Find Out Friday: Meridi Myers & GIVEAWAY

1. How did Titus and Atreus come to be?

I wrote the first draft while I was still in college, but at that time, it was a very different story. The basis of the book -- the idea of twin souls living on parallel worlds -- was the same, but the plot and the characters were different. Over time, and with each subsequent draft, the story and the characters evolved. Some, like Titus and Juno, stayed fairly constant, but others, like Atreus and Myra, changed drastically.

2. As a female, what were the pros and cons of writing from a male perspective?

I usually prefer to write from a male perspective, just because I find it more interesting. It’s challenging, but also fun, to try to see things from a male point of view. The downside is that it can distance me from the character to some extent, although sometimes a little distance can be helpful. I also have to be careful with how my male characters approach different situations. Men and women think differently, and I always have to be aware of that.

3. Did you put any of yourself into Titus?

Titus’s personality wasn’t based off of mine, but we do have a lot in common. He’s somewhat timid (at least in the beginning), and he’s more sensitive than most of the other male characters. Unlike Atreus, who is more outgoing and impulsive, Titus is cautious, and likes to think things through. I think if Titus were a real person, he and I would get along very well. =)

4. How did you create the other world featured in Titus and Atreus?

I wanted Atreus’s world, Typhon, to mimic Earth in a lot of ways, since Typhon is Earth’s “sister-world.” Technologically, Typhon is behind Earth by a few hundred years, so I had to do a lot of research to make sure that the setting was accurate for the time. I spent the most time researching galleons (the warships that Althapek and Belaglesha use), since I had no idea how square-rigged ships were armed and sailed.

5. Have your pets inspired your writing in any ways? :)

I have three dogs (a Chihuahua and two Great Pyrenees), but I think I was most inspired by my cats’ personalities. They’re unpredictable -- one minute they’re affectionate, and the next they’re attacking me or one another. Rizpah’s angels are very much like cats, in that respect. They love Atreus to death and try their best to protect him, but it doesn’t take much to annoy them!

6. If you could travel back in time to any place, where would it be?

Ancient Greece!

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Also, thanks to Meridi, I have a signed copy of Titus and Atreus and swag to giveaway to one lucky winner!

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Ends: July 22, 2010

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