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 Erin Beaty, YABC's Author of the Week!!

Erin Beaty was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, which means she can't drive a tractor, but she won't eat veggies that come from a can. She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in rocket science and served in the fleet as a weapons officer and a leadership instructor.  She and her husband have five children, two cats, and a vegetable garden and live wherever the Navy tells them to go.

Website * Twitter

Meet The Traitor's Kiss!!

YABC:   What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

              I don't think anyone would be surprised to hear the idea formed while watching Mulan with my daughters. I started wondering if my dad would have made me go through a bride evaluation process like Mulan does at the beginning, and I decided probably not, even if doing so would make our family outcasts. I would likely be raised to despise the idea. So then I wondered what would happen if, having been raised against something like that, a girl lost the parents that shielded her from it and was left in the custody of someone who considered it an honor. It kind of blew my mind how complicated the story became from there.

 

 

 

YABC:   Who is your favorite character in the book?

             That's a tough question because I love all of them, even the minor ones. The main character, Sage, was often tough to write because she can be pretty irrational and emotional, and that is so not me. Captain Quinn was the easiest POV. He's all cool logic and restraint on the surface, even when things are spiraling out of control, and he's terrified of failing- not for himself, but for the people who depend on him. After my time in the Navy, I can totally relate to that.

 

 

 

YABC:   Which came first, the title or the novel?

             Definitely the novel. I gave it a holder title of "The Matchmaker's Apprentice" while looking for an agent and publisher, but I knew it was a mouthful and not that exciting. In the end I left it completely in the hands of my publisher. I think I exhausted my brain on the novel itself.

 

 

 

YABC:   What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

             There's one that seems to get a universal OMG, and many of my readers emailed me or texted me after finishing it, so I'll probably go with that one. I can't describe it too much because it would be a huge spoiler, but I'll just say it ends with a slap. Otherwise, I'm really relieved that no one seemed to think the romantic scenes were as awkward as they felt to write.

 

 

 

YABC:   Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?

             Get it down. You can't fix a blank page. I have to tell myself this every day.

 

 

 

YABC:    What do you like most about the cover of the book?

             I love the contrasting ideas of the dagger and the flowers. It totally fits the feeling of the book and the main character, Sage.

 

 

 

YABC:   What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2017?

            

             I've gotten to read so many as ARCs of 2017 books, so my answer will only consider those I can't read until their release. I want Renee Ahdieh's Flame in the Mist with every breath in my body.

       

YABC:   What’s up next for you?

             The Traitor's Kiss will have two sequels, so those are the biggest things on my writing plate and the moment. Everything else is a secret!

YABC:    Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?

              Definitely revising, because I love making things better, even when it's super frustrating. I also love getting that feedback that makes me act- I can't judge my own work. Drafting was easy the first time, but now I know just how much work comes after that first draft, and sometimes that makes it hard to put those words down. 

 

 

 

YABC:   Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?

             The Travis Manion Foundation  http://www.travismanion.org/ is dedicated to helping veteran transition to civilian life, supporting the families of those lost, and developing the leaders of the future. If you want to read about real life heroes, spend some time on this website. Be sure to look up Captain Jennifer Harris, USMC, who was a classmate of mine. She piloted a medical evac helicopter which was shot down over Al Anbar in 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Traitor's Kiss

By: Erin Beaty

Publisher: Imprint, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Release Date: May 9th, 2017 

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

One winner will receive a copy of The Traitor's Kiss (Erin Beaty) ~ (US Only)

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

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