2014 Feature: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

I'm very excited today to have R.C. Lewis on the blog! She has given me some info about her debut, STITCHING SNOW. It doesn't have a cover yet because it's not coming out until Fall, but it's still very easy to get excited once you hear what R.C. has to say!

First, a bit about the book:
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis.

To be published: Fall 2014
by: Disney Hyperion.

Goodreads Blurb:
Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet, once known for lush landscapes, is now filled with violence, fear, and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. King Matthias will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a ship crash-lands near her home piloted by a mysterious young man named Dane, Essie agrees to help him repair his craft. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid.

In her enthralling debut, R. C. Lewis weaves the tale of a princess on the run from painful secrets—and a poisonous queen. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

Sounds pretty incredible, right? I know I'm excited. To tell us more, here's R.C.:

Jess: "Twitter Pitch" your novel to me (140 characters or less).

R.C.: It's Snow White in space, if Snow were a cage-fighting tech-head with daddy issues.

J: Boom. Hooked right from the get-go. If you were to describe STITCHING SNOW as a mash-up of any two things, what would they be?

R.C.: Other than the above? Snow White meets "Firefly"? Maybe?

J: Which of the characters from STITCHING SNOW are you most excited for readers to meet?

R.C.: Dimwit! My critique partners are already planning a fan club for him.

J: Aw! Anyone with a fan club this early in the game is someone I'm definitely curious about. What is your favourite part of the world you've created?

R.C.: The drones (which this story has instead of dwarfs). Definitely.

J: That sounds fantastic!  I'm curious to see what their personalities are like, knowing Snow Whites dwarves and all. What drew you to set the story in space and on alternate planets?

R.C.: Sci-fi is my favorite genre, so it came kind of naturally when the idea occurred to me (see below).

J: Do you listen to music while you write/edit? If so, can you share one song you listened to a lot while working on this novel?

R.C.: I do sometimes. A line from a song actually inspired this story—"Blinding" by Florence + the Machine—so I listened to that one a lot. The juxtaposition of Snow White, stitching, and circuit-boards put this instant image in my mind of the classic story in a very tech-y environment.

J: Florence + the Machine is always a good choice. Can you share a favourite quote from STITCHING SNOW?

R.C.: "I’m no one’s wife and no one’s good time, and I’ve no intention of letting that change anytime soon." That sums up Essie pretty well.

J: I definitely like this girl! She sounds like someone who is proud of who she is and can stand up for that! Can you share a secret about STITCHING SNOW?

R.C.: I already told you the secret, but Essie stitched a patch to erase the data. ;)

J: Aha! We have a sneaky MC on our hands! I'm looking forward to seeing what other tricks she gets up to. Thank you, R.C.!

About the author:

R.C. Lewis teaches math to teenagers—sometimes in sign language, sometimes not—so whether she’s a science geek or a bookworm depends on when you look. That may explain why her characters don’t like to be pigeonholed. Coincidentally, R.C. enjoys reading about quantum physics and the identity issues of photons.

Find R.C.:
Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Blog / Website / Tumblr