Hello my lovelies! Today I have the pleasure of bringing you an interview with Sara Holland, the debut author of Everless! I'm obsessed with stories about time so I was immediately drawn towards this book!
But first, here is some info about the book:
ABOUT
Title: Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Series: Untitled #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Goodreads Page
Goodreads Page
Synopsis:
In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.
No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.
But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.
Interview
Ri: Describe Everless in 6 words.Sara: Twisty, bloody, magic, friendship, secrets, self-discovery.
Ri: What inspired Everless?
Sara: There wasn't really one "aha" moment. Stories for me usually begin in the form of images, and I had this image of a girl kneeling barefoot at the side of an icy lake, having lost something important. So I was trying to excavate her backstory. I had also just moved to New York without any savings (would not recommend) and was working all the time to make ends meet, so every second was precious, leading me to the question of "what if time was actually money?" So Jules and her world sort of developed, intertwined, at the same time.
Ri: Do you have favourite time-related media pieces? (Books, tv, movies)?
Sara: Probably THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi Heilig! It's a time travel book, but there's so much more to it then "character finds herself in strange time, has to find her way back." The main character, Nix, lives with her father on a ship that can take them to any time or place--real or imagined. The writing is gorgeous, and I fell in love with the characters right away.
Ri: Was there anything strange or interesting you found through research for this novel?
Sara: In trying to create the actual, physical process of bleeding time, I did some research about the historical process of bloodletting, which was pretty gross. I learned that some doctors used leeches for that purpose... I decided to just stick with knives.
Ri: If you had a year blood iron coin, what would you do with it?
Sara: I'd like to think I would give it to someone who needs it more than I do!
Ri: What are you currently reading?
Sara: I'm on the road next week for a series of Epic Reads meetups at bookstores around the country, and I'm supremely lucky to be alongside some Harper authors who I've admired since forever--Maureen Johnson, Kasie West, Kendare Blake, Rae Carson, and Colleen Oakes. So I am rereading some of their books--I'm excited to get to fangirl over them in person!
Ri: What is some advice for aspiring fantasy writers?
Sara: I think fantasy writers in particular sometimes feel pressure to have the world and plot all figured out before embarking on a story, and I would caution them not to be beholden to that. While of course the world we live in always influences us, the characters are just as important, and you can always go back and straighten out the worldbuilding after the story is on the story is on the page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I grew up in small-town Minnesota among hundreds of books. I graduated from Wesleyan University and worked in a tea shop, a dentist’s office, and a state capitol building before heading to New York to work in publishing. These days, I can be found exploring the city’s bookstores or finding new ways to put caffeine in my bloodstream. EVERLESS is my debut novel.
Thank you so much to Glasstown and Sara Holland! You can check out everyone else on the tour at the blogs below:
Happy Reading,
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