Aimée, welcome back to the B&N General Fiction forum. (for those of you who weren’t here Aimée was my guest last March when Goddess Interrupted was released)
Debbie - Aimée, this is your third published full length novel in the
Goddess Test series plus you have two in-between e-books out.
Does release day mean the same now that you’ve had a couple under your belt? Is it still nail-biting, exciting?
Aimée - It’s still nail-biting! I can’t imagine a day when the release of a new book would be anything but. In a way though, this is extremely different from the other releases, because this is the last book in the series. It’s the conclusion that all of the other books led up to, and there’s a finality to it that’s a little heartbreaking. I’ve been reading reactions from readers who have had the opportunity to get the book early, and I relive a little bit of that sadness each time.
Does release day mean the same now that you’ve had a couple under your belt? Is it still nail-biting, exciting?
Aimée - It’s still nail-biting! I can’t imagine a day when the release of a new book would be anything but. In a way though, this is extremely different from the other releases, because this is the last book in the series. It’s the conclusion that all of the other books led up to, and there’s a finality to it that’s a little heartbreaking. I’ve been reading reactions from readers who have had the opportunity to get the book early, and I relive a little bit of that sadness each time.
Tell us a little about The Goddess Inheritance.
The Goddess Inheritance is the conclusion of the Goddess Test series. I don’t want to give too much away, especially for readers who haven’t yet picked up the first book (The Goddess Test), but I will say there’s a whole lot of love, war, conflict, and heartbreak, Olympus-style. Kate, the protagonist, is finally coming into her own, and she has everything on the line. Not just the love of her life, Henry, but her family and the fate of the entire world as well.
The Goddess Inheritance is the conclusion of the Goddess Test series. I don’t want to give too much away, especially for readers who haven’t yet picked up the first book (The Goddess Test), but I will say there’s a whole lot of love, war, conflict, and heartbreak, Olympus-style. Kate, the protagonist, is finally coming into her own, and she has everything on the line. Not just the love of her life, Henry, but her family and the fate of the entire world as well.
In our last conversation you mentioned that The Goddess Test
series was originally meant for a trilogy and that if there was demand for it
there might be more.
So will there be more?
I would love to write more! Readers will notice I did leave room for a spin-off at the end of The Goddess Inheritance, and if the stars align, I would be all for writing additional books.
So will there be more?
I would love to write more! Readers will notice I did leave room for a spin-off at the end of The Goddess Inheritance, and if the stars align, I would be all for writing additional books.
I’ve noticed on your website that you have a
title “Pawn” coming out in December
2013. Tell us about this. Is it also in the YA genre?
PAWN is the first book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series, my dystopian series coming out in late November 2013. It’s also a young adult novel, and I can’t tell you how excited I am for everyone to have the chance to read it! I can’t say too much about it just yet, but it’s about a girl who lives in a society where your rank is determined by a single aptitude test. When she’s forced to take the place of the Prime Minister’s dead niece, whom he had assassinated for leading a rebellion, she must choose to either settle quietly into her privileged new life or pick up the reins and fight for what she believes in.
PAWN is the first book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series, my dystopian series coming out in late November 2013. It’s also a young adult novel, and I can’t tell you how excited I am for everyone to have the chance to read it! I can’t say too much about it just yet, but it’s about a girl who lives in a society where your rank is determined by a single aptitude test. When she’s forced to take the place of the Prime Minister’s dead niece, whom he had assassinated for leading a rebellion, she must choose to either settle quietly into her privileged new life or pick up the reins and fight for what she believes in.
You write about fantasy fictional places. In real life where
would your dream vacation be?
London is pretty much my favorite place in the world. Last time I was only there for three days though, and I’ve been dying to go back and spend more time there. The culture, the history, the accents – something about it appeals to me like nowhere else.
London is pretty much my favorite place in the world. Last time I was only there for three days though, and I’ve been dying to go back and spend more time there. The culture, the history, the accents – something about it appeals to me like nowhere else.
Your series is based on Greek Mythology, but with a twist.
Where do your “twist” ideas come from?
Most of the twists came from me trying to envision how the myths may have changed over the years. For a long time, the myths weren’t written down – they were oral traditions, passed from one generation to the next. Much like a game of Telephone, I tried to think of how storytellers may have embellished them either to make them more interesting or to create a moral to the story, as that’s what many myths were – ways to explain the unexplainable, or ways to demonstrate morality. But if the gods really existed, as they do in my series, then not everything they did could have been a lesson to mortals. Storytellers would have had the opportunity to adapt those tales into something more “educational,” leading the way for there to be a schism between the myths and what had really happened in the gods’ lives. Once I had those thoughts down, I worked backward from there depending on what the series demanded. The twists allowed me to write something fresh for the reader that’s still firmly grounded in Greek mythology, and that’s exactly what I wanted to do from the beginning.
Most of the twists came from me trying to envision how the myths may have changed over the years. For a long time, the myths weren’t written down – they were oral traditions, passed from one generation to the next. Much like a game of Telephone, I tried to think of how storytellers may have embellished them either to make them more interesting or to create a moral to the story, as that’s what many myths were – ways to explain the unexplainable, or ways to demonstrate morality. But if the gods really existed, as they do in my series, then not everything they did could have been a lesson to mortals. Storytellers would have had the opportunity to adapt those tales into something more “educational,” leading the way for there to be a schism between the myths and what had really happened in the gods’ lives. Once I had those thoughts down, I worked backward from there depending on what the series demanded. The twists allowed me to write something fresh for the reader that’s still firmly grounded in Greek mythology, and that’s exactly what I wanted to do from the beginning.
Aimée, as an author of YA fiction, why do you think the
genre is so popular right now with all ages of readers?
That’s a great question. I think there’s something about the teenage years that appeals to everyone – the endless possibilities, the openness to new experiences, the first time you fall in love, etc. YA allows teens and adults to explore all kinds of worlds and lives they may have only dreamed of having. You can save the world, get the guy, and (mostly) have a happily-ever-after, all while figuring out where you belong. There’s a weight to a lot of YA that some non-readers are quick to dismiss or ignore, but YA is about making choices. It’s about choosing who you want to be and what the rest of your life is going to be, and it’s both scary and exhilarating at the same time. And there’s such a wide variety. No matter what appeals to you – romance, mystery, science-fiction, fantasy, etc. – there’s something for you on the YA shelves.
That’s a great question. I think there’s something about the teenage years that appeals to everyone – the endless possibilities, the openness to new experiences, the first time you fall in love, etc. YA allows teens and adults to explore all kinds of worlds and lives they may have only dreamed of having. You can save the world, get the guy, and (mostly) have a happily-ever-after, all while figuring out where you belong. There’s a weight to a lot of YA that some non-readers are quick to dismiss or ignore, but YA is about making choices. It’s about choosing who you want to be and what the rest of your life is going to be, and it’s both scary and exhilarating at the same time. And there’s such a wide variety. No matter what appeals to you – romance, mystery, science-fiction, fantasy, etc. – there’s something for you on the YA shelves.
When my forum and I are discussing a novel I often time warp
forward five years in the lives of the characters. On that same line, where do
you see yourself in five years?
I very much hope to still be writing and publishing! I can’t imagine being me and not writing. Maybe married, maybe not – we’ll see if the right guy shows up. But either way, above all else, I see myself as happy, whatever that happens to mean at the time.
I very much hope to still be writing and publishing! I can’t imagine being me and not writing. Maybe married, maybe not – we’ll see if the right guy shows up. But either way, above all else, I see myself as happy, whatever that happens to mean at the time.
Aimée, do you have any Barnes & Noble events or signings
planned?
Not at the moment, but I drop into my local B&N often and sign stock!
Not at the moment, but I drop into my local B&N often and sign stock!
Thank you so much for taking the time to reacquaint us with
you. Good luck with the new novel. And Happy New Year!!
Thank you so much for the opportunity, and Happy New Year to you as well!
Thank you so much for the opportunity, and Happy New Year to you as well!
Amiée Carter
Kate Winters fall down the rabbit hole when she first learned of her heritage, the Goddess test and her perspective role seems like ancient history. She’s now happily married to Henry (Hades), loves sharing the Underworld rule with him and is settling in nicely to her new status. Things on Mount Olympus however are anything but happy and Kate’s determined to seek help to avoid an all out war of the Gods, before Cronus, king of the Titans finally escapes his godly prison and the battles begin. But her plans are foiled and she’s abducted by Cronus and his Olympian traitor, transported to his prison and held captive, but worse she’s pregnant and her abductor wants the child. Now she must find a way to escape herself and warn Henry and the rest of Olympus about the impending doom Cronus has planned for them and save herself, her child and the entire world while she’s at it.
Carter’s Goddess Test series, her modernization of Mount
Olympus and it’s residents, comes to an explosive end in The Goddess Inheritance. This episode is non-stop action of epic
proportion and an enthralling plotline that keeps the pages turning. Her
heroine Kate is as irreverent as ever as she goes about saving the world, and
it’s nice to see just how far Henry’s attitude and perceptions have come since
the series started and baby Milo makes three. Her other characters help tell
her incredible story and give a modern face to ancient divinity. This will
appeal to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal and don’t let the “teen” moniker
fool you, this novel is well suited for the adult reader too.
Ms. Carter I’m sad to see this series end but I’m excited about where you’ll take me next.
Ms. Carter I’m sad to see this series end but I’m excited about where you’ll take me next.
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Oooo, good to hear about Pawn! Thank you. And I've got the first two books along with the novella waiting for me here. Now I need to get busy. :) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, You are welcome. I'm not into YA fiction at all, but I love this series. Any adult fan of fantasy will like it.
DeleteEnjoy and let me know what you think
deb
I can't believe it's over!!!! I feel like crying I finished it in less than 7 hours! While it wasn't a perfect happy ending I was nice enough where I didn't throw anything across the room! I still have questions about a few thing and maybe one day I'll have my answers!
ReplyDeleteI know I LOVED this, but the author has a new fantasy series out
Deletecheck out her website
http://www.aimeecarter.com/
I'm in love with this series. Persephone has always been a fascination of mine, along with Greek Mythology, so when I began to read this series I am sure that you can imagine that I was in a literature heaven. The best new take on Greek Mythology since I can remember, and I love it. This book just adds to the greatness of the series and I am sure that every one will feel the same way.
ReplyDelete