For the next couple of posts I thought I’d follow up my latest blog by sharing some more interviews. But this time it’s me being interviewed!
In the interview linked below I’m talking to Wombat Books/Rhiza Press Director, Rochelle Manners, about the Blaine Colton trilogy. This brief chat is a nice prelude to what’s coming next time … but more about that then. 😉
For now, I’ll hand you over to Rochelle.
Author interview: Blaine Colton trilogy & writing with Rochelle Manners
December last year I got to share details of my new book Activate on the ‘Just Write for Kids’ #InterviewByBook blog. This was such a fun interview. I thought I’d repost it on my site so those of you who missed it could enjoy it too. For all those who write for children and young adults, make sure you pop over to the ‘Just Write for Kids’ site for some great resources on kids lit.
#InterviewByBook with Adele Jones
Posted on December 28, 2016 by Just Write For Kids
Title: Activate
Author: Adele Jones
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Rhiza Press (YA/Adult imprint of Aussie children’s publisher Wombat Books)
Genre: Techno-crime thriller
Age Group: Young adult (13+)
Please tell us a bit of what your book is about.
Activate is the final book in the Blaine Colton trilogy. The teenage hero, Blaine, is a survivor of a genetic disorder, thanks to some pretty cool gene therapy. Activate begins with Blaine living a secret life to protect him from enemies he’s made in the previous two novels. He’s lonely, unwell, and over being isolated from his friends and family, so he decides to ‘bend’ the rules … just a little. Things rapidly tumble out of control, leaving Blaine in a desperate situation. Will he survive? Will justice be served? Well, you’ll have to read the novel to find out. 😉
What kinds of themes / issues are raised in this story?
The underpinning theme of the trilogy is ‘What determines the measure of a person’s worth?’ These novels perhaps ask more questions than they answer, but by experiencing the world through Blaine’s eyes, readers are encouraged to consider issues relating to bioethics and intellectual property, disability, adoption, faith, values, self-worth, loss and relationships (family, friends and romantic).
How are these important to you in raising awareness to your readers?
Although Blaine’s background may be different to ours, in life we all face personal challenges that require us to decide many of these issues for ourselves. These themes are interconnected, and I think the significance of this becomes clearer as Blaine tackles obstacles from corrupt medical researchers, members of an international crime syndicate, to his own failing body. Previously, he’s been unable to decide most things for himself, his illness forcing him to be entirely reliant on the choices, actions and opinions of others. Finally he can choose for himself, but with that choosing comes the weight of responsibility and the realisation that even if life isn’t perfect, you’ve got to make the most of the opportunities you have.
Who or what inspired you to write this story?
The premise ‘what if science could’ was sparked by a discussion with a friend about the illness of a member of their family. When every question was answered with ‘it’s complicated’ I couldn’t help investigating the disease for myself. With a background in science, my mind kept tumbling around the information I’d learned about mitochondrial disease (and there’s always more being discovered), until the outline for Integrate came together. I wasn’t writing the story about the young man who sparked the initial conversation, and had invented a fictional ‘different from what’s been seen before’ scenario for Blaine, but I also wanted to acknowledge his contribution. With the blessing of his family I placed an acknowledgement in the front of the first novel, from which the trilogy grew.
What is your favourite part of the book?
Oh, that’s hard! Blaine’s such a cool character to write. He’s got a healthy dose of teenage attitude and independence, and a good sense of humour, even though life hasn’t been easy for him. In such a fast-paced story with so many facets, I don’t know if can narrow down a very favourite part of the story, sorry.
How would you describe the publishing process? Were they supportive? How long did it take?
Rhiza Press have been wonderful throughout the publication process. Given this was the third in the trilogy with a definite release date one year after Replicate, the process was a little different to the first two novels. I had a clear timeline of when each stage needed to be completed, and Rhiza’s very reliable when it comes to dates. I did have a little ‘oh my goodness’ moment when I realised the publisher’s key assistant-cum-internal editor was going away to Europe smack bang during the finalisation of the manuscript, but we got there—well ahead of schedule, in fact.
What was the collaboration like between author and illustrator?
Juicy gossip, please! Given I don’t have illustrations, I’m going to defer to cover design. I was very fortunate to have a handsome young man (who happened to fit Blaine’s features fantastically) model for the cover. The photo shoot team are a great bunch and we had lots of fun getting the images. Rhiza browsed the photos from the shoot, selecting the one they felt best suited their requirements, before doing the graphics work on it. (All the pretty bits.)
What has the feedback / audience response been like so far?
I’ve been holding my breath since the novel’s release. Replicate was very well received, but it also had a cliff hanger ending. (Cue ‘hurry up and get the next book out’ mail.) I even had some readers who wouldn’t read Replicate until they knew Activate was available. Given how popular Replicate had been, I felt a little anxious over how Activate would be received, especially as the story has quite a different feel for very plausible reasons relating to the plot. Thus far the reviews have been very positive. (Phew!)
What teaching and learning ideas would you suggest to complement this book? 
Integrate has found its way into a few high schools as a class novel, and it has quite inclusive teaching notes supporting it. I’m still working on the notes for Replicate and will begin Activate’s once these are done. A lot of the exercises in the Integrate notes relate to the themes and values (ethics, IP, disability, self-worth etc) presented through the novel, particularly Blaine’s situation and the motivation of those vying for ownership over his ultimate outcome. Given the common themes across the books, many activities in the Integrate notes could relate to all three novels.
I’ve pasted an activity from the notes below. This one’s often used in psychology applications and I sometimes include a variation of this as part of my characterisation workshops.
At the top of a fresh page ask students to write the heading, ‘I am …’ In one or two minutes have them write down as many things as they can in response to this prompt. At the end have students: – Mark each statement as positive, negative or neutral.
– Ask, ‘If I [teacher] were to collect and read these lists, what would it tell me about you?’ (self-esteem, body image, relationships, etc)
– Ask, ‘If the lists were to be read aloud, is there anything you would change?’
– Ask students to consider their ratings (+ve, -ve, neutral) and reflect on why they’ve assigned them to the respective statements.
– Can they identify any overarching themes?
Do you have a book trailer for your book?
Please share. Only for Integrate, unfortunately. (I’ll put the link here, but am hoping to have ones for Replicate and Activate in the near future.)
Any details on your book launch you’d like to tell us about?
The book launch was held at our local library and was lots of fun. It involved questions about bedpans, kissing people with beards and making a face on a balloon using the hands of someone else (who couldn’t see what they were doing). All relevant activities. (Truly, they were.) Oh, and we had readings, some Q&A about the novel, book signings and a hearty morning tea brought together by my amazing ‘Quirky Quills’ writing group.
Please let us know where we can find more on you and your book.
My website is: www.adelejonesauthor.com
Rhiza’s website is: http://rhizapress.com/activate
Activate on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31498997-activate
And don’t forget good ol’ Dr Google ‘Adele Jones Blaine Colton’
Thanks for sharing your story, Activate, with us, Adele!
Adele Jones is a Queensland based, award winning author. She writes young adult and historical novels, poems, inspirational non-fiction and fiction short works, along with juggling family responsibilities and a ‘real job’ in the field of science. Her first YA novel ‘Integrate’ was awarded the 2013 CALEB Prize for unpublished manuscript. Her writing explores issues of social justice, humanity, faith, natural beauty and meaning in life’s journey, and as a speaker she seeks present a practical and encouraging message by drawing on these themes. For more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com or contact[@]adelejonesauthor.com
#InterviewByBook
Saturday I received copies of my new novel Activate hot off the press and had the pleasure of sharing it with attendees at the Omega Writers Book Fair 2016. Technically its release date is Nov 1, 2016, but with next week (Sept 11-17) being Disability Action Week 2016 in Queensland, I can’t think of more perfect timing.
You see, Blaine Colton, the hero of the Integrate trilogy, is a young man acutely aware of the stigma and challenges disability can represent. Having survived mitochondrial disease and received a gene-modifying cure, he has been given a second chance. But things aren’t perfect for the teenager, and he’s never forgotten where he’s come from – nor where he could very well end up. (But you’ll have to read the books to find out more … 😉 )
The motto of Disability Action Week celebrations is: ‘Inclusion: It’s a game changer’. And I love it. In fact, I’d love to apply it in every circumstance. I’ve seen how easily we (and I include myself in this) can disregard others because they don’t fit. Whether this be determined by a ‘click’ group, trends, or someone who simply doesn’t meet some predetermined criteria for abilities on the sports field or whatever activity is on the table, people get left out. Add what can be perceived as limitations, and it can be all too easy to discard people from our plans.
No one likes being excluded.
As a parent I often find myself saying, ‘Ensure you’re being inclusive.’ In reality this has to be a purposeful decision and is largely influenced by the type of disability present. For example, if someone is mobility impaired, accessibility to venues, terrain and physical requirements of an event or activity need to be well considered. Some disabilities are not obvious, and might involve environmental or emotional triggers. Often a lot of little things are overlooked by well meaning people for sheer lack of awareness. (As I have done myself, at times.)
Many people I know living with a disability are fiercely independent and very capable. When it comes to solutions, they are brilliant for nutting things out. By communicating and working with people, instead of assuming the limitations of their capacity, inclusion becomes a way of thinking and truly can ‘change the game’.
Today we have a Cindy Williams joining us, author of novel The Pounamu Prophecy, which was released October last year by Rhiza Press. (Which also happens to be my publisher, too. 🙂 ) She’s going to share some insights about her novel, so let’s welcome her. Thanks, Cindy.
‘So tell me about this controversial book you have written,’ the announcer asked me during a recent radio interview. I would have stuttered in shock if I had not spent the morning at a cafe with the lovely Iola Goulton discussing this very issue!
I don’t do controversy. I am exhausted by my son’s love of ‘debating’ which I see as arguing; I wither in the face of disputes about politics and religion; I almost always stay silent in the face of dogmatic opinions about nutriton that, as a dietitian, I know are misinformed.
The first hint that The Pounamu Prophecy might be controversial 
was when a member of my mother’s book group commented that I was ‘brave’ to write such a book. What was brave about telling a story about a piece of New Zealand’s history that few people knew, I wondered. It wasn’t until I recently travelled to New Zealand to do a few author talks that I saw the discomfort of some people as I spoke of the injustices that the Ngati Whatua tribe suffered over the past 100 years.
‘Don’t talk too much about that stuff, Cindy,’ advised my mother. ‘The book says it well. Let it speak, not you.’ It was wise advice. I adjusted my talk and encouraged the audience that New Zealand, despite its past failings, is an example to the world of how two cultures can live well together and celebrate the best of both.
History is subjective, seen through the eyes and felt through the heart of whoever was there. For this story I had the privilege of interviewing an elder of the Ngati Whatua tribe. He was eight years old when the government burnt down his village to ‘tidy it up’ for Queen Elizabeth’s visit the following year. There were tears in his eyes as he recounted what had happened. It was a perspective few people, including myself, had heard. It was a story worth telling.
‘If one of our people had written this, many would dismiss it as just another sob story, ‘ he said. ‘But when a Pakeha (non-Maori) writes it, it has credibility.’
So here was the reason God had arranged for me, a Pakeha girl married into a Maori family, to write it. A purely Maori perspective might stir up resentment and anger, slashing open old wounds with no remedy or hope of reconciliation. A purely Pakeha perspective might defend itself with stories of less than honorable actions of some Maori. (I remember hiding every lunchtime for a year in the school toilets terrified of the big Maori girls who bullied me. A few years later when we moved to the mostly Maori part of town behind the pub, they would offer me cigarettes on the school bus and I knew I was ‘okay’!)
I believe, as followers of Jesus and if we are open to his leading, God uses our background, our experiences, our strengths and our weaknesses to write the stories he knows will bless others. I have realised that the novel I am currently writing will be even more controversial than the last and it is driving me to my knees in prayer every time I write. Isn’t that what He wants? For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:10)
Cindy Williams lives in Sydney with her husband and teenage son. As a child growing up in a culturally rich part of New Zealand she enjoyed writing, not copious screeds, but short intense pieces that brought tears to her eyes and made people think. She marvelled at the power of words to inspire far beyond the intentions of the author. Then she became a dietitian – all science and seriously researched facts. She completed a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Diploma in Communication and spent many years encouraging and inspiring people to live a healthy life. She writes a nutrition blog and is working on her second novel, set in first century Israel. She teaches scripture in schools, and swim and cycles. She is also studying for a Diploma of Theology and trying to improve her abysmal French!
You can contact Cindy via her website or cindy[at]nutritionchic.com
Fantasy author and science-fiction fan, Jeanette O’Hagan has tagged me for the Blog Award Tour. Jeanette has lived in Australia and Africa; has practiced medicine; taught theology; accumulated a few degrees, including recently completing a Master of Arts (Writing); and is actively engaged in a caring Christian community. She is currently caring for her young children and writing her Akrad Legacy series, while co-editing the Glimpses of Light anthology, which is due for release later this year. Jeanette has had short works published, including contributing to the Tied in Pink a romance anthology supporting breast cancer research. Last month she also donned her ‘cabin coordinator’ hat and dragged me and a bunch of other writers along for a fantastic ‘CampNaNoWriMo’ ride. (Thanks Jeanette and cabin buddies!) In summary, Jeanette is basically superwoman who doesn’t need to wear a cape to prove it!
As part of the Blog Award Tour, Jeanette has asked me to answer four questions for today. She’s also tagged two other fantastic authors: Lynne Stringer (blogged 27th July) and Alison Stegert (blogging 10th August), so make sure you look up their posts. As for me, let’s get ‘touring’!
1. WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
Where do I start? Okay, I’ve just (July CampNaNoWriMo ‘just’) finished the first draft of the third book for my YA Integrate trilogy, so I’ll be working through that over the next period – and all the research and revision fun that entails. I’ve just completed final revisions for Replicate, the second book in that same trilogy. (It’s coming at the end of the year, so keep an eye out!) I’m presently undertaking revisions for the Glimpses of Light anthology (in between prepping for some upcoming writing workshops), and am also about to receive my historical fiction ms, A Devil’s Ransom, for final revisions any day now. As you can see I’m not bored. 🙂
2. HOW DOES YOUR WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN YOUR GENRE?
I write a complex plot, where the characters’ greatest battles are the ones they face within themselves. I feel I write from a fairly unusual combination of experiences, which can make for some fun (and at times peculiar!) story developments. Exploring the scenario of an illegal human GMO made Integrate an interesting and unique work to bring together. The outworking of this premise saw many themes emerge through Blaine’s challenges. Similar themes, including ethics, human value, identity and IP rights continue with a bit more of a crime spin in Replicate. The plot of A Devil’s Ransom also has multiple complicating threads, with a strong redemption theme. The spiritual journey of the main protagonist causes him to face the ultimate question: what kind of man will he choose to be – even if that choice brings fatal repercussions? I guess I don’t like to make things too easy for my protagonists.
3. WHY DO YOU WRITE OR CREATE WHAT YOU DO?
I love stories. Life is one big story (with an awesome Master Designer) and we are threads in that incredible fabric. There is something nearly compelling about writing out the stories that come into my head, which is essentially how I started writing novels. Many years ago I had a repetitive dream and started writing it down. It soon grew into a novel length work – and obviously I didn’t think to stop there! (Even though I found I had a lot to learn about writing.) I feel writing brings together the contrasting elements of who I am and in that union there is a purposeful voice that seeks to share those ever expanding journeys; in the right time, in the right season.
4. HOW DOES YOUR WRITING/CREATIVE PROCESS WORK?
I would like to believe I am more inclined to be plotter, but I am clearly not enough of a disciplinarian to keep my characters in order. In the last two manuscripts I started them out on the story arc and they promptly decided to do their own thing! (So naughty of them.) Usually I get an idea, whether that’s in conjunction with research or even a particular experience or setting, and something usually sparks a strong visual image followed swiftly by a scenario. Soon I know where the story is headed and where it will end. I tend to research and write in turn (with frequent heavenward pleas for creativity and insight). If there are a lot of research elements, I like to get it all in my head and write, otherwise the developing story can take you too far away from the boundaries in which you must create. I know I’ve mentioned this previously, but if I get really stuck I have a very spiritual approach to this – a special prayer that goes something like this. ‘Help! I’ve got no idea what to do with this!’ LOL – though it’s true! (And I say that more often than you might expect.) After completing the first draft I go back and with each revisions add additional layers to the manuscript as I determine the finer details of the storyline. In fact, I’m just starting that process with the sequel to Replicate.
Thanks ‘Super Jeanette’ for inviting me aboard the Blog Award Tour. Now I get the delightful job of tagging the next Blog Award Tour participant. It’s my pleasure to introduce to you the remarkable Rita Stella Galieh.
Rita is an Australian with an English, Scottish and Jewish heritage. She started inventing adventure stories in her childhood with her Grandma, to entertain themselves while her mum worked. With encouragement from her mother, she spent after-school hours writing little poems in the children’s section of the Sunday papers. Not only did this provide pocket money, it also planted the seed for writing. As a student at Sydney’s National Art School, she became a committed follower of Christ, and during this time her family built up a pottery studio where she eventually worked as a ceramic artist. Upon meeting fiery young violinist, George Elias Galieh, they shared ideas and sparks flew! They became singing partners, married and attended the Emmaus Bible College in preparation to follow their desire to use their talents in evangelism for the Lord’s glory. They welcomed a son in the early years of their adventures together.
Rita aims to captivate her readers while remaining faithful to God honouring theology. This fulfils a long held desire to write stories that entertain and inspire – and her stories have all the ingredients to match these expectations for her readers. She gives one hundred percent of herself to her stories and is not afraid to enable her writing to expose raw emotions, which she sees as a pathway to healing when released the ultimate Healer. She has a passion for writing historical romance with both intrigue and adventure, and really enjoys researching the 19th century Victorian Era with all its undercurrents.
To find out more about Rita and her writing, make sure you visit her website and don’t forget to keep an eye out for her ‘Blog Award Tour’ post next week (10th August) at www.ritastellapress.com/author-blog.
