BooksChatter: ℚ Wilder Revelation: The Guardian [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author G.K. DeRosa to talk about Wilder Revelation (21 Feburary 2016, G.K. DeRosa LLC, 346 pages), a Young Adult Paranormal Romance, book three of The Guardian series.

"I love when you start reading a book with a firm idea in your mind of what's going to happen and then it all gets blown to bits. [...] This is a series that has gotten better with each book and I can't wait for more from this author." - Michelle Lynn, YA Author

"Abound with magic and danger, this is a roller coaster of an emotional ride.
Once you hop on there is no hope of safely jumping off. New characters and unexpected, volatile situations will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to see who survives and what could possibly happen next." - Laura Dogsmum

Author Q&A || Wilder: Synopsis | Teaser | Giveaway & Tour Stops || Feature: Wilder Revelation || The Series || About the Author ||

A very warm welcome to Genevieve DeRosa; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Wilder Revelation and the Guardian series?

"Interestingly enough, The Guardian Series was inspired by the characters Damon and Elena from the TV show The Vampire Diaries. I had never watched the show when it started and a co-worker recommended it to me when I was complaining about the end of True Blood. I ended up watching about 5 seasons in a matter of weeks and I became totally obsessed. I was also reading a lot at the time, mostly YA – Hunger Games, Twilight, The Mortal Instruments and I decided I should try my hand at writing. I used to love it when I was in middle school, but as the years passed, my creativity got stifled. As soon as I started writing, I knew right away that this was what I was meant to be doing."

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

"I think a good amount of myself is reflected in the main character, Celeste Wilder. She’s an only child and lost her father when she was young and lived a rather sheltered life attending Catholic school. A lot of the characters are loosely based on people in my life and I’ve also used some familiar names. Then there’s a ton of stuff that’s complete fantasy and that’s what’s really fun!"

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

"The cover is one of the hardest parts in my opinion! I have a great graphic designer, Masa Licinia, that I have worked with on all three covers. I had no idea what I wanted when we worked on the first and it was completely her idea and then I just tweaked it a bit. It was an extreme close up of a girl’s face so for the subsequent covers, I wanted to create a zooming out effect so that you would see more and more of Celeste as the books went on. This last one might be my favorite. I decided to go a completely different route with the blues and give it a much more mysterious tone. I wanted it to reflect a bit more darkness, which was a main theme of the third book. All of my covers are completely different, but I’ve decided to embrace that fact instead of worry about it!"

Why should we read Wilder Revelation and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"It’s a lighthearted supernatural YA romance without the smut! I think readers will appreciate the innocence of the main character while still admiring her as she grows into her new role as protector of human kind. It’s a sweet coming of age novel with a supernatural twist!"

Can you tell us something quirky about Wilder Revelation, its story and characters?

"Two things – not at all related but funny/cool. The character, Nico, is named after my German shepherd who is the love of my life (besides my husband of course). Most of the names in the book are names that I really like, which was a big mistake because now that I’m pregnant and trying to pick baby names, they make me think of the characters! We actually did end up picking a name from the book for our baby but it’s a secret! :-) The other thing is that the first person that I signed Wilder: The Guardian Series (the first book) for was Ian Somerhalder which was so absolutely perfect since he really inspired it. He was a total sweetheart **swoon** when I met him and he seemed truly honored when I told him that his character Damon had inspired me to write."

Who would you recommend Wilder Revelation to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book to fans of YA paranormal romance/urban fantasy. If you loved Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy, etc. you’ll love Wilder. There’s something in it for everyone – romance, adventure, coming of age drama and it’s not just your typical vampire novel."

If you could / wished to turn Wilder Revelation and the The Guardian series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

" What a great question! There are some characters that I clearly envisioned as certain actors when writing the series and others that I had a really hard time with. Roman was Ian Somerhalder from day one, but Celeste was much more difficult. Here’s the final list:

Celeste Wilder - Chloe Grace Moretz
Roman Constantin – Ian Somerhalder
Nico Constantin – Theo James
Brian Kennedy – Alexander Ludwig
Natalie Meadows – Zoey Deutch
Stellan - Stellan Skarsgard
Mrs. Wilder – Jennifer Garner
Mr. Wilder – Hugh Jackman
Dante – Liam Neesen
Magnus – David Boreanaz
Fabian – Jack Nicholson
Alek – Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter)
Marco Caccia – Taylor Lautner
Maddie Wilder – Ann Hathaway"

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

"So far I’ve only written YA urban fantasy/paranormal romance and I think I’ll stick to that for a while. There’s something so freeing about writing fantasy because you’re not bound by any constraints. I love that! And I love romance, I’m a total romantic at heart so I have to have that in what I’m both reading and writing. Yes, this is definitely the genre I read most, but I’ll read just about anything that’s good. I like almost all YA and I’m also obsessed with the Outlander series, which is probably the only adult book series I’ve read in a really long time!"

What is your writing process?

"I try to write every day for a few hours, usually my goal is 5 pages a day in Word. I’m not a very structured writer, I am trying to be better about that but I generally just like to let it flow. I like to let my characters lead me through the story. I do try to create an outline, but it’s pretty rough and I always end up changing things. Now that I’m about to start the fourth and final book in the series, I did have to sit down and come up with more of a detailed plan. I wanted to make sure to tie everything up – it’s so bitter sweet!"

What is in store next?

"As I mentioned, I just started writing the last book in the series and I think it’s going to be the hardest one to write yet. I’ve become so attached to these characters and it’s really hard to bring their stories to a close. I will hint that the first scene in the last book will be a bit of a shocker so get ready! After finishing off The Guardian Series, I plan on releasing a spin-off series but I don’t want to give too much away. I have a lot of ideas running through my head, but haven’t set anything in stone yet. It’s going to be fun though!"

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?

"This is one of my most prized possessions as I mentioned earlier – my picture signing Wilder for Ian Somerhalder and a picture of the two of us with the book. :-)"