or reading you like…
I have a real obsession with watching movie trailers. Seeing the trailers always was one of my favourite things about going to the cinema and when I discovered you could watch them all online I found my dream activity!! I love film watching in general, the more explodey/action packed, the better. If I’m not watching trailers/movies/reading/writing then I’m probably eating some kind of cake.
If you want to ask me anything about Booktrust then just drop me an email at rosi.crawley@booktrust.org.uk
Rosi with books – no surprise there then ;o) (Image provided by her)
I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Rosi for taking time to answer my questions. I think that the work of Booktrust is very important and I love the idea of Ron’s daily task. I’ve now also got more books to add to the to read list having never read Rosi’s recommended reads. I’m excited to find out who the new Children’s Laureate is too – I wonder if I offered Rosi cake…
What do you think of Booktrust’s aims?
What strategies can we all employ to inspire a love of books?
kirstyes 