Meet the Newbies || BOUND BY BLOOD AND SAND by Becky Allen || Interview and Giveaway

Meet the Newbies is an awesome feature created by one of our frequent guest reviewers, Rachel, at A Perfection Called Books. Today we are featuring author Becky Allen and her book BOUND BY BLOOD AND SAND. Check out our interview with her below, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

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Author Most Likely to Have Coffee Stains on Every Item of Clothing She Owns

Nickname: Smurf
First Day of School: October 11, 2016
Homeroom: Delacorte
Grade: YA fantasy
Extracurricular Activities: Literary Magazine (duh!), National Honor Society, band and drama clubs... and oh yeah, playing the VERY VITAL position of benchwarmer on the soccer team
Favorite Class: History (which I was good at); math (which I was bad at but enjoyed)
Favorite Quote/Motto: "There's power in looking silly and not caring that you do." -Amy Poehler (and everything else Amy has ever said, honestly!) 

• Can you describe your book for us in 5 words?

Oppressive heat and oppressive society.

• If you were an item on a Mexican Restaurant menu, what would you be and why? 

I would probably be a burrito, due to my tendency to grab blankets and roll up in them, even when it's warm out. On a related note, my bed is never made....

• What research did you do, if any, for your setting and story? 

Most of my research centered around early civilizations, especially early uses of irrigation. I looked at what kinds of crops they developed first, which laid the background for what my characters would eat and wear and the basis for a lot of their civilization. One of the more fun things I did to get a sense of flora and fauna was watch the Planet Earth documentary episode about deserts - I love that documentary anyway, and it was a good reminder of how life can and does flourish even in extreme circumstances.

• Is there a message you hope readers will get from this book? 

Yes! While I tried not to be didactic about it, like the five word summary implied, this is a book that's very much about oppression - I hope that readers will be able to see parallels to ways that our own society can be oppressive.

• If someone asked you why they should read BOUND BY BLOOD AND SAND, what would you say? 

You should give it a read if you're interested in seeing an unusual fantasy setting, or if you want a story about what happens when people without power get pushed too far.

Quick-Fire:

• Best book you've read this year: THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi Heilig

• Favorite food: French toast

• Favorite dessert: tiramisu

• Favorite vacation spot: Any cute beachside town where I can alternately window shop and lay around in the sun

• Best movie you've seen this year: Hail, Caesar!

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BOUND BY BLOOD AND SAND
by Becky Allen
Goodreads | Amazon

Jae is a slave in a dying desert world.

Once verdant with water from a magical Well, the land is drying up, and no one remembers the magic needed to keep the water flowing. If a new source isn’t found soon, the people will perish. Jae doesn’t mind, in a way. By law, she is bound by a curse to obey every order given her, no matter how vile. At least in death, she’ll be free.

Elan’s family rules the fading realm. He comes to the estate where Jae works, searching for the hidden magic needed to replenish the Well, but it’s Jae who finds it, and she who must wield it. Desperate to save his realm, Elan begs her to use it to locate the Well.

But why would a slave—abused, beaten, and treated as less than human—want to save the system that shackles her? Jae would rather see the world burn.

Though revenge clouds her vision, she agrees to help if the realm’s slaves are freed. Then Elan’s father arrives. The ruler’s cruelty knows no limits. He is determined that the class system will not change—and that Jae will remain a slave forever.

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Giveaway:

• 1 Pre-Order or Finished Copy of Any Debut Novel Featured on Meet the Newbies
• International (as long as The Book Depository ships to your country)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet the Newbies is a blog event dedicated to introducing you to the “newbie” published debut authors. In this event, expect to learn more about the authors, their books, and silly fun facts! Check out the full Meet the Newbies lineup here.

Author Bio:

Becky Allen grew up in a tiny town outside Ithaca, New York, and graduated from Brandeis University with a major in American studies and a minor in journalism. She is the website director of TheBody.com, an online HIV resource, and loves New York, brunch, and feminism. Becky lives in New York City.

Social Media:

• Twitter: allreb
• Facebook: allreb
• Tumblr: beckytext
• Goodreads: allreb
• Instagram: allreb
• Pinterest: allreb