The Natural Order
by R.J. Vickers
by R.J. Vickers
Publication date: March 14th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Tristan Fairholm is one of 15 juvenile delinquents selected to learn magic…for a purpose that is kept secret from them. When they at last learn that the magic they have harvested causes death and ruin in a bid to keep the world from collapse, they must make a choice: do they fight it? Or do they use it?
If you loved Harry Potter and The Golden Compass, you won’t want to miss this new YA fantasy!
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Author Interview:
THE BOOK
Who is your favorite character in The Natural Order, and why?
Leila is definitely my favorite. She’s a bit like me (she likes cooking and telling stories), but she’s a lot more snarky and confrontational. She’s been hurt, and she thinks very poorly of herself, but she still gives everything she has to the people she cares for.
Who was your least favorite character? What made that individual unappealing?
Evvie. I originally started writing the book from her perspective, only to get bored within about three chapters. The worst part was that the beginning sounded exactly like the start of a story I’d written in middle school. It was embarrassing. Anyway, Tristan was supposed to be this dark, brooding character who fascinated and scared Evvie, but then I decided his perspective would be much more interesting. I switched then and there, and never regretted it. Evvie is interesting enough, but I still have a grudge against her.
What else did you edit out of The Natural Order?
I can’t even remember everything I’ve cut out! The book has gone through 9 drafts of revisions, and for the first five or so, things were drastically changing between each draft. First of all, after Evvie was cut from narrating, her initial scenes were gone. Then the story started right before the car crash where Tristan kills his brother, and eventually I cut that scene and the scenes of Tristan at Juvie, because they weren’t the right tone to lead into the story.
A few characters have been axed as well—originally the students were collected by someone named Professor Rowdy, who had a goatish face and a nervous tic. I can’t remember much more about him; clearly he wasn’t very important. And second, there was originally a mountaineer who stumbled across the Lair and fell in love with Evvie, but that later became *(spoiler alert!)* the twins Evvie cares for, since it heightened the tension between the teachers.
What was your favorite chapter or part to write, and why?
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for cozy scenes. I love getting into characters’ heads, so I adore spending time with them and seeing them interact in a comfortable, enjoyable scene. Part of it is because I often feel like I’m living the scenes as I write them, so I get great pleasure from living those moments. I loved writing the section set around Christmastime in The Natural Order, though I ended up cutting a lot of it to keep up the pace of the plot!
What can we expect from you in the future, with regard to this story and other current or future projects?
I’m working on the sequel, and plan to complete that during NaNoWriMo this year. I’m also halfway through a massive epic fantasy novel, The Fall of Lostport. Lostport is set in a world I’ve been developing for a long time now, so it’s wonderful to finally get a chance to spend time in it.
When is the next book in the series going to be released?
I’m aiming to release the second Natural Order book at the same time next year: June 2016!
Leila is definitely my favorite. She’s a bit like me (she likes cooking and telling stories), but she’s a lot more snarky and confrontational. She’s been hurt, and she thinks very poorly of herself, but she still gives everything she has to the people she cares for.
Who was your least favorite character? What made that individual unappealing?
Evvie. I originally started writing the book from her perspective, only to get bored within about three chapters. The worst part was that the beginning sounded exactly like the start of a story I’d written in middle school. It was embarrassing. Anyway, Tristan was supposed to be this dark, brooding character who fascinated and scared Evvie, but then I decided his perspective would be much more interesting. I switched then and there, and never regretted it. Evvie is interesting enough, but I still have a grudge against her.
What else did you edit out of The Natural Order?
I can’t even remember everything I’ve cut out! The book has gone through 9 drafts of revisions, and for the first five or so, things were drastically changing between each draft. First of all, after Evvie was cut from narrating, her initial scenes were gone. Then the story started right before the car crash where Tristan kills his brother, and eventually I cut that scene and the scenes of Tristan at Juvie, because they weren’t the right tone to lead into the story.
A few characters have been axed as well—originally the students were collected by someone named Professor Rowdy, who had a goatish face and a nervous tic. I can’t remember much more about him; clearly he wasn’t very important. And second, there was originally a mountaineer who stumbled across the Lair and fell in love with Evvie, but that later became *(spoiler alert!)* the twins Evvie cares for, since it heightened the tension between the teachers.
What was your favorite chapter or part to write, and why?
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for cozy scenes. I love getting into characters’ heads, so I adore spending time with them and seeing them interact in a comfortable, enjoyable scene. Part of it is because I often feel like I’m living the scenes as I write them, so I get great pleasure from living those moments. I loved writing the section set around Christmastime in The Natural Order, though I ended up cutting a lot of it to keep up the pace of the plot!
What can we expect from you in the future, with regard to this story and other current or future projects?
I’m working on the sequel, and plan to complete that during NaNoWriMo this year. I’m also halfway through a massive epic fantasy novel, The Fall of Lostport. Lostport is set in a world I’ve been developing for a long time now, so it’s wonderful to finally get a chance to spend time in it.
When is the next book in the series going to be released?
I’m aiming to release the second Natural Order book at the same time next year: June 2016!
AUTHOR BIO:
R.J. Vickers grew up in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, earned a BA in Writing and Publishing at Emerson College, and was shortly thereafter whisked off to New Zealand by her Kiwi partner.
She now lives in Christchurch with her fiance, Daniel, where she works as a part-time chef. When she's not writing, she loves hiking and adventuring throughout New Zealand.
R.J. Vickers is the author of The Natural Order, the first book in a new young adult fantasy series. She swears by NaNoWriMo, and has written seven short novels during the typing frenzy that is November.
She now lives in Christchurch with her fiance, Daniel, where she works as a part-time chef. When she's not writing, she loves hiking and adventuring throughout New Zealand.
R.J. Vickers is the author of The Natural Order, the first book in a new young adult fantasy series. She swears by NaNoWriMo, and has written seven short novels during the typing frenzy that is November.
Author links:
Website: http://www.rjvickers.com/
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