Welcome to my tour stop for The Lion's Pride by Natalie Crown! The tour runs August 3 - 14 with reviews, author interviews, guest posts and excerpts. This is a YA Fantasy/Alternate World book that released on August 2nd. This is the second book in the The Semei Trilogy. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.
About the Book:
'She is the reason your friends are dead. She should pay the price for that betrayal.'
Not long ago Kammy had led a simple existence, stuck on an island, with only her Gran and Jamie to care about. Now she knows she is half Semei and of royal blood, in possession of an item that could bring about a war that would destroy the world, and so the worlds within it. She cannot go back and, despite everything, she does not want to.But she is haunted by the man - the king - that shadows her.Bagor and his army wait. In three days he will march into Emire and he will take everything.Kammy and her friends have one hope. They must find Danorrah; a cursed city, lost to the memory of all. Bagor will hunt them, every step of the way, determined to claim the Key and to claim her. It is all well and good that Kammy does not want to go back to her old life, but she will need the blessing of the Mother if she is to elude Bagor and hang on to her new one.
Be sure to check out The Wolf's Cry, Book One of The Semei Trilogy
About the Author:
I grew up in a village called Swilland, in the countryside of Suffolk, England. There wasn’t much around, other than farms and fields, but for the most part I loved it, and I still do. I’m a passionate person by nature. I don’t just LIKE things, I LOVE things. Whether it’s a book, a film, or a sports team. Once I decide to enjoy something, I enjoy it to the MAX.
I’m a terrible cook. I prioritise essential social media work over keeping my flat tidy, because I know best.
Onto my love of reading and, consequently, writing – it was my dad that played a big role in encouraging me to read. He didn’t push me towards books necessarily; he simply read a lot himself. Then I would pick up his books and read them after him. I was reading high and epic fantasy from a very young age. I guess that might explain why I have always loved adventure stories with magic and intrigue and princes and princesses in.
I was aware that I wanted to ‘be a writer’ from a very young age. I was convinced I would be the first best seller that hadn’t reached double figures in age yet! I wrote about the Danshees, furry creatures that lived through a mirror. I wrote about a Sand Bottle that transported a boy into a world of magic. I wrote about a sick girl finding a music boy that healed her, but transported her back in time. (Wow, I always have loved alternate universes…)
When I was eight I wrote my first novel called The Land of No Return. Despite the title, I am determined to return to it one day. I feel like I owe it to my past self. So, as you can see, I have always been writing. There have been times when I have gone weeks without scratching down a word. Then there are days where I churn out multiple chapters and only my body’s silly desire for sleep and/or food can stop me.
I write because I enjoy it. I write fantasy because I enjoy it. I try my hardest to put something of myself into my writing. I like to think my characters have depth, I like to think that my fantasy worlds reflect upon the real world in some way. You guys will be the judge of that but even if you don’t agree I know that I at least try and I can do no more than that.
These days I live in North London and I love it. I work full time and London is a hectic city. Juggling work, writing and a social life is tough but nobody is forcing me to do it so I can’t complain. The dream is that writing will be my career one day but it doesn’t matter if I never quite make it. I love writing too much to ever pack it in.
I am desperate to get a dog. My mum suspects I miss my cats at home more than I miss her. I am a devout Arsenal/Ferrari/Rafael Nadal fan. I get all mad when confronted with a case of social injustice and then I get all mad when people take the fight for social justice too far. I mostly keep those thoughts to myself and simmer with rage. I watch good TV and bad TV, because I can. What I can’t do is enjoy bad books (subjective opinion of course). I just can’t.
I’m a terrible cook. I prioritise essential social media work over keeping my flat tidy, because I know best.
Onto my love of reading and, consequently, writing – it was my dad that played a big role in encouraging me to read. He didn’t push me towards books necessarily; he simply read a lot himself. Then I would pick up his books and read them after him. I was reading high and epic fantasy from a very young age. I guess that might explain why I have always loved adventure stories with magic and intrigue and princes and princesses in.
I was aware that I wanted to ‘be a writer’ from a very young age. I was convinced I would be the first best seller that hadn’t reached double figures in age yet! I wrote about the Danshees, furry creatures that lived through a mirror. I wrote about a Sand Bottle that transported a boy into a world of magic. I wrote about a sick girl finding a music boy that healed her, but transported her back in time. (Wow, I always have loved alternate universes…)
When I was eight I wrote my first novel called The Land of No Return. Despite the title, I am determined to return to it one day. I feel like I owe it to my past self. So, as you can see, I have always been writing. There have been times when I have gone weeks without scratching down a word. Then there are days where I churn out multiple chapters and only my body’s silly desire for sleep and/or food can stop me.
I write because I enjoy it. I write fantasy because I enjoy it. I try my hardest to put something of myself into my writing. I like to think my characters have depth, I like to think that my fantasy worlds reflect upon the real world in some way. You guys will be the judge of that but even if you don’t agree I know that I at least try and I can do no more than that.
These days I live in North London and I love it. I work full time and London is a hectic city. Juggling work, writing and a social life is tough but nobody is forcing me to do it so I can’t complain. The dream is that writing will be my career one day but it doesn’t matter if I never quite make it. I love writing too much to ever pack it in.
I am desperate to get a dog. My mum suspects I miss my cats at home more than I miss her. I am a devout Arsenal/Ferrari/Rafael Nadal fan. I get all mad when confronted with a case of social injustice and then I get all mad when people take the fight for social justice too far. I mostly keep those thoughts to myself and simmer with rage. I watch good TV and bad TV, because I can. What I can’t do is enjoy bad books (subjective opinion of course). I just can’t.
Website/Blog | Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter @Natalie_Crown | Goodreads
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***Author Interview***
How
did you come up with the title?
The
Wolf of the first book was a reference to Jad. I wanted Kammy and her heritage
to be a focus of this title, as her heritage is hugely important to the book.
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I
think there are a number of messages that I try to convey. Whether I do so is
another question. But I don’t really want to point those out. For me, it’s up
to the reader to take what they will from my writing. If that doesn’t fall in
line with what I’m trying to say...then I need to become a better writer!
What
books have most influenced your life most?
There
are loads and loads. But I’ll stick to the Alanna books for now, by Tamora
Pierce. I read them as a kid, pre-teen years. They were hugely instrumental to
encouraging my love for fantasy, but also encouraging me to write about
heroines in a fantasy setting.
What
book are you reading now?
I’m
about to start Uprooted, because I’ve been hearing great things!
What
are your current projects?
I
have a WIP that I’m very excited about. I’ve actually been working on it on and
off for the last two years, but I’ve recently been greatly inspired with it. I
think I’ll have a solid first draft of the first book soon, and I’m looking
forward to sharing it with friends. It’s another fantasy series, but I believe
that if I work hard with it, it could really be something great.
Name
one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Friends!
I have some very wonderful friends that not only encourage me, but also forgive
me when I’m not all that sociable.
Do
you see writing as a career?
It’s
my dream. All I want is to earn enough for it to be my career, so that I can
get a dog!
If
you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
I’d
make 2015 less stressful, so that I could devote more time to it. But I think
I’m happy as I can be.
Is
there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Mostly
being patient with myself. I always want to be at the end point of writing a
book. But it takes time to get there. Alot of time.
Do
you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I
don’t have to, but I’m always inspired by travel - so I hope to do as much as I
can whenever I can.
Who
designed the covers?
Johanna
Tarkela. Check out her other amazing work here.
What
was the hardest part of writing your book?
Keeping
the belief that I’m good enough, and that if I’m not ALWAYS good enough - I
have to keep going to get there.
What
genre do you consider your book(s)?
I
consider it contemporary fantasy.
Do
you ever experience writer's block?
Absolutely.
I try to just plough through it, which works sometimes. The rest of the time, I
just have to ride it out until inspiration strikes again. I feel much happier
when I’m going through a writing phase though.
Do
you write an outline before every book you write?
I
do. I find it much easier to follow a plan. But I’m not strict with it. If I
realise I need to change something, I do it.
Have
you ever hated something you wrote?
Hahahahahahahaha.
Everything. Honestly, at one point or another I hate everything.
Buuut
I always come around to being proud of it in the end.
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Giveaway:
$25 Amazon gift card & copy of The Wolf's Cry or The Lion's Pride in paperback (INT), two (2) additional winners will receive a copy of The Wolf's Cry or The Lion's Pride in paperback (INT)
Ends Aug. 18th
Prizing provided by the author, hosts are in no way responsible.
$25 Amazon gift card & copy of The Wolf's Cry or The Lion's Pride in paperback (INT), two (2) additional winners will receive a copy of The Wolf's Cry or The Lion's Pride in paperback (INT)
Ends Aug. 18th
Prizing provided by the author, hosts are in no way responsible.
Natalie, I SO want you to be able to get a dog! I just love mine.
ReplyDeleteWonderful interview! Thank you for hosting a tour stop Erika!
Hi Erika. I just wanted to stop by belatedly and thank you for hosting a stop on the tour! I really appreciate it and had a lot of fun answering your questions! Hope you were happy with them :)
ReplyDelete