Brodi Ashton writes Young Adult novels. She eats cinnamon bears. She love herself some Diet Coke. Her debut book EVERNEATH (the first in a trilogy) comes out in early 2012 with Balzer and Bray (Harper Collins). She is represented by Michael Bourret at Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.
Everneath totally blew me away with the emotion permeating the story, and I can't wait to see what Ashton does in future books. Apparently, you guys loved it too (or couldn't wait to love it), because last month I asked about everyone's most anticipated January release and you answered Everneath! So congratulations to Brodi Ashton for winning 2012's first Bloggers' Choice Award!
Brodi was awesome enough to answer some of my questions and provide a nice surprise! So without further ado, please give a warm welcome to Brodi Ashton!
Out of about ten novels up for the voting, Everneath won out among all of them. How does it feel to win the first Bloggers' Choice award of the year? A. Wonderful!!! I rarely win things, so this is so exciting!
Everneath is about a girl named Nikki, who has just recently escaped the clutches of the underworld but is being forced to go back after her six month reprieve on the Surface. Everneath definitely seems to be a play on the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, but from what I’ve gathered there is no love for the enigmatic immortal, Cole, whose intent is to drag Nikki back to be with him. What can you tell us about this story that we don’t already know? What was the inspiration for this story? A. Everneath started with one scene in my head, about a girl who's come back to her high school after a long mysterious absence. Rumors of where she’s been are circulating, but all she cares about is finding the boy she left behind. This scene was actually inspired by real events in my life, but I used mythology to tell the rest of the story.
I’ve found that it’s totally unfair that I have yet to catch the attention of TWO beautiful guys! Have you ever been the object of two guys’ desires at the same time? Just to be sure, is there a love triangle here? A. No. Two guys fighting over me is a completely foreign concept.
I never really thought of it as a love triangle, because Nikki only loves one guy. It’s not a spoiler to say that either. The conflict in EVERNEATH comes from Nikki and Jack not being able to be together. It doesn’t come from Nikki not being able to choose between two guys, which is what I consider a love triangle to be. Also, we don’t know if what Cole feels for Nikki can be considered love. :)
After reading the book, I don't really feel like there's a love triangle either.
Does Nikki have any quirky qualities or fun hobbies that you’d care to share?
A. She knits like crazy, because she needs to keep her hands busy.
She loves to play poker. Jack taught her, and it calms her.
She has a new obsession with mythology.
I could always use another book boyfriend to add to the lists. (And I did.) What are some aspects of Jack that might make fans (ME!) melt… at least a little? What makes he and Nikki so compatible and happy together? A. Nikki and Jack are unique because they’ve known each other for years and they have a connection that goes beyond each of their little crushes on other people along the way. But Jack has a reputation, and he is never sure he really deserves Nikki, so he avoids his feelings for a very long time. By the time they do get together, they know each other’s souls. Okay, that sounds way too sweet, but it’s true!
The cover is just… ensnaring, gorgeous! I love the dress! As well as the way it swells and swirls, and the way it tumbles into what looks like smoke. It appears as if the girl on the cover is being sucked away. How closely does the cover relate to the story on the pages of Everneath? What was your knee-jerk reaction to it? A. My knee-jerk reaction is that I finally experienced love at first sight for myself! As far as representing the book, the swirling smoke gathering around Nikki is practically an exact illustration of a scene toward the end.
It is!!!
What was the toughest, you-were-so-ready-to-burst-into-tears part of the book you had to write? The part that went the most smoothly? A. Toughest: The scenes with Cole. It was so hard to find the right balance between complete loathing for a character, and yet sympathy for him too.
Smoothest: Yeah, the scenes with Jack.
Finally, looking over the candidates for next month’s Blogger’s Choice Award (the choices: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin, Article 5 by Kristen Simmons, Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, Harbinger by Sara Etienne, In Too Deep by Amanda Grace, Wings of the Wicked by Courtney A. Moulton, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen, A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton, Fever by Lauren DeStefano, and The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg), what are some of your picks for February’s winner? A. Oh wow. I’ve only read one of those, and that was UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi. I loved that book! But I would love to get my hands on any of those other books!
Thank you so much for everything, Brodi! And Brodi is so awesome, she's offering up a copy of her book, some bookmarks, and temporary tattoos in the giveaway below! Also, be sure to read my review for the book.
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...
Official Giveaway Info:
- you do NOT have to be a follower
- there are extra entries available
- all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
- giveaway deadline is February 27, 2012
- giveaway is open to US only*
- read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice
13 comments:
"By the time they do get together, they know each other’s souls" - TOO SWEET!!! <3
I love this interview! Given that I'm one of her newly acquired fangirls, it's understandable that I am swooning over everything she writes, whether it's about knitting of this beautiful boy named Jack :D And I LOVE how the cover matches that particular scene - STUNNING!
I LOVE THIS INTERVIEW!!!! SO awesome. Makes me even dying to read the book! Awesome interview, Asher! ♥ Thank you for sharing this with us! :)
Celine @ Forget-me-not
YAY BRODI AND EVERNEATH!!!! I loved this book so much! Sadly, two hot boys have never vied for my attention either, not sure what that's about. And I can imagine writing Cole's scenes were difficult, he has a lot of darkness but he doesn't necessarily want to be dark himself, it just works out that way for him. Cant' wait to read more from Brodi, she is now an auto-buy author for me! Thanks so much for the interview!
The first thing I would do is hug my family :)
I have been dying to read this book for so long. I get a little more jealous each time I see a new review for it and I can't wait to finally read it for myself. It looks amazing. This was an awesome interview :)
This is my most sought after book this year! I've been dying to read it and can't wait to get my hands on a copy! I'm not surprised at all that it won :)
The first thing I would do is kiss my kids and my puppy!!
I need to read this. I am buying it ASAP, honestly. Everyone has told me it's amazing! Plus, I love mythology and I am intrigued by the love triangle that is not a love triangle (Jack sounds awesome :P). Thanks so much for this post! And that cover - do I even need to say it? Gorgeous.
Freak out. Hug everyone like crazy. Catch up on everything. :)
Anything that relates to Greek Mythology is great as far as I'm concerned.
Brilliant interview, you two! I LOVED Everneath so much and really can't wait to get the second book in my hands. I miss Jack and Cole already!
Sam @ Realm of Ficton
Open the door! =] (Yeah, I love joking LOL}
Catch up on everything! And cry... because I miss them all!:)
oh my GOODNESS. I LOVED this interview! *fangirl squee!*
I so agree--this is NOT a love triangle... though I kind of wish it were. I really liked Cole... Nik blaming Cole for what happened is like blaming the drug for the addiction--she chose it.
BUT SERIOUSLY! OMG! Asher! <333
Six months? go to sleep on my bed would probably be my first impulse..and eat my mom's homemade cooking (no matter how horrible she cooks it)
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