BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Of Delicate Pieces: Of Breakable Things [2]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author A. Lynden Rolland to talk about Of Delicate Pieces (10 November 2015, Month9Books, LLC, 300pages), a Young Adult Paranormal Urban Fantasy, book two of the Of Breakable Things series.

We have a great playlist and you also get a chance to watch Amy tumble! (No, I am not kidding!)

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

Hello Amy! Welcome and thank you for joining us today :-)

Here at BooksChatter we love music, so Amy has shared with us her music playlist for Of Delicate Pieces and the Of Breakable Things series, with full explanation! Enjoy!

Playlist for Of Delicate Pieces (warning: there’s a lot of variety here)

Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance
Why? The festivals in Eidolon where the ghosts wear eccentric costumes. They use their minds to distort their appearances. They hold rainclouds by strings. They set fire to themselves. They throw bulbs of emotions into the air to splatter on the crowd below. It’s a creepy, cool, and macabre little parade.
All I want – Kodaline
and Mad World – Michael Andrews
Why? Of Delicate Pieces – the actual title- is taken from a line in the book. The idea is that when we die, the energy, and the intelligence, and the memories we had in life need to go somewhere. Without a body, sometimes the energy forms a spirit, and if not, the pieces of that former person, the memories and emotions, fly around until they attach to something.

I listened to both songs while writing these scenes, and not necessarily because of the lyrics but because of the tones.
One Day – Matisyahu
Why? Of Delicate Pieces is about Alex and Chase and the afterworld, yes, but it’s also about the fighting between the dead and the living, specifically the living who have the same mental powers as the dead (or the ‘gifted’). They are living under a “separate but equal” understanding that doesn’t work for either side. Alex, unfortunately, is stuck between the two worlds due to family history (anti-gifted) vs. her appearance (Sephi Anovark, the golden girl of the gifted rights movement).
Supermassive Black Hole – Muse
The ‘gifted’ people in the series are often called witches (like Professor Duvall in book one), even though they hate the term. They can manipulate sight, move objects with their minds, sense emotions or changes in brain activity, etc. The dead can do these things because their minds are free from their bodies, but the gifted are still living. When they popped into scenes, this song always played in my head.
All Through the Night – Sleeping at Last
Why? For Alex and Chase. Their relationship continues to evolve now that they are dead and have no fear of loss.
Renegades – X Ambassadors
Why? For Jonas. Everyone’s favorite jerk. Why do my readers like him so much??

Anyway, Jonas is off doing his own thing, living separately from the society of Eidolon. This feeds into book 3 because he is running with a group of outlaws and underdogs and ‘renegades.’
Riptide – Vance Joy
Why? For Chase. The lyrics (my interpretation at least) are about a girl he loves that is changing right before his eyes. Alex is changing- she doesn’t need or want only Chase’s approval anymore. She cares about what other people think of her (especially because they think she’s the second coming of a dead prophet). But Chase has always had her on a pedestal and loves her no matter how she changes.
Broken – Lifehouse
Theme of the series. A song about broken clocks, broken lights, and broken hearts? Yes, please. Add in damaged people, love, and barely being alive, and it’s perfect.

What was the inspiration for Of Delicate Pieces?

"There’s so much more that I wanted to do and explain in a mentally manipulated afterworld – As Alex’s mind opens and welcomes the odd and impossible, she sees new things every day: ladders leading into the sky, rowboats in the fog, clouds on strings, distorted buildings, mines made of memories. Spirits imagine themselves into their outfits. When they feel a certain way, their minds project them to look a certain way. They can see music and hear colors. The possibilities are endless.

I also wanted to expand on the interactions between the dead and the living, specifically the ‘gifted’ who have the same mental powers as the dead. (Gifted characters from book one: Liv, Professor Duvall, Sephi Anovark.) The gifted aren’t considered equals, and they see Alex as their chance to get back their rights because Alex is identical to their slain civil leader."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Good question. I like to consider the impossibilities. Do you ever look at something and wonder if there’s more than what meets the eye? That we just aren’t looking hard enough? I mull over these things all the time. If I listened hard enough, maybe I could hear the ocean singing (Alex discovers this in ODP). If I tried harder, would I hear voices when the trees whisper? (This is more Skye’s territory.) Do people really have colors surrounding them? (Chase’s eyes can see their intentions and emotions.) My curiosity is reflected in the afterworld I created."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Of Delicate Pieces - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I wish I could take credit for it! The idea, the concept, everything was Month9Books. They did have a different cover in mind at first- it was Alex’s face again but this time she looked more human. I liked the idea that as she progressed in death, she became more lifelike – this might seem confusing, but Alex was so broken during life that it takes death for her to really live. I love that M9 stuck with the blue theme.

Also, Alex’s hometown plays a role in every book in the series. There were so many paths, games, and secrets that Alex shared with the Lasalle boys in the Parrish woods. I like to think the cover image is Alex in those woods, where there is more history than she realized."

Why should we read Of Delicate Pieces and the Of Breakable Things series? What sets it apart from the rest?

"The Of Breakable Things series definitely isn’t your cookie cutter ghost story. It isn’t about a dead girl finding her murderer, avenging her death, or haunting the living. It’s about beautiful imagination. It’s about the afterworld, about second chances in a world that appears to be perfect but has just as many flaws as any other."

Can you tell us something quirky about Of Delicate Pieces, its story and characters?

"Fun fact 1: I never intended for Of Breakable Things to be published. I had a story idea and I just wrote until it was over. I gave it to someone to read- I didn’t think anything would come of it- but I was encouraged to publish. It took me a year to edit the first draft because it was such a mess (again, I never thought anyone would really read it.) I was submitting Of Breakable Things to agents when I was pregnant with my second son. When he was born, the first name I blurted out was ‘Chase!’ My husband I loved the name, and I wasn’t too concerned about the whole thing because I didn’t know if the story would get picked up.

It did.

So fun fact 2: My son is named Chase. People ask me why I named my son after one of my dead characters. I didn’t!"

Who would you recommend Of Delicate Pieces to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"The official age is twelve and up, but there isn’t anything inappropriate in any of the books. I’ve had readers as young as ten say they loved the first book, but most of the readers who contact me are adults!"

If you could / wished to turn Of Delicate Pieces and the Of Breakable Things series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I think a movie would either be really expensive or really cheesy because of the special effects. Think The Matrix meets Inception. Bending the world isn’t easy to do visually.

Cast:
Alex looks like a young Twiggy, the model.
Chase and Kaleb resemble a young Rob Lowe, and Gabe and Jonas are more James Dean.

Location would have to be California since this is where Eidolon is hidden under the redwoods."

What do you like to write about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I write about whatever is stuck in my head! I’m on submission with a contemporary book right now. I’m also attempting to write a middle grade at the moment, just for fun. We’ll see what comes of it!"

What is your writing process?

"Chaos. I take whatever concept I’ve decided to roll with, and first I just write a mess of notes. Then I figure out the conflict – what’s the catalyst to get this concept moving? I sketch out a few side stories, figure out how the bad guys will close in, and then outline a finale and resolution.

I’ll begin drafting and once the characters start to take on personalities, I’ll stop and web them out (pictures included). What are their quirks, their habits, their flaws? What makes each character unique? Are they necessary to the plot?

I keep writing. Once the skeleton of the first draft is finished I make a list of ways to make the manuscript unique. This could be adding to the plot, adding a bit of magic, adding to the setting… it’s always different.

Then there’s the editing, the critiquing, the playlists, the rewriting, etc."

What is in store next?

"Book 3! Those edits should be arriving soon. The third book in the series is about how the spirits in Eidolon are categorized to find how they can be useful. You can imagine how this might be an issue."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"Biggest pet peeve: when people take pictures of their half-eaten food.

Quirk: I’m a former competitive gymnast. I can still hold a handstand for over a minute, and I can still tumble pretty well especially in a tumble track (long trampoline)."

Fantastic! LOL
Thank you so much for sharing it all with us! :-)