Books for YA!: Behind the Scenes: Interview with Heidi Loney + Giveaway

Behind the Scenes is a new blog event of Books For YA! where we spotlight the authors and their works.

For today's behind the scenes, I would love to introduce to you our very special guest, the author of Ravenous, Heidi Loney!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I am a Young Adult writer from Toronto Canada. I just released my debut novel, Ravenous (Ancestry 1) a dystopian thriller and I am currently penning the follow up book Ancestor (Ancestry 2). Before I began writing, I studied theatre and worked as a costume designer. I am married and have two little boys.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Do you wanted to become a writer ever since?

I wanted to be an architect like Mike Brady on the Brady Bunch (I’m definitely dating myself with that reference). He designed and built houses. To be an architect, however, you have to have a science background, something that I was never very good at. So, I found other ways to be creative. I drew, made models, sewed and wrote plays.

What inspired you to write Ravenous?

I was working on another thriller novel, when I came up with the idea for Ravenous. I love dystopian fiction, and so while I was on a summer vacation with my family, I wrote a rough draft of what would eventually become the novel.

Where did the idea of this dystopian world comes from?

An idea came to me one day while having a shower. What would the world be like if it was illegal to be fat? From there, I kept asking myself more questions like, why would it be illegal? Why would the government do such a thing and how could they get away with it? Once I started answering those questions, I had the outline for my book.

What was the hardest part of writing your book? What was the easiest?

The hardest part of writing the book is the editing process. I had to scrap a few major story lines that didn’t work, and that was hard to do. The easiest part was the research. I love that part, and it comes very naturally to me, as I love to learn new things.

What's your favorite scene or part in your book?

I think my favourite scene is the harvest festival, where Billy and Calla get to slow down for once and actually have some fun. The majority of the book they are escaping the bad guys or fighting the infected, so it’s a great opportunity for them to have a little bit of romance.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating this books?

I have to like the story I am writing. At one point, I tried to take Ravenous in a completely different direction with a military dictatorship, but I hated the story. I prefer that in Ravenous, the people want this society. Some people may not like it, but many, actually prefer it. That’s scarier in my mind.

Which of your characters would you say you're more similar with? And why?

I’m definitely more like Madge. I’m very social like she is and love to make new friends wherever I can. I also love to cook!

If you could talk to one of your characters, who would it be and what will you say to them?

I think that I would talk to Calla. She’s been through a lot, but she has this inner strength that will carry her through. There is so much more that she will discover about herself and her past, but this will only give her more strength to get the job done. I would tell her that she is strong and smart and that she has people who really love her. She just has to believe in herself.

Give 3 reasons why people should buy and read Ravenous?

This is a hard one, since it’s my own book! But here are 3 reasons:

Lots of action that include mad scientists and living zombies!
I think I have created a realistic world that readers can relate to with themes of over-population, global warming and hunger.
There is a little bit of romance thrown in during the slower bits. And Billy is hot, hot, hot!

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

I love hearing from readers, either by friending me on Goodreads or Twitter or emailing me directly. I’ve met some great people this way so far!

About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Heidi Loney lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. Before beginning her writing career, Heidi studied theatre at Ryerson University and worked as a costumer in many of Toronto's theatres. She spends much of her time blogging, drinking coffee and crafting, not necessarily in that order.

Title: Ravenous (Ancestry #1)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Thriller
Buy this on: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis:

Overpopulation throttles the world’s food supply. In 2050, the government of the Americas introduces the Food Crisis Act—new measures that create a system for growing and rationing food.

Calla Ryan is pretty much your average teen, except for enduring hunger every day of her life. One morning, new sensors at her high school determine that she exceeds the weight limit of the State, and they send her north to a “fat camp” or re-education centre.

Calla begins to realize the centre holds many secrets. Her counsellor dies mysteriously, and new shipments of recruits are the picture of health. Finally, Calla becomes a guinea pig for a dangerous lab experiment.

On the outside, a virus that began overseas has now made its way to the Americas with deadly consequences.

Calla must run from her captors, escaping to the far north with help from the facility’s chef and fellow inmates Billy and Madge. And to complicate things, the infected are very hungry.