I am thrilled to have Rhiannon Frater stop by my blog as part of the Last Bastion of the Living Blog Tour! Thank you so much for joining me here on Gizmo's Reviews! Let's get right to the questions:
1. What gave you the inspiration to write this novel?
I had an extremely vivid dream. It was intensely realistic. That scene is the first chapter of the book. The dream then skipped forward in time to several different scenes that are further into the novel. I was intrigued, excited, and a little breathless when I woke up. I knew immediately that I wanted to write it. I can still see very vividly Maria looking out her flat's window at the dying city that is The Bastion.
2. Do you have a favorite scene that just made you stop and say damn that was good?
The prologue. Hands down. The prologue took me over a week to write because it was such an intricate battle scene. I worked very hard on it. It was like watching a movie scene over and over again and trying to capture everything that was going on. I'm immensely proud of the prologue.
3. Up to this release, what character has been your favorite to write about and why?
Lady Glynis Wright from THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE and its sequel is my favorite character. She's just so spunky and full of determination to live her life as she pleases. Which is very difficult for her since she lives in the 1820's in Buda, Hungary and her creator is Prince Vlad Dracula. He's such an evil bastard and her struggle to be free of him is epic. I love her so much.
4. Hard question, but, who would win in a fight between Maria and Jenni?
Maria. Easily. Of course, why they would fight in the first place would be a weird sort of setup. They live in two different universes and I can't imagine why they would meet up, let alone fight. But, Maria is a trained soldier and it would be very easy for her to put Jenni on the ground. Not to say Jenni wouldn't put up a fight, but Maria could subdue her fairly easily.
5. If you could be any paranormal character or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
A sorceress! I'd love to be able to wield magic, fly, and do all sorts of crazy stuff while wearing a really awesome outfit. Regina from Once Upon a Time comes to mind.
6. a. Can you tell us anything about the upcoming books you have in the works like Pretty When She Kills?
PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS has been in high demand ever since the firs book, PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES found its audience last year. It was published in 2008, but it took a long time to find its niche. TWILIGHT was so popular that a gritty, modern, bloody vampire tale was not what people wanted. It wasn't until TRUE BLOOD came on the air that sales for PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES started to climb upward. (*Interviewers note* If you haven't already picked up PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES, by all means get your but to Amazon and download it! It's awesome baby!)
The sequel opens a few months after the first, and it immediately upends the happily ever after from the first book. Things go south very fast. The events of the second book will perfectly set up the third and final book in the trilogy, but it will also be a very intense adventure unto itself. The characters are forced to face some very dire situations and their relationships change and evolve. Amaliya goes through a lot in this book and so does Samantha. There will be one major character death, so it's a very emotional book, too.
b. Would you consider writing a sequel to The Last Bastion if the desire and demand was there?
Giselle from Xpresso Reads would kill me! LOL! We both agreed that the ending to the LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING is perfection. It's just...it makes me breathless with how perfect it was. It's probably my favorite ending of all time. I don't want to go further from that point. I'd like the reader to imagine all the possibilities of what may happen.
My husband, meanwhile, tells me to never say never. At this point, I'd like the book to stand as it is.
7. How would you feel if this book was bought and turned into a major motion picture?
Freaking awesome! It's being read by a producer. We'll see how that goes. It's been turned into an audio book, so that is very exciting, too.
8. If you had a choice, what actress would play Maria?
I would pick Michelle Rodriguez. She has a similar ethnic background to Maria and we all know she plays a kick ass soldier.
9. What actor would play Chief Defender Dwayne Reichardt?
I would love Bruce Greenwood to play him. He played Captain Christopher Pike in the Star Trek reboot. He's the same age as the character. The age difference between Dwayne and Maria is one of the interesting parts of the story. I could also see Aaron Eckhart in the role, though he is younger than Dwayne. Someone suggested George Clooney with blue contacts to cover his brown eyes. That would work, too.
10. What is your favorite place to write?
My office in my home. It's an environment I can control. The last time I tried to write at a coffee shop this guy kept hitting on me. It was annoying.
11. When did you decide to become a writer?
I've always known I would be a writer. For as far back as I can remember, I knew this was my destiny. My mother says I always talked about it, so I guess it was in my blood from birth.
12. What other genres do you enjoy reading?
Well, this is science fiction/horror, and those are two of my favorite genres. I also read YA novels if they're Sci-fi, Dystopian, or paranormal. I also read Gothics by Victoria Hold, magical realism by Steven Millhauser, and a mystery once and awhile.
13. Are there any particular scenes that you edited out, that you would love to go back and rewrite into the story?
Not really. The only scene that was removed just had a location change, but the same dialog, so that wasn't a big deal. I had pondered expanding a sex scene per one reader's suggestion. I hate writing sex scenes, though I will write them if they enhance the story in some way. I realized the story didn't need it. The love between Dwayne and Maria was quite evident without resorting to a sex scene.
I would like to thank Rhiannon with all my heart, for allowing me the opportunity to share these questions and answers with my readership. I encourage you to leave comments for Ms Rhiannon to answer. This process has been real fun and the book is one of the best I've read this year! If you love Science Fiction/Horror, you will love this book! I've attached a copy of my review for you to read and comment on. Thank you Rhiannon so very much! You are the best!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/308030121
Wow your selection of reading sound a lot like mine.
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