Saturday 31 May 2014

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - THE DARE BY HANNAH JAYNE

Title: The Dare
Author: Hannah Jayne
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN: 9781402294570
Target Age:  13-17
Release Date: July 2014

BLURB supplied by the publisher:
Bryn did everything with her best friend Erica. So when someone dared Erica to jump off the pier one night at Harding Beach, Bryn was right by her side. But when Bryn made it back to the surface, Erica was nowhere to be found. Bryn tries to make a fresh start by burying her memories of that awful night. But when a Twitter post from “EricaNShaw” pops up on her feed and a chilling voice mail appears on her phone, she realizes that someone isn’t ready to let go of the past…



BOOKS PROMOTION & AUTHOR INTERVIEW - AYAMI TYNDALL

Title: Reconcilable
Author: Ayami Tyndall
Release Date: 4th November 2012

BLURB from Goodreads
Safe within the impenetrable firewall, Users lead documented lives, everything they do recorded by the omnipresent Cloud. Outside, Ghosts linger on the edge of society, known but unrecorded and unwelcome. Now one Ghost's refusal to conform will challenge the system and expose sides of humanity thought impossible. As the threat of war looms, Ghosts will find entry into the Cloud, Users will be cast out and every distinction will be blurred.



Title: Verifiable
Author: Ayami Tyndall
Release Date: 8th September 2011

BLURB from Goodreads
In utopia nothing is unknown. The Cloud sees, records and shares everything. Apps can tell you anything about anyone from anywhere. No secret can be kept, no wrong can be done...except by a Ghost. Invisible to the Cloud and overlooked by humanity, these shadow people lead hidden lives off the grid. Unrestricted by the Cloud, a Ghost is capable of anything, even destruction.


But with their freedom comes the curse of isolation. Trapped on society's fringe, their exclusion from the Cloud also allows others to act against them in secret. A group of Cloud Users, the life of each touched by a Ghost, is following the trail of disjointed memories and faulty recordings. They threaten the fragile existence of the Ghosts, but among the Ghosts lurks the threat of violence and evil, so now these two worlds will clash.


For the Ghosts, it is another round in their fight for survival. For the Users, all they know is now in doubt. To find the truth they will have to see past the Cloud, but what they find there will challenge everything they took for fact about the Cloud, about the Ghosts, and about themselves.

Goodreads Link

AUTHOR INTERVIEW


What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?   
My name is Ayami Tyndall and I've lived my entire life in California, mostly in the oak strewn foothills of the Sana Ynez Valley.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I had a few early brushes with writing, but for many years marine science was my main goal. It was only as a teenager that I realized the physical sciences weren't for me, so I began moving toward computers and writing. So far that's been a good combination.

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
It took a few books. At first I thought I might just be messing around, that it would be another temporary hobby. But as the manuscripts piled up and my list of future ideas kept growing, I knew I would never stop writing.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
I am a computer systems architect and currently work in health information technology. The strict, analytical process of designing and managing computer systems is a fascinating counterpart to the creative, often chaotic process of writing.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
My most recent book, released in April, 2014, is called In The Clear. It is about a flying explorer's return to the depths of Saturn, where her past is waiting for her.

What genre would you place your books into?
Science-Fiction, no doubt.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
Science-Fiction has always been my favorite genre (of books, movies, video games...music?). I love the process of exploring how the world could be and examining humanity from a different angle. Science-Fiction creates lenses to broaden our perspective.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?
I started penning my first novel just over five years ago and have been going about non-stop since. I'd been toying with writing little bits of science-fiction since I was a kid, probably mainly spurred on by my love of Star Trek. What really got me to start writing seriously, though, was the simple realization that I had ideas I hadn't seen done, so I decided to do them.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I love music and listen to as much as I can, especially when I'm writing. It helps filter out all the distractions and lets me focus. The only time I prefer quiet is when I'm walking, which I do daily. Being in motion really helps me think and I have some of my best ideas on the trail. I'll often be mumbling dialog to myself as I hurry back to my notebook.

What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
Toughest would be the first for one of my early novels; it compared me to some well known authors, but not entirely kindly. The best would be the first unsolicited review I got on Amazon. It was a vindicating feeling to know my book was good enough to inspire someone to write a review, without me even submitting a request.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I am a plotter, in writing and everything else. My stories start with an idea, then an ever growing notes document where I scribble down all my ideas in no particular sequence. Then I start ordering it more by doing a flow-chart outline of the story. By the time I begin on the manuscript, I've usually put down half-again as many words of notes as will be in the final publication.

How do you market/promote your books?
That's the trick, isn't it? I've experimented a lot, especially with serialization. Now I mostly focus on getting my books into the hands of as many reviewers as possible, then through them to their readers.

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller?
Bestseller? Wish I knew. I've read terrible bestselling prize winnings and masterful little stories no one has heard of. What makes a book great is its connection to the reader and its ability to open a new window onto the world.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?
My walks are half-creative, half-relaxation. I also like to read indie science-fiction and the Popular Science website and to cook while listening to Internet radio.

Is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
Orson Scott Card was one of the first science-fiction authors I took to and he probably influenced my earlier books more than I'd care to admit. His simple, powerful writing helps remind me to leave the flowery prose in the drawer and focus on the matters: making it seem real.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook, hardback, or paperback?
I was skeptical of eBooks right up to the point I opened the box of my first Kindle. I've never looked back. eBooks make such a wealth of literature instantly available that it is nothing short of revolutionary. I probably read twice as much as I did before I had an eReader and it is thanks to eBooks that I've been able to get my books out there.

What is your favourite book and Why?
My favorite novel is Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, and it was a surprise. It was the first story by Philip K. Dick I read, and I'd already seen the movie, Blade Runner, based on it, but the book just blew me away. From the first page, the intense atmosphere and sense of fatigue of the characters is gripping. When someone asks me what good Science-Fiction is, that's where I point them; an exploration of the human condition made unique by its Science-Fiction perspective.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie transfer?
I think books can inspire good movies, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to truly transfer the spirit of a story between mediums. The Prestige is one of my favorite movies, but it changes a lot from the also-great novel. Ender's Game is one of my favorite novels, and the movie hews very close but struggles to capture the nuance of the original prose. Both are good mediums that I indulge in daily, but each has its own purpose.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)?
I've been reading a lot of indie science-fiction eBooks recently (scoping the competition, shh...) and right now I am half-way through Nimbus, by B. J. Keeton and Austin King. It is a fun steampunk adventure and I am curious to see how the characters develop.

Is there anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it be?
Something I have always really worked at doing is to remove myself from my stories, to make the author as invisible as possible. I want the reader to forget the storyteller is even there, and some of my early stories had far too much self-indulgence. Too much of me, not enough of the characters themselves. I continue trying ti distill myself out of my stories as much as I can.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

Keep at it. Never stop. It only takes one bestseller to get your name out there, so keep writing. Everyone has a unique life and unique stories to tell.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - JULIANNA BAGGOTT


Do you have a "lucky charm" or "lucky routine" you follow when waiting for your book to be accepted by a publisher?
I work on another book, which preempts fears of rejection. I mean, they could reject the manuscript but I can always then mentally rebound with a thought like, "Yes, but if they only knew what I was working on now!" 

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
Sometimes it can take as short a time as a year and a half or so and with The Pure Trilogy -- the second and third novels -- I was on a yearly deadline so there was no dawdling. The novel I have coming out next year, Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders, took about 17 years, and is now in edits on year 18. 

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?
I whistle into each one like I'm skipping into a meadow and then each one turns on me in different ways -- bears, wolves, professional wrestlers... 

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I'll keep writing across genres. Cross-training eases my restlessness.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
Titles are either very quick and clear or they take forever. Sometimes a title shows up years before the book. There's always an art department and usually a number of covers get looked at before one is settled on. 

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
Both have happened. 

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
For The Pure Trilogy, I'd heard that names often emerge following the sounds of other popular name -- Addison followed Madison, etc... So as I was writing into the future, I was thinking sometimes toward names that might arrive at some point and nicknames. I love nicknames because they each hold a back-story. 

Are character names and place names decided after there creation? or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
Sometimes I have to change a name for some reason -- too close to another character's name or something... And it's very hard because the name was chosen so specifically for them -- it can feel like a character edit. 

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
My characters, on the best days, do their own changing. 

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I do map the books, but I'm always wrong. The characters take on their own lives and make more interesting decisions than I could ever invent for them; this is when the book most comes to life. 

BOOK BLITZ - BLOOD OATH - SECRET OF THE HALFLINGS BY SAMANTHA COVILLE

Title: Blood Oath 
Series: (The Secret of the Halflings #1)
Release Date: 04/29/14

BLURB from Goodreads
Raya Sarian has always known she was different. The water calls to her in a way that isn't human. She has seen things that would scar anyone for life. And her father has been non existent in her childhood.

Because he is a Siren.

A blood drinker.

A monster.

And now she must live with him in a world populated with enemies and dangerous friends. Can she survive the year?





BloodOatheBookWEB - Copy BloodOatheBookWEB - Copy (2) AmazonButton



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Samantha Coville is an editor and literary critic at her website, Sammy the Bookworm. She’s been writing short stories for six years and has appeared in magazines, both in print and online. When she’s not doing something book related, she is singing in her church choir or enjoying one of the theme parks in her home state of Florida.

                                             AUTHOR LINKS
    photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png


***GIVEAWAY***
$20 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
a Rafflecopter giveaway





Book Blitz Organized by:

Friday 30 May 2014

PROMOTION - THE OYSTER'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY KITTY KILBY

Title:  The Oyster's Autobiography
Author: Kitty Kilby
Release Date: 12th June 2013

BLURB supplied by Author
Shy girls don’t yarn-bomb the school fence at dawn, and they definitely don’t skip school to hang out with Patrick Hayes—student council president, football vice-captain (and president of his own fan club).
But then, best friends don’t usually resort to blackmail.
Fifteen-year-old Mabs is the shadow to Olivia’s sun. That’s how it’s always been. But when Olivia goes on a semester-long exchange to France, Mabs can no longer hide behind her best friend.
When a letter arrives, postmarked Paris, the last thing Mabs expects is blackmail. And unless she completes the enclosed list of dares by the time Olivia gets home, Olivia will send the love poem she stole from Mabs’s diary to the boy she wrote it about.
What’s even worse than the possibility of Rob Eno (her way too easily decipherable codename for the former object of her affections) seeing that poem, or her best friend thinking that she’s a friendless recluse who needs to be blackmailed into getting a life, is having to admit it just might be true.

After a few humiliating attempts, Mabs realises the only way she’s ever going to get the list finished in time is to enlist the help of an extrovert. Enter Patrick Hayes, her brother’s pain-in-the-neck best friend. The ultimate extrovert, he might be the only one who can help Mabs finish the list, and step out of Olivia’s shadow.

PROMOTION - DEADLY ERRORS BY ALLEN AYLER

Title: Deadly Errors
Author: Allen Wyler
Publisher: Astor + Blue
ISBN: 978-1-938231-20-9
Genre: Medical Thriller
Publication Date: 24th October 2012

BLURB supplied by Astor + Blue
A comatose man is given a fatal dose of insulin in the emergency room, even though he isn't diabetic.  An ulcer patient dies of shock after receiving a transfusion of the wrong blood type.  A recovering heart patient receives a double dose of medication and suffers a fatal heart attack.
Brain surgeon Dr. Tyler Matthews suspects that something is seriously wrong with the hospital’s new “Med-InDx” computerized medical record system. But he doesn’t suspect that there’s something murderously wrong with it.
As Matthews begins to peel back the layers of deception that cover the deadly errors, he crosses powerful corporate interests who aren’t about to let their multi-billion dollar medical record profits evaporate. Now a target, Matthews finds himself trapped in a maze of deadly conspiracy, with his career, his marriage, and his very life on the line.
Once again, Wyler blends his unparalleled expertise as a world class surgeon with his uncanny knack for suspense to create a true “best-of-breed” medical thriller. Deadly Errors is a lightning-quick action procedural that is destined to win new fans to the medical thriller genre.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Allen Wyler is a renowned neurosurgeon who earned an international reputation for pioneering surgical techniques to record brain activity.  He has served on the faculties of both the University of Washington and the University of Tennessee, and in 1992 was recruited by the prestigious Swedish Medical Center to develop a neuroscience institute.
In 2002, he left active practice to become Medical Director for a startup med-tech company (that went public in 2006) and he now chairs the Institutional Review Board of a major medical center in the Pacific Northwest.
Leveraging a love for thrillers since the early 70’s, Wyler devoted himself to fiction writing in earnest, eventually serving as Vice President of the International Thriller Writers organization for several years. After publishing his first two medical thrillers Deadly Errors (2005) and Dead Head (2007), he officially retired from medicine to devote himself to writing full time.
He and his wife, Lily, divide their time between Seattle and the San Juan Islands.

BLOG TOUR - RULES OF SURVIVAL BY JUS ACCARDO

Title: Rules Of Survival
Author: Jus Accardo

Tagline: If you want to survive, you have to follow the rules

BLURB supplied by Sizzling PR
Mikayla Morgan is wanted for her mother's murder. She's been on the run for almost a year now, avoiding not only the police but the real killer. Tired of running and desperate to clear her name, she breaks one of the most sacred rules: never return to the scene of the crime.
Every bounty hunter on the Eastern Seaboard is after the Morgan girl—but Shaun Denver and his partner snagged her. She's a piece of work, and Shaun can't decide if he wants to kiss her or kill her. When things take a sharp turn south, Shaun does the only thing he can think of to keep her close—he handcuffs them together.
As the danger mounts and the killer closes in, the chemistry between them threatens to explode. Shaun and Kayla will need to break all the rules if they hope to get out of this alive.
BUY LINKS
Goodreads  
Amazon  
Barnes & Noble  
Entangled

Entangled Embrace:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmbraceImprint

Twitter: @EPEmbrace  Steals and Deals


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. But at the last minute, she realized her true path lay with fiction, not food.
Jus is the bestselling author of the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing, as well as the Darker Agency series, and the New Adult series, The Eternal Balance. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.

AUTHOR LINKS
Blog 

***GIVEAWAY***
$15 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway


PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - MICHAEL - SON'S OF OLD TRILOGY BY ANNABELL CADIZ t

Title: Michael
Series: Son's Of Old Trilogy
Author: Annabell Cadiz
Publication Date: 28th May 2014

BLURB from Goodreads
Zahara Faraday looks like a normal eighteen-year-old and lives in a quiet neighborhood with her overprotective parents. She works at a bookstore and hangs out with her best friend Becca King on a daily basis. But underneath the normal lies a secret life filled with dangerous supernaturals. Zahara belongs to a world made of Light Witches, rogue Imagoes (supernatural creatures with super strength, speed, and silver skin when the moon is out), fallen angels, and Nephilim (hybrid children born half-human, half-angel). Where her father Solomon Faraday is human, her mother Mia and her Aunt Catalina are Light Witches. They help protect the human world by hunting down rogue supernaturals who commit heinous acts against humans. What they never expected was the possibility of having to hunt down the one rogue coven they had befriended and come to trust in their battle against Lucifer. Rekesh Saint-Louis is the leader of the most powerful Imago coven in Florida and now he’s the most suspected. Supernatural bodies are starting to pile up with an ancient ritual long forbade being used to murder them and the symbol, one large cross with four smaller crosses around it—which represents Rekesh’s coven— being left behind. Rekesh and the Elders of his coven set out to find who is behind the murders and clearing his name before a war between the covens begins. To make matters more difficult, Rekesh also has to deal with the return of someone he has been keeping a secret.

Meanwhile, Zahara and Becca are spending more time brushing up on their training, knowing an attack from Lucifer can come at any moment. Between patrolling neighborhoods and hanging at the boarding school created by Charles Stephens—a fallen angel who created the school to protect the children of rogue supernaturals—they are thrown into one battle after another. Zahara begins to develop a closer bond with Jason as they train and chase down clues to clear Rekesh’s name. What she doesn’t know is the very powerful secret Jason is keeping; a secret that will change the course of the fight with Lucifer.

But Rekesh’s coven being set up isn’t the only danger. A new powerful and lethal drug has emerged from the shadows of the supernatural world called Inferi. The drug has two deadly side effects: it leaves the supernatural hungering for blood—both human and supernatural—and grants them the elemental power they had once possessed.

Lucifer is on the move and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on Zahara and complete the first act of his plan. 

A battle is about to begin. 

One that may cost the Faraday family everything they hold dear.


Goodreads Link



REST OF THE SERIES  SO FAR ....

Title: Lucifer
Series: Son's Of Old Trilogy
Author: Annabell Cadiz
Publication Date: 31st January 2013

BLURB from Goodreads
Have you ever wondered what could be hiding in the shadows?

Well, for eighteen-year-old Zahara Faraday, she doesn’t have to wonder. You see she comes from a lineage of Light Witches, those who have chosen to help protect and serve between the supernatural world and the human world. The only problem is Zahara, like her father Solomon, is as human as a human being can be whereas her mother, Mia, and her Aunt Catalina, were born as Light Witches. As a family they hunt down rogue supernaturals—creatures who harm humans or who have committed an act against their kingdom. 

Zahara’s hunting skills are usually kept dormant since her parents would prefer she live life as a normal human girl without knowledge of the supernatural world. She plans on doing just that—except when she finds a couple being attacked by fairies, she has no choice but to step in. Before she can return to pretending to be blissfully ignorant, Zahara encounters a problem she isn’t the least equip to handle: Bryan Hamilton, the good looking new co-worker she has to help train. In a heartbeat, her best friend, Becca King, has set her up on a double date with herself and her new crush, Rekesh Saint-Louis, who happens to be the most powerful leader of the biggest Imago Coven in South Florida –supernatural creatures with the ability to control water . . . and suck out human souls. 

Zahara has no time to focus on how she’s going to explain her double date with her best friend and the enemy they have a tentative truce with to her parents because soon one of the members of Mia and Catalina’s coven is found murdered with a strange tattoo of a snake with wings carved into his arm.

Zahara is then thrown into a whirlwind battle with an angel determined to have revenge against God, an Imago coven she doesn’t think they should trust, and slew of dream-eating fairies and powerful Nephilims, hybrid children of angels and humans, more than happy to rip her to shreds.

Normal just got a deadlier definition.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annabell Cadiz was born in the sweltering heat of South Florida. She was raised surrounded by Puerto Rican chefs and band of siblings that weren’t all related to her. A self-proclaimed nerd and book-a-holic (her room does hold much evidence to prove her claims are  justifiable), she created TeamNerd Reviews to showcase her EXTREME love for novels where, along with her best friend, Bridget Strahin, she hosts book reviews, interviews, giveaways, Indie Shoutouts and much more. She also had the pleasure of being published in three separate issue of Suspense Magazine. She is currently attending Trinity International University to attain her B.A. in Psychology. She also adores Cinnamon Teddy Grahams, has an addiction to Minute Maid Orange juice, and is a proud Jesus Freak.

BLOG TOUR - STOLEN GIFTS - GIFT SERIES BY RASHA SELIM

Title: Stolen Gifts
Series: Gift Series
Author: Rasha Selim

BLURB supplied by GLITERARY GIRL MEDIA
Having a Gift is hard.  Keeping the ability to read and manipulate minds a secret from family and friends is torture.     
           
       Vanessa (Van) Lyons is terrified of her very powerful Gift of Mind, and has been hiding it from her family since she was a child.  Her Gift troubled her so much that she moved away from everything and everyone she knew to avoid the possibility of the truth being discovered.  She's stayed away for a long time, making excuses for staying put in her charming little cottage in a small town far enough away to be a comfortable buffer.  But an invitation to the wedding of her childhood best friend Kelley brings her back home...and forces her to confront all of her fears and emotions.  It also forces her to be face-to-face with the man she has loved since they were young.

        Caine Moore is a handsome journalist with a playboy reputation.  Seen frequently about town or in the tabloid pages with a different beautiful woman on his arm, he has become a completely different man from the boy Van grew up with.  Tension builds between them as he sends Van mixed messages throughout the pre-wedding festivities, confusing her and making her yearn for things she's spent a long time convincing herself she could never have. 

        Caine has been working on a story, and has seen things he shouldn't see.  In his desire to protect Van, he inadvertently pulls her into an intriguing but deadly case that puts her right into the killer's path...


AUTHOR INTERVIEW



What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My name is Rasha Selim and I was born in Cairo, Egypt. I live in Upstate New York right now.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I always loved to write and made my own books as a kid.  I would create covers and staple it all together.  Then I would make an elaborate design around my name.  Unfortunately, I lost sight of my dream for a while and enjoyed a stint as a Forensic Psychologist.  I’m glad I didn’t hold onto that for too long though, and now I’m back to making the dream come true. 

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
Oh that’s easy.  I was five and I wrote a tale of two girls swimming in the ocean and then getting eaten by a shark.  I did all the illustrations myself.  Lots of red.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?
Stolen Gifts is my debut novel, and I went traditional for one year.  After lots of research and talking with friends in the industry, I decided to self-pub.  The whole process from starting to write again to publication took about a year and a half.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
I work part-time in retail. Can’t beat the hours.  I work full-time as a mom, thus the retail job, so I can write during the day while the kids are in school.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Stolen Gifts. 

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
Self-pub.

Do you have a "lucky charm" or "lucky routine" you follow when waiting for your book to be accepted by a publisher?
I keep my fingers crossed.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
Depending on time available, about five months.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?
I have completed Stolen Gifts, and the second in the series.  I’ve been writing off and on a second series, but force myself back to the Gift Series to stay on track.  My mind goes on tangents, so whichever direction it is going in, makes that book easy to write.  If it isn’t into that book at that moment, I find it harder to get my words on paper.  I give myself a few days off and usually can get right back into it.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I am an uber fan of urban fantasy and that’s where my mind tends to create stuff.  I have a werewolf series in plan, and it will be more Urban than the Gift Series.  More action versus the mystery.  I’m also planning on a few paranormal romance shorts.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
The second book is on its way.  The Gift Series is a trilogy.

What genre would you place your books into?
Paranormal mystery and romance

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
My love for the genre.  I love to read series versus stand-alones, so it only seemed natural to write the same way I read.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
I love them all.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
Van.  I love how she grows up and comes to accept who she is.

If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
Kate.  She’s portrayed after one of my closest friends.  Real Kate has recently undergone some medical stuff and her strength blows me away.  Book Kate is an unwavering friend.  She’s a subsidiary character, but she’s who I would model myself to be.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?
Physically? The past two years.  Mentally?  My entire life.  I’ve always been afraid to share the stuff that goes on in my head.  As I got older, the fear left me, and I decided that if I didn’t get to it, I would never realize the dream.  Having kids brought out the adult that was hiding in me.  I couldn’t preach what I couldn’t practice.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration?
In the shower.  My mind wanders a lot and I hold onto all those ideas, write them down and make something from them.  People watching is one of my favorite past-times so I get a lot of ideas from that as well.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
Not really.  I usually write after the kids go to bed, and the house is quiet.

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
 I have a couple of really good friends who read for me.  One is a publisher, another is an editor, and the other is amazing at content work.  I’m really lucky in that aspect that I have close friends in the business.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
I try not to, but yes I do.

What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
I haven’t really had to suffer through any tough reviews yet.  So far so good.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
No.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  Reviews are for readers, so they should be honest. 

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
Through much debate and reflection.  The genre I write has very stereotypical covers, so we scoured the internet looking at ideas and color schematics.  The name kind of came to me as the novel was written.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
The title came through the process of writing.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
Van and Caine have always been in my head.  I like different but not too different.  Growing up overseas my name was not so common, but common enough.  When I came across the pond, my name was, and still is, very different.  So I’ve always wanted something that stood out but not alienate my characters.

Are character names and place names decided after there creation? or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
I picked them up before I even started writing.  It was part of the character development.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Yep.  I take a lot of time figuring out where my characters begin, the process they go through and where they will end up.  So I do all that prior to writing.  I might make small changes along the way, but I pretty much know all their flaws and strengths before hand.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I use a specific writing program and within it I plan and plot out the series through that.  Again I might make alterations as I’m writing but I follow the plan for the most part.

How do you market/promote your books?
Primarily through social media, blog tours and word of mouth. 

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
Characters.  A story could be great, but with under developed or unbelievable characters I wouldn’t enjoy the book. 

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
I have, but not because of lack of ideas.  More because I’m not happy with how something is developing.  I end up calling a friend and I talk through the plot with her.  As we talk, ideas come forth on how to fix it and then I’m on the go again.

What do you do to unwind and relax?Do you have a hobby?
I love to read.  A lot.  I love to hang out by a pool or ocean and enjoy the sun.  I love to play and craft with my kids.  Three active boys, so we run around the backyard a lot.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
Yes, yes and then some more yeses.  Kate is based on a very good friend.  Names of some characters are really the names of some friends who helped me along the way.  I also incorporate some scenes from my own life or those around me.  In Stolen Gifts, the scene where Van jumps from a stone pier into the ocean, and breaks her arm was based on my own experience and doing the very same thing she did.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
No not really.

Is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
I wouldn’t write what I write if it weren’t for great authors like Kim Harrison, Chloe Neill, Patricia Briggs or Devon Monk.  So in a way they have influenced my writing.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
Don’t care as long as it’s a good book.

What is your favourite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?
Tough question.  I love too many to state, but to name a few (I really can’t), Kim Harrison, Chloe Neill, Patricia Briggs, Devon Monk, C. E. Murphy, Darynda Jones, Anne Bishop, oh, and of course Illona Andrews.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer?
No.  I love the Lord of the Rings adaptations, and Harry Potter Deathly Hallows movies (but I enjoyed the books more.)

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)
Hell bent by Devon Monk.  I’m a bit behind on my TBR list.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
I hope not, but it seems almost inevitable.

Do you think children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?
To read, yes.  To write creatively, no.

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?
I always had a book in my hands.  Whether I was reading or writing it didn’t matter.

Did you have a favourite author as a child?
George Orwell. I read Animal Farm and 1984 so many times, I had to buy several copies of each.

Do you have a favourite genre of book?
Urban Fantasy

Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish?
No, not really.  I’m open to any kind of book that is written well, however I do tend to stay in my favorite genre unless a novel is highly recommended.

Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them?
Michele Wolfe.  I got a sneak peak at her debut novel and it was great.

Is there anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it be?
Heck no.  It’s perfect the way it is.  Just kidding.  The only reason I look back is to help with going forward.  You can only edit so much before the novel ends up being completely different from where you started.  I wrote the story, I developed the characters and have set them up for the remainder of the series, so I’m very happy with the completed work.

What do you think about book trailers?
Fun to watch, but it’s like the movie thing.  I read to let my imagination wander, so seeing somebody else’s imagination at work kind of puts a damper on mine. 

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Don’t give up.  And have beta readers be honest with you, and listen to their feedback.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I write under my maiden name.

If you could invite three favourite writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
Can I have several dinner parties?  The list from before would be ideal.  I want them all in my house.  To name three – Kim Harrison, Darynda Jones, and Patricia Briggs.

Where can readers follow you?

Your Website?  
Your Facebook Page?
Your Twitter Details? 


And any other information you wish to supply?
I write reviews for Gliterary Girl http://www.gliterarygirl.com/


BLOG TOUR
presented by
GLITERARY GIRLS