Mundie Moms

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Dark Days Blog Tour: Interview with author Alex Flinn


I'm excited about today's Dark Days blog tour stop with Bewitching author Alex Flinn. I had the chance to finally meet Alex a few weeks ago when she was in town for her Bewitching Tour. It was so cool to finally meet her and hear her talk about her inspiration behind Bewitching. Today I'm thrilled to share my recent interview with Alex with you.

Congratulations on your recent release of Bewitching! I love your fairy tale re-tellings. Do you have favorite fairy tale from either growing up or one you've enjoyed incorporating into your books?

I liked a lot of fairy tales, but my favorites were Sleeping Beauty, which I used as the basis of my novel, A Kiss in Time, and Rapunzel.


In Bewitching, I really enjoyed getting to know more about Kendra. What's something you've come to admire about Kendra's character?

Well, Kendra reminds me a lot of myself in high school, sort of an outsider girl, doesn't really worry about what other people think of her. The main difference is, Kendra has magic powers. So I really admire that about her. Also, she has a level of self-control, meaning she's not turning everyone into a beast. She tries to use her powers for good.


Which author had the biggest impact on you as a teen reader?

I was actually a huge fan of Victor Hugo. I liked dark stuff.


Is there a YA book you've read as an adult that you wish you had read as a teen?

Definitely The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. The book was around, of course, but I didn't know what it was about. When I finally read it, I identified strongly with Jerry Renault. It would have been nice to know that Cormier got me.


What's the biggest piece of advice you would tell to aspiring teen and even adult writers?

For teen writers, I would tell them to be patient. I meet so many teens who want to write and publish a novel, and they want to do it yesterday. There's time. For anyone else, read a lot (including books about writing), write what you want to write, not what you think is trendy, and set aside time for writing on a regular basis.


What's one thing you do to help you get through those "dark days" of writing?

I make myself try to write anyway. I go someplace with fewer distractions and try to make lists of what might happen, lists of things about my characters, etc. Also, I reread what I've already written.


Are you able to tell us a little bit about your next project?

I'm not that far into it, but it's a gothic fairy tale, sort of a cross between Rapunzel, the myth of Perseus and his mother, Danae, and Wuthering Heights.


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Thank you Alex for stopping Mundie Moms today! I can't wait to hear more about your project!


To find out more about Alex's books you can visit her Website | Live Journal & follow her on Facebook


Published by: Harper Teen
Released on: February 14th, 2012
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right.
Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching. -quoted from Goodreads

You can read my review for Bewitching here. Check out the book trailer here:


Don't miss the rest of the Dark Days blog tour as well as the Dark Days tour stops, which you can find here on the Dark Days Facebook Page. You can also catch Lauren Oliver, Claudia Gray, Alex Flinn and Dan Wells at the following blogs over the next couple weeks:

2/21- Lauren Oliver at All Things Urban Fantasy

2/22- Claudia Gray at A Life Bound By Books

2/23- Alex Flinn at Mundie Moms

2/28- Dan Wells at Bookalicious

3/1- Lauren Oliver at All Things Urban Fantasy

3/6- Claudia Gray at A Life Bound By Books

3/7- Alex Flinn at Mundie Moms

3/8- Dan Wells at Bookalicious

8 comments:

  1. Great interview! Her next project sounds really interesting :) She also gave some really great advice for other writers, advice I struggle with.

    -Kate the Book Buff
    The Book Buff: Book Reviews for Regular People

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    1. Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the advice. :)

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  2. Great interview! Loved her advice. I purchased the book based on your enthusiastic review. I can hardly wait to read it. :)

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    1. Thanks Sophie! I'm excited for your to read Bewitching.

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  3. Oh, my GOSH. That last question has me totally excited. A super cross between Rapunzel, Greek mythology, and Wuthering Heights?!? Give me more please!

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    1. I know! i can't wait to hear more about this book

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