#BIR2011- The Girl of Fire & Thorns by Rae Carson

We're kicking off our BIR2011 feature with Rae Caron's The Girl of Fire & Thorns. I totally love this book and I'm thrilled to have Rae on the blog with today!

By: Rae Carson

Published by: Harper Teen

Released on: September 20th, 2011

Purchase from: Harper Teen| Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Indie Bound

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do- quoted from Goodreads

I LOVED The Girl of Fire Thorns. What inspired your beautiful setting?

Thank you! I knew I wanted to write a desert-based fantasy, because deserts are RAD. And I was learning to speak Spanish at the time. Combining those two influences led me to historic Spanish Morocco, where the Sahara brushed shoulders with Spain. This created a rich and gorgeous texture of language, culture, and architecture. Exploring it for inspiration felt like treasure-hunting.

Which of your characters is most like you and which one surprised you the most in terms of how much they grew over the course of writing the book?

I’m a bossy, know-it-all, big sister just like Alodia. She was the easiest character for me to write. The one who surprised me the most was Cosmé. I knew I wanted a frenemy for Elisa, but Cosmé kept poking her head into my manuscript and telling me how things were gonna be. She’s pushy like that.

What is something you admire about Elisa?

I love how clever she is and how easily she thinks on her feet. I wish I were half so clever!

Did you have a favorite author growing up? If so, who was it and did they inspire you to become an author?

I loved Scott O’Dell when I was a child. Island of the Blue Dolphins and Sing Down the Moon were particular favorites. Something about children making adult decisions and taking responsibility for their own survival really sang to me. I bet a therapist could have a heyday with that.

Are you able to tell us a little bit about what we can except in The Crown of Embers?

Here’s a little description, exclusive for Mundie Moms!

Hero, foreigner, queen. At the age of 17, Elisa is all three. And all three draw enemies.
Faced with assassins, court politics, and the threat of civil war, Elisa despairs of being the ruler her people need, for she is too young, she thinks. Too inexperienced. Her only hope is the Godstone. She has no choice but to master its power once and for all.
Accompanied by a one-eyed warrior, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa takes a leap of faith and crosses an ocean in search of the ultimate source of the Godstone’s power.
But her faith has always had a price, and doing the right thing might mean giving up the power she desperately needs. And it might mean giving up the man she desperately loves.

Thank you Rae for being with us today & for sharing that awesome teaser with us!

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Be sure to visit Rae on her blog| twitter| facebook

Purchase from: Harper Teen| Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Indie Bound

You can read my 5 star review HERE

You can follow our entire BIR feature here.

Thank you to Harper Teen, we're giving away 1 copy of The Girl of Fire & Thorns! To enter, please fill out the form below:

* open to US residents only (no PO Boxes)

* you must be 13 yrs & older to enter (or have your parent/guardian's permission to enter if younger)

* 1 entry per person

* this giveaway ends on 12/17/11