The Winner's Curse Blog Tour + Giveaway Interview with author Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse Blog Tour is organized by MacTeenBooks

See the full schedule HERE and below

The Winner's Curse is shivery, achingly, deliciously good. 

It is filled with political intrigue, power struggles, a slow-burn romance, and I predict lots more of all to come. This book is so good that you definitely want to read it when it releases so that you can discuss it with friends, and then read it again before book two releases.

If you need more convincing, go HERE to find my list of 5 reasons you should pre-order this book today.

Now, I'm really excited and honored to be able to interview author Marie Rutkoski. 

And don't miss the very bottom of this post for a GIVEAWAY.

___________________________________________________________

Welcome to Love is not a triangle, Marie Rutkoski!

Lauren: How did the idea for the story in The Winner's Curse begin? Did it start with a moment? Did the characters or setting come first? I want to know how your brain created this brilliant book!

Marie Rutkoski: It did start with a moment! A friend of mine, an economist, told me about the economic term “winner’s curse,” which is when someone wins an auction by paying too steep a price. It was such an evocative phrase that I began brainstorming a story that could have that title, and I knew that I wanted my winner to pay a steep emotional price. I tried to think: What thing could be up for auction that would exact a steep emotional price? Then it occurred to me: What if the thing were not a thing, but a person?

When we do great harm to others, we also do it to ourselves; we violate our own humanity. So in that sense, it was clear how buying a person would exact a steep emotional price. But that’s not quite a story. Then I thought, Well, what if this slave has a secret, a certain power that the buyer can’t see?

So I suppose I began from the idea, then arrived at the characters. Setting came later, and was inspired by the ancient world after Rome conquered Greece, though most of the trappings of my made-up world seem to be from much later periods in this world.

Lauren: Music is important to both Kestrel and Arin. Do you play an instrument? If so, how did that influence your story and these characters?

Marie Rutkoski: I’ve recently begun playing the violin. “Recently” meaning as of a year ago. I’m not very good. I did play the piano when I was little—but again, not very well. Also the oboe. And I sang. And again AGAIN: not very well! But I’m passionate about the art of books, and I like to think about passions for other kinds of art.

Lauren: What’s one good quality that Kestrel brings out of Arin, and vice versa?

Marie Rutkoski: Hmm. I’d say that Arin has not allowed himself to feel tender in a very long time, to feel soft or vulnerable. This is a frightening but also pleasurable sensation. Kestrel brings this out in Arin, and he is not wholly sure it is a good thing. Arin, on the other hand, brings out Kestrel’s ability to fight for change—and this continues in the sequel.

Lauren: One of my favorite things about Kestrel is that she’s not your typically kick-butt heroine. She’s clever, and will beat most everyone in a mental fight, but she’s not as interested in physical combat. This appeals to me greatly, maybe because I wish I had her mind powers. Would you talk a bit about why you created Kestrel the way that you did?

Marie Rutkoski: When I was writing my second novel, The Celestial Globe, in which a heroine is an awesome sword fighter, I took a fencing class. I had this dream that I would be Naturally Gifted, that I would take up that foil and I would be filled with dangerous grace. And guess what? I SUCKED.

Maybe my short answer is that I’ll never win any kind of fight that involves physical skill-- unless maybe a thumb war, I’m very good at those—so I wanted to feature a heroine whom I felt personally closer to. Not that I have Kestrel’s mind powers….

Also: smart is sexy! Think of Eugenides from Megan Whalen Turner’s books. Ok, yes, he is also good at sword fighting, but I love his mind. I want to have his book babies.

Don’t tell my husband that.

Lauren: I think you're going to have to fight me for Eugenides. I'm not very good at physical combat either, so we'll be well matched. 

This blog is called “Love is Not a Triangle," and I tend to talk about the subject of love triangles fairly frequently. I even rate them in my reviews. (If you’re wondering, The Winner’s Curse has a Love Triangle Factor rating of NONE).

Marie Rutkoski: I agree with that rating.

Lauren: I also like to ask visiting authors their opinions on them. So love triangles: like them or loathe them? I won’t hold it against you if you say ‘like.’

Marie Rutkoski: Mmm…I really loved those Sunfire romances when I was a kid (every book was a love triangle). As for now…I have no objection to love triangles per se, and I think that it’s good for young readers to be reminded that there are lots of choices for them out there in the world, many people to love. But my favorite romances don’t feature love triangles. And although maybe some of my previous books have been a little more love triangly than The Winner’s Curse, I think it’s always clear to my main characters whom they want.

Lauren: Any hints on the future of The Winner’s Curse trilogy (hey, it doesn’t hurt to ask!)?

Marie Rutkoski: Are you asking me if there will be a love triangle in the second book?

Lauren: It did not escape my notice that you didn't answer that last question, but I'm hoping these two keep knowing "whom they want."

EDIT: A lot of people have been concerned about Rutkoski's "non-answer" about the question concerning love triangles in book 2. Below is what she had to say about it on twitter. It's not really a further explanation, but it's also not a confirmation one way or the other. Just an attempt to avoid spoilers, which I respect. 

Lauren: I'm still going to try to get information out of you about the sequels. If you had to describe THE WINNER’S CURSE using only colors, which colors would you chose for each of the books? 

Marie Rutkoski: 
Colors:

1. Pink

2. Red

3. Black—or blue

Lauren: Interesting. "Black" sounds a little scary. Though blue maybe not so bad. Is there anything else you can tell us about the second book in the trilogy?

Marie Rutkoski: Hints, hints, hints….I created a pinterest board for The Winner’s Curse and there are some hints about and even quotes from Book 2 up there. Go HERE to see it. 

Otherwise….

You’ll see more of Arin’s POV in Book 2.

Smart people can make mistakes.

Kissing.

Prepare yourself. 

Lauren: I'm now sweating after that last statement. You're pretty great at those ends that are stressful but also enticing. 

Thank you so much for talking to me today.

___________________________________________________________

About the author

Marie Rutkoski is the author of the YA novel The Shadow Society and the children's fantasy series The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globe and The Jewel of the Kalderash. Her next project is a YA trilogy that begins with The Winner's Curse, which is scheduled to be published in March 2014.

Marie grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She holds a BA from the University of Iowa and a PhD from Harvard University. Marie is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children's literature and fiction writing. She usually lives in New York City with her husband and two sons, but she and her family are living in Paris for the 2012-2013 academic year. 

Find Marie Rutkoski: Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Facebook
Become a fan of The Winner's Curse: Facebook | Website

Pre-order The Winner's Curse (releases March 4, 2014): 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

_________________________________________________________________ 

Follow the full blog tour

Sunday, February 9th
My Friends Are Fiction

Monday, February 10
The Midnight Garden

Tuesday, February 11
Mundie Moms

Wednesday, February 12
Supernatural Snark

Thursday, February 13
YA Bibliophile

Friday, February 14
The Book Rat

Saturday, February 15
Good Choice Reading

Sunday, February 16
Jenna Does Books

Monday, February 17
Love is Not a Triangle

Tuesday, February 18
Reading Teen

Wednesday, February 19
Miss Print

Thursday, February 20
Cuddlebuggery

________________________________________________________________________

Giveaway

WIN A copy of The Winner's Curse + a swag pack featuring eyeshadow, bookmarks and stickers

Thank you Macmillan for this generous giveaway!

Policies:

Giveaway is for US or Canada residents only (Sorry, other international readers!)

You must be at least 13 years old to enter

See my policies HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway