An Interview with the Author: Her Revolution: Her Golden City, Book One by Caroline Hecate Cavendish. Translated by C.S. Hand ***Giveaway***
Her Revolution
by C.S. Hand
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release date: August 8th 2018
For fans of Divergent, Red Rising, and The Hunger Games comes a gripping new tale of ambition, treachery, and love.
When what appears as a prank on arrogant ambassadors at an exotic vacation city turns out to be the first tremors of a revolution, the Enlightened Council of Castillia turns to its 11-year old undefeated military prodigy and her loyal Guardians for help.
After all, it was Innocence who liberated the Jewel of All Cities in the first place. Everyone knows she will be the last to let it slip from her grasp.
But why would anyone want to leave Castillia? Its laws are just. Its Council is democratically elected. It has liberated more cities than any other Republic, past or present.
But Castillia has enemies, that’s for sure.
Sedition is the favorite trick of the southern Republic Ausonia. In fact, the exotic vacation city used to belong to Ausonia—and they have always wanted it back.
But could those hedonists really organize anything between all their dancing and drinking?
Or has Vesper, the mighty Republic to the North finally woken from its slumber? It has plenty of old scores to settle with Castillia and it’s palm-lined streets.
Squashing the uprising and re-uniting the town and her city could be the perfect way to end the most legendary military career Castillia has ever known and begin a new, exhilarating life as a prominent politician.
But it also might just be the perfect way to start what Innocence has secretly always yearned for: her own Empire.
An Interview with CS Hand
What was the title of your first book, and what was/is it about?
Splatterism: The Tragic Recollections of a Minotaur Assailant
It is about an elf and minotaur that want to destroy a world rather than save it. The minotaur is being interrogated by the only surviving aristocrat, which produces the story we get to read.
Was it a series?
Yes. The second book of that series, Splatterism: The Disquieting Recollections of a Minotaur Assailant (An Upbuilding Edifying Discourse) is out as well. If you were able to read that title without passing out, you are in excellent physical condition.
Anyways, that book is more “mythopoetic” in nature. It constitutes the mythological period of the universe I am writing in.
I took a break form it because I needed to clear my head from it’s very lyrical and exuberant writing style—I wanted fresh air and lines as crisp and clean as starlight.
So I wrote Her Revolution which occurs hundreds of thousands of years in the future.
The first book seems to be the most difficult to get off the ground. What inspired you to write it?
Everyone writes about saving the world. I don’t know that what we have is worth saving.
Another way to look at it is:
If we lost this world, each time that happened couldn’t we have a chance to create a better one?
What is your most current book?
The one I’m excited to be sharing today! Her Revolution (Her Golden City Book I)
Is it a series?
It is! Three books are planned and I’m writing through the second book already along with a prequel that is exclusively available to readers of my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dyc7G5.
New books are so exciting. Do you have more stories planned or that you’ve been working on for the future?
I’m working on the sequel to this one. I have an urban fantasy series planned as well, but the sequel to Her Revolution is 100% my focus at the moment.
Can you share a little bit about your main character’s, and what drives them?
The main character for this series, Innocence, is driven by glory and power. I’ll mention a few others who circle around her like satellites, but she is the planet of weight in this trilogy.
Innocence doesn’t have a mother or father or a sister or a brother. Her skin doesn’t tan like everyone else’s. She was made by an algorithm, raised by an unforgiving military mastermind, and calls the City her mother and its citizens her brothers and sisters. While she has some genetic advantages, she is perhaps human, all too human.
Next is Beatrice. She is about to break a hallowed record for the most kills during a single career. But her reckless past is starting to catch up with her and she doesn’t want anyone to learn about it, not even Innocence. Not even herself. Even if it might break her.
Then there is Anastasia. Ana has a deep, warm, and sisterly love for Innocence. After all, Innocence saved her life. But because of that, Innocence treats her life as though it was just another piece to be thrown away for any glimpse of potential glory in whatever military gambit she is playing—and one wonders how long Ana will tolerate that.
Finally there is Gabriel. Gabriel won the City’s lottery when he was born and will never have to work. He’s grown up dreaming under lazy palm trees, reading books, writing papers, and debating other students in the City’s University. He believes in the ideals of Freedom, Love, Truth, and Justice. And Innocence is about to introduce him to a few vices.
Some stories have strong themes. How important are themes in your writing? Is your theme based on the story, or are your stories birthed from a theme/or themes?
I think my stories are birthed from themes. I’ve read too much philosophy and all their dangerous thoughts take up chairs and couches by a fireplace in my head to create a voluble and vivid conversation.
The door blows open long enough to let the cold wind and a few stragglers from the present inside for an evening of tempestuous questioning and debate—and then a story gets created.
About revolution!
Is the theme personal for you, or simply an important issue?
I think they are both. A key theme is the absence of any obvious “good” being done in modern developed countries—and the common acceptance that all is not well.
In history—people eventually do something insane. Sometimes it works and sometimes it turns out very, very bad for a great number of people. Either way it is interesting to think—and write—about.
Another theme is being “evil” and doing “evil.” And I’m really talking about power here and what someone will go to do get it—even though it is always the most utterly fleeting of things to acquire.
We never really get the unfiltered story from someone like President Snow about how he rose to power and dominated an entire civilization (even if it wasn’t at full strength): we get the story from some one who hates him and wants to see him dead.
So what’s it like to be completely obsessed with power? What’s it like to wake up every morning and ask, how much more can I take? Who do I need to knock off to stay on top? Who do I need to buy off? Who can I no longer trust? Who should I try to turn someone against?
I don’t ask these questions and I don’t think 99% of most people do either. But in the current world, and even looking back through history, it is worth asking: should we?
What other stories have you written?
A couple of heady fantasy books, poems, and a few humorous dialogues here and there.
So many Authors are artists by nature. Do you have any other artwork or hobbies you do on a consistent basis?
I used to draw when I was younger, but I don’t do that as much anymore. I still admire art, especially on the bottom of skateboards.
What were your passions growing up?
Playing soccer, skiing, reading, and accidentally—writing. I wish I would have picked up fencing!
What are your passions now?
Playing soccer, skiing, reading, writing, coffee, autumn, thinking, going to the gym—gyming? Still not fencing!
Thank you for joining us today. We’re looking forward to seeing the books you’ll be showcasing in the future.
About the Author
C. S. Hand loves philosophy, literature, and science-fiction and fantasy books. He studied British Romanticism at Cambridge before leaving to translate great science-fiction and fantasy books. You can read more about his 3 great loves here.
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