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The Jewel (The Lone City #1)
by Amy Ewing
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
by Amy Ewing
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
ISBN: 978-1250024640
The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.
Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.
Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.
Check out the book trailer!
Now on to the interview!
Hi Amy!
First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! I loved THE JEWEL and am so
happy that you could stop by for a visit! BTW I can’t wait for its sequel!
For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about THE JEWEL and the characters?
THE JEWEL takes place in a city where young girls are auctioned off as surrogates to royal women who can’t have children naturally on their own. Our heroine, Violet, is sold to the Duchess of the Lake to bear her daughter. There are so many characters in THE JEWEL it’s hard to know where to begin. There is Raven, Violet’s strong-willed best friend, and Ash, a handsome companion, paid to escort royal daughters to balls and events. There is Lucien, a lady-in-waiting with an ulterior motive, and Garnet, the arrogant and entitled son of the Duchess. There are so many layers to this world and its characters, which made it such a challenging and exciting story to write!
What about the sequel? Do we have a title yet?
The second book DOES have a title! Which is very exciting. But alas, I cannot share it yet. But as soon as I can, you can bet I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops. Or Twitter. Twitter might work a bit better at spreading that news.
Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
Nope! There is no one in this book who even remotely resembles anyone in my life. As lame as it might sound, they feel like real people to me, with their own lives. They are as unique as my real life friends and family.
Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
Ok, I’m torn on this one. First, I’ll say: The Duchess! I absolutely love the Duchess. She is so layered. You never know if you want to hate her or feel bad for her. I think that’s my favorite type of character to read, and to write. But in terms of pure fun, Garnet wins hands down. He is such a jerk, but he’s a loveable jerk. Super entitled, a total rule breaker, and supremely inappropriate—what could be more fun to write than that?
The hardest character to write was probably the Electress—and she’s not even a particularly major character! I didn’t really understand her for several drafts, and it’s hard to write someone if you’re not entirely sure what their deal is. Once I realized she was from the Bank, she became a whole lot clearer and easier to understand.
What is your favorite passage/scene in THE JEWEL?
The Auction itself was so much fun to write because it’s so heightened, so emotionally charged, and all Violet can do is stand there and watch it happen. And I love the scene where Violet and Ash meet for the first time.
What kind of research did you have to do for the story?
I definitely had to research IVF, which very interesting. There was a lot of research for the names too, since every circle in the city names its children according to certain rules. I was always looking up different types of colors for the Marsh and different gemstones for the Jewel.
What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
Right now, I’m just finishing up a fantastic middle grade by my grad school friend and fellow author, Mary G. Thompson. It’s called Evil Fairies Love Hair, and it’s just as hilarious and crazy as its title suggests. But next up, I’m dying to start The Fourth Wish by Lindsay Ribar, another author friend. It’s the sequel to her first book, and it’s about genies and magic and be-careful-what-you-wish-for, so I can’t wait to dive into it and see how this duology ends.
Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?
Oh man, can I only pick one? I have so many fictional crushes…okay, it’s a toss up between Peeta from The Hunger Games and Stefan from The Vampire Diaries.
What inspired you to write YA?
I think I’ve always been drawn to YA, particularly YA fantasy. It was really Harry Potter and Twilight that got me into it as a writer myself. I know a lot of other writers who had a similar experience. Those two women did not set out to be writers, they had no experience or credentials, and I just remember thinking, “If they can do it, maybe I can too.” And it’s such a fraught time period to explore in life, the teenage years—there is so much changing as you cross that line between being an adult and a child, trying to find your place in the world, falling in love for the first time, having your heart broken, making friends, losing friends…everything is so heightened emotionally. It’s a fantastic place to live as a writer.
Lightening Round Questions
Twitter or Facebook? Twitter.
Favorite Superhero? Rogue from the X Men.
Favorite TV show? The Vampire Diaries. Specifically seasons 1 and 2.
Sweet or Salty? Oh salty for sure!
Any Phobias? I am terrified of spiders and heights.
Song you can’t get enough of right now? Ugh, my best friend just sent me this ridiculous song on Spotify called Ugly Heart. It’s by a girl group called G.R.L. and I just can’t stop listening to it. It is cheesy pop and it has taken over my brain.
Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to? Mockingjay! Because…PEETA.
Thanks so much Amy for answering my questions! I can’t wait to read THE JEWEL 2!
THE JEWEL takes place in a city where young girls are auctioned off as surrogates to royal women who can’t have children naturally on their own. Our heroine, Violet, is sold to the Duchess of the Lake to bear her daughter. There are so many characters in THE JEWEL it’s hard to know where to begin. There is Raven, Violet’s strong-willed best friend, and Ash, a handsome companion, paid to escort royal daughters to balls and events. There is Lucien, a lady-in-waiting with an ulterior motive, and Garnet, the arrogant and entitled son of the Duchess. There are so many layers to this world and its characters, which made it such a challenging and exciting story to write!
What about the sequel? Do we have a title yet?
The second book DOES have a title! Which is very exciting. But alas, I cannot share it yet. But as soon as I can, you can bet I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops. Or Twitter. Twitter might work a bit better at spreading that news.
Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
Nope! There is no one in this book who even remotely resembles anyone in my life. As lame as it might sound, they feel like real people to me, with their own lives. They are as unique as my real life friends and family.
Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
Ok, I’m torn on this one. First, I’ll say: The Duchess! I absolutely love the Duchess. She is so layered. You never know if you want to hate her or feel bad for her. I think that’s my favorite type of character to read, and to write. But in terms of pure fun, Garnet wins hands down. He is such a jerk, but he’s a loveable jerk. Super entitled, a total rule breaker, and supremely inappropriate—what could be more fun to write than that?
The hardest character to write was probably the Electress—and she’s not even a particularly major character! I didn’t really understand her for several drafts, and it’s hard to write someone if you’re not entirely sure what their deal is. Once I realized she was from the Bank, she became a whole lot clearer and easier to understand.
What is your favorite passage/scene in THE JEWEL?
The Auction itself was so much fun to write because it’s so heightened, so emotionally charged, and all Violet can do is stand there and watch it happen. And I love the scene where Violet and Ash meet for the first time.
What kind of research did you have to do for the story?
I definitely had to research IVF, which very interesting. There was a lot of research for the names too, since every circle in the city names its children according to certain rules. I was always looking up different types of colors for the Marsh and different gemstones for the Jewel.
What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
Right now, I’m just finishing up a fantastic middle grade by my grad school friend and fellow author, Mary G. Thompson. It’s called Evil Fairies Love Hair, and it’s just as hilarious and crazy as its title suggests. But next up, I’m dying to start The Fourth Wish by Lindsay Ribar, another author friend. It’s the sequel to her first book, and it’s about genies and magic and be-careful-what-you-wish-for, so I can’t wait to dive into it and see how this duology ends.
Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?
Oh man, can I only pick one? I have so many fictional crushes…okay, it’s a toss up between Peeta from The Hunger Games and Stefan from The Vampire Diaries.
What inspired you to write YA?
I think I’ve always been drawn to YA, particularly YA fantasy. It was really Harry Potter and Twilight that got me into it as a writer myself. I know a lot of other writers who had a similar experience. Those two women did not set out to be writers, they had no experience or credentials, and I just remember thinking, “If they can do it, maybe I can too.” And it’s such a fraught time period to explore in life, the teenage years—there is so much changing as you cross that line between being an adult and a child, trying to find your place in the world, falling in love for the first time, having your heart broken, making friends, losing friends…everything is so heightened emotionally. It’s a fantastic place to live as a writer.
Lightening Round Questions
Twitter or Facebook? Twitter.
Favorite Superhero? Rogue from the X Men.
Favorite TV show? The Vampire Diaries. Specifically seasons 1 and 2.
Sweet or Salty? Oh salty for sure!
Any Phobias? I am terrified of spiders and heights.
Song you can’t get enough of right now? Ugh, my best friend just sent me this ridiculous song on Spotify called Ugly Heart. It’s by a girl group called G.R.L. and I just can’t stop listening to it. It is cheesy pop and it has taken over my brain.
Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to? Mockingjay! Because…PEETA.
Thanks so much Amy for answering my questions! I can’t wait to read THE JEWEL 2!
Thanks for stopping by Amy it was great to have you here and we'll talk Peeta later lol!!!!
About Amy:
Amy Ewing is the young adult author of THE JEWEL, the first in a trilogy from HarperTeen, coming out September 2014.
She grew up in a small town outside Boston, where her librarian mother instilled a deep love of reading at a young age. Amy moved to New York City in 2000 to study theater at New York University. Unfortunately, her acting career didn’t quite pan out. She worked in restaurants, as an administrative assistant, a nanny, and a sales representative for a wine distributor before the lack of creativity in her life drove her to begin writing.
Amy received her MFA in Creative Writing for Children from The New School, where she was lucky enough to meet a fabulous community of YA writers who keep her sane on a daily basis. She lives in Harlem, where she spends her days writing, eating cheese, and occasionally binge watching The Vampire Diaries.
She grew up in a small town outside Boston, where her librarian mother instilled a deep love of reading at a young age. Amy moved to New York City in 2000 to study theater at New York University. Unfortunately, her acting career didn’t quite pan out. She worked in restaurants, as an administrative assistant, a nanny, and a sales representative for a wine distributor before the lack of creativity in her life drove her to begin writing.
Amy received her MFA in Creative Writing for Children from The New School, where she was lucky enough to meet a fabulous community of YA writers who keep her sane on a daily basis. She lives in Harlem, where she spends her days writing, eating cheese, and occasionally binge watching The Vampire Diaries.
Giveaway
Details:
Win (1) of (3) copies of The Jewel (Us Only)
This was a great interview and I can't wait to read this book!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting book that I want to read, I love the trailer as well
ReplyDeleteMorgan ~ drewblythe2004@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI want to own a copy of this book so bad, I loved it and now I want to own it!!! Amy you are brilliant!!!