Interview with C.J. Redwine, author of DEFIANCE

I am so excited for today’s Wild Worlds post! Today I have C.J. Redwine, the author of the exciting new book DEFIANCE! Here’s a little info about the book (courtesy of C.J.’s blog):

DEFIANCE| 8/28/12 Balzer + Bray

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

I was lucky enough to sneak an interview with C.J. Redwine and get the scoop on Defiance and some insights about her exciting debut novel!

INTERVIEW WITH CJ REDWINE

This sounds like an incredibly interesting world! Can you tell us a little bit about Rachel’s life in Baalboden?
CJR: Baalboden is a difficult place for a girl like Rachel to live. The law requires that all women have their assigned Protector with them when they go out in public (a Protector is a husband or older male family member), and the law also refuses to allow a woman to know how to use a weapon. Rachel’s father disagreed with the law and secretly trained her to be a warrior. Combine that training with Rachel’s headstrong personality, and you can see how life in Baalboden would be hard for her to endure. She likes to speak up against injustice and draw a sword in the face of threats, and doing either of those inside Baalboden is a death sentence.

 I love that right from the start, Rachel seems like a fierce warrior and is clearly not meant to take a backseat to anyone. Are there some of your own personal experiences built into that side of her character?
CJR: Rachel came to me as a fully formed character, but I do use pieces of my own experience while writing to make sure I get the emotional reactions right. I’m stubborn, like Rachel, and I can be outspoken, but I think that’s where our similarities end.

 Can you tell us a little more about Logan? It sounds like we’ll all be swooning!
CJR: I adore Logan. He honestly wasn’t meant to have such a major role in the book, but once he came on scene, I realized he had a huge impact on the story. He’s highly deductive and intelligent, he invents weapons and tech, and yet because he had to grow up in the rough back alleys of Baalboden, he’s also a fierce warrior when he has to be. I love that when you get down to what makes him tick, he’s just a boy who always tries hard to do the right thing.

How did you come up with this brand new world? Would you describe it as post-apocalyptic? Fantasy?
CJR: It’s both post-apocalyptic and fantasy. 🙂 I decided to have my cake and eat it too. I’d had the idea of an immense, Leviathon-like creature living beneath the earth’s surface, and then one day I saw a picture of a fort and it reminded me of a city-state. I asked myself why people would live in a city-state now, and the world of Defiance was born.

So I read about were-llamas… After Defiance, is A Tale of Two Were-Llamas the next big hit?
CJR: I don’t see why not. It can’t help but be a best-seller. Who wouldn’t want to read that???

And now a little less serious, and a little more fun – Quick Bookish Q&A!

Where is your favorite place to read/write?
CJR:My bed or my oversized comfy living room chair.

Are there any authors you’re dying to meet?
CJR: J.K. Rowling! Though I’d probably just make awkward, embarrassing noises instead of words.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
CJR: I can’t pick just one. I’ve read so many amazing books. My first literary love was the Chronicles of Narnia, though, so I’ll go with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe since it started my love affair with books. 

Who’s your biggest literary crush?
CJR: Kaleb from Myra McEntire’s TIMEPIECE. Oh yes, ladies, he’s MINE. 

Who’s your favorite literary villain?
CJR: The Joker from the Batman comic series. Charming lunatic sociopaths FTW.

Romance or Sci-fi?
CJR: Sci-fi with a side of romance

Paperback/Hardcover/eBook/Audiobook?
CJR: Anything but audiobook. I have a hard time paying attention to what I’m listening to. 🙂

Author bio:
C.J. Redwine loves stilettos, lemon bars, and any movie starring Johnny Depp. She lives in Nashville with her husband, four kids, two cats, and one long-suffering dog. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at http://cjredwine.blogspot.com

A big, big thanks to C.J. for the interview! Here are some other places you can find C.J.:

• GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/cjredwine
• Twitter: @cjredwine
• Website: http://cjredwine.blogspot.com

Pre-order the book! Coming out on August 28th, 2012

• Amazon: Defiance
• Barnes & Noble: Defiance

Want to win some swag from C.J.? We’ve got some signed bookmarks up for grabs! Click the link below to enter for a chance to win!

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