*Author Interview* Guardians by Veronica Bennett

Guardians by Veronica Bennett

Imagine being the strongest being in existence. It could get a little boring, right?  The Guardians knew this all too well. After centuries of unrivaled governance, the Guardians began to turn on each other. Their sadistic leader played his men like pawns and war soon swallowed the kingdom.  When the Guardians flushed out all the corrupt, they were cast out into the unexplored realms beyond the kingdom. From that point on the realms were split between the two opposing sides, the Guardians and the Fallen. Little did they know there was one more player, the humans. Earth rested smack in the middle of the two territories and the two seemed intent on tearing it to pieces as they deemed the new-found planet their battleground. 

Azalea Johnson is no typical human, but that’s news to her. In fact, the humans are completely unaware of the war that is threatening their existence. Since its beginning, the war has been fought in secret. It is kept hidden, fought on the very edges of human existence. The Guardians fought to keep the humans out of direct fire, but the Fallen’s influence did not go completely unnoticed. Their tainted energy began to change the humans. They learned to hate and lie, and the human’s corruption only fed the Fallen’s numbers. When the Guardians discovered that they may in fact lose the war, they too took advantage of the impressionable humans … but they took it a step further. They created a human.

Azalea is born with a bright red target on her back and spends 18 long years on Earth blissfully unaware of what she is. She was created with the ability to possess the power of each of the Guardian elders. She is an unparalleled weapon whose loyalty will ultimately determine the outcome of the war… but there is just one problem. Being human means Azalea was born with a touch of the Fallen’s tainted energy, and being able to harness the power of both the Guardians and the Fallen makes her vulnerable to both. When the Guardians, desperate to protect their insurance, steal Azalea away from earth, the question remains. Were all of the tainted Guardians removed during their revolt, or is there something stronger brewing?

Life for Azalea becomes a dangerous game of hide and seek and her days are no longer minutes to outrun, but seconds to survive. 

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Ladies and gents, I am very happy to say that I was able to get Ms. Bennett to sit down with me and have a little conversation with me... She is such a great person! I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

Why don't you tell us a little about yourself.... Something that we cannot Google about you, lol!

Haha! Should I be worried about what Google DOES know about me?

I’m convinced cracking the cover of a book speeds up time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened a book thinking I’d read for an hour and then looked up only to find its 3 a.m. I probably have more loves than any girl should, but reading, travel, fashion, and just getting lost (even if it’s only in my own head) top the list. Also I’m expecting to spend at least one year living in a major city, and at least one more in a secluded little mountain town. So, I guess it’s safe to say my future plans are far from set in stone. I don’t know where I’ll end up, but I’ve learned that planning for the destination is much less important than picking with road I’ll take to get there. Hey, I did say I liked getting lost. (Grin).

Tell us a little about your book?

Would you fight a war you didn’t believe was yours to fight, but would save millions? She did. Imagine being the strongest being in existence. It could get a little boring, right? The Guardians knew this all too well. After centuries of unrivaled governance, the Guardians began to turn on each other. Their sadistic leader played his men like pawns and war soon swallowed the kingdom. When the Guardians flushed out all the corrupt, they were cast out into the unexplored realms beyond the kingdom. From that point on the realms were split between the two opposing sides, the Guardians and the Fallen. Little did they know there was one more player, the humans. Earth rested smack in the middle of the two territories and the two seemed intent on tearing it to pieces as they deemed the new-found planet their battleground. 

Azalea Johnson is no typical human, but that’s news to her. In fact, the humans are completely unaware of the war that is threatening their existence. Since its beginning, the war has been fought in secret. It is kept hidden, fought on the very edges of human existence. The Guardians fought to keep the humans out of direct fire, but the Fallen’s influence did not go completely unnoticed. Their tainted energy began to change the humans. They learned to hate and lie, and the human’s corruption only fed the Fallen’s numbers. When the Guardians discovered that they may in fact lose the war, they too took advantage of the impressionable humans … but they took it a step further. They created a human.

How much emotion does it take from you to write?

It takes quite a bit of emotion for me to write. Usually, I’ll plug in my headphones until I can really get my thoughts together. For me, writing is connecting with that perpective and becoming the character, so whatever emotion you’re reading about is running through me as I write.

What is your favorite part of the book?

My favorite part begins at chapter 10 where, as Azalea learns more about the Guardians, things begin to crumble.

You can only pick 3 words for your main characters..what would they be? *to describe your main characters*

Clever, stubborn, and untrusting.

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Which was the easiest character to write and the hardest ~ and why??

Cathy was by far the easiest and my most fun character to write. I absolutely love Cathy. You can’t help but love her. She is adorable, and hilarious, and honestly I have no idea where her character came from. But she also has secrets of her own, so she is quite a dynamic character to write. The hardest character to write was Aaron. Aaron is sort of tricky. He is constantly concerned and thinking of the future, but he is slightly self-righteous and a little arrogant.

How many books are you shooting for in this series??

Three!

What are you currently working on?

Currently I am working on book two of the Guardians series and book one of my new series “Division”.

Do you have anything due to release soon?

I’m hoping to have book two of the Guardians series out by next summer with “Division” soon after.

What's one thing that you enjoy about writing?

I love writing because it seems natural, and yet it challenges me. It forces me out of my comfort zone as I write from different perspectives.

Since we're cover hussies....what was your first impression of your cover?

It was a little weird at first because it wasn’t what I had planned for. It also was a little strange having my face starring right back at me. Haha!

What do you prefer ebooks or paperbacks?

Paperbacks.

Is there a genre you would like to write but are a little apprehensive to try?

Romance or crime. I love reading both, but I’m definitely a little apprehensive to try my hand at it.

What is on your night stand/dresser?

The basics. A lamp, candles, two leather bound journals, and an alarm clock. Everything one needs for a late night of writing and an early morning.

What are you listening to you right now?

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. They are my current obsession.

What are you reading right now?

Malfunction by Stewart Bint

What is your favorite season? Holiday?

Fall! I love when I can stand outside and feel that touch of chill in the end of the breeze.

I love love love Christmas; the music, the decorations, and how everything smells like cinnamon and pine. You just can’t beat it.

And what has been your best b-day present ever??

A shopping trip to international mall! It was my first time there and it was amazing.

Are you a quickie kind girl?

Yes. I’m pretty impatient.

Dark or Milk Chocolate?

Dark

Whipped or Melted?

Melted

What's ur fave drink?

Iced coffee from Crispers

Junk or Health Food?

Ohhh that’s a tough one.  Junk.

Vampire or Werewolf?

Vampire

Twitter and/or Facebook?

Twitter

Pinterest or not?

Yes!

A little about this author that I thought might intrigue you....

Veronica Bennett is a twenty year old author and marketing professional who published her first book "Guardians" in March of 2013

I've always loved reading. Books are the one place where a person can be whoever they want. Anything and everything you want to find, whether its magic, witches, unicorns, vampires, superheros, or angels, you can find hiding in the worlds stored in rows on your shelves.  Growing up I wrote silly little stories that I always just tossed aside, until one day an idea struck me that I simply couldn't shake. It followed me everywhere continuing to build until I finally gave in, picked up my laptop and started typing. Four years later I've built a world I hope all of you will enjoy getting lost in and love as much as I do.

I suppose I should tell you a little bit more about myself. I love art and travel. It's my goal to see every inch of this world before I leave. Fashion is my morning obsession as I dot my floor with shoes and drape clothes over every available surface in my room while I try to assemble an outfit. Reading is my free time. I'm convinced cracking the cover of a book speeds up time. In those rare moments when there is nothing to do, and I'm bored with this world, I spend time in another. Finally, I am a compulsive daydreamer who is constantly absorbed into and lost in my thoughts. Without a map or compass, I just explore so that when I find my way out, I can recreate that world on paper. I love to write ... shocker (grin), but most importantly I love meeting new people, so please check out the links above and say hi.

To find out more about Veronica's world, please visit her website here and enjoy!

And remember... Always keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!