Daughter 4254 by Leigh Statham (Interview & #Giveaway)

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - Leave a Comment

I've been a big fan of Leigh Statham ever since I read The Perilous Journey of the
Not So Innocuous Girl. Her creativity, witty dialogue, Steampunk setting, and perilous
danger were a perfect combination. This newest from her is definitely different, but I'm
expecting it will be just as good. Check out my interview with her and the giveaway below...

Daughter 4254

by Leigh Statham

YA Dystopian

Paperback & ebook, 286 Pages

November 7th 2017 by Owl Hollow Press

Summary

Daughter4254 used to think life in a community where art, music and names are outlawed would suffocate her creative spirit. Now that she’s rotting in a prison cell, she’s not sure her dying mother made the right choice when she entrusted her with the secrets of rebellion. Prison has given her plenty of time to relive every mistake and lose all hope.

Then she meets Thomas, a fellow inmate, who tells her stories of the mythical mountain colonies where people have names and the arts thrive. Together they plot an escape, knowing if they fail, they will die. Or worse, their consciousness will be taken by the MindWipe, leaving their bodies free for the government to use. When nothing goes as planned, Daughter4254 must choose between using her mother’s secret to better the world she hates, or following Thomas to the quiet life of freedom she has always craved.

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The Kings English (exclusive signed copies)

Interview

Welcome to my blog today, Leigh! I’m excited about this new release from you, so I’m glad I get to chat a little about it with you. :)

Thanks so much for having me! It’s a pleasure to be here.

1. This is a very different world from your last series. Would you tell us a little more about the world setting?

Sure! This story is set in the future in a community that has survived extinction by pooling their resources and banning together. They had strict rules about everyone using their time and talents to help the community survive. Now that they are doing well, prospering even, they could spend more time enjoying themselves, but they have kept their laws anyway. Nothing is allowed that doesn’t benefit the community. That includes art, names, music, and literature.

2. What interested you about setting a story where names, art, and music are outlawed?

Every month I come across another news article about budget cuts for arts funding. Schools across the country are ending their art and music programs. This cuts my soul a little bit each time, and I always wonder how far our society will go. Will there come a time when we don’t value the arts at all?

That is really scary to me since I was a music major in college my freshman year and played piano for years. I have a deep love for the arts.

3. Would you tell us a little more about the main characters, Daughter4254 and Thomas?

Daughter4254 is the quintessential creative girl trapped in a society where everything she loves is illegal. Trouble is, it’s been illegal for so long that she doesn’t know what it is that’s missing from her life. She just knows that something is wrong and that she’s desperately unhappy.

Thomas was raised in the mountain colonies where the arts thrive in secret. He’s a free spirit and a risk taker who is trying to find his own way in the world. Unfortunately, it’s hard to do that when you are in prison.

4. What did you love most about writing DAUGTER 4254?

I loved all the wonderful beta readers that helped me edit this book. Honestly. It was a tough book to write. There were a lot of big choices I had to make. Especially in regards to the format. I had A LOT of great people read and comment along every step of the way. Can’t express my gratitude enough!

5. If you had to give up one thing in your life, such as music, art, sports, technology, etc., what do you think you could give up? What’s one thing you could not live without?

I would actually have no problem giving up technology. It sounds crazy, but sometimes I long for the days when I didn’t have a smart phone dinging at me all the time. I’m not sure I could give up air conditioning though. I definitely wouldn’t give up art or music or novels.

I'm with you on technology. Everyone expects you to be reachable all the time and get upset when you're not and since I didn't have a cell phone until college and texting much later than that, I well remember what that was like. :)

6. If Daughter4254 had a word of advice for readers, what do you think she would say?

I think she would say, don’t doubt yourself! We know ourselves, our instincts are usually correct. We just need to trust them.

Great advice!

7. What are you working on next?

I have a contemporary YA book completed and almost ready to go on sub. I am also working on edits for the sequel to Daughter4254 and I have a middle grade story that’s burning a hole in my brain. I hope to have a rough draft of that completed by the end of the year. HOPE being the key word here.

I'm looking forward to them all! Thanks for answering all my questions!!

Thanks for having me on the blog! I hope you enjoy the novel as much as I enjoyed writing it!

About the Author

Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho but found her heart in New York City. She worked at many interesting jobs before settling in as a mother and writer.

She now resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, eight chickens, a fluffy dog, and two suspected serial killer cats.

Leigh is currently working on an MFA, has written countless short stories, and is the author of lots of mediocre poetry. She is also the winner of the 2016 Southeast Review Narrative Nonfiction Prize for her short story “The Ditch Bank and the Fenceline.”

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Instagram│Wattpad

Tour Schedule

Week One:

10/25/2017- BookHounds YA- Interview

10/25/2017- Fan-Girl-Tabulous- Review

10/26/2017- Reese's Reviews- Excerpt

10/26/2017- Caffeine and Composition- Review

10/27/2017- Hooked To Books- Guest Post

10/27/2017- YA Obsessed- Review

Week Two:

10/30/2017- Maddie.TV- Interview

10/30/2017- The Desert Bibliophile- Review