About the Book
Book: Guardian
Author: Cathy McCrumb
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: February 20, 2024
The Recorder’s fate has been sealed, but the Consortium is not the only enemy.
Labeled an aberration by the Consortium, the Recorder is not yet free. Time is running out as an engineered bioweapon wreaks havoc on friend and foe alike.
Stopping both the biological agent and the people who created it is no easy task, especially since the Recorder and her friends are trapped on a research station infested with behemoth insects. Without Consortium technology, the probability of neutralizing the threat falls to nothing. In order to save her allies, the Recorder must activate a drone, but her success might destroy any hope for freedom, a future, and a name.
Now enjoy an interview with author Cathy McCrumb
1. Has writing fiction always been in your blood?
Yes, I believe it has. Some of my first memories involve telling stories about my imaginary friend, Sally from Clap Hands Land, who “threw the man’s hat in the air,” a story that was much funnier before I was in kindergarten. Recently, I found mimeographed evidence that I was inquiring about submitting books to publishers back in college. After having kids, I stopped pursuing writing except in telling bedtime stories and social media posts. A friend pushed me to write a story about a dream I had, and since then, characters, plots, and themes have tumbled out.
2. Do you like music or silence when you write?
I have five kids, with four still living at home, so silence is a rare commodity. (Teens, incidentally, seem to be nocturnal.) If it’s noisy, I need headphones and music. I create soundtracks of instrumental music for writing and playlists songs for thinking about character and plot.
3. Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reins?
My characters hijack the story whenever they can. In Guardian, for example, there was a point in which the Recorder gives a command that was not in my mind when I planned out the scene. As soon as I typed the words, I cringed. I knew exactly what would happen, and it changed the course of that scene and had ramifications throughout the book. It was, however, exactly what she would have said and was much better than the basic idea I’d had.
4. Which scene was most fun to write? Why?
Every time I sink into the scene and the words flow, that’s fun. Frequently, that involved anything with the Recorder and Nate or with the Recorder and Zhen. (Or Lars. I do love Lars.) Zhen DuBois is one of my favorite characters to write. She is prickly, rude, and deeply caring all at once. And Nate? Well, he’s Nate, a protector who has his own internal struggles.
5. Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book?
Elliott Ross changed the most from the beginning concept to the end of Guardian. I didn’t like him at all when I wrote Recorder, but after a friend challenged me to examine why, I went back and studied him. Once I saw where he was going, Elliott became a favorite, and I hope that his arc resonates with readers.
About the Author
Cathy McCrumb graduated from Biola University with a degree in English Literature and a love for stories. She and her husband, whom she met while writing letters to soldiers, have five children and currently live within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. While writing is one of her favorite things to do, she also enjoys reading, long hikes and long naps, gluten-free brownies and raspberries, and crocheting while watching science fiction movies with friends and family.
More from Cathy
Someone asked me recently why I wrote Guardian. My answer was that the whole Children of the Consortium trilogy is my love song to people who feel left out.
In the first novel, the Recorder—a young woman with no name, no family, and no friends—doesn’t see her life as valuable. As she discovers friendship and love, however, she realizes that every person in the system is unique, and this by definition must include her, too.
How often do we doubt our own value and that of the people around us? In a world that prioritizes youth, beauty, health, and success, many people are on the outside, looking in. I suspect that deep down, a lot of us wrestle with who we are and how we fall short of this external measuring tape.
The truth, however, is very, very different from the lie of worthlessness. While we have names (and don’t usually encounter two-meter insects, for which I am extremely thankful), we frequently forget that as humans, even though we are fallen, we are made in God’s image. Furthermore, as Christians, we have been both called and adopted.
Zephaniah 3:17 says that the Lord is with us. He takes “great delight” in us and rejoices over us. What an amazing, beautiful, and comforting image. The One who formed the stars, who breathed life into every human on the planet rejoices over YOU.
My prayer is that you find hope and joy in the midst of darkness, whether or not you find friends in the pages of these novels. Look to the Lord and hold fast to the fact that you are unique and valuable. Because even when you feel like you’re on the outside looking in, you are never alone.
Blog Stops
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 7
Through the Fire Blogs, March 8 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, March 9
Splashes of Joy, March 10 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 11
Artistic Nobody, March 12 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, March 13 (Author Interview)
A Reader’s Brain, March 14 (Author Interview)
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 15 (Author Interview)
Wishful Endings, March 15
Simple Harvest Reads, March 16 (Author Interview)
Blossoms and Blessings, March 17 (Author Interview)
The Lofty Pages, March 17
Fiction Book Lover, March 18 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol , March 19
Vicky Sluiter, March 20 (Author Interview)
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Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Cathy is giving away the grand prize of a copy of Guardian!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2a552/guardian-celebration-tour-giveaway
splashesofjoy 