Livia Blackburne Author Interview ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Livia Blackburne

New York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne wrote her first novel while she was a PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she conducted research on the neuroscience of reading acquisition in children. Upon graduation, she switched to writing full time, which also involves getting into people’s heads but without the help of a three tesla MRI scanner.

TEN QUOTES FROM UMBERTOUCHED BY LIVIA BLACKBURNE

1. “In the past year, I’ve helped people, and I’ve killed people. I’ve saved lives, and I’ve narrowly escaped death. But I am still rosemarked. I will still die. That has not changed.”

2. “We’ve been wandering in the dark this entire mission, taking steps as best we could and hoping not to trip and fall. I could yell at Zivah, tell her she should have done her part better. I could point at the shattered parts of myself and tell her that it’s her doing. But then I would still be stumbling in the darkness, only this time, I’d be alone.”

3. “Sometimes truth comes from the mouths of people you trust and respect. Sometimes, it comes from arrogant bastards who know nothing but are right about you nonetheless.”

4. “In Sehmar, I thought myself in love with her. I bought her gifts from the market, talked with her about anything and everything, lay awake at night thinking about what it would be like to kiss her. Now I try to talk to her and the words tangle in my mouth. I lie awake wondering if she’s alive. And yet, there’s still the memory of a kiss.”

5. “Love is hard to come by. Even when it comes painfully, it’s rare enough to hold on to.”

6. “Yes, I’m a traitor many times over. Yes, I’ve likely spit in Neju’s face with the way I’ve broken the bond of soldiers, but I’ve paid the price. And I’ll tell you something more. Had you been in my place. Had you watched your people get slaughtered by Ampara, you would have done the same thing.”

7. “‘How did you find me?’ ‘Goddesses don’t stay hidden for long.’”

8. “And indeed, she does look like a goddess. Not the immaculate deities found in temples—even in the growing twilight I can tell that her clothes are old and torn. Hair has come out of her long braid, and if I go closer, I’ll likely find dirt on her face and arms. But there’s something about her, something that calls of blood and earth, and the sight of her sends shivers across my skin.”

9. “The air between us thrums with energy. My entire body aches to touch him, but I gather my resolve and put my fingertips against his chest, pushing him gently away. ‘Nothing’s changed.’ It’s a last desperate reminder that I’m still sick. That anything we start is doomed.”

10. “Rose plague might keep us from living a long life, but it can’t keep us from living a full one.”

The mission was a failure. Even though Zivah and Dineas discovered a secret that could bring down the empire, their information is useless without proof. Now, with their cover blown and their quest abandoned, their only remaining hope is to get home before Ampara brings the full might of its armies against their peoples.

As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. After fighting alongside the Amparans against his own kin, can Dineas convince the Shidadi—and himself—where his loyalties lie? After betraying her healer’s vows in Sehmar City, can Zivah find a way to redeem herself—especially when the Dara ask her to do the unthinkable? And after reluctantly falling in love, what will the two do with their lingering feelings, now that the Dineas from Sehmar City is gone forever? Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she’ll define the life she has left.

Together, healer and warrior must find the courage to save their people, expose the truth, and face the devastating consequences headed their way.

Praise for ROSEMARKED

"A dark tale filled with tension and secrets and lightened by two brave companions." ―Kirkus Reviews

"[R]eaders will be rewarded with an intricately choreographed conclusion and a high-stakes cliffhanger." ―Publishers Weekly

"Blackburne's characters get at the complexity of being human." ―Booklist

"Blackburne builds a solid world fraught with conflict, conspiracy, and contagion." ―School Library Connection

Praise for DAUGHTER OF DUSK

"Tamora Pierce and Suzanne Collins [fans] will find great satisfaction here." ―VOYA

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