Sweet Six Interview with Renee Collins!

I am SO PUMPED for today's Sweet Six interviewee -- not only is her book OHHHMAIGOSH unique, but she is one of my most adored peeps and I love her to death.

May I introduce...*drum roll*...RENEE COLLINS!

Renee is a YA writer and professional ponderer. She loves historical settings, fantasy, and semi-tragic romance. She is represented by the amazing Mollie Glick of Foundry Literary + Media, and her debut novel, RELIC, will be out Fall 2013 by Entangled Pub!

After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.

Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.

1) Tell us about your book! 
RELIC is a historical fantasy set in the 1860's Colorado Territory. In this version of the Old West, miners don't dig for gold, but relics, the bones of long extinct fantasy creatures that still retain magical properties. Maggie Davis watched her entire town burn in a fire started by relics, and she's determined to find out who's behind it, even if it means risky alliances and learning to harness the power of relics on her own.

2) What scene in your book do you LOVE the most? 
Ooo, tough question. I'd have to say I loved writing every scene with Álvar Castilla. Because he's rich, charming and has dark secrets. What's not to love, right?

3) If you had to pick a character you LOVE (and not your own!), who would you pick and why? 
Jay Gatsby. And I've loved him long before the movie, mind you. I just love how hopelessly romantic he is, everything he did to try and win Daisy back, how fervently he believed he could make their love work again. It's so sweet and so sad at the same time.

4) What's the craziest/most memorable valentine you've ever received? 
My senior year, this guy put flowers or poetry on my desk in every single class I had that day. We weren't even dating! In retrospect, I'm wondering why on earth not.

5) If you were a Brach's Heart, what phrase would be written on you? 
Go for it.

6) The all-important choice: flowers or candy? 
Flowers! I'm a sucker for roses, cliche as that might be.

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Find RELIC on Goodreads.
Preorder it through any of these various awesome venues.
Stalk Renee on Twitter and Blogger.

TRUST ME, GUYS -- you want this book. When was the last time you read a MAGIC WESTERN? Maggie and her crazy, dangerous world will steal your heart like WHOA.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Renee!!