Welcome to Sortilege Falls by Libby Heily Blog Tour and Giveaway

Welcome to Sortilege Falls
by Libby Heily
Genre: YA Magical Mystery
Release Date: June 12th 2016
Fire & Ice Young Adult Books

Summary from Goodreads:Sixteen-year-old Grape Merriweather has just moved to Sortilege Falls and already she knows something isn't right. A small pack of teenage models, too beautiful for words, holds the town in their sway. The models have no plans on making Grape's life easy. But no matter how cruel they are to Grape and the other “Normals”, no one can stay angry with them for long.

Grape's life changes for the better, or so she thinks, when Mandy, the only “nice” model, befriends her. But that’s when the trouble truly begins. Mandy's friendship places Grape smack in the middle of a medical mystery that has the entire town on edge. One by one, the models fall ill from an incurable disease. Grape quickly realizes that the models' parents are hiding a secret, even as they watch their children die. To save her only friend, Grape will have to find the truth–and that means putting her life in danger.

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How did you become an author?

I studied theater in college. In theory, I wanted to be an actress but I wasn’t actually good at it. When I did get cast, I would spend more time rewriting lines than memorizing them. I wrote my first play during my sophomore year and I never turned back.

What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?

I'd probably go back into film work. I went to film school in Seattle and made commercials for a bit and did some production work on independent films. I'd imagine I'd be back in that world if I wasn't writing.

5 years ago: what were you doing?

I had just finished the 2010 Playwriting Intensive at the Kennedy Center in DC and I was hard at work on a new play called STUFF which explored the world of hoarding. I lived in DC and worked in a call center by day. I also ran a lot back then. It was a good time, minus the call center.

Do you have a certain writing ritual?

Right now, I wake up, make coffee, stretch my arms (I had a seriously bad bought of tendonitis a year ago) and then head up to my office on the 3^rd floor and start taking care of business. I take breaks throughout the day to go for walks, go work out, and occasionally to go to lunch with friends.

Who are your major writing influences?

Short Answer: Virginia Woolfe, August Strindberg, Brocke Clarke, Terry Pratchett, Muriel Spark, Harold Pinter and Eugene O’Neill.

Long Answer: Virginia Woolfe’s experimentation and exceptional grasp of language constantly floors me. I first encountered August Strindberg in college when I read his “A Dream Play.” I was immediately hooked. I delved for a bit into other expressionist playwrights but Strindberg was always my favorite. Brock Clarke is just fantastic. I haven’t read a book of his yet that I haven’t loved. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels are fun and sly. I love how he mixes humor and satire while constantly world building. Muriel Spark is devilishly dark in her work but also stark and honest. The Driver’s Seat is the closest a book has ever come to changing my life. Harold Pinter was another college encounter. My entire vision of theater changed when I watched “The Dumb Waiter” my freshman year. Above all, perhaps, I respect Eugene O’Neill. I love fearless writers who constantly experiment and I think O’Neill embraced that fearlessness better than most. His plays run the gamut from natural to expressionistic. Did he fail? Sometimes, yes. But when he succeeded...damn.

Biggest writing pet peeve?

Forgetting to take breaks. I need to move and sitting is just not that great for long stretches of time.





What drove you to write “Welcome to Sortilege Falls”?

The idea of the book came to me during a conversation with my husband. He had just read my first novel, “Tough Girl”, and he assumed that I was depressed due to the dark nature of that book. I decided to write something happy. WTSF didn’t quite turn out as I’d imagined. Once I got into the story, I really delved into the idea of how our society worships beauty and celebrity to the point where it’s nearly an illness. I wanted to really explore how pervasive that attitude is but from the point of view of a character who is caught up in in it as well.

About the Author

I was born during a blizzard. I’m told it was pretty cool, but I have no memory of that time. I grew up in two tiny towns in Virginia and spent most of my twenties moving around the US. I’ve lived in Virginia, Florida, Missouri, and Washington. I’ve settled down, for now, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

I’m a writer and improviser. I studied acting in college but spent more time rewriting lines than memorizing them. My first play, Fourth Wall, was produced my junior year. Since then, I’ve written several full length plays, one acts, and screenplays. I started writing fiction in my late twenties. Now, I focus mainly on novels but still dabble in theater.

Fun facts about me: There are none. I’m sorry to disappoint you so soon. But, I do love to read, write, and run. My hubby is my favorite person on earth. Dogs are my second favorite. All dogs. Know that. I love orange juice, especially when it’s mixed with club soda. Carbonation is better than alcohol. Jaws is my favorite movie. Everything I’ve said so far is true. 

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