Today here at The Enchanted Inkpot, we are thrilled to welcome one of our own, the fabulous Jennifer Nielsen, here to celebrate the release of The Shadow Throne, the third and final book in her The False Prince series.
Welcome, Jen!
PJHoover: This is book three, The Shadow Throne! It’s such an exciting book and trilogy. I’m curious how much
your vision for the trilogy changed as you wrote books two and three. Did you
stick to a carefully laid out plan or did things change along the way.
JenN: Thanks for the
interview, Tricia, and for the kind words. The vision for this series has
stayed pretty consistent throughout the writing process. It was first offered
to Scholastic as a standalone book, but when they indicated they wanted a
trilogy, I was beyond thrilled, since I always knew the entire story I wanted
to tell.
PJHoover: Just a small follow up to
above . . . What sorts of things did you wish you could
have changed in The False Prince and The Runaway King as you wrote The Shadow Throne?
JenN: Not much, actually.
There are always details and tweaks that nag at every author, but I felt like
the characters led this story, and that this is the way things were always
supposed to unfold. I do think that writing is an ongoing learning process. With
each book I understand myself better, and hopefully I will always continue to
grow as a writer.
PJHoover: When it comes to marketing, what do you think makes the
biggest difference in whether a book is successful?
JenN: One of the best
pieces of advice I ever got was to “write the next book.” Because the reality
is, once it goes to final draft, most of what happens to our books afterward is
out of our control. All of the big things – reviews and awards and lists and
buzz – those are bigger than any one person. So we stay visible on social media
and in public appearances and try to spread the word however we can. But none
of that is a guarantee of success, and in fact, I think sometimes those things
can just be a lot of busywork and distraction.
The best thing we can
do for our fans is to deliver the next book. And if we focus on making it the
best it can possibly be, then they will tell others about it and bring new
readers to us.
PJHoover: What is next? WIPs? Future publications? Please tell all!
JenN: So many exciting
things! Next spring I will release the first book in a brand new trilogy called
Praetor War, which takes place in
Ancient Rome with an escaped Roman slave, some stolen magic, and a battle to
control the fall of the Roman Empire. It’ll have many of the same elements that
readers have loved about The Ascendance
Trilogy, but with the added fun of magic folded into the grandeur of that
ancient empire.
Just for fun:
PJHoover: There are tons of books out
there. Tons! What are five awesome reasons why The False Prince series should be the series for kids to read?
JenN: Hmm, only five? Here goes:
1 – See it before it
becomes a movie (er, if it becomes a
movie. Fingers crossed!)
2 – You will love the
hero, Sage, though you’ll never be sure whether to laugh at him, smack him, or
hug him.
3 – To find out why
Sage would ever say these words: “Until the moment I spit on their king, I
probably had looked pretty humble.”
4 – The third book is
finally out! So if you were waiting until you could read all the books at once,
this is your time!
5 – Because you could
win a million dollars! (Disclaimer: No, you won’t.)
PJHoover: If the apocalypse came, would
you still find a way to write? If yes, then how and why?
JenN: Well, not on the actual day of the apocalypse. But the
next day…well, maybe, and with ashes and stone if necessary because for me,
writing isn’t really a choice. I’d start a new trend in futuristic books:
Utopians.
PJHoover: Finish this sentence, and
tell us why. Writing is a lot like….
JenN: …a new love. At first you think about them all the time
and can’t wait to be with them. As you get to know them, you see their flaws
and wonder how it’s going to work. Maybe you even flirt with others, just in case
it fails. But as you go on, you find yourself increasingly committed to this
new love, and determined to fix the flaws and see it through. Also, especially with writing, breaking up
really stinks.
PJHoover: Mummy vs. Bigfoot... Who
would win and why?
JenN: Oh, Bigfoot, easily.
Mummies aren’t scary. One unwrapping, and Bigfoot could crush whatever’s left
inside.
PJHoover: Please share your favorite
inspirational thought with my readers!
JenN: I always believe in
keeping one’s dreams as big as possible. So a favorite quote for me comes from
Oprah Winfrey, who said, “Create the highest, grandest vision for your life,
because you become what you believe.”
*****
P. J. Hoover is the author of the dystopia/mythology YA book, SOLSTICE (Tor Teen, June 2013), the upcoming Egyptian mythology MG book, TUT: THE STORY OF MY IMMORTAL LIFE (Tor Children's, September 2014), and the middle-grade SFF series, THE FORGOTTEN WORLDS BOOKS (CBAY, 2008-2010). You can read more about her and her books on P. J.'s website or blog.
