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348 pages, Published March 25th, 2014 by Momentum Books, Pan Macmillan
In the tradition of Divergent comes a novel about a world where negative emotions are stolen ... and only those with fury can stand up and fight.
Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes naked and covered in blood that is not hers on the same day every year—when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the "Cure"—an immunization against anger mandated by the government—and believes herself to be a threat to others.
Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different to the other "drones"—and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon.
But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?
Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.
I'm delighted to be interviewing Charlotte today. I just loved her answers to my questions!! Check it out...
Can you tell us a little about your latest book, Fury?
Fury is the first in a trilogy set in a dystopian future where anger has been cured by the government. Josephine is the last remaining uncured soul, and she’s plagued by dark demons from her past as she tries to find a way to survive the cold world, her only ally a stranger named Luke who has secrets of his own.
What inspired you to write it?
I read a story many years ago about a man who’d been through a trauma and believed he was transforming into a werewolf, and this sparked the idea of Josephine for me — a woman who believed she was turning into something completely alien under the blood moon, someone burdened by the fear of having committed terrible deeds without any control over them. The science-fiction world took shape after that, because I wanted to counter Josephine’s anger at her plight with a world that no longer had the ability to empathize with rage, hence the mandated cure for fury.
How did you come up with the idea for the cover?
I have nothing to do with the cover, actually – it comes from the publisher. Luckily enough I think it’s really cool ☺
If Fury was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
I always really struggle with this question! Maybe for Josephine… Mia Wasikowska? Especially because she’s Aussie! I’m really intrigued by Brie Larson lately, after I saw her in Short Term 12 – she’d make an interesting Josi too. I can see Jamie Dornan being a great Luke. But his book to movie adaptation quota is probably filled for a while now. Oh – Chris Hemsworth! I love him.
What is it about the dystopian genre that appeals to you so much?
I love the high stakes of the world, the danger of it, the idea of a society that has turned against the individual—in this kind of world, real courage and humanity must shine through in order for survival to be possible, and those are the best kinds of stories in my opinion.
You've been writing since you were 14. Why did you want to become an author?
I can’t explain it any better than with a quote by Leo Rosten. “The only reason for being a professional writer is that you just can't help it.”
How do you come up with character names?
Some characters have names almost as soon as they come into my head, others I have to think about for a little while, and for this I have a great little baby names book that I love reading through and getting ideas.
Name one of your all-time favourite dystopian books?
I really love ‘Under The Never Sky’ by Veronica Rossi or ‘Pure’ by Julianna Baggot. And of course ‘Brave New World’ by Huxley.
Who, or what, inspires you?
Other books inspire me constantly – if I’m ever stuck with my own work, I know I only have to find a gorgeous book, read for a few hours and then I’ll be feeling inspired again. Same with a great film, or a good tv show. Real life, of course, is a big factor – I think to be a writer you have to allow yourself to be inspired by the real stories you hear, or by the people you know and their interesting quirks. Especially if you are writing spec-fiction that looks at possible futures, you need to be interested in the way the world works, and the way humanity and society functions within it.
Where is your favourite place to write?
Holed up in my room, with music playing and no distractions.
What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
Ooh, good question. I have to say, I thought the Hunger Games movie was an excellent adaptation of the novel. I recently enjoyed the Divergent movie. And How I Live Now was a great adaptation of the Meg Rosoff book.
Name two of your favourite authors.
Laini Taylor and Glen Duncan. And also Pierce Brown. And Melina Marchetta and Guy Gavriel Kay — oh god there are too many to choose from!
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Charlotte Bronte would definitely be one – Jane Eyre is incredible. Shakespeare, of course. Aldous Huxley. And my current fave Laini Taylor. That would be an odd dinner party.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
My favourite food is cheese. Random? Maybe. Interesting? Possibly not.
Who would play you in the movie about your life?
Oh my god the movie of my life would be the most boring movie on the planet. It would consist of someone sitting at a computer and imagining interesting things! I’m cringing so much at the thought that I can’t possibly put some poor actor into that role!
Tell us an interesting fact about where you live.
I live in Sydney, by the beach, which I love. The suburb I’m in is full of backpackers so I’m surrounded by really attractive English and Irish accents all the time. So that’s fun.
What are your (writing) plans for the future?
I’m currently editing a new novel called ‘Thorne’, the sequel to my fantasy novel ‘Avery’, which came out last year. I’m also writing the sequel to ‘Fury’, which I hope will be released not too far in the future.
Tell us one thing that's on your bucket list.
I really want to go and live in a cottage in the moors of Scotland one day. I’d write romantic stories based on myths and legends and I’d have a fireplace, and there’d be mist everywhere all the time – and a local pub nearby where I could go and dance to fiddle music.
Favourite myth / fairytale?
Probably the Celtic selkie myth, about the seafolk who have two bodies. When in seal form they swim the ocean, but can remove their sealcoats and become human. If a dastardly human were to steal their sealcoat, however, they would be trapped on land forever, longing for the sea. I think it’s sad and beautiful.
Who did you want to be when you were a kid?I’m not really sure… For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a storyteller and an adventurer, which is I think why I became a writer.
Fury is the first in a trilogy set in a dystopian future where anger has been cured by the government. Josephine is the last remaining uncured soul, and she’s plagued by dark demons from her past as she tries to find a way to survive the cold world, her only ally a stranger named Luke who has secrets of his own.
What inspired you to write it?
I read a story many years ago about a man who’d been through a trauma and believed he was transforming into a werewolf, and this sparked the idea of Josephine for me — a woman who believed she was turning into something completely alien under the blood moon, someone burdened by the fear of having committed terrible deeds without any control over them. The science-fiction world took shape after that, because I wanted to counter Josephine’s anger at her plight with a world that no longer had the ability to empathize with rage, hence the mandated cure for fury.
How did you come up with the idea for the cover?
I have nothing to do with the cover, actually – it comes from the publisher. Luckily enough I think it’s really cool ☺
If Fury was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
I always really struggle with this question! Maybe for Josephine… Mia Wasikowska? Especially because she’s Aussie! I’m really intrigued by Brie Larson lately, after I saw her in Short Term 12 – she’d make an interesting Josi too. I can see Jamie Dornan being a great Luke. But his book to movie adaptation quota is probably filled for a while now. Oh – Chris Hemsworth! I love him.
What is it about the dystopian genre that appeals to you so much?
I love the high stakes of the world, the danger of it, the idea of a society that has turned against the individual—in this kind of world, real courage and humanity must shine through in order for survival to be possible, and those are the best kinds of stories in my opinion.
You've been writing since you were 14. Why did you want to become an author?
I can’t explain it any better than with a quote by Leo Rosten. “The only reason for being a professional writer is that you just can't help it.”
How do you come up with character names?
Some characters have names almost as soon as they come into my head, others I have to think about for a little while, and for this I have a great little baby names book that I love reading through and getting ideas.
Name one of your all-time favourite dystopian books?
I really love ‘Under The Never Sky’ by Veronica Rossi or ‘Pure’ by Julianna Baggot. And of course ‘Brave New World’ by Huxley.
Who, or what, inspires you?
Other books inspire me constantly – if I’m ever stuck with my own work, I know I only have to find a gorgeous book, read for a few hours and then I’ll be feeling inspired again. Same with a great film, or a good tv show. Real life, of course, is a big factor – I think to be a writer you have to allow yourself to be inspired by the real stories you hear, or by the people you know and their interesting quirks. Especially if you are writing spec-fiction that looks at possible futures, you need to be interested in the way the world works, and the way humanity and society functions within it.
Where is your favourite place to write?
Holed up in my room, with music playing and no distractions.
What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
Ooh, good question. I have to say, I thought the Hunger Games movie was an excellent adaptation of the novel. I recently enjoyed the Divergent movie. And How I Live Now was a great adaptation of the Meg Rosoff book.
Name two of your favourite authors.
Laini Taylor and Glen Duncan. And also Pierce Brown. And Melina Marchetta and Guy Gavriel Kay — oh god there are too many to choose from!
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Charlotte Bronte would definitely be one – Jane Eyre is incredible. Shakespeare, of course. Aldous Huxley. And my current fave Laini Taylor. That would be an odd dinner party.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
My favourite food is cheese. Random? Maybe. Interesting? Possibly not.
Who would play you in the movie about your life?
Oh my god the movie of my life would be the most boring movie on the planet. It would consist of someone sitting at a computer and imagining interesting things! I’m cringing so much at the thought that I can’t possibly put some poor actor into that role!
Tell us an interesting fact about where you live.
I live in Sydney, by the beach, which I love. The suburb I’m in is full of backpackers so I’m surrounded by really attractive English and Irish accents all the time. So that’s fun.
What are your (writing) plans for the future?
I’m currently editing a new novel called ‘Thorne’, the sequel to my fantasy novel ‘Avery’, which came out last year. I’m also writing the sequel to ‘Fury’, which I hope will be released not too far in the future.
Tell us one thing that's on your bucket list.
I really want to go and live in a cottage in the moors of Scotland one day. I’d write romantic stories based on myths and legends and I’d have a fireplace, and there’d be mist everywhere all the time – and a local pub nearby where I could go and dance to fiddle music.
Favourite myth / fairytale?
Probably the Celtic selkie myth, about the seafolk who have two bodies. When in seal form they swim the ocean, but can remove their sealcoats and become human. If a dastardly human were to steal their sealcoat, however, they would be trapped on land forever, longing for the sea. I think it’s sad and beautiful.
Who did you want to be when you were a kid?I’m not really sure… For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a storyteller and an adventurer, which is I think why I became a writer.
About the Author
Charlotte started writing her children’s fantasy series ‘The Strangers of Paragor’ as a teenager and has since gone on to publish five novels. After a Masters degree in Screenwriting she wrote ‘Avery’, the first in her adult fantasy series ‘The Chronicles of Kaya’, published by Random House. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, and has just released a new dystopian sci-fi novel called ‘Fury – Book One of The Cure’, published by Momentum.
Connect with the author:
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Wonderful questions Suzy! I love that she lives in an area with lots of backpackers. I think that would always keep life interesting. I would also love to live by the beach in Australia. I would take just visiting there even!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting a tour stop today!
I'm happy to hear Charlotte is working on the sequel to Fury. The book was really good and I can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteTerri M.
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