Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce!

05/04/10

Sisters Red

by Jackson Pearce
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     Scarlett never believed in the Fenris—werewolves drawn to the delectable charms of young girls. That all changed when in one swift attack, a Fenris murdered her grandmother and left Scarlett half-blind and horrifically scarred. Only her younger sister, Rosie, escaped unharmed as Scarlett shielded her from the Fenris’s jaws.

      Now eighteen, Scarlett’s life’s mission is to destroy the Fenris and save other girls from her fate—a mission she’s grown to love, despite herself. Armed with red cloaks and hatchets, Scarlett, Rosie, and a young woodsman, Silas, move to the city in search of answers—and vengeance. If they can find a Potential Fenris, tainted by the pack but not yet consumed by it, they can unlock the mystery that transforms them- but better yet, use him as bait.

      But unlike Scarlett, Rosie doesn't feel the thrill of the hunt in her blood. Longing for a life away from heavy responsibility and something sweeter than steel determination, Rosie finds herself drawn to Silas. More and more often, they find themselves abandoning the search for the Potential, stealing kisses, sharing secrets.

      When Scarlett discovers the romance blossoming in her midst, she abandons her sister to the woodsman, certain that her own heart has no room for love, not when it's filled with her mission, her purpose. Still, the bond between Scarlett and Rosie is too deep to truly sever, and when Scarlett discovers a way to bring her sister back to her side for good- even if it means destroying Rosie’s happiness—she is forced to make a decision that will change the course of both their lives.

      A modernization of Little Red Riding Hood, SISTERS RED is told in alternating viewpoints of Scarlett and Rosie as the sisters struggle to find the Potential, destroy the Fenris, and unwind their own tangle of romantic complexities and the deeply rooted bond between them. SISTERS RED is the first in an exciting new series of fairy tale retellings.----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stunning; the cleverness of the mythology is equaled only by the heartstopping action. The characters become real-life friends that you never want to let go." -Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Captivate.

We talk with Jackson Pearce...
IBT: If you could bring any one character to life who would it be?

JP: Hm, that’s tough. I love all my characters, so I don’t know that there’s one more than the others I’d like to bring to life! But probably Jinn—cause he can grant my wishes :)


IBT: What are your key ingredients to a good story?

JP: To me, characters who develop into even greater characters are the key ingredient to any story. Characters are the element of a story most likely to stick with me after I’ve closed to book, and if they’re well developed, complicated characters, they stay with me for ages afterway.


IBT: What is your favorite type of hero?

JP: One who has to sacrifice. I can’t stand stories where the heroes make it to the end without having to give in and give up something important to them.


IBT:  I love reading about strong, angry, and tough female characters. Scarlett
seems to be an especially tough cookie, yet her vulnerability is just as
evident. I also love to read about compassionate characters with a lust for
life and that is very much what Rosie seems to be. How was it writing two
such different sisters with such a strong family bond? Where did the
inspiration for each personality come from?

JP: I really enjoyed writing Scarlett and Rosie because their strengths and weaknesses are so wildly different. Scarlett has devoted her life to becoming physically strong and fierce, but she’s emotionally desperate and weak. Rosie thinks she’s nowhere near as strong as Scarlett, when in reality she’s the one strong enough to break out of the mold her life has become. That said, the one thing they have in common is their devotion and love for one another. I loved being able to jump between such different characters.
As far as the inspiration for each personality, it’s hard to say. Both of them are so shaped by the first Fenris attack that their personalities really grew on their own after writing that scene.


IBT: Each author has their own take on werewolves, how close are the Fenris to
them? How difficult/easy was it creating your own mythology with the Fenris?

JP: I avoided other werewolf related movies and books while writing SISTERS RED, because I was afraid they would mess with my mythology. For my Fenris, I started with the original Red Riding Hood story— wolves driven by sex/lust/evil—and then built them up from there.


IBT: Where is this story set since Sisters Red is based on a fairy tale, did you
build your own world?

JP: SISTERS RED is set in Atlanta, Georgia, and the vast majority of places in the book actually exist in the city. Ellison, Georgia, where Scarlett and Rosie are from, is based on Madison, Georgia.


IBT: What has been the strangest source of inspiration for you?

JP: The idea for a historical novel I’m currently playing with popped up after watching an episode of Antiques Road Show!


IBT: How do you keep all of your ideas organized? How do you decide which ones
will make it on the pages of your novel?

JP: I write down every idea I get, no matter how certain I am I won’t forget it—because I usually do, in fact, forget them if I don’t write them down. Sometimes an idea takes years to develop, and sometimes an idea fizzles out. Either way, I wait until an idea starts to really speak to me, then start outlining/writing.


IBT: As an author how do you respond to those who think that censorship is a
necessary evil?

JP: It isn’t—and I’m confused by people who still think, in this day and age, that censorship can be a good thing. It’s funny because pro-censorship people would be LIVID to find out they’re being censored, yet won’t hesitate to censor someone else. The one doing the censoring is always so foolishly convinced he/she knows best…


IBT: Writing YA, do you find that you censor yourself knowing that what you are
writing is intended primarily for a younger audience?

JP:It’s funny you mention this, because I was talking with several other authors about it just last night. I can say with total confidence that I’ve never censored myself because I’m writing for young adults, because, since my characters are young adults and THEY can handle whatever situation/language I’m throwing at them, why wouldn’t real live young adults be able to handle it?


IBT: I have to ask, if you could have dinner with any three people (living,
imaginary, or dead), who would they be?

JP: Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, and Thomas Edison :)

Winners of this contest will receive:

• A copy of Sisters Red.
• And the cutest little tea cup that made me think immediately of this book!

To Enter:

• Post a comment on this post with contact information.

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Contest has now closed! This contest is open to all, including international readers!