BooksChatter: ℚ Age of Order

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Julian North to talk about Age of Order (6 February 2017, Plebeian Media, 339 pages), a Young Adult Dystopian.

“Setting up a wealth of mysteries before pulling back the veil on each, it's hard to escape the grasp of this book” –US Review of Books (RECOMMENDED)

“Age of Order is a dazzling debut novel that we are tempted to call the best the genre has seen since the original Hunger Games--except that Age of Order is actually the more skillfully crafted story.” –Dystopianrealm.com (5/5 Stars, Top 10 YA Dystopian Book Selection)

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

A very warm welcome to Julian North; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Age of Order?

"Age of Order was inspired by my experiences fighting to get my two young children into school in my adopted home of New York City. You could say that the book was born out of anger and frustration, then raised on glimmers of hope. What started as a way to blow off steam evolved into a vessel to discuss the unfairness, inequality, and occasional brilliance I saw around me through my favorite medium: dystopian science-fiction."

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

"I tried to keep my own voice out of it as best I could. I wanted my characters to tell a story. I want readers to have their own reactions to the events that transpire and the choices made in the book. That said, I’m a huge sci-fi nerd…err fan, so that’s in there. One of the characters shares my love from twentieth century classic sci-fi, and he tosses around some cultural references. The book is a lot laced with other, more subtle references to classic sci-fi—often through names of places or references. If you are a fan of Metropolis, Dune, Blade Runner, Red Rising, Star Trek, Firefly, Brave New York, Slaughterhouse-Five… it’s all in there."

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

"The cover is of two contrasting cities, one of soaring beauty, one of poverty, their images separated by a soaring light (see Metropolis). It’s intended to convey the theme of inequality that that runs within the book. It was done by Dane at Ebooklaunch."

Why should we read Age of Order and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"At its best, Age of Order works on different levels and can speak to different audiences (young adults and adults). It’s the story of a strong young woman, Daniela Machado, who, like most people in her world, hasn’t had it easy: she’s lost most of her family, has few material possessions and has a ton of responsibilities. Daniela, like most the characters, are teenagers and come from various strata of society. So Age of order fits in the young adult genre, but the story is tempered with aspects of reality identifiable to more mature readers. Clashing political philosophies, the meaning of merit, and the nature of friendship are all explored."

Can you tell us something quirky about Age of Order, its story and characters?

"Places are often named in reference to great works of science fiction. For example, Masterman Stadium is a reference to John Masterman, the wealthiest man in Metropolis (so we are told). If you read the casual references made by characters in the book closely, you’ll almost always find inspiration from other great films or books in the genre… My inner geek made me do it."

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

"I didn’t set out to write for any particular audience. The book is filled with characters who are “young adults” and thus face issues associated with their age. But I didn’t write for a younger audience. I certainly didn’t “write down” as some in the genre suggest should be done. I would read this book, and I’m hardly young (or an adult). And if you are from, or have lived in the New York City, or have had any experience with the school system here, you’ll love Age of Order, even if you aren’t usually a fan of Dystopia."

If you could / wished to turn Age of Order into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Director: Ridley Scott
Daniela: Someone undiscovered. First film. A fresh face.
Headmaster Havelock: Morgan Freeman
Locations: On location in New York City"

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

"Finding the time to do it. Writing isn’t something people do for money… unless their masochists. It’s one of the hardest professions in the world to make a living. So, my writing takes a backseat to my responsibilities to my family. That only leaves a couple of precious hours a night, and inevitably comes at the expense of other things."

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

"My wife fell asleep reading the first chapter of my initial draft. Wow. She couldn’t even make it through one chapter. It was only 10 pages…

On the other hand… She went to bed at 3am, after staying up to finish the 3rd draft."

What is your writing process?

"I do most of my writing between 8pm (when my kids go to sleep) and 10:30pm (when my wife makes me go to sleep). For Age of Order, almost all that time was writing, often while listening to the Pandora Sting station. Unfortunately, editing, marketing, writing the answers to interview questions for blogs, and doing all the other things necessary to get a book ready for publication, have made things more difficult of late. I’m lucky to get in an hour of writing in a day lately. I’m looking forward to getting Age of Order published on February 6th and spending more time writing."

What is in store next?

"If readers enjoy Age of Order, I’ll finish the entire story, which I think would be 3-4 books in total. I’ve written about half of the next book as I write this, actually. But its final fate will likely depend on the reaction to Age of Order.

There is also a free short story set in the same world as Age of Order available to people who sign up for my mailing list. I have way more story ideas than I have time to write. I’m itching to write a fantasy novel next…"