Mindee Arnett Interview & Giveaway

Welcome to the 23th, and final day of Christmahanakwanzika. Today I have a fantastic interview with author of AVALON, Mindee Arnett. Don't forget to check out the giveaway at the bottom.


Avalon (Avalon #1)
Young Adult Science Fiction
Publication Date: January 21st, 2014

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.
 

First off, I would like to welcome you to Read it in Houston. It’s an honor having you here today. Congratulations on your upcoming release of AVALON.

 

Nice and warm. Especially since we’ve got six inches of snow on the ground here in Ohio. Very happy to be here!

If you don’t mind answering, what part of Christmahanakwanzika do you celebrate? & what are you most excited for?

 

We definitely celebrate Christmas. This year, I’m most excited for getting to spend it with my sister and her family for the first time in forever. My brother-in-law is in the army, and they’ve been overseas the last couple of years.

In the spirit of giving, if you had a million and one dollars to giveaway to any charity, who would get the check?

 

I can’t name a specific charity, but I would give most of it to a children’s charity. Nothing bothers me more than the idea of kids in need. I would also want to put a little of it toward an animal shelter as well. Both kids and animals can’t fend for themselves. I feel they need help the most.
 

If you could be any character from any book, who would you be and why?

 

Tough question. I would love to be Jeth from Avalon, because what could be cooler than gallivanting across galaxy in a spaceship? But then again, Jeth has it pretty rough. I think instead I would have to go with Dusty from The Nightmare Affair. She gets to do magic and to visit dreams. I would have a lot of fun with that.

Do you have any favorite quotes from your novel, AVALON?

 

I tend have favorite scenes more than quotes, but here’s a snippet of one. It’s the first time the characters travel through metaspace, which is my version of faster-than-light speed travel:  

Jeth engaged the metadrive. A moment later, a brilliant light like a raw, living energy enveloped the Montrose. It burned so brightly Jeth had to shut his eyes too, despite the tinted goggles. Even still, he could see the light through the skin of his eyelids as if his eyes remained open. Weightlessness came over his body. Not like being in zero gravity, but as if he had no body at all, his existence blinking out. He didn’t move, didn’t breathe. His heart no longer beat and his mind no longer thought.

A fraction of a second later, they came through the other side, traveling thousands of light-years in an instant.

Is there a message in the series that you want readers to pick-up on?

 

There is a message, but I think if I have to tell you what it is then I’ve failed as a writer. Instead I’d rather the reader discover it on their own. Or not. Once the book is out there, it belongs to the reader all the way.

Are you working on anything new at the moment? If so can you share any juicy details about the work?

 

I just completed the initial draft of the Avalon sequel. Up next I’ll be starting the third book in my Arwell Academy series. I’m also in the initial planning stages of a YA fantasy I hope to work on after that.

Happy Christmahanakwanzika! 

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About the Author
Mindee Arnett

YA Author of THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR, a contemporary fantasy coming March 5, 2013 from Tor Teen (Macmillan) and AVALON, a YA sci-fi thriller coming Winter 2014 from Balzer+Bray (HarperCollins). Represented by the fabulous Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary. Addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space.

 

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***Giveaway*** 

Three (3) swag packs.

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The 23 Days of Christmahanakwanzika

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