Crewel Blog Tour: Gennifer gets grilled!

I've wanted to read Crewel for the longest time now and so I'm thrilled to be part of the blog tour and to welcome Gennifer Albin to the blog today.  Before she gets grilled though, here's some information about the book...

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

How important is music in your writing process and do you have a playlist?

I actually did not while I was working on Crewel, because I didn't own headphones.  I was too broke. Sad, huh?  Now I listen to Pandora when I'm writing, because I can change stations to suit the mood of the chapter I'm working on.  I have a playlist up on creweltrilogy.com.  It's full of Florence + the Machine and angry girl rock.


How did you come up with the idea for Crewel?

I think it stemmed from a painting, Embroidering the Earth’s Mantle by Remedios Varo. It’s referenced in a Thomas Pynchon novel [The Crying of Lot 49]. It’s quite a beautiful painting. A group of women are embroidering the world, in a tower. I’d had the book on my shelf for years, and one day I looked at it, and I was working on a very different idea at the library that wasn’t going anywhere. I opened up a new document and almost word for word the prologue came out.


What’s the story behind the title?

Crewel actually refers to a form of free embroidery, often involving twisting of the yarn or thread.  I was looking for a title and I came upon it in a sewing book, and it was perfect!  Although I often have to spell it for people.


What’s been your best moment regarding publication so far?

On the last day of book tour, a girl walked into the bookstore we were going to be signing in.  She went over and picked up my book off the shelf and started reading it.  It was just wild to see someone come in and pick up my book!  I may have asked her if I could take a picture.


What’s the question that you wish people would ask you? (And please answer it)

Cake or pie?  And the answer depends on whether the icing on the cake is made with butter.  If not, the answer is pie.


Do you read YA? Any recommendations? What are you reading at the moment?

I do read YA!  I have pretty broad taste in books though.  Right now, I'm starting The Evolution of Mara Dyer.


Will Crewel be part of a series and can you tell us anything about what's to come?

Crewel is a trilogy, so there are two more books coming!  And all I can tell you is that Adelice will discover the source of her power and there is a lot more kissing.


A huge thank you to Gennifer for appearing on the blog today.  Crewel was published in the US on 16th October, 2012 and 18th October, 2012 in the UK.   To find out more about Gennifer and her books, please click hereto visit her website.