Blog Tour, Interview & Giveaway: The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

Crushed on by kelly, on March 4, 2018, in Author Interview, Blog Tour, Giveaways, New Releases / 1 Comment

Blog Tour, Interview & Giveaway: The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

The Final Six by Alexandra Monir releases on March 6th, and I am thrilled to ask Alexandra some questions about the book for the blog tour! Check out all the book information below and be sure to enter the tour-wide giveaway!

 

The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

Category: Young Adult, Sci-Fi
Publication: March 6th, 2018; HarperTeen
Purchase: Amazon, B&N, TBD, iBooks, Kobo, Indiebound

When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition.

For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he’s been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn’t being up front with them about what’s at risk.

As the race to the final six advances, the tests get more challenging—even deadly. With pressure mounting, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo, and the two grow closer with each mind-boggling experience they encounter. But it’s only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives.

 

Interview:

1. Due to the dangerous and toxic environment, The Final Six are on a competitive mission to be chosen to find an alternative to Earth, what message did you hope readers take away from the potential danger of climate change?

My hope is that this story will cause readers to think about the impact of climate change and get involved in the fight against it. Whether it’s making lifestyle tweaks to go green, calling our local representatives to demand action on climate initiatives, or simply joining a March For Science to raise awareness, there are so many ways, big and small, that readers of all ages can make a difference.

 

2. The characters are from all over the world, what extra research did you do to prepare for this?

I did pretty extensive research and reading up on all the different cultures represented. I also had in-depth conversations with friends who shared nationalities with some of the characters, and I even listened to music from those parts of the world while writing, to help immerse myself in the culture.

 

3. How exciting was it to write the main character to be represented as an own voices narrative?

It was so exciting and meaningful. Growing up, in all the zillions of books I read, I never saw myself on the page: a first-generation American from an Iranian family. In a lot of ways, writing The Final Six was like giving my younger self a present—and, hopefully, giving Iranian-Americans a heroine we can be proud of. 🙂

 

4. I’m a big sci-fi fan, and I always want more! Other than The Final Six, would you give some reading (and/or viewing) suggestions of some sci-fi you love.

Ooh, I have so many recommendations! I’ll start with YA series by two of my faves, Across The Universe by Beth Revis and Zodiac by Romina Russell. They’re both brilliant page-turners! On the film side, I was blown away by the 2016 movie Arrival.

 

Author Bio: Alexandra Monir

Iranian-American author and recording artist Alexandra Monir has published five novels for young adults, including her popular debut, Timeless. A Barnes & Noble bestseller and one of Amazon’s “Best Books of the Month,” Timeless and its sequel, Timekeeper, have been featured in numerous media outlets and been published in different countries around the world. She followed the duology with Suspicion and The Girl in the Picture, both standalone YA thrillers. Her upcoming science fiction novel, THE FINAL SIX (March 6, 2018) was acquired by HarperCollins and Sony Pictures on the same week, in two major pre-emptive deals.

Alexandra is also a singer/songwriter who often integrates music into her books’ pages. She wrote and recorded three original songs to accompany Timeless and Timekeeper, which were released as the album The Timeless EP and distributed by Jimmy Buffett’s record label, Mailboat Records. She also recorded a song that was released with the publication of Suspicion, and is composing a stage musical geared toward Broadway. Her musical roots are deep, as she is the granddaughter of the late Monir Vakili, the foremost Iranian opera singer.

Alexandra Monir is a frequent speaker at middle schools and high schools across the country and at major events including fan conventions, women’s leadership conferences, and book festivals. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and newborn son. To learn more about Alexandra, visit her online at www.alexandramonir.com.

Links:

Website  **  Twitter  **  Facebook  **  Instagram  **  Goodreads

 

Giveaway:

2 Signed Copies of The Final Six by Alexandra Monir – US only – Open until 3/14

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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