Blog Tour: Sovereign by E.R. Arroyo (Interview)

Sovereign by E.R. Arroyo

Published: October 27th, 2012

Series: (Sovereign #1)Format: E-book
Pages: 296

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction

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Book Description: 

Chemical warfare has obliterated most of the world, including America, and the survivors have turned into feral beasts, save one colony, Antius, the last remnant of civilization. Seventeen-year-old Cori (aka Citizen 1206) only longs for wide open spaces and freedom. But Antius has no use for such things, just mindless drones to serve in a place with walls, fences, and laws. A lot of laws, which Cori constantly breaks. So she’s spent years plotting her escape, which is the only thing that will save her from the colony’s deranged leader, Nathan. She isn’t looking to be a hero, and she certainly isn’t looking to fall in love, but she just might do both.

About the author:

E.R. Arroyo is an entertainment junkie, equally passionate about books, movies, and music.  In October 2012 she self-published her debut novel, Sovereign.  She looks forward to the future of her career and connecting with more people in the years to come.  E.R. especially hopes to publish more books, and maybe even land a traditional book deal some day   (dream big!).  

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Interview:

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else?

I’ve been a writer for a very long time, but it was not always something I intended to pursue professionally. I’ve done songwriting and screenwriting, and only in the last couple of years ventured into writing fiction, but it has quickly become my favorite form of writing.

2. How did you come up with the themes for Sovereign?

I never really plan a theme up front. I prefer to arrive at it organically based on the story I’m telling. Because of the nature of the world Sovereign in set it, the theme of hope seemed to naturally take root. Once I’d identified it, it was easy to run with.

3. What was the hardest thing about writing Sovereign?

The hardest thing about it was that I had never written a novel before. I was a screenwriter, and that is a drastically different craft. Shifting my focus into prose carried a lot of stress, but also a lot of freedom that I’m so grateful for now that I’ve made the switch. 

4. Do you like to use events from your life, or use your emotions to fuel your characters and how they act?

I definitely use my own emotions as much as possible to help me write realistic characters. Having said that, characters must often behave in ways that I would not, so I have to stretch my intuition to do what’s right for the characters and right for the story.

5. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

I rely heavily on personal experience when writing, but this story in particular is a far stretch from reality, so there are no real-life events that inspired the book. There’s another book I’m planning to release after I’m finished with the Sovereign Series that is actually greatly influenced by my own real-life experiences from a few years back. I’m very passionate about that project because it is so personal. But Sovereign is strictly imagined. 

6. If your book was to be made into a movie, who do you see playing your main characters?

It’s tough to say! I picture Cori as someone like Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland, Lawless), and Dylan as someone similar to Liam Hemsworth, but Dylan is actually half Native American, so no one really looks how I picture him in my head. 

7. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?

Read, read, read, and read a lot more. Then just start writing. Read some more. Write some more. Repeat. Reading, because you can’t master a craft unless you’ve studied a lot of it. Writing, obviously, because it just takes practice. And don’t be in a rush to share your work. Write for yourself first, then once you build your skill, you can begin sharing it with friends or a critique group. Feedback will help you. Experience will, too.

~Thank you very much for hosting me on your blog and I hope your readers enjoy my interview and my book Sovereign! ~