Blog Tour: Interview for All That Glows


I’ve been highly anticipating All That Glows since I saw the cover release last year. Then I read it and really enjoyed it. You can see my review here. I was super excited when I got on its tour and even more so that the author, Ryan Graudin, is stopping by for an interview!


Author Interview

Welcome, Ryan. Thanks for stopping by my blog for your tour and letting me interview you!

Thanks for having me, Tressa!

Why did you decide that you wanted to become an author?

Ella EnchantedFor as long as I can remember I’ve been a reader and lover of words! Reading books fed my adventuresome spirit in a way nothing else quite could. It was after I finished reading Ella Enchanted in middle school that I was struck with a need for more! I loved the book so much I didn’t want it to end. There was no sequel, so I decided to write my own story. (It wasn’t strictly fanfiction, but close to it.) I never really stopped after that. So I guess the boiled down answer is: to let the stories go on!

I love Ella Enchanted! What a great book to inspire you!

All That Glows is your debut novel. Did you find the whole writing and publishing experience everything you thought it would be?

Writing a book and polishing it to publication standards is hard, hard work. I think I underestimated how hard the process would be. (Writing and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting. Over and over and over.) As for publishing, I didn’t really know what to expect! Publishing journeys are so different from each other. Some authors sell their manuscript to publishers in days, others months, and others years. Some novels sell for four figures, others for six. This range and unpredictability stretches all the way across the publishing experience! I’ve honestly just been holding on tight and enjoying the ride!

Well, I'm glad that you've stuck through it, as I thoroughly enjoyed All That Glows.

What inspired you to write it?

Many things. Traveling to Britain. Touring Buckingham Palace. Reading fairy tales. Studying Old English in college. Wanting to be a redhead most of my life. Crushing on the British princes as a teenager. (Oh, did I say that out loud?) Emrys’s story really took root when I was trying to write a short piece for an anthology. The prompt was to write a story about “modern, sexy” faeries. I started playing off the idea of fairy godmothers and how they would function in the modern world with crazy, night-club hopping royalty. The novel took off from there.

Are any of the characters or places from All That Glows based on real people or places?

Most of the places in ALL THAT GLOWS are real! The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Highgate Cemetery, Westminster Abbey… In fact, the only places in the novel that I made up are the pubs and nightclubs that Prince Richard frequents: the Darkroom and The Blind Tiger. Queen Mab’s court also isn’t real, though the Highlands are. (And they’re gorgeous. I highly suggest hiking in the Cairngorms if you ever get the chance!).

As for people, I didn’t consciously model any of my characters after real people. I guess the most obvious models for Prince Richard would be the actual royal princes. If I had to make a direct comparison, I’d say that Richard is more like Harry than William, but it's hardly a 1:1 correlation. Richard is Richard.

I noticed that in your bio that you mentioned you really love to travel. What is one of your favorite places that you’ve traveled to?

This is a really hard question, because everywhere I’ve been is so different!!! I would have to cite New Zealand as my number one favorite place in the word. It is postcard gorgeous everywhere you look, there are Lord of the Rings references all over the country and hiking trails that feel like epic fantasy quests. Thailand is a close second. It’s also really beautiful, the food in that region is SO flavorful and the people are incredibly welcoming.

Thai Food is actually one of my favorites. It's amazing all the places you've been!

I noticed in your bio that you said you are often trying out Korean recipes. What is one of your favorite Korean dishes that you’ve cooked up so far? Would you like to share the recipe with us?

My favorite Korean dish is Galbi—Korean BBQ! In many restaurants they grill the meat at your table and present it with dozens of side-dishes!! At home I actually use a really easy crockpot recipe (Crockpot meals are the best for writers! Whip it all up first thing and you don’t have to worry about breaking out of your writer’s zone to fix dinner later!!!). The link to the recipe is below. I also buy a jar of kimchi to eat with it for a more authentic experience!

Chew Out Loud
Sweet Korean BBQ slow cooker

I am definitely going to have to try this soon. It looks super yummy! Thanks so much for sharing!

What five words would you use to describe All That Glows?

Paparazzi, huntresses, royals, kissing, magic.


Thanks again, Ryan, for stopping by!


All That GlowsAll That Glows
by Ryan Graudin
YA Urban Fantasy, Romance
Paperback480 Pages
February 11th 2014 by HarperTeen               

Summary

Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

       


About the Author


My name is Ryan and I've been writing ever since I grabbed one of my dad's old tax ledgers and created this masterpiece: see image.

My writing has since improved, though my obsession with wolves has remained relatively the same (I even own a wolf-hybrid pup.) My childhood was a happy, sunny thing. I grew up on a steady diet of fairytales, salt-marshes, music and brothers who would re-enact Redwall battles with me in the back yard. I went to an artsy sort of high-school that allowed cello recitals in the hallways and impromptu poetry slams in the cafeteria. It was there I decided that writing was what I wanted to do more than anything.

I'm officially a grownup now (I suppose one must admit that once they turn 26). My diet still includes fairytales, salt-marshes and art, but there are a few new loves thrown in. A big one is travel. Pieces of my heart are scattered like breadcrumbs all over the globe--I've bartered them off for writing inspiration, so I suppose it's a fair trade.

When I'm not cramming my earthly belongings into a backpack and waiting in airport security lines, I'm doing one of the following: Writing YA novels, Photographing weddings with my husband, Making our little white cottage more homey, Playing with my wolf pup, Trying out Korean récipes, Haunting local coffee shops with my friends.




Twitter Party
ryangraudin:

February 11th. 7-8 pm EST. ALL THAT GLOWS Twitter party. Be there!

Ryan stops by my blog tomorrow for an interview. I’m loving reading All that Glows! I’m looking forward to discussing it more at the Twitter Party!!!
Come chat with Ryan Graudin and have some fun!


Giveaway

Win (1) of (2) signed copies of All That Glows + one large tin of All That Glow custom blend Tea


QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Would you want to be part of the Fae and live hundreds of years if not forever?

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