Before you read any further please be aware that Safe Lands Enforcers are most likely tracking your movements and the information you are about read could endanger you and you may be liberated early! Be afraid! Be very afraid!
For today's portion of the CSFF Captives tour author Jill Williamson took time out her busy schedule to take part in an interview with me. The pictures included throughout the interview are courtesy of Jill.
1) When you came up with The Safe Lands did you anything that influenced your design of this city?
I came up with The Safe Lands map long before I came up with a story to go with it. I was drawing maps one day and thought it would be fun to have a walled city. When I finished drawing it, it looked like a bell. So I started calling it The Bell. Then later, when I got the idea for the story, I knew instantly that it would fit with my Bell map.
2) Levi, Mason, and Omar are all different and handle the situations that they are given differently. Do you have a favorite brother and if so who is it and why this brother?
I suppose that Mason is my favorite. I like the way he tries to solve problems by thinking them through. It was hard for me to write him, because I don't think like he does. I spent a lot of time on forums, reading his type of personality to try and find his voice. And when I found it I was so excited because he became real.
3) Do you think Mason's empathetic nature makes him ideal for the medical profession or is his sensitive nature too empathetic and he would be hurt by all the pain and suffering that he would see?
Mason will always be saddened when patients die or are in a lot of pain. But to be a successful doctor, Mason will have to learn to separate himself from that and understand that death happens and that it's not his fault. This will be easier for him to handle if he would stop trying to control things and trust God.
4) Levi's guilt over what he think happened in the past has affected him, did this also play a role in his attitude towards his brothers - especially Omar?
Sure. Levi beat himself up that he failed to set a good example for Omar. Levi thinks that a leader should be perfect, yet he knows he's not perfect. Still, he strives for perfection, which makes him a little intense. And he likes to tell his brothers what he thinks they should do and think, but that's not a very good way to lead. Levi will learn this in time, I hope.
5) The technology used for the tattoos in the Safe Lands, do you think there would be a market for it today and if so what warnings would give against its use?
I think people would love SimTags. They would be very popular. As to warnings, it's still a way of marking your skin, though images only show up when they're programmed. And you could get infections from implanted microchips. Plus, it's a way for the government or the SimTag company to know your location at all times, which is a little creepy.
6) The other day after I finished reading Captives I was putting on make-up (just lip gloss and blush for work - don't want to scare the patrons out of the library! :D) and Roller-Paint was brought to mind (which was really a scary thought!). Where did this idea come from? (I've seen the Safe Land ads for it by the way UGH!)
Because Safe Landers prize beauty, but their disease makes the skin flaky and ugly. So I figured they would find a way to make themselves look perfect. I can't remember where I came up with the name for it. Maybe when we were painting in the house. LOL
7) Do you ever think you will write a prequel dealing with the beginnings of the Safe Lands, before Glenrock was started by Papa Eli? Call me nosy but I always want to know the story before the story and it would be interesting to see how the Safe Lands had changed between Papa Eli's escape (which would be pretty current?) and the destruction/capture of Glenrock's citizens.
Yes! I started with that story. In fact, the publisher originally bought that one, which I called Thirst, and Captives. But when they learned that I had planned for Captives to be a trilogy, they tossed out the prequel and bought the trilogy. I'd love to finish Thirst. I wrote almost half of the book. Eli, his sister, and their two friends are the main characters. And they were trying to get out of the city to a safe place that had clean drinking water. I miss those guys. :-)
Be sure to visit all the CSFF blog tour stops for Captives during the 3 day (August 12 -14) tour
Julie Bihn Thomas Fletcher Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Jeff Chapman
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
Victor Gentile Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller Joan Nienhuis Asha Marie Pena Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder
Jojo Sutis
Jessica Thomas Steve Trower Phyllis Wheeler Rachel Wyant
Want to buy a copy of
Captives? The best online price I've found is from
DeeperShopping!
Christian Book Store
Be sure to connect with Jill
online!
