Author Interview: Wild by Alex Mallory (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

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Welcome to the Wild Blog Tour. A Tarzan retelling? Hells yeah, I am all over it. I plan to read this book very soon. I haven't heard anything about it yet, but I have high hopes. Enjoy the author interview below and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end.

Wild

by Alex Mallory
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: July 8, 2014
Genre: Retelling, Romance, Young Adult
Find It: Goodreads | Amazon

Summary
The forest is full of secrets, and no one understands that better than Cade. Foraging, hunting, surviving— that’s all he knows. Alone for years, Cade believes he’s the sole survivor. At least, until he catches a glimpse of a beautiful stranger…

Dara expected to find natural wonders when she set off for a spring break camping trip. Instead, she discovers a primitive boy— he’s stealthy and handsome and he might be following her. Intrigued, Dara seeks him out and sets a catastrophe in motion.

Thrust back into society, Cade struggles with the realization that the life he knew was a lie. But he’s not the only one. Trying to explain life in a normal town leaves Dara questioning it.

As the media swarm and the police close in, Dara and Cade risk everything to get closer. But will the truth about Cade’s past tear them apart?

A YA Tarzan retelling.

Jennifer: What were the best and most challenging parts of writing Wild?

Alex: The most challenging part was retelling Tarzan in a way that made sense in the modern world. That meant a lot of things had to change. No one was raised by apes, for example. And no one has a cheetah for a pet. But the best part was when my story fit perfectly into elements of the original. The day I got to write my version of "Me Tarzan, you Jane," I actually did a victory lap around my desk.

Jennifer: What is your favorite part of the process of writing a book?

Alex: I love writing the first draft. It's very transportive to me. For three months or so, I get up and I go away to fabulous, far away places and experience this whole new story. It's always sad when I finish, because once the first draft is done, that transportation doesn't happen anymore. Rewriting and revisions is just work. Drafting is where the magic's at.


Jennifer: Who are your favorite authors?

Alex: I love so many authors, it's hard to pick just a few. But I'm a big fan of Sarah Rees Brennan and Aprilynne Pike. Courtney Summers is amazing-- her writing is so brave. And I love Josh Berk because he tells great, sincere stories that also happen to be hilarious.

Jennifer: Can you tell us three surprising facts about yourself?

Alex: 1) I'm more of a cat person, but I always loved Jack London's books. White Fang and Call of the Wild-- I read those over and over when I was younger.

2) I *really* want to get an armband tattoo with a letterpress alphabet inside it, but so far, I haven't found an artist whose linework I trust to wear permanently.

3) I was in the US Army, and before I was in the Army, I worked for the mess hall at Fort Benjamin Harrison. Field Feed days were my favorite- we'd pack up all the food and truck down to where the soldiers camped to serve them there.

Jennifer: So what's next after this book? Are there any other projects you are working on or plan to?

Alex: I'm really hoping to do a retelling of Treasure Island next!

Author Bio
Alex Mallory is a pen name for YA author Saundra Mitchell. She’s a big fan of reading, history, camping and competitive M&M sorting.

She once crossed a dilapidated train trestle in the middle of the night, 200 feet above the Wabash River, in a futile attempt to prove her love to someone who had no idea she existed.

1) She lived to tell about it. 2) It didn’t work. 3) She doesn’t recommend it.

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