Welcome to our weekly special feature post, Author Of The Week!!
Each week we will be interviewing a different YA author and highlighting their upcoming release!
We will also be hosting a giveaway of the book we are highlighting!!
Introducing Breeana Shields, YABC’s Author of the Week!!
Breeana Shields graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in English.
Her debut young adult fantasy, POISON’S KISS, will be released from Random House in 2017 with a sequel to follow in 2018.
When she’s not writing about herself in the third person, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband, her three children and an extremely spoiled miniature poodle.
Meet Poison’s Kiss!!
A teenage assassin kills with a single kiss until she is ordered to kill the one boy she loves. This commercial YA fantasy is romantic and addictive like– a poison kiss– and will thrill fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard.
Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It’s a miserable life, but being a visha kanya, a poison maiden, is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.
Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.
This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Amazon * B & N * Indiebound
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I talk about this in an author’s note at the end of Poison’s Kiss, but the short answer is that I was listening to a lecture series on espionage and covert operations and the instructor said something—one sentence in an eighteen-hour course—that planted the seed for Marinda’s character. I often get ideas that way. I hear something and my mind wanders away on a loosely related tangent and before I know it, whole worlds have sprung to life in my imagination.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
They’re all my favorites in different ways, but if you forced me to choose, I’d have to say Mani. But that might be because I’ve spent so much time in my main character’s head and she loves him so fiercely.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
Definitely the novel. Titles are tricky—it’s hard to find something instantly appealing that also accurately represents the tone of the book. Luckily, I had an editor and a marketing team to help with that part.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
I’ve learned that there’s no destination on this journey that is as satisfying as writing itself. When I first started writing toward publication, I thought I’d feel like I’d finally arrived when I got an agent. I didn’t. I thought I’d feel like I’d “made it” when I got a book deal. I did, but only for a few months, and then the reality set in that I had no control over how the book would be received. All of the sudden, there were thousands of new worries that crowded out my happiness. I think the trick to surviving in this business is realizing that the only guaranteed joy is the actual writing. The rest is just gravy.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I love the cover so much! It was completely different than anything I’d pictured, and yet totally perfect. The designers did a fantastic job. I think my favorite part is the subtly serpentine lettering—the way the o’s have little tails and the s’s are just slightly pointed at the ends It’s a tiny detail that adds so much character.
YABC: What was your favorite book in 2016?
I love Marie Rutkowski’s THE WINNER’S CURSE series, and I was anxiously anticipating the final installment in 2016. I’m happy to say that it completely lived up to all my expectations. The series ended beautifully.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I’m finishing edits on the sequel to Poison’s Kiss and then I’m turning another fantasy set in a completely new world, which is so exciting.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Whichever part I’m not doing at the time. Drafting is magical when I’m in the flow, but sometimes, I’m just not feeling it and those times can feel like trying to swim through mud. Revising is the same. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of finding the perfect solution to a problem. But when I’m stuck—when I can see the issue, but not how to fix it—I have the strong temptation to throw up my hands and starting drafting something new. So you could say I love and hate both drafting and revising equally.
Poison’s Kiss
By: Breeana Shields
Publisher: Random House Books For Young Readers
Release Date: January 10th, 2017
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
One winner will receive a SIGNED copy of Poison’s Kiss (Breeana Shields) ~ (International)
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
When you mention Sarah Maas and Victoria Aveyard, it is a definite read for me. Thanks for the giveaway!
The cover is excellent and beautiful, but a little too snake-y. The synopsis, while brilliant, does not warn about the snake cover.
The cover is beautiful. It reminds me of a sin and I’d love to read it.
Can not wait to read this! Love the cover and synopsis!
Do you read fantasy? Who’s your favorite YA author?
And the cover and synopsis make me want to buy the book…with no money! ?
I think the cover is beautiful, simple and not over done. paired with the title I can envision the snake, its hiss, the movement of his tongue! Simply beautiful! The synopsis gives me just enough to want to read it but not too much to giveaway too much
The synopsis is so exciting! The cover is so pretty!
Yes! I love fantasy. Some of my favorite authors include Mary Pearson, Marie Rutkoski, Laini Taylor, and Holly Black. 🙂
The cover makes the book very mysterious and the synopsis it sounds interesting, a poisonous maiden.
I love the pretty snake on the cover! There aren’t very many YA books based on Indian folklore so this should be really interesting!
the cover is gorgeous, me bing a snake person makes it all the better and the synopsis sounds really good
I love the cover! It’s definitely fitting for the synopsis of the book!
The cover caught my eye and I knew that I must read it when it comes out 🙂
The cover is stunning. I love the snake. The whole concept of a poisonous kiss is very intriguing.
The cover is beautiful–I love the colors. This book sounds so unique to me and I love the decision facing this character.
I enjoy the cover and I think it fits in well with the beautiful synopsis.
It’s a great book cover! Sounds like a really good story!