Thursday, January 12, 2012

Interview and Artwork Reveal: Sara Wilson Etienne + Harbinger


Today I have the pleasure of welcoming young adult author Sara Wilson Etienne to the blog to answer a few questions about her upcoming release Harbinger! She's also granted me the opportunity to share a very cool piece of artwork pertaining to the novel, so be sure and check the bottom of the post to take a look at it. You'll also find details about the other beautiful pieces of art that have been revealed thus far along with a peek at the trailer.

If Faye had to share with us the first thought to pop into her mind upon seeing Holbrook Academy for the first time, what would she say?


They can leave me here, but they can’t make me stay. No one can.

Of course, Faye would never say this out loud, but she has a quiet and fierce determination. And everything about Holbrook seems wrong to her. All the trees blocking out the light, Dr. Mordoch’s plastic smile, and, most of all, the off-kilter Compass Rose–the building at the heart of campus.

Let’s say you‘ve suddenly found yourself a student at Holbrook. Which would be worse for you: spending time in the “meditation center” or spending time with your Aunts and Uncles sharing your problems with your new Family?

Definitely spending time with the Aunts and Uncles. Unlike Faye, I think I could deal with being locked up, even in the dark. But I think all the pretending would be awful…pretending I cared, pretending I was normal, pretending to cooperate.

Do you think you’d be a rebel like Faye, Kel and their Family if you were in their shoes–bucking Dr. Mordoch’s authority and fighting her brand of “help”–or would you try to toe the line?

I’d like to say that I’d rebel like Family Five, but unfortunately I tend to be a chicken around authority figures. It’s definitely one of the reasons I wrote Faye and love her as a character. Thinking about her makes me braver!

If Kel could relive that first day with Faye in their separate cells in the Meditation Center knowing how events would play out from that point forward, do you think he would do anything differently, tell her something else about himself, or ask her a specific question?

Wow. What an interesting question…honestly it’s hard to imagine. It’s their strangeness in the dark that gives them such a sense of intimacy. I’m sure if he could relive the moment having that knowledge, their meeting would fall flat.

What would the first line of Faye’s letter home to her parents say after she’s been at Holbrook for a few days were she allowed to send one?

You sent me here to get better. But things are only getting worse.


ARTWORK REVEAL


As mentioned above, in the weeks leading up to the release of Harbinger, Sara has been periodically revealing spectacular pieces of artwork from a myriad of artists, and I have the honor of sharing one such piece with you today. Here's a brief snippet from Sara's site to explain what you're seeing:

Twenty-four incredible illustrators and artists have picked their favorite scenes and characters from HARBINGER to give you a taste of Faye’s life at Holbrook Academy. Each Thursday leading up to the release of the book, a new illustration will be unlocked...

Here's today's scene:

(click to see larger)

Walk the Path! Explore the whole gallery of HARBINGER-inspired artwork HERE. More information on Sara, Harbinger, and Holbrook Academy can be found below.

Website
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Holbrook Academy

HARBINGER (from Goodreads):

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.



27 comments:

  1. What a great tour, with all those awesome illustrations!
    and OMG this trailer is phenomenal - this is definitely a book to watch out for and..read!

    Thanks for this wonderful interview, the last part of this interview gave me the chills: "You sent me here to get better. But things are only getting worse."

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  2. This video is soooo goood. I don't usually like book trailers but this one is definitely a cut above the rest.

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  3. LOL Sara, I'm totally the same way!! x) I like to think I'd be a rebel, but authority figures bring out the inner good-girl in me haha! That's so cool that Faye makes you braver -- I hope she does the same for me when I pick up your book (because oh my gosh, I definitely am! It sounds SO GOOD!)! :)

    Awesome interview, Sara & Jenny!! :) That last line of the interview gave me chills, and I can't wait until I can have Harbinger in my hands! SO excited!!! And I love that cover! :) <3

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  4. This sounds so amazing, and I love the cover! I love coming to your blog and finding out about all these goodies I've not heard of, even if it does seem like I've been living under a rock. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one!

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  5. This sounds like a really interesting read. The cover is stunning and I don't think I would have guessed YA from it. Awesome trailer!

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  6. I have this one on my wishlist. The cover is stunning and the book sounds really good. Great interview!

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  7. Lisa - Isn't it cool? Love it:)

    Danny - I love how she's releasing an illustration each week, not only are they beautiful but they make me want to understand exactly what part of the book is being portrayed:)

    Juju - It's really well done, I've watched it a ridiculous number of times:)

    Mimi - I like to think I'd rebel too, but I'd probably be too scared. Maybe if I had other people with me I'd be braver like Faye, but just me? I'd be following that line like my feet were glued to it.

    Ashley - I really like the cover too, very different and eye catching! So glad you're finding good stuff here, that makes me happy!

    Felicia - It was really interesting, not what I expected when I went in. Surprises are fun:)

    Jennifer - Glad you enjoyed it!

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  8. Wow- I loved that book trailer. Im for sure going to read this one....Its so funny when I first saw this cover floating around I thought maybe it was an erotic book....LOL Im crazy.....

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  9. I'm trying to decide if being shut up in a dark room would bother me. I don't mind the dark. In fact, I hate sleeping with any lights on. But I wouldn't like it if I didn't know what the room looked like when it wasn't dark. There might be spiders or something worse lurking.

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  10. I'm not such a rebel either--though I like to think I could be. Still, I'm not sure I could be a part of that group.

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  11. I love book trailers that look like mini movies. And that illustration is just as awesome. It totally adds to the excitement of the book.

    I hadn't read much about this book before, but wow, does it sound like an intense story.

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  12. Tina - HA! No, definitely not erotic:) Though I can see where you would get that with the blindfold and all:)

    Alison - I don't think being in a dark room would bother me if it was somewhere familiar (like my house), but being in a dark cell would probably freak me out.

    Mary - I like to think I could to. Maybe if all us "thinkers" banded together we could be those rebels we'd like to be:)

    Missie - ME TOO! It's fun to see the book represented in a different creative medium:)

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  13. I think I could deal with the dark as well. I'm with you, I can't stand pretending to something I'm not in front of people. It's not that it's difficult, it just hurts.

    I'm going to have to pick up this book. It sounds fascinating and intimate in a way. I'm rather excited!! :D

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  14. I'm super curious about this book especially watching that awesome book trailer. It does look intense and refreshingly original.

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  15. Ohhh gallery, I will take a look at that right away

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  16. Lol, I'd like to think I'd be a rebel too but being around authority figures tends to make me obedient, especially if they have a significant amount of control.

    I wasn't that interested in the book before (even if the cover is pretty), but after I watched the trailer for the first time, I immediately added it to my wishlist. It looks like it's going to be a fantastic and somewhat creepy read.

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  17. I've been really interested in this book ever since I saw the cover for the first time. I've loved seeing some of the artwork as well! But the interview has me REALLY excited since it gave me a better idea of what it's about.

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  18. Such an interesting looking book. Oh and I love the artwork reveal. Of course that really amped up my curiosity!!

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  19. Thanks for sharing this with us- that book trailer is amazing!! I love the artwork too. I will definitely be adding this to my TBR list.

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  20. This is another book I so need to read! Thanks for sharing!

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  21. Okay, I wasn't going to read this one, but this has convinced me. You always do such a great job with interviews with Authors. I love that picture. I'd like to hang it on my wall! And that trailer is the clencher. I'll be getting this one when it comes out!

    Great job Jenny and Sara Wilson Etienne!

    Heather

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  22. Nice Q & A! And the illustration is so cool. It's always fun to see book-related artwork :)

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  23. I just love your interviews, Jenny. They give such a great feel for the book, as well as a little glimpse into the author's personality.

    I can't wait for Harbinger, this trailer is just amazing! Thanks for sharing this.

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  24. Brilliant post! I am really looking forward to reading this book, especially after all the positive feedback it has already been getting. And that cover is just gorgeous! I like that it's a little different to most YA covers. :)

    Sam @ Realm of Ficton

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  25. WOW that is a great book trailer. Very well done and chilling and creepy.

    Also, I love this --> "You sent me here to get better. But things are only getting worse." WHOA!!!

    I am excited to be reading this one in a couple of weeks. When I first saw the cover, I *KNEW* I had to read it (synopsis unseen) because of the splash of red on that blindfold. But I'm a sucker for a splash of red on a cover. (Sometimes that backfires on me. Hopefully not in this case!!!)

    Great post, Jenny! So much fun, as always.

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  26. Awesome interview, and trailer! I love the cover for this book, it's so gorgeous! I'm super curious to finally get my hands on the book, it really sounds fantastic!

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