1) Is there a specific time or place you do your best writing in?
I can write just about any time, anywhere, so long as I have an iPod to cancel out the conversation around me, but I tend to stick to my local bookstore in the afternoon and evening.
2) If you were only allowed to take three books to a desert island what would they be? Why?
Can I say the entire Harry Potter series? Yes? No? Maybe? The third is my favourite, so I’d probably go for that, along with The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game. There are so many layers to those stories that they could keep me entertained, but that being said, maybe it would be more practical to stock up on books about how to survive on a desert island instead.
3) Is there a novel you wish you’d written? Why?
Yes and no. While I’d love to have the success of my favourite authors, reading a book and writing a book are two very different experiences, and I would hate to lose out on that. My favourite books have shaped both me as a person and my writing in so many ways, and losing those experiences would mean losing a part of myself as well.
4) Who are your favourite god and goddess?
Hades is one of my favourites, along with Artemis, Iris, Castor and Pollux.
5) What was it about the myth of Persephone and Hades that captured you in particular?
Hades’ motivation really caught my attention, and that question of ‘Why would anyone kidnap someone to marry them?’ I was quite young when I first stumbled across the myth, and it took me a while to fully understand it. As that understanding grew, so did my questions –why didn’t Persephone leave him? And more to the point, where would Hades be today if she had?
6) There are lots of different versions of the Greek myths and their gods and goddesses. Did you choose one source in particular or pick and choose your favourite elements?
I did a ton of research on the various versions of the myths that I touch on in the entire series, and what I found was that for the vast majority of myths, there was no single version, and I could sort of pick and choose what I wanted to keep. In the end, I would up choosing what worked best for the story I wanted to tell. For instance, the details on the myth of Hades and Persephone, such as for how long she stayed with him, how many seeds she ate, etc., change a lot from source to source. But the basic story was the same. However, I wanted to put a twist on it showing that Hades wasn’t such a bad guy, that somewhere along the way, oral tradition mucked things up for him and turned him into a monster he wasn’t. Twisting the myths around, yet leaving a plausible explanation for why certain elements were different, was one of my favourite parts of writing this story. I did leave most of the myths alone though, only twisting certain ones when the story called for it.
7) I think that The Goddess Test works beautifully as a standalone novel. What made you decide to turn it into a series?
Thank you! Originally it was meant to be a standalone novel, but as the market right now is so big on trilogies and series, I went back to the drawing board and plotted out the next two books once the first one was finished. They’re much more action-packed than The Goddess Test, but the plot is all connected and comes full-circle in a way that I hope doesn’t feel tacked on.
8) Are you working on anything at the moment? Can you tell me anything about it?
I’m currently working on a Super Secret Project that DOES have to do with the Goddess Test series, but unfortunately I can’t make any announcements about it just yet. However, you can find my page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter (@aimee_carter) for all the latest news as it happens.
A big thank you to Aimee for stopping buy and to Midas PR for arranging the tour. You can read my review of The Goddess Test and visit Aimee at her website here.
Sophie
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