{Interview & Giveaway} Kristen Bailey, Author of The Legacy of the Clockwork Key

I am SO happy to announce that the very talented Kristin Bailey is here today!!

We have some awesome Q&A going on for you to anticipate AND!!!

A wonderful swag-alicious giveaway!! :D

Let's get started!! :)

~The Author:

Kristin Bailey grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin valley in California where she constantly kept on the lookout for the next big adventure, from skiing, to spelunking, she has tried a little bit of everything, even working as a balloon artist and zookeeper. Now she is a military wife and mother of two and an avid roller-coaster enthusiast.

Find her at: ~Facebook~Twitter~Website~Goodreads~

~The Interview:

1. There isn't a lot of Young Adult Steampunk novels out. What made you want to write a steampunk novel?

I didn't really intend to write a Steampunk novel. I saw an image of a mechanical raven and inspiration took over from there. I really just wanted to write a story celebrating engineering and invention as a magical entity. If the story is true Steampunk, I hope that it is accessible Steampunk and that people who have never heard of the Steampunk movement can read and understand the book without feeling overwhelmed by it.

2. There is a moment in the book where Meg has to choose between the past and the future. Would you have made the same choice as her? Why or why not? 

I would have. The only theme of the book that I deliberately pondered while writing was this idea of moving forward in your life no matter what has happened in your past. I think we can only be healthy and happy so long as we are living life in the moment instead of in the past. If we get too bogged down in the past, humans tend to stagnate in their misery. I realized a long time ago, that the things I really wished I could do over or change in my past led me to the place I am today. If any of them didn't happen, my present wouldn't be possible. I like where I am now, so I have to accept the bad things as part of my life's journey and keep moving forward.

3. Legacy of the Clockwork Key does not have a love triangle as most Young Adult books do now. Why did you choose to avoid a love triangle?  

Meg's romantic arc with Will has to stretch over three books.  I wanted to show the stages of love with her.  The first stage is infatuation, and that is really what she is feeling for Will in this first book.  She doesn't have the emotional maturity to recognize it as infatuation just yet, and so she interprets it as "love" but really, she has a massive crush on the guy.  In book two things get much more complicated as she moves into more of a place of doubt. Meg has to make some tough choices regarding her love life, and we'll see a rival for Will. I don't see it as a "love triangle" really, because this second boy exists to force Meg to acknowledge that attraction is not the same thing as love, and it makes her call into question everything she feels for Will. But that is natural. Book two is all about Meg discovering what she really wants and what sacrifices she's willing to make to achieve her goals.  Book three will be the final stage of romantic love, where lust and doubt turn into trust and dedication.  In book three, we'll see Meg and Will working more as a team, and their love will hopefully mature into something that will last the test of time.

4. If you could choose any fictional love interest from any book to complete a love triangle who would it be and why?  

Well, I guess you are going to have to meet David in book two. With David, I wanted him to be both a rival to Meg, but also the perfect match for her, "on paper." He is everything that Will is not. He's wealthy, charming, gracious (when it furthers his own ends) and cultured.  I wanted to create this dichotomy of the "uptown boy" vs. "the kid from across the tracks."  I hope that through all three books, Meg's choice is clear, but the presence of David causes some tension in that choice.

5. Meg and Will come along a lot of automations. (Which all of them were incredibly amazing!!) Which one was your favorite to write about? Why? 

I have to admit, the sea-monster has a special place in my heart. It was originally inspired by a mix of the Loch Ness Monster, and those old paintings of ships doing battle with the kracken.  I have a slight obsession with giant squid. When I first wrote that scene, I remember stumbling into bed ridiculously late, like at three or four in the morning. My husband asked me how writing went, (while half asleep) and I said. "I just did battle with a giant mechanical sea monster... And it was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. What writing techniques are needed when writing a steampunk novel? 

I think the key to Steampunk is to know why you are including Steampunk elements to the story and to have those Steampunk elements be organic to the story that you want to tell. I wanted to tell a story focused on inventors and invention, so I used some of the Steampunk aesthetic and tropes to play with the larger cultural understanding of the "Mad Inventor."  I would advise against throwing in random inventions that serve no greater purpose to the story or characters in corsets just to try to ride on the Steampunk coattails.

7. Meg's journey to complete the mystery of the "dangerous automation" involved a lot of clues leading to the other. Was it hard to decide which stops would lead to the other and how they were involved? Figuring out the intricacies of the clues as they evolve through all three books is a lot like trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle. You have certain pieces that you know need to go in the same area, but getting them all to fit, and finding that connection to the other area you have been working on can be a real challenge. I had to do all of my plotting ahead of time just to make sure all the pieces of the mystery would fit together.

8. Who was your favorite couple; Meg and Will or Oliver and Lucinda? 

I think I have the most fun with Oliver and Lucinda because the stress is off with the two of them. They don't have to carry a romantic arc over three books. I really enjoy seeing them together through the whole of the series because I feel like after everything that they have been through, they deserve some happiness. Meg and Will are much more complicated. Through the course of the three books they have to navigate heartbreak, jealousy, disappointment, insecurity, and the all consuming nature of a really hot crush. By the end, I hope that their love for one another will be well tested and honed into something that is deep and meaningful.

9. What can we be expecting in the sequel,Secret of the Clockwork Mask?  

Well, first we can expect a new name.  The title will be changing, but I'm not sure what it is going to be yet. That is still being discussed. Along with some more complicated romantic choices for Meg, the second book is really all about discovering inner strength and forging a new identity in spite of those who doubt. We will learn more about the disappearance of Meg's grandfather and some of her family's darkest secrets. We will meet more of the Order at large including some new friends and accomplices for Meg, as well as new rivals. A saboteur is afoot, and if Meg doesn't stop the culprit in time, the Secret Order could be torn apart.

Lover Commentary:

 --Meg: 

Three words to describe Will? Will is steadfast, true, and clever. 

Will's best feature? I know one would expect me to remark on some physical feature, and he does have many to recommend him, especially his deep brown eyes. Truly his best feature is his determination.  

If you could experience one moment over again as if it was the first time, what moment would it be and why? He helped me to fly, in so many ways. I shall relive that moment with the sun shining behind him, and his touch a million times within my heart.

--Will: 

Three word's to describe Meg? Meg is rash, brave, and so very alive. 

Meg's best feature? She has a vibrancy, an undaunted spirit that is completely untamed.  

How do you know someone is worth fighting for? You don't know it in your heart, you feel it instead in your gut. If they are in trouble and you willingly jump into the fire, and you never once think about how it may burn you, you know. It's a dangerous place to be, but you know they are worth fighting for if the death you fear is theirs, not yours.

~The Book(s):

The Legacy of the Clockwork Key

Series: The Secret Order #1

Release Date: March 5, 2013

by, Simon Pulse

Buy: ~Amazon~Indie Bound~BAM~

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.

Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy. {Goodreads}

Trailer:

awesome trailer right!!!? I loved it!! I will admit the shot scared me a little but great work on the trailer!! <33

~The Giveaway:

The Prizes:
1 Signed book
1 awesome swag pack



The Details:
There will be ONE winner
US only
13 years or older to enter
winner has 48 hours to respond

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!!
I hope you had as much fun with this interview as I did!
PLEASE!!! Be sure to check this book out!! You do not want to miss out on this awesomeness that is The Legacy of the Clockwork Key....trust me! It blew my mind! A 2013 ultime favorite for sure!!
Have a wonderful day and weekend ahead!
~Jaiden