Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray: Interview and Giveaway!

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Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray
2011; CreateSpace
-I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

Like most girls at Rosemound High School, seventeen-year-old Lily Crane is acutely aware of Ryder Kingscott. Hands down the cutest guy in school, Ryder is cool, mysterious, and utterly untouchable…especially for Lily. For when she touches someone, Lily instantly learns all about their lives. And while such a skill might seem nifty, in truth it is wrecking Lily’s life. So she is shocked when Ryder asks her out — and even more shocked to discover he has a rival. Lucian Bell is the gorgeous new kid who can’t take his eyes off of Lily. Being pursued by two hotties should make a girl happy, but Lily is skeptical. The boys act as if they’ve met before, hating each other with a passion that could only be rooted in a dark, dangerous past. A past full of terrible secrets. The kind of secrets that could get a girl killed. (courtesy of Goodreads)

Interview

Ramona was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Please welcome Ramona to Alison Can Read!

1. Please describe Hex in a few sentences.

Hex is a story about a lovable seventeen year-old, Lily, who can see into people's minds through a simple touch. This puts serious strain on her ability to form normal relationships with just about anyone, as people generally tend to steer clear of her. But then she discovers that her gift/curse doesn't apply when it comes to Ryder, the one guy she was always interested in. In comes a second guy, Lucian, and together they embark on an adventure that will lead to startling discoveries, impromptu trips to seventeenth-century England, and the unravelling of a very old curse that has been running all their lives for the past 300 years. It's a story of love, magic, and betrayal, wrapped up in the narrative of someone whose natural defense against the cruelty of others is to crack inappropriate jokes and laugh at herself. It's funny, quirky, and quite endearing, in parts.

2. Why did you decide to set the book in the United States since you live in England?

Well, first of all, I was actually living in Russia when I wrote Hex :-) But I always knew I wanted the book to be published in the US, so it made sense to set it there. In fact, most of the books I ever wrote are set there, which is quite funny because I have never even visited the place yet. I guess I just find it inspiring.

3. I would love to visit Romania some day. What are a few must-see places?

Lots. For a bit of history, you must see Transylvania, particularly Sighisoara, an authentic and extremely well preserved medieval town dating back to the 12th century. Gorgeous location. Then there's Dracula's Castle (or, as we call it "Bran Castle"), which is near Brasov, another historical place. The Danube Delta is a natural paradise for those interested in wildlife - over 2000 miles of marshes, reed islands, canals, little rivers - it really is an amazing spot. Bucharest, of course, still has some old neighborhoods that are worth seeing, architecture-wise. There are also a number of really old churches in Moldova (the eastern part of the country) which I think are spectacular (but then, I love old things :-) And, of course, the mountains. The scenery of the Romanian Carpathians is truly breathtaking.

4. What is your favorite place that you'd traveled to and/or lived? What place or places do you most want to travel to?

Italy, no question about it. Where would I want to go? I guess, everywhere :-) The US is first on my to-see list. Other than that, I'd like to go to Rio, and Africa, and South America and, like I said, pretty much everywhere.

5. What is your writing process like? Are there differences when you write in Romanian versus English (i.e. the amount of pre-planning required) or is the language the only difference?

Oh, I haven't written in Romanian for years! I actually think I would find it difficult now, compared with English. My writing process is pretty standard, I'd say. I spend a great deal of time getting to know my characters - what I call the post-it phase, because this is when I write all sorts of things about my protagonists (dialogue lines, past-related details, research bits, etc) on post-its, which I stick everywhere around me - and then I sit down and write. I write everywhere, and every spare moment I've got, once the story starts flowing, though I'm at my best early in the morning. I use a MacBook, but I make loads of notes on sheets of papers everywhere. Yeah, I'm pretty messy when I get going :-)

6. What are a few books that you loved when you were young and a few current books you've really enjoyed?

As a child, I loved Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Bridge to Terabithia, all the Greek myths, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells. On Christmas I always got a stack of records and then I'd listen to these audio stories, over and over again.

Recently, I loved Before I Die by Jenny Downham, Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan, everything by Maggie Stiefvater, or Holly Black. Right now, I?m reading The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge, and I'm quickly falling in love with it too.

Giveaway

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