(M MG M) Interview and Giveaway- Christina Daley

I want to thank Christina Daley for being a part of the March MG Madness and for stopping by to answer a few of my questions. Christina is the author of the Seranfyll Series...

For the first time in her life, Rain has a choice to make.The thirteen-year-old slave girl lives in the country of Yoan, where slaves aren't allowed proper names, let alone anything else. After being sold by a gambler and bought by a thief, she's freed by an eccentric young noble, about whom many rumors abound. Some say his manor is haunted, his horse can fly, and that he's actually a devil.Now that she's free, Rain must decide what she will do with that new freedom. Her choices will lead her to new friends and many adventures, none of which she could have expected.

Rain. Is. Bored.With Coal at university and Domrey away on a constant string of assignments from the Royal City, she and her sister Snow are stuck at Seranfyll Manor with their tutor Professor Digory, who has to be the dullest teacher on the face of the earth. She craves a break from the monotony or, even better, an adventure like the ones she only gets to read about in books.A voyage to the jungles of Amyrania should do the trick. When Domrey agrees to do a favor for the king, Rain and the others get to set sail with him on what sounds like an exciting but relatively simple assignment. However, despite its tourist-friendly facade, Amyrania is called the "Untamed Isle" for good reason, and this adventure will prove to be more than any of them had bargained for.

 Q. What three words best describe your MG novel Seranfyll?

Freedom. Hope. Shoes.

Q. In one sentence, tell readers why they should read your book…c’mon, really sell it!
You haven't had a bad day until you've been sold by a gambler, bought by a thief, and freed by a drunk guy.

Q. Now, using as many sentences as you’d like, could you tell us a bit more about Seranfyll?

Seranfyll is the story of Rain, a thirteen-year-old slave girl who lives in a country where slaves aren't allowed Proper Names. After being sold by a gambler, bought by a thief, and freed by a drunk, she now has to make a choice for herself for the very first time in her life: what to do with her new freedom. New friends and adventures are in store for her as she navigates this new life of choices, consequences, and what it really means to be free.

Q. What do you hope readers, especially young readers, will take away from Seranfyll?
I hope that they will have an entertaining and satisfying read. I hope that they enjoy the characters and the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I hope that in the end, they will have more awareness of the world around them, that they would know that slavery and human trafficking are modern problems, and that they would be inspired to do something--no matter how great or small--to help our brothers and sisters in bondage who may not know or remember what freedom looks like.

Q. Why Middle Grade Fiction…why did you choose to write MG fiction and what do you love best about reading and writing MG?

I read mostly middle grade and picture books in my limited free time. So, I suppose my brain is wired (or stunted) in the overarching "children's" category. I guess I also like how even though middle graders don't think they are children anymore, the world is still quite new and mysterious and full of opportunities, and they're willing to imagine and dream still. I admire that open-eyes approach no matter what age, but it just seems more prevalent in middle graders and younger.

Q. Why do you think MG appeals to such a wide audience, from very young readers to adults like you and me?

For the young readers, well, because that's for whom the book was written! A birthday cake seems tastier when its for you, doesn't it? For older readers, I think it may be because adult concerns and responsibilities have the potential to steal some of our joy. And so, at least for a few quiet moments, a good middle grade book can help us remember a little of that joy.

Q. What’s your current favorite MG book? Your favorite MG book of all time?

My current favorites are the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I read a lot of comic strips when I was a kid (some of my favorites were Garfield by Jim Davis and Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson). So, I like the cartoon style of Wimpy Kid. Plus, they're just darn funny.

My favorite middle grade book (which can also be considered a chapter book in our current market definitions) is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. C.S. Lewis is my favorite author, and this is my favorite book of his not just for the story, but also because of the non-ideal conditions under which he wrote it and all his books.

Q. If you could switch places with any MG character from any book, who would it be?

I think I would like to switch with anyone who plays Quidditch at Hogwarts. Just because I think that's such a great sport and I wish we had such things as flying brooms to play it. Although, I probably would like to be a beater, since I'm poor a catching things.

Q. Who’s your favorite MG villain…who do you just love to hate or hate to love?

I like to loath characters like Gwendolen in Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones. In real life or fiction, I care little for people who have massive egos and/or who take advantage of good people, no matter how talented they are.

Q. If you were to create/bake a Seranfyll cupcake, what flavor would it be, or what would it taste like, and what would you call your tasty masterpiece?

It would taste like apples (readers of the book will know why!). And I'd probably call it "Catching Rain" (readers will know this, too :]).

Thanks so much for hosting this great giveaway Aeicha!

I'd also like to take a moment to let readers know that my new book, Eligere, is the sequel to Seranfyll and is available on Smashwords and Amazon and will soon be available on BarnesandNoble.com, and other ebook retailers. Paperbacks will be available in April.

Check it out and happy reading

Be sure to stop by the March MG Madness home post and enter the big month long giveaway to win a box of MG books and swag! You can earn extra entries in the big giveaway by answering a question whose answer can be found in the interview above...go HERE to enter

Find the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase: Amazon / Smashwords / B&N

Christina Daley made her first book with neighborhood friends when she was four years old. They "wrote" out some semblance of lettering with crayons, cut up a cardboard box for the cover, and bound it all together with clear adhesive tape. It was brilliant.

Quite a few years later, Christina is trying her hand at writing "real" books. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with a pet plant named Herb.

Win a signed copy of Seranfyll!

Christina Daley has generously offered one (1) signed paperback copy of her book to give away.

Giveaway will run from 3/28 - 4/2

There will be one winner

Open INT

Fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter

• Must be 13+ to enter
• One main entry per person
• Winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours
• I am NOT responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes in the mail

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