Author Interview: Introducing Beth Revis

Please welcome Beth Revis to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Beth is a YA author who's debut book, Across the Universe, will be released in Spring 2011.

I started following Beth's blog a few months ago and her blog is one of my favorite author blogs to read. When I got her newsletter announcing her book deal and I had to know more. The day before she announced her book, I was telling my husband someone should write a great YA science-fiction set in space with murder. (My mind is weird and it sounded like a great plot.) Luckily, Beth read my mind! So I had to share her awesomeness with everyone!

Beth's Website
Beth's Blog

GreenBeanTeenQueen: Congrats on your new book deal! Your book, Across the Universe will be releasing in 2011-can you tell us a little bit about the book and how long it took you to write it?

-I started the book during Christmas break 2008, with a goal of finishing the rough draft by summer break. (Can you tell I'm also a teacher? I so schedule my writing times in terms of semesters and breaks.) My goal was to have a finished draft by the end of summer break and start submitting by the start of the school year. I started querying agents in September 2009.

As for a description of the book: Amy is part of a cryogenically frozen cargo on a space ship heading to a new planet. When she wakes up 50 years before the ship's due to land, however, she must adapt to life on board a space ship and figure out who's unplugging--and thereby killing--the other frozens.

Essentially, it's Agatha Christie's MOUSETRAP....in space!

Ok, I'm hooked and I can't wait to read it! Since you write science fiction and fantasy are there any science fiction or fantasy movies or TV shows or book series that you're addicted to?

OMGDOCTORWHO! I am *such* a nerd for DOCTOR WHO!! Especially with David Tennant. That show is just so cleverly written, with such strong emotions behind the characters. I adore it. I really just can't get behind much TV--I forget to watch and get behind on series--but Doctor Who is a show that I *never* miss.

The other very best I can think of is Joss Whedon's SERENITY (movie) and FIREFLY (television series). That's another one that is just brilliantly written. I am sometimes still sad that the show was canceled.

With books--there are just way to many to narrow it down. But if I *had* to pick, I'd say my favorite fantasy series are CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. Such a cliche answer, I know. I also adore HUNGER GAMES (Team Peeta, btw), Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Robin McKinley's THE HERO AND THE CROWN, Jeanne du Prau's THE CITY OF EMBER, and Mary Pearson's THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX, and...OK, I'll stop now :)

Ok, ok another nudge to watch Doctor Who! I'll watch it, I promise!! And so glad you're Team Peeta-love him!

What is your favorite part about writing? Is there a part of writing that you do you not enjoy?

-I *love* writing. First draft, last draft, adding in new plot twists, playing with words--all of that is what I live for. On the other hand, though, I *hate* revising. Hatehatehate it. In order to offset that hate, I rely heavily on critique partners who inspire me to push through and keep at it.

Do you ever think we'll be able to travel between planets and colonize them?

Absolutely. Technology is growing at an exponential rate, outer space is vast, and little inspires humans more than exploration. This is not something we as a species will grow disinterested in--and as long as we're striving towards space inhabitation, I do believe we will eventually succeed. I think it's possible it could happen in my lifetime. I hope so, anyway.

I'd love it to happen in my lifetime too! If you could pick a fictional future to live in (books or movies/TV) what future would you pick?

-That's a tough question with all the dystopian lit out there! I guess if I *have* to pick, then I pick the world of FIREFLY...because then at least I have a chance to see Captain Tightpants in real life.

Sigh...Captain Tightpants....:)

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take five books with you to read, what would you pick?

ACK!! That would be horrible!! OK--well, Shakespeare's KING LEAR (which I have deep love for), CS Lewis's TILL WE HAVE FACES (which I wrote my Master's thesis on and adore), JK Rowling's THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (because let's face it, that one's the best of the series), Robin McKinley's THE HERO AND THE CROWN (because that has some of the most perfect writing ever), and....um....a HUGE blank book full of lined paper so I could write down my own stuff.

Thanks Beth! And just to show you how awesome Beth is, she's agreed to stop by the blog and answer any questions you post for her in the commments. (I told you she rocked, didn't I?)