For the readers: can you
tell us a little bit about LEGACY OF KINGS and the characters? Do you have any
actors that come to mind? (If you want to see the actors I'm posting links to their IMDB pages so just click on the name)
Macedon, 340 B. C.: When King Philip takes most of his army to attack Byzantium, forces of
evil both outside and inside the palace combine to test the prince regent,
sixteen-year-old Alexander. He and
his best friend, Hephaestion, a
murderer sheltered by the prince, have been planning an epic quest for glory.
But Alex finds himself drawn to a mysterious newcomer, Katerina, who is keeping secret her own mission: kill the queen,
even if it means losing the love of her life. Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, joining the
merciless foes of magic, the Aesarian Lords, for status and wealth. Cynane, Alex’s warrior half-sister, has
plots of her own to take the throne, as does his mother, the beautiful but
deadly Queen Olympias. And far
across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess
and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the
famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.
What about the sequel? Do
we have a title yet?
Empire of Dust! A title for when
glittering dreams break apart into nothing. (It’s also what my housekeeper
mutters every Thursday as she get the vacuum cleaner out of my kitchen closet.)
Who was your favorite
character to write (mine was Heph lol)? What about your least favorite?
No
least favorites. The guys were a bit harder than the girls because though I
really love guys, I don’t think like them. I loved writing the nasty Cynane
because I could get on paper the stuff inside me that I really work hard to
eradicate. But it’s still bubbling around in there, I guess.
What is your favorite
passage/scene in LEGACY OF KINGS?
Two
lines come to mind immediately. The ancients used urine to bleach tunics white
(I actually spent an entire day researching ancient laundry.) So I love this
line of Kat’s:
Their cheap, unbleached tunics back in Erissa never needed urine,
perhaps the single advantage to being poor.
And then, since the word “hangover” sounds
jarringly modern, I had to come up with something else so I gave Heph this
thought as he stumbles out of bed after a night of hard drinking:
This is the
Wrath of Dionysus. A common affliction that occurs when the wine god punishes
those who honor him too enthusiastically.
I also love the violent action of the Blood
Tournament and battle scene at the end which I did so much research for.
What kind of research did
you have to do for the story?
A
partial reading list:
All
of Mary Renault’s ancient Greek historical novels: The Persian Boy, Fire from Heaven, the Mask of Apollo, The Praise
Singer, The King Must Die, The Bull from the Sea, Funeral Games
Contemporary
non-fiction books on the ancient world:
Amazons: Lives and Legends
of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World
Greek Fire, Poison Arrows,
and Scorpion Bombs
Travel in the Ancient World
Before Color Prejudice: The
Ancient View of Blacks
Blacks in Antiquity:
Ethiopians in the Greco-Roman Experience
Books
written in ancient times:
Frontinus’s Military
Stratagems
Herodotus: Histories
Thucydides: The
Peloponnesian War
Xenophon: The Persian
Expedition
Plato’s Republic
What are you reading right
now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
I
have been reading so much YA Lit and ancient Greek stuff that I want something
totally different to refresh my mind. Last summer I visited the Gilded Age
mansions in Newport, Rhode Island and bought a book about Consuelo Vanderbilt,
whose venom-spitting mother, Alva, made her marry the Duke of Marlborough, whom
she hated, and he didn’t much like her, but he agreed to the wedding in return
for $67 million. Anyway, this book, Consuelo
and Alva Vanderbilt, has been sitting next to my bed for nearly a year
untouched. If you read my answers to the previous question, you will understand
why.
Who is your ultimate Book
Boyfriend? Last
week I read A Court of Thorns and Roses and
found myself intrigued by the darkly salacious Rhysand. But my heart is owned
by two Harry Potter characters. Lucius Malfoy is the hottest thing ever with
those icy blue eyes and long silver blond hair and the cape and walking stick
and those sneering aristocratic ways. And after him Severus Snape, who isn’t
handsome but has this dark, pent-up power that makes me want to help him get it
all out of his system. Did I really just write that? Oh God, I hope my husband
isn’t reading this.
What inspired you to write YA
after writing your adult non-fiction?
It’s
fun! I mean, I put a lot of fun into my non-fiction history, which isn’t
something you see every day in that genre. But with YA you can really let loose
and give it all you got. Plus, you don’t have to do footnotes.
Lightening Round
Questions
Twitter or Facebook?
Twitter!
I have been having a blast editing myself to a few meaningful words! Not
something I ever do otherwise speaking or writing!
Favorite Superhero?
Catwoman
because I have four cats. But also because she’s sexy, lithe, sinuous, and has
retractable claws just like me. Meow, baby!
Favorite TV show?
The Vikings. With hot muscular men
hacking and slashing, and badass warrior women, and mysterious gods who need to
be appeased, and an outrageously twisting, turning plot in a historical time
and place... Come to think of it, that sounds just like Legacy of Kings, doesn’t it?
Sweet or Salty?
Salty!
Spicy! Sugar is so for babies!
Any Phobias?
Enclosed
spaces! Last summer I was with my husband and two other people in an elevator
going up one floor to a restaurant and it got stuck for like two minutes and I
was sobbing on my knees in the corner, slapping the walls and praying out loud
to God in between bursts of soul-searing profanity. My husband was so
embarrassed. I guess the other two people were talking about the crazy woman who
had a complete meltdown in the elevator because the manager came over and gave
us a free meal. That’s how I learned that claustrophobia can actually help save
you money.
Song you can’t get enough
of right now?
Hi-ho! Hi-ho! It’s off to
work we go!
Empire of Dust! Dozens of blogs! Social media! It’s all a blast though. I’m
loving every minute.
Fall Movie you’re most
looking forward to?
There’s
an awesome-looking new version of Macbeth
coming out in October I’m dying to see, which looks historically pretty
accurate from the trailer, except the men are all running into battle without
helmets, which is sort of like going into a business meeting naked from the
waist down—there’s just no way it’s going to turn out well. But other than that,
this movie looks really amazing.
Thanks so much Eleanor for
answering my questions! I can’t wait to read EMPIRE OF DUST!
