Hey guys! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Alex Wakeman as part of the blog tour for the Lila Shortcuts by Sarah Alderson. There’s also an opportunity to win copies of Hunting Lila, Losing Lila and The Sound! Here’s a little bit about this collection of short stories before we start:
Lila Shortcuts by Sarah Alderson Published: October 1st 2013 by Simon & Schuster
Format: Ebook, 128 pages
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller/Mystery
Goodreads ● Buy the ebook
Five compelling new short stories based in the world of Hunting Lila.
Told from the perspectives of Alex, Jack, Demos, Amber and Suki - fans of this thrilling series now have a chance to delve into the minds of other characters, and see what they really think!
1. You used to hunt people like Lila and Jack. How did finding out about their powers change your perspective on the situation?
I guess you know what my reaction was. It took a while to process. There’s this idea you’ve believed in your whole life stupidly without question and then it’s revealed to be a lie. Like finding out that the earth is actually flat, not round and everyone has been lying to you the whole time. It’s made me question a lot of my assumptions about everything and everyone. I don’t take anything at face value at anymore. I’m much more open-minded but also more wary.
2. How is your relationship with Jack since he found out about you and Lila?
It’s OK. We had a couple months on the boat sailing which allowed him to get used to seeing us together, though we were careful not to rub it in his face too much.
He was a little distracted though with what had happened and then with a certain red-head so we were able to sneak off and have some time alone. He did come to me about a month after the Stirling raid and tell me that he was Ok with us being together and that he’d rather it was me with his sister than some guy he didn’t know and didn’t trust. I think maybe Amber put him up to it.
3. Describe your perfect date – the one you’d love to have with Lila once all everything has died down.
I’ve got it all planned out once we’re settled. It’s a special date for her birthday and it involves a cabin in the mountains far away from everyone – and from Suki and Nate in particular. But I’m keeping the details to myself. I want no distractions for once and to be able to focus 100% on her.
Shaheen’s Comment: Where have we heard that Alex wants to focus 100% on Lila? Oh yeah, here!
4. You’re pretty calm and collected under pressure, have you ever lost it or panicked?
I trained with the best of the bests. Jack and I are Recon Marines. They teach you not to panic under fire, how to stay calm and focussed in the most intense situations. I think I’m naturally like that though. I think first and then react. But you also need to be able to act on instinct and make good decisions quickly. But there have been times I have lost it. I lost it when I saw Key trying to drag Lila out of Jack’s place. I didn’t know who he was. When Lila’s involved it’s hard to stay calm and rational. Like when she went off to rescue Jack on her own. It’s a struggle – the desire to stand between her and danger and letting her stand and fight. Because she’s strong. Stronger than me. And the fight is as much hers, if not more, than it is mine.
What I love about her is her courage. I just wish sometimes she would take a breath before rushing on into danger blindly.
About Sarah Alderson
Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. She finished her first novel Hunting Lila just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel, Losing Lila, on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali.
A third book, Fated, about a teenage demon slayer, which was written during their stay in California, was also bought by Simon & Schuster and published in January 2012. The sequels to Fated – Severed & Shadowed – were released in November 2012 and March 2013.
Sarah’s newest novel – The Sound – a young adult thriller, was released in August 2013 in the UK, Australia & Canada and is being published in the US in May 2014.
Sarah has co-written the Hunting Lila screenplay and is working on several other books and screenplays (multi-tasking is one of her favorite things). In her spare time she also writes adult romance novels under the pen name Lola Salt.
It’s been really exciting to get to ask Alex a few questions, so my heartfelt thanks to him (and Sarah) for giving me this opportunity! The Lila Shortcuts are available now where all great e-books are sold, and Sarah’s newest release, The Sound, is also available in the UK, AU and CAN. It will be published in May 2014 in the US.
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