YA FANTASY AUTHOR

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Rebecca Queen

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All About Rebecca Queen

Rebecca Queen was born in Lima, Peru. When she was still young, her family relocated to California where she lived in the city of Rancho Cucamonga. One day when she was around 11 years old, she stumbled upon a 4Kids TV forum where she met a group of girls who were into the same cartoon that she was.

Together, they started writing stories through roleplaying games. That’s how Rebecca discovered her love of stories and how she first became an avid reader. Reading wasn’t enough though, because Rebecca realized that there were stories shaping in her head that no one would be able to get down on paper but her. Thus, she started writing. She has a degree in International relations and likes to spend time with her horses and dogs during her free time.

She also has a youtube channel where she talks about anything from books, movies, and tv shows, to life in Peru (yes, she currently lives in Peru!)

Elysian

Release Date:

May 4, 2021

Publisher:

Sage’s Tower Publishing

Cover Design:

Tess Kane

Give Us The Scoop

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

In an ideal world where all these actors were in their teens, and had the eye and hair color appropriate for each character, and mentioning only the characters I can picture actors for, I would cast: Marie Avgeropoulos as Kary, Dove Cameron as Serena (she can pull off the hair color), Patrick Schwarzenegger as Aedan, and Carter Jenkins as Ryan.

What are the words you live by? A kind of motto?

Ces’t la vie, because it’s true. Life is life. We can’t control it and we’re just along for the ride.

How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?

I actually take inspiration from everywhere, people I know, actors and actresses from movies I’ve watched, and what I picture characters from other books as.

What are two (or more) of your all-time favorite books in any genre?

Because of Winn-Dixie and Twilight. Those were my that ignited my passion for reading.

How did your interest in writing originate?

I used to role-play with a group of girls when we were around eleven. We would take turns writing pieces of stories, and I was really sad when we grew out of it. I never actually wrote anything again until I started Elysian, but everything started with those stories we wrote as kids.

What’s your favorite part of the writing life?

I write the stories that I’d like to read but haven’t found yet, so my favorite part is going back and rereading my books. After enough time has passed, I get to enjoy them as a reader and not the author.

If a reader could do one thing to help their favorite author, what would it be?

Recommend the books they like to all their friends and also encourage people to leave constructive reviews. I think that both of those things would motivate any author to continue writing.

What do you do for fun, besides writing?

I read a lot. The problem is that I can’t read while I’m writing. My brain capacity just doesn’t let me be in two worlds at once. Then on the weekdays, I’ll spend my free time on Netflix. On the weekends, I’ll be out in the countryside with my horses.

What book have you read that you wish you had written?

All the Shadowhunters books. Cassandra Clare is a genius.

If writing is your first passion, what is your second?

Horseback riding. Not any particular discipline of anything but just riding in general.

What is your favorite quote?

It’s a Winnie the Pooh quote. “But what if you fly?” Any time I’m scared of failing, I think of this and remind myself that the only way to fail is to not try at all.

Your life would be absolutely complete if…?

People loved my book and I could become a full-time writer.

Who is your biggest cheerleader on earth or angel in heaven?

My best friend Sofia, who’s actually in Elysian as per her request. She’s the only person I’ll let read my first drafts because I know she’ll never be judgmental in any way.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Dominic. He’s easily the most easygoing character. I’d probably have a movie day with him just to hear his commentary on everything.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

We have a lot of different humanoid species in the book, including angels and gods. For the most part, the gods are at the top of the pyramid, followed by angels and humans on the bottom. There’s a group of Celestians (as they’re called in the book) that are coming to realize that they’re the same as everybody else. So I guess you could say that the underlying themes are that everybody’s equal, but it’s the message isn’t super in your face.

What do you like best about your hero or heroine?

She’s not the type of character who things happen to, rather the type who makes things happen. She’s an active participant, not someone who’s being swept by everything happening around her.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on the sequel to Elysian. Right now I have a trilogy planned in the Celestian Novel series, but the world is so big that I’ll probably revisit it in the future.

I also have a first chapter of an entirely different project written. I don’t think I’ll get to it until after I’ve finished the trilogy though.

What do you use to envision your characters? Do you have a storyboard, pictures, mental images, etc?

I have Pinterest boards for all my main characters.

What space do you prefer for writing? Supreme quiet? Music? Coffee shop or office, or maybe even outdoors?

I need music to write. Depending on the scene I’m writing, I’ll either shuffle a playlist or put a specific song on repeat. I also like to have a monster while I write because I very, unfortunately, haven’t had a Starbucks since the pandemic started. I would probably drink iced caramel macchiatos every day if it weren’t for that. And my favorite place to write is inside my horses’ stalls, except for the fact that I can’t concentrate on anything but them when I’m there.

Life advice for the masses?

I think I said it all in the other questions!

Elysian Blurb & Excerpt

Gods. Angels. Myth, right? Nah. Kary’s about to find out they’re all real. And she’s one of them.

Kary thought she was a normal human girl. She didn’t think anything strange about the cliched way her adoptive parents found her on their doorstep one night. That is until she meets someone (something?) that shows her otherwise and she begins having visions of past lives. Visions that look a lot like the myths she never believed in and reveal that everything bad that’s been happening, is her fault, to begin with.

Elysian takes historical events and gives them a new layer of magic, and a fantastical explanation, making it the perfect gift for readers who enjoy seeing magic integrated into the real world as well as reading about different universes.

Excerpt 1

Serena didn’t find Caroline in the library, but she did find Aaron, sprawled over on one of the sofas with a book on his chest as he slept.

“Hello?” she called out, making him jump. His book fell on the soft rug.

“Astraea,” he said in surprise.

“I don’t understand why you keep calling me that.” Serena bit her lip, a habit she’d thought she’d broken out of.

“It’s your name, isn’t it?” He bent over to pick the book up and placed it on the arm of the couch.

“I was born as Serena in this life.”

“Yes,” he agreed, “but I always thought Astraea suited you better.” He gave her a smoldering look that felt like it had the power to turn her to ash. “Sit.”

She sat. “Did you know it was me?” She hadn’t dared to ask before for fear she wouldn’t like the answer. She wasn’t sure why she was asking now though, maybe it was the sleepy twinkle in his eyes that made him look so innocent. “When they told you to take care of me in San Francisco?”

“No. I got in a fight with Ryan the night before. He said some things that I wanted to prove wrong. I was being a vindictive younger brother, I guess.”

“So you left?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “It was a mistake I didn’t know I’d made until I saw you back here.”

Excerpt 2

Kary kept a box of matches in her nightstand in case of a blackout. She’d never actually used them before.

As she took them from the drawer and slid the box open, she thought the whole thing ironic. She’d had the damn matches for safety. It was funny how they were now coming in handy. Also in the name of safety, but in a completely different way.

She picked up a bottle of nail polish remover, put on the backpack she’d filled with her clothes, and gave her bedroom one last glance. She couldn’t avoid setting her eyes on the bodies on the floor: two sycophants and her friend. The horrific sight made her determination ironclad.

She removed a match from the box. She let the fragile wooden stick glide against the side of the box and watched it splutter to life. Then she doused the room with acetone and threw the match, knowing it would catch with ease.

In moments, the tiny light from the match grew into a fire that spread through the room. Kary watched it as it consumed the evidence of her former life. When the flames threatened to trap her, she turned and left the room, lighting another match. She wondered idly what Sophia would think when she looked out her window and saw the fire. It no longer mattered.

She set dozens of fires as she progressed through the house, each one strategically placed to cause the most damage. When she finally walked through the manor’s main entrance, she could hear sirens in the distance, but it was too late. Her home was an inferno. By the time help arrived, there would be nothing left of it to salvage.

Ryan didn’t say anything as she stepped into his arms. She didn’t either. She just nodded once to tell him to fly. She didn’t look in her father’s direction again.

PURCHASE ELYSIAN HERE:

Jeny's TattleTales

Dogs or Cats? Dogs

The number of books you’ve written? 1.5

Name three things you see when you look right:

1. My phone
2. My dog
3. A 3 day old cup of coffee (empty)

What’s the best swag item you’ve ever seen?I’ll let you know when I get one

Who do you think is the most irritating celebrity? I thought about this one for like 5 minutes but couldn’t think of anyone

What is your most attractive feature? My lips

Cook, baker or next question? Both

Place you’d like to visit: Japan

If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play you? Cierra Ramirez

What song best sums you up? Pillowcase by Gabbie Hanna

Describe yourself in three words:
1. Sarcastic
2. Extrovert
3. Wild

If we were here when the earth began would you be a hunter or a gatherer? Hunter

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter? Fall

Mac or PC? Mac

What is your favorite thing to learn about in your free time? Japanese

You have a time travel machine. Where and when? Senior prom. 2012.

Are you earth, wind, fire, or water? Fire