Pledged by Gwynneth White Launch Tour: Author Interview!

Posted by Jessi (Geo) on July 10, 2012 | 1 Comment

Everyone has a soul mate. But what do you do when your soul mate would rather give his soul to the demons than be with you?

Seventeen-year-old Erin has a problem. Seth has been hers forever, but now an ancient curse is tearing him away. And the demons who invoked it will stop at nothing – even murder – to claim him as their own.

How can she win against a curse so binding that it has damned countless others to this same fate – an eternity alone?

The answer lies in the past. To find it, Erin and Seth must risk all, travelling back in time to a dangerous world where love is forbidden, and life – and death – hang on a pledge.

Follow Erin and Seth as they travel to ancient Shenaya and confront the curse that has plagued their families for millennia. Caught in a war between the Angelic Guardians and the Gefallen, the disembodied dead, they must fight to keep their souls in tact and their love untainted.

This is my second post for the tour – the first was a giveaway for Pledged, if you missed it you can find it HERE. There are 5 e-copies available! There is more to come in the Pledged Tour, so stop by again later this summer for the book trailer and my review! The tour runs from now until September.

I have spent my entire life living in a parallel universe of make-believe characters, only coming back to reality for long enough to check that no one burnt the house down in my absence. A few years ago I decided to commit some of those ‘friends’ and their stories to paper. The Soul Wars Saga is the result of those efforts. Before that I co-authored two non-fiction travel books – The Complete Guide to 4×4 Trails and The Ultimate 4×4 Guide. Both books became instant best-sellers in South Africa where I live. And before that even, I studied a degree in African History and Politics at the University of Stellenbosch. When I’m not writing, I am a wife to Andrew and a mom to Stephanie, Erin, and Kate, our teenage daughters. My family and I live in a small town outside Cape Town with two dogs, a cat, a horse, and some neglected fish. Now that you know a little about me, I would love to get to know you. Please befriend me!

I am pleased to have this lovely author on my blog today! If you didn’t know, this is my very first author interview, so I’m pretty excited!
So, without further ado….

Hello Gwynneth!!
Welcome to Auntie Spinelli Reads! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. :)

Hello Jessi, thank you for having me on your blog!

1. Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do when you’re not writing?

I am a wife and mom. I guess that says it all. I spend a great of my time building relationships with my three teenage daughters. That includes driving them to activities and from school. Those car trips are a great opportunity to chat, listen to the latest music, and to – hopefully – get in the odd teaching moment designed to make them better people. I love reading, ferociously. And I like nothing more than to meet with friends at my favourite coffee shops for hot chocolate and carrot cake. My rose garden is a big draw. (I grow stunning scented roses). Movies, of course, preferably on the big screen. I walk my dogs almost very day. Over the years, I’ve grown to hate cooking. (That’s why I had three daughters. I taught them well, and now they cook a lot of meals) I’m also active in my church. Sounds very dull when I list it like this. Thankfully, I also love travel to faraway places with strange sounding names, so that adds spice to my life.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for Pledged?

I wish I had a real answer to that, but the truth is, I don’t know. The story just appeared in my head one day. That was partly because I’m the kind of girl who tells herself stories when life gets boring. (And it’s often boring! See reply to question one!) One of my favourites, which had been swirling around my head for almost ten years, featured some of the characters in Pledged. (Caleb, Jared and Sophia to be exact) Now you must understand, all my life I’d kept my private storytelling a secret because I didn’t want people to think I was crazy. But four years ago I felt inspired to write about Caleb, Sophia and Jared. Thus Pledged was born. To be honest though, I didn’t intend telling anyone about my writing, but I’m too close to Andrew, my husband, to get away with a stunt like that. He and my family are now my greatest supporters.

3. I’m sure Seth and Erin would hate this question, but do you have a favorite character in Pledged?

I’ll cover their ears while I answer. Yes, I do. I love Jared. He’s the quintessential good-bad guy, with an answer for everything. I’d marry him if I could, although he’d probably break my heart.

4. What is your favorite scene or quote in Pledged (spoiler-free)?

I really had to think about this question – the spoiler free bit, particularly – but in the end these few lines leapt to mind . . .

Fighting joy she knew she should not be feeling, Sophia whispered Jared’s name. He leaned forward into the moonlight, holding out a goblet. She hesitated, then sidled over to join him, disguising her joy behind a scowl of disapproval. “You have a habit of standing in dark places, listening to conversations not intended for your ears, Jared. How much of this one did you hear?” She took the drink.

“That would be telling.” He smiled and touched his goblet up against hers. “Now, my Sophia, another warning. Shenna is lethal stuff. Drink it slowly – if at all.”

“Thank you. That’s all you ever do . . . warn me about things. And let me remind you, I’m not your Sophia.” She took a large gulp of the palm wine and doubled-up, spraying it over him. Coughing, eyes streaming, she flung the goblet over the battlement.

Jared laughed quietly. “My lovely, will you please see that I’m on your side. And listen to my warnings.”

“Ugh.” She wiped her mouth and tongue on her dress, not caring what Jared thought of her. “What is it with you Shenayans? Everything you do is disgusting.”

“Including this?” He curved his arm around her and pulled her into him. Before she knew what was happening his mouth closed over hers. But what shocked her even more was the intensity of her returning kiss. She slid her arms around his waist and pulled herself into him until every part of her was pressed hard against him.

5. Do you have any tips, as an author, to aspiring writers out there?

Find some solid support in the form of a writing buddy who will be there for you when times are tough, inspiration low and self-doubts blooming. Ideally that friend will give you honest feedback on your work. And then don’t be so attached to your ‘baby’ that you forget to listen.

6. Do you have a favorite author or one that inspires you?

I don’t have one favourite because I admire different things in different writers, but to mention a few . . . I love JK Rowling for her ability to world build, Suzanne Collins is a master at setting high stakes, Kelly Armstrong can build great tension, Orson Scott Card is a creative genius.

7. What is your favorite book?

Hmm . . . of all time? Wow, I don’t know, because I love so many. But some of my old favourites include Persuasion by Jane Austen and The Hobbit by Tolkien. Current on my list are: Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card and Under the Never Sun, Veronica Rossi. But next week it might be something else . . . that’s what I love about books; there is always something new and wonderful to discover.

8. Do you have a certain process for writing?

I like burning aromatherapy oils when I write; it seems to focus my mind. My best place to work is in my bedroom – either in bed or at my little desk overlooking my rose garden. And because I try and spend the afternoons with my girls, mornings are my scheduled writing time.
Although, that said, inspiration often strikes at about four in the morning – my husband has got very used to me grabbing my computer and writing when we’re supposed to be asleep; he’s learnt to just roll over and ignore me.