YA author Branwen OShea is back with a new interview. We’re chatting about her latest sci-fi fantasy with a paranormal twist, The Chasm. It’s the second book in the Finding Humanity series.
During her virtual book tour, Branwen will be giving away a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.
Bio:
As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.
Branwen OShea has a bachelor’s in biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her published works include Silence of the Song Trees, The Calling, The Cords that Bind, and The Chasm.
Branwen, welcome back to Reviews and Interviews. Please tell us about your newest release.
The humans of Northern Haven reluctantly ally with the mysterious star beings, hoping to gain help finding other survivors of the new ice age. Instead, they discover a fierce, new threat that sheds doubt on their new allies.
What inspired you to write this book?
The Chasm is the second book in the series, and I love these characters so much they are a joy to write. The idea for the series came to me in a dream where one of the star beings, Rana, told me about how humanity could get its act together and save themselves and the planet. It involves everyone changing, rather than waiting for one Chosen One to save us all. To show this, there are multiple points of view on all sides of the issues: Teen/adults, humans/star beings, heroes/antiheroes.
Excerpt from The Chasm:
Savas grinned. “Think of it as research. They’re a new species. You’re doing field observation.”
“I don’t think she eats at all.” Atsushi frowned. “None of the Crowned Ones seem to. They go to the gathering hall to socialize.”
“You do realize that’s impossible, right? They’re alive. They need an energy source.”
“Kalakanya said she eats air or something.”
Savas snorted. “Well, be curious. Ask Kahali when you’re alone. Later, ask the others. We’ll compare answers.”
Atsushi grimaced. “They’ll know what I’m thinking. I don’t want to upset them.”
“No, you don’t.” If he had another Medicci device to block mindreading, he’d offer it to him. There must be something the boy could do to stay safe. A tiny, guilty voice rose within him at exposing the boy to the dangers of mind-control. No kid should go through that.
“What if you keep that chant Kahali taught you running in your head? Maybe then they won’t catch on?”
“Maybe.” Atsushi was silent. “I’m supposed to be chanting that all the time, but I’m horrid at remembering.”
“Then work on that.”
Atsushi nodded and then glanced toward the fire, where the star beings suddenly sang more loudly. “You still don’t trust them, do you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“But why? They’re so nice.”
“There used to be a fish that lived in the depths of the ocean. It evolved a beautiful light that shone magnificently in the darkness. Other fish would swim close, mesmerized by the beauty, feeling completely safe. And then the light-bearing fish would tear them to pieces.”
What’s the next writing project?
I’m currently editing the third book in the series, The Ruined. This book has a lot of reveals about Northern Haven’s newest threat which I can’t say much about without giving spoilers. For book three, I’m having a lot of fun writing the villain’s POV and delving even deeper into the star beings’ spiritual beliefs.
What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)
The biggest challenge with this series has been that it involves a lot of spiritual and energetic world-building involving energy healing, telepathy, past lives, altered states of consciousness, spirits, and more. I grew up studying these things, and have a fair amount of experience with them, but presenting such complex experiences to readers who likely have no such experience has been more challenging than I expected.
If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?
When I first had the dream that led to writing this story, my first concern was that we are facing global warming, not a future ice age. So, my first research was into how quickly such a massive change could occur and what might cause it. Next, I needed to learn how past ice ages had influenced evolution, because I needed realistic flora and fauna. I studied biology in college, so this part was lots of fun. I research alongside what I’m writing. In most cases, I’ve found that what I was told by Rana eerily matches up with science. A few things that I had to make up, like creating helicopters to fly in constant icy conditions. I based Northern Haven’s helicopters on info I got in the dream and then checked it out with a helicopter engineer.
What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.
As a working mom, I write wherever and whenever I get the chance. Being fussy isn’t an option. My preference is a comfy chair with coffee and a cat nearby, but I’ve written sitting on the floor in hallways outside my kids’ activities, in the woods, and lots of other bizarre places.
What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?
I enjoy reading mostly science fiction, fantasy, and nature books. My current traditionally published authors are Octavia E. Butler, Hafsaf Faizal, Laini Taylor, Sabaa Tahir, and Michael Mammay, but I find I currently really enjoy the experimental writing and genre-bending stories that Indie authors create. My current favorite Indies are Dawn Ross, Alyse Steves, S. Z. Attwell, Cassondra Windwalker, and the duo of Niamh Schmid and Rebecca Schmid.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?
No book is for everyone, but if you’re frustrated with current trend of destroying the environment, endless violence, and politics where no one truly wins, you may find an escape and hope for how things can change in my series. If you’re interested, the first book is The Calling.
Links:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Amazon Author Page | The Chasm (on Amazon) | The Calling (on Amazon) | The Chords that Bind (on Amazon)
Thank you for coming back to Reviews and Interviews!
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading The Chasm with my grandchildren. On a personal note, I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a child, first because I wanted to travel into outer space but I also secretly hoped to meet an alien, not necessarily to be an ambassador to an alien culture or anything like that…unfortunately I was in my teens before I realized that being born with poor vision meant that the astronaut training program was not in the cards for me.
Oh, I relate. I looked into NASA in high school and realized you either need to be a pilot or a scientist. I don’t have the vision either, but I did go into science and do research for a while. Never made it to being hired at NASA, though, lol. So, I guess we get to read and write about them. 🙂
I liked the excerpt.
Thanks!
I’ve wondered about an ice age too. Could global warming trigger a self regulating response which ends in an ice age.
Really nice cover and excerpt.
The second book in the Finding Humanity series sounds unique and interesting.
I enjoyed the interview and excerpt and I am looking forward to sharing The Chasm with my granddaughter! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a glorious weekend!
Thank you for sharing an excerpt. I’m eager to read more