Friday, October 5, 2012

KEEPER of the Lost Cities Blog Tour: Character Interview / Giveaway


Today wraps up what's been an extremely fun two week blog tour for Shannon Messenger's debut, Keeper of the Lost Cities. You can read my review for Keeper and my interview with Shannon here. I'm thrilled to have Fitz on the blog today: 

Hi Fitz! For those of us who haven't yet had a chance to read Keeper, how would you describe your relationship with Sophie?

Hm, that's a hard one. I *would* say she's kinda like my little sister--but Biana gets really mad at me when I say that. I think she worries that I like Sophie better than her. So I guess I'll say that Sophie and I are friends. Which we are.

What is something you'd like readers to know about you, that maybe wasn't revealed in Keeper?

Well, I know KEEPER is all about how talented Sophie is--and don't get me wrong, she can do some amazing, impossible things. But I'm pretty talented too. Everyone says my mind is one of the strongest they've ever seen. Even stronger than my dad's mind. 
 What was your first impression of Sophie? 

This is going to sound mean, but I thought I'd wasted my time. I saw that she had brown eyes, so I didn't think she could be the girl I was looking for. But then I realized she was a Telepath and was like, "Whoa--it's her!" and freaked out because I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I never really  thought I'd find her. That's why I kinda messed up and scared her away at first. But I fixed it. And come on, I'd like to see someone else do any better in that situation.

 What is one thing you've come to admire about Keefe?

Ha--did Keefe pay you to ask this question? I wouldn't be surprised! 

I don't know. I guess I admire the way he doesn't care about the things that most of us do. I mean, the guy gets detention like once a week and he doesn't care. He'd rather do what he wants and pay the consequences than play by the rules and stay out of trouble. I can admire that--even if I don't totally understand it.

Is there anything you wish you could go back and do differently, or are you pretty satisfied with how you handled everything that happens in Keeper?

I'm mostly okay with it. But sometimes I feel a little bad that I brought Sophie to our world. I mean, I know it's where she belongs. And I think she's happy here. But ... you should've seen her there on the floor after she said goodbye to her family. I had no idea it would be that hard for her. I wish I'd at least warned her it would happen or something. 

What is one of your favorite things to do when you have some down time?

I love playing Base Quest--but only when Sophie's on my team so we can win. You should see how mad Keefe gets when he loses. His ears get all red and his eyebrows get all scrunched together and it looks like his head is going to explode.

Are you able to tell us a little bit about what we can except in Keeper 2?

I probably shouldn't say much because I don't want to get in trouble. But I will tell you this: I'm glad I'm not Sophie. She goes through some stuff that I am definitely happy I don't have to go through. 




Published by: Simon & Schuster
To Be Released on: October 2nd, 2012

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit in. She's not comfortable with her family and keeping a secret—she's a telepath. But then she meets Fitz, who tells her the reason she has never felt at home is that, well, she isn't. But Sophie still has secrets, and they're buried deep in her memory for good reason: the answers are in high-demand. The truth could mean life or death, and time is running out.

About the Author:


SHANNON MESSENGER graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts where she learned that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She also regularly eats cupcakes for breakfast, sleeps with a bright blue stuffed elephant named Ella, and occasionally gets caught talking to imaginary people. So it was only natural for her to write stories for children. Keeper of the Lost Cities is her first middle grade novel. Let the Sky Fall, a young adult novel, will follow in Spring 2013. She lives in Southern California with her husband and an embarrassing number of cats.

Follow Shannon: Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | GoodReads | Pinterest

The Giveaway:

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, through out the tour we're giving away 10 copies of KEEPER of the Lost Cities! To be entered to win, please fill out the form below. Good luck!

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~