Mundie Moms

Monday, September 12, 2016

METALTOWN by Kristen Simmons / Blog Tour: Author Interview / Giveaway


Hello and welcome to today's METALTOWN blog tour stop! I am so thrilled to have author Kristen Simmons on the blog today. I adore this lady! If you've not yet had the chance to meet her, you're in for a treat today. Below you'll find my interview with Kristen, more about her upcoming release METALTOWN (releasing 9/20 from Tor Teen), and don't forget to interview the giveaway at the end of this post!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW 




Hi Kristen! It's so great to have you back on Mundie Moms! Let's talk Metaltown. I love this book is being called a Les Mis meets Newsies. For the record, I LOVE Newsies! I also think this a great comparison. You know I'm going to ask you, who's your favorite Newsies character. Lol

Hiiiiii! Thanks for having me! I’m so glad you love the mash-up. Ok, clearly it’s Jack Kelly, right? Christian Bale singing/dancing is my favorite.


Okay let's talk Metaltown! How would you describe Metaltown in 5 words or less?


Oh boy. Ok, how about: Factory workers Press Back, LoveConquersAll(WellAlmostAll…) That’s a word, right?


Rumor has it, this is your favorite book you've written, with one of your favorite character(s). What sets this book out apart from the rest of the books you've written?


I think this book has higher stakes than my other books, although the scope is much more focused. The characters aren’t traveling the coast looking for survivors, or running from the government like in my first series. They’re not trying to get back home to the mountains like in THE GLASS ARROW. They’re already home, and now they need to decide if it, and the people who’ve become family, are worth fighting for. 


There is so much readers can relate to with each of your characters. Did you find yourself drawn to one character over the others as you were writing their story?


All of the characters call to me in their own ways, even the bad guys. I try to make all of them someone a reader can understand and empathize with. That said, in this story, Ty really spoke to me. She’s rough and tough and so hungry for friendship in a world that has shown her time and time again how dangerous trust can be. Growing up, I felt a lot the way she feels toward another character—like it doesn’t matter what you do, you’ll never be seen the way you want to be. I just love her.


Which element was the most fun to write/create, the characters, the storyline or the world building? What was the hardest?


For me, the characters are always the fun part, and the world building is always the hardest. I’m a mental health therapist by trade, so the human condition has always been fascinating to me. Setting the structure of an entire world always takes more work.


Do you have a favorite line from the book you can share with us?


Yes! This is one of my favorites, and it still gets me every time I read it (I hope it gets you, too, when the time comes!): 


“He laughed, and she wasn’t hungry anymore. He laughed, and she wasn’t cold.”


You have done a wonderful job at creating a realistic, fictional world (if that makes sense). What was your hardest challenge in creating Metaltown's world?


I’m so glad you think so. It was tricky. One of the biggest challenges was creating the world outside of Metaltown, the actual geography of it—where the war is being fought, how the federations were formed and where their boundaries lie, and what areas have been most affected by the corn flu, the deadly disease ravaging the country. 


What came first for you, the title of the book, a character, a line from the book or the world?


Ty came to me first. She’ll be my girl from the start to the very end. #IloveyouTy 


What are 3 things you often can't go without with writing?


Let’s see…caffeine for sure (I’m a tea drinker), quiet (boring, I know, but I can’t concentrate with music on), and writer friends who can help me through the process (who know how to help me untangle plot threads, and offer a boost when needed). 


Thank you so much for hanging out with me today on Mundie Moms! I absolutely adore you!


Thanks so much for having me! I love Mundie Moms!



ABOUT METALTOWN



Metaltown, where factories rule, food is scarce, and hope is in short supply.

The rules of Metaltown are simple: Work hard, keep your head down, and watch your back. You look out for number one, and no one knows that better than Ty. She’s been surviving on the factory line as long as she can remember. But now Ty has Colin. She’s no longer alone; it’s the two of them against the world. That’s something even a town this brutal can’t take away from her. Until it does.

Lena’s future depends on her family’s factory, a beast that demands a ruthless master, and Lena is prepared to be as ruthless as it takes if it means finally proving herself to her father. But when a chance encounter with Colin, a dreamer despite his circumstances, exposes Lena to the consequences of her actions, she’ll risk everything to do what’s right.

In Lena, Ty sees an heiress with a chip on her shoulder. Colin sees something more. In a world of disease and war, tragedy and betrayal, allies and enemies, all three of them must learn that challenging what they thought was true can change all the rules.

An enthralling story of friendship and rebellion, Metaltown will have you believing in the power of hope.


Purchase links: Amazon | B&N



ABOUT KRISTEN SIMMONS
Kristen Simmons is the author of the ARTICLE 5 series, THE GLASS ARROW, and the upcoming METALTOWN (Tor Teen). She loves her family, Jazzercise, and chocolate cupcakes. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more updates on Kristen and her writing, visithttp://www.kristensimmonsbooks.com

Find Kristen online: Website | Twitter | Facebook



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ENTER TO WIN
3 Finished Copies of METALTOWN (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cassandra Clare Reveals Placeholder Cover for Lord of Shadows / Mundane Monday #288


Happy Mundane Monday Shadowhunters! Yesterday Cassandra Clare shared this stunning placeholder cover for Lord of Shadows, the second book in her The Dark Artifices series. This means we're that much closer to this sequel being revealed! I can not to read this book! I'm really looking forward to seeing what the finished cover looks like. Find out more about the book here.

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