Welcome to Megan Boudreau, author of Alexa Stone and the Lake of Fire. Readers-feel free to ask Megan questions in the
comments section, and we'll follow up on them. Let's jump right in,
okay?
Laura: Alexa Stone and the Lake of Fire is your debut novel. What were the hardest and easiest things about writing your book?
Megan: I would have to say the hardest part was figuring out the
whole writing ‘process’, so to speak. Until I figured that out, I
restarted and rewrote huge sections over and over again. The easiest
part was writing out scenes once I knew what was going to happen. After I
wrote a plot outline (which, crazily enough, I didn’t do at the
beginning), everything seemed to flow.
Laura: You're originally from Canada, but went to college
Florida on a swimming scholarship. Aside from the obvious, how did your
athletic passion influence the novel? (And Canadians have swim teams?
Who knew?)
Megan: Ha ha, yes we have swim teams! We swim indoors in the winter,
so it’s not bad. The worst part about swimming in the winter is; if your
hair isn’t completely dry when you go outside, it can freeze! I think
that’s probably the main way swimming has influenced my novel. I created
different products or gave the characters powers that I wished I had or
would have been convenient to have when I was a swimmer. Being able to
breathe underwater would’ve been awesome! Or, drying instantly as soon
as you exit the water.
(Not Megan, but still super creepy! photo by Al Sweeting Jr.)
Laura: I am so terrified of sharks that I won't swim in
the ocean. Now, thanks to your novel, I'm paranoid about seeing them in
fresh water, too. Thanks a lot, Megan. Since you have a degree in
Biology and were on a university swim team, I have to ask-have you ever
encountered sharks in real life?
Megan: I have, but not with school or swimming (although in Florida
we did have some ocean swim practices). I went snorkeling on a vacation
in the Bahamas and on one of the stops, a bait-box was dropped into the
water that attracted every shark within a mile radius and we were
allowed to swim with them. They weren’t predatory sharks but it was
still nerve-racking being surrounded by them.
Laura: What was your favorite thing about creating Alexa, the heroine?
Megan:
It was really interesting to see what other readers thought of her
character after I had written the novel. I think listening to their
opinions was/is my favorite part. I knew what qualities I wanted and
didn’t want her to have and how I wanted her to grow throughout the
novel. Finding out if I had portrayed it accurately is definitely
satisfying to my curiosity. Also, I could make her experience things
that are physically impossible, so it’s like living through her, in a
way. It’s almost like watching a movie that you can control.
Laura: Many authors have a "soundtrack" that they associate
with their book. Did any music inspire you while you wrote? Do you
have a playlist available?
Megan: I actually don’t have a
“soundtrack”. Probably because, when I write, it has to be in complete
silence. I’ve always been that way though. I could never do homework
with music on either. I guess I get distracted easily!
Laura: If Alexa Stone hit the big screen, who would you cast as the main characters?
Megan: I’ve only really thought of two actors as characters. I picture Cillian Murphy playing Mortaroff because he can pull off the ‘crazed’ look really well, in my opinion. And for some reason, Garrett Hedlund (from Tron) has stuck in my mind to play Landon’s character. As for Alexa, I’m not really sure but I would want the actress to be currently unknown, or, at least, not very famous.
Cillian Murphy as Mortaroff
Garrett Hedlund as Landon
Laura: Good call on Garret Hedlund-he's a hottie. And I can easily see him living under water. Murphy does have those "crazy eyes".
What are you reading right now?
Megan: I am
reading many things! I have just finished reading Switched by Amanda
Hocking, and I'm in the middle of The Thank You Economy by Gary
Vaynerchuk. I also just started Beautiful Creatures (because the movie
trailer looked interesting and books are always better).
Laura: Oooh...it's good! I think you'll like it. It has a sultry Southern Gothic Vibe.
Alexa Stone and the Lake of Fire is the first in a series. Will you tell us a little more about the rest of the books?
Megan:
Sure! I plan on writing four. I won’t say too much because I don’t want
to spoil anything but there will definitely be more worlds explored.
Alexa holds more power than she thinks and Landon will be inheriting his
as well. Mortaroff’s plan also becomes more ambitious than he originally
intended because he discovers something about Alexa’s magic that he
originally did not know.
Visit Megan Boudreau on the web:
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