Blog Tour: Q&A with Marisa Noelle, author of The Reckoning

Huge thanks to Zooloos book for the invite to host a Q&A for The Reckoning Blog Tour. First up, here's the blurb

The Reckoning Blurb

THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER.

A NEW NEMESIS HAS AWOKEN.

Sinister visions of an evil entity with looming yellow eyes haunt Silver’s dreams, threatening to destroy the new world she and her friends have created. The terrifying omens push Silver to experiment with her abilities, but awaken a burgeoning thirst for more power.

As Silver walks a fine line between good and evil, her friends become wary of her intimidating abilities. She finds understanding in a sympathetic newcomer, but their deepening friendship drives an even deeper wedge between Silver and her suspicious friends.

Tragedy strikes during preparations for the final stand, bringing a terrible choice. Grief drives Silver toward reckless actions that may doom the final battle. Can she repair the relationships with her friends and control her powers before her vision becomes reality?

Purchase Links

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reckoning-Marisa-Noelle/dp/1527279227

Amazon USA - https://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-Marisa-Noelle/dp/1527279227

Q&A with Marisa Noelle

Current work 

Where did the inspiration for The Reckoning come from?

I think the idea for the novel has been inside me for a long time. I was really into science at school and enjoyed studying Biology at A-Level. During that time, the first animal was cloned, Dolly the Sheep, and I was fascinated by the process. Did it have its own consciousness? A soul? Personality? I asked big questions and couldn’t stop thinking about it. When I studied genetics, I was fascinated how traits got passed down. The idea of the human genome project would open so many doors, once they mapped everything. My thoughts went from there to the idea of an all-species project, and the ability to take DNA from an species and use its attributes to enhance humans. With the idea of designer babies emerging, I wanted to explore the possibilities of genetic engineering if left unchecked. It’s one thing to eradicate sickle cell amenia from an embryo’s DNA and an entirely different thing to choose blue eyes and blond hair. But who should make that choice? And where should the line be drawn? It is these questions I address in The Unadjusteds trilogy.

If The Reckoning was ever to be televised or made into a film who would you like to play your main character and why?

I love thinking about this! I mean, what author doesn’t want to see their book come to life on the big screen? When I first wrote the trilogy, I had in my head for Silver, an actress called Jessica Stroup. She was in the re-vamp of Beverley Hills 90210 and went by the name Erin Silver. But everyone just called her Silver, which is where I got the name from, and borrowed her characteristics too. Unfortunately, time has passed and dear Jessica is a little too old to play the role of my Silver, but I’d take a kickass Marie Avgeropoulos from The 100 any day.

Is there a subsidiary character you have created and are particularly fond of and why?

I do have a soft spot for Paige. She’s been through a lot and is without family. But she manages to find love and a future for herself. I think her ability of being able to fly is fantastic and is one I’d be tempted by. She is Silver’s best friend and confident and I feel really protective over her and her gentle nature.

 Writing Habits 

Any tips for would-be writers seeking publication?

There are 2 things I always say to other aspiring authors. Firstly, persevere. The writing world is full of rejection and is super competitive, but if you give up, it will never happen. You just need to keep going. The second thing is to find your tribe. Find some other authors in your genre and form a group. You can support each other, celebrate each other’s successes and commiserate your failures. It makes the whole process so much more tolerable and takes the sting out of rejections.

Any writing exercises you’ve found particularly useful as a writing stimulus?

I really love the courses by Writers HQ. They helped me to understand the mechanics of plotting a novel. Something I thought I’d been doing before that, but hadn’t! It gave me the skills to plot not just the events, but delve into character arcs too, and I find it so useful. I use their methods every time I start a new book.

 Author as a Person 

Can you tell us two things about yourself that your readership may be unaware of?

I am both American and British. It gets really confusing as I don’t really belong in either place, but call them both my home! My parents moved to England 2 months before I was born, so I have dual nationality. We lived in California for a few years when I was a kid, and this experience has given rise to a lot of the settings in my novels. When I was there, I became such a bookworm and was influenced by American writers. I still have an affinity for their style and tend to write in a similar way myself. I can’t seem to stop myself setting my books there!

If you weren’t a writer what would you like to do?

I’d like to be a marine biologist working with dolphins. I love the water, the ocean and I love to swim. Dolphins have always been my favourite animals, so I’d love to work with them in some capacity.

Which author are you cosying up with tonight?

I am currently reading Wranglestone by Darren Charlton. It’s a YA apocalyptic, but also a gay romance. It’s pacey and tense and right up my street!

 Future Projects  

Could you describe the book you are working on at the moment using only 5 words?

My WIP is entitled Plastic: JAWS meets the environment

Do you linger in your research period or do you rush your research to get stuck into the writing?

I do like to get stuck in,but will spend time plotting to make sure I have all my beats nailed. This keeps me from veering off track. As most of my books are dystopian/horror/fantasy, I haven’t had to undergo serious research before I start and tend to go look things up when I need them. One of my WIPs is about the Duke of Edinburgh award so I will need to research that first! I did fine myself looking up chlorine levels in the water system in San Diego! And with Plastic, I had to look at a lot of pictures of the Pacific Garbage patch and also statistics on ocean trash, as well as understanding how government agencies respond to emergencies. As I usually have more than one project on the go, I can be editing one thing and plotting another, so it tends to fit well together if I have research to do. 

Author Bio

Marisa Noelle is the writer of middle grade & young adult novels in the genres of science-fiction, fantasy & mental health including The Shadow Keepers, The Unadjusteds Trilogy (The Unadjusteds, The Rise of the Altereds, & The Reckoning), and The Mermaid Chronicles – Secrets of the Deep.

She is a mentor for the Write Mentor program that helps aspiring MG & YA authors. With dual citizenship, Marisa has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and uses settings in both the USA and UK as inspiration for her novels.

When she’s not writing or reading or watching movies, she enjoys swimming. In the pool she likes to imagine she could be a mermaid and become part of some of her make-believe words.

Despite being an avid bookworm from the time she could hold a book, being an author came as a bit of a surprise to her as she was a bit of a science geek at school. She lives in Woking, UK with her husband and three children. You can find her on Twitter @MarisaNoelle77 or her website www.MarisaNoelle.com

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Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18305427.Marisa_Noelle

Website : www.MarisaNoelle.com