Author Interview: Sarah Beth Durst

Last week was the release date of Sarah Beth Durst's YA epic fantasy VESSEL, and I was so very fortunate to be able to interview her in anticipation of this release! Sarah had some great answers to share with us about Vessel to give us a better idea of what her new book is about - which is great since I'm sure that most of you haven't read the book yet (I haven't either, but you know I'll be picking up a copy of Vessel as soon as I have the opportunity to)!

One of the main reasons I'm really looking forward to VESSEL is because I love the idea of a desert world and fantasy blended together. Could you tell us a little bit more about the kind of world you created and/or why you chose this setting for your newest release?

As someone who grew up surrounded by pines and maples and oaks and firs, I've always thought of deserts as these impossibly-faraway magical places -- the endless sand, the lifesaving oases, the brutal sun. Writing about one was a way to travel there without leaving my trees (or my air conditioner!). Even more, it was a way to travel to my ultimate desert -- a land filled with wolves made of sand, sky serpents of unbreakable glass, monstrous worms, gods and goddesses that inhabit human bodies... In VESSEL, I created a desert world imbued with magic and mythology so that I could travel there -- and hopefully bring readers with me!

Was writing VESSEL notably different from your previous experiences in writing books?

Yes. It was much more immersive. During each writing session, I'd try to sink into Liyana's world so I'd be riding with her on desert horses, dancing with her in the moonlight, and facing down the emperor of the Land of the Crescent Moon.

Would you say that it's very different from your other books? Because I was left with that impression after I read Tamora Pierce's early thoughts on it and I have to say that I'm intrigued by that.

All of my books are fantasy. It's just the way my mind works. If I write about a closet, it's much more likely to hold a gryphon than it is to hold summer dresses. Beyond that, though, all of my novels are different flavors of fantasy. DRINK, SLAY, LOVE, for example, is a snark-filled contemporary novel about a vampire girl and a were-unicorn. VESSEL is my first high fantasy. It's a sweeping, epic adventure about a girl who is destined to sacrifice herself so that her goddess can inhabit her body and save her clan... but her goddess doesn't come.

Being the author of this book, could you share with us any sort of an idea of what this book means to you? Were there any paricular reasons that inspired you to write this story or any themes/messages special to you?

VESSEL is about losing your destiny -- and what happens after. I am fascinated by the conflict between embracing your fate and changing it.

Lastly, I've been stalking the design of this cover ever since I first saw the original photo on deviantart a few months ago. It really grabbed me, and I've been keeping an eye on VESSEL ever since. How pleased are you with the design? Do you feel that it does a good job representing the content?

I love my cover! It was designed by photographer Jaime Ibarra and the Simon & Schuster art department. I think it captures the tone of the story perfectly.

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

And thank YOU, Sarah, for taking the time to answer my questions and share all these exciting tidbits about Vessel! And congratulations on your newest release :)

 

Because I'm so excited about this book, and my goal as a book blogger is to spread my obsession love with high/epic fantasy books to the rest of you, I'm offering up one copy of Vessel to a lucky commenter! Book is from The Book Depository, so this one's international.

Bonus entry if you tweet about this interview & giveaway: "Check out this interview with Sarah Beth Durst at Esther's Ever After on her release of VESSEL & enter to win a copy! http://bit.ly/UgejL5" Your extra entry will only count if you include the link to your tweet in your comment.

Also, make sure to leave an e-mail where I can contact you & answer this question to be entered:

Why do you want to read Vessel?

Giveaway ends October 8, 2012. Good luck!

Waiting on Wednesday {30}

Jill @ Breaking the Spine hosts this weekly meme where we can share a book that we are so excited for and are anxiously awaiting their upcoming release!

This week my WoW pick is...

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
TBR ~ September 11, 2012 from Margaret K. McElderry

Goodreads Synopsis:
In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so that her clan’s goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.

HOW COOL DOES THIS ONE SOUND?! Vessel looks like it is going to be an absolutely INCREDIBLE fantasy and this is easily one of my most anticipated books for the year! The cover is gorgeous (and different), and I love a desert setting. Desert settings have been something that have interestd me for a long time, maybe because it's so foreign to me. Plus, I really enjoyed Sarah's writing in Drink, Slay, Love so I'm sure book is going to be epic!

Tell me: are YOU excited for Vessel? And what are you waiting on today? :)

Kindred Reads {6}

Kindred Reads is my weekly feature where I recommend similar books. There's a mix of popular books, and fairly unknown authors and indie books as well. This is something that I personally wish I saw more of; after reading a book I enjoy, I often want to read similar books but they can be hard to discover!

These books contain similar elements, whether it's content, writing style, or other themes found in the stories. They are always books which I have read, and clicking on the title of the book will take you to my review of that book.

If you like...Drink, Slay, Love by Sara Beth Durst

If you haven't read Drink, Slay, Love then you should go pick it up ASAP. Because this one is definitely a must-read for YA lovers; especially if you enjoy paranormal. The description of this book sounds ridiculous and it is, but in a GOOD way. It's a fairly new release, so I know not too many people may have read it yet which is why I'm including this short description. The thing about the 3 books for this week's post is that they all have extremely different settings, but I think they have a similar feel to them while reading; humour, that is.

You might want to read...

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman

An enchanting story of two teenage girls coerced into making a deal with Hades. It includes elements of the Hades/Persephone myth, along with other small details of Greek mythology. But what makes this book is the humour that goes along with it. It is FABULOUS. Full of snark and hilarious outcomes for these two girls, who are both as stubborn as can be; similar to Pearl in Drink, Slay, Love.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

If you're more of a fan of contemporary fiction, then Shut Out is definitely for you. Kody Keplinger writes in such a funny and likeable tone, that it's hard not to buy into this book. It's one of those few books that I found myself actually laughing out loud as I was reading it, even though it dealt (appropriately) with a more serious issue. Even though the three of these books deal with different settings and issues, they all seem to do so in the same vein of each other and I think they compliment each other quite well.

Drink, Slay, Love

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Simon & Schuster: Margaret K. McElderry
ISBN13: 9781442423732

4/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

The best way I could think of to describe Drink, Slay, Love is satire for the vampire genre. Oh, and hilarious.
Seriously, this is one of the funniest books I've read. You can't help but laugh while reading this.

Sarah Beth Durst writes Pearl with wit and cleverness, and Pearl completely carries the book. The perfect heroine was created here, one who isn't completely driven by teen angst and hormones. Because Pearl is just a typical, blood sucking, human drinking vampire... who just happens to have been stabbed by a unicorn. The idea is completely ridiculous, but SOMEHOW Durst makes it work really, absolutely, convincingly well.

The vampires in Drink, Slay, Love are actually even kind of creepy. I know that I said this book is funny, but the vampiric lifestyle is actually vaguely disturbing as Pearl describes the life she lives, and particularly so when she begins to change and doesn't feel that she fits in any longer. It's so easy to relate to the story told through Pearl's voice that what once was harmless (drinking the blood from a teenage boy) gradually becomes creepier as Pearl realizes exactly how it affects said boy.

To be honest, I did still see some of the more obvious twists coming; and they didn't entirely make sense either. I thought the unicorn bit was clever and cute at first, but as more about it was revealed and the story begin to take on a more serious tone I found it even harder to take the unicorn's story as serious as I felt the book wanted me to take it.

And for what it's worth, I so wish I had an epilogue to this ending to find out exactly what happens a few months (or years) later down the road... just to see EXACTLY how things turned out.

But overall, I definitely enjoyed this and would easily recommend this to just about everyone. Especially those who are looking for something fun and fresh from the popular vampire genre!

e-copy provided from the Simon & Schuster Galley Grab; thank you!