Colleen Houck Book Club discussion

Welcome to the group! Alwyn will be answering questions in September in this thread only. In the meantime if you have a question for the author or just want to introduce yourself feel free to do so in this thread.

What is your favorite book?

What was it like seeing your published book for the first time?

What was your favorite thing about your Recent Penguin Teen Tour?

Do you have any books planned for after the Rebel of the Sands series?

hello everyone good afternoon how ar you it's been a will

What was your inspiration behind Rebel of the Sands series?

What got you into writing?

Which character do you identify with the most?

If your books were made into movies do you have actors in mind who you’d love to see play your characters?

Which was your favorite book to write and why?

Is there a author you love beyond measure that you wish you can collaborate with and what kind of book would you write together?

I just want to say how much I enjoyed your series. It was so different—a blend of fantasy, mythology, and epic adventure—and the imagery made it a very immersive read.

Can you give us an idea of what you have in store for your next project?

Who are your favorite heroines?

Any must haves when you write?

Do you write at home or out and about?

Where has been your favorite place to tour?

Ashley wrote: "If your books were made into movies do you have actors in mind who you’d love to see play your characters?"

It changes all the time and I definitely want people to fancast who they see! But I can definitely see Yara Shahidi for Shazad. And I saw Crazy Rich Asians recently and I ended up mentally casting a Young Henry Golding as Jin. And my mother is rooting for Avan Jogia as Ahmed. But I still don't have an Amani in mind!

Kelly wrote: "I just want to say how much I enjoyed your series. It was so different—a blend of fantasy, mythology, and epic adventure—and the imagery made it a very immersive read.

Can you give us an idea of ..."

Thank you so much! I can't talk too much about the next project yet, though I hope we should be able to announce it soon. But...I can say I have been reading a lot of Fairytales as inspiration, and listening to a lot of the Great Gatsby soundtrack. If that gives some clues ;-)

Hope wrote: "What was it like seeing your published book for the first time?"

Very surreal! I developed this habit before the book came out: When I was in a bookshop browsing, I would just find the place on shelves where my book would go when it would be out. When the book came out in the UK and I saw it in my local Waterstones for the first time, I just stood there and stared at the pile for ages. I kept picking it up, and putting it back down. And then circling it, and finally I worked up the courage to ask if I could sign it, feeling very short of breath!

Ashley wrote: "What is your favorite book?"

Impossible to pick just one! Childhood Favorites include Tamora Pierce's ALANNA Series, Robin McKinley's THE BLUE SWORD, and Gail Carson Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED. Newer faves are Marie Rutkoski's THE WINNER'S CURSE, Leigh Bardugo's SIX OF CROWS, Ally Carter's HEIST SOCIETY. The list could go on forever!

Ali Kiki wrote: "What was your favorite thing about your Recent Penguin Teen Tour?"

The best part of tours is always getting to meet readers and getting to hang out with my fellow authors on the road :-)

Trudy wrote: "How did you know you wanted to be a writer?"

So I was an avid reader as a child. But I also grew up reading in English and going to school and socializing entirely in French. So I had no one to talk about the books I was reading with. So I started writing to have somewhere for all the words I was taking in to go! And then I never stopped. Because it was something I loved to do, I decided I wanted to be an author :-)

Rachel wrote: "Do you have any books planned for after the Rebel of the Sands series?"

I do! I'm working on it as we speak! (Or rather we are speaking in between me working on it). It's going to be very different but set in the same world as REBEL and it may have a familiar face ;-)

Sarah wrote: "Is there a author you love beyond measure that you wish you can collaborate with and what kind of book would you write together?"

A part of me is like: "YES SO MANY!" but another part of me doesn't want to collaborate because I just want to enjoy my favorite authors' books. And when you work on a book, by the end of it, while you still love it, you don't get to enjoy reading the finished product for the first time.

But yes, I would love to write a badass tightly plotted fantasy with anyone from Marie Rutkoski Leigh Bardugo, Renée Ahdieh, Roshani Chokshi...and absorb some of their genius ;-)

Ashley wrote: "Which character do you identify with the most?"

I mean I am not nearly as likely to survive a rebellion as any of them...so maybe (SPOILER ART) Bahi? Or maybe Shazad because while I am not as brainy or badass as her I also just like to get things done without nonsensing around and I also come from a comfortable stable family background.

Alwyn wrote: "Ashley wrote: "If your books were made into movies do you have actors in mind who you’d love to see play your characters?"

It changes all the time and I definitely want people to fancast who they ..."

I love Avan!

Alwyn wrote: "But...I can say I have been reading a lot of Fairytales as inspiration, and listening to a lot of the Great Gatsby soundtrack."

Woah. Color me intrigued!

Thank so much to Alwyn and to all who asked those amazing questions! The winner of the chat is Hope! Don't forget to join the chat next month when my featured author will be Andrea Cremer!