BLÜD AND MAGICK by Preston Norton

Welcome to Author Preston Norton

PRESTON NORTON was born in California, raised in Texas, and is currently a student at Brigham Young University – Idaho, seeking a degree in English Education. He enjoys sushi, rock concerts, and scary movies.

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Interview

Write a Haiku about your book.

A dark lord was killed

She was born from the ashes

Meet Darla Summer

What is your dream cast for your book? 

Oh man. I hate to put preconceived ideas in readers’ heads, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. Abigail Breslin as Darla Summer, Asa Butterfield as Cirrus Craven, Zachary Gordon as Ash Craven, and, without question, Michael Caine as Edwin. I love that man.

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters? 

The way that the story ends, I can’t help but think that “Monsters” by Matchbook Romance would a perfect end credits song.

What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit? 

I was shamelessly hooked on the TV show, The Secret Circle, and was devastated that they canceled it. I’ve also been hooked on The Vampire Diaries from the beginning. Team Damon all the way. Stefan can bite me.

If you could ask any author (alive or dead) one question, who would it be and what question would you ask? 

Robert Jordan. Did Brandon Sanderson do it right? (Robert Jordan’s answer would, of course, be, “Heck freaking yeah!”)

Nickname? 

When I was a baby, my mom called me Punkydoodle. When she wants to embarrass me, she will still call me that. The woman knows no bounds.

What is one book everyone should read? 

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. It is middle-grade literary fiction, and it is absolutely masterful. Every single detail that Schmidt brings into play has pertinence later in the book. Every plot device is string, and they meet together, forming an intricate and perfect spider web. It is a story that teaches you that life is hard but is worth it every step of the way.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? 

I am currently working on a sequel to BLÜD AND MAGICK. I always thought this would be the easy part—writing a continuation to a story that you’ve already established a foundation for. WRONG! I suddenly have a dozens of expectations that I’m trying to live up to all at the same time. It’s an exhausting juggling act, and it’s demanding much more from me as a writer.

Which authors have influenced you most and how? 

There are two. When I was younger, it was Christopher Paolini. I actually wrote him after I finished my first novel at age 18. He wrote me a very personalized three-page letter back and even told me that he would have his agent take a look at my novel. Unfortunately, looking back now, I know that my first novel was desperate for severe revision. His agent said no but gave me some very important writing advice, and it was overall a very inspiring experience. The author that inspires me today is James Dashner of The Maze Runner fame. I actually know this guy. He was friends with my mom. He started off at the publisher I am at now and when it was much, much smaller. I remember him talking about one of his first book signings where he only sold two books. I’ve seen this guy work really, really, REALLY hard to get where he is now, helming the Infinity Ring series and about to release a new novel that was featured in Entertainment Weekly, The Eye of Minds (which looks incredible by the way). If this guy isn’t inspiration, I don’t know what is.

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? 

Don’t stop writing. I have written seven novels total, and I’m just now getting published. Some of my early novels may never see the light of the publishing world, but I wouldn’t trade the experience of writing them for anything.

BLÜD AND MAGICK

Born from the ashes of the most fierce and powerful entity in all of Trivaesia, Darla was sent to grow up in the outside world with no knowledge of where she came from. When she finds herself wielding new power, she must decide which part of her will rule her heart---the evil from which she was born or the good by which she was raised.