Spotlight: Persuasion by Martina Boone (interview)

Persuasion (Heirs of Watson Island #2)
written by Martina Boone
published by Simon & Schuster/Pulse, 2015

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

About the book – from Goodreads: Beautiful Creatures meets The Raven Boys in the spellbinding second novel in the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy that “skillfully blends rich magic and folklore with adventure, sweeping romance, and hidden treasure” (Publishers Weekly, on Compulsion).

Grieving the death of her godfather and haunted by her cousin Cassie’s betrayal, Barrie returns from a trip to San Francisco to find the Watson plantation under siege. Ghost-hunters hope to glimpse the ancient spirit who sets the river on fire each night, and reporters chase rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold that may be hidden at Colesworth Place. The chaos turns dangerous as Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins. Because more is buried there than treasure.

A stranger filled with magic arrives at Watson’s Landing claiming that the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts—and the Colesworth curse—also lies beneath the mansion. With a mix of threats and promises, the man convinces Barrie and Cassie to cast a spell there at midnight. But what he conjures may have deadly consequences.

While Barrie struggles to make sense of the escalating peril and her growing and forbidden feelings for Eight Beaufort, it’s impossible to know whom to trust and what to fight for—Eight or herself. Millions of dollars and the fate of the founding families is at stake. Now Barrie must choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep Watson’s Landing safe in this stunning addition to a series filled with “decadent settings, mysterious magic, and family histories rife with debauchery” (Kirkus Reviews, on Compulsion).

Hi, thanks so much for having me on as a guest! I’m honored to be here and want to thank you for the great questions!

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. 

Three plantations, two wishes, one ancient curse, and a girl who needs to find herself, find love, and heal her family.

Why did you did you decide to write Persuasion?

Persuasion is the sequel to Compulsion, and it’s really about what happens in the dark spaces when you think you’ve found yourself but don’t know how or when or even *if* you should fight for yourself when what you want conflicts with what other people want or need from you. It’s a book about how much trust and faith you need and how that’s different from love. But it’s also about ghosts and magic and the curses we inherit from our families, so it was a TON of fun to write.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? 

ILLUSION, the final book in the trilogy, will be out in October of 2016, and I’ve got one revision left on that before it’s put to bed. I’ve also started a brand new series which I’m super excited to work on!

Tell us about your Compulsion for Reading Campaign. 

When COMPULSION came out, I got a lot of requests from teachers and librarians who didn’t have a budget to buy it. I gave away twenty-five packs of books, including one of mine in each pack, plus an additional nine recently published books by other authors shortly after COMPULSION launched as a way to give back to librarians, teachers, and readers. I’ve continued giving away a pack a month ever since, and I’m thrilled that other authors and bloggers are now joining in. I get far more nominations for underfunded schools and libraries in any given month than I can possibly fill.

How can people get involved?

If you go to http://www.CompulsionForReading.com, there’s a nomination form where anyone can recommend an underfunded classroom, school, or library and tell me what they’re doing to reach out to readers and how getting them more books would help. There’s also a donation form for authors, bloggers, or anyone really, who is willing to donate five books — any kind of books — for middle grade or high school level readers. The books should be either very popular or recently published though. And yes, ARCs are welcome.

What is your favorite genre to read?

I’m super eclectic when it comes to reading. Obviously, I have a soft spot for Southern Gothic, but I love everything from magical realism to fantasy to contemporary to mystery and romance. Which, I suppose, explains why COMPULSION and the rest of the series are such a mix of different genres.

Who is your favorite author?

I always restrict this to my favorite YA authors, because I have a ton of adult authors I love as well. My faves really do change, but Maggie Stiefvater, Laini Taylor, Leigh Bardugo, Marie Rutkowski, Nancy Werlin, Garth Nix, Sarah Dessen, and Saba Tahir are always going to be on my list. In addition, I’ve been fortunate to get to read some great upcoming books, including HELLO? from Liza Wiemer and LAILAH in the Styclar series from Nikki Kelly.

In your opinion, what is one book that everyone should read?

Man, there are so many phenomenal books out there, and I could recommend dozens and dozens all for different reasons. But forgiveness and building bridges are some of the core themes that I want people to take away from the HEIRS OF WATSON ISLAND series, so I’m going to recommend HELLO? by Liza Wiemer. It’s a book about connection and taking the time to listen and make a difference. It’s beautiful.

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

Secretly, a writer. Also a horse trainer. Fortunately, I’ve gotten to do a little bit of both. Not so much the training as the riding, although in dressage it’s a little bit of both. I love that I got to bring my love of horses into PERSUASION and ILLUSION.

Tell us three things about yourself that cannot be found on the internet…at least not found easily.

Hmmh. I feel like the Internet already knows way more about me than anyone really wants to know, he he, but okay.

1. In an attempt to cut down on fast food and takeout, I’ve started doing the Home Chef delivery service for dinners several times a week. I love cooking, but hate shopping and prepping, so this is a win/win!
2. I am actually pretty shy, and I get terrible migraines, so when I’m out in public, I tend to get nervous which often triggers migraines. And that results in me being super dorky.
3. My family and I play a travel game where we get points for continents, countries, states and provinces, National Parks and Unesco sites. That sometimes gets ridiculous and you end up driving for twelve hours across Montana and Canada to get to a park that no one ever needs to go to. Ever. But yay, an extra point. (And no, that wasn’t MY idea!)

 

Thanks again for having me! Hope you’ll all enjoy Persuasion!

 

About the author: Born in Prague, Martina spoke several languages before she learned English after moving to the U.S. She has never fallen out of love with words, fairy tale settings, or characters who have to find themselves. The founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writers Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, Martina also runs the First Five Pages Workshops for writers getting ready to submit their manuscripts to agents. She’s also the founding member of YASeriesInsiders.com, a blog dedicated to promoting literacy and love of reading by connecting fans from various fandoms with authors and great new series books. Over the years, Martina has blossomed into a phenomenal author who champions literacy and encourages teens to read by visiting classrooms across the nation and organizing monthly book giveaways for schools with a project she calls Compulsion for Reading. She is a a SIBA Award nominee who received a fall 2014 Okra Pick for her debut book, “Compulsion.” “Compulsion” also received recognition including the RT Book Reviews Top Pick and Editor’s Best of 2014, Kansas State Reading Circle Selection, Good Reads November 2014 Best Book and November 2014 YA Best Book.

Find Ms. Boone here: web, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon