Interview with the Freaking Awesome Chelsea Fine

Okay, so y'all know how much I adore Chelsea Fine! She's like the Jennifer Lawrence of Writerdom. You know who I'm talking about, the really cool girl next door who's gorgeous, hilarious, and super down-to-earth. Well today, I have the honor of interviewing her about one of my all-time favorite YA series ev-ah, The Archers of Avalon! If you haven't read my reviews of these epic examples of awesomeness, click on each to find my thoughts on Anew, Awry, and Avow.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, here's Chelsea...


* How did you come up with idea for the Archers of Avalon series?

The short answer is Vampire Diaries. The long answer is I was watching Vampire Diaries with my sister and we were talking about how sad it is to have a love triangle between two brothers because the brothers love one another and they love the same girl…it’s tragic. And I started thinking of what another spin you could do with two brothers who love the same girl, but something less doom and gloom. Thus was born, my Archers of Avalon series.

* As an avid archer myself, I loved the fact that twins and Scarlet were into shooting. Why did you choose that as a pastime?

First of all, I LOVE THAT YOU’RE AN ARCHER!  Super rad. I chose archery as a pastime because it’s cool! It’s skilled weapon that requires patience and aim, and lots of experience. I like that. I thought it was a good weapon for characters who were going to be 500 years old. It just worked all around. 

* After reading the series, I researched to see if Avalon, Georgia really existed (and YES! it does! I’m SO going one day.) What made that location ideal for the series?

It was sort of an accident. I didn’t know that Avalon, Georgia existed before I wrote the book. The Ponce De Leon Fountain of Youth story was not actually in lower Florida, but northern Florida. That’s where his ship landed; just south of Georgia. So I was thinking, wouldn’t it be neat if the Fountain of Youth was actually in Georgia and all the history books were totally wrong about this myth? So I put it in Georgia with these archers and then I wanted a city that started with an ‘A’ so I chose Avalon. After I wrote the first draft and discovered there was actually a city called Avalon in Georgia, I figured it was just fate. It was an accident, but totally fate.

* The idea behind the curse and the trio’s connection is SO freaking cool and unique. How did you come up with that, and what inspired you to choose The Fountain of Youth as a building block?

I spent months and months of thinking about the story, so the curse was actually different in my head. But that’s the cool thing about writing. While you’re writing a story, you’re also re-writing it as more ideas come to you. I wanted to make sure there was a curse where all three members of it were affected in a unique way; not something where they all had the same issues. And I wanted it to be a curse where finding a cure would be critical to the characters’ happiness. So it was just a matter of a lot of time and thought and trial and error with writing it. I wanted immortality, but not vampires so I decided to go the Fountain of Youth route and explore that. If we could live forever, would that be a good thing or kind of a curse? That’s the question theme in my Archers of Avalon books.

* I absolutely adore your characters!!! Were any of them based on yourself/preferences or people you know?

Oh, that’s a really good question! No. Scarlet is definitely not based on me. You and I have met in person so you know that I’m not very awesome and cool and strong and sassy like Scarlet. Haha. I’m much more like Heather. I think Scarlet is based on who I wish I could be, with lots of strength and attitude. I based Tristan a little bit on my husband who has this very dark and sacrificial side to him in a really beautiful way. And Gabriel…I don’t know. I think I just created a character who would be the opposite of Tristan: a little more selfish and happy and carefree.

* Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a pantser! That’s why it takes me forever to write books, haha. I try to plot, but I can’t seem to follow my own rules. It’s just all bad. Haha.

* What inspires you?

Music. I know there are a lot of other things that inspire me, but music is by far number one. I created the whole first book, Anew, by listening to “Cosmic Love” by Florence and the Machine. I put that song on repeat for three days and mapped out the whole book in my head.

* What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I really like painting and drawing and playing the piano and singing…anything artistic, really. I find art and music really calming and soothing. But I also enjoy watching teenage drama on television. Like, a lot. Haha.  

* What awesomeness can we expect from you in the future?

My New Adult series is coming out this year and I’m really excited about it! New Adult is like Young Adult with a little bit of an edge, and a few more consequences. This is a contemporary series, though, so there’s no Fountain of Youth and no curses or anything like that. Just plain old realistic love and drama. But it’s a sweet series and the first book, Best Kind Of Broken is really special to me, so I’m thrilled to release it this March. J  

Rapid Fire:

* What 3 things would you take to live on Isle Chelsea:

Um, this question is awesome. A toothbrush! I would totally take my toothbrush! I’m obsessed with clean teeth. And maybe The Count of Monte Cristo, my favorite book of all time. And my husband. I would take my husband because he’s my best friend and, really, you can endure anything if you have your best friend with you. ;)

* Favorite book character:

Will Herondale from Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices. He’s my very favorite. He reminds me a lot of Tristan, but he’s a bit more tortured, darker. He’s so broken and he’s such a mess. I just want to mop him up and make out with him. Haha.

* Best YA read this year:

I read The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle and it was probably one of the most moving books I have ever encountered. It was beautiful and broke my heart. Wonderful.

* Top 5 favorite authors:

Veronica Roth

Frankie Rose

Abbi Glines

Cassandra Clare

J.K. Rowling.

* You life’s theme song:

“Heartlines” by Florence and the Machine. 

HUGE thanks to Chelsea Fine for the interview!

Check out her books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and

everywhere books are sold.

This captures Chelsea perfectly...happy and with *sparkling* teeth!

 

You can find more on Chelsea and her books here:

Archers of Avalon: http://www.thearchersofavalon.com/

Chelsea's Website: http://chelseafinebooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChelseaFineBooks

Twitter: @ChelseaFine

Review: AVOW by Chelsea Fine.

Scarlet remembers. Everything. Her past lives, Tristan, Gabriel, Nate: she remembers it all--including how to get to the Fountain of Youth. But time is running out.

Heather and Gabriel have been kidnapped by Raven, while the curse that has plagued Scarlet and Tristan for centuries has shifted, putting the star-crossed lovers in more danger than ever before. Water from the Fountain of Youth is the only thing that can save Scarlet and her loved ones. But the water comes at a price.

With lives--and hearts--at stake, Scarlet leads her friends on a dangerous journey to the Fountain of Youth. Where eternal life is possible, but death is certain.

Oh, man. The third and final book in the Archers of Avalon series. I don't even know where to begin. This series was such a roller coaster of emotions, at times I had to just lay it down and walk away for a minute. Trust me when I say that's a *good* thing! Chelsea is just an amazing author with a true sense of her characters. They're each so distinct and unique. She really is one of the best character writers I've read. I can't even begin to express my bumminess at this series being over. Sigh.

Onward, I suppose.

So, AVOW. Yeah, it was pretty much in every way epic. Scarlet and Tristan are as amazing as ever. You absolutely can't help but cheer for them! With the characters finally knowing what's up and fully understanding the curse and what it entails, they all take on such a stronger role. It's seriously impressive! Early on, I wondered how Chelsea would tie everything up and leave the reader satisfied with the character's fates. Worry not, my dears. While there are moments of joy and heartache, of loss and triumph, you'll be happy with everyone's futures ;)

AVOW was definitely my favorite of the series, and I thought after the first two, they couldn't be topped. Happily wrong! The banter and inner monologue between the characters is flawless and hilarious. Chelsea has a beautiful way of taking the edge of an otherwise serious situation. BUT this doesn't take away from the seriousness. It's like some kind witchery. I don't even know how she does it, but she does it exceedingly well! Gabriel and Heather really excel in this story with their antagonism and sarcastic ways. Oh! And we finally get the whole back story of the characters by getting to experience it. I'd generally say I'm not a fan of the timeline back and forth method, but again, Chelsea owns it!

Easily one of my all-time favorite series, I can't recommend AVOW highly enough!

Review: Awry by Chelsea Fine

Sometimes love is meant to be. But sometimes...love is the death of you....

Seventeen-year-old Scarlet has just died. Only, dying isn't unusual for a girl under a centuries old curse that left her semi-immortal.

This time, though, she comes back to her current life instead of awaking in a new one, and she realizes the curse is changing. Together with the immortal Archer brothers, Scarlet must piece together her life and try to break the curse before her impending death comes again.

As y'all know, I absolutely loved Anew, book 1 in Chelsea Fine's Archers of Avalon series! So, you can imagine the expectations I had going into Awry. Sadly, sequels don't always live up to their predecessors...BUT I'm so excited to say, this one did and more!

We finally get a chance to touch on Scarlet's history, going all the way back to the 1500's. And let me say, Chelsea did a great job of realistically incorporating the times without it being "stiff" or fake. We really get a feel for the characters' relationships leading up to the present. You can totally see how everyone wound up in their predicaments, and it comes across in such a real and relatable way.

Leaving Anew with a cliffhanger, I couldn't wait to dive in. Things have changed for her this time around, because the curse has changed. We soon learn this is a result of a shift caused by Tristan and Scarlet breaking the rules in her past life. After an attack by a strange, ashy villain, Scarlet decides to spill the beans about the curse to Heather, who totally rocks the "stand by your BFF" role. Who wouldn't want her watching their back?

We soon learn that Gabriel's ex isn't the only one involved in the curse. While she set it in motion, there's more the situation than we might've suspected. While I had my suspicions about things, I was surprised to see which paths certain characters ended up following! Anew definitely kept me guessing till the end.

Trust me when I say, this is one triangle you'll never say is cliche! Chelsea had me in every kind of knot trying to figure out how she was going to work things out. The Archers of Avalon series isn't like anything I've ever read, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

If you love fantasy, great characters, and magic, this is series to read!

Review: ANEW by Chelsea Fine

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.

Okay, I have to start this post with a fact: Chelsea is one of the sweetest and most hilarious chicks ever. I had the chance to "officially" meet Chelsea and hang out a little at UtopYAcon this past June. If you haven't read about that experience, you can here. Chelsea even shares her own thoughts on What Not to Do at Book Conference. HILARIOUS video. We'd known each other through Twitter for some time, but as most of you have probably experienced, the face-to-face introduction is always more interesting. I mean, you can only say so much in 140 characters, right?

Continuing on, I got a signed copy of the first in her Archers of Avalon series, ANEW. After hearing everyone RAVE about it, and listening to Chelsea's experiences writing the series, working with the models, and various inspirations, made me all the more eager to get started. Thankfully, I had 12 hours worth of flying and layovers to get me started! Yay me!

Needless to say, between dinners, meetings, and changing time zones, I finished ANEW in no time flat ... then proceeded to immediately download the sequel, AWRY. Yeah. It's that awesome.

And here's why:

We begin the story with Scarlett, a teenage girl who lives with her amazing foster mom, Laura. Scarlett came to be under Laura's care when she woke up in the woods with full-blown amnesia wiping her mind of anything about her life leading up to that point. Yeah, talk about freaaaky.

Scarlett is a super down-to-earth girl who cares about her interim family and zealous friend more than fashion and boys, much to her BFF, Heather's disapproval.

They crew of awesome characters live in a small town called Avalon, Georgia. Much to my delight, Avalon is like less vampire-werewolf-doppelganger version of Mystic Falls when it comes to fun activities and festivals. And one of Scarlett's least favorites is The Kissing Festival--that is until she bumps into Gabriel Archer.

Sigh.

Gabriel Archer, that gorgeous, selfless, heartthrob of a guy. Chelsea definitely has the swoon worthy boys in her stories! Why do I say boys as in more than one? Because Gabriel happens to have an identical twin brother named Tristan! ::flatline::

Now, before you go thinking, "Is this going to be YA?" Let me say, yes. Yes it is. ;) Actually one of the things I love most about this series is how Chelsea works the love-triangle-but-not-a-love-triangle ... angle. Stay with me here.

See, Scarlett has ties and emotions and all kinds of stuff going on in her pretty little head, but it isn't because she's wishy-washy or a player. I can't tell you more than that because I don't do spoilers. You're welcome. But throughout the story, you really feel her distress and experience the challenge of the twins as they try to navigate the situation. Chelsea knocks it out of the park when it comes to believable and relatable characters. Their responses and feelings toward things are spot on, and you can't help but sympathize with their tragedy and triumph!

I will caution you now though ... have the second book on hand! OMGosh! I didn't sleep for waaay too long trying to find out what happened after book one ended! Good job, Chelsea!

So, with that, I give ANEW five very enthusiastic top hats! It's a definite must-read!!!

 

Buy. Read. Be happy.

Review: MYSTIC CITY by Theo Lawrence

 
Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself. 



So I totally lucked out and snagged an ARC of MYSTIC CITY at Half-Price Books. My review is for the ARC since I don't know what (if any) changes might've been made. Here we go!

The Good: I absolutely can't praise Theo's writing style enough! Can we say beautiful and the perfect example of Show don't Tell and Avoid Passive Voice. The descriptions are stunning. Each scene is brilliantly set and fully fleshed out. The characters are so unique, and you can totally connect with them in a real way. I'm generally not a dystopian fan, but MYSTIC CITY isn't the typical dystopian... at least, it isn't the struggle-every-moment-for-life kind. It's more futuristic than anything. I'm not sure what genre it's classified as anyway.

The progression of our protag's life is perfectly paced. Aria grows and changes throughout the story, going from the (non-cliche) rich girl to the caring young-woman who's willing to risk her comfortable life and promising future. And not just to win the guy but to save her city. Talk about an inspiring female lead! 

Our male lead, Hunter, is intriguing and by far the most mysterious part of the entire story. He proves himself to be swoon-worthy! He's not the kind of  guy you love to hate or admire because he's so wholesome. But he's real and genuine. Nothing about him feels fake or forced. He's the kind of boyfriend you would've actually wanted at 17. Too bad it's not that clean-cut for Aria.

The Mediocre: As the plot moves forward, there isn't a lot of "surprise" going on. I kept thinking, "Where's the mystery? What's the twist supposed to be here?" Really, it felt more like a contemporary novel with a futuristic setting. Like we know the obvious hurdles our characters have to overcome, so where's that *gasp* moment??? The outstanding writing and interesting characters kept me reading, but there were a few places where I just skimmed because it wasn't exciting. I will say there was one epic twist at the end I didn't expect which was fabulous! I love surprises! I just wish there could've been more.

Another issue I encountered was Aria's reaction to certain people in her life. Something epic would happen, and she was just like, "Meh. Okay." And while I get Lawrence's intent to keep her low key so she wouldn't give up the ghost so early, even her internal reaction was disappointing. Still, it wasn't enough of a let-down to stop reading. Also, Aria's best-friend Kiki is kind of annoying. I wish she would've been more likable. I'm a big fan of heroic secondary characters. I feel like they should really enhance the story and bring out a lot about plot and why our lead is the way they are. If you're going to the trouble to bring them up frequently, there needs to be a reason for them. Kiki was more like that irritating person you hang out with for the sake of obligation. She and Aria were so different in ways that would cause two people not to want to spend time together. I LOVED Hunter's bromance though.

There were several parts where I just skimmed through the story because it wasn't interesting. It didn't move the plot forward and felt more like a placeholder than an integral scene. There were maybe a total of 20 pages or so that could've been entirely culled, and no one would miss them. 

Conclusion: Based on the originality of the story, the lead characters, and the writing, I'd give MYSTIC CITY 5 Hats, no problem. But due to the slow plot at times, the mediocre secondary characters, and the lack of page-turning mystery, I'm going to say 4 Hats: still an awesome read and recommendation but not without a couple of flaws.