The time it was about Frostblood

I won a copy of Frostblood from The Novl and I really enjoyed it, so when I got the notification for the blog tour, I couldn’t sign up fast enough.

Before we get to the interview with Elly, let’s check out the book.

Title: Frostblood
Author: Elly Blake
Pub. Date: January 10, 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Find it: Little, Brown | Indiebound | B&N | Amazon |  Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby’s powers are unpredictable, and she’s not sure she’s willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.

All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king’s tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.

Sounds good, right?

1. Please give the elevator pitch for Frostblood.

Seventeen-year old Ruby has always hidden her power over fire from the Frostblood ruling class, until a raid on her village lands her in prison. When a Frostblood monk and a scarred warrior offer her a chance for revenge against the Frost King responsible for her mother’s death, she becomes a key weapon in a secret rebellion.

2. Where did the idea come from?

I’ve always loved elemental magic, including the series Avatar: The Last Airbender. One night, I dreamed of a girl with power over fire and a king with an icy heart. When I first started writing, I thought the story would come out more like a fairy tale, but it ended up being more of an adventure with action and romance.

3. Why do you love Ruby and Arcus and why should we root for them?

I’m completely biased, but I adore Ruby and Arcus with all my heart. Ruby is fire and passion, but she can also be cold on the surface. Arcus is cool calculation, but he can be overwhelmed by feeling.

A few early rejections of the book said that Ruby seemed unlikable. So, I did some revisions to show more of what was going on in her mind. She presents a tough, impervious exterior, but inside she’s emotional and vulnerable. Even though Arcus is her elemental opposite, and their personalities often clash, they share that similarity: an excess of emotion they sometimes don’t know how to handle.

4. What was the weirdest thing you googled while researching?

“Where did medieval monks go to the bathroom?” (Answer: the garderobe.)

5. Without spoilers, what was your favorite scene to write?

I love writing action scenes, but the emotional Ruby/Arcus scenes were my very favorite to write. Possibly the scene where Ruby first expresses her feelings and feels rejected, because I love the image of her warm tears hissing as they hit the cold ground.

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.

When I get the call, I pull over to the side of the road because I’m driving to work at a library (a different branch than normal because I’m covering a sick shift). There are farmer’s fields all around because I live in a rural area so I take back roads to work. My agent is telling me the good news. I’m so elated I’m practically hysterical, and I realize that now I have to go to work, where I haven’t yet told anyone that I write, let alone that I have an agent and a brand new book deal. It was nearly impossible to act normal.

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

A good knife, something to build a shelter with, and books.

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

If I had to narrow it down to one book, I’d probably choose 1001 Nights, because there are so many stories. I read many of them as a teen, but only made it about halfway through the book.

4. Who is your favorite book boyfriend and book BFF?

I love Prince Ash from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. He can be my knight any time. Also, Arin from the Winner’s Curse series by Marie Rutkoski. Actually, I have a great many book boyfriends. I could list so many! My book BFF would be Jacky Faber from the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer. She would get me into so many scrapes, but she would somehow get us out again.

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

When I started writing, I was lucky to meet a couple of very generous published authors who shared their experiences in publishing. They told me over and over again to enjoy each success as it comes, because the industry is such a rollercoaster. I’m still trying to take that good advice and enjoy the good moments instead of stressing all the time about what I have to do next.

I wish I’d known earlier that I could actually do this. I wish I had taken my dreams more seriously and started sooner.

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 their question}

Well, Edward was perfect for Bella, but I don’t think he’d be perfect for me. I’m not that brave. I’d probably have moved away when I realized they were all vampires. Haha. It wouldn’t have been much of a story.

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Elly Blake loves fairy tales, old houses, and owls. After earning a BA in English literature, she held a series of seemingly random jobs, including project manager, customs clerk, graphic designer, reporter for a local business magazine, and library assistant. She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and a Siberian Husky mix who definitely shows Frostblood tendencies.

Her work is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media.
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Huge thanks to the ladies at Rockstar Book Tours for the invite and to Elly for taking the time.  Make sure you’re checking out her website, following her on Instagram and Twitter, liking her Facebook page, and adding her books to your Goodreads TBR.

Definitely check out the rest of the blog tour for more goodies and keep scrolling for a giveaway!!

**Good Luck!!**

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