Blog Tour: Interview Paula Weston!

Today on WinterHaven Books we have the lovely Paula Weston with us as part of the Tundra Books Blog Tour!  Paula is one of my favorite authors and I am so excited to have her here today!

1. Ever since I read Shadows I have been crossing my fingers and toes that it would be published in the US.  Congratulations on this huge accomplishment!!  What are your  plans for the release day?

Thank you. =) Aside from grinning all day and doing the occasional happy dance, I’ll  probably spend time editing Shimmer (book 3). I’ll also no doubt do some work for my  day job. Either way, there will be a glass raised at some point in the evening.

2.You really brought something different to the table when you wrote this story.  How did  you come up with it?  Have you strayed from your original idea?

Again, thank you. That’s such an interesting question. My original idea was to explore the dynamic between Gaby and Rafa and their complicated history, which still forms one of the driving plots of the story. The idea started as a scene in my head with the two of them, when I didn’t know their story. There was an attraction between them, but also a history that only he remembered. I knew they were part of a larger conflict - and had been on opposite sides – but that was it. The decision to bring fallen angel mythology into the mix came when I started researching ideas for their back story and found the Book of Enoch and the story of Semyaza and the two hundred angels who fell from grace because they couldn’t resist their attraction to human women. It sparked some interesting ideas and was a great starting point for my world building. It would be fair to say the original idea has expanded as the series unfolds. Themes have emerged relating to family, friendship, identity and – yes – destiny. I’m also exploring the consequences of the actions of the Fallen and the Rephaim: the decisions they make and how they – and others – are affected by them.  But yes, Gaby and Rafa – and their complicated relationship – are certainly still at the centre of it all. J

3. I know we have previously talked about this series being 4 books, is this still the case?  Will they all be published in the US?

Yes, still four books. Tundra Books have contracted the first two and I’m hoping there is enough interest in Shadows and Haze in US and Canada that they’ll pick up the rest of the series. Tundra is a wonderful publisher to work with and I’d certainly love to continue the relationship beyond the first two books.

4.With so many books being made into movies I have to say that if I heard Shadows would be joining the list I might just faint!  Do you think this could be a possibility??

I think might just faint too. =) I’d love to see Shadows as a film (I have the Foo Fighters soundtrack ready to go!), but it’s one of those things over which I have absolutely no control. To be honest, I’m not even sure how these things come about. There are so many great books out there for filmmakers to choose from, and you never know what they’re looking for at any given time (or how they find it). But there’s quite a trend for YA urban fantasy at the moment, so who knows?

5. Is there a way for us to beg you to fly over here and have a book signing tour??

I’d love to do a book signing tour. =) Actually, I’m coming to US for a lightning holiday in October. The bulk of the trip will be visiting friends in Idaho, but I’ll also be hanging out briefly in San Francisco and LA, and crossing the continent to meet the Tundra team in Toronto. It’s not a book signing tour as such, but I’m hoping to pop into a few bookstores while I’m in the country.

6. For fans who have already read and loved Shadows can you share something from Haze the second book in the Rephaim series?

Sure! Gaby finds out more about the Outcasts and her history with them; the Outcasts and the Rephaim discover a new threat; and the search for Jude delivers a few surprises. Haze introduces a couple of new characters, including the infamous Mya, and Gaby and Rafa continue to work out how to be around each other (with mixed results). There are more demons, more of the Butler Brothers, and more of the rest of the Rephaim. Oh, and it all ends with a bit of a cliffhanger…

Thanks for having me at Winter Haven Books again. It’s always fun to chat with you guys. =)

Paula thank you so much for stopping by!  Wait!  *rereads answers* Cliffhanger??!!  Oh Paula why??  LOL!  Okay  I think I might need to plan a trip to LA in the near future and beg for more information LOL!  

I am so excited for you that this amazing series will be published in the US and I can't wait for all my friends to read it!  

Find Paula:

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Shadows by Paula Weston

Published: September 10, 2013

Publisher: Tundra Books

It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn.

And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams—he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense. Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth—and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.

Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly, who can she trust?

Fast-paced and gripping, Shadows, the first book in the Rephaim series, is a standout paranormal romance for fans of Richelle Mead and Cassandra Clare.