2015 Debut Authors Bash, Featuring Romina Russell (and GIVEAWAY!)

Hi bibliovores! Welcome to the 2015 Debut Authors Bash. Today, I'll be hosting Romina Russell, author of Zodiac and Wandering Star! Stick around for my interview with Romina, and a giveaway!

Zodiac review | Zodiac Promo | Wandering Star review

Meet Romina!

Alyssa: Hi, Romina! Thank you so much for joining me today!

Romina: Thank you so much for hosting me!

Alyssa: How has your debut year been?

Romina: Breathlessly amazing! It feels like I compressed a lifetime’s worth of emotions into a single year, and I had an absolute blast. In particular, I was blown away by the incredible community of YA readers, who have cemented for me that this is what I want to do with my life.

Alyssa: How has the experience been different, as book two’s publication gets closer?

Romina: The second time around feels quieter, yet more intense. Since I’ve been through the publication process once already, I’ve become better at balancing the demands on my time, but since by now ZODIAC already has readers, I feel much more pressure for the sequel to resonate with fans of the series.

Alyssa: Were there any parts of Zodiac that were cut that you wished stayed put? Anything you can share and/or give details without spoiling anything? :)

Romina: Nope—if anything, I actually kept tacking on additional scenes to ZODIAC; hence its heft and height and tiny type! After the first ARC was printed, I added so many extra pages—including wholesale new chapters, like Helios’s Halo and the prologue—that Razorbill decided to print a second ARC, which bears the beautiful current cover art. And I’m still working on getting you a copy of the first ARC (I remember from your blog posts that you loved the original cover colors)! <3

Alyssa: OMG! *squishes* You are awesome! What can we expect from book three?

Romina: ANOTHER AMAZING COVER! Sorry, I had to get that out—I’ve already seen a draft of the book 3 cover, and I know I say this every time, but this one might be my favorite! LOL. Story-wise, we’ll adventure to more Houses and discover new cultures as Rho comes closer than ever to unraveling the mysteries of her universe and the secrets of her past.

Alyssa: I cannot WAIT to see that cover! Razorbill has outdone themselves with these two. And that’s it from me! Thank you for taking the time to be here, Romina. :)

Romina: Thank you!! <3

About Romina Russell:

Romina Russell is a Los Angeles based author who originally hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a teen, Romina landed her first writing gig—College She Wrote, a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. When she’s not working on the ZODIAC series, Romina can be found producing movie trailers, taking photographs, or daydreaming about buying a new drum set. She is a Virgo to the core.

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Check out Romina's debut!

Zodiac by Romina Russell

Book One of the Zodiac series

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: December 9, 2014

Summary (from Goodreads):

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancrian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Learn more about Wandering Star, the sequel to Zodiac!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

The Giveaway:

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