Author Interview & Giveaway: Suzanne van Rooyen


We are excited to welcome author, Suzanne can Rooyen, to the nest today. Be sure to check out the giveaway details at the end of this post.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Which character is your favorite to write?

Suzanne: I love writing the anti-heroes, the darker characters who carry more baggage, who are conflicted and might not always make the best decisions. I like giving my characters a troubled past, one that affects who they are in a negative way so that they grow throughout the course of the story, learning to live with their shadows and face their demons.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: What are three books that you are excited to read this Winter?

Suzanne: Splintered, Beta and Rootless. Really can't wait to read those.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: What should readers know about your book before they start reading?

Suzanne: There are some pretty dark themes and edgy content in this so it might not be suitable for younger readers. That said, nothing is gratuitous. This is Kyle's story and he's telling it as he lived it, the good and the bad. I tried not to censor him so the book is written from a pretty troubled and unapologetic teenage boy's perspective.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: How long have you been writing?

Suzanne: Since I could string full sentences together, but professionally only since 2009. I started with journalism articles and migrated towards short stories before finally tackling a novel in 2010 for NaNoWriMo.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Are you inspired by music? If so, do you have a playlist or some songs to share?

Suzanne: Oh yes! I'm a musician, have spent more than twenty years studying music and I even have a Master's degree in music. I can not write without music. It's a huge part of my creative process. For Obscura Burning I wrote almost exclusively to the shoe-gazing ethereal music by the band Explosions in the Sky best known for producing the soundtrack to the series Friday Night Lights. Here's one of my favourite songs by this band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0o8JCxjjpM

Andrea @ Reading Lark: It's a Reading Lark tradition - What is your favorite bird?

Suzanne: Bird? What an odd question. I'm not really into ornithology but I guess if I had to choose it would be the loon. I think they make the saddest sound in nature and their eerie songs just break my heart.

This or That?
- Snow or Rain?
Snow
- Jeans or Skirts?
Jeans
- Long Hair or Short Hair?
Long
- Winter or Summer?
Winter
- East Coast or West Coast?
East

About the Novel

The world's going to end in fire...and it's all Kyle's fault. 

Kyle Wolfe's world is about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore. Each time Kyle goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...



We have one eBook copy of Obscura Burning up for grabs. The winner will be able to choose their preferred eBook format. Thank you, Suzanne, for providing the book for the giveaway. The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY! In order to win you must:

* Be 13+ years old
* Fill out the Rafflecopter below

The giveaway runs from March 2-9. The winner will be contacted via email on March 10.


Comments

  1. Great interview, and thank you for the giveaway. I'm looking forward to reading Obscura Burning since I first saw it on Goodreads. I love it that he wakes to alternate realities, and I'm really curious about the new planet...

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    1. Thank you for reading. Hope you get the chance to read it :)

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  2. I would love to win this book because I've being looking forward into reading this book since my friend reccomended me it.

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    1. Oh lovely to hear people are recommending my book. Happy reading!

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  3. I'm looking forward to reading more about Kyle. I enjoy dark themes at times, so this should be great.

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  4. sci-fi is one of my fave genres. a new world suddenly appears? heck yeah, i'm all over that!

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