Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for ALLY by Anna Banks! I adore Anna and her book!
I have an interview with Anna to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!
Haven't heard of ALLY? Check it out!
Princess Sepora of Serubel and King Tarik of Theoria have formed an uneasy truce between their kingdoms since the deadly plague began to rip through Theoria. Since their feelings for each other are entangled in politics and power, they must use their own trusted resources to find common ground.
But when traitors with powerful allies arise from unexpected places, Tarik and Sepora face challenges that will change both of their kingdoms forever. Will they learn whom to trust—including each other—in time to save their kingdoms, their relationship and even their lives?
Now on to the interview!
Hi Anna! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books it’s
been a long time since you’ve stopped by for a visit! ALLY was absolutely
fantastic and I can’t wait for everyone to read it! And am so happy that you
could stop by for a visit!
Thanks so much for having me! I’m ecstatic to be back,
and very humbled that you’d have me!
For the readers:
can you give us a little recap about NEMESIS and the characters?
NEMESIS is about a runaway princess who both intrigues
and infuriates a boy king to no end. She has the power to help his people, yet
if that power falls into the wrong hands, ALL the kingdoms may be doomed, so
she struggles with whether or not to trust this boy king…and her feelings for him.
So is this the
end? Is there more for Sepora and Tarik?
Ally is the end…and
the beginning. But beyond that, I cannot say more! But lucky for you, both
books will be out and you can read to your heart’s content! Also, there is no
need to write me hate mail for the ending of Nemesis. I know what I did to you
and I stand by it. J
Were any of the
characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
This time, no. I had to dig deep and find the characters
by myself this time. I actually wrote conversations between them and short
scenes that never made it into the books just so I could get a good grasp on
who they were as people.
Who was your
favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
Sethos, Tarik’s younger brother. He’s so abrupt and
honest, no matter what everyone else thinks. As for my least favorite, I don’t
think have one. Even the obvious villains are fun to write, and I find that
writing deceptive characters is vastly amusing to me! >insert maniacal laugh
here< J
What is your favorite passage/scene in ALLY?
It’s at the very end, so I can’t tell you. But I do love
the scene where Sethos himself kidnaps a certain opposing kingdom’s princess. J
What kind of
research did you have to do for the story?
Oh. Em. Gee. I have been buried in books and
documentaries about Ancient Egypt for months! Only to find that some of the
things I learned—I
changed for the book! I did a lot of research on how things could
scientifically be feasible in ALLY—and
it’s kind of amazing that a lot
of it could actually happen, if we just evolved a tiny bit more.
Who is your
ultimate book boyfriend?
Warner from the Shatter Me series. To this day, I think
about him. So. Freaking. Hot. I love the tormented, imperfect, and almost
unredeemable type. We’re getting married one day. You’re all invited to the
wedding.
After we get divorced, I’m going to marry Morpheus from
the Splintered series. ‘Nuff said.
What inspired you
to write YA?
I hate this question because it makes me sound like a
beeeoch. Listen. I started writing YA after I read Twilight. I thought to
myself, “If she can get published, surely I can get published. Yay!” But lemme
tell you, Stephenie Meyer made writing look easy, which is damn hard. Kudos to
her. Truly. But she did inspire me to give it a go, so thank you Stephenie!
Lightening Round
Questions
What are you
reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
I’m currently reading DAUGHTER OF THE SIREN QUEEN (be
jealous!). I’m obsessed with the first book and I somehow got my grubby hands
on an ARC. And can I just say…Squeeeeeeeee!
Also, can’t wait to read RENEGADES by Marissa Meyer. I
went on a writer’s retreat with her this spring in Hawaii (highly recommended!)
and just from chatting with her about it I can’t wait to read it. Then there’s
BERSERKER from Emmy Laybourne. I had the pleasure of reading an early first
draft of this (it was soooo gooooood!), and now I’m curious to see the final
result!
What Hogwarts
House would the Sorting Hat place you in?
Okay, so because the end of the world was supposed to be
on September 23rd, I actually confessed that I did not actually read—or watch—Harry
Potter. Are we still friends? What House do YOU think I would be in?
I’d think you’d be a Hufflepuff Anna 😊
Twitter or
Facebook?
When I want to keep up with the writing world? Twitter.
When I want to keep up with my family’s shenanigans? Facebook. The truth is, I
scroll them both daily, while I’m pooping. TMI?
Favorite
Superhero?
Iron Man
Favorite TV show?
When Calls the Heart, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead
Sweet or Salty?
Fried
Any Phobias?
Intimate conversation
Song you can’t get
enough of right now?
I have this obsession with Chase Holfelder. He remakes
popular songs in his Major to Minor feature and right now I keep listening to
his remake of Every Step You Take and dreaming of Morpheus. You should check him out on YouTube. He’s so
talented.
Winter Movie
you’re most looking forward to?
I don’t keep up with movies coming out, just books. But…I do want to see the next Avengers, X-Men, and
anything else superhero. And if they’re making another John Wick, I’m there.
Thanks so much Anna for answering my questions! I can’t wait for
everyone to read ALLY!
Can I just say I love you? And thank you for having me?
And always practice safe sex—read
books instead?
Anna commissioned exclusive pieces of art created for the series by David North. I am super stoked to be revealing one today check it out! Each stop has an image or two to reveal so make sure to stop by all the blogs to see the images!
About
Anna:
NYT
Bestselling YA author of The Syrena Legacy series: OF POSEIDON (2012), OF
TRITON (2013), OF NEPTUNE (2014).
Repped
by rockstar Lucy Carson of the Friedrich Agency.
I
live with my husband and daughter in the Florida Panhandle. I have a southern
accent compared to New Yorkers, and I enjoy food cooked with real fat. I can’t
walk in high heels, but I’m very good at holding still in them. If you put
chocolate in front of me, you must not have wanted it in the first place.
Favorite
Books:
Shatter
Me, Cinder, Linger, Shiver, Forever, Pushing the Limits, Unravel Me,Shadow and
Bone, Enclave, Divergent, Candor, Graceling, Fire, The Hunger Games Trilogy,
The Host, Most of James Patterson, and Janet Evanovich makes me laugh through
my nose in an unfeminine sort of way.
Giveaway Details:
12 winners
will receive a complete set of the exclusive pieces of art created for the
series by David North (the images revealed during each tour stop), US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week
One:
9/25/2017- a GREAT read- Review
9/26/2017- PaperTrailYA- Interview
9/27/2017- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt
9/28/2017- Reese's Reviews- Review
9/29/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
Week
Two:
10/2/2017- Little Red's
Reviews- Review
10/3/2017- Lisa Loves Literature- Guest
Post
10/4/2017- Take Me Away To A
Great Read- Review
10/5/2017- YA Books Central- Interview
