Feature Friday: Suzanne Lazear

Suzanne Lazear’s young adult steampunk dark fairytale, INNOCENT DARKNESS, book 1 of The Aether Chronicles, will be released from Flux in August of 2012. Suzanne lives in Southern California with her daughter, the hubby, and a hermit crab, where she’s currently attempting to make a raygun to match her ballgown. Visit her blog at www.suzannewrites.blogspot.com She’s also part of the Steampunk group blog Steamed http://www.ageofsteam.wordpress.com Learn more about The Aether Chronicles at www.aetherchronicles.com or www.facebook.com/theaethercrhonicles

Interview:

A.L.:

What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Suzanne:

Write every day – even if it’s for five minutes. It’s important to make it a habit.

A.L.:

What's your favorite book?

Suzanne:

Little Men by Louis May Alcott.

A.L.:

Where did you get the idea for Innocent Darkness?

Suzanne:

I’d wanted to write a story about a girl who gets sucked into Faerie from her backyard. That idea turned into INNOCENT DARKNESS.

A.L.:

Did you hit any snags while writing Innocent Darkness? What were they and how did you fix them?

Suzanne:

Yes, I hit a huge roadblock about 30k in – where Noli falls into the Otherworld. I was really convinced I couldn’t write this book the way it deserved to be written. It took me three months to get back on track.

A.L.:

Which one of the characters in Innocent Darkness is your favorite and why?

Suzanne:

Oh, that’s a tough one. James is one of my favorites. There’s not as much of him in book 1 as I wanted. Originally, there was going to be 5 POVs, not 3, then I realized how long that book would be. But one day I’ll write James and Charlotte’s story. But there’s quite a bit of him in book 2. He’s just so different from both V and Kevighn.

A.L.:

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Suzanne:

INNOCENT DARKNESS was completed manuscript #10. It was the fourth I queried and only my second YA book. I sold in April of 2012, so it was 27 months between selling and it actually landing on the shelves. I really didn’t realize before I sold that selling is really just the beginning.

A.L.:

What are you working on now? Sequel? Something new?

Suzanne:

Yes, I’m finishing up book 2, I’m also exploring Elfpunk and Cyberpunk – two other very fun genres.

A.L.:

You're a YA steampunk author! Yay! So, for the readers who may not be familiar with steampunk, can you give us a quick in-you-own-writerly-words definition? Then, can you highlight what the steampunkiest bits of your novel are?

Suzanne:

Steampunk is the intersection of Victorian romanticism and modern technology. It’s the future as imagined by the past. My favorite steampunky element is Noli’s flying car, the Big Bad Pixymobile, which is a Hestin-Dervish Pixy.

A.L.:

Steampunk meets faeries. How'd you manage to balance that one out? Is there still steampunk technology in Otherwold or just in Noli's world?

Suzanne:

Noli’s world, the mortal realm, is very steampunk, filled with airships and flying cars and hovercops. On the other hand, the Otherworld isn’t really steampunk, after all, it Faerie, it runs on magic. However, the high queen and her court are a bit clockpunk. She’s obsessed with toys and amusements, especially mechanical animals. She’s far more interested in amusements than her kingdom. Since so much of book 1 takes place in the Otherworld it was difficult to keep the steampunk vibe flowing through the entire book. Book 2 takes place mostly in the mortal realm, on an airship, so it was much easier to highlight the steampunk elements.

A.L.:

Do you walk around LA in a corset?

Suzanne:

Only if I’m on a panel or giving a talk about my book.

A.L.:

If you could live in a steampunk world would it be alternate history or alternate world?

Suzanne:

I think I’d like an alternate world all together.

The Giveaway:
Suzanne is going to send an autographed copy of INNOCENT DARKNESS to one lucky winner!

Innocent Darkness:Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.
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How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.


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