Something Wicked Returns: Solstice by P. J. Hoover + Giveaway (INT)

Hello, my darlings!

Today I am proud to welcome P. J. Hoover to The Nocturnal Library! I'll let her introduce herself because she'll do a far better job. Don't forget to enter the international giveaway at the end of this post, and please, please, don't forget to have fun.

Make sure to visit Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings. Today, she welcomed Jay Kristoff, author of Stormdancer and Kinslayer.

Enjoy P. J.'s post!

                                 Solstice Happy Halloween

by P. J. Hoover

Hi, P. J. Hoover here, and I’m thrilled to take part in this month-long Halloween event from The Nocturnal Library. Halloween one of my most favorite holidays. From the candy corn to the creepy gravestones I put in my front yard, what’s not to love?

My most recent novel is SOLSTICE (Tor Teen, June 18, 2013). It’s a young adult dystopian/mythology mash-up set in Austin, Texas in the future when global warming is killing the earth. The story follows our main character Piper, who lives in this incredibly hot world. On her eighteenth birthday, she opens a mysterious present, and all of a sudden, this whole world of mythology starts to explode around her. Piper’s best friend almost dies. Piper has to travel to the Underworld to save her. And there are Greek gods.

Though mythology is filled with gods and goddesses, it’s also filled with monsters. To celebrate Halloween, I want to share with you my favorite monsters from mythology.

1) CHIMERA

A three-headed monster, part lion, goat, and snake. The Chimera breathes fire, and watch out if you ever spot one. It’s a sign of bad things to come. It’s also come to be used to refer to something very imaginative or implausible.

2) CERBERUS

Sibling of the Chimera, Cerberus guards the gates to the Underworld. Yes, he has a big part in Solstice, and yes, he has three heads. I tend to think that Cerberus, though fierce, is also much like any domesticated dog at home. I’m sure he loves tummy rubs, doggie treats, and playing fetch.

 

3) GORGONS

I’ve often thought how hard it would be to not look someone in the eye. But thinking becomes reality when gorgons are concerned. There are no retakes. One look, and you’re turned into stone. Terrible and dreadful, their images are often used for protection. In fact, maybe I’ll add one to my collection of Halloween gravestones.

4) FURIES

There is such a nice balance in threes. Maybe that’s why we see it so often in Greek mythology. Of course there’s nothing nice about what the Furies will do to you if you’re sentenced to eternal torture in the Underworld. These three gals are the goddesses of pain. And they will never relent.

5) SIRENS

In keeping with the power of threes (see, three headed monsters, three gorgons, three furies), Sirens round out my favorite monsters from Greek mythology. I adore the image of Odysseus strapped to his ship, listening to their music, wanting to join them at the cost of his own life. And here I thought Stairway to Heaven was a powerful song.

So those are mine! What are your favorite monsters from Greek mythology (or any mythology for that matter)?

Happy Halloween!

*all photos from Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT P. J. HOOVER: 

P. J. Hoover first fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing kung fu, solving Rubik's cubes, and watching Star Trek. Her first novel for teens, Solstice (Tor Teen, June 18, 2013), takes place in a global warming future and explores the parallel world of mythology beside our own. Her middle grade novel, Tut (Tor Children's, 2014), tells the story of a young immortal King Tut, who's been stuck in middle school for over 3,000 years and must defeat an ancient enemy with the help of a dorky kid from school, a mysterious Egyptian princess, and a one-eyed cat. For more information about P. J. (Tricia) Hoover, please visit her website www.pjhoover.com.

Thanks to the lovely people at Tor, a copy of Solstice will be sent out to one winner. This giveaway is international! Just enter the Rafflecopter below.

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