Tara Sim Author Interview

Photo Content from Tara Sim

Tara Sim is the author of TIMEKEEPER (Sky Pony Press, Fall 2016) and writer of all things magic. She can often be found in the wilds of the Bay Area, California.

When she’s not writing about mischievous boys in clock towers, Tara spends her time drinking tea, wrangling cats, and occasionally singing opera. Despite her bio-luminescent skin, she is half-Indian and eats way too many samosas.

Tara is represented by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency.

She also sometimes blogs for Quirk Books.

Name pronunciation: “tar-ah” (not “terr-ah”).

        

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Storytelling is important for so many reasons, but first and foremost, I believe that it brings people and communities together. It helps make the world a little less huge, a little more known. Stories are how we, as humans, relate to one another, and I think that’s beautiful.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
A lot of people seem to be surprised that I’ m a Gryffindor.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
The Lord of the Rings, mostly for nostalgic purposes and because it was the first thing that made me realize that I also wanted to create different worlds. It’s the thing that got me on track to become a writer. My favorite book outside of my genre would probably be I’ll Give You the Sun.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
This is going to sound kinda weird, but I actually learned how to balance life and work when I was at school. I (almost) always got good grades, but I knew that if I pushed myself more, I could get even better ones—but I never did, because I found that there were other things I wanted to do with my time, such as writing. I’m glad I taught myself how to balance schoolwork and fun, because it gave me less stress during that time.

Can you tell us when you started TIMEKEEPER, how that came about?
I was trying to think of a quirky story, something in a vein I’d never done before. I had a Big Ben keychain from when I studied abroad in London, and when I looked at it, I got an image in my head of a boy standing in a clock tower. I began to wonder who he was and how he was connected to time, and it all sprawled out from there.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Danny?
How snarky he is. I mean, he’s a grumpy, awkward teenage boy, but the way he flips between polite/casual/shy/snarky gets me every time. When he doesn’t like someone, he really doesn’t like them.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
Ohhh I’d love to introduce Colton to Noah from The Raven Cycle.

What part of Colton did you enjoy writing the most?
I think the real question here is what part didn’t I enjoy writing about Colton? I tend to get sentimental over my characters, but Colton is definitely up there as one of my faves. He was just so delightful in his personality and the way he wanted Danny to teach him things. I loved writing every scene with him in it.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be?
Sometimes you have to force yourself to do things, and that’s okay. But when something you enjoy isn’t fun anymore, step back and give yourself some time away from it.

Where is the best place in the world you’ve been?
I’ve been to a lot of cool places and hope to visit a lot more, but some of my favorites so far: Disneyland (yes, I’m obsessed), London, Dublin, India (especially the Punjab area), Paris.

Tell me about your first kiss.
It was on Halloween. The end.

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
I wrote a thank you letter to someone about a month ago.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heartbreak, or having never loved at all?
Hmm, gonna go with the heartbreak.

When was the last time you cried?
When I saw Hamilton. ;_;

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
Oh man, all of them are terrible haha. Maybe the 1980s? That seemed to be an interesting time for everyone involved.

Where can readers find you?
Twitter mostly (@EachStarAWorld), or hanging out on Tumblr (tarasimauthor). You can also check out my website (tarasim.com) for some book extras and links!

TOP TEN DREAM VACATION STOP (the Places I Haven’t Been Yet Edition)

• 1. Scotland
• 2. New Zealand (gotta see Middle Earth before I die)
• 3. Venice
• 4. Japan
• 5. Amsterdam
• 6. Holland, in general
• 7. Versailles (generally, more places in France)
• 8. Rome
• 9. Greece
• 10. Berlin

Two o’clock was missing. 

In an alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny Hart knows all too well; his father has been trapped in a Stopped town east of London for three years. Though Danny is a prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but the very fabric of time, his fixation with staging a rescue is quickly becoming a concern to his superiors.

And so they assign him to Enfield, a town where the tower seems to be forever plagued with problems. Danny’s new apprentice both annoys and intrigues him, and though the boy is eager to work, he maintains a secretive distance. Danny soon discovers why: he is the tower’s clock spirit, a mythical being that oversees Enfield’s time. Though the boys are drawn together by their loneliness, Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, and means risking everything he’s fought to achieve.

But when a series of bombings at nearby towers threaten to Stop more cities, Danny must race to prevent Enfield from becoming the next target or he’ll not only lose his father, but the boy he loves, forever.

Praise for TIMEKEEPER

"Timekeeper is an extraordinary debut, at once familiar and utterly original. Between its compelling world, its lovely prose, and its wonderful characters, the pages flew by." —Victoria Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Alive with myth, mystery, and glorious romance, Timekeeper will keep hearts pounding and pages turning til the stunning conclusion. Reader beware—there's magic in these pages." —Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from Everywhere

"Timekeeper is a triumph . . . If you read only one such book . . . let it be this one." –Bustle

"Timekeeper’s premise is original and its world unique." —EW.com

"While the world is wildly interesting and fantastic, with broken clock towers that have left towns frozen in time, it’s the emotional impact and diverse cast of characters that make this book soar . . . The resulting story is an exciting and inclusive one, drawing in elements of magic, mystical spirits, swoon-filled romance, and just so much more.” —BookRiot

"Part mystery and part romance, this fantasy novel delves into what it means to grow up and make important decisions. With an easily relatable main character struggling to fit in, the novel has a realistic and contemplative voice. VERDICT: A must-have richly written fantasy novel that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next volume." —School Library Journal

"Sim creates a cast of complex and diverse characters, as well as a mythology to explain how the clock towers came to exist . . . an enjoyable, well-realized tale." —Publishers Weekly

“[M]ystery, LGBTQ romance, and supernatural tale of clock spirits and sabotage that explores how far people might go for those they love. Its strongest elements are the time-related mythology and the supernatural gay romance.” —Booklist

"This LGBTQ steampunk romance sports a killer premise and admirably thorough worldbuilding, helpfully annotated in the author’s afterword. The characters—even the bad guys—are sympathetically drawn and commendably diverse in sexuality and gender." —Kirkus Reviews

"An enjoyable start to a promising new trilogy." —BookPage

You can purchase Timekeeper at the following Retailers:

    

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you TARA SIM for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Timekeeper (Timekeeper #1) by Tara Sim.

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