Author Interview with Galaxy Craze & a Giveaway of The Last Princess!

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to another StNC author interview!  Today's guest is Galaxy Craze, author of The Last Princess.  I had the pleasure of reading this novel a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it, so when the publicist offered a chance to interview Galaxy, I jumped at the chance.  Put your hands together and give a warm welcome to Galaxy Craze!

Marla: Welcome Starting the Next Chapter, Galaxy!  Thanks for taking the time for this interview today.

First question: If you had to pick one thing about yourself that you would want readers to know, what would that one thing be?

Galaxy: I think I'm a very encouraging person. Especially to other women or girls. I often find myself in situations where I'm encouraging my friends to push them selves to do what they really believe in or have a natural talent for. I know alot of writers can be competitive but I'm not at all. For instance I don't think I could ever write a negative review (good thing I'm not a reviewer). I can usually find the  good in things. 

Marla: What inspired you to write The Last Princess?

Galaxy: I have to admit that The Last Princess was not entirely my own idea. I was asked by Alloy (creators of Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries) to make a novel of their story idea. I worked closely with my editor there and the more drafts and re-write the more it felt like my own story. I had written a novel call "By The Shore," which was narrated by a twelve year old who lived in an English bed and breakfast so they thought I'd be good for another book set in England.

Marla: How long did it take to write The Last Princess?

Galaxy: Well, when you write a book for Alloy the first thing you do is write a 60 page sample. That sample alone took about five months. As I was writing it different issues would come up and they would ask me to re-write the chapters. The first draft the book was written in 3rd person, then they wanted it changed to first person. In the first draft Eliza meet Wesley in an underground speak-easy-bar type thing. He had nothing to do with the New Guard in that draft. So it went through A LOT of changes...I have to admit there were many times I thought I was just going to give up on trying to write it  but I'm glad I didn't. All in all it was about two years.

Marla: What books have influenced you the most over the years?

Galaxy: I feel like I have the most distinct memories of really feeling emotionally involved in the books I read when I was young. I remember crying in the middle of the night when everyone else was asleep as I read Charlotte's Web. I still remember images from Little House on The Prairie and Mrs. Frisbie and the Rats of Nimh, and of course Animal Farm.

Marla: What was the most intense scene to write in The Last Princess?

Galaxy: I love dogs so I hated to have Bella (Eliza's dog) be killed by the invaders but I thought it was something they would definitely do.

Marla: I've seen varying suppositions around Goodreads and book blogs.  Is The Last Princess a standalone novel, or will there be more books set in its world?

Galaxy: The Last Princess was originally supposed to be a standalone book but when Poppy bought it they wanted two books. So, yes there will be a sequel...hopefully.

Marla: For the last question, I've got to ask: If you found yourself within your own book, what skills would you draw upon for survival?

Galaxy: That's a great question and one I really thought about while writing. I wanted Eliza to know how to use weapons because her father was King and had the Master of Weapons over to the palace to teach the princesses. I'm not sure what I would do. I feel like we've become so out of touch with even basic survival skills. I like to run, so I guess I could run fast. I'm also a good swimmer. I can identify some edible plants. But mostly I would avoid the dangerous areas of the land like the woods where the Roamers live.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog. I really enjoyed these questions.

Thanks, Galaxy! To find out more about Galaxy and her book and to enter for a chance to win a copy of The Last Princess, keep reading!

Check out The Last Princess book trailer!

About Galaxy

Galaxy Craze (born 1970) is an actress and writer. She moved to the U.S. with her mother in 1980. She appeared in a few independent films in the late 1990s, and wrote a novel, By the Shore, published in 1999. She is a 1993 graduate of Barnard College.

The Last Princess is her third novel.

About the Book

 Happily ever after is a thing of the past.

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.

When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.

Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess.

To read my review of The Last Princess, click HERE!


Add to Goodreads!

The Giveaway

Just a few terms to cover, then you can have at it!

• US only, as per publisher's request (prize is being provided by the publisher)
• Entrants ages 13 & older (those under 18, please ask a parent's permission)
• Only one set of tasks per household.

That's it!  Now, without further ado, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway