TBB ▲: FEATURE: AUTHOR OF THE MONTH.. (4)

THE HEAT IS ON!! It is terribly hot here in Manila (34 degrees celcius) and I feel like am going to melt any second now but before that happens, let me just share who is the author I featured for the month's

ELIZABETH RICHARDS.

What inspired you to write Black City?

It started with Ash. His character came to me, fully formed, one night while watching a movie. I couldn’t shift this idea of a drug-dealing, supernatural boy who gets a heartbeat when he meets his true love, and as soon as the movie was finished I grabbed my laptop and wrote a scene between Ash and Beetle. That scene never made it into the final book, but it all began there!

Is a Darkling technically a vampire?

Darklings definitely have some vampire-like qualities. They have fangs, drink blood, and shy away from the sunlight (although they can go out in the sun), but that’s where the similarity ends. Darklings are a species in their own right, so you are born a Darkling, not sired. They’re not immortal. They have two hearts (except twin-bloods, who only have one heart), rippling hair that senses blood, they’re allergic to acacia wood, and some breeds of Darkling even have wings.

When did the novel happen and how did Black City's world have Darklings and Nordins?

The events of Black City are happening in the near future, but not in this reality. In the universe of Black City, the Darklings have always lived, breathed, and walked among us. The Nordins are a breed of Darkling, which evolved to have ice white hair, glimmering orange eyes and wings. The other breeds are the Shu’Zin (they have purple eyes, black hair and clawed feet), and the most common breed, the Eloka Darklings. Ash is half-Eloka.

Are we going to see more Nordins, Sebastian and Purian Rose on Phoenix?

Oh yes! There’s lots more of Sebastian and Purian Rose in Phoenix, and you get to meet a whole new range of characters, including more of the Darkling assembly, plus the Bastets, Dacians, and the Lupines! The world really opens up, and you get to see loads more of the United Sentry States.

PHOENIX! (source)

Have you written a character based on a person in your life?

All my characters have been influenced in some way by people I know, be it a physical trait, a quirk of their personality, or their name. I do like dropping my friends’ names into the books, as a little nod toward them.

You recently went on the Breathless Reads Tour with other authors. How does that make you feel?

Lucky. Joyous. Blessed. It was an A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. experience! I always fantasized about going on a book tour, but it very rarely happens, so to have been invited on the Breathless Reads tour truly was a dream-come-true, especially since they had to fly me over from the UK! I literally pinched myself every morning; I couldn’t believe my luck. And the authors I went on tour with (Fiona Paul, Beth Revis, Jessica Spotswood, Morgan Rhodes, and Lili Peloquin), were the loveliest people you could ever meet. So funny, charming, friendly, and talented! We had a blast. I miss them!

Me with the #BreathlessReads gals! Missing them already :( @fionawritesYA @bethrevis @MorganRhodesYA @jessica_shea (source)

If you would be living in Black City, would you join Humans for Unity or be under Purian Rose?

I would join Humans for Unity! There’s no way I could support Purian Rose and his treatment of the Darklings and Workboots. I’d be right there with Ash, Natalie, Beetle and Day, painting placards and protesting against the government!

How long did it take for you to write Black City? Can we expect another novel after Black City Trilogy?

Black City took two years to write, from first draft to the final edit. So I’ve spent a lot of time with Ash and Natalie! It’s going to be strange not having them in my life when I finish the trilogy later this year. There will be lots of tears and eating of cookie dough ice cream, I’m sure! I’ll be working on my new book once the Black City trilogy is wrapped up, which I’m very excited about! I can’t say much about it, other than it’s a dystopian/sci-fi novel, featuring another very hawt male lead.

As an author, you might have received tons of emails from your readers/fans. Have you ever received a hate e-mail? How did you handle it?

I haven’t received any hate mail, thankfully! And I hope I never do.

We would really really want to meet you and have you signed our books here. Any plans in visiting the Philippines?

Today's thumb art: it's one of the Book Owls! (source)

Aww, thanks! *blushes* I don’t have any plans yet to visit the Philippines, but I would love to go! So watch this space…

Message to your Filipino fans.

I just want to say a massive THANK YOU for all your support, and your amazing tweets and emails! I love reading them. You guys rock!

Thank you so so much Elizabeth for allowing us to tour Black City here in Manila and I just can't simply wait to tour Phoenix!!

About Elizabeth:

Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist, who spent her early career reviewing videogames before making the bold (or crazy) move into travel writing, despite suffering from terrible travel sickness.

In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.

Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel.
Fun facts

- She's an identical twin. (No, they don’t have psychic powers, and yes she is the evil one.)
- She's a little bit in love with Daniel Radcliffe.
- Her favourite book of all time is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
- Her second favourite book is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
- Her third favourite is Harry…oh, you get the idea.
- Her ambition is to see 10 volcanoes before she dies. She's already seen Stromboli, Vesuvius and Mt Etna. Just 7 more to go!