Today I am happy to welcome D.C. Grace to An Avid Reader's Musings.
First, I would like to thank D.C. Grace for allowing me to interview her. Thanks also to The Teen {Book} Scene for arranging this blog tour.
Now on to the interview:
What inspired you to write about the Hocak tribe?
I've always loved NA culture. My daughters really are half Chiricahua Apache, like Angelina in the book. I chose the Hocak (or Ho-Chunk) for two reasons: their myths and legends are absolutely fascinating, and have so many layers to them. I could really create beautiful extensions of their folklore. And also, the Dells have what the call the "Beast of Bray Road"; werewolf sightings, if you will, in the Dells. I took both and melded them into what we now know as the Guardians.
How much of the customs and culture of the Hocak tribe mentioned in The Sacred Oath are true (or based on truth)? Did you have to do a lot of research?
All of the customs and culture are based in 100% fact - I made no embellishments at all in that regard, for the Ho-Chunk or the Apache. I would never want to disrespect a culture by misrepresenting their belief system. The legends within TSO are all actual Ho-Chunk legends - with the exception of the Guardians themselves. My descriptions of Bug-Way-Jinini, the Thunderbirds, Wak 'Tcexi and Herecgunina are all accurate. They follow the legends to the letter. I just added the Guardians as the protectors of the Thunderbirds to round out the story. And yes, it took a lot of research!
Was it difficult to write in two different voices (Dasan and Angelina)?
I actually wrote in, I believe, seven different voices. It is hard to get inside so many different characters heads, but for this story, it needed to be done. So many times you're reading a book and think "I wonder what so-and-so is really thinking!" I decided I wouldn't let that happen in The Guardians series. Each different perspective gives more depth and detail to the story. And after awhile, it gets so much easier to adopt those different voices - they become a part of you!
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what did you listen to while writing The Sacred Oath?
My musical tastes are very diverse! I listened to everything from Janis Joplin to the Eagles, Metallica to Paramore! Whatever fit the mood of the scene I was writing. I think my playlist is posted on TSO's Facebook page...
Can you give readers a sneak peak at book two, Season of Destruction? What's in store for Dasan and Angelina?
I've actually posted the entire Prologue on TSO's Facebook page, but here's a snippet:
“Angelina isn’t very happy with you, is she, wolf boy?”
I jumped up at the sound of Brett’s voice. I was sure it had come from behind me, but when I turned to look, there was nothing there but a wall. Pictures of Angelina and Rosie smiled back at me. I turned back around and scanned the room.
“What the hell are you trying to pull, Brett?” I growled.
His laughter seemed to ring all around me. I felt the wolf pull out of hiding, ready to defend these women that I, that we loved so well.
“You are a comedy, though, aren’t you?” Brett’s voice swirled around the room.
The wolf was ready to engage.
“If you want me, come and get me,” I hissed. “But you leave the women out of this. All of them. You hear me?”
“It seems to me that you’re a bigger threat to them than I am, now aren’t you?”
As if manifesting from the shadows, Brett appeared on the other side of the room. His face was mocking as he folded his arms across his chest. He seemed totally pleased with himself as he leaned against the wall, daring me to make a move. I felt my canines start to lengthen, that familiar feeling of crowding before my jaws would start to extend.
“This is your last warning, Brett.”
He chuckled.
“Oh, I’m so scared,” he grinned. “You’re no threat to my fun. And who knows, maybe I can get lucky and land myself an Angel in the process.”
“I’ll see you in hell first.” My body started shaking, and my hands clenched into fists. Brett laughed again.
“Please, Dasan. Don’t you realize what’s happening here? I’m not doing anything. It’s you. You’re doing it all.”
I growled so deep in my throat that it made my chest rattle. The wolf couldn’t be contained any longer. I was just about to give him release.
“Dasan, who are you talking to?” Angelina asked as she came around the side of the couch.
I reached out and shoved her behind me. My chest heaved at her presence in the room, the wolf so aware of the dangerous threat she needed to be protected against.
“Angel, get back!” my voice was almost unrecognizable through my contorting jaws. “Brett’s in the house!”
Angelina gasped at the name. As I turned to look back across the room, he was gone. Angel looked around, seeing no one, and her panic subsided.
“Dasan,” she began. “There’s nobody here.”
I looked around me wildly. Brett had vanished.
I looked at Angelina. The wolf faded back. We were both confused.
“I swear, Angel, he was here,” I told her. “Didn’t you hear him talking to me?”
Angelina glanced around the room again before she looked back at me. She shook her head.
“I only heard you talking, Dasan.”
I had no idea what was going on, or how he was doing it. But as I looked at Angelina, I knew this would be another strike against me. I almost winced as I felt her raise that mental wall on me for the second time in a day.
“Angel,” I held her hands, pleading with her. “Angel, you have to believe me. He was here.”
“I believe you,” she said softly.
But as I looked in her eyes, I saw something I thought I’d never see—doubt...."
I jumped up at the sound of Brett’s voice. I was sure it had come from behind me, but when I turned to look, there was nothing there but a wall. Pictures of Angelina and Rosie smiled back at me. I turned back around and scanned the room.
“What the hell are you trying to pull, Brett?” I growled.
His laughter seemed to ring all around me. I felt the wolf pull out of hiding, ready to defend these women that I, that we loved so well.
“You are a comedy, though, aren’t you?” Brett’s voice swirled around the room.
The wolf was ready to engage.
“If you want me, come and get me,” I hissed. “But you leave the women out of this. All of them. You hear me?”
“It seems to me that you’re a bigger threat to them than I am, now aren’t you?”
As if manifesting from the shadows, Brett appeared on the other side of the room. His face was mocking as he folded his arms across his chest. He seemed totally pleased with himself as he leaned against the wall, daring me to make a move. I felt my canines start to lengthen, that familiar feeling of crowding before my jaws would start to extend.
“This is your last warning, Brett.”
He chuckled.
“Oh, I’m so scared,” he grinned. “You’re no threat to my fun. And who knows, maybe I can get lucky and land myself an Angel in the process.”
“I’ll see you in hell first.” My body started shaking, and my hands clenched into fists. Brett laughed again.
“Please, Dasan. Don’t you realize what’s happening here? I’m not doing anything. It’s you. You’re doing it all.”
I growled so deep in my throat that it made my chest rattle. The wolf couldn’t be contained any longer. I was just about to give him release.
“Dasan, who are you talking to?” Angelina asked as she came around the side of the couch.
I reached out and shoved her behind me. My chest heaved at her presence in the room, the wolf so aware of the dangerous threat she needed to be protected against.
“Angel, get back!” my voice was almost unrecognizable through my contorting jaws. “Brett’s in the house!”
Angelina gasped at the name. As I turned to look back across the room, he was gone. Angel looked around, seeing no one, and her panic subsided.
“Dasan,” she began. “There’s nobody here.”
I looked around me wildly. Brett had vanished.
I looked at Angelina. The wolf faded back. We were both confused.
“I swear, Angel, he was here,” I told her. “Didn’t you hear him talking to me?”
Angelina glanced around the room again before she looked back at me. She shook her head.
“I only heard you talking, Dasan.”
I had no idea what was going on, or how he was doing it. But as I looked at Angelina, I knew this would be another strike against me. I almost winced as I felt her raise that mental wall on me for the second time in a day.
“Angel,” I held her hands, pleading with her. “Angel, you have to believe me. He was here.”
“I believe you,” she said softly.
But as I looked in her eyes, I saw something I thought I’d never see—doubt...."
-excerpt, Season of Destruction
Sounds great! I can't wait to read it. Thanks again, DC!
And now, for one lucky person out there, D.C. Grace is giving away a SIGNED copy of The Sacred Oath and a t-shirt. Please fill out the form below to be entered into the giveaway. Giveaway has ended.
1 comments:
I enjoyed the excerpt and will be adding this to my TBR list. Thanks for sharing.
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