Monday, February 1, 2016

Month of Power Couples: Ethan Roam and Dr. Grady + BOOK GIVEAWAY

ROAM




Welcome to February, friends! A new month means a new THEME for everyday-cosplay inspirations, and this month is all about POWER COUPLES and GROUPS, for those of you who enjoy cosplaying with your significant other, or your BFF's!! Whether they be soulmates and/or partners-in-crime, bro's or sisters, every week will feature a fictional couple/pair/group of friends from a variety of geeky fandoms that I'm into. To kick things off, I'm starting with a huge BANG!

I am SO excited to introduce this set put together by my friend: artist and author Dez Schwartz!!! 

If you don't already follow Dez on Twitter and Instagram, (shame! But you'll have an opportunity to do so below!), then you should know she is a creative powerhouse who just recently put out her first full-length fantasy novel titled ROAM. The 'power couple' of this story are Ethan Roam and Dr. Grady Hunter - read on to find out more about them from Dez herself, and OH YEAH.. THERE IS AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ROAM YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN!! Find out more below:





BUT FIRST.. An interview with the author/artist:



1) What inspired the story of ROAM? What made you want to create these characters and their stories?

There's a quote by Toni Morrison that I love. “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” That sentiment is the exact reason why I write. To tell the stories that I would want to read. Ethan Roam is a character that has been with me for almost a decade now. I began developing him when I was still in art school. I was driving home one night, looking up at the stars, and I just sort of had this random inspiration. At the time I was unsure of where to take it so it sat on the back burner. A few years ago, I created Dr. Grady Hunter's character. His back story, which you find out in 'ROAM', was originally its own separate story. I had intended them as two different books but I could never push them past the first couple of chapters. Then last year, I thought to myself, “Why not merge the two together?”. It turned out to be the right move and I believe they both thank me greatly for that.

2) I chose your book's characters for my blog's February theme of "Power Couples/Groups" - in your own words: why do Ethan and Grady make a "power couple"? Why do they complement each other so well?

First of all, thank you! I love your blog and I'm thrilled that you thought of 'ROAM' for this. I think the reason they compliment each other so well is because they're virtually opposites in every possible way except for the way that matters most. Which is that, at their cores, they both want to do great good for the world. They're both very powerful in their own right and so as a team, and with their mutual admiration, that power extrapolates. Grady is an endless resource of knowledge and has deep connections to the supernatural world. He's charismatic, quick-witted, agile, and calculating. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll just say, Ethan brings a lot to the table once he figures himself out. Grady's personality is much darker than Ethan's. Ethan is, essentially, the light in the darkness. He's this big ball of eternal optimism but he's also naïve and insecure. By accepting and trusting one another they balance each other out and make each other better men than they were before they met.

Dr. Grady by @dez_shwartz on Instagram


3) There are a lot of different kinds of "supernatural creaturers" in ROAM: witches, werewolves, Grady's ghostly "maid".. What's your favorite kind of monster/creature and why?

It's probably a cliché at this point to say vampire but they truly are the most fun to write. There are so many different iterations and ideas of what a vampire is. Talk about a splintered group of creatures! It's fun to explore those ideas. As far as monsters go, I do have a soft spot for Frankenstein's Monster. It was one of the first times in literature where the author said, “Hey, what if monsters are people too?” and it wasn't just scary but rather something reflective. I think as a writer there is a lot of relation to Dr. Frankenstein and his creature. After all, we create our characters and they look back to us with questions of, “Who am I? What am I?” and we are expected to guide them. They also get really mad at you when bad things happen to them. lol

4) (keeping in line with question 2) - What kind of supernatural ability/power would you like to have, if you could?

Pretty much everything that Ethan Roam can do. That's why I made him! lol

5) If ROAM were made into a movie: who would you like to see cast as each character? What songs/artists would be on the soundtrack?

There are a lot of characters in 'ROAM', so I'll only speculate on the main ones. I think Logan Lerman would be perfect as Ethan. His performance in 'The Perks of Being A Wallflower' really sold me on him and I can't imagine anyone else that could do Ethan justice. I think Dr. Grady Hunter could be played well by either Benedict Cumberbatch or J.J. Feild. Dacey Sinnett is such a fun and eccentric character; it would be hard to cast but I think I'd go with Reeve Carney. I'd like to see someone like Tom Lenk or Calum Worthy portray Benny. They have to be able to pull off the goofy/peppy personality. Songs/Artists: I listened to a lot of Starset, Marquis of Vaudeville, and classical piano when I was writing 'ROAM'. The song “The Killing Moon” by Echo & The Bunnymen was also highly influential to the story.


Dr. Grady and Ethan Roam by @dez_schwartz on Instagram


6) You give a lot of attention to detail when it comes to the fashions that your characters in ROAM wear, which I bet makes it especially fun to draw them! Do you feel that clothing/style plays a big role in creating the character? How would you describe your own personal style?

 It definitely helps when drawing them! I have an affinity for menswear. I don't really know why. lol I do feel like their fashion plays a role in bringing them from my mind onto the page. A lot of my characters have big secrets that they're hiding so I think describing the perception that the other characters have of them, based on their appearance and body language, helps to accentuate the point that you can't really judge someone by how they look. However, my characters very much want you to. They want you to look at them and think, “Wow! That man really has it together.” Because inside, they are so very wild and broken at times.

Is 'Casual Pirate' a style? Lol My style sort of transitions based on my mood but I have some signature elements. I always wear boots, mostly black, necklaces and rings. I've also grown fond of having a good coat (We'll thank Grady for that). I also have a weakness for buying fandom t-shirts.

7) When you're not busy writing/drawing, what else do you enjoy doing?

Spending time with my family. Reading. Doing research. I know, that last one is like, “What??” But I actually enjoy researching subjects that interest me and some of those findings even make their way into my stories.

8) List your top 5 geeky loves.

 Sherlock, Penny Dreadful, Ghostbusters, Gothic Literature, Steampunk

9) What other writers/authors and artists are you influenced by? What books are you currently reading?

The writer that I'm most influenced/inspired by is Oscar Wilde. Gail Carriger is a Steampunk novelist that I enjoy and I always keep up with her books as she produces them. As for artists, I love John Atkinson Grimshaw. He painted gorgeous Victorian-era night scenes. I also really love Federico Andreotti. The people in his paintings were so happily flirtatious and he also paid great attention to detail when it came to fashion. I also like a lot of today's imaginative gothic artists. People like Kris Kuksi, Sandrine Replat, and Cliff Nielson.

10) Anything else you'd like to tell us? What can we expect from you in the future?

I'm currently writing a prequel to 'ROAM' titled 'The Revelation of Dacey Sinnett' and immediately following that I will be working on the sequel to 'ROAM'.


**ENTER THE GIVEAWAY BELOW: WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 8TH!!!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway


8 comments:

  1. How exciting! Her book is on my to-read list, and she is one of my twitter friends who I really adore.

    I can't pick a favorite supernatural creature/monster. I love most of them!

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    1. Yes,theyre all pretty awesome, huh? Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. I am going to read this book! It looks fantastic.

    I love so many supernatural creatures. My heart says unicorns and fairies...but I have a soft spot for vampires and shifters. :)

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    1. Awesome Theresa! I love all those creatures too!! :D

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  3. Excited to finish reading! I love a lot of fashion in my books, gives me ideas!

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  4. I love the idea of Nessie and sea monsters. Something so large, old, and ancient that can elude being seen if so desired! I love secrets hidden deep in the ocean or loch! So that is my favorite supernatural creature or monster.

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    Replies
    1. GREAT answer, Hannah! Creatures of the sea!! Thanks for stopping by :)

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Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

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