Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway: Horde (Ann Aguirre)

Click here for Blog Tour Page & Schedule!!

OK I am ECSTATIC that I am a part of this blog tour and am completely honored to host Ann Aguirre on my blog! She is a phenomenal writer and I have loved every book she has written!! The Razorland series is HIGH on my favorite series list!! This series is just incredible! It has everything you would want in a great young adult book. It has intense action scenes, suspense, and a mesmorizing romance! If you have not checked out this series then YOU ARE MISSING OUT! 

Hardcover, 432 pages
Expected publication: October 29th 2013 by Feiwel & Friends

The horde is coming.
Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.
Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them.
This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity... 

What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

First, I was a child in the 80s, when we lived with the constant fear from nuclear stockpiling and the cold war. In grade school, they actually showed us films on what we should do if the bomb dropped. As a result, I’ve always had some issues from that constant anxiety. When I’m afraid of something, I tend to work it into my books, so it was natural that I would, someday, write about the end of the world as we know it.

Before I wrote the Razorland trilogy, I hadn’t read extensively in the genre, mostly because I intended to take a crack at it, and so I wanted to be able to say, honestly, that any similarity came from a collective zeitgeist. Before I finished the series, I had only read A Canticle for Leibowitz, which is post-apocalyptic but not YA, and Lord of the Flies, which is more about the savagery that lurks close to the skin. Since completing the Razorland saga, I’ve discovered a long list of dystopian authors I cheerfully recommend: Paolo Bacigalupi, Veronica Rossi, Patrick Ness, Courtney Summers, Meg Rosoff, and more.

For me, every book starts in the same place--with the characters. They tell me their names and then I listen as they share their stories. I write them down. So far, it’s working really well.

Who is your favorite character in the book?

I love them all. Don’t make me choose. *hugs a copy of Horde to chest*

Which came first, the title or the novel?

You mean the idea for the novel or the novel itself? I knew there would be three books in the arc going in, but I didn’t have book three titled straightaway. But I had decided to call it Horde before I started writing the final volume. 

What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

This is a tough question to answer because at 125K, Horde is the longest book I’ve ever written. It’s the most epic in scope and it’s the final resolution of an arc I’ve been working on since 2009 when I wrote Enclave. So this is the culmination of four years of work and effort, and I don’t think of Horde in terms of breaking it down into individual scenes. There are lots of pivotal moments, scenes where readers might cry or swoon, even some laughter (I hope), but I can’t pick one single piece of the puzzle. What I’m most proud of is finishing the trilogy and doing my original concept justice.

Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

There are no magic beans, and you will drive yourself crazy comparing your career trajectory to others. Some people toil in obscurity for twenty years before breaking out. Some never do. Others write one book and it sells a million copies. As long as you’re writing stories you love, be happy and proud. Write because you love the work. 

What do you like most about the cover of the book?

Pretty much everything about it. I think it has a gorgeous, spooky vibe and it hints at plot points as well. I love how consistent it is with the other two in terms of branding. All three of them will look fantastic together on a shelf!

What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2013?

I was super excited to get my hands on Tom Pollock’s second novel, The Glass Republic. I adored the first one, The City’s Son, and I’ve been dying to read the sequel. I hung out with Tom a bit this summer in the UK when I was traveling, and he was kind enough to sign the copy I bought while we were in London. This book isn’t even out in the US; it will be ages yet. So you can imagine I was cackling in glee when I carried my British edition onto the plane.

What was your favorite book in 2012?

I read and love so many books that I feel like it’s wrong to put a tiara on just one, but for the sake of brevity, I’m crowning The City’s Son by Tom Pollock. I mentioned it above, and I really loved it. I’ve been recommending it as a trippy, utterly original YA urban fantasy where the city is… alive. Plus, it has great writing, compelling characters, and some of the most unique worldbuilding I’ve ever encountered. 

“Gorgeously written and brimming with bizarre urban creatures, this darkly imagined and sometimes painful tale should delight fans of Neil Gaiman, China Miéville, and Holly Black” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review.

I completely agree. Go read it.

What’s up next for you in YA?

In late August 2014, I will unleash Mortal Beauty on the world. About this new YA, early readers have said: “original, creepy, and gorgeous” as well as “amazing, scared the crap out of me, but still managed to be emotionally beautiful and relevant.” This book is like, I don’t even know, YA horror / paranormal / romance / it’s complicated. I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

Is there anything that you would like to add?

Thanks so much for having me on the blog. Readers, tell me in comments what book you’re looking forward to most in 2013. (Bonus points if it’s Horde! But feel free to be honest.)

THE RAZORLAND SERIES

Enclave (Razorland #1)

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.
As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.
Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.
As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

Outpost (Razorland #2)

Deuce’s whole world has changed.
Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation,
she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.
To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.


Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

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Horde Blog Tour Schedule

Monday 10/14

Rainy Day Ramblings

Tuesday 10/15

Supernatural Snark

Wednesday 10/16

Two Chicks on Books

Thursday 10/17

Almost Grown-Up

Friday 10/18

Alice Marvels

Monday 10/21

The Midnight Garden

Tuesday 10/22

PageTurners

Wednesday 10/23

Curling Up with a Good Book

Thursday 10/24

Birth of a New Witch

Friday 10/25

Adventures of a Book Junkie