BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Hatred Day: Hatred Day [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author T.S. Pettibone to talk about Hatred Day (29 January 2016, Chrysanthalix Press, 356 pages), a Young Adult Science Fiction novel.

"This confident and captivating novel should leave readers eagerly anticipating future volumes.

The first gripping installment in a sci-fi series set in a future of fractious and dangerous alien apartheid." - Kirkus Review Starred read.

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

A very warm welcome to Brittany and Nicole Pettibone, a.ka. T.S. Pettibone; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

We love music, so T.S. Pettibone has shared with us her music playlist for Hatred Day - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for Hatred Day?

"We’ve always sought to write about the deepest conflict possible in our stories. And the idea of mankind having to coexist with extra-terrestrial beings provided ultimate conflict.

It was Brittany who thought of the initial premise for Hatred Day, but the story grew and changed as we did over time—9 years to be exact. Before publication in January 2016, it progressed through several titles and dozens of rewrites. Only two or three original story beats exist in the published novel."

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

"Our characters are mostly born from either understanding or experience. They can reflect a mind-set we once had, or human temperaments that intrigue us, or even the traits of a family member."

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

"The concept for Hatred Day’s cover took a lot more brainstorming than we care to admit. Initially, we only knew that we wanted the cover to be simple yet striking. Also, because Hatred Day is a series, we knew we had to come up with a concept that could be transferred to all the covers in the series.

Eventually, we both agreed that the concept with the most creative leeway was to place a different character on the cover of each book. Of course, it was an obvious decision to feature the protagonist, Snofrid, on Hatred Day’s cover, but book two will feature one of the larger supporting characters. Fortunately, we won’t have to do quite as much brainstorming, though, as we almost have that cover all mapped out.

Once the cover concept had been agreed upon, we discussed color combinations. We immediately knew that we wanted the cover to have a strong focal point, which is one of the reasons we chose to make the gasmask red. The second reason was because, psychologically, the color red has a physical effect; it stimulates the spectator and raises their pulse rate. To contrast the harshness and ferocity of the gasmask, we dressed Snofrid in an elegant white dress. The motive behind this decision was to showcase our world, which is essentially a blend of horror and beauty.

On that note, we covered Snofrid’s face with a gasmask for two reasons. Firstly, because gasmasks are an integral part of our world. They are always worn by our characters while they are outdoors because the air in our world has been polluted and is no longer safe to breathe. Secondly, we know that many people, ourselves included, prefer to imagine what each character looks like as opposed to being shown.

Hatred Day’s cover was produced by an online company called 99Designs, which was recommend to us by a fellow author. Basically, you can either commission a one-on-one project with the artist of your choice, or you can hold a contest where several artists will enter designs based off of your concept. The first time we used the site we held a contest, and through it, we discovered a wonderful Indonesian artist [Piere D'Arteries] who we eventually commissioned to digitally paint our cover. Ultimately, we were so impressed with his work that we now commission him to do all of our artwork."

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

"First and foremost, Hatred Day is unique through its genre-blending. Seven or more genres appear in this story, with science-fiction and fantasy as its spearheads.

Hatred Day is also unique through its world-building. We’ve fashioned a world in which magic and futuristic technology are both strongly present, not only because the blend interests us, but because it’s not common in YA books today.

And lastly, Hatred Day is unique through its characters. We both have a deep love of cultures, and so many of the characters in Hatred Day are different nationalities, from Swedish, to Japanese, to Lithuanian and Thai."

Can you tell us something quirky about Hatred Day, its story and characters?

"There is extensive symbolism in the numbers that appear in the story, the imagery and the directions, right and left. Often times, the symbolism hints at future story events or serves as a good or bad premonition."

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

"We recommend Hatred Day to readers who enjoy vast worlds, complex plots and diverse characters. (Ages 15-and-up)

The book is set during a world war, so certain scenes are violent. It also depicts some sensitive topics, like sex-trafficking, so if you would rather not experience things of this nature in a book, then we do not recommend you read Hatred Day."

If you could / wished to turn Hatred Day and the series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"We’re not yet sure that we would ever want Hatred Day made into a film. However, there are some directors who we greatly admire, like David Fincher, Sidney Lumet, Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese.

Regarding actors, we wouldn’t be finicky—as long as the actor could justly and accurately depict their specific character.

Regarding locations, Hatred Day takes place in Oregon and we’d prefer that a film be shot in the same location."

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

"Speculative fiction is our favorite genre to write because it allows us to mirror reality through the make-believe. In Hatred Day, we touch upon a range of concepts and themes, but, to us, the most fascinating of them all is how a person can go from good to evil.

Another reason we love writing speculative fiction is because it’s limitless. Writers of speculative fiction are free to tell a story using whatever their mind is capable of imagining. They never have to fear the restriction of natural laws, not to mention, their stories will likely contain characters, ideas and details unlike any other story on earth.

With that said, we do read science-fiction, fantasy, horror and young-adult books, but our favorite books of all time are the classics."

What is in store next?

"Hatred Day is the first book in a seven-book series that we have been planning for the past nine years. Currently, we are writing the second installment in the series, Verdict Day. Expected publication is 2017.

We’re also working on a separate standalone novel in our spare time."

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?

"We have the most wonderful dog in the world, a King Charles Cavalier named Sherlock. Oddly enough, we named him Sherlock before ever meeting him, and when he arrived, it turned out that the white fur on his back was in the shape of a question mark."

Hello Sherlock, you beautiful boy! Lots of cuddles to you from us at BooksChatter!
Thank you for sharing Sherlock with us :-D and thank for being with us today!