Interview with Bonnie Ferrante + Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Canadian author Bonnie Ferrante to Book Labyrinth today. 'Dawn's End', Bonnie's YA debut, was published earlier this year. Here is some more information about it:

Betrayed by her fiancé, Nicole Newman has put her love life on hold. She loses herself in fantasy, becoming isolated and despondent. When a voice from the woods identifies himself as the man of her dreams and asks for her help, Nicole is unsure whether he is stalking her or about to take her on the adventure of a lifetime. Who, or what, is this mysterious being?

Dawn’s End, a place of simplicity and goodness, is being overcome by a gruesome darkness. Possessing bits of information, Nicole and the dark man know only that they must complete their quest before Nightfall becomes permanent. How far can she trust this not-quite-human? Can they save a world, possibly two, when Nicole isn’t sure she can save herself?

I asked Bonnie a few questions which she was kind enough to answer...

If you had to describe the premise of Dawn's End in a tweet (140 characters or less), what would you say?

It is only by taking risks that we can realize our full potential and be truly happy.

Ooh, intriguing!

What inspired this particular novel?

Beauty and the Beast one of my favourite fairytales

Mine too!

Who was your favourite character to create in Dawn's End?

I liked Larina. She was sassy, brave beyond reason, devoted, funny, and could see past her personal needs to the bigger picture. She shows us that body size is irrelevant. It's the size of the heart that matters.

What would Nicole’s theme song be?

"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

Nice, classic & fun choice.

Have you ever based a character off a real-life person?

No. I take characteristics from different people, historical and familiar, mix them up and put them in situations where the personalities can grow or change. I suppose I base them on character "types" but no one is my work is exactly like anyone in real life. That would be limiting and boring.

What are 3 random facts about yourself that you’d like to share?

I've written several picture books that I am still hoping to publish, one being the next generation of The Giving Tree. It's called The Amida Tree. The Giving Tree had deep compassion without wisdom. As a result she lost everything and the boy never developed enough wisdom to be truly happy.

I love needle arts and dabble when I have time, the latest being Jacobean embroidery.

I can't sing on key. I hear the tune in my head and my mouth turns it into something else. Every time a sing a song, it sounds a little different.

What are some of your favourite recent YA novels?

There are so many. A Witch with No Name by A. Lee Martinez made me laugh all the way through and kept me impressed with its novelty. Sold by Patricia McCormick ripped my heart out for the horror inflicted on children sold into the sex trade. At the same time I was impressed by the innovative structure of the novel. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell which was like travelling back in time. A painful story of a teen's disenchantment with her world. The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness had me riveted and in tears. Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner by a beautiful historical fiction. Hate List by Jennifer Brown handled a complicated, difficult topic with great skill. The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld was brilliant as was So Yesterday.

Very cool, I'm a big Scott Westerfeld fan as well.

What can readers expect from you next?

I've almost complete a YA Fantasy entitled Water and Fire that could easily become a series. I've just finished a YA historical novel set during the time of Queen Elizabeth. I plan on tackling my first draft of Dawn's End 3 during the November National Novel Writing Month. This will be the first time I've tried to write a first draft in a specific time period and I don't have a complete outline yet, so it should be interesting.

Good luck with NaNoWriMo, Bonnie, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Bonnie Ferrante writes fiction and non-fiction for young people. Gordon Korman selected an earlier version of her story The Amida Tree as a winner in a 2010 NOWW writing contest. Also, her story on bullying was chosen by Anne Coleman. Her fiction and non-fiction has been published in adult, YA, and children's anthologies and magazines.

Bonnie loves living in Northern Ontario, Canada even though she spends most of the long winter indoors writing. She chants, bikes, gardens, reads, stitches, volunteers, studies the Dharma, paints, plays/works on the computer, attends live theatre, enjoys being trounced in scrabble by her husband, Fred, and is often found ripping up pieces of her yard or stripping furniture. She hates cooking and cleaning and loves her robot vacuum, (too bad it can’t move the furniture). Her son, stepsons, and extended family keep her young. Once upon a time, she was a grade school teacher. She has entirely too much imagination and not enough opportunity to indulge it.

Visit Bonnie online:
- Website (Free activities & stories)
- Blog
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Noble Young Adult Blog

You can purchase 'Dawn's End' through Noble Young Adult or Kindle.

Giveaway!!
Bonnie has also been awesome enough to offer an eBook to one lucky reader. To win a copy of 'Dawn's End' in PDF, MOBI, or HTM format please leave a comment and fill out this form.

Details:
- Must be 16 or older
- Open internationally
- Must leave a comment AND fill out the form to be entered
- Giveaway will end October 31 at midnight EST
- Winner will be emailed and has the choice of PDF, MOBI, or HTM format

Good luck to those who enter, and I hope you've enjoyed the interview and reading about 'Dawn's End'.