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Monday, February 22, 2016

Blog Tour: Burning Glass By Kathryn Purdie Interview & Giveaway





Title: BURNING GLASS
Author: Kathryn Purdie
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Pages: 512
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. One mistake, one small failure, will cost her own life and the lives of the few people left in the world who still trust her.

But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, her feelings easily usurped, and she sometimes can’t decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

BURNING GLASS is debut author Kathryn Purdie’s stunning tale of dangerous magic, heart-rending romance, and the hard-won courage it takes to let go.

Kathryn’s love of storytelling began as a young girl when her dad told her about someone named Boo Radley while they listened to the film score of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. In high school and college, Kathryn focused on acting, poetry, guitar, and extensive journal writing. Years later, when she was in recovery from donating a kidney to her brother, inspiration for her first novel struck. She’s been writing darkly fantastical stories ever since. Her debut novel, BURNING GLASS, releases winter 2016 from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books.
Connect with Kathryn: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Tumblr

What inspired you to incorporate Russian elements into BURNING GLASS?

Kathryn: I’ve been fascinated by Imperial Russia for many years and felt connected to it after learning that the last Tsarevich, Alexei, the only son of Nicholas and Alexandra, had hemophilia, like my three brothers and my son. The repercussions of Alexei’s hemophilia were largely blamed for the fall of the Russian Empire. My sparked interest led me to fall in love with Russian or Russian-inspired stories like WAR AND PEACE, NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRIA, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, and SHADOW AND BONE. The heady Russian blend of epic, sweeping, romantic, and sometimes tragic was the perfect tone for BURNING GLASS, and I knew I would set it in world like Imperial Russia within the first moments of conceiving the idea.

What kind of research did you have to do before writing BURNING GLASS?

Kathryn: I did lots of reading and made a binder filled with articles and copied pages of library books. A key resource I came across was a 17th century account of Russia, written from a visiting Frenchman’s perspective. That outsider’s look on a different culture really helped me imagine how Sonya would view the court and court life for the first time and inspired some cool subplots in the book. I also did a lot of “imagination research.” In addition to making a Pinterest board, I printed out pictures of actors who remind me of my characters, and I made a playlist of music that helped set the mood for scenes or described a character’s yearning emotions. I also studied Mirror-Touch Synesthesia, which is a real condition and works similarly to Sonya’s ability as an empath.

Which of your characters do you identify with most and why?

Kathryn: Sonya! This book was largely inspired by my experience in recovering from donating a kidney to my older brother. For a few months, I felt extra sensitive to everyone else’s emotions, and they really affected my own. Feeling anyone else suffer for any reason was unbearable. So what Sonya goes through as an empath, on an emotional and physical scale, is like what happened to me—but, of course, MUCH more exaggerated and dramatic! :-)

What are your favorite type of scenes to write and why?


Kathryn: Anything romantic, humorous, or involving death. Ha! That combination sounds so twisted. I love the romance scenes because, at least in a slow-burn romance (my favorite), they’re the triumphant moments that show two complicated characters finally coming together after a difficult journey of figuring out if they’re right or wrong for one other. Scenes involving the threat of death are awesome because you’re dealing with the ultimate stake and high conflict. And humorous scenes are such a wonderful release because they’re a break from all the heavy drama!

What has been your most memorable moment on your journey to becoming a published author?

Kathryn: Probably the moment my agent told me he’d sold my book. Up until then, I’d gone through two agents and four books on submission to publishers, so you can imagine how ecstatic I was to sign with such an amazing imprint at HarperCollins, Katherine Tegen Books, and for all three books in my trilogy. After speaking with my agent, I ran around my house screaming and twirling and hugging my children. It felt like a huge victory for the whole family after so many years.

What are some things that would make you DNF a book? (Example: Animal death)

Kathryn: I’m pretty selective before I even pick up a book these days, so I very rarely DNF anything. The times I do are when the plot or trope of the genre feels overdone and not fresh anymore. That’s when I can’t force myself to turn pages.

If you could time travel to any place and time period, where would you go for inspiration?

Kathryn: I’d love to visit Russia at the height of its empire and France just before the French Revolution—those turning points when the excess and grandeur for the rich was so out of balance with the poor. I’d love to see exactly how it all fell apart. But I would NOT like to live in those places then or be a part of the downfall. In my time travel scenario, I’d be an invisible observer who can return to my warm bed at night and still use my indoor-plumbing. ;-)

A lot of aspiring authors, myself included, deal with outside factors interrupting our writing time. Such as family and/or friends saying things like, "Oh, you can write any time" Have you dealt with that? If so, how do you protect your writing time?

Kathryn: For my kids, I promise them a reward for after I meet my deadline (a little trip or a fun-filled family day), or I’ll say we can watch SUPERGIRL or THE FLASH together if they let me write uninterrupted for a few hours. My husband gets the deadline push (he’s a high school drama teacher), so he’s supportive and we trade off being incredibly busy and helping one other. My extended family also understands when I have to say no to things. My dad is an author, so my siblings get how much time writing takes. The hardest people to explain it to are my non-writer friends and neighbors. I don’t answer my door or my phone or reply to texts while I’m writing, so that helps. Eventually, they just realize I’m a little crazy (which is the truth!) and learn to accept the limits on my time. If you’re an aspiring writer, it’s important to just own who you are (“I’m a writer”) and declare it to people, along with its realities. You may lose a few friendships over it, but your true friends will stick with you.

When did you know you that wanted to be an author?

Kathryn: This goes back to my recovery from donating a kidney. After a few difficult months, I stumbled upon my old journals, poetry, and collection of short stories from my teenage years. At that moment I realized, “I’m a writer.” I’d never thought of myself as a writer before then (even though I’d done plenty of writing) because most of my focus had been on studying acting. So I turned back to writing for healing, and I wrote my first story (also about an empath-type character). Over the next few years, I wrote two more stories, then came back to writing another empath story, which became BURNING GLASS.

Which authors and/or books have inspired you?

Kathryn: Growing up, I read a lot of mythology and classic literature. I also love Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy and have reread PRIDE AND PREJUDICE many times. In junior high and high school, THE OUTSIDERS and THE CATCHER IN THE RYE had a big influence on me. I fell in love with young adult novels about ten or so years ago when that genre started gaining a lot of attention. Some of my favorite YA novels are THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan, GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers, DEFY by Sara B. Larson, and AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir.

Brittany: Thank you, Kathryn for stopping by our blog today! Guys, be sure to check out the rest of the tour schedule and the giveaway below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Week One:
2/22/2016- Brittany's Book RamblesInterview
2/23/2016- Ex Libris- Review
2/24/2016- Two Chicks on BooksGuest Post
2/25/2016- A Perfection Called BooksReview
2/26/2016- The YA Book Traveler- Interview

Week Two:
2/29/2016- Jessabella ReadsReview
3/1/2016- Once Upon a TwilightGuest Post
3/2/2016- Seeing Double In NeverlandReview
3/3/2016- The Young Folks- Interview                                                                       
3/4/2016-Addicted ReadersReview

31 comments:

  1. This sounds like an excellent read! I love that she must choose who to follow when civil war breaks out!

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  2. I can't wait to read this book...it looks amazing!!

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  3. Wow, didn't know that it was so long. Can't wait to read this!

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    1. It sounds like an awesome read though! I hope you enjoyed the interview and I hope you love Burning Glass!

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  4. What an excellent interview! Thank you for sharing.

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  5. I am so glad you have supportive family and friends Kat. My family unfortunately still don't get that writing is a job. Especially my mom and brother. Sigh. Congrats on your book and loved the interview. I would love to go back in time to see Jesus or maybe even meet Walt Disney.

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    1. A lot of people don't have a great support system when it comes to their writing dreams. I've definitely had a few people in my life think it's silly and a waste of time. I hope you keep writing though!

      It would be amazing to meet Walt Disney, I have so much to thank him for ^_^

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. Wow! this book promises so much suspense and so much at stake for the character. The cover is stunning and makes me want to open the book and read.

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    1. It's a great cover and it sounds like a great book, I hope you like it!

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  7. I am so excited for another Russian Fantasy novel

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    1. Russian fantasy novels are my favorites..though I'm always worried when I start one because of the Russian aspects...I've read too many where Russian culture and language are incorrect =(

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  8. Great interview! I really enjoyed her answer for the research and inspiration questions, I always love to hear how a story came to be. I can't wait to get my hands on Burning Glass!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview! I hope that you love BURNING GLASS <3

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  9. Ah, amazing interview! I can't wait to read this. :D

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  10. Great interview and giveaway! I'm dying to read this one. :)

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  11. I loved reading the interview. It's always interesting to hear about the lives of authors. Although when I was young it seemed beyond glamorous, I don't think I could ever live that life. I'll have to check this book out though.
    // ▲ conundrumofcoitus.com ▲

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    1. It has always been a dream of mine to be an author but I can see why it's not for everyone. I'm really glad that you enjoyed the interview and I hope that you'll check out the book =)

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  12. Amazing interview! I really enjoyed reading it and loved the answers! I love that you are a mother that pursued your dream of writing and being published. As a mother, it inspires me. Burning Glass is one of my most anticipated releases of 2016! I can't wait to get my hands on it and read about Sonya! I love the gorgeous cover as well as the fascinating, original synopsis! Thanks so much for posting this interview and the giveaway! Awesome questions and great, insightful(and quite funny) answers as well! I hope you both are having a great weekend! :)

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    1. I'm glad that you enjoyed the interview and I hope that you love Burning Glass!

      Thank you for stopping by, I also hope that you had a great weekend =)

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  13. Great interview! It was really fun to read. I've been looking forward to this one since forever. Thanks for the chance!

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  14. The book sounds amazing and well thiught out and out of the box interview questions. I enjoyed incorporating more a behind the scenes look in addition to information about the text. Looking forward to reading this one!

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