As part of the blog tour for Gwynneth White's Pledged, today we'll be chatting with two of the novel's characters, the always witty Sophia and Jared. Swallow Press is also generously providing 5 eBook copies of Pledged to give away, so be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
Pledged (Soul Wars Saga #1)
By Gwynneth White
Publisher: Swallow Press
Publication Date: September 1, 2012
Goodreads
Synopsis: Everyone has a soul mate. But what do you do when your soul mate would rather give his soul to the demons than be with you?
Seventeen-year-old Erin has a problem. Seth has been hers forever, but now an ancient promise is tearing him away. And Reuel, the demon to whom the promise was made, will stop at nothing to force Seth to forsake Erin and to worship him.
How can Erin win against a pledge so binding that it has damned countless others to the same fate she and Seth will face if Reuel wins – an eternity alone?
The answer lies in the past. To find it, Erin and Seth must risk all, travelling back in time to a dangerous world where love is forbidden, and life – and death – hang on a promise.
Follow Erin and Seth as they travel to ancient Shenaya to break the pledge that has plagued their families for millennia. Caught in a war between the Angelic Guardians and the Gefallen, the disembodied dead, they must fight to keep their souls in tact and their love untainted.
Our Interview with Sophia and Jared
Sophia and Jared, welcome to Rally The Readers! We're glad that both of you could join us today.
Jared: Good day, my ladies. You’ve summoned us from a feast, what could be so important that it could not wait?
Sophia: Given that the Shenayans insist on serving worms and dead crocodiles, you’ve definitely done us a service, for which I thank you. Now, how can we help?
Can you describe in one word your first impressions of each other?
Jared: *gives sardonic smile* My, is this an interrogation? How fascinating.
Sophia: *suppresses smile* Just answer the question, Jared.
Jared: Sophia, how could I deny you? One word, you say . . . beautifully indiscrete.
Sophia: That’s two words, a fact which sums you up perfectly.
Jared: I’ll admit, I’m never shy of speaking my mind.
Sophia: Arrogant.
Jared: *laughs* And that’s just one of my more appealing characteristics.
As we've just seen, you both have pretty strong-willed personalities. Who usually wins an argument?
Jared: Sophia.
Sophia: Jared.
Sophia, you were less than enthused about having to leave your homeland of Norin to go to Shenaya. Are there any aspects of Shenayan life that came as a pleasant surprise to you?
Jared: Sophia thinks everything we do is disgusting. In her mind, we have no redeeming features. Nothing racist at all about our young Norin, is there now?
Sophia: *smacking Jared’s arm* Since when is your name Sophia? *To Ally and Lee* But to be honest, I have to say no, I didn’t find anything positive – up until the time I met a certain Warlord. Then everything changed.
Jared: *mocking smile* That wouldn’t be me, would it?
Sophia: Lee, Ally, please do us all a favour and grill Jared with some really tough questions.
Sure, Sophia. So Jared, how did you manage to convince your father, Rustus, to let you skip the Emblem Picking ceremony? He doesn’t seem like the most flexible guy in the world.
Jared: That’s your idea of a tough question? *To Sophia* They should spend an afternoon with you, learning how to be really blunt and biting.
Sophia: I think they’ve managed just fine on their own. After all, I don’t see you rushing to answer the question. Finally tongue-tied?
Jared: Hardly. At the risk of sounding arrogant-
Sophia: *interrupts, laughing* Arrogant? Heaven forbid!
Jared: *ignoring Sophia* My father had a glorious future plotted out for me in which he would prosper greatly. To achieve his lofty ambition he was willing to do anything to keep me docile - even if that meant breaking every rule in the book.” *smiles* Being used definitely has its advantages.
So it would seem. Now, Sophia our next question is for you. What do you think makes two people soul mates?
Sophia: To me it’s a spiritual connection. Even though I couldn’t stand Jared when I first met him, somehow I felt I could trust him.
Jared: Is that the excuse you’re giving for talking your mouth off and generally being indiscrete?
Sophia: No. That’s just my nature. But even when I thought you’d betrayed me, I couldn’t help trusting you. How bizarre is that? So I suppose, for me at least, the knowledge that you’re my soul mate was instinctive.
What quality do you most admire in each other?
Jared: Sophia’s integrity. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a real pain having to justify and plead with her to do things the Shenayan way, but I can definitely appreciate that quality in her.
Sophia: From a distance.
Jared: Hey! Not fair. You don’t have to live in the confines of the system the way I do.
Sophia: Jared, you don’t live in the confines of any system! You make your own rules as you go along. It’s one of the things I love most about you.
Before this turns into an argument, do you have any advice for other literary couples out there who are facing obstacles in their relationships?
Jared: *raises eyebrows* Relationship advice from a Shenayan Pledged? Hmm . . . That’s a novel idea. I think I’ll let Sophia go first.
Sophia: Gee, thanks. And the pun was pathetic.
Jared: *gives a cocky smile*
Sophia: Believe in yourself and in each other regardless of what your enemies are doing to you.
Jared: Good advice. I suggest you take it next time someone tells you I betrayed you.
Sophia: *gives Jared an arch smile* And here I thought you would say something profound like "keep your sword sharpened and your hand close to your axe."
And now for the obligatory random questions:
Worst nightmare you’ve ever had?
Sophia: That’s easy. Dreams that featured me marrying Caleb.
Jared: Dreams that featured Caleb. Full stop.
Optimist or pessimist?
Sophia: I can answer for us both. Optimists. Most of the time.
Morning person or night owl?
Jared: Either. I’m a soldier, so I do what it takes, day or night.
Sophia: Morning.
Must-have item on a desert island?
Jared: A fishing rod.
Sophia: A flint so we can make a fire to cook the fish.
Jared: We’ll eat like kings.
Sophia: Ally and Lee, thank you for the entertaining time we’ve spent with you.
We really enjoyed our time with you, too. Thanks again to both of you for stopping by!
* Giveaway *
Enter to win one of five eBook copies of Pledged by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. At the end of the giveaway, the winners' info will be forwarded to Swallow Press, who will then send them a Smashwords coupon for downloading the book.
This giveaway is open internationally and ends on August 31, 2012.
a Rafflecopter giveaway