Happy to be here. Thanks for having me!
Tell us about Siren Song.
Think Twilight meets The Hobbit with a strong heroine and a dash of humor. Ariel Robinson is a word nerd with five word-of-the-day-calendars looking for a place to fit in. When she receives the glossy brochure from Montana State University inviting her to apply, the outdoorsy tomboy feels like a lifer who's been shown the secret escape passage from the cell block of her parents’ Dallas socialite scene. But when she arrives in Bozeman with her trunk load of books, the welcoming committee is far from what she had imagined. As if it’s not bad enough that her roommate Kristin looks like Barbie crossed with Gossip Girl, some invisible being with a sinister voice literally knocks her flat onto the frigidly cold sidewalk—and onto a hospital gurney. It seems that she’s actually been lured into the training grounds of two battling factions of the Fallen Angels, who are convinced that Ariel can lead them to the Piece of Home, a mysterious, highly coveted object lost when they were evicted from the big mansion in the sky that will determine who wins their war. All is not lost, however. A ridiculously good looking senior named Michael seems intent on popping up everywhere to chaperone her home. And while her blonde bombshell roommate Kristin and geeky classmate Todd insert themselves into their relationship in various vexing ways, Ariel is soon initiated into a world of Fallen Angels, including the kindly, patriarchal Achimalech, snooty Daniel, robotic Cyrus, and superstar lawyer Lucian.
What was the inspiration for Ariel's character?
Believe it or not, it was Harry Potter. I wondered what would have happened if the powers-that-be at Hogwarts had gotten it wrong, and Harry Potter had been plunged into the wizardly world with not an ounce of magic in his veins to help him out. That led to the character of Ariel, a girl who’s always felt like she was sent home from the hospital at birth with the wrong family. She’d hoped that MSU would be the place where she could finally fit in, but instead, she’s mistaken (or not!) for someone with connections to the Fallen Angels, and has to operate in their supernatural world relying on solely on her very human skills.
By the way, descriptions of all the Siren Song characters are contained on this website:www.sirensongbook.com.
The site also contains a diagram of the Fallen Angels’ headquarters, excerpts of The Rules that the Fallen Angels are supposed to follow (which are referenced in Siren Song but not spelled out) and other cool facts.
From B.A.'s Pinboard (Fanpop)
Tell me more about the "ridiculously good-looking" senior Michael. *grins*Ah.I could talk forever about Michael. He’s got dark hair, light blue eyes and a perfect dark stubble on his face that usually only airbrushed GQ models manage to pull off. I’ve created a Pinterest board with options for what Michael looks like, and I’d love other people’s photos of what they think he looks like after they read the book. Here’s the link: http://pinterest.com/bablackwood/michael-looks-like/
Michael rocks an “I’m sexy and I know it” attitude carried off with a wink that makes you like him. It’s all Ariel can do not to drool when he focuses his full attention on her. And for someone who loves words as much as Ariel does, Michael’s command of vocabulary makes him totally irresistible.
But every time Ariel thinks they’re about to get closer, Michael does something that makes her wonder if he has another agenda - one that may not involve her best interests. Who hasn’t been there? J
Your book is New Adult. What do you think about the growing popularity of this category?
I totally get it because even though the age range for New Adult is broad, the group shares the common denominator of trying to answer the question of “who am I and where do I fit in?” Siren Song is basically a fish out of water story, which is how many people feel both in school and for years afterwards as they try to find their way in the world and what best suits them.
What's your favorite writing snack?
That’s easy – sour flavored jelly beans mixed in with Hot Tamales. Doesn’t get better than that!
Beth Ann! :)
Biography:I live with my husband and two pugs, Waldo & Jonesy, in Dallas, Texas, although we spend a lot of time in Bozeman, Montana, the setting for Siren Song. I started out as a trial lawyer and attended writing classes at night just for fun. I ended up loving it so much that writing is now my primary occupation.I’m an avid marathoner (as you can tell from my picture) and am currently working on the remaining books in the Siren Song trilogy and developing a spin-off series for Lucian Castlewhite, the superstar lawyer to the Fallen Angels. My author website is www.bablackwood.com.