The Spiral Arm by Peter Boland Interview & Giveaway!

The Spiral Arm Episode 1
by Peter Boland
Release Date:  May 21, 2013

From Goodreads:
Wren Harper lives on an overcrowded Earth on the brink of apocalypse. There are just too many people. The answer lies 600 light-years away on Kepler; a planet more than double the size of Earth. For decades humans have been fighting another race for its control. Earth’s armies are depleted, so now 15-year-old cadets are sent to fight, trained along the way in vast combat ships. But why has Wren been chosen? She's small and geeky and not a fighter. Will she survive Kepler? Or will the training kill her first?

The Spiral Arm Episode 2
By Peter Boland
Release Date: December 3, 2013

From Goodreads:
Wren is in the most dangerous place imaginable - a training ship full of fledgling killers heading to a war-torn planet. She’s struggling to keep up, and the other cadets aren't impressed. But Wren’s not done for yet. She’s a survivor and uses the one thing she’s got to even the odds - her super-smart brain. But will that be enough?

I am so excited to have the author of the Spiral Arm series, Peter Boland, here on the blog today. My head has been burning with questions for him on his story, desire to write in episodes, and about the character of Wren. Check out what he has to and then enjoy an excerpt of this story you want to add to your TBR list now. Plus, he's even giving away a copy of one of his books to a lucky winner! 

What inspired the idea to write this series in novella length episodes? And how many episodes do you think it will include?

It suits my writing style. I like plot-driven stories - I guess this comes from my advertising background where you have to get to the point quickly. I've planned the series out for at least 16 episodes, we'll see how it goes.

Will each episode end with a major cliffhanger, and if so about how long will we have to wait between books?

Yes, hopefully. I'd like to get one out every couple of months - trouble is, life gets in the way, best laid plans and all that.

What are you currently reading?

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - it's beautifully written and impeccably researched - it's about a historian trying to find the tomb of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula). 

Do you have a playlist for the series? Can you share a song or two and how you "hear" it in the story?

Yes, music really inspires me to write. Here's a few:

Blackout by Anna Calvi - when Wren steps out into the darkened streets of futuristic Chicago.

Strong by London Grammar - Wren creeping around the ship on her own at night.

Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year? What are some and have you broken any yet? :)

I kind of did it in reverse this year, I gave up drinking for 3 months before Christmas!

Do you think you will continue writing in this episode idea for future books? I have to admit, with my busy scheduling I think it's incredibly appealing by the way.

That's great to hear. Yes, I will if it suits the story and feels natural to do so.

If you could go anywhere in the world to write, where would you go?

Ravello in Italy - it's a small village on the side of a mountain - breathtakingly beautiful - actually, it would probably be the worst place as I wouldn't get any work done.

What is your favorite movie or TV show (just curious if it's sci-fi)?

That's easy - Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Lord of the Rings, Aliens, Battle Star Galactica

What inspired Wren's story?

I wanted a strong female lead, but I wanted her to be vulnerable and smart, and to use her brain to solve problems, rather than her fists. She likes the quiet life and just wants to be left alone, but I've placed her in her worst nightmare!  

I'd definitely have to agree with that! Thanks for stopping by today Peter and we can't wait to see more episodes of The Spiral Arm!

Excerpt from The Spiral Arm, Episode 1:

Tuss pushes open the doors, the noise level leaps and the heavy beat of trance music slaps me in the ears. The place is full of ridiculously tall muscular cadets, over-excited and oozing with self-confidence. I walk amongst them as if I’m in the land of the giants.

There’s a line of booths like you get in a diner along one wall. Each one is stuffed with cadets and some are sitting on the tables. In front of the booths are a handful of pool tables, but nobody’s playing. They’re leaning on them, busy chatting and getting acquainted. An arm-wresting competition is taking place on one of them. Cadets crowd round, violently screaming encouragement. On the other side of the room, a cadet grins manically while others queue up to hit him in the stomach, to prove how rock hard his abs are. Brightly lit vending machines line the opposite wall, serving protein shakes and little energy snacks. Some cadets are having drinking competitions to see who can down theirs the fastest.

I am a fish out of water. Forget that, I’m a not even a fish. I’m the tiniest tadpole that’s as far from water as it’s possible to be.  

Weird stares greet me as we move through the crowd. People look at me as though I’m a lost child who’s wandered into the grown-ups area. I stick close to Tuss, hoping she’ll shield me like a parent, but I quickly realize Tuss is popular. She seems to know everyone already and flits from one group to another, fist-bumping people and calling them by their first names. Meanwhile, I stand around like a piece of very small furniture.

***GIVEAWAY***

One ecopy of either The Spiral Arm season 1 episode 1 or 2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Spiral Arm by Peter Boland Book Blitz

The Spiral Arm

Peter Boland

Release Date May 21, 2013

YA Dystopian

Wren Harper lives on an overcrowded Earth on the brink of apocalypse. There are just too many people. The answer lies 600 light-years away on Kepler; a planet more than double the size of Earth. For decades humans have been fighting another race for its control. Earth’s armies are depleted. So now 15-year-old cadets are sent to fight, trained along the way in vast combat ships. But why has Wren been chosen? She’s small and geeky and not a fighter. Will she survive Kepler? Or will the training kill her first. This is a debut novella-length episode in a series full of cliffhanger endings.

Goodreads

Q & A with Peter Boland:

Where did the idea for The Spiral Arm come from?

It started off as a TV script about seven teenagers floating across the universe in an escape pod, a kind of Big Brother in space. Getting TV made is notoriously difficult, so I tried adapting it into a book. It didn’t work. So I rewound the story. Where did this escape pod come from? Why were they all teenagers? The idea of a vast training ship full of teenagers popped into my head, a kind of Hogwarts in space. That’s when the Spiral Arm took shape.

Wren Harper is an intriguing character

Yes, she’s shy and a bit of a loner. She thinks she’s weak but there’s a thread of steel running through her. She’s a fish out of water, surrounded by elite super fit, aggressive teenagers who are all ultra-competitive. But Wren’s smart and uses her brain to get her out of some pretty nasty situations.  

What made you decide to write in episodes?

It suits my writing style. I like the plot to move along quite quickly rather than stretching it out.

How many seasons of The Spiral Arm will there be?

Well, it takes four years for the training ship to get to its destination, the planet Kepler. The cadets will be trained along the way. When they finally get to Kepler, the cadets on board will be young adults and expected to fight, so there’ll be at least four seasons, maybe five.

When do you write?

Mostly in the evenings after work. I’m a writer for my day job as well, so sometimes I can spend up to 10 hours a day writing. Sadly only a small part of that is novel-writing.

You say your day job is writing.

Yes, I’m a copywriter by trade, which means I come up with ideas for ads and write the words for brochures and websites.

Does that help?

It’s the complete opposite of novel-writing. In a book you could spend ten pages describing a scene. Whereas, in advertising if you can’t say something in three or four words, no-one will read it.

Describe your writing process.

Initially I don’t write anything. I walk around with an idea in my head for weeks, mulling and chewing it over. I found this is the best way to slot everything into place. Then I jot ideas down in a notebook. When I’m happy I’ve got enough raw material, I write down key moments on post-it notes. I stick these to a wall and take a step back and rearrange them until the plot makes sense. Once I start writing properly I’ll still give myself enough room to modify things. 

What advice would you give to first-time writers?

Get a good idea, one that can be summed up in a few words. Strong ideas are usually the shortest. Once you start writing don’t stop. Even if you don’t feel like writing. Your initial enthusiasm will wane after a week or two, that’s when you’ve got to get your head down and carry on.

What’s your favourite book?

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. It’s an awesome read. It’s like Game of Thrones but without the supernatural element. Game of Thrones is my favourite TV series by the way.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

We live by the beach so I surf and mountain bike. I’m also a green tag in Taekwondo which is great for blowing off steam. In between I usually build outrageous things out of Lego with my two boys. 

Author Bio:

After studying to be an architect, Pete realized he wasn’t very good at it. He liked designing buildings he just couldn’t make them stand up, which is a bit of a handicap in an industry that likes to keep things upright. So he switched to advertising, writing ads for everything from cruise lines to zombie video games. After meeting his wife Salini and having two boys, he was amazed when she sat and actually wrote a book. Then another and another. They were good too. Really good. So he thought, I’ll have a go at that. He soon realized there’s no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the other (and keep doing that for about a year). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing, Taekwondo, playing Lego with the boys and drinking beer in front of the TV.

Mr. Boland is giving away an ebook copy of Spiral Arm. To enter, just comment on this post. Leave your email address or Twitter handle so I can contact you. The lucky winner will be announced July 15! 

So what's your favorite dystopian novel?