The interview
1. Tell us something about yourself. How it started your passion for books, for written?
I have always wanted to be a writer. I think books are magic -- they have the power to transport you into other worlds, other lives, and other adventures -- and I have always wanted to be a part of that magic.
2. What inspired you to write this book?
I had a dream about a girl dancing barefoot on the sand. She was dancing joyfully, yet she knew at the end of the dance that she would die. This girl became Liyana, the protagonist of VESSEL, who is destined to sacrifice herself to save her family.
3. Music is part of your inspiration?
I often listen to music while I write. For VESSEL, I listened to a lot of instrumental music, mainly with drums and flute. For DRINK, SLAY, LOVE (my vampire and were-unicorn novel), I listened to more rock.
4. Do you have any ritual that you do each time before you begin to write?
Not really. I think rituals can easily become an excuse to avoid writing, so I try hard not to use them. Sometimes, though, it can help to listen to music that reminds you of your story. Or to write out thoughts before you begin. Or even to give yourself a little pep talk.
5. See the world through new eyes since you become a writer?
I think I've always seen the world as a writer. I've always told myself stories and always transformed the events of the day into a story in my mind. Stories are so much a part of who I am that I can't imagine seeing the world any other way.
6. What was the think of the first person who read your book?
My husband. He's always the first person who reads my books.
7. If in real life you could choose to be one of the fantasy characters, what would it be? Why?
I think I'd want to be a fairy godmother from fairy tales. She has incredible magic and nothing bad ever happens to her!
8. Got any other passion besides writing?
My family.
Also, chocolate!
9. What advice would you give writers who are starting out?
Don't give up! Try to write every day, even if it's only for five minutes. The best way to become a writer is to write as much as you can, as often as you can.
10. A message to readers from Romania:
Thank you so much for reading!
Summary
In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.
About the Author
Sarah was born in Massachusetts as Sarah Angelini and grew up in Northboro, a small town in central Mass that later became the setting for her debut novel.
At the age of ten, she decided she wanted to be a writer. (Before that, she wanted to be Wonder Woman, except with real flying ability instead of an invisible jet. She also would have accepted a career as a unicorn princess.) And she began writing fantasy stories.
She attended Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dragons, and wondering what the campus gargoyles would say if they could talk.
Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her two children, and her ill-mannered cat.
