Crimson Rising Blog Tour- Interview with Author Nick James

22 Sep, 2012 by in Nick James 2 comments

Fire and Ice is today’s stop on the Crimson Rising Blog Tour hosted by The Mod Podge Bookshelf.
Crimson Rising
by Nick James
Paperback, 360 pages
Published September 8th 2012
by Flux
ISBN 0738723428
 

Book Summary: Following their dramatic showdown in Seattle, Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson find their world’s been turned inside out. The faculty at Skyship Academy is keeping Jesse a prisoner in his own home, fearful of his influence over Pearls. And Cassius, once a loyal Pearlhound for the Unified Party, has been pushed into hiding, fearful of his government’s retaliation.


When Jesse smuggles a mysterious red Pearl onboard the Academy, he sets loose a destructive chain of events, which lead him to a reunion with Cassius and a confrontation with Theo — a bloodthirsty Pearlhound with a dangerous secret.

But a larger threat looms in the stars. An enemy is gathering, with plans to exterminate the entire human race. And Jesse and Cassius might just be the lynch pins that trigger mankind’s destruction.

Exclusive Q &A With The Author


Tell us about your book in a nutshell.

Crimson Rising is the sequel to Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars, and really an expansion of that story and world. At the end of The Pearl Wars, we learned that these valuable energy sources–these Pearls–that everybody’s been chasing have turned out to be something very different than they expected. Without giving too much away, Crimson Rising deals with the extensive fallout of that revelation, as well as a new menace that really ends up being the core conflict throughout the trilogy.

Do you have a music play list for the book or songs you listened to while writing it ?


I’m totally crazy about music, so it’s difficult for me to listen to anything with lyrics while I’m writing. I get too distracted. But, I did find that listening to movie soundtracks (particularly for action movies) really helped me in writing some of the book’s many action scenes. The soundtrack for X-men: First Class was one in particular that I kept coming back to.

Do you have a scene or a chapter you left out or cut that you can include to tell us about?

Unlike the first book, which had a few deleted chapters, Crimson Rising didn’t have much that got cut. I did have some things that I ended up saving for the third book, but when it came to revising this one, it was more a case of adding and combining chapters, rather than taking them out.


Who do you see as the perfect cast for you main men and women?

Most of the main characters in these books are fifteen years old, so I think it’s really hard to pick well-known actors. You definitely don’t want that stage school/celebrity angle going on. My favorite movies starring kids and teens feel incredibly natural because of the casting. If the books were to be turned into movies, I think I’d really love a cast of relative unknowns for the roles of the kids. I adored the cast they assembled for Super 8 last year. Something like that!


What lessons do you hope to pass on to your readers and teens?

I’m rarely trying to pass on lessons, per se, but I do hope that there is a bit to chew on amidst the action and adventures and explosions. I think there are definitely political and social parallels in the future world I’ve created that will hopefully resonate with readers. Anytime a writer can bring a fantasy or sci-fi world fully alive, a reader is bound to find their own reflection somewhere within the book.

Are there more books planned in the series?


Crimson Rising is the second book in the Skyship Academy series and the third (and final) book will be out next year.


If there is something you want readers to walk away with after reading your book what would that be?

Above all, I want my readers to be entertained and eager to see where the adventure goes next. If I’ve achieved that at least, the series has been a success.
 

Author Bio: I grew up in the small island town of Anacortes, Washington, where an active imagination was often a prerequisite for a good time. No shopping malls, no movie theater, etc, etc. My first brush with publishing was in third grade, where we were encouraged to not only write stories, but to publish, bind and present them. I think the teacher got more than she bargained for because I was soon amassing quite a personal library of colored-paper bound sagas.

As a kid, I was a voracious reader of comic books. Of course, they didn’t sell them anywhere in little Anacortes, so it was a thirty-mile drive “off island” to get them. At that age, it wasn’t even about the pictures. It was one hundred percent the stories. I was always attracted to the big drama and dialogue.

I started writing seriously when I entered college. Five “practice” novels later (some weirder than others) and I started querying what was to become Skyship Academy. Then I was lucky enough to find a fantastic publisher in Flux. And next comes the moment when I get to share my debut novel with readers.

Visit Nick James on his website/

Visit all the blog tour stops

9/10 This or That @ The Busy Bibliophelic 
9/11 Review @ The Readinista
9/12 Guest Blog @ Kelsey Sutton
9/13 Interview @ The Book CellarX
9/14 This or That @ Kindle &  Me
9/15 Interview & ToT @ Death, Books & Tea
9/18 Giveaway @ The Mod Podge Bookshelf
9/20 ToT & Giveaway @ Coffee, Books & Me
9/21 Interview @ Books, Sweets & Other Treats
9/22 Interview & Giveaway @ Fire & Ice
9/23 Shelf Envy @ Joyous Books
9/26 Review @ A Little Bit Of R&R
9/27 Guest Blog @ The Book Smugglers
9/28 Guest Blog & Giveaway @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

We have one copy of Crimson Rising to give away to our U.S. addresses courtesy of Flux. Fill out the form below to enter.

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2 Responses to “Crimson Rising Blog Tour- Interview with Author Nick James”

  1. M.A.D.

    I think that is truly wonderful that Nick’s teacher had the students not only write stories, but also publish, bind and present them! Kudos to both Nick and his amazing teacher <3
    Mary DeBorde M.A.D.

    Reply

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