Blog Tour- PARAGON by @AldersonShauna With An Interview & #Giveaway! @ZimbellHousePub, @RockstarBkTours

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PARAGON by Shauna Alderson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: PARAGON

Author: Shauna Alderson

Pub. Date: June 16, 2020

Publisher: Zimbell House Publishing

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 398

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Now that high school is over, Randi just wants to live her quiet life in her little town, but it doesn’t feel right without her friends there. Ever the daredevils, they’ve gone to seek adventure in the capital city of Grandin, and Randi can’t help but feel left behind. Not to mention that she definitely can’t stop thinking about that kiss she and Eddy shared before he left.

When Randi discovers a mysterious mark on her skin that matches an illustration in A Handbook on Paragonhood, she’s thrown into a world of powerful gods and ancient magic that she thought only existed in the myths. She’ll have to step out of her comfort zone-and into the dangerous streets of Grandin-to find a way to protect herself and the people she loves.

Randi’s not the only one with a secret, and she finds herself questioning who she can trust. Randi will have to wrestle with what it means to be a Paragon and how far she’s willing to go to do what’s right.

With the fate of the world on the line, can she live up to being one of the chosen?

Interview:

Hey Shauna!! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! PARAGON sounds AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about the PARAGON and the characters?

PARAGON is about a girl named Randi who discovers she has the mark of the gods on her skin, making her one of seven Paragons (or protectors of the world) who are being hunted down for their powers. Only thing is, she doesn’t have the power that’s supposed to go along with the mark, and now she has to find another way to defend herself.

As a character, Randi is genuine, excitable, and a bit nervous. To find a way to defend herself, she starts travelling with her childhood friends: handsome Eddy (who Randi’s had a crush on since forever), serious Neil, no-nonsense Anne, and party-girl Kendra. She also befriends Louis, an easy-going mentor of sorts.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on an untitled novel about a female demon slayer who ends up working with a greater demon to find and destroy the demon nest. After the first draft is done, I’ll be switching to PARAGON’s sequel. Yay!

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

I don’t know if I’m supposed to admit this, but all of the characters were inspired by a different aspect of myself. To be specific:

Randi = desire to be braver

Eddy = desire to save the world

Neil = workaholic tendencies

Louis = love of philosophy

Anne = love of supernatural phenomena

Kendra = love of music

Fun fact: After writing PARAGON, I found I’d taken on some of Randi’s traits that I didn’t have before (or maybe I did but just wasn’t aware of them). I started loving long hair, and I started saying “super” all the time instead of “really” (although I think the supers all ended up being changed to “really” anyway in later drafts).

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

My favourite character to write was Louis because he gets all the good philosophical discussions, and my good friends know how I LOVE philosophical discussions. My least favourite character to write was Kendra simply because she’s the most different from me, so she was the hardest character to nail down.

What is your favorite passages/scenes in PARAGON?

… All of them? Just kidding.

I love all the romance scenes because they’re by far the most fun to write (who needs exposition and plot anyway?). Besides those, I love this one scene where Randi is sort of watching a montage of creation as she swears to protect it.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

Uh, I perused photos to inspire the settings for the book. Does that count? And I had to look up a bunch of words since language is hard.

Actually I try to avoid research wherever I can (hence why I write fantasy instead of contemporary), but it’s true that a writer must hit the books—aka, Google—at some point. I had to research different injuries—how serious they were, what they’d look like, how long they would take to heal—as well as personality types (I do this all the time to inform the characters), a bit of quantum physics (I DON’T do this all the time), and small things like how many libraries there are in cities of different populations.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

Mr. Darcy, I think. I’d like to pick someone from a teen novel, but those boys are always so angsty and/or arrogant. Oh, kind of like Mr. Darcy.

What inspired you to write YA?

I can’t really say I was “inspired” to write YA because I’ve been writing YA since I was a teen myself and just never stopped—or grew up. I suppose I’d say I haven’t been inspired to write another genre at this point. I contemplated writing historical fiction once, but as I said before, research and I don’t agree with each other. Still, I continue writing YA because I love how teens/young adults can feel powerless and powerful at the same time, and how experiences are still new and yet becoming mundane.

Lightning Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

I’m reading Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss. After that, I seriously need to read The Toll by Neal Shusterman. I MUST know how the series ends!

Instagram, Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter (@AldersonShauna), although I’m currently living under a rock on there. Ehehehe…

Favorite Superhero?

Batman, hands down.

Favorite TV show?

Avatar: The Last Airbender. “Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not.”

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet.

Any Phobias?

Claustrophobia, along with a phobia of my plants being infested with bugs.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

“Soft Universe” by AURORA. Actually, anything by AURORA.

2020 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

I don’t know any 2020 movies except the Mulan remake, so that’s my choice. (BONUS: Mulan is my favourite Disney movie!)

Thanks so much Shauna for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read PARAGON!

Thank you! J

About Shauna:

Shauna Alderson is a Young Adult fantasy writer and author of PARAGON (Zimbell House, 2020). She began writing teen fantasy even before she was a teen. After she “grew up”, she completed creative writing courses (and a BA in Development Studies) at the University of Calgary. When not reading or writing, she can usually be found teaching ESL, composing on the piano, creating art, or volunteering abroad. She also enjoys dessert, Studio Ghibli films, and being the silliest person she knows. Connect with her on Twitter @AldersonShauna.

Photo by Laura Grace Photography

Website | Twitter | Instagram |  Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/15/2020	Lone Tree Reads	Excerpt
6/16/2020	BookHounds ya	Interview
6/16/2020	JaimeRockstarBookTours	Instagram Stop
6/17/2020	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
6/18/2020	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
6/18/2020	Rajiv's Reviews	Instagram Stop
6/19/2020	Lifestyle Of Me	Review

Week Two:

6/22/2020	The Try Everything	Review
6/22/2020	jenifer_reads	Instagram Stop
6/23/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Interview
6/24/2020	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review
6/25/2020	cosmiclattesandbooks	Review
6/25/2020	cosmiclattesandbooks	Instagram Stop
6/26/2020	Book Bustle	Review
6/26/2020	Book Bustle	Instagram Stop