Interview & Giveaway: Emma Pass

Emma Pass is a YA author that I had the pleasure of reading her debut novel ACID, that has the dystopia theme down pat and she has some very interesting concepts of where the world could be headed. Please welcome to Blood Rose Books Today:

Emma Pass

If there was one author you could co-write a novel with (they can be alive or dead) who would you choose and why?

Hmm. Well, we're talking total fantasy here, but if it could be anyone it would be Stephen King. Why? Well, he's Stephen King! 'Nuff said. :)

 

With the release of The Fearless, you are on book two of your published book career. What have you learned about yourself and your writing process from book one to book two?

I've learned that I can write a book under deadline, which is something I wasn't sure I could do when I started – I wrote ACID over a number of years, and had roughly a third of that time to write The Fearless. It was stressful and scary at times, but I'm really proud of that book now. I've also learned to conquer my fear of the first draft, which is something I've always struggled with. I'm one of those weirdos who hates first drafts but loves editing!

The Dystopia / post-apocalyptic genres appear to be the genres that everyone is writing in these days (even authors that are well established in other genres) what do you think the draw to these genre are?
How do you believe your novels and series stand out from the rest of the crowd?

They're set in the UK, while a lot of other dystopians are set in the US, and they have strong, kick-ass female protagonists who don't need boys to save them.
 

Many adults have taken to reading novels that have been classified with the YA designation. Why do you think YA novels are now appealing to adults more? Do you think that this may change some of the overall content of the YA genre?

I think because YA novels have strong stories and tackle such a huge range of issues – there are no limits in YA and it isn't afraid to peer into the darkest corners of life, yet leave you with a sense of hope, which is why it appeals to me as a writer. I don't think the fact that more adults are reading it now will change the content. If anything, I think it's helping YA to expand.
 

What do you think would be the hardest or most challenging genre to write a novel in and why?

I've tried writing in a lot of different genres on my journey to becoming a published author, and

the hardest one for me wasn't actually novels of any kind, but picture books. To create a strong story with so few words… it's a huge challenge, and one I just couldn't get to grips with! Maybe one day...

Jenna Strong really has to live up to her namesake for the events that she is put through in her short life but at the same time she became so many different people, was it difficult to write a character that had an ever changing mind and personality?

No – I had the story laid out in my head very clearly as I wrote, and Jenna's personality switches actually made it more fun to write, as I got to 'reboot' the story and her character every so often. This is still one of my favourite aspects of the novel, and it was a really good way to show just what lengths ACID will go to to control people.

Do you think that the main female characters in your books Acid and Fearless have good role model qualities that you want to portray to young girls reading you books? What qualities do you think that Jenna and Cass represent?

I do. I wanted to write female characters who were strong, independent, brave and sometimes ruthless, but also had consciences and cared for the people close to them – in short, female characters who were real, and human. They didn't have to act in certain ways just because they were girls.

You have some very bleak ideas for the future UK, where do these ideas stem from? Do you think in the future there could be special police/army forces controlling everything?

You only have to look at places like North Korea (which I based society in ACID on) to see that this has already come true! Also, in 2009, the Shetland Islands (a tiny group of islands off the coast of Scotland with a population of less than 23,000 people) had more CCTV cameras than the San Francisco police department. Now, that's scary.

Do you have any information on upcoming works or events that you are able to share?

I am quite superstitious about talking about new work, so I will just say I'm playing around with some new ideas and having fun! And there's also a couple of other exciting things in the works that I hope I'll be able to share soon.

 

What is one book (other than one of your own) that you think should be a must read for everyone?
Just one book? Argh. I suppose it would have to be The Passage by Justin Cronin – one of my all time favourites because of its ambitious scope and because it's just so beautifully written. It's one of those books that shows you there really is no limits, and I love it!

I just want to say thank you once again to Emma for taking the time to be part of my blogoversary event. I know I will be picking up The Fearless when it is released as she does some amazing world building for our bleak future and as you can see some of her ideas do come from the present which is scary. Emma has very nicely provided two giveaways so everyone could have a chance to win. See the rafflecopter apps below to enter.

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