Title: Belligerent
Author: B.N. Mauldin
Genre: YA Dystopian
Synopsis:
In a dystopian future the populace is segregated into castes. Belligerents, the lowest of status, are comprised of criminals and outcasts. Content as a faceless Commoner, Ryan has made a life for himself on the streets as a car thief. While the work isn’t the most noble, he’s known as one of the best despite his young age.
Ryan’s skills catch the eye of a flagrant Owner, bent on winning the virtual competition: Vicara. Newly branded as a Belligerent, Ryan struggles for freedom and acceptance at an academy specialized in training teams for Vicara. Ryan’s place on the team is shaky as he learns the truth and tragedy behind the person he replaces.
Join the Belligerents as we get our first look into the world of Vicara!
Author Bio:
Writing since she was “old enough to hold a crayon”, B.N. Mauldin resides in Lexington, North Carolina with her two cats. Her parents, Bill, Bobby, Shirley, and Mary have always been great sources of encouragement, as well as her two younger brothers, Matthew and Donovan, whose imaginations inspire her writing. A vital element of Mauldin’s mentality involves looking at something ordinary while contemplating what else it could be.
A tea addict and “Slytherin” at heart Mauldin also gets a spark of creativity through considerable reading of “some of the greatest works ever written.”
To read more about B.N., follow her blog.
Mauldin’s first novel, Belligerent, is now available for pleasurable reading through Fable Press.
Purchase:
Belligerent is available now through Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle versions and wherever books are sold.
Interview:
Q. I can see a lot of historical references in the world of Belligerent. What specific events or times in history inspired the world?
A. Ancient Rome and ancient Greece are the time periods I get inspired by the most. To be more specific, the gladiatorial games and the patron client system of ancient Rome had the greatest historical influence when I was developing the society found in Belligerent.
Q. Please describe your perfect writing environment. Where you like to write? When?
A. I write mostly late at night or extremely early in the morning depending on how you look at it, and I shut myself up in a room with only my cats for company. I will probably never be caught writing at a desk because I'm a huge fan of the way I can accomplish most of my writing while sprawled out on my bed.
Q. Do you prefer typing or hand writing?
A. It depends on what I am writing. If I'm writing scenes then I'll type because I can't write by hand fast enough to keep up with my thought process. If I'm working out the kinks in something then I'll write by hand, especially if I'm writing out the relationships between characters.
Q. What is your favorite writing snack?
A. I'm trying to eat healthier, so I shouldn't say cupcakes. However, cupcakes are all that's coming to mind at the moment.
Q. Do you prefer writing in silence or to music? And if you like to write with music, which songs or musicians did you listen to while writing Belligerent?
A. I write with the television on actually. I typically have some of my favorite movies playing in the background to provide me with noise without being too distracting. Sometimes I'll have cartoons on as well.
However, I use music a lot when it comes to developing the characters for Belligerent. I actually have a playlist for each main character on my iPod that I'll listen to when I'm trying to work out their motivations.
Q. Are you working on the sequel to Belligerent now? If so, can you share any details about it?
A. I am currently working on the sequel. I'm a little more than halfway done with the first draft. So far, it's darker than Belligerent, but I feel like it's not as dark as the Vicara series will eventually become. While I can't give away too much, I will say that several characters are going to be tested, and the Vicara system is going to be a really looked at.
Q. How would you describe the main character, Ryan?
A. He's actually the character I find most difficult to describe. He's completely different from any character I have ever attempted to write before, so I find him difficult at times. He's a difficult person though. He's very independent because of his background, but he can also be very untrusting of others due to how independent he is. I think he's a lot like most people though in that he wants to be a good person, but he doesn't always do things the right way.
Q. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? What do you think you would be doing now if you weren't a writer?
A. I always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was in kindergarten. I knew though even as a very young child that most writers had to have jobs other than their writing, at least while they're getting started, so I was always looking for a way to earn a stable paycheck. However, even my alternatives tended to be unrealiable. For over twelve years I studied ballet thinking I would become a professional dancer, and then I started studying music in university believing I would go into musical theatre. I'm currently doing neither of those by the way.
Q. Aside from writing, what do you like to do in your free time?
A. I enjoy going out and spending time with my friends whether at our favorite coffeehouse or at a club. I love traveling, but I don't get to travel nearly as often as I would like.
Q. What is your all time favorite book?
A. There are so many! I'll say Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Q. What is one thing you can't live without?
A. Adventures
Q. Coffee or tea?
A. Tea. I almost answered the last question with tea because that's how much I love it.
Q. What is your favorite season?
A. Winter. I love overcast skies and snow days and wearing scarves.
Q. How long did it take to write Belligerent?
A. The first draft took one month exactly.
Q. Do you write out an outline first or make it up as you go or a combo of the two?
A. I always have an idea of where I want a story to go, but the more you write, the more your characters develop and things have to be adjusted for them. When I wrote Belligerent, I often found myself veering far from my original plan, but I like where I ended up.
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