Interview and Giveaway for Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst!

1) Did you have a specific inspiration for the plot?

There's a myth that inspiration always comes as a lightning strike.  Sometimes it does.  But sometimes it's more like little flames that are drawn to each other -- sometimes even when you're not looking.

CONJURED was like that.  Eve began as a minor character in another (unfinished) story, but I couldn't stop thinking about her and soon she eclipsed her genesis and became the heart of this story.

Sometimes you just have to follow your instinct -- or more accurately, your passion.  If there's a character you can't stop thinking about or an idea that nags you when you're doing something random, like cleaning the dishes or taking a shower... sometimes you have to take the risk and follow it where it leads you.

2) What would you do/how would you react if you were in Eve's position?

If I were me... well, I wouldn't be me.  And that's Eve's most serious problem: she has no identity.  She has to build herself up from scratch, trying to separate truth from lies and memories from dreams.  She has to go from no one to someone.  If I were in her shoes...  I hope that, like Eve, I'd be able to string the pieces together and come up with a new whole self that's my own design, not someone else's.  

3) What is one power you would love to have and why?

I'd love to have telekinesis because it has such potential for awesomeness.  Then again, I'd feel such guilt if I didn't use it to save the world on a regular basis!  Great power, great responsibility, and all that.  Maybe it would be easier to have a smaller power... like never saying anything stupid.

4) Who was your favorite secondary character to write about?

I adore Malcolm.  He was really comforting to write because he's full of such solid strength and integrity.  But the character who was most fun to write was Zach.  He has a tendency to babble, and he only tells the truth.  Writing him felt a bit like turning on a faucet of refreshing water.

5) If you could choose a love interest from the book, who would you choose?

Malcolm.  Zach's a bit too young for my taste, plus he and Eve need each other too badly for me to interfere.

6) Are you currently working on any other novel?

Yes.  Actually, two!  My next novel, THE LOST, will be coming out from Harlequin/Mira in June 2014.  It's my first novel for adults and the first in a trilogy.  My next YA novel, MIND OVER MAGIC, will be coming out from Bloomsbury/Walker in fall 2014.  I'm really excited about both!

Thank you so much for interviewing me!

a Rafflecopter giveaway