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
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
Photo by Laura Grace Photography
Giveaway
Details:
1
winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
6/15/2020
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Excerpt
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6/16/2020
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Interview
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6/16/2020
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Instagram Stop
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6/17/2020
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Excerpt
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6/18/2020
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Review
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6/18/2020
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Instagram Stop
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6/19/2020
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Review
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Week Two:
6/22/2020
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Review
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6/22/2020
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Instagram Stop
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6/23/2020
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Interview
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6/24/2020
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Review
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6/25/2020
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Review
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6/25/2020
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Instagram Stop
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6/26/2020
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Review
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6/26/2020
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Instagram Stop
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Thanks so much for hosting, Jaime! :D What a fun interview too!
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