It's my pleasure to welcome Samantha Young, author of Lunarmorte. I really appreciate you taking the time out to answer my questions. I'll be reading this one soon and the concept alone sounds like something I'd love! The series consists of so many supernatural creatures, it'll made your head spin (in a good way of course!)
Make sure you support Samantha by commenting on this post!
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Samantha Young is the author of Lunarmorte, the first in a young adult fantasy trilogy. While studying classical literature at the University of Edinburgh Sam was struck with the idea of utilising Greek mythology to explain the origin of all manner of supernatural beasties. With so many ideas battling for release, Sam caved to her imagination, and began writing the first novel in the Lunarmorte trilogy during her final year at university. Sam currently lives in Stirlingshire, Scotland.
For more info on Samantha, visit her site(s):
-Blog
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Lunarmorte (Lunarmorte, Book #1) by Samantha Young
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: Available Now Online
Publisher: Vanguard Press
Pages: 298
Summary: Existing in the shadows of our world are supernatural races; children blessed by the ancient Greek gods with unimaginable gifts, and at present they are fighting a two-thousand-year old war with one another.The Midnight Coven, an alliance of dark magiks, faeries, and daemons born of black magik, believe that the vampyres and lykans are lesser supernaturals and a threat to mankind. They are at war with the Daylight Coven, a confederate of light magiks, faeries, vampyres and lykans who believe in the equality of the races.Into this war seventeen-year-old Caia Ribeiro is born...a lykan with a heritage unlike any other. A heritage that, whether she wants it to or not, will put her into the very heart of battle...
If you're interested in purchasing it, it's available online through these sites:
Book Trailer:
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Guest Post:
1) Sam, thank you for taking the time out do this guest post. Your latest YA book, Lunarmorte, sounds great. What inspired you to write it?
SY: I was inspired to write Lunarmorte when I was studying for my B.A. at the University of Edinburgh. I was studying ancient and medieval history and one of the courses I chose in my first year was classical literature. It was really my first contact with Greek mythology and the more I learned, the more I realised how easily supernatural races could be connected to the Greek gods as an origin story. From the more obvious – Artemis, goddess of the moon and beasts, was perfect as the mother of werewolves (lykans as they’re called in Lunarmorte) – to the less obvious - Hades, god of the underworld and keeper of the dead, as the father of vampyres. In Lunarmorte vampyres are the descendants of the souls who passed through the River Styx without toll and whom Hades returned to earth to extort in blood, payment from those who dared to leave them to travel into the underworld without coin.Once I was sure which gods and goddess were responsible for which supernatural race I knew I wanted to centre the idea of this ancient war between the races around a modern teen supernatural heroine.
SY: I was inspired to write Lunarmorte when I was studying for my B.A. at the University of Edinburgh. I was studying ancient and medieval history and one of the courses I chose in my first year was classical literature. It was really my first contact with Greek mythology and the more I learned, the more I realised how easily supernatural races could be connected to the Greek gods as an origin story. From the more obvious – Artemis, goddess of the moon and beasts, was perfect as the mother of werewolves (lykans as they’re called in Lunarmorte) – to the less obvious - Hades, god of the underworld and keeper of the dead, as the father of vampyres. In Lunarmorte vampyres are the descendants of the souls who passed through the River Styx without toll and whom Hades returned to earth to extort in blood, payment from those who dared to leave them to travel into the underworld without coin.Once I was sure which gods and goddess were responsible for which supernatural race I knew I wanted to centre the idea of this ancient war between the races around a modern teen supernatural heroine.
2) Lunarmorte, is such a unique title, what's the meaning behind it?
SY: The heroine of the story, Caia, is born into a pack of lykans, called Pack Errante, who of course have their Alpha, Lucien. Caia’s pack inherit leadership from father to son through primogeniture because Pack Errante date back to a time when that was the done thing. In the event that an Alpha has no male children, however, those who wish to challenge for leadership fight one another to the death under a full moon. Since Caia’s pack are Portuguese in origin I took the Portuguese word for death and combined it with lunar to literally mean moon death. I then thought that the idea of the Lunarmorte, the fight for leadership, was Caia’s story in the entire novel and trilogy and thus a very fitting title.
SY: The heroine of the story, Caia, is born into a pack of lykans, called Pack Errante, who of course have their Alpha, Lucien. Caia’s pack inherit leadership from father to son through primogeniture because Pack Errante date back to a time when that was the done thing. In the event that an Alpha has no male children, however, those who wish to challenge for leadership fight one another to the death under a full moon. Since Caia’s pack are Portuguese in origin I took the Portuguese word for death and combined it with lunar to literally mean moon death. I then thought that the idea of the Lunarmorte, the fight for leadership, was Caia’s story in the entire novel and trilogy and thus a very fitting title.
3) I see that this is the first book in a trilogy, as readers what can we expect from the next installments?
SY: The first book is an introduction to our heroine, Caia Ribeiro, her return to a pack she no longer really knows after having been separated from them for so long, and her determination to uncover the mystery surrounding that forced separation and all the secrets they’ve been keeping from her. The next two instalments are far more about Caia and the war between the Midnight and Daylight Covens (the warring factions in the supernatural world) and consequently have more mythology and history in them. And although there is action in Lunarmorte, the more Caia’s part in the war escalates over the next two instalments, the more action-packed the story gets. As far as characterisation goes, the next two instalments also offer a different perspective than Lunarmorte Book One. The entire trilogy is written in third person narrative and in the first novel the reader sees and feels everything from Caia and Lucien’s perspective. In the second and third novels, however, two of the main secondary characters also join the narration to add greater perspective to the story as a whole.
In other words readers can expect more, more, more...of everything :)
Deadline: November 30, 2010
6 comments:
Woot! Were myths told from Greek myth perspective? Oh, hells yes. Thanks for the heads up! *adds to TBR list*
Sounds great!Love the cover!
I've been wondering about the title meaning - thanks, looks good!
Wow, this sounds really fantastic!
And I'm Greek so the connection to the Greek gods will be fascinating to me!
Thanks so much for this mini-interview!!
XD
I want afterlife really badly :( sadly it isn't realsied until march in Australia
I'm so excited that you featured Lunamorte--I'm really excited to learn more about it! That cover is awesome too. Great job Eleni!
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