Today I'm thrilled to welcome author Arwen Elys Dayton to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her young adult fantasy novel, Seeker. For those of you who read this blog with any frequency, you'll know that YA fantasy is quickly becoming my favorite genre, so the minute I heard about this book I knew it was going on my list. A huge thank you to Arwen for taking the time to answer my questions, and don't forget to check the bottom of the post for all the details on an awesome giveaway!
If you were madly in love with your best friend, as Quin is, what's one small tell you worry would give away your feelings entirely?
In Quin's case, she doesn't much mind if John knows she's madly in love with him. She's so open with him, she wants him to know. So, lucky her. I suppose we can all envy that about her, even though I feel sorry about most of the other things going on in her life.
If it was me, at that age, I would live in constant fear of him realizing how smitten I was. In fact, I'm fairly certain I lived in that constant fear from the age of 13 to at least 16. Usually the boys I was in love with were not my best friends. Honestly, I'm not sure how aware they were of my existence.
Because I was always in a state of terror around my crushes, I would compensate by acting completely disinterested. I'm not sure what I hoped to gain by this—I probably appeared extremely nearsighted and hard of hearing as I stared fixedly at my shirtsleeves during class. Anyway, I wrecked my fake aloofness by constantly blabbing to my friends about how in love I was. These friends immediately reported this to everyone else in class.
Let's say you've been training to be a Seeker alongside Quin your entire life. In what one aspect of training would she put you to shame, and in turn, in what one aspect would you outshine her?
A lot of Seeker training is learning to fight with their strange and unique weapons. The rest of the training is learning to focus your attention and thoughts, to use your mind at its clearest, so you can see your way through any fight or sticky situation.
Even if I trained for my entire life, I think Quin would put me to shame in everything having to do with fighting. Sure, I could learn to use a sword, and I'd probably have a few working muscles after all that time practicing, but I still think I'd be a blubbering puddle of goo on the floor after trying to fight with her. In real life, my sport is running. By myself. Often on an indoor treadmill while watching a TV show. I don't think I'd last very long with someone actively trying to attack me.
I might do all right in the other training, though. My mind has been pretty unruly since grade school, when I started writing stories and my tendency to daydream really took hold. But if I'd been training since childhood, maybe I could reel in the imagination and daydreams. Maybe I could learn to concentrate and be in the present moment, and think my way quickly out of dangerous situations. Would I outshine Quin? Well . . . anything is possible in this daydream you're allowing me to have.
If you could pluck an element of Seeker's fantasy world from the realm of fiction and bring it into our reality, what's the first thing you'd wish into existence?
This is such a great question! The whipsword. That's what I'd want. At rest, the whipsword looks like a coiled whip made from a black, oily, rubbery sort of material. But when in use, the material can be cracked out into solid, straight form and then manipulated infinitely in shape—so it can become any sword or knife you can imagine, and you can change its form as you fight to suit the moment. It's also "tuned" to you as the user, so it won't harm your own flesh, even if you grab the blade. I would love to have one!
After taking her oath to become a Seeker, Quin's reality shifts, taking everything she thought she knew about friends, family and her lifelong dream with it. Is there anything in particular about the writing of Seeker that caught you off guard, changing what you thought you knew of how the story would unfold?
Maud, the Young Dread, caught me off guard. At first I saw her as a minor character, someone who would lend a sinister gravity to the chapters she was in. Very quickly, she became much more than that.
Her indeterminate age, her history—beginning centuries ago—her silent, deliberate way of moving, and her capability for intense action. All these things came together to make her, in some ways, the backbone of Seeker. This was a surprise at first, but now I can't image the world without her presence.
Quin finds herself in a bit of a love triangle between Shinobu and John. If you could make yourself the top point of a love triangle, what two characters from any piece of fiction would you most want to complete your other two points?
This is another great question. It's very hard for me to imagine myself as the top point of a love triangle, even with ordinary people as the other two points (see above question #1), but since you're allowing me to let my mind run wild . . .
I have to get these two out of the way, because I've been in love with them since I was 10 years old:
Paul Atriedes from Dune and Theseus from The King Must Die, which might be my favorite book of all time.
But now I want to select two gentlemen from more recent fiction, and say Four from Divergent and Jace from The Mortal Instruments. I'd like to have them in a room together, just to see what might happen. Feels like it would be explosive!
In Seeker, I never set out to make a love triangle exactly. I don't see Quin as the sort of person who would go back and forth between two boys, unable to make up her mind. It's more a case of three characters with conflicting and overlapping feelings for each other. All of them are experiencing dangerous, life-altering situations, trying to figure out who they are and how they can live with themselves. A lot of emotions come into the mix, including, of course, love and hate and jealously and attraction.
Thank you for these thought-provoking questions!
*Jenny dreams of being the top point of a Four/Jace love tirangle*;-)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
SEEKER
(releases February 10th from Delacorte)
Their Legacy is…A calling. An Honor. A lie.
The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.
As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.
And she’ll be with the boy she loves—who is also her best friend.
But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.
Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.
And now it’s too late to walk away.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
ARWEN ELYS DAYTON
Arwen Elys Dayton spends months doing research for her stories. Her explorations have taken her around the world to places like the Great Pyramid (which she explored by a single fading flashlight when researching Resurrection), Hong Kong and its many islands, and lots of ruined castles in Scotland. She enjoys creating complete worlds inhabited by characters who charm, frustrate or inspire.
Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on the West Coast of the United States. You can follow her @arwenelysdayton on Twitter and Instagram.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Don't forget to check out all the participating blogs for more interviews, reviews, guest posts and more!
2/9/2015- Spiced
Latte Reads- Review
2/9/2015- Supernatural Snark- Interview
2/9/2015- The Cover Contessa- Guest
Post
2/10/2015- Once Upon A Twilight- Review
2/10/2015- Reading YA Rocks- Guest
Post
2/10/2015- The Eater of Books!- Interview
2/11/2015- WinterHaven Books - Review
2/11/2015- Paranormal Book Club- Interview
2/11/2015- Literary Meanderings- Guest
Post
2/12/2015- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
2/12/2015- I'd So Rather Be Reading- Guest Post
2/12/2015- Bookhounds ya-
Interview
2/13/2015- Bookish- Review
2/13/2015- Bewitched
Bookworms- Interview
2/13/2015- Nerdophiles- Guest
Post
Great questions, Jenny, with such thoughtful answers given by Arwen! I lol'ed at Arwen's answer to #1.
ReplyDeleteI have this one on my wishlist, but had no idea that it featured a love triangle. Hmm ... at least Arwen's answer about Quin makes me feel a bit better.
Thanks Z! So glad you enjoyed it:) And the triangle isn't much to worry about, I promise.
DeleteYou are always so good at interviews, I need to learn this :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!!!
DeleteI always love your interviews, Jenny. You pull out great questions. Seeker sounds like a really good book!
ReplyDeleteThanks Christy! I have fun coming up with questions:)
DeleteFantastic interview, Jenny! You always ask such fantastic questions!
ReplyDeleteI hope we'll get to know more about Maud, the Young Dread, and the Dreads in general in the next book!
Thanks Pili! I look forward to reading your full review of this one:)
DeleteThat last question though! Haha! I think a lot of us would love to be in the middle of love triangles (or shapes in general) with book boyfriends! If anyone made me pick one I'd probably be unable to choose. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Jenny! :)
I would probably have to choose about 50 different triangles Nick, my list of book boyfriends is long ;-)
DeleteYou really do have fantastic interviews Jenny! I loved all the authors well thought out answers as well. Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Ali, glad you enjoyed:)
DeleteOh I really enjoyed reading this interview Jenny and Arwen, I used to always act disinterested around guys that I used to like around school too, I think it was my only way at trying to act cool! Also what a brilliant choice in the love triangle, I think I would love to have someone like Barrons fighting over me. Thanks for sharing such a great interview with us!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't even cool enough to appear disinterested. I just froze and stared instead. Awesome ;-)
DeleteWonderful interview questions Jenny. I want a whipsword as well! I think Maud was one of the most interesting and intriguing characters that took me by surprise - I can see a complete story on her alone. Thanks for sharing such a lovely post with us ladies! :)
ReplyDeleteI think we'd all sign up for whipswords, even though I would likely seriously injure myself ;-)
DeleteOoh now I really want to know Maud. She seems like a fascinating character. I love how the author describes her.
ReplyDeleteI definitely would like more of Maud's story Rummanah! I know she's got an epic one to tell.
DeleteBrilly review. Makes me more curious about what is going on in this world and these characters!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melissa:)
DeleteLove this interview. Now I need to read the book!
ReplyDeleteI hope you give it a try!
DeleteI've really enjoyed this tour so far, can't wait to see tomorrow's posts. Definitely just moved Seeker higher up on my TBR pile for this year! - Danielle D.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy the rest of the tour!
Deletenot sure
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! I'm not really one to seek adventure, but I've tried to start being more spontaneous. We finally got a dependable car, so last weekend, in the course of five minutes, we hopped in, drove three hours, had lunch, did a little shopping, and came right back. We don't have a ton of money for adventures, but it was nice to break out of our routine.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a winner of an adventure to me:)
DeleteFantastic interview Jenny, and heck yes I would love a whipsword.
ReplyDeleteME TOO!
DeleteMy review goes up next week!!
ReplyDeleteLovely interview jenny, and thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome interview! I love the sound of the whipsword - I think even I could use that without killing myself (well....maybe :D).
ReplyDeleteSeeking adventure? Sounds right up my alley. I hope to study abroad sometime next year, so that's what I'd seek: the ability to travel where I want, whenever I want. Thanks for the giveaway! Great interview. :)
ReplyDelete