Interview with Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder

Today we have a special guest, Marissa Meyer with us for an interview. Marissa is the author of Cinder, the first book of the Lunar Chronicles I read this book back in February and would recommend it to anyone (you can see my review here).

Tell us a little about yourself and the book(s) you've written...

My name is Marissa, I’m recently married and we have three loving cats, I’ve murdered every houseplant I’ve ever owned, and I have a serious craving for chocolate chip cookies right now. CINDER, my debut novel, is a futuristic re-envisioning of your classic Cinderella story, in which 16-year-old Cinder is a cyborg faced with rescuing the prince (and the world) from an evil queen. It will be the first in a four-book series called The Lunar Chronicles.

How did you decide on the length of your book?

First, I wrote until the story was finished. Then I went through and added all the description and backstory that hadn’t made it into the story yet. Then I went through and deleted every single word and sentence and paragraph that I could possibly delete, that wouldn’t hurt the story or the experience of reading it. What was left became the length of the book.

How do you relax after a long day of writing?

Usually I make dinner for me and my husband, then sit down on the couch and read a book. Or sometimes we’ll watch TV or a movie. A glass of wine never hurts, either.

How many finished stories did you write before seeing your first book published? Do you think you'll ever go back to them and try again?

I wrote Sailor Moon fanfiction for many years, and ended up with about 45-50 completed fanfics during that time. Some were very short, no more than a few pages, and some were epically long. I’d once harbored hopes of turning one or two of them into novels, but in the end I never felt that they lived up to the standards I was going for. I started a few original novels over the years, but they never felt right and I always lost interest and went back to writing fanfic, although there are a few of those that I wouldn’t mind resuscitating someday either. CINDER was the first original novel I ever finished.

If all book summaries were haiku poems, yours would say...

Downtrodden cyborg

Crosses paths with handsome prince,

Has to save the world.

Do you have a book crush? Who is it?

I have about a billion book crushes! But I think Mr. Darcy will always be #1. He’s tough to beat.

You are invited to a masquerade/halloween party. Who (or what) do you dress as?

I absolutely love to dress up and have worn my share of costumes over the years, including to many Renaissance Faires and Fantasy/Sci-fi/Anime cons. Though it’s been awhile since I’ve been able to go all-out on a costume, I always have a few ideas in the back of my mind. Right now I have an infatuation with big, poofy gowns. I’d love to do the classic Disney Cinderella one of these days, or perhaps Glinda the Good Witch or Scarlett O’Hara.

What was the last thing you ate? Did you enjoy it?

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Italy and I’ve been having Italian-food withdrawals ever since. So for a snack this afternoon I had fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar and served with crackers and fresh basil. It was delicious and much more gourmet than my usual string cheese and almonds!

If you could have a pet that was a mythical creature, which creature would you choose?

I was given an opportunity to read an early copy of STORMDANCER by Jay Kristoff last month (it comes out this fall). In the book, the main character comes across a thunder tiger, which is a mythological creature that’s part tiger, part eagle. I really, really want one.

What advice would you give your teen readers about life?

Allow yourself to dream fantastically. By imagining the life you want – no matter how absurd or impossible it may seem – you’re telling your subconscious what’s important to you and setting a trajectory for your life and goals, and it never hurts to aim higher. True, not every writer is going to become J.K. Rowling, but the fact that we have J.K. Rowling at all means it’s possible.

Thank you for sharing with us, Marissa. Here is some more information about Marissa and Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1):

Summary for Cinder:

Cinderella is re-envisioned as Cinder, a girl who's part-human, part-machine. Her innate ability with mechanics brings her in contact with the handsome Prince Kai, and soon she's caught in a political battle of wills between Earth and the cruel Lunar queen who wants to rule it.

Find it on  Amazon, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Nobles, Chapters, and The Book Depository

Author Bio:

Marissa Meyer is the New York Times bestselling author of CINDER: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles. She wears her inspirations on her sleeve, drawing on everything from Sailor Moon and Tolkein to space opera classics like Star Wars and Firefly. Marissa lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three cats.

Find Marissa on Goodreads, her official website, blog, Twitter (@marissa_meyer), Facebook, and Youtube