Interview with Olivia Cornwell for Empire of Blood
Empire of Blood (Rebel Empire, #1)
by Olivia CornwellRelease Date: November 10th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
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Synopsis:
Lilly Faine is tired of classmates dissing her family, and doesn’t care when she receives suspension for nearly punching the lights out of a classmate. Her father isn’t crazy, even if he does spout stories about a world full of magic, a cruel king who hunted him, and has a shattered amulet that tingles when Lilly touches it.
When an old enemy appears under Chicago’s beloved Bean, Lilly and her brother Gabriel are shoved into the impossible world their father believed in. Alone on opposite ends of a war, they race to rescue each other. Lilly finds aid and friendship in a band of rebels, but she is also hunted by the emperor’s personal assassin. Gabriel gains the help of the emperor, but Gabriel’s choices to do good may lead him into dark shadows he can’t find his way out of.
Magic thrums within their reach, promising aid, and Lilly and Gabriel both must decide if the magic they seek – and the causes for which they now fight – is worth the risk of their souls.
Can you briefly describe EMPIRE OF BLOOD and its characters?
Empire of Blood is about two siblings, Lilly and Gabriel, as they struggle to navigate a world they never believed existed. They’re on opposite sides of a rising war, and both have to decide if using dark magic is worth the consequences.Lilly is taken under the wing of the Annor brothers, the leaders of the rebellion against Emperor Yovak. But it’s not long before she’s hunted by an assassin known as the Ghost (he’s pretty cool).
Gabriel befriends the daughter of the emperor himself, and is told the rebels are the cruel villains of the world. He’s put under the tutelage of a skilled dark magic weaver who was good friends with his father.
Could you describe your story with emojis?
👩🦰 🔮⚔️🔮👦🏻
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
This is like asking me who my favorite child is. xD Honestly, my favorite is probably Mordir. He’s been one of the oldest characters I’ve created, and he was around for one of the earliest evolutions of what EoB branched off from.
But also, I know a lot about his past, and a lot about his future. While the story doesn’t show a lot of it, he’s one of the most deeply developed characters I have, and his motivations and beliefs about himself give me emotions. He has a lot going on that he doesn’t show anybody.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
I think it kind of evolved from some of my earliest stories. I had a story about a girl whose whole family was kidnapped by the villain, and she meets fantasy people who help her. That girl was nothing like Lilly, but I think that was where the general ideas sparked from.
I can’t think of any particular place I found inspiration… I do remember reading Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series and getting inspired to do more complex worldbuilding/settings for Piensor. And, in a way, my visit to Chicago inspired the initial “Earth-side” setting. I loved visiting Chicago, and I wanted that piece of me in the novel.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
“Heroes Never Die” by Unsecret. My friend sent it to me, saying it reminded her of the story, and naturally I listened to it and now it sits in my playlist XD
If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?
So, bit of a disclaimer: I honestly don’t know what these celebrities sound like (except the ones for Seymour and Seiryu), so voice-wise, they may or may not be a fit. I went based purely on looks. XD Also I don’t know enough celebrities to have everyone, but here are a few (the others are TBD):
Lilly: Zoey Deutch
Gabriel: Chase Crawford
Tilas: Liam Neeson
Yovak Zilfanden: Richard Armitage
Seiryu: Hugo Weaving (is it cheating? Maybe? I don’t care XD) or Craig Parker. Orrrr Luke Evans.
Odalys: Hailee Steinfeld
Isilmere Annor: Charlie Hunnam
Orrun: Craig Horner
Aderyn: Claire Holt
Tae: Alyvia Alyn Lind
Honestly this question has been one of my favorites and I’m really glad you asked.
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish EMPIRE OF BLOOD?
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (though it does have some language and sexual content) is probably a series that comes closest to satisfying the hunger. Or possibly Lord of the Rings.
And, to plug my own stuff, I have stories on Wattpad! One story is currently on hold because Empire of Blood demanded my soul, but those are pretty exciting too. :D
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
The most difficult part would probably be editing. At least, editing the bigger story elements. Or trying to smooth out the plot holes and having to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite.
Trying to figure out how to weave in new aspects late in the writing process can be a hassle sometimes, too… but once it fits, things tend to fall into place.
And a recent hurdle I’ve discovered is writing the sequel to book 1, and realizing that I now have a lot of changes to do and I did not weigh those consequences when I edited book 1. Whoops.
What’s next for you?
Next is brainstorming and planning for the second book of the duology! I’m trying to use NaNo to brainstorm (I am currently VERY behind). And then it’s on to drafting. I’m super excited for the next book. It has some of my favorite scenes!
After that…. Who knows? I want to get back into writing the Wattpad stories, too. I’ve missed writing them.
Olivia Cornwell is a storyteller with a love of dragons and magical worlds. She writes stories of hope and redemption and familial relationships, and far too many sarcastic characters. She writes to entertain her readers (and may or may not collect their tears along the way) and share the truth of her Creator. At least when she isn’t struggling to control her characters, drinking a lot of coffee, or hoarding chocolate.
She hides out in Ohio, and in her spare time Olivia cuddles her niece and nephews, and yowls back at her cat (who is most likely her familiar). She also enjoys adopting the characters from her friends’ novels and keeping them safe from their own dangers.
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