Author Interview with Roxy Eloise, Discovering Puracordis

In a future where the mention of magic is banned, one paranoid man rules the entire country.

Welcome to one of the March 30th stops on the blog tour for Discovering Puracordis by Roxy Eloise with Silver Dagger Book Tours (schedule linked.) Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts & interviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

What inspired you to write this book?
I actually started writing non-fiction, but whilst I was writing it, I knew deep down it wasn’t what I wanted to write. The problem was I just didn’t have the story. Until one night I had a powerful dream and woke up in the morning like ‘Wow! This is my story.’

I was myself in the dream and arrived in the middle of a scene, but everyone was acting the same way. One person realised I wasn’t behaving the same way and he told me I had to pretend to be like everyone else or the antagonist would know I was the Guidal. The dream was terrifying and, as with all dreams, I genuinely feared for my life. The whole dream was me basically just trying to copy everyone and not get noticed. At one point the antagonist was in my face staring into my eyes after he detected something abnormal about my behaviour. He hurt me for a prolonged time, increasing the pain and trying to get me to react but I manged to stay in character like the others would have, and he backed off. When I woke up, I knew I had my story. The institute, antagonist, and protagonist came from the dream. I plotted for about a week before I started writing the first chapter.

What can we expect from you in the future?
Another two books in the series.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Well, in Chapter One you are introduced to the Navy receptionist, Nunetta. She is actually an ex-Enforcer and knows Aurora’s birth parents. She has history with Aurora’s mother and this is the hidden reason why she takes an instant dislike to Aurora.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
So the concept, antagonist, and protagonist came from my dream, but the other characters were created during the plotting phase. Characters would come as feelings at first, depending on where they placed in the story, and then their personalities would develop as the story progressed. They took control of their own fates. I originally thought Brindan was timid, but when he would enter a scene, I could feel he was a little bit more self-assured than I originally thought. He gets embarrassed easily but it doesn’t stop him from being confident. He knows he is entitled as a Young Enforcer and he knows he is in the popular crowd, but his softer side is attracted to Pax’s personality, which is one of the reasons why they are best friends. He is slightly arrogant and confident, but he also has a soft nature…not as soft as Pax though. Brindan’s ego is bigger with a need to dominate over people.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?
I like names that sound like common names but are yet unique, even if that’s just a slight difference in pronunciation. Bethoney and Maigen are variations of Bethony and Megan. Brindan is Brendon.

Silliah, Pipila, Kiwick, Iddle, Borgon, and Kimly, were names I made up but wanted easy to pronounce. Two names I thought I made up, I later discovered I didn’t! Saulwyn and Ryker.

I would feel the personality of the character and then name them. Sometimes it would take a while before the right name came along. Pax took the longest to name, but as soon as I stumbled across it, I knew it was the one. It just instantly clicked. Tayo was always Tayo—he just is Tayo. And the same for Aurora. She just is Aurora. They were names that came easily and stuck straight away.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Writing is pure escapism, more so than reading. I loved being in my world day in, day out, spending all my free time with my characters. It was actually pure bliss, and you really grow close to your characters.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Aurora is rebellious and stubborn. She doesn’t really mean to be; it’s just part of her nature. She’s a little naive, doesn’t really concern herself with much, and keeps herself to herself. This confidence to be herself, not needing anybody for validation, is what draws people to her. Deep down she desires to go home, go back in time and grow up with her parents. Because of this, she will always need her Nanny Kimly no matter how old she gets.

Pax is naturally talented with a playful side which can sometimes be competitive. He is popular; he knows it, but he doesn’t care for it. He also doesn’t care much for the institute despite obstinately following the rules. His calm demeanour makes him a natural leader. People like him because he is gentle, caring, thoughtful, and understanding.

Tayo is Tayo. He is mischievous and rebellious, as well as being clever and extremely self-confident. He understands people and makes friends easily. It is his hatred for injustices which makes him want to help people. He also loves documentaries and food, but his real obsession you’ll find out in the book.

How did you come up with the title of the book?
The title came from the dream. Even though I didn’t know it would be the title of the book, I woke up repeating it and repeating it just because it had such an impact on me.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I learned I can overcome anxiety. I learned writers are not BORN knowing they can write. I learned writing the book is the easy part… marketing is a different story!

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Elle Fanning. She has the right blend of innocence and badass.

How did you come up with name of this book?
The Guidal came from my dream and I made up Puracordis. When I first did a google search, it returned no results. The meaning of Puracordis is a little bit of a spoiler, so I’m going to have to keep it to myself for a while J

What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I love the institute and how everyone grows up together. The best part of school for me was my friendship group. I love being able to recreate this in my book.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Although I love the institute, it would have to be Tayo. We would wait until dark and break Curfew!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They are all from my imagination except the Navy receptionist. She is an old manager who took an instant dislike to me the moment we met crossing on the stairs. To this day, I have no idea what I did. I just knew she didn’t like me from the short conversation we had on the stairs. I had always gotten along with all the previous managers, and I was on annual leave when the new manager started. My name was up on award boards, so I knew she must have been waiting to meet me. I thought our first conversation would have gone differently.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
THEM! ALLLLL THEM! Just read some of my tweets! You’ll see how much they control the story. I’m always asking the writing community for help. I think the problem is, when you plot certain scenes, you don’t consider the characters personality completely. It’s only when you write the scene, the character then shows you their true personality and real reaction. This can lead the story astray.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
It only gets better. The Guidal: Discovering Puracordis is only the appetiser. You will not be able to guess where the book is going and you most likely haven’t read anything like it.

Have you written any other books that are not published?
Only the non-fiction I started but never finished.

What did you edit out of this book?
I originally started writing chapter one in 3^rd person following Tayo. It wasn’t right and I knew I had to change it. I rewrote the whole chapter in 1^st person from Aurora’s POV. Hardly anything from the first draft remained in the second revision.

About the Book

Discovering Puracordis
The Guidal Book One
by Roxy Eloise

Publishing 2 April 2022
Entrada Publishing

Genre: YA Dystopian Fantasy
Page Count: 286
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

In a future where the mention of magic is banned, one paranoid man rules the entire country. 

Adopting children to become his private bodyguards, they are raised together in a strict institute where sixteen-year-old Aurora struggles to follow the rules. Finding herself disciplined often, she doesn’t particularly like her endless life of servitude.

Soon, she will have to take part in the institute’s annual Unity ceremony where she could end up engaged to a complete stranger!

Aurora’s fears of being different are realised when she discovers something about herself, something which will make most fear her, and her adoptive father will want her killed for.

Friends, bullies, and a touch of something magical, Aurora’s first year in the grown-ups’ quarter is far from ordinary.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Website

Excerpt

I rolled my belongings into their designated place alongside the ensuite, and opened my welcome pack. It enclosed a huge stack of paperwork, which included a temporary daily schedule and a welcome letter. A cold shiver ran down from the top of my head, waking up the hair on my neck. My eyes focused on a sentence in the letter. The posh font didn’t make the content any more attractive.

‘Successful candidates of the Unity assessment will be allocated new bedrooms next to their betrothed.’

I had momentarily forgotten all about the Unity assessment, and the letter reminded me like a wet fish to the face. Now the fish felt like it was swimming around in my stomach. I studied the sentence again—‘next to.’ Well, at least that was something. Sod sharing a room with a boy.

From the moment I read the letter, I couldn’t cope with the overwhelming anxiety. I needed to get rid of the fish, so I decided to head to the Khakidemy to sit the test without meeting up with my best friend, Silliah, first. I was sure she would be in there anyway. She’d probably be already eagerly completing her test; she loved Unity. It was supposed to find our perfect partners, someone we would be expected to spend all our time with, and someone we would eventually be expected to have children with. For what reason? I had no idea. I always heard the same thing, ‘Unity is a privilege, a rare prequisite.’

The Old Library was busy with enthusiastic Navies, all quietly completing their assessments. After a failed scan for Silliah, I searched for a free booth, finding one nestled between two girls who didn’t even notice me take a seat. Whilst settled on my stool, conscious of the cameras pointing at my face, detecting my blood flow, temperature, and muscle movements, I touched ‘Begin.’ My heart rate displayed onscreen. I assumed that had something to do with the picoplant under the skin in my wrist, and this whole setup gave me the impression these assessments were impossible to cheat.

I read through the introduction briefly, avoiding another explanation as to why this test was so great. Trying to keep my heart rate steady, I wondered what my vital stats were identifying. Could they tell I was irritated?

Yeah, betrothed to marry, I know. Yes, I’m honoured to be given this privilege. OK, here we go, question one, let’s see.

“Cats or dogs?” I read the question aloud. “What has that got to do with finding my soulmate? I thought this test was supposed to be scientific.”

Amused eyes looked over in my direction.

“Aurora, that’s enough,” said Lady Joanne Maxhin, supervising the candidates this hour. “If you want me to call for Seioh Jennson again, you are going the right way about it. You’re a Navy now, not a child. Keep your head down and start thinking before you speak.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You know this is a confidential assessment. So I mean it—silence; not another word from you.”

Grrr. What kind of test was this?I rubbed my face so hard it hurt. How could I be matched on the basis of liking cats or dogs? It’s so stupid. I hated this Unity week already.

Tea or Coffee—neither, thanks.

Hot or Cold—what?

Up or Down—are they serious?

A few more questions passed like that before asking me questions as to whether I agreed or disagreed.

I experience my emotions intensely—strongly agree.

I am easily intimidated—just disagree. I almost strongly disagreed, but I was slightly intimidated by Seioh Jennson, the head of the institute. I’d had too many run-ins with him to not be. So…I’ll just disagree on this one.

I trust others—strongly disagree.

Once I’d completed all one hundred questions, I jumped from my stool feeling better about my chances of matching; I highly doubted it. I couldn’t imagine anyone else hating this farce as much as I did. Surely the results would detect that. The two girls I sat between were still at their booths, thinking through their answers thoroughly and making their decisions carefully. I almost rolled my eyes but I caught Lady Maxhin watching me through her holographic display. I pushed in my stool, patted the backrest awkwardly, and fled from the room.

Leaving the Khakidemy, I left any thoughts about the test behind and headed to the Food Hall for breakfast. I entered a hall with the majority of tables reset in their default table-of-four position. Only one group had their table set up as a bench for twelve. I breathed in the near empty room, grateful I’d missed the mid-morning rush. Although the room was cleverly designed—with circular rows upon rows of tables—it was hard to find a single table during busier times.

Situated in the very centre of the building like the bullseye on a target, the Food Hall was the only room that inhabited all four quarters of the institute. I chose a table in Claret Quartz, the section with polished, purply-red floor tiles. Sitting down, I glanced over at a few Musties huddled together, whispering, and turning to look at a Navy standing in the centre by the meal dispenser. Curly blond-brown hair reflecting his chilled-out demeanour, he seemed blissfully unaware of the attention he was being given. From the sound of things, the bench full of Navies also appeared to be talking about him.

“Quickly. Pax is on his own. What should I order?” asked a slender girl with a giggle, looking down at her tabletop screen. “OK, I ordered a fresh green juice; that will do.” She floated up out of her chair and wafted over—in what seemed like slow motion—flicking her glossy, cocoa-brown hair. Her friends watched eagerly. I, too, couldn’t help myself; I needed to see how this one played out.

“Hey, Pax,” she said in a sickly tone, brushing her fingers across the length of his broad back.

“Hey, Pipila.” He didn’t seem to mind the invasion of his personal space, yet didn’t encourage it either.

She played with her hair, tossing her head from side to side. I personally thought she looked demented, but I supposed she was going for cute.

“Order ready for Miss Darlington,” prompted Soami, the Digital Assistant, indicating food had arrived in the hatch.

“Oh, that’s mine,” said Pipila. “Can I just get my—” She leant over Pax, using his arm as support, scanned her picoplant to open the hatch, and reached for her juice. “Hmm, best way to start the day, eh, Pax?” Pipila tipped her head back and sipped the juice delicately. “Well, good luck with Unity this year. Third time lucky for us; I hope we match. Oh, I mean, I hope we find a match,” she ‘corrected’ herself before swanning back to her table. Right…

About the Author

Roxy Eloise is a successful participant of Pitch Wars held quarterly on Twitter. During this event, she created a pitch that stood out from the hundreds of thousands, landing herself a traditional publishing contract.

Her debut novel, The Guidal: Discovering Puracordis, is the first in a 3-book series. Coming April 2022, this exciting new novel was inspired by a dream. Roxy writes the stories she really wants to read. If she finds it boring to write, she’ll find it boring to read, so she’ll always make sure her novels are binge-worthy! Her favourite place to write is in bed with country music and a hot drink. On the weekends, you’ll find her out walking her dog, filming videos for YouTube, or spending time with her family.

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