Interview with Erin Riha for But For The Mountains
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy
Synopsis:
Arden Thatcher wasn’t meant to be chosen.
But when her name is announced, she’s presented with something she never thought she’d have: a future away from her abuser. Shuttled off to attend the prestigious National Women’s Institute, Arden will receive Nordania’s highest honor, studying with other elite candidates to become leaders, diplomats, and ambassadors on the world stage.
Only, the institute’s not quite what she expected. Paraded around in gown after gown, the tests seem less about educating and more about a different competition, with a very specific prize at stake—the Nordanian Prime Minister’s son. Despite the dean’s protestations that angling for an engagement leads to expulsion, Arden sees the truth. There’s a secret bubbling beneath the institute’s refined surface, and those who refuse to play along may well wind up dead.
With the danger escalating, and the return of her abuser on the horizon, Arden’s shiny future becomes a gilded cage. And this time, she’s going to need powerful allies to escape.
Political intrigue, swoon-worthy romance, and a dash of dystopian flare, But for the Mountains begs the question, how do you change the world when you’re not allowed to try?
Can you briefly describe BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS and its characters?
Arden Thatcher wasn’t meant to be chosen. She wasn’t even supposed to have a shot, but when her abuser, submits her name as a cruel joke, she is chosen as a candidate to the National Institute for Women. She makes her way to the institute and is both dazzled and intimidated by the other candidates and the tradition of the place. She worries that she won’t be able to keep up, but when she meets Declan, the Prime Minister’s handsome son, she questions what she’s really doing there.
The first lady also questions what she’s doing there, and every time Declan shows Arden a kindness, she interferes. That’s how Arden ends up seated next to a drunk self-proclaimed pirate during a state dinner. Beck quickly becomes a true friend and supporter in Arden’s new champagne-crusted world, teaching Arden not just how to take a hit, but how to hit back. When danger finds her at the institute, Arden has to learn to stand on her own two feet, or she’ll lose her shot at a life of her own choosing.
Of course, the story couldn’t be told without some colorful characters. Arden is a bright, resourceful seventeen-year-old whose dearest wish is to live a life of her own choosing. When she was twelve, she was sent to live with a wealthy benefactor, who made a career out of sponsoring similarly downtrodden girls for their eventual nomination to the National Women’s Institute. But once she was deemed not good enough, she was neglected to a life of servitude and abuse at the hands of her benefactor’s son.
Declan is the son of the prime minister and frankly, he’s tired of the whole dog and pony show surrounding the institute. Everyone knows that the girls who attend are looking for a husband, and there’s always a top prize. For the past two years, he’s been the top prize, but it hasn’t worked out. But this year, he saw an application that caught his eye and gave him hope. And even though there wasn’t time to interview her, he’s more excited to meet Arden Thatcher than any other candidate.
Beck is a pirate. Just ask him. And don’t call his pride and joy a boat. It’s a ship. He’s one of only two captains that knows how to successfully traverse the dangerous Mittlesee, and he’s become known as the wunderkind that can get things across it fast and safely. He stops in at the capital, awaiting a shipment, and attends a dinner at the request of the first lady. But when he sits down next to Arden Thatcher, he gets much more than he bargained for.
Could you describe your story with emojis?
🎉🍾😱🏫💃😐😑😶🙄😳😍😒😬🤫🕵️♀️🏃♀️🏔🗻⛰⛵️
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
It is so hard to choose just one. Beck is so much fun to write and Declan is so sweet and thoughtful. But honestly, I think my favorite character might be Neve – Arden’s friend from the peninsula.
Although we don’t get to see much of her in this book, Neve is so headstrong and feisty. I have so much fun writing her. She’s a lot like Beck in the sense that I can go into a writing session with one idea, and she will veer off the page and into so much trouble. She knows exactly what she wants, and despite being handed a massive roadblock, you just know she’s going to get that “win.”
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
I’d been watching a lot of The Bachelor at the time, and I started thinking about what it would look like if none of the contestants were there for the “right reasons,” and if the “right reasons” weren’t exactly what was proffered. I had been thinking on this, and I had a dream about Arden and Declan. To be honest, I can’t even remember what the dream was, but their interaction gave me this really heavy feeling and I wanted to explore it. I did some free writing, and the rest of the story grew from there.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
“Welcome Home” by Radical Face
What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
A short hike along a rambling river that leads to the perfect picnic spot: a sunny enclave dripping with sweet pea and columbine and other wildflowers. For lunch, packed sandwiches on good, crusty bread, with vegetables roasted in garlic and lots of herbs. You’ll definitely want to wash it down with some sparkling water – lemon, preferably.
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS?
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Big picture revisions are the hardest for me. Once I’ve done the initial work plotting and writing, I find that it’s hard to solve any structural problems that I’ve been blind to throughout the writing process. I’m a very visual person, and at that point, the book as a whole sort of becomes like this murky blob of a thing to me, and it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. At that point, it’s helpful to bring in a critique partner or beta reader to help me come up with a plan.
What’s next for you?
The sequel to BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS is currently in revisions and (fingers crossed) should release in 2021. I’ve also been working on a novella set in the world of MOUNTAINS about a side character who has a whole lot of pluck and refuses to let anyone other than herself dictate her future. She goes on a pretty wild adventure and it’s been so much fun to spend some time in her head.
Erin Riha writes young adult fantasy novels about ambitious girls who don’t know they’re not supposed to exceed expectations. She has an undergraduate degree in Political Science, a Law Degree, and a deep reverence for the power of using exactly the right word in exactly the right moment. She lives in wonderfully weird Portland, Oregon, with her super dreamy husband, where they’re raising a future train engineer and a future chicken whisperer. When not writing, she’s a music director for a teen theater company, traveling the world, or dreaming of traveling the world.
Her debut novel, BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS, was published by REUTS Publications June 2, 2020.
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