Author of Rising Up
I am joined today by author Tanya Ross who releases the second book in her YA fantasy Tranquility series, on June 7th, 2021. Her series is YA fantasy set in a dystopian world. Book One is called Rising Up and the second is called Face Off. Welcome Tanya. Congratulations on the release of your second book in the series. Please tell us a little about your novels.
Tanya: The story which begins in Rising Up takes place in the future in a domed city called Tranquility. Every citizen signs a contract to agree to the laws, called Accords, which require them to wear a wrist device similar to a smart watch, called the Alt. The Alt measures emotions of the wearer. All the emotional responses are calibrated on a super computer and translated into points whereby the people are assigned a corresponding Status. Happiness and positivity are rewarded, and negativity subtracts from the wearer’s points. The Status determines their standard of living. Those who don’t manage their emotions well are counseled and can be banished from the city.
The female main character, Ember, goes into an emotional crisis when her mother dies from a mysterious illness. No one helps her determine why her young mother has gotten sick in a society where there is no serious illness. When her Alt crashes and she needs emotional support, a young hero of the city flies to her aid. The two of them endeavor to uncover the mystery of the death, and find that uncovering that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Helen: Sounds like a really interesting world. It would be interesting to see if rewarding happiness actually works. For some reason I don’t think human nature is that simple. Why did you call your first novel Rising Up?
Tanya: I called my first book Rising Up because this has multiple meanings:
First, people in this city “rise up” in their Status levels by being happy.
Second, Ember and her friends find they have to “rise up” against the government.
Third, “rising up” includes the effort to go beyond one’s circumstances to prevail.
Helen: Which gives us an idea that all is not tranquil in the world of tranquility. I thought it might be too good to be true. You have a second novel releasing today, tell us a little about Face Off.
Tanya: I have two works in progress. My brand new book is called Facing Off. It is coming out on June 7th, so I’ve been working on editing and formatting that book while also starting the third in the series. Facing Off is a wild ride! The characters begin their revolution, but they find themselves mainly trying to survive what happens to them, as they discover new secrets, escape from the city leader’s horrific traps and ultimatums, and learn whether they can even trust each other. It’s full of twists and turns and will take the reader to places they weren’t expecting.
Helen: Writing a series can be tough, how do you get the ideas to torment your characters with?
Tanya: With a series, it’s picking up the threads, characters, and themes of the previous book and continue them. I know what each character is going to be dealing with emotionally and what their relationships with each other will be. However, my family brainstorms with me a TON to come up with plotlines and situations for the characters. I owe a lot to them. My husband and I together determined the plot for Rising Up. My daughter gave me a slew of direction and situations for Book 2, Facing Off. I love that it’s a family affair.
Helen: That is so nice that you get to involve your family; writing can sometimes be a lonely affair. Tell us a little about your writing process, once you have all these ideas and suggestions do you map them out in a plan? or do you find yourself just writing?
Tanya: I have tried so hard to be a planner. But it doesn’t work well for me. I think I’m going to be a pantser for life. When I try to plot outside of the writing, it is boring and dead. Once I’m in the story, the characters take me places I didn’t expect to go. For my new WIP, which is book 3 of the series, I have done some plotting, but how much I will stick to it remains to be seen.
Helen: I know authors hate being asked this question,but do you have a favourite character?
Tanya: My favorite character is Xander, the rebel in the story. He is somewhat stereotypical of a rebel, but I love how he embraces his rebellion and his desire to be himself in such a genuine way. He’s funny and arrogant and sarcastic, which makes him fun to write. He grows throughout both the first book and the second, and I love to see how he changes and what he learns to value. My readers love him, too.
Helen: If you didn’t write dystopian YA fantasy what genre would you like to try?
Tanya: If I didn’t write dystopian sci-fi for young adults, I would write romance. I would especially love to tie in some history in the romance, too, so there’s an interesting setting amid the steam. Currently, there’s a paranormal idea for romance churning in my brain, though, too!
Helen: I’ve enjoyed chatting with you today, thank you for joining me. Congratulations again on the release of Face Off. Just to close us out, can you tell us what advice you would give other authors?
Tanya: I would tell new writers that persistence is key. There are going to be lots of times when you want to quit. When the writing gets hard, or you’re not in the mood. Or when you don’t think you’ll ever be successful. Or when you get negativity from people who read your work–or don’t want to. And with persistence, comes learning and practice, without which you cannot improve
About the Author:
For thirty-two years she was an educator of English, history, AVID, and student leadership. She loves teaching and kids, her students a daily inspiration. Her exit from the educational arena allowed her to indulge her hopes, dreams, and goals in what she taught for so many years–writing. This first novel begins her lifelong dream of writing meaningful novels for young adults. When she’s not creating new worlds, you can find her reading, spending time with her husband and two kids, or walking her golden retriever, Honey.
You can find more about Tanya via:
You can order Tanya’s first novel from Amazon:
Book One: Rising Up
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Helen Garraway 