Hello readers! Today I have a very special post for you all. I had the privilege of interviewing the author of True Born, a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel releasing today, May 3rd, 2016. This was such a wonderful experience and I am so excited to share this with you!

Please join me in welcoming the wonderful L.E. Sterling!

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

Hi, everyone, and thanks for having me here. I’m L.E. Sterling, author of the upcoming True Born Trilogy. True Born (Book 1) is being released on May 3rd. It’s a YA sci-fi romantic dystopia novel, but I’m gathering from readers that it’s very different from other sci-fi dystopia – there’s a very large element of fantasy in the novel that makes it kind of unique.  I’m also the author of two other YA novels: The Originals (under my original pen name, L.E. Vollick and Pluto’s Gate. 
What else can I tell you? I’m a Canadian. Growing up, my family’s religion was Star Trek. I earned a PhD and my thesis was on magic (that was fun).

2. What are some of your goals for the future? 

Goals… What an interesting question. My first goal is to write the best darned trilogy I can, and really deliver an amazing series to readers. After that, well, it would be great if eventually I could write books full-time instead of full-time on top of my full-time job!

3. What are some things you do to help relieve writers block?

I don’t really believe in writer’s block. If I’m stuck it’s for a good reason, so I sit long enough to understand what the problem is. Typically I’ll just keep writing and then maybe go back and rewrite, or make notes until I understand what the book is trying to tell me.

4. If you weren't a writer, what do you see yourself doing? 

I honestly can’t see myself being anything else. At my “day job” (because even having published three novels, I don’t make enough to support myself by writing books) I’m also a writer. I write stories about amazing advances in science, biomedical engineering, and medicine. It’s a great job - and obviously really inspired True Born!

5. Do you have any unique/quirky writing habits? 

Hmm. I think the quirkiest thing about my writing habits is that I can’t stand having dry hands. I always need some moisturizer nearby or I get distracted.

6. What does a "normal" day of writing consist of for you? 

Ha! Define “normal”. I get up at around 5 and write in a journal for a bit, then hunker down to the book. Sometimes I don’t get a lot done, but on average I can write between 2 and 4 pages. And then I have to go to my day job!

7. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? 

Work at it! The thing about writing is that it’s a business. You’ve got to apprentice to the craft, learn to write and edit and think through the problems of writing. But then you’ve got the “business” side that you also need to learn. And it takes (well, for most of us) a long time to get really good, so don’t get discouraged!

8. How did the idea of True Born come to you? 

I was going to write another set of novels set in Dominion, centering around Serena and Carl and Storm. I wrote True Born as the backstory for those novels, just sort of exploring the world and this story emerged – and then it took off!

9. What was your favourite part of True Born to write?

I loved writing the action scenes! I’ve always wanted to write a good action scene, and in True Born I think I’d got a couple of interesting ones down.

10. What was the hardest part of writing True Born?

I think the hardest part was building the tensions properly between Jared and Lucy. I’m always afraid of tipping my hand and making things heavy handed, but I think if anything I’m guilty of the opposite! What I think is already clear is “subtle” and “simmering” for the readers.

11. If you were True Born, what animal features would you have?

Hmm. Great question. I actually had a conversation about this with a friend not so long ago. I think I’d have some characteristics of a fox. They’re clever, swift, like to run, but skittish!

12. Which character do you think you would get along with the most? 

I think Nolan Storm and I would be BFFs. At least, I hope we would! I know he doesn't seem the type to make friends easily, but I really think he’s cool. I also think I’d like him to buy me dinner, because I bet he’d take me to the very best restaurants!

13. Is there any insight you can give into the future of the True Born series?

The second book, True North, will be coming out in April 2017! I’m really excited about this one - I think it’s going to be a great read. I’m still hard at work on the third novel and I think the most I can say is…well, you’ll have to read it to believe it!

Thanks so much for the interview! I’d love to hear from readers, so please get in touch!

"Even though he is surrounded, Sobek Vesely stands out in his small crowd. He is a head taller than his bodyguards and is unafraid to smile. As he bobs his head up and down, acknowledging everyone, it doesn’t take me long to realize that the smile is a lie."

Pickaxes, grime, and watery oatmeal are all sixteen-year-old Heart has ever known. Growing up in the tunnels, the only breaks in her muscle-aching monotony are the numerous nights spent cramped in a metal box. Stupid runaway mouth. But when strange visions and a hidden map hint there’s more to life than she’s been led to believe — boys being one of them — only one thing weighs on her mind. Escape. Yet freedom is a tease. Heart merely trades her small prison for a larger one — a transparent dome controlled by the Guardian, an aging leader bent on creating a genetically perfect race. Heart's birthmark on her shoulder? An abomination that carries a lifetime sentence of slavery for females. Refusing to let a glass ceiling deter her, Heart searches for a way out of the dome. But unraveling the Guardian's secrets is a risky endeavor. Human skulls atop crude sticks serve as a warning: treason is punishable by death. When her new friends are captured, and escape is just an arm’s reach away, Heart must decide. Take the freedom she so desperately wants or save her friends’ lives?"

The Glass Ceiling was a book that definitely caught me off guard. I thought it was going one way and then it suddenly took a turn and became a book that I will very likely read several times. It's an incredible story about a girl who uses her voice to become an unlikely hero. In a world where women are viewed as less than men, Heart stands up for the little people, and often gets punished for it. But by the end of the book, Heart is a strong, independent, and fierce fighter, and someone that should be looked up.

For me, this book started out somewhat slow, but picked up pace once Heart made the decision to fight back. I really enjoyed following Heart as she grew from slave to leader, and learned to love despite what she had been told her entire life. The idea that women were viewed as nothing but slaves, scarlets, and breeders kind of bothered me. The way that the women spoke about themselves and about the men was definitely an indicator that the society was outside the norm and that the leader had brainwashed the masses. But it was great to see that Heart knew that the way she lived was wrong and chose to stand up and fight.

The writing was so well done and I'm actually incredibly sad to find out that this is a stand alone book! I loved the world building and character development and would absolutely love to read more about Heart and what happens after the end of this book. But it was so well written and the ending tied up any lose ends that it works well as a stand alone novel. A sequel would be wonderful to read, however!

All in all, this was a wonderful read that went from "eh" to "omg what is happening" and had me wishing that it wasn't over by the end. If you're looking for a different take on the dystopian genre and a book with a rather large twist at the end, then The Glass Ceiling is for you!


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About the Author:
Julie lives in historic Saratoga Springs, NY with the man of her dreams and their boys. Being surrounded by males, she overcompensates by owning everything pink. From her clothing, topurses, to even her pots and pans. She just can’t get enough pink.  She enjoys taking long road trips with her family to the beach and to amusement parks. She has one cat that she showers with kissy-baby talk, but who only returns a non-amused glance every once in a while. It’s her third catto act this way, so she’s wondering if perhaps she should get a dog next time. From a young age, Julie’s vivid imagination constantly invented story lines. But it wasn’t until she began working in a career that required zero creativity, that her need to write poured out like a dam bursting. And she’s been writing ever since.

Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter

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