Blog Tour: Blue Violet by Abigail Owen

Hello everyone! I don't know if you remember my review of Blue Violet. It was an indie read that thoroughly impressed me. It has a strong heroine, a forever romance that was natural, and a story where the main characters have powers. I was able to do an author interview with Abigail Owen for her blog tour going on right now! This will all lead up to a free kindle download on Amazon for her book Blue Violet on the 16th-18th which means it's starting tomorrow!

Question: What inspired you to write a book with powers as the main subject?

Answer: I've always been fascinated with the concept of being able to do extraordinary things. I loved super heroes growing up (Wonder Woman!). I was into X-Men well before there were any movies. Plus, as a writer, it gives you a fairly unlimited topic to be able to imagine and create. There are no boundaries when it comes to powers.

Question: Why did you make it that the characters live a long time but are not immortal?

Answer: I like the concept of living a very long time. Just think of all you could experience! I minored in history in college, so being able to write and imagine living in other eras really appeals. But the concept of staying exactly the same through all that time - immortals never age or change - that seems very boring to me. I find that the most beautiful faces in the world are the ones that show that life has been lived.

Question: What was the thought process when creating a power(s) for each character?

Answer: Ellie's was the easiest. I basically picked some of my own favorites and had fun putting a twist on them. But I didn't want to give her too many which is where Griffin's powers came in. Although I will say that the ones Ellie does have are still difficult to write into battle scenes because she can be fairly unlimited and stop just about any power being used against her, which makes it hard to write a conflict with oomph. All of the others have flowed from what's happening in the scene when I reveal what they can do. I'm finding this to be true of Hyacinth - the 2nd book in the series which I'm writing right now.  The fight scenes especially tend to dictate things - I try to think of really cool ways powers could come into play.

Question: What makes the Vyusher so different in that they have powers but transform into wolves?

Answer: Yes. It's unusual for most people with powers to have more than one. It's also very unusual to find shapeshifters that take the same form - let alone hundreds with the same form. Most of the time it's different animals. There just might be something more around this concept to come! ;)

Question: What was your favorite part about writing Blue Violet? The romance or the action?

Answer: Oh this is a tough question! My first love will always be romance books, and I still tend to prefer those scenes when I read. But I find them very difficult to write. It's hard not to throw in too much cheese but still convey the connection and the passion. The action scenes on the other hand you have multiple options with each scene, so as a writer I think I have more fun with those. More to play with.

Question: Who was your favorite character to write about?

Answer: I think it's a toss up between Ellie and Griffin. I especially liked writing the scenes where they interact. They have such a strong connection as brother and sister, but their personalities are polar opposites. Ellie is spunky and spontaneous and Griffin is more serious. If they were a comedy duo he'd be the straight man. I'm enjoying writing him even more in the 2nd book.

Question: Do any of the characters resemble you?

Answer: I think there's a little of me in all of them and a little of my friends and family in all of them. I don't tend to base any one character on one person, but pull out bits and pieces for each character as they fit. I've had friends and family tell me that Ellie and Griffin combined would be very me. That they can hear my voice in their dialogue. I would say that Ellie is as outgoing and as brave as I would like to be. 

Question: What was some of your favorite books growing up?

Answer: I have a very eclectic taste in books. I am a sucker for romances - I started with the teen romances and eventually grew to enjoy any good love story. I love to see the relationship develop. I love many of the classics - Jane Eyre, anything Shakespeare, anything by Jane Austen, Chaucer, War and Peace, How Green Was My Valley. Then in high school I got into more of the action/fantasy stuff - Lord of the Rings, Star Wars. 

Question: What book or person influenced you to write?

Answer: I started out being a voracious reader. Still am. If I don't read at least a book a week, I get antsy. I like losing myself in the story. I started writing stories when I was about eight years old. By age twelve I was writing about one short story a week and attempted my first book. I still have it. But it was a junior high teacher - Mrs. Gunn - who saw the passion and made sure to get me into various classes and academic teams that would allow me to grow my writing. Her faith in me gave me faith in myself. 

Question: What is your typical day as a writer?

Answer: At the moment writing gets squeezed into my day. I am a mother of two (3 and 5 years old), I work full time as a business analyst for a very large tech company, and I'm in the middle of getting my EMBA degree. Writing tends to happen between the hours of 8pm and midnight after I've finished everything else for the day. Writing is my break - it's how I rest and relax. I think I would be a bit of a nutcase if I didn't have it. 

Question: At the end readers get a little sneak peek of the next book which brings up some surprises and possible obstacles. What can readers expect from the next book?

Answer: Hmmm... without revealing too much you can expect the book to focus on Griffin and Selene. Look for me to introduce several plot lines that will move throughout the rest of the series. And a lot more action. Hyacinth will be faster paced than Blue Violet since it's building on a story line that's already established. 

Question: Would you like to say anything to your present and future readers?

Answer: First and foremost - thanks for giving my books a chance and I'm thrilled if you connected with some aspect of the story. I write for myself - always creating characters that I would like and creating a story that I would read and reread. So it's been incredible to hear about readers who have also enjoyed Blue Violet. I hope that you will enjoy future installments and where I take the series. I have a ton of ideas floating around in my head, so I plan to be at this for quite some time. Also, I am always very happy to hear from readers, so please feel free to contact me through my blog, facebook, or twitter!