Awakening by Christy Dorrity Blog Tour with Interview

Interview

1)      First, tell us about yourself – where  you live, your family, and those sorts of details.

I live in the mountains with my husband, five kids and a dog. Can life get better than that? I love to read and write. I have a passion for Irish dancing and I love to cook.

2)      How long have  you been writing?

I've always wanted to be a writer but I started pursuing it as a career five years ago.

3)      Do you have a favorite place to write?

Yes, my parents own a trout ranch resort in Star Valley, Wyoming, and my favorite place to write is in a one-room cabin free from internet and distractions.

4)      Why did you decide to write Awakening?

When I started dancing, I fell in love with Irish culture and Celtic mythology. The story about an Irish dancer began growing in my mind and it was natural for me to write what I am so passionate about.

5)      Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

Aunt Avril has to be my favorite character. She wasn't even in the first few drafts of the book, but something was missing. When I added her in, she brought such life to the story. She was so easy to write and just leapt off the page.

6)      How about your least favorite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?

The mom was the hardest for me to write. It's hard to write parents in a YA novel. Parents can't solve the protagonist's problems, or there would be no story. So Maggie had to be loving, but not hovering so that McKayla could fight her own battles. It's hard to strike that balance without people calling you out and saying that her mother is neglectful. I'm a hovering mother, so it's hard not to write an overprotective parent into my book.

7)      Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

Both. This book went through several editors, including an editor from Ireland to make certain I got the culture and mythology right. I go through several drafts on my own, then a content editor, beta readers, a copyeditor, one more time through me, and then a proofreader. Phew! Now I'm tired!

8)      What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read. LOL! And, like I said, I love to Irish dance and training for that takes up a lot of my time. I love to spend time with my family and travel.

9)      Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

That is the toughest question for me to answer. I love so many authors. My favorite novel of all time is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The two books that have influenced my life the most are The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ, and Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Right now I'm reading Open Minds by Susan Kay Quinn, and I'm loving it.

10)   What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but nobody has? Write it out here, then answer it.

What's with the fingernails on the cover?

The cover shows a villianess, Cliona. She is a banshee, and when she takes banshee form, she has wicked long nails! A fun fact, we bought the nails on etsy and glued them on to the model's fingernails using Elmer's spray glue so that they would come off easily.

About the Book

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.


When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities. After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened.

When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy. A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

Praise for Awakening

"AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch."
~David Farland, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale


"I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance."
~ CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.

About the Author

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

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