Hey Lily, hey Scout! How are you coping in St Sophia’s?
Lily: Well, "coping" is a strong word for it. I'm making do. I miss my parents and my friends. Scout helps a lot, though.
Scout: *nodding earnestly* It's true. I do help.
What’s it like there so far?
Lily: Um, well, it's mostly high school, but with lots of girls who wear almost exactly the same thing every day.
Scout: We aren't a very original clue, at least in a fashion sense.
Lily: Agreed. Classes are pretty standard. I'm supposed to be starting an art studio in a couple of weeks, which I'm excited about. And then, of course, there's the nighttime stuff.
Scout: *leaning toward Lily* Lils, ix-nay on the ightime-nay uff-stay.
ily: I think Liyana here is going to be able to decipher your secret code, hon.
What sekrit code? Is it a St. Sophia's thing? Is it weird, staying in a dorm... which is basically staying in the school itself?
Lily: You definitely don't feel like you're getting a healthy separation from school--
Scout: --or the brat pack.
Lily: *nodding* --or the brat pack at the end of the day. On the other hand, the commute is fab.
St Sophia sure looks creepy, with all the gargoyles and the history behind it. Have you had any.. strange encounters?
Lily: *casting a sideways glance at Scout*
Scout: *rolling her eyes* Lily thinks there's weird stuff going on at St. Sophias. Other than girls wearing vests. I mean, really, vests? Why is that the fashion trend we're reviving? Why
not fedoras? Oh. My. God. *nudging Lily with elbow* I totally need a fedora.
Lily: *putting an arm around Scout* So, I think you've met my number one strange encounter--Scout Green.
Does your room key open any other doors and pathways?
Lily: Huh. I don't really know. I think it just opens my bedroom door. *looking at Scout* Right?
Scout: *whistling innocently*
Geez, it must suck that your parents are away on a two year sabbatical in Germany and you’re stuck in the US.
Lily: I wasn't thrilled. I mean, from what I've seen, Chicago is pretty great, but it would have been nice to see Europe. And, you know, still be on the same continent as my parents.
Scout: In my experience, I've found closeness to be vastly overrated.
Met any cool people so far?
Scout: ME!
Lily: Yeah, she counts. There's also this girl, Collette. She seems pretty cool. And Michael and Jason seem cool.
Okay, let’s talk about something more fun. What are your favourite songs? Do you have any you’d like to recommend to us?
Lily: I love Paramore. Big fan of Bright Eyes. I'll listen to pretty much anything, I guess.
Scout: She does listen to me. As far as I'm concerned, that's what counts!
*laughs* Thanks a lot for that little chat, you too!
Cross-posted at: LiyanaLand! on 7 January 2010.
Showing posts with label Chloe Neill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chloe Neill. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
The City Series - Chicago: A Guest Post by Chloe Neill
Welcome to the first installment of WWUC's new series on city-based Internet resources for writers! The City Series is intended to provide a set of research links in art, photography, architecture, urban planning, etc., to writers who are sourcing particular cities for their stories, poems or manuscripts.
Are you a writer with a favorite city/setting? Would you like to contribute your sources to WWUC? If so, send an e-mail to chloe at chloeneill dot com.
Chloe Neill is an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author. Her two series, Chicagoland Vampires and Dark Elite, are both set in Chicago. Chloe is a big fan of the Windy City, and has done a lot of Web perusing for Chicagocentric research sites.
Basic Information:
Media:
Transportation:
Architecture, Interiors and Landmarks:
Museums:
History & Culture:
Food, Drink, Entertainment & Shopping
Do you have a link you'd like to suggest? Leave a comment to be entered into the Firespell contest.
Cross-posted at: LiyanaLand! on 6 January 2010.
Are you a writer with a favorite city/setting? Would you like to contribute your sources to WWUC? If so, send an e-mail to chloe at chloeneill dot com.
Chloe Neill is an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author. Her two series, Chicagoland Vampires and Dark Elite, are both set in Chicago. Chloe is a big fan of the Windy City, and has done a lot of Web perusing for Chicagocentric research sites.
Basic Information:
- Chicago (Wikipedia)
- Chicago Neighborhoods (Wikipedia)
- Frommers - Chicago
- Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau
- Explore Chicago
- Go Chicago
Media:
Transportation:
Architecture, Interiors and Landmarks:
- Apartment Therapy - Chicago
- Chicago Architecture Foundation
- Chicago Architecture (Wikipedia)
- ChicagoArchitecture.Info
- Chicago Landmarks (City of Chicago)
- Chicago River Virtual Tour
- Clark House Museum
- Millennium Park
- Stan Mansion
- Wheeler Mansion
- Wrigley Field
- Navy Pier
- Sears Tower
- Hancock Observatory
- Chicago Park District
Museums:
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Chicago Arts District
- Field Museum of Natural History
History & Culture:
- Encyclopedia of Chicago
- Chicago History Museum
- Chicago Historical Society's History Files (great vignettes on lots of topics!)
- Chicago Public Library History Resources
- Chicago History & Facts (City of Chicago)
Food, Drink, Entertainment & Shopping
- MetroMix Chicago
- Chicago Style Hot Dog (Wikipedia)
- Chicago Style Pizza (Wikipedia)
- Chicago Reader - The Food Chain
- Chicago Food & Walking Tours
- Thrillist - Chicago
- Daily Candy - Chicago
- Chicago Etsy Teams
Do you have a link you'd like to suggest? Leave a comment to be entered into the Firespell contest.
Cross-posted at: LiyanaLand! on 6 January 2010.
Chloe Neill's Casting A Spell on You
Describe Firespell in a one liner.
Lily Parker, a high school junior, is sent to private school in Chicago under suspicious circumstances. She quickly discovers that magic rules the night.
What inspired you to write Firespell?
Actually, I always wanted to go to private school, and I like the idea of people discovering that they have talents they weren't aware of. Firespell is the combination of both those things!
Is this your first venture into YA? How different is it writing for YA as opposed to adult books?
Yes, it is! There are so many more rules--from a legal perspective. There are curfews, driving restrictions, and educational requirements. Other than that, the same rule applies whether it's YA or adult--give the characters a true voice.
The model on the cover bears a striking resemblance to Selena Gomez. If Firespell was adapted into a movie, who would you cast as Lily and Scott?
You know, while I have clear images of Lily and Scout, I really don't have anyone in mind in terms of actresses. I do think the cover model looks a lot like Lily.
What does the key on the cover symbolize?
Can't give that one away! :)
Worth a try!(Darn it.) Did you do any special research for Firespell, like hunting for schools?
I do lots of research for all my books. In this case, it was for the operation of boarding schools, the architecture of downtown Chicago, and medieval church architecture to help with the layout of St. Sophia's.
As you can read from the excerpt, Lily was left in the US as her parents went on a two year sabbatical in Munich, Germany. Did something like that happen to you?
Nope. I did know professors who'd taken similar trips, however.
Is St. Sophia’s modelled after any particular school, or a mix of them? What’s the history behind it?
St. Sophia's is not modeled after any particular school, although the architecture is similar to Chartres Cathedral in France.
Oh wow. Will there be a sequel?
Yes--there are currently three books under contract in the Dark Elite series.
Do you have any upcoming book plans that you can share with us?
I'm currently editing TWICE BITTEN, the third book in my Chicagoland Vampires series, which will be released on July 6, 2010. Once that's done, I'll return to writing the second book in the Dark Elite series. Thanks for having me today! I hope everyone enjoys Firespell!
I'm sure we will! For those of you who want more Firespell, have you checked out the exclusive sneak peek? Leave a comment to be entered into the Firespell contest.
Stalkerage:
Chloe Neill
Blog
Cross-posted at: LiyanaLand! on 5 January 2010.
Exclusive Firespell Sneak Peek + Contest
We walked through the narrow space until it dead-ended at the stone wall that bounded St. Sophia’s.
I frowned at the wall and the grass and gothic buildings that lay beyond it. “We walked around two buildings just to come back to St. Sophia’s?”
“Check your left, Einstein.”
I did as ordered, and had to blink back surprise. I’d expected to see more alley or bricks, or Dumpsters. But that’s not what was there. Instead, the alley gave way to a square of lush, green lawn filled with pillars—narrow pyramids of gray concrete that punctured the grass like a garden of thorns. They varied in height from three feet to five, like a strange gauntlet of stone.
We walked closer. “What is this?”
“It’s a memorial garden,” she said. “It used to be part of the convent grounds, but the city discovered the nuns didn’t actually own this part of the block. Those guys did,” she said, pointing at the building that sat behind the bank. “St. Sophia’s agreed to put in the stone wall, and the building agreed to keep this place as-is, provided that the St. Sophia’s folks promised not to raise a stink about losing it.”
“Huh,” I said, skimming my fingers across the top of one nubby pillar.
“It’s a great place to get lost,” she said, and as if on cue, disappeared between the columns. It took a minute to find her in the forest of them . And when I reached her in the middle, she wasn’t alone.
Scout stood stiffly, lips apart, eyes wide, staring at the two boys who stood across from her. They were both in slacks and sweaters, a button-down shirt and tie beneath, an ensemble I assumed was the guy version of the private school uniform. The one on the right had big brown eyes, honey skin, and wavy dark hair curling over his forehead.
The one on the left had dark blond hair and blue eyes. No—not blue exactly, but a shade somewhere between blue and indigo and turquoise, like the color of a ridiculously bright spring sky. They glowed beneath his short hair, dark slashes of eyebrows, and the long lashes that fanned across those crazy eyes.
His eyebrows lifted with interest, but Scout’s voice pulled his gaze to her. I, on the other hand, had a little more trouble, and had to drag my gaze away from this boy in the garden.
“What are you doing here?” she asked them, suspicion in her gaze.
The boy with brown eyes shrugged innocently. “Just seeing a little of Chicago.”
“I guess that means I didn’t miss a meeting,” Scout said, her voice dry. “Don’t you have class?” “There wasn’t a meeting,” he confirmed. “We’re on our lunch break, just like you are. We’re out for a casual stroll, enjoying this beautiful fall day.” He glanced at me and offered a grin. “I’m guessing you’re St. Sophia’s latest fashion victim? I’m Michael Garcia.”
“Lily Parker,” I said with a grin. So this was the boy Veronica talked about. Or more important, the boy Scout had avoided talking about. Given the warmth in his eyes as he stole glances at Scout, I made a prediction that Veronica wasn’t going to win that battle.
“Hello, Lily Parker,” Michael said, then bobbed his head toward blue eyes. “This is Jason Shepherd.”
“Live and in person,” Jason said with a smile, dimples arcing at each corner of his mouth. My heart beat a little bit faster; those dimples were killers. “It’s nice to meet you, Lily.”
“Ditto,” I said, offering back a smile. But not too much of a smile. No sense in playing my entire hand at once.
Cross-posted at: LiyanaLand! on 4 January 2010.
I frowned at the wall and the grass and gothic buildings that lay beyond it. “We walked around two buildings just to come back to St. Sophia’s?”
“Check your left, Einstein.”
I did as ordered, and had to blink back surprise. I’d expected to see more alley or bricks, or Dumpsters. But that’s not what was there. Instead, the alley gave way to a square of lush, green lawn filled with pillars—narrow pyramids of gray concrete that punctured the grass like a garden of thorns. They varied in height from three feet to five, like a strange gauntlet of stone.
We walked closer. “What is this?”
“It’s a memorial garden,” she said. “It used to be part of the convent grounds, but the city discovered the nuns didn’t actually own this part of the block. Those guys did,” she said, pointing at the building that sat behind the bank. “St. Sophia’s agreed to put in the stone wall, and the building agreed to keep this place as-is, provided that the St. Sophia’s folks promised not to raise a stink about losing it.”
“Huh,” I said, skimming my fingers across the top of one nubby pillar.
“It’s a great place to get lost,” she said, and as if on cue, disappeared between the columns. It took a minute to find her in the forest of them . And when I reached her in the middle, she wasn’t alone.
Scout stood stiffly, lips apart, eyes wide, staring at the two boys who stood across from her. They were both in slacks and sweaters, a button-down shirt and tie beneath, an ensemble I assumed was the guy version of the private school uniform. The one on the right had big brown eyes, honey skin, and wavy dark hair curling over his forehead.
The one on the left had dark blond hair and blue eyes. No—not blue exactly, but a shade somewhere between blue and indigo and turquoise, like the color of a ridiculously bright spring sky. They glowed beneath his short hair, dark slashes of eyebrows, and the long lashes that fanned across those crazy eyes.
His eyebrows lifted with interest, but Scout’s voice pulled his gaze to her. I, on the other hand, had a little more trouble, and had to drag my gaze away from this boy in the garden.
“What are you doing here?” she asked them, suspicion in her gaze.
The boy with brown eyes shrugged innocently. “Just seeing a little of Chicago.”
“I guess that means I didn’t miss a meeting,” Scout said, her voice dry. “Don’t you have class?” “There wasn’t a meeting,” he confirmed. “We’re on our lunch break, just like you are. We’re out for a casual stroll, enjoying this beautiful fall day.” He glanced at me and offered a grin. “I’m guessing you’re St. Sophia’s latest fashion victim? I’m Michael Garcia.”
“Lily Parker,” I said with a grin. So this was the boy Veronica talked about. Or more important, the boy Scout had avoided talking about. Given the warmth in his eyes as he stole glances at Scout, I made a prediction that Veronica wasn’t going to win that battle.
“Hello, Lily Parker,” Michael said, then bobbed his head toward blue eyes. “This is Jason Shepherd.”
“Live and in person,” Jason said with a smile, dimples arcing at each corner of his mouth. My heart beat a little bit faster; those dimples were killers. “It’s nice to meet you, Lily.”
“Ditto,” I said, offering back a smile. But not too much of a smile. No sense in playing my entire hand at once.
Cross-posted at: LiyanaLand! on 4 January 2010.
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