Author Interview: Marissa Meyer (Cinder)

Yesterday Turning Pages posted it's review of Cinder, explaining how good it was and how much I enjoyed it! Instead of reviewing Cinder, the book, Turning Pages is interviewing Marissa Meyer, the author!(:

First can you tell us a little about yourself, and about Cinder?

Gladly! I live in Tacoma, Washington, have three cats, got my “start” writing Sailor Moon fanfiction, and am still technically a newlywed (3 months and counting! Have we beat the Kardashians yet?). Cinder is my first novel and it’s a sci-fi re-envisioning of the classic Cinderella story set in futuristic Asia. It follows 16-year-old Cinder, 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.

Here are some short and sweet questions to get you warmed up:

Hot chocolate or coffee?


Depends on the time of day! I love both.

Writing or reading?


Wait, these are supposed to be the simple questions?? Honestly, I enjoy reading more, but if I don’t write for extended periods of time it gets to a point where I feel like my brain will implode from under-use.

If you could time travel, would you go to the future or the past?


The past. I wouldn’t want to live pre-modern-day conveniences, like electricity and indoor plumbing, but I wouldn’t mind visiting those times for awhile. Say, Regency England. I feel like it would be so beautiful and refreshing.

Here are some longer questions:

Where do you usually enjoy writing? Do you do anything while you're writing, like munch on snacks or listen to music?

I do a lot of writing in bed, even though I know it’s horrible for my posture. I also really enjoy going to cafes or restaurants. I always have to have something to sip on—whether it’s coffee or water or even wine if I’m having a difficult time.

Do you own a pair of these red hot heels, like on the cover of Cinder?

Yes! I found a pair that are almost identical for the book launch party (except they aren’t see-through). They’re not the most comfortable shoes in the world, but they’re still fun to wear.

How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

My family and I went out to a nice dinner a couple days beforehand, and then I had a huge release party at my local bookstore in which we had food and punch and a lot of people wore red shoes. I believe there was well over 200 people there, mostly friends and family. It was great to have so much support.

What obstacles did you encounter and overcome while writing Cinder?

My decision to set the book in futuristic China posed for some interesting challenges, as I was unable to actually go to China and do in-person research. I ended up conducting a lot of research on everything from language and cultural traditions to weather patterns and plant life. I wanted Cinder’s world to have an authentic Asian feel to it, while still being different enough that readers would believe hundreds of years had passed, and the world and culture had changed over time. Of course, readers can decide how well I succeeded!

Do you plan on writing another book? Do you all ready have something in the works?

Cinder is the first in a four-book series called The Lunar Chronicles, so right now I’m neck-deep in revisions for Books 2 and 3 and will be working on this series for some time still. After that, I have dozens of ideas for more YA novels, both series and stand-alone, so we will see where my inspiration takes me.