Hey Dark Dreamers!
The day has arrived and Jessica Gunn’s Atlantian New Ault urban fantasy book GYRE is out there for you to hold in your hot little hands. To give you an idea, here’s my review of it:
“Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Romance , oh my. Normally if someone told me they were going to combine all of the above, I’d have been very worried. But this book does it not only handily, but also with a slow burn steam that keeps you rooting for more. The mix of science and powers is intriguing and makes me want to learn more and more about Atlantis and their long time adversaries.
This book not only adds so much new to a very old myth, but also to the NA genre. Beyond NA, I believe many YA readers would like this book if they can handle a bit of strong language.”
Seriously, you need to check this one out. The two POVs are handled so well and each so distinct. Can’t wait for the next one from Ms. Gunn. And with that in mind, I recently had the opportunity to interview the lady of the hour.
Me: Sum up your book Twitter style. 140 characters or less.
Gunn: Here’s the pitch I used that eventually led me to signing with Curiosity Quills!
When an archaeology job aboard a Navy sub uncovers Atlantis, 21yo Chelsea must protect
artifacts from time-traveling hijackers.
Me: Atlantis is such a dichotomy: something so old and yet works about it are so few. What drew you to write about Atlantis and add your own twist to it?
Gunn: I think I’ve been intrigued by Atlantis all my life—that’s what it feels like even though I know child-Jess didn’t know what Atlantis was. I’ve also always wanted to write a story about Atlantis. The few fictional books I’ve read that involved Atlantis (and there haven’t been that many, honestly) always involved mermaids and aliens and things like the end of the world—and while I love those things, I wanted Gyre’s use of Atlantis to be different. So I picked time travel and art!
Me: And different it is. Love who much you weave into one story and not let it go off the rails. Brava!
Me: Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? How does that affect your
writing?
Gunn: I’m definitely an introvert unless I’m around people who have known me for a long time. I’m not sure how that affects my writing, though, because I write characters who are both introverts and extroverts lol.
Me: Pantser or Plotter? What’s your writing
Gunn: I’m a weird hybrid of both. I pants the first 30% of a project with only the beginning and end in mind, then somewhere around the 30% mark I tend to plot out the rest of the book in chunks of 3-5 chapters. So I’ll plot a few chapters, write those chapters, then plot again, just to keep my mind on track. But things change all the time!
Me: I’m a plotting pantzer, or plotzer, as well. The mix is fun and keeps us on our toes. Half the time I think our characters run the asylum anyway 😉 .
Me: What book meant the most to you?
Gunn: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I never liked reading or writing science fiction or realized how human sci-fi stories could be until reading it. That book really changed my perspective on a ton of things, and I don’t think I’d have pursued writing the same way without having read it.
Me: Absolutely, before that, I thought sci-fi had to be all unreachable and only halfway understandable.
Me: What would be Chelsea’s favorite book?
Gunn: I honestly don’t know that Chelsea reads enough to have a favorite book. Most of her free time is spent playing shows with her band, Phoenix and Lobster. But her favorite bands are Good Charlotte and Green Day!
Me: What would be Trevor’s guilty pleasure movie?
Gunn: Jurassic Park. He never quite grew out of his love for dinosaurs, and despite some of the bad science, he loves it anyway.
Me: How would you describe the steam between Chelsea and Trevor?
Gunn: It’s a quick starburst followed by a slow burn. They’re immediately attracted to each other in ways they barely understand, but nothing—nothing—ever goes smoothly for them. If it’s not the world they’re trying to navigate, it’s their own communication issues standing in the way. But I think that’s what makes the wins in their relationship that much more satisfying.
Me: What song would be the main track of GYRE’s soundtrack? Why?
Gunn: Gifts and Curses by Yellowcard 🙂
Me: Good choice!
Me: What do we have to look forward to next?
Gunn: The sequel to GYRE should be out in September 2016! I’ve also got a short story coming out in Curiosity Quills’s next steampunk anthology sometime next year 🙂
Can’t wait for either of those. And no one has to wait for GYRE now. Here’s all the info you need!
Purchase GYRE: Amazon
Synopsis:
Chelsea didn’t try to teleport. All she wanted was to play the Battle of the Bands show. But after accidentally teleporting onto classified Navy vessel SeaSatellite5, all she’s rocking is the boat. Once it’s sorted out that Chelsea’s not a threat, SeaSat5’s top scientist offers Chelsea a position on the crew as an archaeology intern. Dr. Saint studies people with powers, believing them to be descendants of Atlantean refugees, except Chelsea’s powers are beyond anything on previous record.
While great for everyone else onboard, the miracle of Chelsea is Trevor’s worst nightmare. The same girl who’d given him a brief lifeline to sanity three months ago literally fell from the sky, under a mile of ocean, and onto the very station where he’s employed. Making matters worse, Trevor’s family are Lemurians, Atlantis’s enemy, and Chelsea’s presence is unpredicted—a wrench in an already unstable situation. But Trevor wants no part of his family’s war. The only thing he wants is Chelsea, Atlantean or not.
Days into Chelsea’s sudden appearance, SeaSatellite5 uncovers Atlantean ruins and a massive artifact cache, placing its entire, hundred-man crew in the crosshairs of an ancient war. There are those who want the Atlantean relics inside the ruins destroyed, and only Trevor knows the treasures for what they really are: Link Pieces, tools used by the ancient civilizations for their time-travel war.
With lies and shifting alliances abound, Chelsea and Trevor will have to think fast in order to save the station. If they don’t, the Lemurians will seize the artifacts and Atlantis will be destroyed forever.
Jessica Gunn is a New Adult author and avid science-fiction and fantasy fan. Her favorite stories are those that transport the reader to other, more exciting worlds. When not working or writing, she can be found binge-watching Firefly and Stargate, or feeding her fascination of the ancient world’s many mysteries. Jessica also holds a degree in Anthropology.
To catch up with Jessica, follow her on Twitter (@JessGunnAuthor) or on her website, www.jessicagunn.com.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads |Website | Blog | Pinterest
Also check out her giveaway for free stuff!
Courtney Sloan's Dark Draftings 
February 1st, 2016 at 4:15 pm
Ah! Thank you so much for the amazing review, and for helping me with Gyre’s release. OF SCIONS AND MEN is so soon!!!! ❤ 😀