Author Interview: Amy Jones

Hey Amy! Thanks for taking the time out to do this interview with me. Could you tell me a little about your debut YA science fiction and fantasy novel, Soul Quest?

Soul Quest is the age old tale of good verses evil told in a modern way. It is about four human teenagers who are empowered with spirit at birth by The Great Spirit, Hala. The Spirit World is comprised of Oracles and Daevas. The Oracles are angelic in nature while the Daevas a very much demonic. In the beginning of the story the Daevas appear to have the upper hand so The Great Spirit, Hala must devise a plan to counter act the situation. This is where Liv, Laith, Brayan and Meena become entwined in the dynamics. The four human Oracles must protect human kind from the increasing dangers of the Daevas with out alerting the humans to the reality of the Spirit world. This isn't the easiest of tasks for four supernaturally powerful teenagers who are otherwise trying to live a normal every day life.

Where did you get the idea for Soul Quest?

Soul Quest was inspired by a really weird dream. My hubby is a night owl and loves to stay up late watching the History Channel. I had this dream about a little boy standing in the middle of a mirrored room. The little boy looked just like my son when he was 3 years old. He had cute chubby cheeks, curly blond ringlets and beautiful hazel green eyes. Anyway, the little boy was watching images flicker on the mirrored walls in the room. They showed images from historical disasters such as Hitler's dictatorship, Martin Luther King Jr. and Kennedy's shootings and Nine Eleven...you get the gist. Anyway, it had a major impact on me. The next day I asked my husband what he was watching on TV the night before. He said it was a special episode on the History Channel dedicated to the worst events in history. He acknowledged all of the above mentioned tragedies were a part of the episode. I suppose as a mother the dream was symbolic of the wrath of the world posing a threat against my children. Anyway, I decided to turn it into a positive thing. In this effort my little boy became Hala, the Great Spirit. Hala is a being as old as time, a spirit who resembles a child in physical form. Before I knew it, a quest for justice against evil began. Since I work with teenagers it was natural that they became the heroes in the plot. The basis of the book is good verses evil but I tried to weave into the underlying tone life is about choices, good and bad.

How has you writing journey been so far?

I have always been a lover of books. When I was in the fourth grade I had a teacher named Mrs. Roland. Every day after recess we would sit down to listen to her read a segment from a book. I recall The Goosebumps Series being one of the selections. I looked forward to this time of the day each and every day. Mrs.Roland was a very good story teller. I soon discovered that her words kindled with a little imagination, was every bit as entertaining as watching television. I'm not really sure if I ever specifically thought out loud...I'm going to be a writer one day. I think it is more likely that my love of reading and theater background gave way to the inevitability of it. I feel very blessed to have had the patience and talent to complete a written work.

Soul Quest is the first in a trilogy, how is work on the next book in the trilogy?

The Guardians of Souls is the second book in the trilogy. It is nearing completion but still requires editing and formatting measures. I'm really looking forward to publishing this book in late summer.

(If you would like a sneak peek of The Guardians of Souls there is a synopsis and sample chapter on Amy's blog: http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com/2011/05/updates-on-guardians-of-souls-soul.html#comments )



Soul Quest (The Soul Quest Trilogy) is a YA science fiction and fantasy novel. Is there any other genre you would like to write in or would you ever think of writing adult fiction?

I am definitely a YA fantasy nerd. More than that I am a high school teacher and my students give me a lot of inspiration for my writing. I wouldn't discount the idea of writing in a different genre of for a different audience. You never know... but at this point I do not anticipate doing so.

What sort of books do you like reading yourself? What are some of your favourite books/authors?

As you might guess, I read mostly YA fantasy genres. I have been known to enjoy a few classics (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights) an occasional thriller ( The Da Vinci Code, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest) and a good romance read (The Notebook). My favourite author is Cassandra Clare, mother of The Mortal Instruments Series. I also highly enjoy Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson Series, Red Pyramid Series), Amanda Hocking (My Blood Approves Series, The Trylle Trilogy), Maggie Steifvater (Shiver Series), P.C. Cast (House of Night Series), Addison Moore (The Celestre Series), C.C.Hunter (Shadow Falls Series) and Michelle Zink (The Prophecy of the Sisters series).

Is there any books you are looking forward to reading, that are being released this year?

I am currently looking forward to Passion by Lauren Kate and Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink.

Finally, why should we read Soul Quest?

Soul Quest is unique. It isn't like anything else you have read. It is full of action, adventure, suspense and teen romance and it is supported by a rock solid plot. In other words, it has all the bells and whistles you are looking for. The bottom line is that it is an exciting and orginal story.

Check out The Soul Quest Trilogy website: http://www.soulquesttrilogy.com/


*I will be taking part in the Blog Tour for Soul Quest in August, so look out for that*