Guest Post by Joe Shine

This week marks the release of Joe Shine's debut, I Become Shadow. To celebrate, Shine himself has a post for us today - in the form of an interview with his lead character, Ren Sharpe! But first, here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

Ren Sharpe was abducted at fourteen and chosen by the mysterious F.A.T.E. Center to become a Shadow: the fearless and unstoppable guardian of a future leader. Everything she held dear—her family, her home, her former life—is gone forever. 

Ren survives four years of training, torture, and misery, in large part thanks to Junie, a fellow F.A.T.E. abductee who started out as lost and confused as she did. She wouldn’t admit it was possible to find love in a prison beyond imagining, but what she feels for Junie may just be the closest thing to it. 

At eighteen they part ways when Ren receives her assignment: find and protect college science student Gareth Young, or die trying. Life following a college nerd is uneventful, until an attack on Gareth forces Ren to track down the only person she can trust. When she and Junie discover that the F.A.T.E. itself might be behind the attacks, even certain knowledge of the future may not be enough to save their kidnappers from the killing machines they created.

Sounds super awesome! I'll hand things over to Joe now and let him begin:

I am a huge soccer fan and spend an admittedly embarrassing amount of time watching it, so with the World Cup right around the corner I’m super pumped. In honor of the Cup starting tomorrow I’ve sat down with my good friend Ren Sharpe, the lead in my debut novel I BECOME SHADOW, to discuss her predictions on who will hoist the trophy and her thoughts on the US’ chances in the Group of Death.

All right Ren, Thanks for doing this. 

Did I really have a choice?

Not really. But thanks anyway.

Whatever. Okay, Champ, what’s up?

Who do you think will win the World Cup?

Brazil?

The host country, good choice.

They’re hosting?

Seriously?

Sorry, sorta have more important things to do with my time, you know?

Speaking of which, how is Garreth?

(checks a video feed on her phone) Oh crap! Just kidding, he’s fine.

You okay being this far away from him?

No, but you said I had to be here so here I am. Owing you is most non-triumphant.

Love you too, so how do you think the US will do in the Group of Death?

Group of Death? Great name. (deepens her voice) We are the Group of Death. (normal voice) If this whole Shadow thing goes tits up that will be the name of my band of mercenaries. We could have t-shirts and patches made...

Ren, back to the Group of Death, the soccer one.

Right sorry. Little excited now. So does the losing team die?

No, no one dies. Just the name they always give to the hardest group.

Lame. And the US is in it?

Unfortunately. 

Does that Lebron guy play for us?

He plays basketball.

How ‘bout that Johnny Football cat?

NFL.

I’m not gonna lie to you, without Lebron and Johnny it doesn’t sound like we’re lookin’ too good. 

So your prediction is we’re not making it out?

Didn’t say that. Even though the name Group of Death is a shameless, publicity lie, if anyone’s dominating death, it’s America. It’s one of the top five things we’re good at. 

So we’re making it out to the knockout stages?

If we don’t no one else will (she winks).

I don’t think you’re really getting this.

Oh, I am, not my fault you’re an ignorant child when it comes to the real world. If the US wants to get out of the Group of Not-Death, it will be taken care of. 

You know something I don’t?

Don’t I always? Are we done here? 

Don’t let me keep you.

Does this interview make us even?

Not even close. 

Booooo.

Hey Ren?

Yup?

Thanks.

Uh-huh.

Good luck out there, keep him safe. 

And there you have it folks. Brazil to win and the US to get out of the Group of Death thanks to a government conspiracy.

About the author: Joe Shine grew up in Austin, TX (the greatest city ever), and is a graduate of Texas A&M University. He has an MFA from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California, and after brief stints in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, Joe returned home to Austin (repeat: the greatest city ever). Joe has a normal human job like most everyone else but hopes to become a full-time writer one day, and this is where you, the reader, must do him a really big solid and love I Become Shadow, his first novel.

For more on Joe Shine, you can find him on Goodreads here and you can follow him on Twitter.

Big, big thanks to Joe Shine and Ren for being here today! Big thanks as well to the folks over at SOHO Teen for setting up the tour!

I Become Shadow is out now so be sure to go out and find a copy :)