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Be My Enemy
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October 1, 2012

Greetings:

October brings YA novels! We're featuring Quantum Coin, E.C. Myers' highly anticipated follow-up to Fair Coin ("Pure awesome crack!" -io9.com). Myers joins us to answer a few questions below. 
Exclusive Q&A with E.C. Myers

 

Rene Sears: The idea of meeting alternate selves is simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. How did you approach writing alternate characters -- keeping them similar but distinct?   

 

E.C. Myers: I imagined the "Earth prime" versions of the  characters - those we first met at the beginning of Fair Coin-- as a basic template for their default behavior and speech patterns. That's not to suggest that those are the best or preferred versions of Ephraim, Jena, Nathan, Mary, and Shelley, but they're the ones against which readers will be comparing their other selves. So I wanted to keep their mannerisms and voices fairly consistent across their variations, but distinguish them through what they were actually saying and doing. Through dialogue and their reactions to their problems and each other, I hoped to differentiate them enough for readers to think of them as the individuals that they are.

 

I know these characters, so a lot of my approach was instinctual, at least in the first draft: What I thought Jena might say in a particular situation, what kind of terrible joke Nathan might make at the worst moment. And I tried to show how they played off of each other and influenced each other's behavior, the way that friends do through repeated, close interactions.

 

Rene Sears: In what ways was writing Quantum Coin different from writing Fair Coin? Were there aspects of sequel writing that were more or less difficult than writing the first book?   

 

E.C. Myers: First of all, I knew I could finish writing a whole book, because I'd done it before, so that helped. It was also a bit easier because I wasn't starting from scratch; I already had established my characters, I had worked out the tricky logistics that Fair Coin demanded and laid the groundwork for another adventure, and it wasn't as difficult a balancing act between fantasy and science fiction--Quantum Coin was pure SF with all the bells and whistles. I think the only thing I left out are robots. Oh no, wait. There's one of those, too.

 

Best of all, I was writing Quantum Coin mostly for fun and as a distraction; I wrote the first draft while I was querying agents. I knew it wasn't practical to write a sequel for a book I didn't know would sell, let alone sign an agent, but all the research was fresh, I was still in Ephraim's head, and I was really excited by the story. If Quantum Coin never sold, that would be fine too (really!), because Fair Coin was written as a standalone book. So I told myself that I would just write a crappy draft and then put it away for a while.

 

Rene Sears: What are you reading now?

 

E.C. Myers: I'm about midway through Railsea by China Mi�ville, and it's wonderful so far. The book has a clever premise, intriguing world building, and interesting characters. I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but it's actually the first Mi�ville book I've read, despite my best intentions. I'm just much more focused on young adult fiction these days.

 

Many thanks to E.C. Myers for joining us! You can keep up with him at https://www.facebook.com/flipthecoin.  

Quantum Coin

Quantum Coin

 

"Myers' sequel to Fair Coin ups the ante for fantasy fans everywhere, without letting other elements of the story wither. The romantic tension throughout highlights the maturation of the characters. Unlike many sequels, this one wraps up loose ends in a satisfactory fashion."

-RT Book Reviews, Four stars (Compelling - Page-turner)

 

 

"[A] novel that needs to be on your bookshelf, just as soon as it comes out in October; it has flair, drama, big ideas, excellent characters, and some believable, low-key romance. I enjoyed this novel thoroughly - in fact, once I'd read Quantum Coin, I turned right back to the beginning to start it again (something I only rarely do) because I found it that interesting and involving."

-Shiny Book Review

"Myers really does a great job of building tension this entire book, and it feels like he's really hit his stride in this second book in all areas.... The characters get even more real... we really get to explore the world through the characters' eyes.... [D]efinitely one of the best books of 2012 so far."

-Birth of a New Witch  

 Ephraim thought his universe-hopping days were over. He's done wishing for magic solutions to his problems; his quantum coin has been powerless for almost a year, and he's settled into a normal life with his girlfriend, Jena. But then an old friend crashes their senior prom: Jena's identical twin from a parallel world, Zoe.

 

It turns out that Ephraim's problems are much more complicated than his love life: The multiverse is at stake-and it might just be Ephraim's fault. Ephraim, Jena, and Zoe embark on a mission across multiple worlds to learn what's going wrong and how to stop it. If Ephraim and his companions can put their many differences aside and learn to work together, they might have a chance to save the multiverse. But ultimately, the solution may depend on how much they're willing to sacrifice for the sake of humanity. . . and each other.  

 



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  Planesrunner End of the Century

Also This Month: London after Doomsday

London Eye 

"Lebbon has an artful way with words. He pens descriptions and moments that one must pause to consider and absorb. The style works really well with this dystopia, as readers really come to inhabit Lebbon's destroyed, scary world., A great read."

-RT Book Reviews, Four stars (Compelling - Page-turner)  

 

"This is the first title in what promises to be a gripping series depicting a near-future England in the throes of a postapocalyptic disaster. Lebbon tells a grim tale, made a bit lighter by the well-developed friendship among the teens and the devoted relationship between Jack and his sister."

-School Library Journal

The Hunger Games meets the X-Men in an exciting postapocalyptic debut!

Two years after London is struck by a devastating terrorist attack, it is cut off from the world, protected by a military force known as Choppers. The rest of Britain believes that the city is now a toxic, uninhabited wasteland.

But Jack and his friends-some of whom lost family on what has become known as Doomsday--know that the reality is very different. At great risk, they have been gathering evidence about what is really happening in London--and it is incredible.

 

That's it for this issue. As always, please check out our newly revamped website and drop by our blog.

Happy Reading,

Rene Sears
Editorial Assistant, Pyr

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