Captivate Blog Tour – Author Interview

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Captivate, a debut novel by Australian author Vanessa Garden. I have Vanessa here on the blog today with a simple Q&A. You can follow the rest of the blog tour HERE.

*Author Interview*

Please Introduce 'Captivate' in 5 words. 

Love, secrets and danger underwater.

What inspired you to write Captivate? 

I have always wanted to write an underwater story. I grew up by the ocean and often dreamed up underwater cities as a child. However, the idea of Captivate came to me after listening to a song called 'To You I Bestow' by Mundy. The rest of the story spilled out after that one scene the song inspired.

Convince us why readers should choose mermaids over vampires/werewolves and other supernatural creatures! 

This is a tricky question because Captivate is not a mermaid book (though mermaids get mentioned plenty of times) so it is hard to compare it with supernatural creatures. But I will say that the underwater city in Captivate glitters with a magical crystal called light-crystal, the city's power source. Oh, and the guys are super-fit and walk around in head-to- toe black with daggers strapped to their boots - probably the best reason to chose Captivate ;)

What was your favourite scene in the book and why?

Marko and Miranda's garden scene. It is the first scene that popped into my head, which then inspired the entire story behind Captivate. I love it because there are moments in this scene where both Marko and Miranda drop their emotional shields and reveal their true, vulnerable selves.

What was the most difficult part of writing Captivate?  

The re-writing. I had to do so many re-writes because I wrote it pantser-style and allowed the characters to go off on many different tangents which created too many sub-plots. Chopping away favourite lines and paragraphs to stream-line the story was difficult but had to be done.

And the most rewarding? 

I just loved hanging out with my characters in the beautiful underwater city of Marin, which was a reward in itself. 

But getting Captivate published and being able to share my story with fellow readers is the greatest feeling. Also, working with the amazing team at Harlequin Australia has been hugely rewarding. I have learned so much. 

Quick Questions:

Favourite book? 'Of Mice and Men' John Steinbeck

Favourite Movie? A toss up between 'Stand By Me' 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Donnie Darko'

Favourite book couple? (Doesn’t have to be YA!) Will Herondale and Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices

Favourite movie couple?  I loved Inman (Jude Law) and Ada (Nicole Kidman) in Cold Mountain

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Thank you, Shirley! It was fun :)

*About the Book*

Captivate

by Vanessa Garden
Publisher: HarlequinTeen Australia

Release Date: January 1^st 2014

GOODREADS | HARLEQUIN SITE

In a glittering underwater world, nothing is as it seems...

For the past twelve months since her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda’s grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she’s dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim.

Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she’s being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.

Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There’s only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko’s personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...

*About the Author*

Vanessa lives on the coast Western Australia with her husband, their three chatty children, and three calming goldfish. When she is not writing, Vanessa can be found at the local bookstore where she works part-time. Vanessa loves nothing more than immersing herself in the exciting world of books. When she is not gushing about her favourite reads to customers, or dreaming up her next novel, she enjoys spending time with the people she loves most.

Find Vanessa on:
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Check out the rest of the blog schedule HERE, and a massive thank you to team at Harlequin AU for organizing this tour J