Showing posts with label McNulty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label McNulty. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Behind The Books with JANET MCNULTY : an interview



Today on our blog we have an author with us who gladly volunteered when asked for an interview. It's great to be able to know the real person behind the books i.e. the real brain stormer behind almost 3 dozen distinct works in her kitty. Every conversation that I've had with her she's been really helpful and down to Earth despite being such a well published writer. She'd been writing for children initially but now a days her science fictions, fantasy and mystery books are a sure lookout for voracious readers. Janet McNulty is the author for Mellow Summers series, Legends lost series and my favourite Dystopia trilogy. She has other works in the area of nonfiction as well and she loves to read, hike, sitting around and crotchet as pastimes at her West Virginia home. Here's our candid interview with the author:


 1. What pulled you to be a writer in the first place? Was it an inspiration from someone?

Ever since I was a child, I had written short stories, most of which will never be published, and carried that love for writing into adulthood. It got put on hold as I went through college and attempted to start a career in museum work, but that never took fruition.

I had a friend in high school who dreamt of being a writer, and with his encouragement, I looked through my old drafts that I wrote in grade school and reworked them just for fun. However, he is the one who encouraged me to write my first novel.

2. The pen name of yours, with which you started the journey of writing i.e. NOVA ROSE has got me really curious. Why this particular name?

I chose that pen name when I published my first novel (Legends Lost Amborese) because I was also looking for a job at the time, and some employers frown upon an employee who self-publishes. I played around with a lot of names (Genoa Star, Michelle Roberts, H. A. Adams) but none of them had a ring to it like Nova Rose does. I really liked it and went with it. However, when I started writing full time, I decided to just publish all of my books under my own name.

3. You wrote books for children and middle grade. Why the concept of DYSTOPIA out of so many fiction idea possibilities?

I have always liked dystopian genre books and am a fan of George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm. The idea of a world gone bad and all of the “what if” scenarios that follow it has always fascinated me. I’ve been watching current events on the news and decided to write a “what if” story about what our world could look like in the future.

Dystopia itself actually started out as a short story, called Peace and Tranquillity, which I had written while still in high school. When I went to college it got put away in a box, and I later found it a couple of years ago, read it, and thought to myself, “Hey, this could work as a novel.” And I ended up writing a series.

4. Any character that you wish was a bit different than the way you have actually created them?

I think I would have liked to have made Sanders slightly different, but I’m not sure how. POf course, the more I think about it, the more I like him the way he is.

5. Which is your best piece of work out of all the books you have written?

Asking an author that is like asking a parent which of their children they love most. That is a tough one. Though, I am partial to my Legends Lost series. It took me twelve years to write it and when you invest so much time into something, you become very attached to it. However, I have a feeling that my best is yet to come.

6. Share a secret with us. Who's the excellent cover designer?

That would be me. I had hired someone to originally illustrate the cover, but it always seemed to be missing something; it didn’t have that sort of creepiness that I was going for. So, I scrapped it and learnt to use Photoshop and designed the cover myself. I’m surprised at how well it worked out, but I really like the cover and the covers of the other two books in the series.

7. Shed some light on your upcoming works.

There is a book that I am finishing up which is scheduled to be published in December: Solaris Seethes. It is a cross between science fiction and fantasy, but is an adventure story. It will be the first book in a series.


8. A note for all your fans who have grown to love your books immensely. (Me being one of them)

I want to say that I appreciate all of the support that my fans have given me and I hope that they find my works enjoyable.
The only other thing I would say is, prepare for an adventure in space when my next novel is released.


It was a pleasure getting to know Janet and here's the link to her official website: http://www.mcnultyjanet.com


You can also find my review for one of her books here: Dystopia. I'll be reviewing more of her works when I get the chance.

You can Buy Janet McNulty's books from amazon.com. This link redirects you to her amazon.com page where all her works can be found out for purchase or gifts.



**This material cannot be copied or used without the author's permission. This is an authentic interview and the link to author's own blog is here www.mcnultyjanet.com**




To get your book reviewed you may contact me on:
Email: inextrica.sukriti@gmail.com
Facebook: Sukriti Goyal
Goodreads: Sukriti
Library Thing: My page
Book Blogs: My page

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Book Review: Dystopia: Janet McNulty



Author: Janet McNulty (her official website)
No of Pages: 214
Publication House: MMP Publishing
Date of Publication: 4th April, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Summary: (from Goodreads.com)
Imagine living in a world where everything you do is controlled. 

In the distant future the United States has been split into two regions separated by a barren wasteland; this is the country of Dystopia. Here the individual is discouraged, freedom is an illusion, food is rationed, and everything you do is tracked by a chip implanted in your arm. This is Dana Ginary’s world.

At age seventeen, people receive their career assignments chosen for them by a government body. Forced to work at the Waste Management Plant because she was declared too individualistic, Dana finds herself surrounded by death and brutality. Knowing her days are numbered, she looks for a way to leave the plant before she, too, becomes one of its causalities.

It is then she meets a man named George and soon finds herself caught up in a cat mouse game between the resistance and the Dystopian government. Dana finds herself faced with an agonising choice of whom she will betray and whom she will save: her friend George, her parents, or herself

** The book had been sent by the author for an honest review and by no means the review is biased/influenced**

STAR RATING: 4.5/5
DESCRIPTION IN ONE LINE: I was at the edge the entire time and turned pages eagerly.

Title: Dystopia actually means an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. The title is highly appropriate for the book and conveys the general idea of the book completely.
Title Rating: 5/5

Cover: The choice of the grim colours depicts the plight of the people of Dystopia and the pair of eyes is the indication of the constant watching. Certainly an apt cover and we must say the cover designer is an expert at his/her field of work. 
Cover Rating: 4.5/5

Characters: DANA : Our rebel girl who is a fearless girl and not afraid to voice her opinions. She has a strong character in the trained world where people are not allowed to speak up. She's the pure dystopian fiction queen with the guts to rule down the President. She's sensitive to other's problems and not in the least frightened to help.
GEORGE: He's our secretive guy who doesn't trust easily and loves our Dana in fatherly sort of a way. He is gutsy and headstrong to bring down the government.
DANA'S FRIENDS: Dana has gained trust among her friends and they are ready to help her out in a land where bonding is a crime. They are understanding, caring, supportive and have certain individual qualities.
Characters Rating:4.5/5

Review: For a young adult not being given the right to choose a career and casted off to a place where dying was as easy as losing a  pin is a nightmare enough, topped up with chips that keep tracking every activity might give us cramps. The story unfolds with the Dystopian backdrop giving the general idea of the living conditions and the life Dana lives at the waste management after being herself being cast off the society as garbage. She voices her opinion as the girl-who-doesn't-care and is humanly in the hollow programmed world. She is blackmailed to give away the Resistance in order to save the ones she cares for and does what she feels is right. Its only time that makes her realise that the Government is as fake as their promises and stands up to make things right. 
Review Rating: 4.5/5

Appreciation: The plot, suspense and trust issues make the book a gripping read. I was at the edge and couldn't sleep till I finally finished the book after midnight.

Let Downs: Although I hate to point out but the sentence formation was a bit on the weaker side. The reason for this might be being a children's writer initially. A better grip on the complex sentences would make it the perfect read. 

Final Verdict: The story is a mind engrossing and makes you read till the last page non-stop. It is highly recommended for the young adults and even adults as it makes a good read for day. As the length is not very long it might keep you a bit jumpy in the most exciting way.

Would I be reading more from JANET MCNULTY: Definitely. Since the moment I have finished this book I have been eager to jump to the next book i.e. Tempered Steel in the Dystopia Series. I hope to lay my hands on the next, as soon as possible.

The book is available here:


To get your book reviewed you may contact me on:
Email: inextrica.sukriti@gmail.com
Facebook: Sukriti Goyal
Goodreads: Sukriti
Library Thing: My page
Book Blogs: My page