Q&A and #Giveaway - The Guild of Assassins: Majat Code #2 by Anna Kashina

The Guild of Assassins

Majat Code #2

By: Anna Kashina

Q&A with Anna Kashina

What was the spark or initial idea that started your book?

I believe that stories are out there, and that they actively seek the right person who will write them down, so they are just floating around until it clicks with a particular author--much like finding a love match. I guess this mystical image reflects the fact that stories tend to come naturally to me, I just wake up one day knowing that this is what I am going to write. Some stories come to me in dreams, others from the pool of semi-consciousness that dominates my mind in a pre-waking state, or during daydreaming.

The big idea behind the Majat Code series was that of an near-absolute force confined by very tight rules. I have explored this idea earlier in my first novel, “The Ptincess of Dhagabad”, which features a djinn as the main protagonist. “Blades of the Old Empire” deals with a similar theme, but in a more familiar setting, and with much more action involved. The centerpiece to the series are the Majat warriors, who are so skilled they are nearly invincible, and must pay for it by strict obedience to the Code of their guild. The Code gets broken by the main character, Kara. And then everyone must deal with the consequences. These consequences continue to feed the conflict in the current release, “The Guild of Assassins”, book 2 in the series, and lead to a drastic rearrangement in the entire kingdom.

What was your favorite part of writing this book?

This was one of those books that just begged to be written. My favorite part, each day, was to sit down and write it. It was like a love affair, I could not wait to get back to the object of my love. I had fun every minute of it, and I can only hope the readers would pick up on some of that.

What is your favorite line from your book?

This is a tough question, since every line taken out of context would be difficult to relate to. Strangely enough, when I tried to think of anything quotable out of context, all these quotes came from the same chapter, and from the same character, who is not among the main cast but is probably the oldest and the most cynical in the group. So, I will put one out here, said in a heated argument by one character to another:

“As the leader of your people, you are bound to realize that at this level of command, things are normally decided by words rather than by one’s skill with the blade.”

Maybe, if nothing else, this phrase can hint at the conflict and the action to come.

 What movie or television show would you say is most like your book in tone, topic, and/or characters? 

Without any explicit parallels in story or plot, I would name “The Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl.” In my books I aimed for the same effect: a fun adventure and a plot that fits every element perfectly into place. In my version of this movie, though, the love interests would have turned out differently (no spoilers, I hope). And, of course my book is not about pirates and it does not have ships, firearms, cannons, and walking skeletons, so no one would hopefully read too much into this analogy.

If your book was made into a movie and you got to design the movie poster, what would the tagline say? 

You know, these taglines are hard and are usually written by teams of top professionals. I cannot even imagine being close to that level. With that in mind, it would probably say something like this: “The Majat Code: To face his enemy, they must unleash absolute power. To win, they must keep this power under control.” Or maybe this: “The Majat Code: To unleash his power, he must take control. To take control, he must first break his heart.” There. I am sure the movie studios would have fired me right there and then.

Blurb

Kara, an elite warrior from the Majat Guild, has escaped execution and achieved something that no Majat has ever managed – freedom from the Guild!

But the Black Diamond assassin Mai has been called back to face his punishment for sparing her life. Determined to join his fight or share his punishment, Kara finds herself falling for Mai.

Is their relationship – and the force that makes their union all-powerful – a tool to defeat the overpowering forces of the Kaddim armies, or a ploy sure to cause the downfall of the Majat?


Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2014/06/now-booking-tasty-virtual-tour-for_7.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19325184-the-guild-of-assassins


Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Guild-Assassins-Book-Majat-Code-ebook/dp/B00I75ET7A/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402088430&sr=1-3


Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-guild-of-assassins-anna-kashina/1117541969?ean=9780857665270


Random House: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/239563/the-guild-of-assassins-by-anna-kashina


Author Info

Anna Kashina grew up in Russia and moved to the United States in 1994 after receiving her Ph.D. in

cell biology from the Russian Academy of Sciences. She works as a biomedical researcher and combines career in science with her passion for writing. Anna's interests in ballroom dancing, world mythologies and folklore feed her high-level interest in martial arts of the Majat warriors. She is a recent medalist in the ForeWord Book of the Year and Independent Publishers Book Award contests.

Author Links

http://annakashinablog.wordpress.com/

https://twitter.com/annakashina

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Kashina/215289654593



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