Monday, December 07, 2015

NEXIS Book Tour




Today is so exciting as I have a visiting author. Please welcome A.L.Davroe, author of Nexis.



Taking time out of her busy schedule, A.L. kindly answered a set of questions for me.

1. Which book character are you most like?
From my own book or any book?  In my own book, I suppose I’m most like Ella.  Not because I really feel like I’m like her but just because I’m not like any of the other characters, really.  As for any other character…I have no idea.  I’ve never really resonated with a book character on that kind of level -- though that doesn’t stop me from loving them – and perhaps one day I will resonate with someone.


2. Which Hollywood stars would you like to play the characters in your book?

Maiara Walsh is my top actress to play Ellani Drexel.  I don’t have Hollywood picks for anyone else, though I have a few models I’d like:  Marlon Teixeira would be my choice for Guster and Benjamin Jarvis would be Quentin.


3. If you weren't a writer, what would you do?
I have no gosh darn clue.  I’m almost thirty years old and still don’t know what I want to be “when I grow up.”  The only thing that ever seemed clear to me was the writer’s path, so I followed it.  Sure, I have a day job, but that’s just a job, it’s not who I am and I’m in no way shape or form married to it.  What makes me is my artist’s path, so I guess if I didn’t write then I’d pursue some other form of creative art.

4. Is there a book you wish you had written?
I’m going to be practical and not answer with the “I wish I had written this amazing book over here” response.  Instead, I’m going to say, “I wish I’d written a best-selling book/series with a massive movie deal, tons of merch, and world renown.”  Something like Harry Potter, Twilight, or The Hunger Games (not that any of those are not fantastic books in their own right).  I’m saying that because I’d love to have enough money to not have to have a day job or worries – to just write all the time -- and *possibly* have it a lot easier to get a deal on anything else I ever write.  I love my own worlds and characters enough to feel like they are wonderful, and I’d never think someone else’s are better than them (I have author-mommy-complex, what can I say?)  But, I do wish I had the ability to spend all my time with them and give them the best ability to shine.

5. When did you first realise you wanted to write?
I first got interested in writing when a friend of mine in high school asked me to co-write a fan-fiction of a mash-up between our favorite anime shows – Digimon and Dragon Ball Z.  That was the first time I’d tried writing a story and I enjoyed it so much.  It got harder and harder to wait my turn to for the manuscript to get handed back to me.  To pass the time I started reading a book by Tamora Pierce.  One day I was waiting outside the school waiting for my mom to come pick me up, I finished the book, closed it, then stared off into space for a minute – wishing I had the story to work on, wishing that I didn’t have to leave the world I had just been reading about.  It occurred to me then that I could keep the story going, do what I had done with the fan-fic…I could even make my own characters in a world like Pierce’s.  So, I took out one of my notebooks and started writing my first book.  That was freshman year of high school and it was just for fun, but it was the birth of a monster, LOL.

6. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Oh, I love a lot of things!  I like to spend time with friends and family, going out to dinner, shopping, sitting in a coffee shop.  Obviously, I love to read, snuggle my cats, and drink lots of tea.  I love to visit gardens and art galleries, go to museums and fun events like fairs and concerts and conventions.  I cosplay, do a little art and song-writing on the side, and I’m very slowly learning how to belly-dance and fire spin.  I also love a good pizza and Netflix night watching sf/f shows or anime.

7. How do you choose the character names in your books?
I like to say that the characters name themselves, for the most part; meaning the names just come to me out of nowhere.  Ellani had to have the nickname “Ella” because this book was originally a Cinderella retelling; but the full name Ellani Drexel just came out of nowhere.  Quentin and Zane originally had different names and they were later changed.  Quentin’s because the editor wanted a different one and Zane because his personality changed throughout the editing process and his original name didn’t embody who he was anymore.  Everyone else named themselves – Guster, Delia, Bastian, Sadie…

8. Do you respond to reviews, good or bad?
I read most reviews that people write, good or bad.  I like to see what my readers think.  The positive reviews let me know what I’m doing right and the not so good ones help me to grow as an author – I always try to push myself and learn from everything I can.  I’ll occasionally respond or “like” a review, but I try not to make my readers feel like I’m hovering or anything, so I don’t do it too often.

About the book:
In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.


About the Author:
A.L. (Amanda) Davroe writes both YA and adult speculative fiction. She prefers revisionist tales in paranormal, romance, Steampunk, and fantasy. She is the author of Salvation Station (adult psych horror), The City Steam Collection (adult psych horror), For Your Heart (YA Paranormal Romance) and her YA Sci-Fi novel, Nexis, is coming out with Entangled Publishing  December 1, 2015!

By day, Amanda lives in Connecticut with her two feline hench-creatures and makes cheese.  She’s a terrible blusher, has a weak spot for cuddly animals, loves Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and she’s a huge advocate of alternative healing methods.  Amanda also wears purple shoes and corsets…Though not always in the same ensemble.  She’s a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, a bit gothic, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.


Nexis (Tricksters, #1) by A.L. Davroe

Release Date: Dec. 1, 2015

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / YA Science Fiction

Published by: Entangled Teen




Author Website: www.ALDavroe.com

Author Blog: www.ALDavroe.com

Author Twitter:  @ALDavroe





The Giveaway:
Fire HD 7, 7" HD Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB + Nexis Swag Pack (US/Canada)

$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

$50 Amazon Gift Card (US/Canada)

Nexis Swag Pack (US/Canada)

Opportunity to Name / Build the Look of a Character in the next book in the Trickster series with any of the Mods and Alts you can imagine! (INT)



a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

A.L. Davroe said...

Thanks so much for having me, Debra!