I am
thrilled to be hosting a spot on the TREETOPS by Peter Bremer Blog Tour hosted
by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to
enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: TREETOPS
Author: Peter Bremer
Pub. Date: September 18, 2020
Publisher: Peter Bremer
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 443
What would
you do if you lost the one thing that matters the most?
Teenager
Jackie Ashmore is struggling with the passing of her mother and angry over a
cross-country move to Minnesota when she receives an unexpected birthday
present that opens up a remarkable fantasy world where creatures from the past
and the present coexist. Aided by unlikely animal allies and an aging guardian
named Nimbus, Jackie embarks on a desperate rescue mission to save her little
brother Dustin who has been kidnapped by a hooded rider and stolen across the
clouds. Forced to grow up, Jackie must overcome her own fears and navigate a
strange land as she journeys towards a confrontation with a mysterious power
named Samuel Flood, who is using the boy for his own hidden purposes. With time
running out and unbearable losses mounting, Jackie faces ever tougher choices
that will determine not only the fate of her brother, but possibly the Earth
below as well.
Interview:
Thanks so much Peter for answering my questions!
I can’t wait for everyone to read TREETOPS!
Hey Peter! First
I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a
chat! TREETOPS sounds AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
For the readers: can you tell us a
little bit about the TREETOPS and the characters?
Sure. Treetops is a young adult fantasy book about a girl named Jackie
who must rescue her little brother Dustin who has been kidnapped and taken to
another realm. She’s not in a good place when we first meet her. Jillian, her
mother, has recently died and Jackie is upset over having to move to Minnesota,
and leave all her friends behind. Having to rescue her brother helps her face
fears and come to terms with losing her mom. In short, she grows up a lot!
Jackie is effectively a stranger in a strange land when she enters the fantasy
world of Treetops. Some of it is painful and some of it is scary, and some of
it is amazingly beautiful. She has the help of an aging guardian named Nimbus
as well as a dozen extinct and endangered animals called her Chosen. There is
also a villain, of course. His name is Samuel Flood. He does some very bad
things for arguably good reasons. There are also other characters who inhabit
gray areas of morality such as Hunter Greenwold, a down-and-out-detective and
Gaylon, an apprentice of Samuel Flood.
What are you working on now?
I have several novellas and a bunch of short stories that I would like to
get published next year, if all goes well. Some have been lying around for a
long time, while others are relatively new. I’m proud of them all and hope they
see the light of day. One of the novellas is called The Forever Stone
and deals with the aftermath of a village whose inhabitants become immortal. The
other is The Dragon on the Doorstep. It centers on a luckless knight, a
dissatisfied princess, and an orphaned dragon. One of the longer short stories
deals with three Celtic goddesses trying to eke out an existence in modern
Ireland.
Were any of the characters in the
book inspired by people from your real life?
That’s a great question. I suppose as a writer one always borrows,
intentionally or not, from the people around us. Specifically, in Treetops,
several of the characters arose from people in my own life, people that I
needed to make sense of. I didn’t realize that, for the most part, when I was
writing it, but when I look back at the finished book it is fairly obvious. An
example would be Nimbus, who in Treetops is a shadow of his former self,
forgetful, and frail. My father was diagnosed with dementia when I was in my
early thirties. I watched him disappear, losing pieces of himself, as he
struggled with the terrible illness. It’s not something you ever forget.
Who was your favorite character to
write? What about your least favorite?
I really got a kick out of writing the scenes involving Regnal, the
talking dodo bird. Regnal is sarcastic and says exactly what is on his mind, no
matter how much it hurts the other person. Admittedly, it is no fun to be on
the receiving end, as Jackie often is, but I found his acerbic tongue to be a
delightful contrast to his ineffectual and ridiculous physique. There aren’t
any characters I disliked writing, but there were some that were easier to
write than others. Gaylon was originally apprenticed to Nimbus, but was then
lured away by Samuel Flood for his own dark designs. When we see him in
Treetops he’s still struggling with the choices he made. I worked hard to make
that come across. He’s still trying to figure out who he wants to be.
What is your favorite passages/scenes
in TREETOPS?
Anything involving the grandeur of Treetops, especially the cloud valley
and the Grove of Earth Trees. Being able to describe the myriad of extinct and
endangered animals all congregating together was a joy to write, and also
incredibly sad.
What kind of research did you have to
do for the story?
I had to educate myself regarding the impact that humankind is having on
the planet, both on a micro and a macro level. This unfolding tragedy changes
so fast. Creatures that were only endangered when I was writing early drafts such
as the western black rhino became extinct by the end. Climate change
predictions from IPCC scientists became more and more dire. Sometimes it felt
like I was writing a fictional story about the possible end of the world, while
the real world was doing an even better job trying to go down the drain.
Who is your ultimate villain?
I tend to like villains who are more nuanced. The classics such as Darth
Vader and Voldemort are a lot of fun, but I prefer those like Jaime Lannister
or Severus Snape who grow and reveal aspects of their personality and
motivations over time.
What inspired you to write fantasy?
Easy answer! Stephen R Donaldson. I read his original Chronicles of
Thomas Covenant in high school and fell in love with the genre and his writing.
He has the ability to write epic stories while also bringing you deep into the
character’s inner lives.
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 currently reading The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron.
Instagram, Twitter or Facebook?
I’m afraid I’m going to date myself, but Facebook, although I use all
three at work.
Favorite Superhero?
Another easy question. Morpheus. If you won’t count one of the Endless as
a superhero then my second pick would be Cyclops. C’mon, he shots ruby beams
out his eyes!
Favorite TV show?
My current favorites are Upload, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and No
Tomorrow. My all time faves are Parks & Recreation, Northern exposure and Firefly.
Sweet or Salty?
Both. Chocolate covered potato chips.
Any Phobias?
Spiders. I discovered one this morning while cleaning and it nearly
killed me.
Song you can’t get enough of right
now?
New Tom Petty song There Goes Angela (Dream Away) from the forthcoming
Wildflowers: All the Rest.
Fall 2020 Movie you’re most looking
forward to?
Tenet. Also
Godzilla vs King Kong, although it was pushed back from November 2020 to spring
2021.
About Peter
Bremer:
Peter Bremer is a librarian at a small college in Minnesota
and the author of almost a dozen published professional articles, none of which
feature dragons or unicorns or impossibly tall trees. He lives with his wife
and furry dog in a very small town and believes that the world, on average, is
a far better place with more nature in it, not less.
Giveaway Details:
3 winners
will receive a finished copy of TREETOPS, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
9/14/2020
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Excerpt
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9/14/2020
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Interview
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9/15/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/15/2020
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Excerpt
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9/16/2020
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Interview
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9/16/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/17/2020
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Excerpt
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9/17/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/18/2020
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Excerpt
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9/18/2020
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Instagram Post
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Week Two:
9/21/2020
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Excerpt
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9/21/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/22/2020
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Review
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9/22/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/23/2020
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Excerpt
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9/23/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/24/2020
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Review
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9/24/2020
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Excerpt
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9/25/2020
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Excerpt
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9/25/2020
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Review
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