Author Interview: Talia Vance (Silver)

Hi guys! If you've seen my review of Silver (Bandia #1) you know how much I really enjoyed it, I do remember even giving a steamy teaser just so I could convince you to read it. Ha! (see review here) So I was really thrilled when its author, Talia Vance agreed to have an interview with me! Yay! Today, I have the pleasure to present it to you guys. Go check it out below and if you plan to read Silver I think this would help you to get a little background about the story and the characters.

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1. Hi Talia! Can you tell us a bit about your debut novel, Silver?

"Silver is the story of the descendant of an Irish goddess who accidentally binds her soul to her mortal enemy.  It is really the story of a girl who discovers her own strength, and has to decide how to wield it."  

2. Silver is inspired with Irish mythology and folklore which I think is very rare in the YA world. Have you always wanted to write a story about it?

"No.  I didn’t start researching Celtic myths until I started writing the story.  I knew I wanted a paranormal element, and as I started researching, I was intrigued by the fact that so many modern American superstitions come from Ireland.  Ireland’s history is rich and I was intrigued by the dichotomy between religion and its magical folklore.  Then I found the story of the Milesians banishing the gods and I was off and running."

3. What are the challenges you encountered when you were writing Silver?

"Finishing the book was the hardest thing for me.  I had wanted to write a novel all my life, but making the time and sticking with it were hard for me.  It took me three years from starting the first chapter to writing the last line. Once I got a first draft down, there were some fairly substantial revisions along the way.  I learned something with every single one."

4. Which of the characters is more like you? Are they based by people you know in real life?

"I am most like Brianna, but only because I borrowed a few scenes from my own life.  I had a rescue horse that I trained and sold to pay for college, and I met my husband playing quarters at a party when I was sixteen, although he ended up dating my best friend.  I am not a descendant of a goddess as far as I know, but one of my ancestors was hung as a witch during the Salem witch trials.  Some of the other characters in Silver started out based on mashes of people I know, but they quickly evolved into something completely different.  There is a little of me in all of them, I suppose."

5. Did you have a hard time writing the romance in this book?

"Sometimes.  Blake and Brianna were fun to write together, because there was so much inherent conflict.  But, while it was easy for them to connect physically, and even emotionally, it was harder for them to connect as people without the conflict bubbling over.  It’s hard for them to trust each other, and that makes romance difficult."

6. I was really confused which to believe is the good guys or the bad guys. Yet, instead of being frustrated it only made me more intrigued. Did you really plan to make it like that? 

"I did.  Brianna’s biggest fear is that she is inherently evil and I wanted to explore what that might mean.  The book is about choosing what kind of person you want to be and not letting your family or genes dictate what kind of person you are.  It was important for Brianna to make her own decision about what was right or wrong and who was good or bad.  In real life, people are rarely all good or all evil. I don’t think any of the characters in Silver are truly bad.  They just feel threatened in some way or want something different."

7. Blake I think, although I love him, is not an easy character. To be honest, I didn't really like him right away. He was a bit of a jerk during the earlier parts but he soon eventually gained my trust. How do you think the readers would react to him? Did you have a hard time writing his character?

"Blake is conflicted, so I will not be surprised if readers are conflicted about him as a character.  I think Blake has a good heart, but he also has to weigh his feelings against his loyalty to his family and his need to survive.  He doesn’t want to like Brianna, let alone love her, so he fights against his feelings for a lot of the book.  It exhausted me when I was writing, because he always wanted to fight."

8. Teaser time! Haha! Can you share us a quote from one of your favorite scenes in the book?

All this time I’ve been waiting for him to grace me with that smile, and tonight it has no effect on me.  I’ve seen him use it too many times to think it means anything beyond a calculated effort to get what he wants.  I clutch the bracelet tighter.  “Why don’t you humor me?  Maybe I don’t want to give this to you.  Maybe there’s a reason I can’t.”  I link the chain back around my wrist.

“Listen to yourself.”  Blake’s voice is quiet.  “There is a reason.”

 “What is that, Blake?”

“So you can hide.”

I try to keep the panic from my voice.  “And what exactly am I hiding from?”

His dimples are out in full force.  “Bastards like me.”  

9. When will the next book, Gold, be released? How many books do you plan to write for this series?

"Gold will be released in Fall 2013.  At this point, I don’t know how many books will be in the series.  I believe that there will be at least one more book to complete Brianna’s story.  And, depending on how things go, there are some characters in Silver that have their own stories to tell."

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Thank you so much Talia Vance for having the interview!

"As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away."

Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.

Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.

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