Polaris Blog Tour: Guest Post

Today I'm very excited to have a guest post from Beth Bowland, the author of Polaris, which was released on August 16th. This post is part of a larger blog tour, so be sure to check out the other stops. Below are the questions I posed to her and her answers. Be sure to stick around to the end of the post to discover how to enter an awesome giveaway.

Aaron (the main character of the novel) is afraid of losing his identity, what does "identity" mean to you?

Your identity is who you are. What forms your identity are several things, such as your gender, environment, culture, personality, quirks, beliefs, it all forms your identity.

What gave you the idea for "The Game" within Polaris?

The story is based on games that a group of aliens play. This story just played out on our planet. The aliens are always in competition with one another and they agreed to use the people of Bixie, Montana as their players for this game and the town as the playing board, because the antagonist in the story requested this specific location.

Polaris is set in Montana. What does the landscape and atmosphere of Montana add to the novel? How might it have been different if it were set somewhere else?

The vision I saw in my mind of where the story took place, was a small town, not highly populated, trees, mountains, farmland, and set apart from other places. The story could have been set in a several areas, but I ran across some photos of Montana in the wintertime and instantly knew that was the state. Bixie is a fictitious town.

Are there certain works that inspired aspects of Polaris?

Yes, I love conspiracy theories and I’ve always been fascinated by the Roswell, New Mexico, UFO incident in 1947. Was it true? Did aliens really visit? Did the government know? My main question was always did they survive and if so, where are they now?

If you had to play a game, what would be the ultimate stakes be for you?

Losing something I worked hard for.

What would you be more afraid of losing than anything else?

My family and loved ones. In Polaris Nakal lost his family and has a chance to have Aaron’s family, but Aaron is not willing to give his family up without a fight.Great questions! Thank you very much for hosting.

Bixie, Montana, is in the middle of nowhere, not connected to any place, and not used as a pass through to get anywhere. But one snowy evening, a lone visitor walking down an old country road changes 13-year-old Aaron Martin’s life forever. Aaron thinks he’s being a Good Samaritan by inviting the nearly-frozen visitor into his home, but he’s unwittingly initiated The Game. A group of Elders, known as the Council of the Legend, come together from time to time to enjoy a rousing event they playfully call “The Game.” Now, Aaron’s town is the playing board and he and his fellow townspeople are the players. The rules are simple. Win. Because if Aaron loses, he won’t just lose his family . . . he’ll lose his very identity.

Purchase Polaris:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Beth Bowland, a native Ohioan, has always enjoyed reading and creating stories of her own. As a child she devoured every book she could get her hands on and spent numerous hours at the library each week. She loves writing stories for tweens and young teens and her characters are often described as quirky and fun, but always relatable. When she’s not writing, she loves watching HGTV. She has one daughter and resides in Arlington, Texas with her husband, Phillip.

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Giveaway Information:  Contest ends September 2, 2016

• One (1) winner will receive a scrabble tile book cover charm (US ONLY)
• Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Polaris by Beth Bowland (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway