Throne of Glass Blog Tour Stop [Interview with Sarah J. Maas]

I have the absolute pleasure of interviewing Sarah J. Maas for the Throne of Glass blog tour. Haven't read Throne of Glass? Don't worry, no spoilers here. But when you finish reading this post, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy today.

So without further ado, I introduce you to Sarah. 

THE AUTHOR

Sarah J. Maas lives in Southern California, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing YA fantasy novels, she can be found exploring the California coastline.

THE INTERVIEW

CASSIE: I know you're a big fan of music (especially soundtracks). If you could come up with a soundtrack describing your road to publication, which songs would you include?

SARAH: Oooh, love this question! Well, I think my soundtrack would be the cheesiest soundtrack EVER, but it’d include: “Go the Distance” by Michael Bolton, “Astonishing” from the Little Women Musical, “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t Rain On My Parade” by Barbara Streisand, and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Judy Garland.

CASSIE: Okay, be honest--who do YOU prefer: Chaol or Dorian? 

SARAH:Dude, you KNOW I can’t answer that! My lips are sealed (but I do have my preference). Let me just tell the FictionPress crowd that the series no longer ends the way they think it does. ;)

CASSIE: Did you write other books before Throne of Glass? 

SARAH: Well, ToG was my first book...but it took so long to write and get published that I've written several books int he meantime, which are now in the various stages of being polished. 

CASSIE:  Are the characters in Throne of Glass based off of anyone you know personally?

SARAH: Nope! The closest any character has come to being based off anyone is Ansel (from the ToG novellas), but it was her relationship that was mostly based off of personal experience, not her personality.

CASSIE:What were some of the toughest changes you had to make while editing Throne of Glass?

SARAH: Tightening. Learning to murder my darlings and cut scenes or lines that ultimately weren’t moving along the plot.

CASSIE: Who would win in a fight: Dorian, Chaol, Nehemia, or Celaena?

SARAH: Hmmm. Dorian would go down pretty quickly. I’d say that it’d wind up being a toss-up between Chaol and Celaena, but Nehemia might somehow find a way to outwit them all.

CASSIE: Which character in Throne of Glass would have the best "poker face"? 

SARAH: Chaol. Most definitely Chaol. Dude is a Vault of Secrets.

CASSIE: What are your plans for the future? Will you stick with YA fantasy? Or do you have other non-fantasy ideas  that you're itching to write about?

SARAH: I think my plan right now is to just write. Write the stories that are in my head and in my heart. Some of those stories are YA, some are adult, some are fantasy, some are sci-fi (or other). I think my soul will always be in fantasy, but I’m excited to see where this road will take me.

CASSIE: Cake or Cookies? And which would Celaena prefer?  

SARAH: Cake! (Celaena says: “CAKE!” too). Though cookies are a better writing food, since they involve minimal dishes/clean-up (and I am the laziest person when I’m busy writing).

CASSIE: And lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

SARAH: Read a lot, write a lot, and don’t give up. People are going to tell you that you can’t do it, that you should write “real” books, that you’re not good enough. Don’t listen to them. It’s a long road, and a tough one, but keep your head held high. It’s not about how many times you get knocked down—it’s how many times you get back up. 

Sarah, thank you SO MUCH for stopping by. Your road to publication is a encouragement to me, and I know, many other fiction press writers. I cannot wait for book two!!

THE BOOK

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Release: August 7, 2012 

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.


Her opponents are menthieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

If all that isn't enough to convince you, read my review below!!