BEARSKIN by Jamie Robyn Wood (Interview and giveaway!)

Hey Peeps! Long time, no post, I know. But I'm dusting off the good ol' blog for a very special reason. Today, I have the honor of hosting one of my old critique partners and friend Jamie Robyn Wood. Jamie and I knew each other back in the old days when my Dark Divine series was a baby of a manuscript. Jamie gave me so much valuable feedback on the first Dark Divine novel that I am pleased to return the favor in a small part by telling you all about her debut YA novel, BEARSKIN. 

 

Isn't that cover gorgeous?

Here's what I had to say about BEARSKIN for the back of the book: "With well thought out world building and magic systems, Bearskin is an intriguing fairytale about deception, family ties, and the search for identity."

If you love fantasy, magic, and books about family, this is the read for you!

Today, I am hosting a Q&A with Jamie as well as a giveaway for a signed copy of her beautiful book. (As well as a bag of chocolate covered cinnamon bears--my favorite!!!) Check them out below.

Synopsis:

The witch dropped to her knees. Blood spilled outward from her belly. 

Moiria broke her gaze away from her dying mother and turned, amazed to find Conrad standing in the room. What would he think? 

“You’ve killed her,” he said, his voice a whisper full of fear and awe. “You’ve actually killed her.” 

When their mother, an evil enchantress, tries to convince Conrad, Moiria, and Heppson to follow her ways, each one must decide where the line lies between good and evil, magic and myth. But it will take more than good intentions to defend their kingdom against the danger that’s coming. 

Bio:

Jamie Robyn Wood is a full-time wife and mother, and a part-time fantasy writer and essayist. Over the years she has handed out money at banks, taught ballet, and managed to make dinner for her family semi-regularly. Jamie never imagined the wind could blow so hard and so cold until she moved to the Midwest. Now she prefers to hunker inside the house with a story to write. Bearskin is her first novel. She, her husband, their five children, and their “pet” squirrels currently reside in Coralville, Iowa.



Q and A:

1. I know as an author this is a hard question to answer, but I find it is the one readers always want to know—What was your inspiration for writing your book?

My inspiration for this book came from a picture book called The Bearskinner (http://www.amazon.com/Bearskinner-Tale-Brothers-Grimm/dp/0763627305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441251728&sr=8-1&keywords=Bearskinner). My daughter and I picked it up in the fairytale section at the Orem, Utah library. Their fairytale section rocks. There's a part in the book where a dirty stranger asks a girl to promise she will marry him. While her sisters find the idea ridiculous, she makes the promise. This idea of a promise despite unknowns was very interesting to me. What kind of girl would she have had to be to make this kind of promise? Why did she do it, and what came from it?

2. Who are some of your favorite authors or creators (artists, directors, screenwriters, etc.)? How have you been influenced by their work?

Another picture book that really influenced Bearskin was the book The Lady and the Lion (http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Lion-Brothers-Grimm-Tale/dp/0803726511/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441251878&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Lady+and+the+Lion) The artwork in this book includes some of my very favorite pictures. I love Laurel Long's illustrations because they are intricate and also because they carry emotion. Emotional art is always more meaningful to me.

2. Have you always wanted to be a writer or was there a special moment or event that inspired you to start writing?

I was always a reader, and I always wanted to find books that I loved. Eventually that included writing the books I was searching for. I really started writing once I had children. I needed a way to escape and create. I needed a purpose that was apart from the everyday.

3. What does your writing process look like? Do you have any quirky habits or special snacks you need on hand?

I write during nap time, although now I'm trying to move that time to mornings so I don't feel so stressed about finding a way to make it happen. I like to get a certain word count every day, though that word count changes depending on what's going on with my children at the time. I usually write a draft as far as I can get it, and then when I get stuck, I start over at the beginning. I find that when I start over I always discover things about my characters and plot that illuminate where I should head next.

4. If you could spend the day with one of your characters, whom would you choose and what would you want to do together?

I think I'd either spend the day with Heart - because she has a quirky sense of humor and would be willing to try anything, or with the Summer Guardian - who's usually a fish. She seems to know a lot about what's going on and what's important and what's not. Maybe she could fill me in a little. 

5. If your book were ever made into a movie, do you have any actors in mind to play your main characters?

Honestly I see Bearskin as more of a Japanimation flick. I think the Anime minds could do some really cool things with the animal/people in my book. I also think that Moiria's flirtation with evil could be explored so well in that genre. 

6. Some of the characters in your book have special magical abilities—if you could choose a special (either natural or supernatural) ability what would you choose and why?

All the magical abilities in Bearskin come with strings, and the people who ignore the strings end up in worse trouble than they started. With that said, I would love being able to change locations on a whim. There are so many amazing places and experiences in this world, it would be awesome to not be tied down by airplanes and dollars when it came to travel. 

Thank you so much, Jamie, for visiting the blog and doing a giveaway.

Jamie will be having a launch party for BEARSKIN at the King's English Bookshop this Friday, September 11th, at 7pm. I hope to see some of you there! More info: http://www.kingsenglish.com/event/jamie-robyn-wood-bearskin
 

For more info about Jamie, her book, and her giveaway, visit her blog here:

http://www.jamierobynwood.com/2015/08/26/the-lead-up-to-bearskins-release-and-a-giveaway/

And you can enter her giveaway with the Rafflecopter below: 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway