ℚ♫ The Cycle of the Six Moons [1-3] - Adelle Yeung

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Adelle Yeung to talk about The Cycle of the Six Moons , a Young Adult Fantasy series.

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

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A very warm welcome to Adelle Yeung; thank you for joining us!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in The Cycle of the Six Moons Series, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"Hurray, music! :D

I listen to A LOT of video game music when I’m writing, and I don’t want to give a HUGE list of every song from every soundtrack I listen to, so here’s something different.  It’s a link to a YouTube playlist that I titled “Tranquility,” which I’ve sent to friends who want something to calm them down.  Sometimes I listen to it while I’m preparing for bed.  Some of them are calming, some of them are pensive, some of them are even really sad, but the point is, they’re beautiful songs and I love how they make me feel."

Excellent!  Enjoy :-)

What was the inspiration for The Cycle of the Six Moons Series?

"I’ve played video games since elementary school, and I had found myself addicted to the stories of Japanese role-playing games.

When I was thirteen, on a family road trip to Disneyland, I wondered why in video games, you often have to save a princess.  Why did it have to be a girl?  This was before I even wanted to think about human beings as a prize, so I thought, ha! Let’s switch things up and make it a prince!  For the rest of the drive, I daydreamed about sneaking into an underwater fortress to save a prince from the enemies, which is an actual story arc that made it into the first book, The Starriest Summer."

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

"Michelle is basically who I was when I was her age. She loves video games, I love video games. She’s hyper, energetic, attracted to guys and shiny magical things—so was I. When I had first started writing the story when I was thirteen, I wanted to put myself into a magical world, and so I did. Some things have changed here and there, like, Michelle does some things that are more noble than what I would’ve done at that age, but she still maintains her personality."

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

"The cover is Brandon Lacey! Check out his DeviantArt here: http://blue-paint-sea.deviantart.com/ He’s a buddy of mine. He’s a concept artist of a video game we’re both working on. When it came around to making a book cover, I basically said, “Hey Brandon, I like your style. Wanna collaborate on a book cover?” I knew that he could do a vector, silhouette-style cover better than I could. I wanted one artist who could tie each of the three book covers together in the same style. Each book has its own seasonal theme and own color. Summer is blue, autumn is red, winter is purple… I wanted a simple but eye-catching look, and Brandon was awesome at his job."

Why should we read The Cycle of the Six Moons Series and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"When it comes to a lot of “you are the chosen one who must save the world” type stories, I feel that a lot of the protagonists are pretty bland. I suppose this is so that the readers can project themselves onto the protagonist and feel that they, themselves, are the hero who must save the day.

However, I feel like this is more effective in video games. Take the silent protagonist Link from The Legend of Zelda series. His name is “Link” as a connection between the avatar and the player. He doesn’t speak (or, well, it tends to cause outrage when he does), so you—as the player—can project whatever heroic traits you feel represent you onto him. "

Can you tell us something quirky about The Cycle of the Six Moons Series, its story and characters?

"Well. It’s kinda silly, but I named the world in which Michelle falls “Starrs” because I had a bit of an obsession with celestial bodies. (I attribute such tastes to Sailor Moon.) Same with the Cycle of the Six Moons. It makes sense within the context of the story why the planet is called Starrs, why the Moons, but when you take a step back and look at it, it really stems from the preferences of a nerdy teenage girl."

Who would you recommend The Cycle of the Six Moons Series to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"Nerds. Geeks. Dorks. Gamers. Anime lovers. I think most readers who really understand Michelle had grown up with the same things she did—video games and anime. I feel that the readers who found her too childish might not have felt the joy of geeking out over nerdy things.

I’d like to recommend this to ages 10-35, but I would like to mention that the first book may lead younger readers into a false sense of security. The story becomes gradually darker. There’s a lot of violence from the half of the second book onward, and the third book touches on pedophilia and prostitution. I don’t think those are necessarily things you want an eight-year-old reading. "

If you could / wished to turn The Cycle of the Six Moons Series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Studio Ghibli! ♥ But that’s reaching super high. I’d prefer this to be an animated series. That’s all I’ll say."

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

"I like to write adventures, which are usually fantasy/sci-fi. I’ve tried writing contemporary, but even those have a touch of sci-fi in ‘em. I do prefer reading these genres as well."

What is your writing process?

"I daydream. I outline. I write. I edit. It’s a pretty boring process to describe."

What is in store next?

"I am currently working on editing the last book in the Cycle of the Six Moons trilogy, The Last Winter Moon! So far, it’s longer than the first two books, much darker, much more violent, much more feelsy. I’d like to say it’s the best. It wraps everything together."

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?

"I HAVE A CAT. I ADORE HER. Her name is Bubbles. She’s a spoiled little princess. I ALSO HAVE A SPARROW. We call him Birdie. Sometimes Monster. He’s kind of a jerk, but we love him. Keep an eye out for them in The Last Winter Moon ;)"

Aww, cuties :-)  I am not sure I would trust my cats with a bird... they love bird-watching and the birds normally laugh at them... but I would be very nervous :-D  It's great to see you have these two little ones :-)

Thank you for sharing them with us!

The Cycle of the Six Moons Series
Available NOW!

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