Smashing Summer - Interview & giveaway with Rebecca Lim!

Hi Rebecca, thanks for stopping by Perth YA Fans Unite.

Thanks for inviting me along! So honoured and chuffed to be here.

For those who have not heard of you or your books, could you give potential readers a rundown?

The Mercy books feature an amnesiac, fallen archangel who is cast into the bodies and lives of a chain of different human protagonists for protection. As her memory begins to return, she needs to try and make sense of who she is and what she can do, as well as do the best for the person whose life she has collided with. She's at the centre of a celestial power struggle between warring factions as well as finding herself falling for a human boy called Ryan Daley, just to complicate things a little.

In my old life, I used to draft prospectuses and offer documents (enough said), so I'm really happy to be writing for an engaged, intelligent and kick ass young adult audience instead.  

There are already three books in the Mercy series, are there going to be any more?

The series was always planned as a quartet, as the first novel introduces us to Mercy and her seriously stuffed-up world, the second (Exile) brings into more focus the beings who placed her in the predicament she's in, the third novel (Muse) tells you why she fell, and the final novel Fury (due out in March/April 2012) is just completely different from the other three novels and seeks to tie all the threads of mystery together. Hopefully, you'll think it is the best of the series because I threw everything that I had at it, and it's my favourite. 

What can readers expect from the Mercy series?

Mystery, thrills, romance that isn't forced or unnatural, choir nerds, Latin, cool scenarios, fire and brimstone fight scenes.

Describe Mercy in five words.

A complete hard ass.

Has the story or a character done something that you had not planned?

A few of the secondary characters have surprised me by being a lot more vocal and lovable than I thought they would be. I could give Gia Basso her own series, for example. I love her. Some of the archangels that crop up in Muse and Fury are to die for, too.

How would you explain the Paranormal world you have created?

Hopefully it has depth, subtlety and a creepy, otherworldly elegance to it. I'm not interested in having a female protagonist that just plays along with what the guys want, that doesn't reflect real life for me. In Mercy's world, the women and the men are all strong and all fearsome in their own ways. It's not about the weak girl and the "hot" supernatural guys who are inexplicably drawn to her fragility.

What is the last great book you read?

I wasn't able to read as much as I liked while I was writing the series, so since Fury is almost at the printers now, I've been able to get stuck back into reading. I'm a genre-masher when I read and when I write, so in the last month I've read Michel Faber's "The Crimson Petal and the White" (awesome, dirty, sprawling, divinely written), Kylie Chan's "White Tiger" (like Jane Eyre crossed with a chop-socky movie, so fun), Kim Harrison's "Dead Witch Walking" (so cool and snarky) and I'm deep into Daniel Silva's latest assassin thriller and Victoria Schwab's  YA fantasy novel, "The Near Witch". There's still a massive bag of books in the corner of my room I have yet to rip into, so I'll be working my way through a few Rachel Vincents and Anna Godbersens in the near future.

If you were a Superhero, what would your name be?

Goldy Trentwood, long story.

Thanks again for letting me stop by! Have a fantastic year YA readers of Perth, there are so many awesome books out there. 


Fill out the Rafflecopter form to win one of three signed sets of the Mercy series! How awesome is that!? Tell you friends about Perth YA Fans Unite, there's a whole month of Smashing Summer goodness coming up, so keep checking back for more awesome giveaways.

Interview with Sue Lawson :D

Sue Lawson Author of Finding Darcy, After, Dare You and new release Pan's Whisper has kindly given us an interview as part of the Pan's Whisper Blog Tour. Sue was interviewed by Anna from Cherry Banana Split which is where the interview was originally published.

having read the review of Sue Lawson's latest novel Pan's Whisper you people are lucky enough to get an interview with her! any of you who've read my other Sue Lawson Reviews will know just how excited i was to have this opportunity.

Hi Sue, welcome to Cherry Banana Split. Make yourself at home. I really loved Pan’s Whisper, as well as all your other books.
Thank you so much for answering me questions: D 

Thanks Anna. I’m so glad you enjoyed Pan’s story, and it is lovely to drop in on Cherry Banana Split.

The thing I love most about your books is the characters. They’re so realistic. How do you develop or get to know your characters? 

Thank you. I’m thrilled you enjoy the characters. They become like real people for me, which I guess makes me rather strange. I spend most of my planning-time working on characters, creating collages and profiles, so I understand not only who these characters are, but what their motivations are.
I don’t use most of the stuff I gather about my characters, but nothing is wasted. Every detail makes the character more rounded and real for me.

You seem to love dramatic endings; they work really well for you. You build tension to have things ‘explode’ at the right moment, and then reveal everything.
Is there a reason you like this technique or does it just work well for you?
Yeah, I guess I am a bit of a drama queen when it comes to endings. I’m glad they are working for you. I must admit, I like to have an idea – a very rough idea – of how the story will end before I start writing. That way it helps me trickle out information to the end, so the ‘explosions’ aren’t deliberate, but just how my books pan out.

It is hard not to use the ‘dramatic event’ as a cop out to solve the problems or as an excuse for character development? 
I guess by knowing where I am headed, I avoid the cop out situation. The development occurs along the way, rather than in that dramatic moment. I think my characters, like Pan, cope with the event because they have grown and changed through the course of the book.

Memories are really important in Pan’s Whisper. Could you have told Pan’s story without using Pan and Morgan’s memories as a story telling device? 
I don’t think so. Morgan is as important as Pan, and gives us a much better understanding of Kylie’s character and her issues and so why Pan is as angry and mixed up as she is. Having access to Morgan’s memories as well as Pan’s helps the reader build a more rounded understanding of Pan and of the truth.

I love Hunter and Pan’s friendship, can you tell me a bit more about that? 
I’m so glad you enjoyed Hunter and Pan – I love Hunter ( not in an old lady pervy way!) He was initially a bit character, but I realised his experience was integral to Pan facing her truth. His friendship, despite Pan’s efforts to chase him away, sparks the biggest leap of faith for her.
I’ve noticed in life people who have been through trauma and tragedy, even if the events are markedly different, often gravitate and have an intrinsic mutual understanding of each other’s situation. They ‘get’ each other’s situation without having to explain, which is why I decided Hunter could recognize pain and loss in Pan.

Do you use music when you write? 
It varies. When I am editing I tend to prefer silence, but when I am writing, I usually have a CD playing, but never one I know really well. (Otherwise I’d become distracted and sing – no Powderfinger, Whitlams, The Police, Queen, or Midnight Oil when I write!) While writing Pan, I listened to ABC Digital radio station, Dig Music, relaxation CDs, the soundtrack from the movie Mongol (LOVE that soundtrack – very intense and emotional!), Pete Murray, and South African street music.

If you could befriend one of your characters who would it be and why? What would you like to do or talk about? 
I guess I already have befriended them all. While I am writing and editing, I’m ‘talking’ to them the whole time, about how they would react in certain situations, what cards/clothes/stuff they would buy in shops etc.
I sound crazy I know, but the more I do this, the better I know them and the ‘easier’ it is to write about them and understand their situations. I actually miss my characters when I finish writing!

What’s your favourite Australian kids or YA book? 
That is a REALLY tough one. Can I pick more than one? Please??
In no particular order…
Jackie French’s A Rose for the Anzacs, Julia Lawrinson’s Bye Beautiful, David Metzenthen’s Black Water ( And Jarvis 24 and Tiff and The Trout – in fact anything by David.) Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon and Karen Tayleur’s Six.
OOOH! most of those are my favourites too. 

Thank you so much for having me Anna and for the sensational questions. What a great way to finish off a rewarding and fun blog tour!

thank you Sue for an amazing interview :D

INTERVIEW: Rebecca Lim

For those who haven't heard, what is your novel about?

My latest book for young adults –Mercy – brings together some of the genre-mashing I enjoy as a reader. It’s a YA mystery/crime novel – but with angels and Latin, choral music, school bullies and a whisper of romance thrown in. Its heroine is an exiled archangel who constantly finds herself shifted into an unbroken chain of human lives – she keeps “waking” to find herself inhabiting the body of a stranger and is forced continually to think on the fly, seek to find meaning, and adapt, just to survive. Despite possessing shattered memories of who or what she once was, she always remains true to her essential nature, regardless of what’s thrown at her. I tried to imagine what it would be like for someone with extraordinary powers to be suffering from a bizarre kind of amnesia where she only has prismatic flashes of memory and insight. The inklings of more than one past life, and of what she’s truly capable of, would (hopefully) make things interesting and keep the reader guessing, because the character would always be a little off balance. She'd be experiencing pretty much what the reader would be doing - trying to join the dots so that things make sense.

Can you tell us a little about your lead characters?

With Mercy herself, I consciously set out to create a female heroine who can, literally, do anything if she puts her mind to it. I wanted to show that it's okay to be a smart-mouthed, think-on-your- feet, strong and abrasive, yet empathetic character, who also happens to be female. It's not something that should just be the province of male hero-types. Ryan is the mortal boy who stumbles across the fact that Mercy exists, even though the face and body she’s “wearing” and the life she’s “living” belong to someone else altogether. To say he’s intrigued by her, is an understatement. Luc is Mercy’s flame from way back that she’s being kept away from for reasons that aren’t yet clear to her (or the reader). Despite Mercy’s exile, Luc is somehow still able to contact Mercy in her dreams, while she’s asleep, though physically, he’s never been able to track her down. When he gets too close, she gets shifted again into another life.

Is there one place you'd love to go but have never been before?

Marrakech. It just sounds so otherworldly and beautiful.

Can you give us a little information about the types of books you write?

I’ve written books for boys and girls aged 9 –12, toddlers (2 - 4), and teen (13+) and pre-teen (9 – 13) female readers. Every book has been a blast to write but I have to adjust the language (I’m often reminded “no swearing!”) and conceptual layering. I probably feel most comfortable writing for the YA age group because they’re open minded and willing to embrace anything the author dishes out, provided it’s a good read and they’re hooked into the story.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was around 6 or 7, but reality kind of intruded and I got sidetracked into a “respectable” day job for a while.

Was there any research you had to do for your book?

I’m a lapsed Presbyterian choir nerd, so for the choral scenes basically had the Mahler Symphony No. 8 score open next to me while I wrote them. But I have to stress that “Mercy” is not pushing any religious wheelbarrow whatsoever. Angels appear across many faiths and cultures and I’m writing non-denominational angels here.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

A bit mad. I have 3 kids who insist on popping up like gophers in the middle of the night (when I do most of my work). The words are either flowing, or I’m on another planet altogether.

Do you think you have an interesting writing quirk?

Does brie count as a quirk?

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Everywhere. The news is pretty staggering; old poems; trashy magazines; the web; stuff I overhear in the street from eavesdropping on people.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That YA readers are the most voracious and interested, switched on and questioning readers out there. It’s an entire universe I don’t think I was fully aware of, and I’m really privileged to be a part of it.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I haven’t fully committed to the idea of creating a website or blogging about what I’m up to, because I’m not sure if any one would be interested, frankly. But I do catch up on some of my reviews for “Mercy” online. And some of them have been really lovely, but others have been a little surprising. I’m just happy when I find out that a reader “gets” what I’m trying to do. You create this stuff in a vacuum and hope that people will like what you’re doing and where you’re headed.

What do you think makes a good story?

Strong, authentic, believable characters. Plus, a pacy storyline that doesn't contain too many red herrings or cul-de-sacs. I personally can’t keep reading if the main female character acts brainless or has no backbone. That just gets my goat, sorry.

INTERVIEWED BY JO-ANNE OF COTTON CANDY REVIEWS