Hello world!

I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I myself really enjoyed catching The Huntsman: Winter’s War at the theater on Saturday, and I was also excited to finish reading Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. The man knows how to weave a world together, and I love the ideas he comes up with to invent flawed heroes and villains that really pop!

Speaking of heroes, as we draw a little closer to The Carver‘s release, I want to introduce you to a boy who I’ve grown very fond of over the past fifteen months. My appreciation for him didn’t come naturally. We really had to work and put in long hours to take to each other, but I hope you’ll discover what I did: Once Crescenzo (creh-SHEN-zoh) wins you over, he’ll be there to stay.

Enzo isn’t the standard “white knight” you’d expect to take center stage in a fairy tale. He’s not some daring prince in sterling silver armor. Nah. He’s just a high school kid from Virginia who’s going to have to save the world in Converse, jeans, and a band t-shirt. Oh, and there’s one thing he doesn’t know: His father is Pinocchio, and his best friend/next door neighbor is the son of Peter Pan. So he has that going for him at least…

Also, I think he bears a slight resemblance to Logan Lerman.

Clearly he’s so grateful I said that.

What better way to get to know him better than to hear about his life directly from his own mouth? Oh, you don’t believe it’s possible? What if I told you we’re about to do a live interview? This blog post marks one of a new series of character introductions, in which I will throw the spotlight on one new character from THE CARVER each week, Jimmy Fallon style! We begin with our hero!

Jacob: Crescenzo! Welcome to my blog, my friend! I know you’ve been very busy saving the world any everything, so it’s really an honor to have you sit down for an interview!

Crescenzo: Thanks for inviting me, Jake! Can I call you Jake? You can call me Enzo.

Jake: Sounds like a fair trade! Do you find that most people end up calling you Enzo anyway? “Crescenzo” can be kind of a mouthful…

Enzo: Yeah, no kidding! You know how sometimes you meet people and you’re like “What kind of evil parents would name their kid Apple Pop Tart?”

Jake: All the time…

Enzo: I’m sorry to be like this, Jake, but you’re the evil parent. You named me Crescenzo DiLegno.

Jake: *cringes* Technically, your father named you Crescenzo DiLegno, and he put a LOT of thought into it… It flows pretty nicely, don’t you think? You should be proud of your name!

Enzo: *mischievous grin* Yeeeah I’m just messing with you! I’m proud to be an Enzo.

Jake: Good because I named you! So, I have a question for you… you are the hero of THE CARVER! How does it feel to be the star of the show? If you could describe your whole adventure in one word…

Enzo: Hmmm… *taps chin with his finger* Am I allowed to say “badass” on your blog?

Jake: Too late.

Enzo: Okay. Well, being in THE CARVER has been badass! Mostly. I don’t know how it feels be the star of any other book, but being any part of YOUR book is stressful. The things you put me through! Have you no compassion, man?

Jake: *crosses arms defensively* I have nothing but love for all my characters.

Enzo: I know. You just like to show it by kidnapping a bunch of us and putting the rest of us through a bunch of life-threatening experiences with a very high possibility of death. And that’s only book one! Love. I get it.

Jake: Tough love. And come on, your experiences weren’t THAT brutal…

Enzo: Riding in a truck with Pietro and Rosana?

Jake: You poor child. Are you okay?

Enzo: I lived. Through the truck ride, at least.

Jake: And you’re better for it! So without giving too much away, what was your favorite part of being in THE CARVER?

Enzo: The whole thing was a little scary… hmmm. The travel, I guess? I’d barely been outside of Richmond before everything started. Now I feel like I’ve been everywhere. Places I never even knew I wanted to go.

Jake: Indeed you have! Coast to coast and world to world! I had a blast writing you, Enzo, from cover to cover! Is there anything else you wanna share with the readers?

Enzo: Fried macaroni and cheese on a stick is actually really good. I was pleasantly surprised. Oh, and THE CARVER is going to be a lot of fun! It was stressful and exhausting for me, but it’ll be exciting for you guys. You might learn a lot about friendship and the meaning of family… and a little bit about the power of believing in something.

Jake: Beautiful words! Well, I appreciate you putting up with everything I put you through. Rest up while you can, because you’re in this with me for the long haul. You and I have a trilogy to complete!

Enzo: Bring it!

Jake: Oh, it shall be broughten! *high five* See you on release day? July 19th – it better be on your calendar.

Enzo: I guess that’s cool. I’ll be there.

Jake: I hope you’re not lying to me. You know all about the problem your father used to have…

Enzo: Don’t put that evil on me, please.

Jake: No promises. Thanks for joining me, Sir Enzo! Until the next time!

Who are some of your favorite young heroes in YA? I’d love to hear about them! In the meantime, did you know there’s a giveaway goin’ on on Goodreads? Check it out!