Hi, book loves! Thanks for all of you who tuned into my LIVE author chat with my friend, Rebecca Ross, on May 29, 2020 at 8pm CST and for spending your evening with us! I was so thrilled to feature Becca here on my blog, The Bookish Ballad, as we talked about The Queen's Rising duology, her new stand-alone young adult fantasy novel, Sisters of Sword and Song which is set to release on June 23, 2020 from HarperTeen, and insightful topics that included the trade publishing process, magic and world-building, and ! Becca has been a huge inspiration for my own writing and a spectacular friend since the very beginning when I couldn't stop myself from messaging her about how life-changing reading an ARC of The Queen's Rising had been for me! I felt like I had made a friend and she didn't know I existed so I drove up from Chicago to meet her at the Grand Rapids Comic Con and listen to her incredible panel about world-building, taking risks, and raising stakes in a fantasy novel. The Queen's Rising and now Sisters of Sword and Song are in my top-five favorite books of all time: there is sheer magic interwoven in every word she's written! So, if you haven't read it yet, I insist you do so! For those of you who could not attend...fear not! I recorded the video and uploaded it to my YouTube Channel, The Bookish Ballad, for you to watch. I also asked Rebecca Ross to send me written answers to all the questions I asked in the live chat so you can peruse it at your leisure! ENJOY!!<3 Author ChatQ&A with Rebecca Ross!Before we get into the Q&A, will you give the viewers a brief description of The Queen's Rising duology and Sisters of Sword and Song? Yes, I’d love to (and I’m so excited I get to chat with you tonight, Taylor! <3). The Queen’s Rising is about a girl named Brienna who finds herself in a plot to overthrow a usurper king and restore the rightful queen to the throne. There’s everything from castles to a slow burning romance to sisterhood to dark family secrets, and it’s set in a Renaissance inspired world. The Queen’s Resistance is the sequel and picks up right where TQR ends. This series is a duology, so it ends with the second book (I get a lot of questions from readers about this, so just want to make it clear). Sisters of Sword & Song is about two sisters—Evadne who is a scribe and Halcyon who is a warrior. When Halcyon returns home from the legion on the run from a terrible crime, Evadne decides to do everything she can to protect her sister, including taking a portion of her punishment. But as Evadne serves her sentence, she begins to learn her older sister’s secrets, and it draws both girls into a dangerous scheme to protect their queen. SOSAS is inspired by Ancient Greece and is a YA Fantasy Stand-alone. When did you decide you wanted to be an author and how did you make that dream a reality? For as long as I could remember, I wanted to be an author. I loved reading from a very early age, and it fueled my own desire to write. All throughout my teen years, I wrote stories by hand at my desk. It was my passion and I dedicated a lot of my time and efforts to it. I graduated from college with my degree in English, but I did not take my writing seriously until three years later. I was working an 8-5 job, doing the same daily grind over and over again—wake up, eat, work, go home, spend time with husband and dog, eat, sleep. Repeat. I hadn’t written in years until one morning, I woke up and looked in the mirror, and I said to myself, “Becca. One day you’re going to wake up and be 70 years old, and you’re going to look back on your life and realize you did not write anything. And you are going to regret it.” And since that morning, I decided to take my writing seriously. I wrote on lunch breaks, on weekends, in the evenings after work. I was tenacious about it, and months later, I wrote The Queen’s Rising. That book had a gleam to it—I knew it was the first thing I had written that might be worthy of being published—and so I took the next steps to find a great agent and got my book deal months after that. What are some valuable lessons you learned from publishing your first novel? Publishing a novel is a huge, exciting achievement. And while there are highs to publishing, there are also lows. It’s honestly like a rollercoaster. There are a lot of things out of your control as an author—your cover art, how well your book sells, reviews, if you get sent on a book tour, etc. I have had to measure my success in different ways than what I thought I would at the very beginning of my journey, when I was still quite naïve. If my book connects with a reader and brings them through a dark time, if it inspires them to write their own novel, if it makes them laugh or cry and leaves a good mark on their heart…that is my success as an author. What is your writing style like? Are you a pantser, a plotter, or a plantser? I’m a hardcore pantser. I love the thrill of discovery when I write. I find that planning actually tames my imagination. Some of my best plot twists and characters have emerged from moments of exploration. The only downside to pantsing it is that you sometimes write yourself into a corner and have to backtrack, and it’s messy. My revisions typically involve a lot of rewriting, simply because my first draft is me trying to find all the pieces to the story. And I think if I ever did a longer series, like a trilogy or even a quartet, I would have to buckle down and make myself plan things out. I think that’s part of the reason why longer series feel so daunting to me and I typically stick to duologies and stand alones (at least for the moment). What is it like to have a career as a full-time author? What does your work schedule look like, is there a lot of pressure, how do you stay organized? I find it a highly rewarding career. I love to work from home, and I am very disciplined. I get up early, I pour a cup of coffee, and I sit at my desk and work, even when I don’t feel like it. Because some days I feel like writing and the words flow and it’s amazing, and other days it’s like pulling teeth. But I have trained myself to make it a habit, so I can still produce something, even on the hard days. A typical day will see my writing in the morning, which tends to be my best writing hours. I’ll answer emails, break for lunch, make a post on social media. Exercise. And then maybe squeeze a few more hours of writing or reading in during the afternoon. When I’m on deadline, I typically work much longer hours, sometimes late into the night. I try to keep track using a planner and a calendar. Sisters of Sword and Song is inspired by Greek Mythology. What is it about Greek myths that inspired you to write this story? I’ve always been very fascinated by Greek myths. I think I’m drawn to the beauty and the terror of them, and the connection between those who are immortal and powerful, and those who are mortal and brave. Both are flawed and make mistakes and have triumphs and tragedies. Something about it calls to me, and I’ve always wanted to write an epic fantasy that felt like a myth that was just discovered. Do you have a favorite myth? If so, which one and why do you love it? I’ve always loved the myth of Cupid and Psyche. I find it so fascinating! I'd love to talk about the magic systems found within both The Queen's Rising and Sisters of Sword and Song! Can you tell us a bit about your world building process and how you developed these two vastly different magic systems? When I was building the world for TQR, magic was one of last things that came to me. I knew it would be present, but I was very focused on other elements of the world, so the magic feels subtle. It’s a gentle current, and the reader can focus on other things within the story but still feel the draw of it. With SOSAS, I knew magic would play a much more vital role and impact throughout the story. Early on, I had to figure out how it worked, what the cost of spells would be, and where the magic originated from. When it comes to building fantasy worlds, that is something a writer needs to think about. If the magic is heavily present and used, there are a lot of things and ramifications to consider. But it’s so much fun getting to create it! They say that authors put a little bit of themselves into their fictional characters. Which character from both The Queen's Rising Duology AND Sisters of Sword and Song is a close representation of you, and why? Brienna and Evadne are both very close representations of me. They’re quiet and reserved but full of longings and dreams and ambitions, and they are very loyal to those they love. They are also drawn to stories and history. Let’s play kiss, marry, banish!! Brienna, Cartier, and Isolde. GO! Another round: Evadne, Halcyon, and Damon. GO! Haha, this is fun. Okay, here we go: Brienna—kiss Cartier, marry Isolde, banish Rian Cartier—kiss Brienna, marry Isolde, banish Declan Isolde—kiss Luc, marry Brienna, banish Gilroy Lannon Evadne—kiss Damon, marry Lyra, banish the vile boy of Dree Halcyon—kiss Narcissa, marry Xander, banish Macarius Damon—kiss Evadne, marry Halcyon, banish Macarius What advice can you give aspiring authors who would like to publish their books with a trade publisher? Can you give us a brief description about the trade publishing process and the steps you took to publish your debut novel, The Queen's Rising? I’ll try to keep this brief. ;) Once you have written your novel and have polished it, it’s time to research literary agents. If you truly desire to go the traditional route, you’re going to need and want a good agent. Your agent is not there to just sell one book and take their 15%. They are there for the long haul with you. They are going to go to bat for you and help you navigate publishing and help you build your career. I look at my agent as my rock, someone who advises me and encourages me and helps me understand all the in’s and out’s. So do your research and compile a list of agents you think would be a great fit for you, and who rep the sort of books you write. To catch an agent’s eye, you’ll need to write a really good query letter, which is a 250 word pitch you send to them in an email. If your query piques their interest, the agent will most likely request your full manuscript. They’ll read it and either offer to represent you (if they loved the book), or they might offer you a revise and resubmit opportunity with their feedback. Or they will pass, because they aren’t the right fit for you and your book. But once you have signed with an agent, they will begin to contact editors they know who they believe will also love your book. Your agent will get the editors excited about your manuscript and will compile a submission list of editors they plan to send your book to. When that happens, you’re officially on “sub.” It’s an exciting and terrifying time, knowing your manuscript is being read by multiple editors. If an editor reads and loves your book, they might offer a pre-emptive offer, which is to quickly take your book off the table, to avoid it going to auction (which is when there are multiple offers involved). I was offered a pre-emptive offer for TQR + my other two YA fantasies, so my manuscript was read by the first editor the manuscript was sent to. My best advice to aspiring authors is to not give up—this is a slow process, and there are quite a few steps involved, and it can be heartrending when rejections pour in. But those who are determined and have grit and don’t give up on the dream will make it. In The Queen’s Resistance, the majority of the novel is correcting the injustices that King Lannon unleashed upon Maevana. Was it difficult for you to come up with the evil acts the Lannons and their allies committed? Did the injustices in our real world reflect any of these acts mentioned in the book? It was definitely hard to write about. The Queen’s Resistance was a book that truly took me by surprise (it was originally supposed to be a companion novel, not a sequel). And when I began to get deeper into the story, I realized that I did not want to gloss over the crimes that had occurred in Maevena, but I also wanted to approach these instances from a respectful and honest way. There are some days when I think about the injustices happening in our world, and I feel so overwhelmed and saddened by them. And I don’t always know how to help right these wrongs that are happening, but I also know that I need to be present and to listen and be ready and willing to help in whatever ways I can. Did you experience any challenges or roadblocks while writing The Queen's Rising or SOSAS? How did you push through them? I think there is always the challenge of getting to the end. Of actually making a complete story, with all the threads woven together in a satisfying way. It’s funny—I’ve written multiple books by this point, and every time I sit down and begin a new manuscript, I’m like, “Okay, how do I do this again?” LOL. Every book is different and will have its own unique process. I think just trusting my intuitive storytelling and not being afraid to take risks has helped me push through those roadblocks during writing. You brought me to tears when The Queen’s Resistance ended and it was mainly because of the love story! Can you tell us what inspired you to create the culture in the MacQuinn territory, especially highlighting the importance of the tapestry? Aww, I’m so honored to hear that! You know, thinking back over those weeks when I was drafting The Queen’s Resistance…the tapestry idea came to me in a very organic way. I knew the House of MacQuinn was revered for their weavers, and they took great pride in their craft. And I’ve always been drawn to tapestries in general and the idea of there being thousands of threads woven together to create a beautiful picture. I remember thinking, how can I make this unique to the MacQuinns, and how can I use this to help bring Brienna into their fold? And I thought of the golden ribbon, and the rest is history! J The Queen's Rising and SOSAS have a beautiful and unique cast of characters. Which character from both books is your favorite and what do they contribute to the novel that makes them so special? Oh dear. This is a tough one to answer! It almost feels like choosing a favorite child, haha. I will say I have a very soft place in my heart for both Cartier and Damon. And I think it’s due to the way they respect and admire and love the heroines I write. Since my blog is called The Bookish Ballad and one can deduce that both music and books are my passions, I absolutely LOVE that you have Spotify playlists assigned to each of your novels! How did you come up with your playlists? I love to write to music. It inspires so much of my stories and often draws out the emotion in my work. Sometimes a song will be so woven into my writing that every time I listen to it, I can still envision the very moment in the scene it inspired, even years later. I’m typically drawn to soundtracks and instrumental music. The Game of Thrones soundtrack is one of my all time favorites, but I also love to discover obscure artists and lesser known music on Spotify! I have playlists for all of my books, and you can find me on Spotify @ beccajross. The Queen's Rising duology is set in the first-person point of view and SOSAS is in third-person. Why did you choose to write Evadne and Halcyon's story in third-person as opposed to first-person? Okay so it’s really interesting how this came about. When I first wrote SOSAS, it was Evadne’s perspective only, written in first person. My editor made the suggestion to bring in Halcyon’s POV. I mulled over it, and decided that I would like to add in her perspective since her storyline is very action packed, but since I had just written a dual narrative in first person for The Queen’s Resistance (and I still had Cartier’s and Brienna’s voices lingering in my mind) I felt like it was best if I wrote both Evadne’s and Halcyon’s POVs in third person. And I ended up really loving that decision, and I felt like it made the story so much deeper and fiercer. Which authors/books have inspired you on your writing journey? Oh, so so many. Here are a few authors who I consider my influences, and books of theirs that have inspired me countless times: The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggon Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik The Winternight Chronicles by Katherine Arden Which of the five passions do you belong to? I’m a passion of knowledge! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your books! Is there anything else you would like to add? I’m hosting a pre-order incentive to all the readers who order their copies through Good Choice Reading. I’ll be personalizing, stamping and signing each book, in addition to including an exclusive myth card. The myths are inspired by the divines in SOSAS, and I had so much fun creating them! About the Authorshe was a girl of words and stars and iron…Rebecca Ross was born and raised in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, her lively Australian Shepherd, and her endless piles of books. She loves coffee, the night sky, chalk art, maps, the mountains, and growing wildflowers in her yard. And a good story, of course. Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || Pinterest || Goodreads
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