Shiirleyy's Bookshelf has migrated to Dear Shirley ! I will continue to post book reviews but there will also be a lot of personal and travel-related posts :)

Captivate Blog Tour – Author Interview

16 Dec 2013


Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Captivate, a debut novel by Australian author Vanessa Garden. I have Vanessa here on the blog today with a simple Q&A. You can follow the rest of the blog tour HERE.

*Author Interview*
Please Introduce 'Captivate' in 5 words. 
Love, secrets and danger underwater.

What inspired you to write Captivate? 
I have always wanted to write an underwater story. I grew up by the ocean and often dreamed up underwater cities as a child. However, the idea of Captivate came to me after listening to a song called 'To You I Bestow' by Mundy. The rest of the story spilled out after that one scene the song inspired.

Convince us why readers should choose mermaids over vampires/werewolves and other supernatural creatures! 
This is a tricky question because Captivate is not a mermaid book (though mermaids get mentioned plenty of times) so it is hard to compare it with supernatural creatures. But I will say that the underwater city in Captivate glitters with a magical crystal called light-crystal, the city's power source. Oh, and the guys are super-fit and walk around in head-to- toe black with daggers strapped to their boots - probably the best reason to chose Captivate ;)

What was your favourite scene in the book and why?
Marko and Miranda's garden scene. It is the first scene that popped into my head, which then inspired the entire story behind Captivate. I love it because there are moments in this scene where both Marko and Miranda drop their emotional shields and reveal their true, vulnerable selves.

What was the most difficult part of writing Captivate?  
The re-writing. I had to do so many re-writes because I wrote it pantser-style and allowed the characters to go off on many different tangents which created too many sub-plots. Chopping away favourite lines and paragraphs to stream-line the story was difficult but had to be done.

And the most rewarding? 
I just loved hanging out with my characters in the beautiful underwater city of Marin, which was a reward in itself. 
But getting Captivate published and being able to share my story with fellow readers is the greatest feeling. Also, working with the amazing team at Harlequin Australia has been hugely rewarding. I have learned so much. 

Quick Questions:
Favourite book? 'Of Mice and Men' John Steinbeck
Favourite Movie? A toss up between 'Stand By Me' 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Donnie Darko'
Favourite book couple? (Doesn’t have to be YA!) Will Herondale and Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices
Favourite movie couple?  I loved Inman (Jude Law) and Ada (Nicole Kidman) in Cold Mountain

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Thank you, Shirley! It was fun :)

*About the Book*

by Vanessa Garden
Publisher: HarlequinTeen Australia
Release Date: January 1st 2014
GOODREADS | HARLEQUIN SITE


In a glittering underwater world, nothing is as it seems...

For the past twelve months since her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda’s grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she’s dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim.

Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she’s being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.

Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There’s only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko’s personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...

*About the Author*
Vanessa lives on the coast Western Australia with her husband, their three chatty children, and three calming goldfish. When she is not writing, Vanessa can be found at the local bookstore where she works part-time. Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not gushing about her favourite reads to customers, or dreaming up her next novel, she enjoys spending time with the people she loves most.
Find Vanessa on:
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads
Check out the rest of the blog schedule HERE, and a massive thank you to team at Harlequin AU for organizing this tour J

3 comments:

  1. "the guys are super-fit and walk around in head-to- toe black with daggers strapped to their boots"

    Heh. I like that image. ;) It's been a really long time since I've read a story set in an underwater world! Marin sounds like a place that I'd like to explore. This book is new to me, so thanks for putting it on my radar!

    ReplyDelete
  2. HIYYYAAAA SHIRLEY!!!!!!!!!! How is my favourite Aussie Asian? :D I've missed talking with you and visiting your blog! I hope you're enjoying uni life and that it's not working you too hard :P

    Now that's out the way... THIS BOOK SOUNDS SO FRIKKING AWESOME O.O A story set under water with 'super-fit' guys *swoons* I don't think I've read many Aussie books but this one sounds too good to pass on! The garden scene has really made me curious and I love that mermaids are featured!

    Thanks for sharing this with us, Shirley <3

    ReplyDelete

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