SKYSHIP ACADEMY
THE PEARL WARS
by Nick James
YA Sci Fi
www.NickJamesBooks.com
5 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, November 25, 2011!
About the Book:
A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.
Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.
Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.
"A definite must-read!"—JAMES DASHNER, New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner
Check out our Exclusive Interview with the Author here:
1) How did you get the idea for the novel?
Initially, the story developed from the opening scene. The book begins with the protagonist, Jesse Fisher, hanging from the side of a twelve-story building as his opponent threatens to knock him off. That first chapter came to me very clearly when I started writing the initial draft. I wanted to kick everything off with a lot of action and suspense, but that first scene also raised a lot of questions, which got me thinking about the world these characters lived in and the various conflicts and relationships that would be present in the story.
The idea of Skyships and a training academy above the clouds had appeared in drafts and outlines for other stories I'd attempted to write. None of them really panned out, but I held onto elements that I liked and many of my ideas eventually made it into THE PEARL WARS. Also, at the time I started writing this book, I lived in Central Washington. I'm from the Northwest interior of the state, and anyone who's familiar with Washington geography knows that as soon as you cross the Cascade Mountains things are completely different. At the time, I was really inspired by my new desert-like environment and this setting really helped to create the foundation of SKYSHIP's world.
2) Who’s your favorite character in the book and why? Who was the most fun to write?
SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS is unique in that it's told from dual perspectives. So essentially, there are two main characters. I'm very attached to both, and part of the reason I like them so much is that they're so different from one another. Jesse Fisher is the classic underdog--klutzy, sarcastic and underestimated by everyone (including himself). Cassius Stevenson, on the other hand, is the perfect soldier--driven, confident and athletic. I love writing them both. If I had to pick one over the other, I guess it would be Jesse. He's got such a dry sense of humor that's incredibly fun to write. What I like best is writing the dialogue between the two of them when they're together in a scene.
3) When you set out to write a book, are you usually sparked by a story idea or a character?
Both. When it's an idea, it's usually a specific scene that sparks in my mind first. In fact, I'd actually say the same about character. I usually start with a very dramatic scene (like the one that opens SKYSHIP) in mind. This scene often provokes questions that snowball into more and more ideas for the story. Even when the seed is a specific character, I often start by imagining an interaction or conflict they might have with another character. It grows from there. For SKYSHIP, I think it was really a combination of the two. I had definitely been wanting to create a story with two opposing teen boys that were very different from one another. At the same time that I created the characters of Jesse and Cassius, the idea of the opening rooftop scene came into my mind.
4) If there was one thing about Jesse Fisher's life that you’d like to have in your own life, what would it be? What about the one thing about his life that you’d NEVER want to have?
I would like to be able to explore the technology that Jesse's exposed to. I mean, how cool would it be to get to visit a Skyship? Just to have an entire community living above the clouds would be pretty trippy. I don't think I'd ever get tired of exploring the various ships of the Skyship Community. That's one of the things I enjoyed thinking about the most as I was writing this book. It's incredibly fun to invent an entire new world.
The thing I'd like least is all of the questions and pressure Jesse faces. In a lot of ways, he's pretty isolated. His parents are dead, making him one of the only orphans aboard the Academy, and it's clear from the onset of the book that the faculty doesn't quite understand what to do with him. He's constantly forced to live up to an ideal that really doesn't interest him. And worse yet, people are keeping secrets from him. That's the worst feeling in the world.
5) If your book were to be turned into a movie, would your dream cast be?
I'm a big movie buff, so this is definitely something I've given some thought or the years. Here's what I'm thinking for some of the key characters, both heroic and less so:
Skyshippers:
Jesse Fisher - Joel Courtney: In Super 8, he had the sensitive, troubled teen down pat. Of all the young actors right now, he's got the chops to anchor a movie like this.
Avery Wicksen – Christa B. Allen: The first of two actresses from ABC’s Revenge that are on my cast list. Her character on the show is, in a lot of ways, opposite of Avery, but I think she has the look for the part and would be a believable crush to any teen boy.
Eva Rodriguez – She’s the hardest one to place, and it’s more a testament to who’s appearing (and who isn’t appearing) in movies these days. We’d need a strong, young Latina actress—someone who can hang with the boys and not be intimidated by battle. I’m open to suggestions!
Skandar Harris – Alex Esmail: I recently saw Attack The Block and just couldn’t stop seeing Skandar in Esmail’s character, Pest. He’s got that perfect mix of funny and scrappy. Plus, he’s British!
Captain Alkine - There are a lot of actors who could play this grizzled old war veteran, but I think Avatar's Stephen Lang would strike the right amount of fear into Jesse and the rest of the Academy.
Unified Party:
Cassius Stevenson - Connor Jessup: Cassius has perhaps the most dramatic character arc in the book, but if Jessup can hang with aliens in TNT's Falling Skies, I think he'd do great here.
Madame - Madelaine Stowe: Watching ABC's Revenge, I'm transfixed at how Madame-like Madelaine's character is. Plus, she can pull off that "is she or isn't she evil?" dichotomy perfectly.
About The Author:
Nick James grew up in the small island town of Anacortes, Washington. He graduated from Western Washington University and currently works as a substitute teacher in Bellingham. Inspired by the big drama and dialogue of comic books and graphic novels by Brian K. Vaughan and Brian Michael Bendis, James began writing at a young age. His love of fast-paced storytelling led to his debut, Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars, an action-packed science fiction novel for young adults. Visit the author online at: www.NickJamesBooks.com.
2 comments:
Thanks for the giveaway!
This book looks so good!
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
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