ABOUT KING OF THE MUTANTS:
Title: King of the Mutants
Publication date: October 21, 2014
Publisher: Tantrum Books/Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Samantha Verant
Can one boy stop a nefarious plot to turn kids
into super-mutants?
Maverick Mercury enjoys his
life as the sideshow attraction known as “Gator Boy” at Grumbling’s Traveling
Circus and Sideshow.
His freakish mutations are
the result of some billionaire geneticist’s experiments gone awry. But life as a mutant is about to get worse, as
Maverick uncovers a plot to kidnap kids, turns them into super-mutants, and
sells their powers to the highest bidder.
Now, Maverick is on a mission
to find the mad scientist who may have created him and destroy his sinister
plans!
ABOUT SAMANTHA VERANT:
Samantha Vérant is a travel
addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally
unconventional, French chef. Over the years, she’s visited many different
countries, lived in many places, and worked many jobs— always on the search for
the one thing that truly excited her. Then, one day, she found everything she’s
been looking for: a passion for the written word and true love. Writing not
only enabled her to open her heart, it led her to southwestern France, where
she’s now married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met over twenty years
ago, a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to one
ridiculously expensive Bengal cat. When she’s not trekking from Provence to the
Pyrénées, tasting wine in American-sized glasses, or embracing her inner Julia
Child while deliberating what constitutes the perfect boeuf bourguignon,
Samantha is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations.
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***Author Interview***
What inspired you to write your first
book?
I
began writing in 2007, right after a move and while I was in the process of
searching for a new job as a graphic designer. A bit down in the dumps, I was
sitting outside with my black Labrador retriever, Ike, and a red cardinal
perched itself above our heads, chirping wildly. The bird flew away. My dog
eyed me and inspiration hit. I ran into the house, fired up my computer, and
began writing my first book, SURVIVAL OF THE WEIRDEST, a middle grade about two
kids who play a role in saving the earth’s creatures from extinction. (I’m a
big-time animal lover!) Three weeks later, I had written 80k. Of course, this
draft was terrible, but I still love the concept. I hope to get back to the
manuscript one day. An avid reader since the age of three, I’m surprised the
writing bug didn’t bite me sooner.
Do you have a specific writing
style?
In
high school, I was a theatre major at The Chicago Academy for Performing and
visual Arts. I treat writing like acting. I put myself in the character’s shoes,
take on a role, and envision the environment like a stage designer. That way I
can really embrace the character’s voice and build their world!
Is there a message in your novel that you
want readers to grasp?
I
didn’t write King of the Mutants with
the intention of spreading a message, but it does carry one: We are all unique
individuals and we have to be happy with who we are. After all if we were all
‘normal,’ the world would be an awfully boring place.
What books have most influenced your life
most?
Well,
since we’re talking about King of the
Mutants, I’ll stick to middle grade. The books that have stayed with me
ever since I was a child are: James and
The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, Charlotte’s
Web by E.B. White, The Lion, The
Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, and The Little Princess and The
Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Name one entity that you feel supported
you outside of family members.
The
group of writers I met way back when in 2007 on AbsoluteWrite.com and Verla
Kay’s blueboards! So many amazing authors have supported my writing since day
one! And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Georgia McBride, my publisher from
Month9/Tantrum books! I’m one lucky girl!
Do you see writing as a career?
I’d
really like to have a career as a writer. Plus, I live in southwestern France,
where aerospace is the main industry. I don’t see myself becoming a rocket
scientist! (My husband has that job covered!) King of the Mutants may be my debut middle grade, but it’s my
second published book. I’m hoping for many more!
If you had to do it all over again, would
you change anything in your latest book?
Nope,
I wouldn’t change a thing. I worked on King
of the Mutants on and off for four years!
Do you write an outline before every book
you write?
I’m
half plotter, half pantser. I don’t write an outline per se, but I do write
down key plot points on Post-it notes and then arrange them in a chapter-like
format. Then, I write, letting the rest of the story unfold as it comes to me.
I suppose therre is a method to my madness. Mwa-ha-ha!
Have you ever hated something you
wrote?
Sometimes
frustration sets in when I know something isn’t working, like a character,
concept, or the plot. Suffice it to say, there are quite a few starts to
manuscripts sitting in a folder on my computer. The good thing about writing is
that you can turn the page and start something new or get back to a manuscript
you believe in and fix things at a later point. Advice? Let things simmer.
While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?
Of
course, I’ve never been a sideshow attraction at a circus, nor a
twelve-year-old boy, but, as mentioned above, I treat writing like acting. I
put myself in the characters’ heads, asking myself questions like: how would I
feel? What would I do in this situation? What am I seeing? Doing? I laugh, cry,
and scream, right along with them! I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a
schizophrenic! This process works for me!
Purchase
Links:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters
Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound
· Five
(5) winners will receive a digital copy of King
of the Mutants by Samantha Verant (INT)
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