Photo Content from Sara Holland
Sara Holland grew up in small-town Minnesota among hundreds of books. She graduated from Wesleyan University and worked in a tea shop, a dentist’s office, and a state capitol building before heading to New York to work in publishing. These days, she can be found exploring the city’s bookstores or finding new ways to put caffeine in her bloodstream. EVERMORE is the sequel to her New York Times-bestselling debut novel EVERLESS.
Series: Everless
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (December 4, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062653679
ISBN-13: 978-0062653673
Praise for EVERLESS
“Debut author Holland builds this world effortlessly. The author captures a fierce and solid female protagonist in Jules and surprising plot twists and unexpected villains make this series opener the next big thing. An action-packed, must-have fantasy for all YA shelves.” ―School Library Journal
“Holland’s lush, intricately drawn world hides an undercurrent of darkness underneath a veneer of beauty and finery, and the twists are genuinely surprising. Jules’s first-person narration reveals a smart, resilient young woman determined to reconcile her past with an uncertain future. Readers will eagerly await her next journey.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Propelled by inventive lore and magic, Jules’ story is a heady, addicting page-turner—especially for readers who prize worldbuilding over romance. Utterly absorbing; a must for fans of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass (2012) and its sequels.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Holland’s debut is set in an intricate and immersive fantasy world. The concept of Everless is refreshing and unique, and readers will be desperate to figure out Jules’ history as she unravels it.” ―Booklist
“Like her protagonist, Sara Holland has a unique gift for manipulating time. Readers will lose themselves in her stunning prose for hours on end and be hungry for more when they reach the last page.” ―Laura Sebastian, New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess
What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
It’s hard to pick just one thing… but I learned to critically look at a piece of writing, break it down, and revise it from the ground up, which has helped me since then on everything from college essays to massive novels.
What was your favorite book as a child and why?
I was obsessed with STELLALUNA by Janell Cannon, a picture book about a young bat who’s separated from her mother, grows up in a family of birds, and is eventually reunited with the bats but stays friends with the birds. I’m not sure why; maybe it resonated with me as an introverted kid who always felt a little out of place?
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
This probably isn’t new advice to anyone, but read, read, read! Read in all genres, but especially in the one you want to write. I think all books are part of one big, glorious conversation, and becoming familiar with that conversation will help you refine what you have to say.
In your newest book, EVERMORE; can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about the novel?
For sure, though it’s hard to do so without spoilers! The end of EVERLESS found Jules escaping from the Everless estate, alone and carrying a secret that upended everything she thought she knew about herself. In EVERMORE, she tries to learn about herself and her past in order to defeat a great enemy; but doing so might cost her everything she loves.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Jules?
Before Jules, I’d never tried to write a character who was grieving. I was worried her grief would make the story feel too heavy or monotonous or sad. But once I made sure to show her going after her goals despite—or even because of—her grief, it stopped being a weight on the narrative and instead propelled it along.
For those who are unfamiliar with your series; EVERMORE, how would you introduce it?
EVERLESS and EVERMORE take place in Sempera, a world where time is literally money—it can be bought and sold, meaning that the rich live for centuries while the poor trade their futures away just to stay alive in the now. In the midst of this world, seventeen-year-old Jules takes a job at the Downton Abbey-esque Everless estate to save her father, but discovers that Everless and the people in it are not always what they seem—and nor is Jules herself.
Aside from Jules, which of your characters do you feel has grown the most since book one and in what way have they changed?
Liam changes a lot over the course of EVERMORE especially. While his two driving forces—his love of learning and his love of Jules—stay constant, he has to learn to live with Jules the real person, not the idealized Jules he’s built up in his head. Which means learning to trust, give up control, and taking time to relax sometimes—a necessary skill, even with danger at their heels.
Which character have you enjoyed getting to know the most over the course of writing EVERMORE Series?
Ina Gold was super fun to write because she surprised me! At first, I’d envisioned her to be a sort of typical spoiled princess character, but in every scene she was in she somehow took on new dimensions of her own accord, becoming warm and funny and a great ray of light in an otherwise pretty dark book.
What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
Nothing official just yet, but I’d love to write a contemporary fantasy someday—something like my favorite books growing up, which made me believe magic could be just around the corner!
TEN FAVORITE FANTASY WORLDS
My third-grade class had an overnight field trip at the local zoo, and the girls’ sleeping area was in front of the aquarium exhibit. It was so weird and cool to lay in my sleeping bag, beneath that weird, dim green light, and watch the tropical fish and sharks drift by all night.
What is your favorite restaurant in town and why?
The all-day restaurant-bar-café near my apartment, where they have great drinks and don’t mind my hogging a table with my laptop when I don’t feel like writing at home!
When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
That the onset of winter is really doing a number on my skin…
What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
I like the aesthetic of the 1920s, but to be honest, would probably stick to the 90’s or 00’s, what with those decades’ relative progressivism and modern medicine. J
What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
I usually plot out bits and pieces of whatever story I’m working on!
What was your favorite childhood television program?
I was and remain a big SpongeBob fan. (RIP Stephen Hillenburg!)
What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
It might be moving to New York after college with no savings and only a vague plan of working in book publishing… it worked out, but not without some trial and error.
Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today?
I had sort of a falling out with my friend group in high school right around graduation. Which sucked, and I spent a lot of time alone that summer, but I think it made me more willing, in college, to be more outgoing and seek out new experiences, because what did I have to lose?
In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.
No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.
But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.
jbnpastinterviews
It’s hard to pick just one thing… but I learned to critically look at a piece of writing, break it down, and revise it from the ground up, which has helped me since then on everything from college essays to massive novels.
What was your favorite book as a child and why?
I was obsessed with STELLALUNA by Janell Cannon, a picture book about a young bat who’s separated from her mother, grows up in a family of birds, and is eventually reunited with the bats but stays friends with the birds. I’m not sure why; maybe it resonated with me as an introverted kid who always felt a little out of place?
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
This probably isn’t new advice to anyone, but read, read, read! Read in all genres, but especially in the one you want to write. I think all books are part of one big, glorious conversation, and becoming familiar with that conversation will help you refine what you have to say.
In your newest book, EVERMORE; can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about the novel?
For sure, though it’s hard to do so without spoilers! The end of EVERLESS found Jules escaping from the Everless estate, alone and carrying a secret that upended everything she thought she knew about herself. In EVERMORE, she tries to learn about herself and her past in order to defeat a great enemy; but doing so might cost her everything she loves.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Jules?
Before Jules, I’d never tried to write a character who was grieving. I was worried her grief would make the story feel too heavy or monotonous or sad. But once I made sure to show her going after her goals despite—or even because of—her grief, it stopped being a weight on the narrative and instead propelled it along.
For those who are unfamiliar with your series; EVERMORE, how would you introduce it?
EVERLESS and EVERMORE take place in Sempera, a world where time is literally money—it can be bought and sold, meaning that the rich live for centuries while the poor trade their futures away just to stay alive in the now. In the midst of this world, seventeen-year-old Jules takes a job at the Downton Abbey-esque Everless estate to save her father, but discovers that Everless and the people in it are not always what they seem—and nor is Jules herself.
Aside from Jules, which of your characters do you feel has grown the most since book one and in what way have they changed?
Liam changes a lot over the course of EVERMORE especially. While his two driving forces—his love of learning and his love of Jules—stay constant, he has to learn to live with Jules the real person, not the idealized Jules he’s built up in his head. Which means learning to trust, give up control, and taking time to relax sometimes—a necessary skill, even with danger at their heels.
Which character have you enjoyed getting to know the most over the course of writing EVERMORE Series?
Ina Gold was super fun to write because she surprised me! At first, I’d envisioned her to be a sort of typical spoiled princess character, but in every scene she was in she somehow took on new dimensions of her own accord, becoming warm and funny and a great ray of light in an otherwise pretty dark book.
What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
Nothing official just yet, but I’d love to write a contemporary fantasy someday—something like my favorite books growing up, which made me believe magic could be just around the corner!
TEN FAVORITE FANTASY WORLDS
- Hogwarts, of course!
- Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter world
- Eretz from DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE
- Lyra’s world in THE GOLDEN COMPASS
- Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse
- Holly Black’s Faerie
- Orleans from THE BELLES
- Kenettra from THE YOUNG ELITES
- Caraval
- The world of FOR A MUSE OF FIRE
My third-grade class had an overnight field trip at the local zoo, and the girls’ sleeping area was in front of the aquarium exhibit. It was so weird and cool to lay in my sleeping bag, beneath that weird, dim green light, and watch the tropical fish and sharks drift by all night.
What is your favorite restaurant in town and why?
The all-day restaurant-bar-café near my apartment, where they have great drinks and don’t mind my hogging a table with my laptop when I don’t feel like writing at home!
When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
That the onset of winter is really doing a number on my skin…
What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
I like the aesthetic of the 1920s, but to be honest, would probably stick to the 90’s or 00’s, what with those decades’ relative progressivism and modern medicine. J
What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
I usually plot out bits and pieces of whatever story I’m working on!
What was your favorite childhood television program?
I was and remain a big SpongeBob fan. (RIP Stephen Hillenburg!)
What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
It might be moving to New York after college with no savings and only a vague plan of working in book publishing… it worked out, but not without some trial and error.
Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today?
I had sort of a falling out with my friend group in high school right around graduation. Which sucked, and I spent a lot of time alone that summer, but I think it made me more willing, in college, to be more outgoing and seek out new experiences, because what did I have to lose?
No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.
But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.
You can purchase Everless at the following Retailers:
And now, The Giveaways.
Thank you SARA HOLLAND for making this giveaway possible.
1 Winner will receive a Copy of Everless (Everless #1) by Sara Holland.
My favorite sitcom growing up was Friends.
ReplyDelete"What was your favorite sitcom growing up?" "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." And now you know how old I am. "Friends"--pfft!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite sitcom, among others, was Seinfeld.
ReplyDeleteAaach! You're making me date myself. My favorites were I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. I loved The Wild Wild West too!
ReplyDeleteOne was saved bu the Bell! Thank you
ReplyDeleteBewitched was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI loved Friends growing up! :)
ReplyDeleteMegan S.
Cheers!
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