The time it was about The Wrath and the Dawn

Posted May 5, 2015 by Stacee in Giveaways, Interviews | 25 Comments

If you follow me anywhere, you have probably seen me losing my mind over The Wrath and the Dawn. I read it last year and it was one of my top 5 choices of the year.  I feel like it’s safe to say it’ll make that list in 2015 as well.

I’ve flailed all over Renée on Twitter and pretty much where ever I could type to her. When I finally do get to meet her, I know it’s going to be a super hot mess. I was finally coherent enough to ask if she would have the time to do an interview and she said yes!

Before we get to Renée’s answers, let’s check out the book!

5Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Sounds good, right? {There aren’t words for how phenomenal it is and if you don’t like it, we can’t be friends.}

right

1.  Where did the idea for The Wrath and the Dawn come from?

I really do need to find a way to answer this succinctly some time in the near future. Hmmmm. Let me try (and fail utterly). My husband is Persian, and when he first took me to visit his family, I saw this tapestry hanging on the wall of their living room. At a distance, it looked like a hundred different vignettes strung together at random. When I asked his mother about it, she told me it was tales from A Thousand and One Nights. I then began to think how interesting it would be to write a YA version of the story of Scheherazade. From there, the madness of a writer’s mind took flight.

2.  I know why I love Shahrzad and Khalid.  Why do you love them and why should we root for them?

Again with these excellent questions I will never be able to answer succinctly!! Curse you! :-P I think I most love Shazi because she’s complicated. Sure, she’s strong and feisty, but she’s also girly and vulnerable. For me, the best characters are the ones who exhibit a wide range of emotions. I’d say with Khalid, it’s probably something similar . But it’s also because there are many things that exist below the surface with him. I’ve always loved that sort of onion-layered aspect to people and stories. Did I just quote a line from Shrek? Yeah, I totally did. Oh, well.

3. For you, what makes a good villain?

A good villain is a villain with a memorable back story. A villain you want to hate but can almost understand. To me, those types of villains resonate the most.

4. Describe The Wrath and the Dawn in 5 words.

Complicated. Mysterious. Romantic. Dark. Vengeful.

Speed [ish] round:

1. You get the call/email/letter that says you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.

A wash of colors and muted sounds. Some screaming. A few tears. Mostly cosseted reassurances that I am in fact living in the real world. Food. Always food.

2. What three things would you take to a desert island?

My husband. Sources of sustenance. Books.

3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?

Why don’t you take my ears. Just take them.

4. Who are your favorite swoony boys/girls?

Rhett Butler/Scarlett O’Hara. The Darkling/Alina. Akiva/Karou. Knightley/Emma. Arin/Kestrel. Elias/Laia. Josh/Isla. Day/June. Barrons/Mac. Spike/Buffy. Damon/Elena. Jamie/Claire.

5. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

To wait. Patiently.

6. You wake up and discover you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently? {Huge thanks to Bookish Broads for letting me use this question!}

I kill everyone. Including Edward. Then I sit down with my dad and make a decent bowl of spaghetti.

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10583808_821153087936253_2195491649697173105_nI had a hard time writing a serious bio in the third person, so here’s a little blurb about me.  I live in North Carolina (Go Heels!) with my husband Victor and our dog Mushu. In my spare time, I like to cook, dance salsa, and wreak havoc on the lives of my characters.

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, a reimagining of THE ARABIAN NIGHTS, will be published on May 12, 2015 by Penguin/Putnam.

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Huge thanks to Renée for not filing a restraining order taking the time! Make sure you’re checking out her website, following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page, and adding all of her books to your Goodreads TBR shelf.

Now.  Haven’t pre-ordered a copy of this gorgeous book? I’ve got one up for grabs. Giveaway is international, book will be coming from The Book Depository, and additional giveaway rules are here.

**Good Luck!!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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25 responses to “The time it was about The Wrath and the Dawn

  1. First of all BAHAHAHA the author is hilarious (and super pretty BTW) Also, I just followed your blog, LOVE IT! :) And I thought that your questions you asked her were hilarious too. (I can’t believe she would actually kill off Edward though.) *Scoffs loudly* tee hee And I read a Thousand and One nights for one of my readings in English class and loved it so I’m sure this ‘retelling’ is sure to be pretty awesome too!

  2. I agree with killing off all the Twilight characters, haha.
    But seriously, this book sounds awesome and since I am already a huge fan of Arabian Nights, I can’t wait to read it!

  3. ReadiculousGirl

    I think I might be in the trillions on that scale…I’m SO excited for this book to come out! Thanks for the giveaway!

  4. Excited up to level eleventy billion! I’m doing everyting in my power to obtain a copy!

    I adore your speed-ish interview Qs! I particularly love how diff authors answer the Twilight question. LoL.

  5. Teresa S.

    I have to wait?!?!?! Gah! May 12?!?! Gah! Gimme! ;)

    Must. Have.

    I’m in dire need of a book world filled with vengeance, murder, and mayhem! Can’t wait to read it!

    Fabulous post & interview!

  6. Rebecca Hipworth

    I am hugely excited for this book, it sounds amazing and it’s just a book I know I’m going to love.

  7. Ida Suyanto

    Eleventy billion. I love retelling story and never read one about A Thousand and One Night before. I’m super excited for this and I’ll wait for the release patiently. Thanks for the giveaway

  8. I am beyond excited!! Even more since I saw that Renee was gonna be at Malaprops for an event which meant getting a book signed!! It’ll also mean a longer wait till it gets in my hands, so it’s AWESOME but the wait will be torture!!

    Fantastic interview Stacee!!

  9. Amanda

    Hmm, I’m pretty excited because so many other authors I like are promoting this book like crazy on Twitter. I’d say a billion :)

  10. HollyB

    Eleventy billion AND ONE, mamacita!!! I can’t wait to read this. I had read, but forgotten, that Renee lives in Charlotte, NC – just a hop, skip, and a jump from me, eep! – and was reminded of it the other day when I read a more extensive bio of her. THEN I read that she (I don’t know if I can say it)…. she attended (gah)… she went to college at… UNC!!! GASP! I had a wee twinge of “oh god no I can’t read a book written by an enemy Tarheel!!!” I mean, I’m a diehard DUKE BLUE DEVIL!!! But then, I reminded myself how much YOU love this book, and I figured I CAN DO THIS. STACEE TOLD ME TO.

    So, yeah….fingers crossed ;-)

  11. _Sandra_

    Of the scale excited!! Just gimme, gimme, gimme!! *grabby hands* :)
    Thanks for the giveaway!

  12. Carol

    I’m excited to the infinity and beyond!!! I can’t wait for my next trip to B&N to buy a copy!

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