{Interview & Giveaway} A.G. Howard, author of Splintered

Oh my gosh!!!!

You guys!!!!!!

A.G. Howard is on the blog today!!!

*freaks out, fans self, passes out*

Such a huge fan and its an honor to do this interview!

So glad I get to share this awesomeness with you all!!!! 

Ok, ok. No more yammering. Let's get on with it! ;D <3

~The Author:

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.  

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

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

~The Interview:

1. How different is it to write a retelling/spinoff compared to a regular, self imagined book? What kind of limitations did you have to work with in writing Splintered? 

I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules. I do think it’s important to make the most of the original author’s vision, craft your story as a tribute and a companion to the original, by giving the characters/details a deeper meaning. When done right, it makes the reader want to revisit the original work. That, to me, makes even a retelling a successful story in its own right, when it whets the reader’s appetite to plunge into another book that might’ve been on their shelves for years, gathering dust.   

2. What made you choose Alice in Wonderland to re-create? 

I’ve always been a huge fan of Carroll’s masterpieces, but the real spark lit back in in April 2010, when I first saw the Tim Burton and Disney Alice adaptation. I’m a very visual person, and the Burton cinematography was so vivid, techno-colored, and evocative that I didn't want the movie to ever end. So I came up with my own settings in my mind, and played out Wonderland continuations and scenarios. The idea became too big to contain in my head and I had to get it out on paper.   

3. Team Jeb or Team Morpheus? What makes each boy unique and likeable? 

As the author, I refuse to choose sides! LOL. I love both guys. They each bring out and complement different qualities in Alyssa—not just her light and dark sides, but how she makes decisions, either cautiously or spontaneously; or how she views the world, either as a canvas or as a playground. She has a tough choice to make, because it’s more than just choosing a guy. It’s choosing which way she wants to live her life. If I were Al, I’d pick Jeb in the here and now because he’s steady, noble, and shares her interests and goals; but I’d pick Morpheus in the far-away future, because he’s immortal and will still be young and up for some fun even in seventy years or so.     

4. How close did you want to keep to the Alice in Wonderland classic? 

I knew I wanted my main character, Alyssa, to be able to converse with bugs and flowers, because the talking flower scenes in Carroll’s two books, the Disney cartoon, and the Tim Burton/Disney rendition, were some of my favorites. Also, I always remembered the scene from Through the Looking Glass when Alice is riding a train through the countryside and has a conversation with a gnat. Those were such quirky and indelible images, that I just had to incorporate them somehow. I wanted my heroine to be tied to the original tales in a very visceral way so I decided to make Alyssa a descendant of Alice Liddell, the real-life girl who actually inspired Carroll to write his story to begin with. The blood tie to the Liddells became the basis for all of the weird aspects of Alyssa’s life, including the talking bugs and flowers. Also, I wanted a colorful/vivid world edged with creepiness for my Wonderland setting because Carroll's works always had that underlying creepiness to it. And lastly, I wanted to incorporate one of my favorite characters who doesn’t get nearly enough screen time in the remakes that I’ve seen, the Caterpillar.     

5. Is there going to be a sequel to Splintered? If so what can we hope for? 

Yes, it’s titled UNHINGED and is due out January 2014. We’re being really sneaky and sly about the premise at the moment, but here are some hints I can share: a bridge in London, a key and a heart pendant, and The Corpse Bride’s wardrobe. Also, Morpheus, Alyssa, and Jeb all have their moments in the spotlight, along with a few favorite Wonderlandians, and even some new warped ones from the books that I haven’t touched on yet.   

6. If you could spend a day in Wonderland what would you do and who would you meet? 

Oooh. That’s a toughie. Probably the Ivory Queen’s castle where everything glimmers with ice crystals, even the transparent walls.  It’s just so beautiful to imagine. And because Ivory is so lonely (spends her days and nights looking out through the glass as the warmth of the world passes by but never actually touches her), she’s always looking for a reason to have guests. Hopefully she would throw a party so I could meet lots of different Wonderlandians all at once. ;)    

7. Do you think you would have what it takes to make it out with your head? 

Haha! Not sure. If I didn’t, hopefully Morpheus would lend me one of his fab hats to cover my empty neck. LOL   

8. A lot of things in this book had extra meanings that all came together in the end. How long did it take you to map it all out and tie it together? 

The book took me six months from start to finish, and that includes plotting/research/tying up loose ends. I usually only do skeleton plots, which allows for flexibility when I’m writing. But I did have to write a rather detailed outline of the scenes in Wonderland since it does get a little complicated—who Alyssa and Jeb would meet, what roles the creatures would play in their “quest”, and even what “tasks” she’d be expected to complete in order to come home—but it still didn’t turn out exactly as I’d planned. The characters all had a few surprises for me along the way, most especially Morpheus. And most especially at the end…      

9. What was the most difficult thing in writing Splintered? 

It was important to me that my book be a tribute to Carroll's amazing works without copying him, and that’s not an easy balance to capture. Lewis Carroll won my heart as a child by weaving underlying threads of violence and eeriness into his nonsensical scenes and characters. So I tried to pay respectful homage to those elements while coaxing the funkiness/creepiness from subtle nuance to center stage. I’m hoping I accomplished that, and if I could have only one wish for my book, it would be that Splintered will entice readers to seek out the Carroll originals if they aren’t already fans, because those books are masterpieces.

~The Book(s):

Splintered

Series: Splintered #1

Release Date: January 1, 2013

by, Amulet Books

Buy: ~Amazon~Books a Million~B&N~Indie Bound~

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. {Goodreads}

More/Upcoming:

~The Giveaway:

The Prizes:
1 Audio copy of Splintered
1 Signed Hardback Copy of Splintered
1 Splintered Swag Pack!
(Swag pack consists of:
-1 signed Splintered bookmark
-1 signed Splintered bookplate
-1 Alice in Wonderland gift tag/bookmark. *image varies)


The Details:
-Must be thirteen years old to enter
US only!!!!
-Winner has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen
-Ends 6/8/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!! :D
Hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did!!
You guys need this book! One of my 2013 debut favorites!
Enter! Don't miss this amazing opportunity!! Its stellar. Equivalent to the golden goose egg! ;D
Have a wonderful day *muahaha* ;)
~Jaiden

{Review} Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered
Author: A.G. Howard
Release Date: January 1, 2013
by, Amulet Books
Source: *a copy was provided by the author for review purposes*
Format: hardcover copy
Pages: 384

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. {Goodreads}

~Review:
  Where do I even start? This book blew me away! I absolutely love retellings especially when they are done as great as this one. Right off the bat I was hooked. From the crazy, exotic and beautiful cover, the Wonderland embellishments on the pages, the story in itself and the writing this book was flipping fantastic! Everything in this book was amazing and I fell hard for this book. There is a certain list I have which is named "books-I-need-in-order-to-breath" and in it are all the books I can not live without. They are the books that have blown my mind and captured my heart. They are the ones I will move from house to house till I die and read over and over. My friends, this is one of those books. I knew it was going to belong there from the beginning. I knew it was going to be great and I had such HIGH expectations. You guys know what happens usually happens when you high expectations....it flops. It isn't that great and actually is worse just because of the expectations but this one is so great it actually EXCEEDED my expectations...and that bar was set really high.

  You really don't know true genius till you have read this book. The characters and story Howard twisted was phenomenal! I loved seeing Wonderland in a whole new way. I really can't put into words how much I enjoyed this book. It was beautifully crafted and told through such a strong character you can't help but love. I love Alyssa. She was strong, crazy and a really great character to follow around. Jeb was one of the best guys in all my time of reading. He was strong, fierce, protective and all together uhm...HOT! He is definitely in my top 10. Then there is Morpheus...the most mysterious, hot and incredibly irritating character you will ever love to hate. He really throws your emotions into wack. You love him SO much and then you hate him more. You never knew what to think with him. Was he tricking her? Was that love you just saw? Does he care? Is he playing? What the heck are you doing!!!!? Gosh he was SOOO irritating. I wanted to slap him so many times and then the next page I was begging for a kiss. I was hoping for something that I wasn't sure he would give. I totally loved hating him. I always loved Jeb more...until I didn't. Then I did...then I didn't. This one was hard but at the same time it was never trully a love triangle because of Morpheus' tricky moods.

  Then there was the end...holy shit that end. Truly genius and nerve racking! I was crying, yelling and jumping up and down. Morpheus is not the only one who messes with your emotions and mind. The whole book in itself does it. The descriptions and world based retelling Howard created was truly genius. There is no other word but genius to refer to Howard's writing and story telling. I felt as if I was really there in wonderland! Gosh! I really don't know how to stress for my love of this book. It leaves an imprint on your heart and mind that has you thinking about it way after finishing it. Amazing! This book was magical! Splintered is captivating and intoxicating. Wonderful and frightening. It was everything I love in a book and SO much more....I am in love. Head over heals in love!!! Everyone needs to read it...everyone! Like me you will not want to put this book down until it is finished. I recommend this book to everyone...don't borrow. Buy...you want this beauty on your shelf..trust me ;D

~Rating:

5 of 5 wonderfully amazing stars!!!!!! <3

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful day! :D

~Jaiden 

{Waiting on Wednesday} (27) Splintered by A. G. Howard

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

~This week I'm waiting on......

Splintered

Author: A. G. Howard

Release Date: January 1, 2013

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell—the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong,Wonderland will have her head. {Goodreads}

First off...I love re-tellings! I don't know why but I do! Especially when they take on a darker twist ;)
Look at that cover you guys!! Amazing! Its got a lot going on don't you think? And the synopsis sounds sooo good! It's one thing to make a re-telling and a whole other thing to re-tell the story of Alice and Wonderland!! YAY!! So excited!! :D

What are YOU waiting on this week? Leave your link in the comments! :)
Have a great Wednesday everyone! <3
~Jaiden

OH! And PSSSSSTTTT!!!! Did you notice anything different? No? Well...let me tell you a secret! *wispers* I re-designed my blog! Oh heck! *yells* I RE-DESIGNED MY BLOG!!!!!! :D Ya, ya, I have done it before! So what!!? Well, I know. I do this to you guys... A LOT! But I am going to stick to this one! For as long as I can. Tell me what you think of the new design...yay? nay? :)