Author: Shannon A. Thompson
Title: November Rain (Bad Bloods #1)
Release Date: July 18, 2016
Format: Audiobook
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Page Count : 230
Genre : Young Adult , Dystopia, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Reviewer : Taylor
Synopsis Via Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Serena isn’t human. She is a bad blood, and in the city of Vendona, bad bloods are executed. In the last moments, before she faces imminent death, a prison guard aids her escape and sparks a revolt. Back on the streets determined to destroy her kind, Serena is spared by a fellow bad blood named Daniel. His past tragedies are as equally mysterious as her connection to them.
Unbeknownst to the two, this connection is the key to winning the election for bad bloods’ rights to be seen as human again. But Serena is the only one who can secure Vendona’s vote. Now, Daniel must unite with her before all hope is lost and bad bloods are eradicated, even if it means exposing secrets worse than death itself. United or not, a city will fight, rain will fall, and all will be threatened by star-crossed love and political corruption.
Make sure to check out the whole post to see interview and review.
I am so excited that Shannon agreed to stop by our blog today! She the best selling author of THE TIMELY DEATH TRILOGY and BAD BLOODS SERIES. Without our further ado Shannon!
TH : Where did you get the inspiration for your book?
ST : Bad Bloods began from a nightmare I had when I was about 11 years old. I was already writing books (or trying to write books) at that time, but I hadn’t taken my writing very seriously. Then my mother passed away unexpectedly, and I sat down with a pen and some paper and put all my grief down into this story. Over a decade later, it has become the Bad Bloods series. While the books are essentially about coming together to overcome hardships, for me, personally, it was more about how terrible things can happen to innocent, young people. Writing Bad Bloods saved me.
TH : Wow it’s an amazing that you channeled your grief into something that not only saved you but will probably save other people as well.
TH: Do you read YA books? If so what was your last YA read?
ST : Absolutely! If a writer is writing YA, they should always read YA. (I LOVE YA.) My most recent read was “There’s Someone Inside Your House” by Stephanie Perkins. I read it in one sitting! I’m from Kansas, so it was pretty fun to see Nebraska as a setting since the Midwest isn’t often depicted in YA. I’m reading Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman right now. So far, my favorite 2017 release was Warcross by Marie Lu.
TH : Do you have a playlist of music for Bad Bloods?
ST : I only listened to two songs while writing Bad Bloods: November Rain and Bad Bloods: November Snow.
- “Murakami” by Made in Heights
- “Black Crown” by Silent Rider and Camille Corazon
Why? Because those were the only two songs that Serena, one of my two protagonists, seemed to connect to. I rarely listened to music while writing Daniel’s parts.
For Bad Bloods: July Thunder and Bad Bloods: July Lightning, Violet, one of the protagonists in the second duology, loved Gin Wigmore, especially “Black Sheep” and “Kill of the Night.”
TH : When writing do you plan and plot or let the story come as you go? (In other words are you an architect or gardener.)
ST : I’m both. I always outline and make a plan, but I’ve learned to keep an open mind as I go. My outlines are never the same when it’s all said and done, but I prefer to have some sort of plan in mind when I start. I like to think of writing a novel like going on a road trip. You might know where you’re starting, where you want to end, and some places to visit in between, but it’s okay if you stray off course to try a new adventure along the way.
TH : If Bad Bloods was ever made into a movie who would you want for your main characters?
ST : I’m a huge supporter of open casting calls. Granted, I know those are rare (and authors hardly ever get a say in adaptations), but I love how open casting calls give new actors and actresses a shot. (And I think it’s easier to believe an adaptation if you’ve never seen the actor play a different role before.)
TH : I am so excited to hear you are getting more audiobooks! Can you expand on that experience? How is it hearing your stories come to life? Will it be the same narrator? (okay so this was a run on question haha)
ST : I’m super excited, too! Bad Bloods is my first series getting audiobooks, and the narrator, Jonathan Johns, is amazing. He was really receptive to some behind-the-scenes info that didn’t make it into the books but that I felt was necessary to understand the characters and motivations. He is signed to read all four books! I love his work.
TH : I am seeing we have similar tastes in YA so if you haven’t already put The Cruel Prince on your TBR it was amazing! What are your most anticipated reads for 2018?
ST : Funny you say that, The Cruel Prince is on my TBR! In 2018, I cannot wait to read Thunderhead (Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman. Scythe was my favorite read this year, though it released in 2016. I’m also dying for My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton. Also, Queen of Air and Darkness (#3 of the Dark Artifices) by Cassandra Clare, Daughter of the Siren Queen (#2 of Daughter of the Pirate King) by Tricia Levenseller, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, and The Towering Sky (The Thousandth Floor #3) by Katherine McGee. Seriously, though, I could go on forever.
TH : What are you working on now?
ST : I’m writing my first YA historical fantasy right now. It’s so much fun, but definitely a challenge since it isn’t my usual genre. I love to challenge myself though. There are plans to expand Bad Bloods to one last duology—October Blood and October Bone—but there’s nothing set in stone yet. The rest of the series is getting audiobooks as we speak! Here’s to hoping that the future is bright and fun!
TH : So happy to have you on the blog today!
ST : Thank you for speaking with me!
Review:
I NEED MORE NOW! Such a great read. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this because the concept is very X-men so I was worried I would compare to much because I love X-men. While the powers and the post-apocalyptic type world are in the same genre I really felt like this stood on its own. The fact that this was very character driven and not plot driven made the story very original. I was hooked from the start. I for one was a fan of the cliffhanger. It has left me wanting so much more!
I listened to this in one day! The narration was great. Jonathan Johns voice was clear and rich. His accent made it even better. That being said he didn’t change his voice enough. It would not have bothered me much expect it was a split perspective book so it was easy to miss the switch from chapter to chapter. The only thing that could have made the listen better would have been a female narrator for Serena’s POV. Other than that I really loved his narration.
Super quick good read! I can’t wait to see what happens next. A huge thank you to Shannon A. Thompson for providing me with this book. You guys should check it out!
About the author : 
Shannon A. Thompson is a young adult author, avid reader, and a habitual chatterbox.
As a novelist, poet, and blogger, Thompson spends her free time writing and sharing ideas with her black cat, Bogart, named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. Her other two cats bring her coffee. Between writing and befriending cats, Thompson graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing, and her work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies. Represented by Clean Teen Publishing, Thompson is the best-selling author of the Timely Death trilogy and the Bad Bloods series. When she is not writing, she is climbing rooftops, baking cookies, or watching murder shows in the middle of the night, often done with her cats by her side.
Visit her blog for writers and readers at www.ShannonAThompson.com.
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