BLOG TOUR: Vessel by Lisa T. Cresswell - Guest Post + GIVEAWAY!

We're really happy to be a part of the blog tour for Lisa T. Cresswell's latest book, Vessel, out now from Month9Books, LLC! Lisa is here today to share her book playlist and her dream cast, and we love all of her choices.

There's also a giveaway for you, so be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post. And don't forget to check out all of the other amazing stops on this tour by clicking the banner above!

About the Book

Title: Vessel
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Lisa T. Cresswell

Synopsis: The sun exploded on April 18, 2112. It exploded in a Class X solar storm the likes of which humankind had never seen.

They had nineteen minutes.

Nineteen minutes until the geomagnetic wave washed over the Earth, frying every electrical device created by humans, blacking out entire continents, every satellite in their sky.

Nineteen minutes to say goodbye to the world they knew, forever, and to prepare for a new Earth, a new Sun.

Generations after solar storms have destroyed nearly all human technology on Earth and humans have reverted to a middle ages like existence, all knowledge of the remaining technology is kept hidden by a privileged few called the Reticents and books are burned as heresy.

Alana, a disfigured slave girl, and Recks, a traveling minstrel and sometimes-thief, join forces to bring knowledge and books back to the human race. But when Alana is chosen against her will to be the Vessel, the living repository for all human knowledge, she must find the strength to be what the world needs.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

About the Author

Lisa, like most writers, began scribbling silly notes, stories, and poems at a very young age. Born in
North Carolina, the South proved fertile ground to her imagination with its beautiful white sand beaches and red earth. In fifth grade, she wrote, directed and starred in a play “The Queen of the Nile” at school, despite the fact that she is decidedly un-Egyptian looking. Perhaps that’s why she went on to become a real life archaeologist?

Unexpectedly transplanted to Idaho as a teenager, Lisa learned to love the desert and the wide open skies out West. This is where her interest in cultures, both ancient and living, really took root, and she became a Great Basin archaeologist. However, the itch to write never did leave for long. Her first books became the middle grade fantasy trilogy, The Storyteller Series. Her first traditionally published work, Hush Puppy, is now available from Featherweight Press.

Lisa still lives in Idaho with her family and a menagerie of furry critters that includes way too many llamas!

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Lisa's Vessel Playlist

Because Vessel is a dark, dystopian the playlist is rather on the dark side. If you’ve ever listened to Linkin Park’s album A Thousand Suns, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Two early tracks on the album, The Requiem, and Burning in the Skies, fit the novel perfectly. It’s just the right amount of creepy, eerie oppression. Here’s a sample of lyrics from The Requiem: 

God save us everyone

When we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns

For the sins of our hand

Sins of our tongue

The sins of our fathers

The sins of our young

The song wasn’t the inspiration for the Reticent religion in Vessel, but it hits the mark pretty darn close. In Vessel, the oppressive Reticents convince most common folks that Mother Sun will burn them if they commit any further sins against her.

Burning in the Skies has the same mournful feel and fits the story well.

But Alana’s theme is more hopeful. It’s a piece by Yo-Yo Ma, the famous cellist, and the Silk Road Ensemble called Distant Green Valley.

It’s a beautiful string instrumental piece that evokes Alana’s Asian background and reminds me of her longing to return to her homeland in the novel.  I also love Enchantment by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, but it’s terribly short. I guess I just love that Eastern sounding music for this book. Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sound track. :)

The Evanescence song Bring Me to Life evokes the love between Alana and Recks perfectly, as he awakens hopes and passions in her she’s never dared feel before and brings her back to life with his love. 

So there you have it! My Vessel playlist is all over the place! I hope readers let me know what songs they think should be added too.

Lisa's Vessel Dream Cast

I guess I’m kind of unusual, but I don’t really imagine actor’s faces when I write my characters. They come from my imagination, so they don’t always look like anyone I’ve ever seen. 

Alana is about seventeen, of unknown Asian descent, with half her face severely burned. Here in America, we just don’t have that many Asian teen actresses that I’m familiar with. The actresses that do come to mind are too mature for the role. 

I asked my KPop loving daughter to help me out. She recommends BoA Kwan for Alana. She’s a South Korean singer and very lovely. 

Recks is also an Asian teen. He’s attractive and entertaining. South Korean singer/actor Taecyeon really fits the part.

Kinder is kind of a crazy old European man with long, wild hair. I’m sure a longer, grayer- haired Daniel Day Lewis could handle it and do a fabulous job. He always does.

Anders, the villain, I always imagined as very British and rather terrifying. Someone like Bill Nighy

or Christopher Lee.  Yikes!

You should visit my Vessel Pinterest page if you’d like to see my inspiration pics. Enjoy!

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Lisa for her great posts, and thanks to you for stopping by! 

--Ashley & Paul