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I'm so glad to be posting an Interview I had with Author: Aviva Orr. Her Debut Novel is The Mist on Bronte Moor and it will be released on January 8, 2013 so check out the Book Description, Goodreads Link to add to your TBR list, the Author's Bio/Links And Of Course the Author Interview :)
My Interview With Aviva
- Tell us a just a little
about you : )
Thank you for having me! I
was born and raised in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa, and I
currently live in Southern California with my husband and two daughters. I have
a Yorkie named Branwell, who is a handful (what did I expect?), and another
named, Lucy.
- It seems like you’re a
fan of the Brontes, but how did you come up with the idea/concept for The Mist on Bronte Moor?
I came up with the idea
after visiting the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth. Visiting Haworth is exactly
like stepping back in time, and if you go late in December, as I did, there
won’t be many tourists.
- How long did it take to
write?
The actual young-adult
novel took about a year to write. However, it started out as a mid-grade book
that I spent at least three years writing and rewriting. The book just wasn’t
working as mid-grade, but I didn’t want to give up because I loved the concept.
Luckily, I subbed to WiDo Publishing and they suggested I rewrite it as
young-adult.
- What was the research
process like?
I’d already read most of
the Brontë novels, which was a good start. Also, I studied literature at
college, so I was used to doing literary research. I started with Juliet Barker’s
The Brontës, which is probably the best and most informative biography on the
Brontës. Then I read several other biographies, taking notes as I read. I frequented
the Internet, visiting the Brontë Society website and Google Earth. I used
Google Earth to virtually walk some of the routes Heather takes. Finally, I
contacted the Brontë Parsonage Museum, and they graciously answered questions
for me.
I didn’t have to do too
much research on alopecia as my niece suffers from it, so I had first-hand
knowledge about the disease and the distress it can cause a teenager.
- Which characters were
the most fun writing?
Branwell definitely tops
that list. He is such a complex and interesting character. He was extremely intelligent
and creative, and his family had high hopes for him, yet he wasn’t able to make
a success of his life. In The Mist on
Brontë Moor, Branwell is sixteen and still very much the golden boy. But
Heather gets several glimpses of his dark side…
- Are there any messages
that you want your readers to see? What is that?
Readers bring their own
personalities and experiences with them, so what resonates with one reader may
not resonate with another.
One thing I love about
historical fiction is that, despite the different time periods, the characters
essentially have the same problems as people today. Two Hundred years ago,
people still worried primarily about their families, their health, their jobs
etc. They wanted the same things as we want today: love, happiness, security,
and acceptance. Despite our technology and different lifestyles, human beings
haven’t changed that much, and I think this is evident in The Mist on Brontë
Moor.
- Which actors do you see
playing the main characters?
This is a popular
question. Let’s just say, I do not
want to be the casting director charged with finding actors to play the Brontës
as teenagers. The only opinion I have is that the actors should be British or
Irish.
- Which Novel by any
Bronte is your personal favorite and why?
Wuthering Heights is definitely my favorite. I admire the way Emily exposes the darker side
of human nature and the darker side of love.
Her characters are complex
and ignite strong reactions from readers. They are not easily forgotten.
- Hmm how about which
Bronte film is your most favorite to watch and why?
I really haven’t found one
that I can call my favorite yet, but I am looking forward to Andrea Arnold’s
version of Wuthering Heights.
- When did you first
realize that you wanted to become a writer?
I started writing as a
teenager, but I never completed any manuscripts. After I graduated with my
master’s, and I had no more papers to write, the urge to write fiction
returned.
- How has it being a Debut
Author been like?
It has been fantastic. The
Internet has opened up a whole new world for writers. It is so much easier to
connect with other authors as well as readers. I love the way authors support
each other and share information via the Internet. The book blogging sites are
wonderful. So many of them have helped to promote my book. I am very grateful.
- Where is your favorite
place to write?
My
bedroom late at night, or the library.
- What are you currently
working on?
I’m
working on another young-adult novel. This one is contemporary.
- For aspiring writers,
what’s a piece of advice that you were given, that you want to share?
Join
a good critique group and persevere.
- Which Authors do you
look up to, and were ones that inspired you, to write stories?
I am inspired by writers
who tell a good story—writers whose books have stayed with me for years. I admire
many authors, but Emily Brontë and J.K. Rowling are my two favorite.
- What are your favorite
genres to read?
It’s a mix. I enjoy
contemporary young adult. I also enjoy historical fiction, and I tend to
gravitate towards books set in England.
- Are you reading anything
now? Yes? What is that?
I’m reading The Casual Vacancy. J.K. Rowling is an
outstanding storyteller, and I admire her versatility as a writer.
- What film are you
looking forward to see that has not come out in Theaters?
I am very excited to see
Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights,
which has not yet been released in the U.S.
- Where is your dream
vacation location?
England. I have visited
several times, and I always want to go back. In fact, I’d like to hop on a
plane right now, even though it’s winter.
- What is one TV Show that
you religiously watch each week?
Dexter
and Homeland.
Other Short Qs:
- Fall or Winter?
Fall
- Hot Chocolate, Tea or
Coffee?
Coffee.
I like mine with eggnog.
- Mac or PC?
PC
- England or Scotland? : )
England. However, I am dying to visit Scotland.
It looks so beautiful.
- The Voice or The
X-Factor?
I’ve
never watched either of those shows.
- Print or E-Book?
E-book. However, I always
keep print copies of the books I cherish (I have several editions of Wuthering Heights).
- Middle Earth or
Hogwarts?
Hogwarts!
- Revenge or Once Upon A
Time?
Revenge.
- Frozen Yogurt or Ice
Cream?
Frozen
Yogurt.
- Sunny or Rainy Weather?
Rainy.
- Christmas or New Years?
I
am Jewish, but I’ll have to go with Christmas.
- Which California Town
have you not visited, but really want to? *I’m a Cali girl :) *
Monterey.
Thank you so much for your
time in answering these Qs!
Thank you, Marissa!
Book Description
When fifteen-year-old
Heather Jane Bell is diagnosed with alopecia and her hair starts falling out in
clumps, she wants nothing more than to escape her home in London and disappear
off the face of the earth.
Heather gets her wish when her concerned parents send her to stay with her
great-aunt in West Yorkshire. But shortly after she arrives, she becomes lost
on the moors and is swept through the mist back to the year 1833. There she
encounters fifteen-year-old Emily Brontë and is given refuge in the Brontë
Parsonage.
Unaware of her host family’s genius and future fame, Heather struggles to cope
with alopecia amongst strangers in a world completely foreign to her. While
Heather finds comfort and strength in her growing friendship with Emily and in
the embrace of the close-knit Brontë family, her emotions are stretched to the
limit when she falls for Emily’s brilliant but troubled brother, Branwell.
Will Heather return to the comforts and conveniences of the twenty-first
century? Or will she choose love and remain in the harsh world of
nineteenth-century Haworth?
Author Bio & Links
Aviva Orr was born and raised in Cape Town, South
Africa. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two
daughters, and two Yorkie terriers (Lucy and Branwell). Aviva holds a master's
degree in English and has a keen interest in early British literature. The Mist
on Brontë Moor is her first novel and will be released by WiDo Publishing on
January 8, 2013
Thanks for the interview, Marissa!
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