Fantasy Above the Seven Seas // Author Tobie Easton Interview
Emerge
Mer Chronicles
Fiction, Fantasy
Month9Books
April 19, 2016
Chapter by Chapter Book Tours
Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid, but she’s never lived in the ocean. Ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the Seven Seas.
So Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk. So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right?
That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay than ever. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with Clay, the harder it is for Lia to deny her feelings.After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.
We’re so thankful that author Tobie Easton stopped by to answer a few questions about her new release, Emerge, and the series Mer Chronicles. Enjoy!
From your bio it states you were “a little girl who dreamed about magic.” How have you used magic to inspire your writing?
Magic is often what makes writing the most fun for me. I love imagining all the details of a magical world and describing them so readers can immerse themselves in that world. I also really enjoy figuring out how to construct the rules of a magic system so that it really makes sense—it’s like solving a puzzle.
Did your love of magic guide you to writing in young adult fantasy or did you desire to write in another genre?
Fantasy has always drawn me in so it’s definitely the genre I wanted to write, and I love writing YA because coming-of-age stories are so universal. And of course, there’s nothing like the emotional resonance of first love. I’m in my twenties so I don’t have much to say about being an adult yet, but I have just enough perspective on my teenage years to feel like I can reflect on them in a meaningful way. A hidden mermaid world is something I would have loved reading about as teen, which is why I had so much fun writing about one!
What was your most satisfying moment while writing Emerge?
Since Emerge is the first book I’ve written, getting to those two magic words—THE END—and realizing I’d finished the story felt monumental to me (I may have danced around the living room).
Are you excited by the evolution that will come with the Mer Chronicles?
Yes! I’m so excited that readers will get to explore even more of the Mer world. Stakes get higher, relationships more complicated, and decisions more dangerous. I can’t wait for you to read it!
What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to writing?
When my green tea gets cold 😉
What author has inspired you the most in your writing?
Perhaps it’s a cliché to say J.K. Rowling, but since I’m lucky enough to be a member of the generation that grew up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as the books were coming out, any other answer I give would be a lie.
Can you tell us your favorite book and why?
For me, it’s a three-way tie between Prisoner of Azkaban, Deathly Hallows, and Pride and Prejudice. For years, the third Harry Potter book was my favorite because of the way that—over the course of just a few pages set in the Shrieking Shack—so many details clicked into place and suddenly, everything made sense in such an unexpected way. I remember devouring those pages. Then the seventh book came out, and it worked on so many levels and had so much to say that I soon loved it as much as the third book. Pride and Prejudice appeals to my love of history and my fascination with human behavior; plus, every time I read it, I get so immersed in that world and completely caught up in its romance.
Of course we have to know, what is in-store next – books, events, etc.?
I just did my first signings and panels at WonderCon and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books—and both were A LOT of fun! I’ll be at Leviosa Con in Las Vegas this summer, and I also have some other signings and mermaid-related events in the works, so please check www.TobieEaston.com/events for updates.
I’m writing Submerge, the sequel to Emerge, right now. I can’t give away much just yet, but I will say it really raises the stakes and the emotional tension of the series. And I can promise you more of my two favorite things: kissing and magic!
Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books at www.TobieEaston.com.
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