Hello everyone! Today I have a very special guest here on the blog. Jules Hedger, author of the Reign and Ruin series, agreed to answer a few questions for us and I’m thrilled to share with you her awesomeness. But before of heading off to the interview, check out what her first book, The Wilds, is all about:
The Wilds by Jules HedgerReign and Ruin #1
Oct 9th, 2014 by This Thistle Press
Coming home to New York in summer holidays is nothing short of torturous. Maggie’s mother is officially the worst widow ever and her wayward uncle can’t see past the heroin or the twisted pictures he paints. Lonely is normal and normal is becoming unbearable.
Plagued by nightmares and left behind to pick up the pieces of a fallen king, an opportunity of escape leads Cirrus to take a dangerous gamble; a gamble that snatches Maggie out of her uncle’s apartment and into a dangerous world of shifting sand and treacherous beauty.
Now Maggie must fight for a nation she never knew existed. But who can she trust when everything around her is melting like paint? Even more, the man she’s fighting against is at once the captor and her savior, the villain and her friend. They could be each other’s salvation or destruction, the choice is up to them . . .
Hi Jules! Thank you so much for taking time to
answer a few questions.
answer a few questions.
It’s my pleasure! I love your blog and reviews,
so it was a real honor that you asked! J
so it was a real honor that you asked! J
To start it all off, could you please tell as a few
random facts about yourself and your books?
random facts about yourself and your books?
- I’m an avid shipper, my
favorite being Johnlock. We’re a passionate bunch and generally get along with
other Sherlock fandoms. Can’t say I think much about Sherlolly though
(shocker!) Want to start a rumble? HUH? - I used to be in theatre
and met my husband in a production of A
Midsummer Night’s Dream. He’s still an actor and I get really jealous all
the time. He sends me pictures of him in costumes and I’m like, ‘”Oh yeah, work
those pantaloons!” - I once met Ian McKellan
and he hugged me. He smelled SO GOOD. I also met Alan Rickman and I think he
thought I was a tool. So it all evens out. - I dreamed up the concept
for Reign and Ruin in SAT class (which for everyone who doesn’t take SATs,
preps you for the biggest and most useless quiz in the entire American
education system). But it was worth it because I was bored enough to start this
wonderful journey! - The Reign and Ruin
series used to be one standalone simply called Palet. It was YA and didn’t contain any romance, any blood or any
swearing (basically, all the good bits). But it was even weirder! Lucan was a
French skeleton called Maurice, Cassandra was a male British explorer who
scouted the edges of the Wilds, Leof was a giant bat, and Maggie found her way
back to the real world. I KNOW. WHAT RUBBISH. - Maggie is my all-time
favorite name – except my husband hates it so my child will never be so lucky.
Whaaat?! The standalone sounded crazy, and that’s saying something because, you know, The Wilds is one crazy journey!
Palet is a complicated world, beautiful and with so
many rough edges, was it difficult to make this fantastical setting come alive?
In what did you struggle most?
many rough edges, was it difficult to make this fantastical setting come alive?
In what did you struggle most?
Thank you! I love Palet and its secrets
and dark corners. It’s imperfect, constantly forming and always dangerous. But
it’s also filled with real people who feel and trust and get up in the morning
to make eggs. It’s gorgeous to see readers respond to the fantasy element of
Palet, but also connect to the very human elements that they can recognize in
the real world, too.
and dark corners. It’s imperfect, constantly forming and always dangerous. But
it’s also filled with real people who feel and trust and get up in the morning
to make eggs. It’s gorgeous to see readers respond to the fantasy element of
Palet, but also connect to the very human elements that they can recognize in
the real world, too.
For me, the struggle was giving the world
some constraints. I think in my head it was all clear, and I couldn’t quite
understand why it was so confusing to others. I had had years to develop and
world-build, and when I came upon an obstacle my mind simply made up another
rule to go around it. It wasn’t until I had my first beta-read that I realized
that there so many layers I might have gotten ahead of myself! It’s one thing
to make a world of dreams where anything goes, but readers want you to take
them on a journey that they can map!
some constraints. I think in my head it was all clear, and I couldn’t quite
understand why it was so confusing to others. I had had years to develop and
world-build, and when I came upon an obstacle my mind simply made up another
rule to go around it. It wasn’t until I had my first beta-read that I realized
that there so many layers I might have gotten ahead of myself! It’s one thing
to make a world of dreams where anything goes, but readers want you to take
them on a journey that they can map!
So, I needed a map.
Or really, I needed a world that had
mountains and cities and rules. Sure, things can fly but the sky isn’t endless.
Yes, dreams can pop in and out of the air but where do they go when they’re not
around? So for me, the biggest struggle was keeping this world in control. And
giving readers the ability to visualize it on a larger scale.
mountains and cities and rules. Sure, things can fly but the sky isn’t endless.
Yes, dreams can pop in and out of the air but where do they go when they’re not
around? So for me, the biggest struggle was keeping this world in control. And
giving readers the ability to visualize it on a larger scale.
What about your characters? Were they difficult to
transfer from your mind to the books?
transfer from your mind to the books?
My characters came onto the page without
much difficulty, I think because they all had very strong elements that I
revered/feared/lusted after/wanted to be, etc. Both Cirrus and Lucan have bits
of my ideal man. Maggie has the strength I wish I could see in myself, but also
the insecurity I most certainly do know I struggle with. Marty is everything I
wanted in an uncle. Once I related my characters to myself, it was easier to give
them a voice.
much difficulty, I think because they all had very strong elements that I
revered/feared/lusted after/wanted to be, etc. Both Cirrus and Lucan have bits
of my ideal man. Maggie has the strength I wish I could see in myself, but also
the insecurity I most certainly do know I struggle with. Marty is everything I
wanted in an uncle. Once I related my characters to myself, it was easier to give
them a voice.
One thing I did not think would happen
was change. Cirrus, for example,
started off sick. And by sick, I mean demented.
He was Cillian Murphy as the Sandman, a Mr. Ripley. A villain. But then his depth
reached further than just an obsession and he became relatable. HOW? No idea. I
just remember my beta-reader giving me her notes and saying how much she was
rooting for Cirrus.
was change. Cirrus, for example,
started off sick. And by sick, I mean demented.
He was Cillian Murphy as the Sandman, a Mr. Ripley. A villain. But then his depth
reached further than just an obsession and he became relatable. HOW? No idea. I
just remember my beta-reader giving me her notes and saying how much she was
rooting for Cirrus.
Sometimes, no matter how much you think
you know your characters, they morph on their own.
you know your characters, they morph on their own.
Could
you share with us your favorite line or paragraph from The Wilds and tells us why that one?
you share with us your favorite line or paragraph from The Wilds and tells us why that one?
And the award for hardest question ever goes to . . . Melissa! J Oh goodness, to pick my favorite line or paragraph is nearly impossible.
I’m not a ‘”one-liner” kind of girl, although I wish I was clever enough to be.
One moment that stands out for me is Leof’s grand entrance. He is really the
definition of dramatic! And he’s also clearly insane.
I’m not a ‘”one-liner” kind of girl, although I wish I was clever enough to be.
One moment that stands out for me is Leof’s grand entrance. He is really the
definition of dramatic! And he’s also clearly insane.
And another introduction I’ve grown fond of is Lucan’s. Maggie has just
freed him from the Wilds and has a completely human moment in the midst of all
the utter craziness. I think it’s refreshing, and reminds us that yes, this girl is 22 years old and
completely out of her depth.
freed him from the Wilds and has a completely human moment in the midst of all
the utter craziness. I think it’s refreshing, and reminds us that yes, this girl is 22 years old and
completely out of her depth.
“It was weird. I am a pretty sensible woman. I’ve been to
college and seen the beefed-up frat boys toting their Jell-O shots on the
unwary. And the hipster philosophers who buy you flat-whites and discuss the
latest electro-funk and bamboo-crafted glass frames. I have kissed and fucked a
few of them. But I have never been one of those girls who drinks a Diet Coke
while watching the handsome electrician flex their muscles. I do not get lost
in any man’s eyes.But there was a lost moment when I
watched Lucan shake the water from his face. All I could hear for around ten
seconds was the white ringing of static as I followed the sparkling drops of
moisture slide slowly down his neck and curve around his broad collar bones.
His skin was golden tan and the dark hair on his chest spread down his torso
and trailed off. It disappeared at the waistband of his toned naval and wide
hips. Hips that looked like they could grind a woman to powder. Somewhere in my
mind – pushed back very far, mind you – I was hating myself. Because I was in
the middle of the desert running from a man who wanted to steal a throne I
didn’t know I had yesterday. And I had just saved his brother from crucifixion.
And despite the utter absurdity of the situation I was ogling a shirtless man
like Spring Break.”
And
speaking of The Wilds, was there
anything that didn’t make it into the final book?
speaking of The Wilds, was there
anything that didn’t make it into the final book?
Yeah, I had to change the entire ending for various reasons. I loved it
in a self-indulgent way, but there was no world in which it would have worked
for the book.
in a self-indulgent way, but there was no world in which it would have worked
for the book.
In the original YA version Maggie’s symbol was more than just an object.
I wanted it to be her uncle’s soul and Cirrus to be in possession of it.
Therefore, the Walk became more of a game of Hide and Seek. Maggie found her
way back to the manor and faced off against Cirrus, who basically just gave up
(yawn). He allowed her to free her uncle’s soul by burning a candle, and as the
sun rose and the candle sputtered out, the entirety of Palet fell apart and her
uncle was free.
I wanted it to be her uncle’s soul and Cirrus to be in possession of it.
Therefore, the Walk became more of a game of Hide and Seek. Maggie found her
way back to the manor and faced off against Cirrus, who basically just gave up
(yawn). He allowed her to free her uncle’s soul by burning a candle, and as the
sun rose and the candle sputtered out, the entirety of Palet fell apart and her
uncle was free.
The problem? Maggie just stands there and lets a candle do all the work for her! Where is her strength? What did
Maggie fight for only to have this world she conquered get destroyed because of
a piece of wax?
Maggie fight for only to have this world she conquered get destroyed because of
a piece of wax?
I
haven’t read Out of the Bright yet
(promise I will do so soon), but I want to know- What can we expect from this
sequel? Will there be more romance, more action?
haven’t read Out of the Bright yet
(promise I will do so soon), but I want to know- What can we expect from this
sequel? Will there be more romance, more action?
I can’t wait for you to read it! I think it’s incredibly different to The Wilds. Out of the Bright really gives readers a chance to explore the
Middle Canvas. It’s more grounded and steady. This also means it’s quieter, but
I think all the characters really grow and this sets things up for the third
book (which is basically all out war).
Middle Canvas. It’s more grounded and steady. This also means it’s quieter, but
I think all the characters really grow and this sets things up for the third
book (which is basically all out war).
In a nutshell, Out of the Bright has
more blood, more romance, more running, and more angst. As Maggie becomes
darker, so does the story, and the people around her follow suit.
more blood, more romance, more running, and more angst. As Maggie becomes
darker, so does the story, and the people around her follow suit.
Besides from writing, what other things do you love
to do?
to do?
I’m an editor, so I love my day job. And
I also play the accordion and watch endless box-sets. I’m one episode away from
the finale of Dexter (limping along, I know). But then I have Sons of Anarchy to start, and Mad Men. And OMG the fourth season of
AHS! AND GAME OF THRONES.
I also play the accordion and watch endless box-sets. I’m one episode away from
the finale of Dexter (limping along, I know). But then I have Sons of Anarchy to start, and Mad Men. And OMG the fourth season of
AHS! AND GAME OF THRONES.
So, I obviously need to get outside more.
I should do a sport. Or learn how to knit (oh god, am I the only person on this
earth who hates to knit?).
I should do a sport. Or learn how to knit (oh god, am I the only person on this
earth who hates to knit?).
Are you a cat or a dog person?
Cat. Cat cat cat cat cat. Cat.
And whose cat? My cat. Obvs.
What was the last book that you read?
YA is a weakness of mine, so at the
moment I’m reading The Witch’s Boy by
Kelly Barnhill. Simple, splendid storytelling the way it should be. And before
that I CONSUMED Scarlet and Ivy: The Lost
Twin. It’s a dark mystery and incredibly engaging. I love books with a
sharp edge. It’s what I thrive on.
moment I’m reading The Witch’s Boy by
Kelly Barnhill. Simple, splendid storytelling the way it should be. And before
that I CONSUMED Scarlet and Ivy: The Lost
Twin. It’s a dark mystery and incredibly engaging. I love books with a
sharp edge. It’s what I thrive on.
Do you have a playlist for your books? (I’d love to
hear it!)
hear it!)
I only mention songs and artists a few
times in this book and the next. It’s hard to find a way for Maggie to listen
to music in another world!
times in this book and the next. It’s hard to find a way for Maggie to listen
to music in another world!
So while I don’t have a playlist readers
can listen along to, I do have my own store of songs and artists that inspire
my writing and remind me of Palet (and of the music that Maggie listened to before
she crossed over from the real world) . . .
can listen along to, I do have my own store of songs and artists that inspire
my writing and remind me of Palet (and of the music that Maggie listened to before
she crossed over from the real world) . . .
- Hannah Peel (two songs in particular, Fabricstate and Silk Road)
- Alt-J (both albums, over and over and
over on repeat) - Mazzy Star – So Tonight That I Might See
- Broken Bells (After the Disco album)
- School of Seven Bells (Disconnect from
Desire) - The Decemberists (The King is Dead)
- Black Prairie (A Tear in the Eye is a
Wound in the Heart) - Fredrik – Flora
Is there anything else that you would like to share
with us?
with us?
Be excellent to each other . . .
Thank you so much again, Jules! You are so cool, and I’m very excited to read Out of the Bright. I love it when books turn darker!
About Jules Hedger
Originally from California, Jules Hedger now lives on a houseboat in London with one husband and one cat. She’s been a carny, a macaroni and cheese waitress and currently works in genre fiction publishing. The Reign and Ruin series is her debut.
Or enter to win it in the rafflecopter below! 😉
Oh Jules, how much I adore you! Your beta is PROUD of you and thinks both your story and writing are growing quite greatly. Amazing job, my dear! And yes, I'm always with Cirrus, you know that <3
Melissa, if you're curious, I've posted my review for Out of the Bright today (no spoilers, do not worry!) 😉
Fantastic interview, girls!!
I already checked it out, and gosh, I'm so excited to read the book! Sounds beyond amazing. 😀