Thursday, May 24, 2012

YA Unscene + Giveaway: Slated by Teri Terry


YA Unscene is a meme at Fragments of Life that features unseen or deleted scenes of novels, followed by a short interview and a giveaway.


Last week, I featured Taste by Kate Evangelista (giveaway still on-going.) This week, I’m featuring an exciting YA dystopian from Orchard Books.. Without further ado, here’s the deleted scene from Slated by Teri Terry!
I absolutely loved your debut! Where did you get your inspiration to write Slated?

Oh thanks so much. Slated actually started with a dream: a girl running, terrified, on a beach. As is often the case with dreams, I somehow felt I knew what was behind it. I started writing that day as soon as I woke up, and out of my early morning scribblings came the whole concept of Slating. So where it came from is hard to say: somewhere in the murky depths of my unconscious, I suppose! I always write from character, so I didn’t sit down and decide I wanted to write a tale set in the future, or that I wanted to deal with what makes us who we are, the balance of rights and freedoms in society, or when it is right to fight the system. That is just sort of what came out as I wrote.

Where did you get the concept of Levos?

I was free writing – which basically means I had a starting point, my character and situation, and just wrote as fast as I could by hand everything that tumbled into my mind. And there it was, on the page.
Though I’m sure there are a few influences here. One is the electronic tagging system used to keep criminals under control by keeping tabs on where they go, to make sure they don’t infringe rules of their probation or release. Also I know someone who is insulin dependent diabetic, and they have to check their blood sugar levels all the time. I think that is part of the origin of the idea also. Finally, I’m a little obsessed with the nature-nurture debate: ie. are bad people born, or made? If someone is bad through and through, wiping their memories wouldn’t make them change, would it? So you’d need a way to check on them.

Why was this portion deleted? Does the rose symbolize something in Slated?

This particular scene went to keep the pace up in the opening chapters.
The rose doesn’t have any particular significance to the story – it is more just to emphasize that she is experiencing the world and everything in it as if for the very first time. Putting myself in that position: I’d want to touch, smell and feel everything.

I loved how all of the characters in Slated revealed their true selves as the story progressed. Who is your favorite character? Why?

It was a very conscious decision with my characters to give them light and shade. Bad people sometimes do good things; good people sometimes get it wrong. I didn’t want all the adults to be evil like is sometimes the case in YA dystopian tales. And sometimes my characters surprised me as well.

As far as my favourite character goes, that would have to be Kyla. She is strong, but doesn’t know it. She learns from her mistakes, and carries on. In the secondary characters I’d say her mum: she is so multi-layered.

What can readers expect from Book 2?

In Fractured Kyla must make a stand: what does she believe in? There is a seriously badass boy in it to make things confusing; the action heats up, and the stakes are high.

What’s next for Teri Terry?

I’ve just finished writing Fractured: there will be some editing coming up. And after that, book 3! I haven’t started it yet and am itching to dive in.
In my dreams, there will be a movie deal of course!
Beyond Slated – I’m intrigued with ghost stories, so that may be next.

Giveaway: Finished Copy of Slated by Teri Terry

Thanks to Orchard Books, one of you can win Slated!

Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost forever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

Rules:

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Open internationally.
Must be at least 13 years old!
Ends on June 8, 2012.


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30 comments:

  1. I'd try to find out who I was, obviously. And why I got slated in the first place.

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  2. First, scream and then try to find who I was. This book sounds like the movie Unknown, the one starring Liam Neeson. Would definitely want to read it!

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  3. What an increadible book and something that i would love to read! In response to your question i would have to say that i would begin by looking back at family trees & family history, as that is what has moulded me and shaped me into the person that i am.
    Thank you for a fantastic book giveaway, and i look forward to following your book blog with interest. x

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  4. Thanks so much for the giveaway! WOW. This is a tough question...I'd probably just go with the most obvious choice and try and find my family or my record to find out who I WAS.

    And then try and kick the butts of the people who erased my mind. ;) If they were bad guys anyway!

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  5. Good question! I like the thought of just having a completely brand new start... but in reality I think it's human nature to search for our roots and I'd likely try to find out what happened & who I was.

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  6. I would start trying to find people who recognized me. Then I would start gathering information from them about myself. If need be, I would go to the local paper and see if they would publish my picture to bring in more info.

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  7. I am not sure what I would do! I think I would need to figure out who I was and find my family though. Thanks for the giveaway! :)

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  8. I'd probably cry...lol. I don't know what I would do. Try to get my memory back and take revenge like a good action movie :) Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

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  9. First I'd probably freak and then I don't know. If I go to the police I may be wanted. I guess I would search myself for clues.

    laura thomas

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  10. Get my memory back and figure out why I am in this predicament in the first place and set everything back to the way it used to be.

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  11. Well, if I knew that there is nothing else I can do, I'll try to become a new person, not duplicate the person i was, and see where would my instincts take me :)

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  12. I have no idea!!! I guess, try to survive. My personality would develop on it's own based on my experiences.

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  13. I'd try to find out who I was before. I would hate not knowing.

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  14. I would want to know who I was. I think I would do my best to hunt for clues of my past. Or just freak out.

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  15. Look around for clues of my past, maybe a journal or something like that could help me if that would ever happen.

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  16. I'd be scared then figure out what's going on.

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  17. I would try to discover my true identity and try to find a friend or family to help me.
    Thanks a lot!

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  18. If I don't remember, I won't do anything :P

    lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  19. i have absolutely no idea. i guess if i had no idea about anything i would try to find someone who could help me figure out who i am.

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  20. I guess I would have to go with what was going on. There would always be something urging me to find out who I was but I think for the most part if the job was done right what could I do :(

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  21. That's a difficult question..I guess I would try to find out more about who I was and why I was slated in the first place! And if I would find a hottie along the way, that would be perfect :)

    Rachel @ Books to Consider

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  22. Hmmm...I would have to try a little of everything to see what I liked what I didn't like: Clothes, food, drink, people, sports, reading - sounds exhausting!

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  23. i would probably cry and eat a lot because i wouldnt know what else to do :(

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  24. I would do whatever it takes to get my memory and personality back. Although forgeting bad memories wouldn't be so bad...

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  25. I would probably desperately try to find out what happened to me, even if I had to go to extremes to do so. Then I'd try to be a better person? Thanks for the giveaway!

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  26. I would try to carve out a new identity for myself--whatever felt right.

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  27. I would try to find out who I was and try to become a better 'me.'

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  28. Well, I would create a lie for myself to live in..if I am nobody, then I can be anybody! BILL GATES HERE I COME~

    Lilian @ A Novel Toybox

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  29. I would continue living. Simple as that!

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