Please welcome Tonya Hurley to Books for Company!
Thank you Tonya for answering my questions, much appreciated. I always find it interesting how all authors write so differently, how ideas arise and how far ahead different authors plan.
Sebastian is described as mysterious, compelling, seductive. Do you think Sebastian is someone you could possibly fall for yourself and if so did this help you create a character which readers could fall for?
I tried to write Sebastian in such a way that each of the characters would recognize something of themselves in him. Hopefully the readers will feel the same connection to him. He is a bag of contradictions -- strong but sensitive, earthy and otherworldly, present yet remote, dangerous yet comforting. I definitely relate to his passion and intensity and the people I am always attracted to have those attributes as well.
Did you make the choice to write YA books or did it happen naturally?
I don't think I ever set out to write YA. I still don't. First priority for me is the story and the characters. I try to write about universal themes that a reader of any age can relate to, so making it work for a particular genre or age group is way down the list for me. However, writing for teens has been amazing because there is such urgency to it all. Sometimes, you can almost feel the feedback as you are writing the words.
Where/how did the idea for The Blessed arise?
I've always been obsessed with the legends and the iconography. I was looking through some collections of martyr stories and realized that these legends could be considered some of the earliest YA stories recorded. I started to imagine what it wold be like to have that sort of faith and commitment in the modern world and if it was even possible anymore. I just went from there.
Do you start a book knowing it's going to be part of a series and if so do you plan all books in the series out?
Yes, I know right away if it's enough for a series. I know when I can't stop thinking up story lines and planning the whole thing out. You have to be obsessed with an idea to carry out a series, I believe.
Who's your favourite character in The Blessed?
There's a little bit of me in all of them as well as people I know. I guess the one closest to be would be Cecilia -- the whole moving to New York and being on the music scene.
Thank you!
-t
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