Authorly Love: Introducing M.A. Phipps (Giveaway!)

Welcome to the first post of my newest feature: Authorly Love! If you missed my announcement post about this feature, let me give a brief explanation. Every month I’m going to feature an author throughout that month, shining a spotlight on their work with an introduction, a review of the book, and a discussion post. So, here is my first installment to my first month of this feature!

 

M. A. Phipps is an American author who currently resides in the picturesque English West Country with her husband, daughter, and their Jack Russell, Milo. A lover of the written word, it has always been her dream to become a published author, and it is her hope to expand into multiple genres of fiction. When she isn’t writing, you can find her counting down the days until the new season of Game of Thrones.

You can follow her on:
Her website: maphipps.com
Twitter |Instagram | Facebook

 

M.A. Phipps’ debut novel is Ultraxenopa, the first installment of her Project W.A.R. trilogy. It’s a fabulous book that any dystopian fan will love. You can check out my review here 😀 The sequel to this thrilling dystopian novel comes out on August 19th! Some more information on Project W.A.R.:

Ultraxenopia (Project W.A.R. #1)
Release Date: January 19th, 2016 by CHBB Publishing
Goodreads | Amazon

Don’t stand out. Blend in. Remain invisible. Those are the rules I lived by—the rules I thought would keep me alive. 

I was wrong.

Wynter Reeves is a law-abiding citizen of the State, a willing conformist whose daily life is haunted by terrorism and oppression. With the constant threat of death hanging over her like a shadow, she forces herself to live by a strict set of rules, all in the hope of ensuring she is never noticed. However, on her twenty-first birthday, as she prepares to take the placement exam that will determine her future within society, she begins to show symptoms of a rare and debilitating illness—ultimately attracting the attention of the State. Taken into the custody of the feared research facility known as the DSD, her worst nightmare becomes reality. 

Ripped away from the life she knew, Wynter is forced to become the test subject of the mysterious Dr. Richter. Through him, she learns the true and terrifying nature of her condition: a disease called Ultraxenopia.

Type X (Project W.A.R. #2)
Release Date: August 19th, 2016 by CHBB Publishing
GoodReads 

No matter what I do, no matter what steps I take to avoid it, I’m always playing right into somebody’s hand.

Playing the role I was destined for.

(Hiding a bit because spoilers)

View Spoiler »Two years have passed since her willing return to the DSD, and Wynter Reeves is no longer the timid girl who only wanted to blend in. Strong, confidant, and in control of her once debilitating powers, the world trembles at her feet while news of what she’s capable of spreads like fire among the State’s enemies. As the death toll rises and Dr. Richter further warps her into a weapon of war, Wynter is forced to embrace the daunting reality of what she’s become. With the remnants of her humanity hanging on by a shoestring, she must choose between the one sacrifice that could lead to her salvation or the dark path of destruction from which there can be no return. « Hide Spoiler

Torn between two sides of a war she never asked for, will Wynter find her freedom, or will she be doomed to remain a monster forever?

 

What was meant to be a quick 10 question interview, turned into a wonderful 4-hour conversation with the lovely M.A. Phipps. We started our interview off with a quick introduction. In fact, she ended up answering my first question without me even asking.

And what transpired was a fun, very informal, chat with an author who fell in love with a man, has a passion for WWII, and doesn’t mind book-to-movie adaptations. Come join me in getting to know the author, M.A. Phipps!

Q: Easy, introduce yourself.

A: I moved to the UK in 2009 to finish my bachelor’s degree. I was originally doing a study abroad semester but I didn’t feel like 6 months was long enough. So I transferred for my last year, then I met my now husband literally 2 weeks after moving here. Now I have a 2-year-old daughter and a jack russell terrier named Milo.

Aside from my writing, I also work freelance as a graphic designer. I specialize in book covers and promotional teasers which is ace since it means my work revolved entirely around books.

Q: That’s really cool! Lucky! In your about me, you mention that you didn’t write a lot when you were younger because time didn’t allow. When did you finally start committing time to writing and was there a specific thing that pushed you to start?

A: Yeah, I was always busy with extracurricular activities, so I was really limited to just writing bits here and there, but unfortunately, I was never able to really accumulate anything of substance as a result. It wasn’t until I graduated university in 2010 that I finally got to start diving head first into writing.

Q: What is the hardest part about writing/publishing a book? (ex. Actually writing it, the promotion, the editing, the feedback, etc.)

A: Hmm… that’s a good question. The writing itself is the easy part and the editing isn’t all that difficult if you’re open to your editor’s suggestions — I’m just a perfectionist so it takes me a while to do which makes it very demanding.

In terms of feedback, it can be hard to hear if someone doesn’t like your book, but I always try and take positives out of everything. Positive reviews are great but nothing will help you grow as a writer as much as constructive criticism. It was thanks to some constructive reviews of the original version of Ultraxenopia, which I self-published, that I knew what I had to do to make it better.

With that said, I think promotion is the hardest just because it’s very challenging without the help of a big publisher or a big budget to work with. For someone like me, who is new and unknown, it can be a real struggle to reach new readers and get word of my books out.

Q: So, this is a change of subject, but I noticed that you say you’re a movie buff and that you’ll never say “That wasn’t in the book” when watching adaptations. What is your general feeling towards adaptations and does that mean you’re okay with changes in a movie?

A: I am a HUGE movie buff. Since a huge part of my degree was film production, I suppose I’ve always just loved seeing the comparisons between books and film. While it’s always great when films follow books to a T, it isn’t realistic. Some things simply don’t translate well from one medium to another — and I’m understanding that certain concessions need to be made. The only time I feel a bit “meh” is when they veer way off track of the story, but in terms of changes, I’m pretty accepting of them. In fact, I find it exciting since it means you’ll never 100% know what to expect, even if you did read the book.

Q: On the topic of adaptations, what is your favorite book to movie adaptation? And if you say Lord of the Rings, what is your second favorite?

A: Lord of the Rings! Haha My other favorites are Atonement and A Very Long Engagement. Both set during the World Wars, beautiful books, and equally beautiful adaptations. Oh. And Harry Potter obvs.

Q: Ok last question like this then we’ll get into Project W.A.R. What is one book you wish would be made into a movie OR one that has been made, sucked, and you’d want them to remake it?

A: This is actually really easy for me. Sabriel by Garth Nix. My friend introduced me to it because she felt it had some similar themes to the first ever book I wrote (which will not see the light of day until it’s perfected) and it was stunning. Such a unique book and I would LOVE to see it turned into a film or maybe an HBO series. Alternatively, I LOVED His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. The Golden Compass was made into a film and was terrible. So, I’d like to see that remade and for them to actually make the sequels.

“Thrilling, dark, and twisted.”

Q: I actually haven’t read either of those! But let’s talk about a book I have read! Ultraxenopia! Describe Project W.A.R. in one sentence:

A: “One girl’s journey to change the unwanted future that stands before her.”

Q: Now, how would you describe it with three adjectives?

A: Thrilling, dark, and twisted.

Q: In your best attempt at keeping this spoiler free: Describe the protagonist, Wynter. What type of person is she? What was your inspiration for writing her? (Keeping it relevant to book 1)

“She represents the concept of people believing everything they’re told.”

A: In Ultraxenopia, the best way to describe Wynter is to say she’s a sheep. She conforms to her society’s expectations without question because she is essentially brainwashed to do whatever she is told to. She only doubts these morally repugnant ideas when something forces her to evaluate them and consider the possibility that what she’s been told is wrong.

With that said, she’s interesting because at the end of the day, she does question her society. Maybe not until something forces her to, but that shows she has the ability to change.

My main inspiration for the novel as a whole was George Orwell’s 1984, so in many ways she was kind of an entity based on the oppression found in that book. She represents the concept of people believing everything they’re told.

Q: And how would you say her character changes in Type X? (This answer COULD be considered spoiler-y for those of you who have not read Ultraxenopia. Although, I took out the most spoiler filled part of her answer 😉 )

A: In Type X, Wynter is drastically changed. Her circumstances have warped her and in many ways, she’s psychologically broken. It’s a big shift from Ultraxenopia, but I think it makes her all the more interesting and hopefully readers will sympathize with her situation.

Q: So, I have a certain favorite character in Ultraxenopia, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. So, what is your dream cast for Wynter, Ezra, Jenner, Rai and Dr. Richter?

A:

• Wynter: Suki Waterhouse as a brunette is literally the spitting image of what I imagine Wynter in my head.
• Ezra: Xavier Samuel as Ezra because I a love a pretty boy and my god, he is pretty
• Jenner: And my boo, Jim Sturgess as Jenner
• Dr. Richter: Hayden Christensen I see as Dr. Richter. He’s handsome but does creepy well.
• Rai: I imagine Nina Dobrev as Rai all the way. Fun fact: I don’t actually say in in the books, but Rai is of Bulgarian descent.

Q: Now that you’ve cast your characters, do you have an inspiration board that helps you while writing?

A: I actually have an interest Pinterest board dedicated to this trilogy.

(Here’s a peak at that board)

Q: Last question, you mentioned 1984 as an inspiration for this series, did you draw inspiration from any other books or movies?

“I implore you do not google image this.”

A: I actually have some really deep inspiration. So, I already mentioned how Orwell’s 1984 was a huge inspiration. This idea of a Big Brother type society. The fear of constant surveillance and the government monitoring our every move. It was haunting and I really wanted to incorporate that idea into the book.

But, when I was in high school and college, I took a lot of classes on the history of WWII. I was always really fascinated by it and ended up researching it a lot on my own. A lot of the books I read are based during WWII and my own grandfather had a really fascinating role in the war.

During my research, I came across something called Unit 731, which was basically an experimentation facility run by the Japanese in Chine during WWII where they experimented with biological and chemical weapons on humans. I implore you, do not google image this. (I did, but if you really might not want to).

But the DSD and the experiments Wynter undergoes are a nod to that.

Bonus fact from the interview: M.A. Phipps put her degree to work and created all the promotional artwork and book trailers herself! The featured image for this post uses one of her designs. Also, here’s the Ultraxenopia trailer:

I hope you guys feel like you got to know M.A. Phipps a little more (another fun fact, her name is Molly 🙂 )! I also hope you check out her novel Ultraxenopia. 

And if you are interested in her story, I’m hosting a giveaway! Enter below to win a Kindle E-book for BOTH Ultraxenopia AND Type X so that you can get immersed in Phipps’ world.
a Rafflecopter giveaway