Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs UK Blog Tour: Interview

Today, I'm delighted to introduce Tera Lynn Childs to A Reading Daydreamer as part of the UK blog tour for the first book in her Medusa Girls trilogy, Sweet Venom!  I really enjoyed reading it and it's now available so read the following interview and get yourself a copy!

Hi Tera, welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!  Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi A Reading Daydreamer! Thanks for having me. About myself, hmmm... I'm the daughter of theatre folk. I write teen books about mythology, mermaids, and monsters. I'm semi-nomadic, but I call Las Vegas home for now. I'm addicted to TV, have a dog named Daisy, and I'm vegan.

I personally loved reading Sweet Venom and thought the premise and storyline were both really unique.  What inspired you to write it in the first place?

Thank you! The initial idea actually came from a magazine spread about snake themed accessories. I saw a whole page of serpent jewelry and snakeskin leather goods and, while I'm not a fan of snakes, I was intrigued. I pulled the pages out and started thinking. I was already writing about mythology at the time, with Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, so it was only a matter of time until Medusa sprang to mind. I love looking at things from different perspectives, which is how I came up with the idea of Medusa being a guardian instead of a monster. From there, everything kind of fell into place.

I adored the Greek mythology element, which myth is your favourite?

Orpheus and Eurydice. I'm not usually such a sucker for drama, but the story of him going into the underworld to bring back his wife and then, at the last moment, losing her because he couldn't keep from looking back to check... it's just heartbreaking. 

Which parts were the most fun to write?  Were there any particularly difficult ones too?

All of them. And all of them! Seriously, Sweet Venom was both the most fun and the hardest thing I've ever written. I loved getting to write about such different characters--Phoebe and Lily, from the Oh. My. Gods. and Forgive My Fins series, are both kind of like Grace, but it was exciting to write about a tough chick like Gretchen and a snob like Greer. But, at the same time, write three distinct first person characters was a huge challenge. Plus it was the first book in my first trilogy, so in the end it was like writing twelve books at once! 

Now that Sweet Venom is finally released over here in the UK, you have the pleasure of marvelling the different covers.  Do you prefer the UK or US cover?

Oh, that's an unfair question. I love them both. I love the mystery of the US cover and I adore the kick-butt colors and cityscape of the UK edition. But, from a purely selfish standpoint, I will say that he cover model on the UK book is exactly what I think the girls look like. She is spot on.

I think Sweet Venom has the potential to be one heck of a kick-ass movie too.  If it was turned into a movie *crosses fingers*, who could you see playing the lead roles?

For the girls, I think Hayden Panettiere has the look and talent to play all three roles. For the boys, I could see Adrian Grenier as Milo, a young Paul Walker as Nick, and Brian J. Smith as Thane. 

Out of the three sisters Gretchen, Grace and Greer, who were you most like as a teenager?

I was (and am) definitely a Grace. I like to pretend I'm a Greer sometimes and I wish I was a Gretchen, but I'm definitely the quieter girl with less confidence--although I'm much better about that now than when I was in high school.

If a sea dracaena turned up on your doorstep, how would you react and what would you do?

Slam the door and run for the kitchen. I'd either hide in the pantry or grab a big kitchen knife and a bag of salt to throw in her eyes.

I'm already desperate to read the second book, can you give us a sneak preview? 

Oooh, teasers... In Sweet Shadows there is a lot more action, more monsters, more kissing, more kidnappings. You'll get to see the monster abyss first hand, you'll learn a lot more about Nick, and you'll learn a little bit about more about Thane. And you'll meet a whole new batch of monsters that makes Gretchen rethink everything she knows about the beastie world.

Thanks so much for being here today, Tera!

Many thanks to Templar for organising the blog tour and Tera for answering all my questions!  

Click HERE to read my review for Sweet Venom and once you've done that, don't forget to get yourself a lovely copy - it's a really fun, kick-ass read :D

Happy reading,

Beverley