Fireball Rebellion Review and Interview

I am pleased to welcome author Eric Priuska to my blog today! 

He is here to talk about his YA novel,

The Fireball Rebellion

A mysterious fireball lifts twelve-year-old Frankie Lenten out of her miserable life by giving her superspeed and an invitation to a hidden city for people with all sorts of wondrous powers. Her new life brings a group of crazy friends and wild competitions to test the limits of her strength, skill, and smarts. But the fun ends all too soon when she finds herself trapped between an angry rebellion growing among her new classmates and an oppressive council of leaders that forbids her to take any action. Never one to do as she’s told, Frankie investigates the rebellion and lands herself in a fight with an unstoppable psychopath, marking her an enemy of the rebels forever. With the rebellion about to ignite, she will have no choice but to rely on her quick thinking, speedy feet, and fast friends to survive...

The most dangerous run of her life.

~ All About the Author ~

Frankie and I have a lot in common. I may not be a superpowered girl, but I do kick some (figurative) butt from time to time. We were also both born and raised in a small town in the U.P. (the northernmost peninsula of Michigan). My town was really nice, though. We also both moved on to Ann Arbor, Michigan where we’re learning a lot about who we really are. She’s learning how to be a hero, and I’m learning how to be myself. It’s a tough challenge for both of us, but I’m optimistic.

As for my work history, after years of research and teaching in biochemistry, I now work as a data manager. I think my science background gave me the toolbox for creating new worlds in science fiction and my teaching background gave me the language to communicate to an audience. My current job allows me to eat and stay dry.

Q: Tell us something unusual about you.

A: My life is incredibly full with my job, my family, and my writing, but apparently that’s still not enough for me because I have one more passion: ballet. It started several years ago after I got my black belt in Shorin-Ryu Karate-do. I felt I had gone as far as I wanted to in martial arts, but I was looking for something similar that would challenge my brain as well as my body. Dance seemed like it might be a good fit. I spent a couple of years learning jazz, and I liked it a lot, but the defining moment for me came when I was visiting New York City.

At the time, my opinion of ballet was similar to my opinion of golf, opera, and wine: it just seemed kind of weird and really boring. In New York, though, I had the chance to dance in class with some truly phenomenal ballet dancers, and I discovered how incredible it can be when it’s done really well. It was like suddenly falling for someone you thought you knew for years. Now, I remember what I used to think of ballet, and I still have the same opinion about golf, opera, and wine, so I don’t expect very many people to get why I love it so much. I don’t even really understand why I love it so much myself, but since when has anyone understood why they fall in love?  I know I love it, and that is enough.

Q: What gave you your start as a writer?

A: As a kid, I spent a lot of time by myself, playing out stories in my room. I liked the excitement of setting up problems and then solving them. As I got older, those stories started getting written down, and I finished my first novel during my senior year in high school. It was really terrible, but I kept at it.  I also read a ton and poured over dozens of writing books. I’m still working hard, and trying to get better every day, but it’s been really exciting see my first novel come out. I can hardly wait for the next book to be ready.

Q: Why have you chosen to write a YA novel?

A: One of the mistakes I made as an early writer was writing what I thought I was supposed to, instead of what I wanted to. I wrote “literary” fiction, and I wasn’t good enough to do it well, so it was just boring.

That all changed when my partner convinced me to try the first Harry Potter book. By the time I’d finished it, I was hooked, and I tore through the next two books as quickly as I could. What I discovered  when reading them was a trove of forgotten memories of exciting stories I’d read just like that as a kid. I loved “A Wrinkle in Time” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and most of all “The Lord of the Rings.”  And I thought to myself, why am I trying to write a book that I wouldn’t really want to read?   I should write something that I would LOVE!  And that’s when I came up with The Fireball Rebellion.  It all came together so fast, I knew I was finally on the right track.

Q: What has been your biggest inspiration behind the story of Fireball Rebellion?

A: I am somewhat introverted, as I think is the case for many writers and readers, and I spent a great deal of time out in the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where I grew up. It’s a beautiful place, and it’s perfect for long peaceful walks. But it was lonely too. I wanted to write about someone who was stuck, like I was, alone and isolated, but who had more luck and frankly more strength than I had and got a chance to start over. Some readers fault writers who tell stories that are too much about themselves, but I think all the stories we tell are about ourselves. They’re our loves, and our losses, and our dreams, and our disappointments, and more than anything, they are a chance to put ourselves into strange situations to test out what we’re really made of. Frankie is not me, and I am not Frankie, but she carries a piece of me wherever she goes, and as if she were one of my children, she goes out into the world of The Fireball Rebellion and finds her own way. And I love watching her do it.

Q: Are your main characters based off of anyone one in particular?

A: They are all bits of me and bits of the many people I’ve known in my life. I think it’s important in a story, especially if you want to make it lively, to have a variety of personalities interacting, and I tried to do that with The Fireball Rebellion. For the main three characters, I took core elements of my personality, my sense of responsibility for Frankie, my philosophical side for Shaun, and my snarky attitude for Eliza, and I broke them out into what I hope will seem like full blooded living people. To do that, I had to make them not like myself as well. Frankie is way more brave, especially for her age, than I ever was. And Shaun is much more thoughtful and forthcoming. And as for Eliza, I could never get away with the stuff she says.

For the other characters, I took memories from my own time in school and mixed them in with people I know today. If you look around, it’s not hard to find a wide variety of people, and it’s a lot of fun to mix and match their personalities to make up new people as if from whole cloth.

Q: What has been your most memorable moment in your writing career?

A: I remember when I got my first review from a reader I didn’t know. It was so exciting that it took quite a while to sink in. I had had people I knew read it before, and it was always a thrill when they seemed to like it, but the first time I saw, in print, proof that someone in the great Out There had read it and had liked it even, I could hardly believe it. I must have read the review ten times before I really did.

Q: What has been your greatest challenge while writing?

A: Time. Time, time, time. I could say I don’t have enough of it, or I could say I have too many things that I love, but either way I can spend every waking moment doing something I have to do or desperately want to do, and still go to bed with much left undone.

A lot of writing books advise that writers need a schedule. We should always write at the same time, for the same amount of time or the same number of words, every day. I agree that’s a great idea, but I have never gotten it to work. I have a full time job, a twelve-year old son, a nine-month old son, a partner, my ballet classes, and the four to five hours of sleep I manage a night. There just is no room for a perfect schedule. My writing fills the cracks in my day like water fills up a glass of pebbles. I can’t control where it’s going to go, and I never know how much I can squeeze in, but as the weeks go by, I get it done. Not as quickly as I (or my readers) would like, but it’s all I’ve got right now, and it will have to do.

Q: Where is your favorite place to write; what do you snack on?

A: I used to always write in coffee shops, just like a cliché, but I recently discovered a great building in town at the university where I used to go.  It has a large foyer with a huge skylight and potted trees all around. Whatever the season or weather, I can sit for free on a park bench under the sky and still be warm and dry and write as long as I want. It’s wonderful.

As for snacking, I am a hard core unitasker, so when I write, that is all I do. When I am snacking, then I am snacking!  And my favorites are oreos, ice cream, and a million different types of candy bars, but if I want to be able to get off the ground in ballet, I need to keep those things to a minimum. I manage to go most days without indulging, but I’ve never been good at denying myself anything for too long, so I let myself have breaks in my healthy eating now and again, just so I don’t go crazy.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring YA authors?

A: Writing is important, and so is reading, but all writers give that advice. I would add something else to those things: study. Study the craft of writing, in books like “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” or “Writing the Breakout Novel.” Study the guidance of other writers like Anne Lamott or Stephen King in their great books on writing. Study stories that work for you, and figure out what you like. Study stories that don’t work, and figure out why they don’t. And most of all study your own writing. You must have high expectations for your writing, and you must be comfortable with failing to meet those expectations most of the time. It is the dissatisfaction with your writing that will inspire you to keep learning, keep listening, and keep growing. Ira Glass has a great quote that to do great work a creative person must have great taste. It is the great taste that keeps us working past the mediocre drafts and into something that may be really special. I don’t know if I’m there yet, but I know I am still working hard, and someday I might get there. If you keep working, you can get there too.

Q: If you had to pick one author or book that has been the most influential to you who/what would it be?

A: As far as storytelling goes, it is hands down Masashi Kishimoto, the author of the manga series Naruto. I’ve read (and watched) a ton of exciting stories filled with great characters, but Naruto has a special mix of action, humor, and emotion that is very hard to reproduce. I’ve tried to find a similar balance in The Fireball Rebellion, and I’m going to keep working at it. I’m also going to keep loving Naruto and measuring my own work against it.

Q: What can you tell us about your works in progress?

A: The name of the next book in The Fireball Rebellion series is Hurricane Frankie. I just hit 50,000 words on my first draft yesterday, so I’m really excited about the progress I’ve made, but if you read my previous comments about not having enough time and holding myself to high standards, you could probably guess that I’m still a long way from having the book ready to come out. I’d like to say that it will happen in 2013, but at this point, I don’t want to make any promises that I may not be able to keep.

What is really exciting to me is what I’m doing with Hurricane Frankie. I have a lot of big plans for Frankie and her friends, and The Fireball Rebellion was really just a taste of what’s coming. I think the story is still relatively straightforward at that point. Hurricane Frankie moves the story in a different direction, and I think it will give readers a better sense of what’s to come.  I can’t wait for my first reader!

If you would like to know more about the author :

Twitter / Blog / Goodreads 

The Fireball Rebellion can be purchased:

Amazon / B&N 

~ MY REVIEW ~

The Fireball Rebellion is a charming story for both mid-grade and young adults. The author has created a captivating sci-fi world with plenty of action, adventure and mystery all in one. This was a really fun and easy read that I think any reader would enjoy. It reminds me of reading a really good manga (Japanese comic). I could easily see this story being illustrated and made into a graphic novel as well. 

The heroine of the story, Frankie, really takes the role of a female lead to a new level. She is not your typical young girl. She has spunk and determination even when faced with the strangest situations. Frankie is not one to give up and her character helps strengthen those around her. She is the type of hero that I would want my little girl looking up to. 

I loved the plot line of this book. Eric did a wonderful job of creating a story that is both original and exciting. His unique writing style keeps this story moving at a fast pace, and there is never a dull moment. Things move quickly for Frankie and her friends which keeps the reader hooked into the story. There are plenty of surprises in store as well and the slight twist in the plot was awesome! This book kept me guessing, which is something I really liked about it. Not many books can do that. The 'coming of age' aspect of this book was quite enjoyable as well, all though it is not your typical coming of age story. I think Frankie's background and the hardships she had to face, help make this story easily relatable for readers. If anyone was deserving of superpowers, it was most definitely Frankie.  

I highly recommend The Fireball Rebellion to parents who are in search of a clean, wholesome read for their kids. This book is sure to keep them interested! I also recommend this book to any YA lovers out there. You will love Frankie and the story she has to tell. 

I can not wait to read the second book and find out where Eric takes these wonderful characters!