Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley - Blog Tour


Welcome to the bonus stop in Lena Coakley's Witchlanders tour! 

I received a copy of Witchlanders for review from Simon & Schuster earlier this summer. Check out my review and summary! Today I'm interviewing Lena Coakley about some of her inspirations and her writing process. 

1. How did you come up with the world of Witchlanders and Baens? Has it been an idea always floating around in your mind?

There is nothing like writing a novel to see what your subconscious is worrying about.  If someone had told me before I started that I’d be writing about religious clashes, drug addiction, and racism, I would have run for the door, but I think a fantasy novel is a great place to explore difficult subjects. 

I wanted to create two opposite sides, Witchlander and Baen, that both had rich and interesting cultures, but that were both far from perfect.  If I’d written a realistic novel about two warring cultures, every reader opening the book would already have a pre-conceived notion about one side or the other.  But no one has a pre-conceived notion about what it means to be a Witchlander or a Baen.  I wanted readers to eventually be able to see both sides of the conflict—and I hope they do!


2. Witchlanders left off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Will it have a sequel or be part of a series? 

I’m honestly not sure.  I haven’t been contracted for a sequel and I think the book stands alone, but it would be really interesting to see what Ryder and Falpian do in the Bitterlands, wouldn’t it?

3. What are some of your favourite fantasy novels? Do you read much YA fantasy?

Fantasy is pretty much all I read!  (But I’m trying to branch out.) My YA must-reads are:
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner
The Kingdom Series, especially The Wings of a Falcon by Cynthia Voigt

I could go on and on!

4. Tell us about your writing process! Do you have a writing desk? Can you only write in the A.M.? 

I don’t want to say that I can ONLY write in the A.M. I think sometimes writers make up these rules for themselves and then they become hard to break.  When I have to, I can write at night, but I certainly prefer to write early in the morning, right after a swim.  I usually get so into it that I skip lunch and end up starving at about 3:00.

I have a desk, but I also have a little HP mini that I can take to coffee shops or to the Toronto Reference Library, where I sometimes write with other authors.  I writing on it right now!

5. Favourite flavour ice-cream? 

Green tea!


About Lena Coakley
Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. In high school, creative writing was the only class she ever failed (nothing was ever good enough to hand in!), but, undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She got interested in young adult literature when she moved to Toronto, Canada, and began working for CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers, where she eventually became the Administrative Director. She is now a full-time writer living in Toronto. Witchlanders is her debut novel. Check her out on Twitter!


Contest

Since I'm one of four secret blog tour stops I don't have a question for the grand prize Kindle giveaway. If you'd like to enter to win please check out my partner Missie at The Unread Reader.

However I will be giving away one copy of Witchlanders! Contest is open to US/Canadian residents only. To enter please leave your name and email address in the comments. Contest closes September 13th at 11:59 PM EST.


Be sure to check out the other tour stops for August & September!

Monday, August 22nd -The Page Turners
Tuesday, August 23rd- The Unread Reader
Wednesday, August 24th - Books Complete Me
Thursday, August 25th - We Fancy Books
Friday, August 26th - Read.Breathe.Relax
Monday, August 29th - EmilieÆs Book World
Tuesday, August 30th - The Mundie MomÆs
Wednesday, August 31st - Enchanted Ink
Thursday, September 1st- Well Read Wife
Friday, September 2nd - A Journey of Books
Monday, September 5th- The Story Siren
Tuesday, September 6th - One A Day Y.A.
Wednesday, September 7th - Reading Angel
Thursday, September 8th - Soul Unsung
Friday, September 9th - Alice MarvelÆs
Tuesday, September 13th: Announcement of the big prize winner on Lena's Site!

55 comments:

  1. This book sounds great!

    mmafsmith at gmail dot com

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  2. Thank you for the giveaway! I should really read more Canadian authors. :)

    Angel
    angelidgcruz[at]gmail[dot]com

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  3. Yay for secret stops! Thanks for the contest!
    booksake(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  4. I am looking forward to reading Witchlanders. So glad the wait is nearly over!!

    rebecca(dot)upjohn(at)gmail(dot)com

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  5. I like the idea of writing to explore our subconscious. I am looking forward to reading the book!

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  6. Thanks for the interview! Very insightful questions.

    Brenna
    everafteresther(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  7. I'm curious to see how you'll blog looks will change =) I guess I'll wait till septtember to find out ;)
    Witchlanders sounds so interesting! Thanks for taking part of the tour and hosting the giveaway!! ^_^

    GFC Follower: SpadesHighReads
    TValeros18 AT gmail DOT com

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  8. I've really been looking forward to this book ^.^

    snifflykitty@gmail.com

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  9. I've never heard of green tea ice cream! I'm so DYING to read this book!!!

    Bookish Brunette
    thebookishbrunette@gmail.com

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  10. I've heard of green tea, but haven't tried it. I'm sure it wouldn't replace my beloved Breyer's chocolate chip mint ice cream.

    Good luck with the tour!

    acm05atjuno.com

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  11. Thanks for hosting Lena today! I loved this interview and now I truly have to try Green Tea Ice Cream! :))

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  12. I can't believe so many people haven't tried green tea ice cream. You are really missing something! Thanks so much, everybody, for dropping by and commenting today. And thanks so, so much, Laura, for having me on your blog!

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  13. Green Tea ice-cream? Strange. Now, Red Velvet ice-cream... YUM!

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  14. Great interview! Thanks for the giveaway!

    simplymeabookaddict@gmail.com

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  15. I've heard of green tea ice cream. They serve it in all the Japanese steak houses here. I'm usually too stuffed to have dessert. And it's not something I can get at Ben and Jerry's (I don't think).
    I'd love to win a copy of Witchlander's. Thanks for sharing yourself with us!

    Heather
    hrose2931(at)gmail(dot)com

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  16. Thanks for the interview and giveaway.

    geoarchs(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. Hey laura,

    I just got this comment on my blog, so I'm copy/pasting it over:

    joannie has left a new comment on your post "When I'm Not Writing featuring author Lena Coakley...":

    Hi just wanted to let you know that i can't leave a posr at the Witchlander Tour at your Friends site. The Zealous Reader and i can't seem to leave her a message maybe you can. I tried 6 times different ways. Thanks Joannie jscddmj at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you for the interesting interview and super secret giveaway opportunity. I would love to read Witchlanders.

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

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  19. Please enter me in the draw!

    My email address is darlenesbooknook at gmail dot com.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  20. WooHoo!
    Christina Manning
    thebooklovie@gmail.com

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  21. Sounds great!

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  22. yay, thanks for the giveaway! i adore this book's cover<3

    email id: aleeza876(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  23. I hope there is a sequel! The story does stand well on its own, but I want to find out more about the world and characters. I want to see things from the other side. :)

    Thank you for the giveaway!
    imagesandwords at optonline dot net

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  24. The book sounds great! I would LOVE to get a chance to read it!

    andralynn7@gmail.com

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  25. She likes a lot of the same books I do. :) Would love to read this one.

    dragonzgoil at gmail dot com

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  26. I love the sound of this book. I can’t wait to read it.

    hootowl1978 at gmail dot com

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  27. What a great interview! I will have to check out this book. New follower!

    Tia @ Falling For Books

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  28. WOW Green Tea ice cream? I have not heard of this but I love green tea!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Darkfallen, aka Kaycee.
    parnormalwasteland@gmail.com

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  29. Thanks for the interview and the chance to win!!

    GFC Michele Luker

    jmluker at winco dot net

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  30. I've never heard of Green Tea ice cream.

    lordreblik(at)gmail(dot)com

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  31. I would love to enter the Witchlanders world.

    carmenferreiro(at)aol(com)

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  32. Thanks for the bonus post stop!

    ~Na
    Cambonified {at} yahoo {dot} com

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  33. New Follower (: I hope you had fun being on tour with this book! It looks really good! I was also browsing through your Canadian Lit page, and I saw a book "Waiting for No One" And I've read that! And reviewed it on my blog a couple months ago. That is an amazing book that I'm in love with <3
    Magic is in Words

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  34. I would love to subscribe by email but cannot find the link. Perhaps, I need another cup of coffee. lol
    dorcontest at gmail dot com
    doreen riopel

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  35. I really want to read this! Thanks for the chance.

    truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom

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  36. I was able to start this book from the Galley Grab, but it expired before I could finish! Would love to be able to carry on with my reading :-)

    contact [at] bibliosaurustext [dot] com

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  37. This book sounds really really good! <3 :D
    Thanks for this chance to win! :D

    peachandblue2(at)aol(dot)com

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  38. This book sounds intriguing, I would love to win a copy.

    lovetoread205 [at] gmail [dot] com

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  39. I really can't wait to read this! It sounds great.

    musicalfrog at comcast dot net

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  40. Katherine :)
    katherineb06(at)gmail(dot)com

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  41. Thanks so much for the giveaway! :)

    Susan @ A Soul Unsung
    Tweet Me!
    susanhaugland@att.net

    ReplyDelete
  42. I love secrets...even more when they involve book giveaway! Thanks :)
    mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

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  43. Awesome! Thanks so much!!

    Ashley Suzanne!
    ashleysbookshelf at gmail dot com

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  44. I just read your book on Pulse It! It was amazing!
    Leah Murff
    murffleah@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  45. This book is sounding more and more interesting with every stop I make it to.

    JesiMarie
    jesi.m.miller(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hi Admin,
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  47. I just started to read this book after getting inspiration from here.I am too much enjoying this.
    Franchises

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  48. Very nice post! I like this...Keep it up! Accepting for sharing! Activity Adjustable Apps and Beyond
    Rinoplasti

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  49. Yeah, I really think a good edit would fix SO MUCH here. But even if that doesn't happen for this book, perhaps the next?

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