The wonderful Shelley Workinger is here today to talk about her new book Settling (book #2 in the Solid series). I am a huge fan of this series and can't wait to see what Shelley has in store for the readers next.
If you'd like to try to win a copy, she has offered up a signed copy for one lucky winner. Open internationally!
There is so much in a name! Both in fiction and in real life, I find that names often tell stories in themselves.
In the “Solid” series, I definitely wanted to give some “shout-outs” to friends and family members, but I tried to limit those to bit parts so that no one could take the fictional flaws of his or her “Solid” counterpart as a personal insult. Of course, you know what they say happens when you try to make plans! Some of those “cameos” took on lives of their own and are about to blow up into larger roles, so I can only hope my friends are still my friends after their like-named characters start to, well, drift.
As for the main characters, instead of being named for someone, their names stand for something. “Jack” just suits Jack – it’s the most obvious, as some readers have pointed out, because he’s a jack of all trades, but master of none. He says himself how he tries to learn a little about everything, but he’s the only one on campus to have no super ability – yet. And his last name speaks of his soul – Vallard is a combination of valiant and bard, as he’s Clio’s knightly poet.
With Jack, readers learn who is right away, but for some of the characters who stay more peripheral for awhile, the names themselves are spoilers of sorts. (Do not continue reading if you haven’t finished “Solid.”) Alexis, for example, is the “x factor” of book one – the person the bad guy doesn’t see coming and that even Clio and her friends don’t pick up for a long time, but readers might’ve gotten a feeling about because the “x” was right there in the name. Similarly, Janet is a derivative of “Janus,” the two-faced God of Roman mythology.
Clio is the one exception to my keep-main-character-names-impersonal rule, which really is only fitting as her character becomes more and more the exception to every campus rule as the series evolves. Clio – “Calliope” – is named after my daughter, Calliope, whom we call Clio because so many people can’t pronounce it (yes, we get a lot of Cal-ee-o-pay, like a rodeo clown, just like the character complains about in “Solid”). And of course we hope she can get past the butchered pronunciations to appreciate the mythical and musical beauty of the name and why we chose it!
There are several new characters introduced in “Settling,” and their names have those same varying levels of significance – one that just fits, one that revolves around a letter, one that’s odd and awkward, and one that reflects exactly the person within. And there are also some more shout-outs to fantastic readers as a small way to show how grateful I am for their praise of my series and support of my work!
Settling by Shelley Workinger
Publisher: CreateSpace (July 4th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 242 pages
Series: Solid #2
At the beginning of the summer, Clio Kaid was one of a hundred teens brought to a secret Army installation. But it was no ordinary camp and they weren’t ordinary kids…
Soon after learning they were the products of a secret genetic experiment, the teens began developing super-abilities ranging from bounding lightness to blocking heaviness; blinding brilliance and the ability to vanish. These same gifts made them targets of a psychopath in officer’s clothing, and they found themselves fighting for their lives.
Picking up where “Solid” left off, Clio and her friends realize that they aren’t ready to go home; they’re determined to stay on campus and continue their journey of self- discovery. But someone doesn’t feel the same way and will do anything to drive them away – even kill.
Friendships will be tested, abilities will evolve, and more secrets will come out as the teens race to stop the killer before he sets his sights on one of them…
Prize:
- 1 winner will receive a SIGNED copy of Settling by Shelley Workinger.
Rules:
- You must be at least 13 to enter.
- Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
- Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
- Contest is International and ends July 1st.
- Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
- The form must be filled out to enter.
Find Shelley Workinger Goodreads | Solid Series | Facebook | Twitter
To purchase Settling keep an eye on this page on amazon. The book will be available on July 4th. You can also go to the series website and click"giveaways" to see the book deal for July.
Buy Settling in the month of July, get a free ebook of Solid (Kindle or.pdf). You can email your receipt to Shelley from that giveaway page.