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War of the Wilted (Garden of Thorns #2)

by Amber Mitchell

Publication Date: October 1, 2018

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Like flowers denied water, people are wilting under the emperor’s tyranny.

Rose will not rest until the Gardener is dead. But there are bigger battles to fight, and Rayce—leader of the rebellion and the only man Rose has ever loved—believes their best chance at winning the war is to join forces with her sworn enemy.

Saving innocent people is more important than her quest for revenge. But their new ally can’t be trusted—and he knows her darkest secret. One betrayal could leave the war and Rayce’s life hanging in the balance, and Rose will need to make the ultimate sacrifice to save them all.

1. Tell us about your writing process. Do you aim for a daily word count, page count, or a couple of scenes each day?

 

I have a daily word count goal of 500 words. It is really low, but I like the ability to always hit my goal. It motivates me to write even on days when I am sick or feel like I can’t because I can hit 500 words almost any time. In reality, when I am under deadline, my usual goal is around 1,500 or more.

 

I used to have a whole routine I had to follow before I could write and everything around me had to be perfect but I’ve learned over time that it actually is just a waste of time and gives me a reason not to write. Now I sit down and do it whether the world around me is a mess or not.

2. What gave you the inspiration for your book? Is it part of a series?

 

War of the Wilted is the second book in the Garden of Thorns trilogy. For the first novel, I came up with the idea after seeing women dancing in long, flowing dresses and thinking they looked like flowers from an aerial view. I started to wonder what would happen if women were actually thought of as flowers and that’s when I came up with the idea for the Garden.

 

I found this second book intimidating to write and had a hard time finding inspiration until I started thinking about who Rose needed to be by the end of the series. I realized this book was her chance to get there. Thinking about her character arc helped me put the other pieces in place.

3. Are you a pantser or a plotter? A bit of both?

 

I am a firm plotter. I used to write books without chapter outlines but I realized that left me with the excuse that I wasn’t going to write that day because I didn’t know where it was going. I can see how people wouldn’t like knowing everything about a book before going on, but I still find that there is a lot of discovery in the process. I love having a guideline so I can tell my progress and get excited about things to come. I never skip around when writing so I hold on to scenes I’m excited about like little rewards until I get to write them!

4. Do you prefer a certain type of music to listen to when you’re writing, or are you better with silence? 

 

I used to make detailed playlists for my books but now I prefer to listen to fantasy playlists on Youtube. They usually don’t have many lyrics to distract me and help me feel really epic. I can write in silence when I am really focused but it’s my least favorite thing to do.

5. What book(s) are you reading now?

 

I’m currently in the middle of reading Haven by Mary Lindsey and am really enjoying it! I love Rain’s voice. I’m also listening to Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas and it’s been a really enjoyable listen so far!

6. Anything else you’d like us to know about this book or any others (past or future)?

 

Well, as I mentioned, it’s the second book in a trilogy. I’m currently writing the third book now and it’s so bittersweet getting to the end of Rayce and Rose’s story. They have been a part of my life for such a long time now.

 

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!

About the Author

Amber Mitchell was born and raised in a small town in Florida. After briefly escaping small town life by attending the University of South Florida where she earned her degree in Creative Writing, she decided to ditch traffic jams and move back to her hometown. There she writes Young Adult novels, usually with a bit of magic in them, rolls D20s with her friends on Thursday nights and enjoys hanging out with her husband and four cats. Her other job involves crafting cardstock in to 3D art and has allowed her to travel all over the US vending at comic conventions which has only increased her love for fantasy and fandoms. She is represented by Nikki Terpilowski of Holloway Literature

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