FFBC Tours: Welcome to the club, A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe

A Mortal Song
by Megan Crewe
Publisher: Another World Press
Release Date: September 13th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Sora's life was full of magic—until she discovered it was all a lie.

Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother's last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents' true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world's natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess. 

As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she's ever known.

"Megan Crewe's A Mortal Song is engrossing from the first chapter. The world of the kami is beautifully fantastic and delicately drawn, and the switched-at-birth scenario made me instantly feel for both of these resilient, brave girls. A Mortal Song has lots of magic, lots of heart, and lots to love." -Kendare Blake, author of Three Dark Crowns.

Hello Megan! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours.

Favorite Book?

It’s impossible to pick just one! I can say that the book I’ve re-read the most in adulthood is Megan Whalen Turner’s The King of Attolia, because it is so good and I basically want to absorb everything she does with her writing.

Favorite TV show?

Also really hard to narrow this down… Maybe Star Trek: The Next Generation? I loved that as a teen and still enjoy it when I rewatch.

Favorite movie?

See above re: picking just one. ;) But my go-to answer is The Princess Bride, which I do love very much.

Your Favorite Song?

Varies from day to day, but what I think of as my theme song is Ani Difranco’s “Joyful Girl”.

Favorite Food?

Pizza or Hakka-style crispy ginger chicken.

Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.

Hmmm. Most of the fictional places I’ve read about would be pretty dangerous to live in! Let’s say the planet in The Keeper of the Isis Light (Monica Hughes), the magical world of the Magic Thief series (Sarah Prineas), and Hogwarts, post-Voldemort’s defeat.

Who is your perfect fictional boyfriend?

*points to favorite book* I must admit to being inordinately fond of Eugenides, although I suffer under no illusions that he’d be a perfect partner. ;)

Favorite Quote?

“You are what you love, not what loves you.” from the movie Adaptation

What do you find yourself “Fangirling” over?

My favorite books and characters, of course!

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?

Douglas Adams. Just to listen to him talk about whatever he wanted to. I’m sure it would have been both illuminating and entertaining.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about A Mortal Song and the world in it?

A Mortal Song is basically a reversal of the standard “main character finds out s/he is secretly a supernatural being” storyline, where instead the protagonist grew up believing she was magical, only to discover she’s actually a human changeling put in place as a decoy to protect her parents’ real daughter. It’s set in modern-day Japan, and incorporates all sorts of places there, from isolated forest valleys to big, vibrant cities like Tokyo.

Can you tell us a little bit about Sora and her personality?

Sora is very dedicated to what she believes is her life’s purpose and also very determined to serve it well, so she can’t help finding the revelation that she’s “just” an ordinary human being hard to take. But she’s gradually able to see that many of the things she treasured about being kami—music and dancing, making a difference in people’s lives—can be a part of her new life as well. She’s sensitive to other people’s emotions and always wants to understand why they do what they do, but she has difficulty forgiving someone she trusted if they break that trust.

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

The basic concept came to me after reading a couple of books back to back where the main character found out she wasn’t human but a magical being hidden away for her own protection. I started wondering what it would be like to end up on the opposite side of that sort of trade—to have to deal with having your powers stripped away rather than learning to use new ones. It felt like a premise with tons of potential for character growth and angst! 

I also wanted to challenge not one particular story but the broad body of work that seems to suggest it’s better—more exciting, more meaningful, more useful—to be a supernatural being than simply human. I think there are some pretty extraordinary elements to human nature, and I wanted to offer some appreciation to those.

Tell us your favorite quote from A Mortal Song.

That’s hard to answer, but one of my favorite quotes is this bit where Sora compares kami and human bravery: “Being human, the answers aren’t obvious. You have to choose whether you do the difficult thing or the easy thing. It takes a lot more courage to do the difficult thing you don’t have to do, that scares you, than to just... follow what you automatically know to do.”

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

The first kissing scene was a lot of fun. I enjoy writing the romantic parts in general, and that one was nicely placed amid a bunch of ongoing plot tension, plus allowed lots of awkwardness and uncertainty in the aftermath. (I may be a little bit of a sadist when it comes to my characters… ;) )

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for A Mortal Song – Which one would you pick?

“Evolution” by Ayumi Hamasaki. It’s been the unofficial theme song for the book from early on in the writing process!

Imagine that we get to see your book on the big screen (how awesome would that be?). Who would you pick to play your characters?

I have actor “models” for most of the major characters, but unfortunately I think most/all of them would be too old to actually play them now! If time travel were possible, Sora would be played by Aoi Yu, Keiji by Tatsuya Fujiwara, and Takeo by Takeshi Kaneshiro. (See pics here: http://www.megancrewe.com/blog/?p=3015) I never was able to find anyone who quite captured Chiyo’s essence.

Is there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read A Mortal Song (specific music, snacks…)? 

I think the perfect setting for reading the book out be somewhere outdoors where you can hear the wind in the trees, with a fresh pot of tea at your side.

What’s next for you? 

I’m still waiting to find that out myself! Although A Mortal Song was a foray into self-publishing for me, I’m continuing to write for traditional publication as well. I do intend to have at least one YA novel out next year, by one means or another, but which one it’ll be is up in the air at the moment.

Something to say to our Book Addicts?

Thank you so much for all the ways you support authors, whether by simply by reading, or by leaving reviews or talking books up on social media, or anything else! Readers are my favorite people. J

Thank you so much for everything, Megan!

Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and son (and does on occasion say "eh"), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and she's spent the last six years studying kung fu, so you should probably be nice to her. She has been making up stories about magic and spirits and other what ifs since before she knew how to write words on paper. These days the stories are just a lot longer.

Megan's first novel, GIVE UP THE GHOST, was shortlisted for the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. Her second, THE WAY WE FALL, was nominated for the White Pine Award and made the International Reading Association Young Adults' Choices List. Her Fallen World trilogy (THE WAY WE FALL, THE LIVES WE LOST, THE WORLDS WE MAKE) is now complete and she has a new trilogy forthcoming in October 2014, beginning with EARTH & SKY. Her books have been published in translation in several countries around the world. She has also published short stories in magazines such as On Spec and Brutarian Quarterly.

A MORTAL SONG Japan Extravaganza Giveaway!

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Always Kiss Me Goodnight by Mkgaud, Megan Gaudino

Always Kiss Me Goodnight
by Mkgaud, Megan Gaudino
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Release date: August 26th 2015
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult


Synopsis:

Sophia Destino is supposed to die. 

All seventeen-year-old Sophia wants is to coast through her junior year. But with her parents obsessed with her Olympic-swimming-hopeful brother, a psychic best friend with a penchant for reading tarot cards, and prophetic dreams that predict her death—that won’t be easy. As her nightmares begin to come true, Sophia finds herself dodging death and longing for the time when getting over her ex-boyfriend was her biggest problem. Until she meets Leo Knight. The mysterious stranger seems determined to keep her alive—and steal her heart. But Leo has a secret that is about to change everything and Sophia is about to learn that sometimes…your number is up

When we made it to the living room Hercules began lapping up the puddles of water we left behind us. Leo yanked the gray blanket off of the armchair and wrapped it around me because I was suddenly shaking.

He moved a salt stone lamp out of his way and sat on top of the coffee table, motionlessly taking in my expression. Before he even spoke I just knew he was reading me all wrong. I felt like I could read him already too.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Sophia,” he groaned.

“For what? My idiotic carelessness or that you saved my life once again? You shouldn’t be sorry about either of those things.”

“I shouldn’t have let that happen. I shouldn’t have been sleeping still. I promised you I’d protect you and look what happened. Do you have any idea how close you were to dying? Even closer than you were last night. If I was just one second later I would’ve been too late.”

“I know. I was there. But you weren’t too late. It’s all over now—I’m fine.” He put his head in his hands and scrunched his hair in his palms. “Leo.” I reached forward and placed my hand on his arm. He was still so hot to the touch. “Why’s your skin so hot again?”

He flinched away from my hand, stood up, folded his arms across his chest and turned his back to me. His reaction made me question my gesture.

“It’ll go away.”

“Yeah but why does it happen at all?”

He hesitated for just a moment before he answered. “Because I keep saving your life.”

“I thought angels are supposed to save lives.”

“I already told you. I’m not an angel. I’m not supposed to save lives.”

Megan Gaudino works in a high school library by day and on her own books by night. She lives in Pittsburgh where you can find her reading, writing, and Instagraming.

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Release Day Blitz: Devil and the Deep (Ceruleans, #4) by Megan Tayte

Devil and the Deep (Ceruleans, #4)
by Megan Tayte
Publisher: Heaven Afire
Release Date: September 30th 2015

Synopsis:

STORM CLOUDS ARE GATHERING, AND THEY WILL RAIN BLOOD. 

Scarlett is living her happy-ever-after, back in the real world. Only the ‘happy’ part is proving problematic.

For starters, there’s the isolation. Being a Cerulean among humans is fraught with risk, so her time with people can only be fleeting. Which means being with Luke but not being with Luke.

Then there’s her Cerulean light, her power over life and death. Less awesome talent, as it turns out, and more overwhelming responsibility. And it comes with rules – rules that are increasingly difficult to obey.

But what’s really pushing Scarlett to the precipice is something much bigger than herself, than her life in the cove. A force to be reckoned with:

Blood.

When long-buried truths are exposed, will Scarlett keep her head above water – or will she drown in the blood-dimmed tide that is unleashed?

It began with screaming. Shrill, ear-piercing, horrified screaming.

A girl shrieked, ‘Blood! Look, look – it’s everywhere!’ and pressed her hand to her mouth.

A man shouted, ‘Good grief!’ and another, ‘Great Scott!’

An old lady swooned gracefully and would have tipped over the balustrade of the riverboat had a lanky lad not caught her.

The cause of the excitement – a woman lying slumped on the long table on deck, cheek on her bread plate, headdress in the butter dish – twitched a little.

‘She’s alive!’ cried a lad beside her delightedly. ‘She moved!’

‘Did not,’ argued another.

‘Did too!’

‘Gentlemen,’ interjected a short, portly man with a twirly black moustache, ‘if you will forgive my intrusion, it must be noted that this woman has a bullet hole in her head and is logically, therefore, quite definitely deceased.’

Another old dear folded to the deck with a prolonged ‘Ohhhhhh’ and her husband grabbed a feathered fan and began wafting cool evening air in her face while calling, ‘Smelling salts – does anyone have any?’

I tried to keep a straight face. Really I did. I bit my bottom lip until I tasted my cherry-red lipstick. I pinched my leg through the cream satin of my gown. I dug my long cigarette holder into the sensitive flesh of my arm.

But it was no good.

The ‘What ho, chaps’ posh accents.

The buxom woman sagging in the arms of an elephant hunter wearing Converse All Stars.

The production of smelling salts in a bottle whose label read Pepto-Bismol.

The corners of the little round man’s moustache coming looser with his every word.

The fast-pooling puddle of pinkish blood on the bread plate, buffeted by the steady in-and-out breaths of the corpse.

Take it from a girl who’s really died – death on the River Dart, Devon, is hilarious.

‘Dear me, Ms Robson here appears to be quite overcome with shock,’ said the guy at my side suddenly, and he slipped an arm around me and turned me away. ‘Come, madam. Let us get some air.’

I smiled at him. Then grinned. Then choked back a guffaw. Thankfully, by the time full-scale hilarity hit me I’d been led to the rear of the boat, away from the rest of our party, and could bury my face in the bloke’s chest and shake mutely with laughter.

The gallant gentleman rubbed my back soothingly as I let it all out and said loudly, for the benefit of any onlookers, ‘There there, pignsey, there there.’

‘Pigsney?’ It was the final straw. My high-heeled sandals gave way and I melted into a puddle of mirth on the deck.

‘I’ll have you know, Scarlett Blake,’ hissed Luke, my boyfriend a.k.a. gallant gent, hoiking up his too-tight corduroy trousers so he could squat down beside me, ‘I Googled “old-fashioned terms of endearment” and pigsney’s a classic.’

I wiped tears from my eyes, dislodging a false eyelash in the process, and tried to catch my hiccupping breath as Luke went on.

‘Means pig’s eye. No idea why that’s appealing, but apparently in the seventeenth century, calling a lady pigsney was the very height of courting.’

Through his fake specs Luke’s blue eyes fixed me with a stare so earnest I almost managed to stop laughing.

‘But this is a Death on the Nile-Stroke-Dart murder mystery night, Luke,’ I managed to get out. ‘Set in the nineteen thirties, not the seventeen thirties.’

‘Ah,’ he said, ‘but my character tonight, Mr Fijawaddle, is a historical fiction writer, isn’t he? So as well as dressing like a brainy recluse – and I’m warning you now, I won’t hear another slur against this tweed jacket – he’d know all kinds of obscure terms. Like ginglyform and jargogle and nudiustertian and bromopnea and farctate and quagswag and philosophunculist.’

His showing off sobered me just enough to control the giggles. ‘You made those words up,’ I accused, poking a crimson talon into his mustard-yellow shirtfront.

He blinked at me innocently. ‘Did not. I told you before we left the house, I did my homework.’

I narrowed my eyes. ‘All right then, Mr Fijawaddle, what does that last word you said mean?’

‘Philosophunculist?’

‘Yes, that.’

‘Er…’ Luke gave me a sheepish grin.

‘Spill it,’ I said menacingly. As menacingly as a girl dressed up as a vintage Hollywood starlet with cute little pin curls and rouge aplenty can be, that is.

‘Philosophunculist,’ recited Luke. ‘Noun. A person who pretends to know more than they do in order to impress others.’

I threw my head back and laughed. ‘Busted!’

Luke slipped an arm around me and pulled me close. Really close.

‘Bet you like it when I use long words,’ he said huskily, eyes fixed on my too-red lips.

‘Bet you like it when I wear a clingy nightgown as a dress,’ I replied, eyes fixed on his too-kissable lips.

‘Brazen hussy,’ he growled at me.

‘Randy boffin,’ I murmured back.

Then neither of us said another word for quite some time.

Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.

Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction – young adult romance with soul – recently earned her the SPR’s Independent Woman Author of the Year award.

Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in Robin Hood's county, Nottinghamshire. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she's not writing, you'll find her walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible.

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