.

Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Interview with KC Blake, Author of Witch Hunt

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Author KC Blake is celebrating her newest release this month, WITCH HUNT, the second novel in the Witch-Game series. Here's a quick synopsis:


A magical game of Hide n Seek begins.
Find the missing player and win.
The game resets; everyone forgets and starts to play it again.

Starr Hughes hasn’t believed in magic since her mother died. As a reporter for the school paper, she believes in hard facts. Hiding under the headmaster’s desk, planting bugs, and breaking into a fellow student’s home are all on her to-do list. So when she hears the mysterious group known as the It-Squad are about to start playing a secretive game, she wants to know more. She’s especially interested in the group’s gorgeous leader, Dylan Winchester.

With her boy-crazy best friend at her side, Starr is going to discover that not only are witches real, they need her help. Someone is using the game to steal their memories, their powers, and perhaps their lives.

You can check out KC Blake at these sites!


What was your favorite book as a kid? That depends on how far back you want to go. When I was in elementary school, my favorite book was The Phantom Tollbooth. When I was twelve, it was The Outsiders. In fact, that was my introduction to YA.

Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? Cassandra Clare. City of Bones is my favorite out of all her books.

Take us through a typical writing day for you. Do you have anything quirky - like you have to have a certain pen to write with, or the desk laid out in a particular manner, does it need to be raining, do you require a certain food/drink/candy to work by? Will you have an absolute meltdown if the atmosphere isn't what you like? I can write anywhere. My first short story was written in a bowling alley when my parents were on a league. On a typical day I usually sit at my desk and blast some music in the background. When I am outlining, I sit in a chair somewhere (sometimes even outside) and write in a notebook. I don’t have a particular pen. I have several that I love, a variety of colors and designs.

What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? My favorite way to deal with writer’s block is to take a long walk with my dog. I live out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees. A long walk clears my head. Sometimes I work on something else. Other times I will listen to music or read a good book. Sometimes I have to try all of the above before I can get back to my story.

Do you like to listen to music when you read or write? Tell us a few of your favorites. I love to listen to music when I write. Most of the time I listen to a mix on my MP3. Songs include music from Chris Daughtery, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, and numerous others. I even listen to Glee once in a while. When I get stuck and can’t see a scene clearly, sometimes I will find a certain song that sets the mood and listen to it repeatedly. For instance, when I wrote the ‘red dress scene’ in CRUSHED, I was listening to Lady in Red by Simply Red. When I wrote the dance scene in WITCH HUNT, I listened to Billy Idol’s White Wedding because that’s what the characters were listening to.

Did you do anything special to celebrate your first book release? My first book was published by Harlequin in 2002. I threw a huge party at my house, had games that were related to my book, and I even had the cover of my book put on a cake. It was sugar paper. Yummy.

Which book are you most looking forward to reading this year? City of Angels by Cassandra Clare. I bought it but haven’t gotten to it yet.
What books do you have out now?




I have two series going at once. The Rule Series is about a vampire boy who just wants to go home to his family, return to school, and be normal again. He gets his wish, sort of, and becomes mortal. But being human isn’t as easy as he thought it would be. His girlfriend is a hunter, and the English teacher at the local high school is the head werewolf, the werewolf Jack is destined to kill. As of now, I have two out of three available at Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, etc. VAMPIRES RULE and WEREWOLVES RULE.

The Witch-Game books are about teen witches playing games at school with their powers. In CRUSHED, three sisters blow magical dust into the boys’ faces and command them to do things. Kristen picks the wrong boy and almost dies the same day. Zach has secrets, too. Now she has to figure out if he’s trying to save her or trying to kill her.

There are different characters in each book and a different game to be played. The second book in the series, WITCH HUNT, will be released April 15, 2012.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Melissa Lemon, Author of Cinder and Ella



This week on the Writer's Block I have Melissa Lemon, author of Cinder and Ella, a retelling of Cinderella with a supernatural twist. She's hydrophobic, addicted to chocolate (me too!) and peanut butter and her craziest dream involved a group of nuns (hmm...I'm sensing the beginning of a great joke here).


Melissa Lemon and her cat Matilda (such a cute name!)



What was your favorite book as a kid? I remember liking The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary and The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter.

Tell us your favorite quote. “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” Charles R. Swindoll

What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? Actually, I like a wide variety of books.  I almost never read the same genre twice in a row. 

Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? My favorite authors are Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.  My favorite books of theirs are Pride and Prejudice and A Tale of Two Cities.

Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? Of course!  I hate it when people leave fly swatters on surfaces that are used for preparing food or eating.  I have issues with things like bug guts and germs.

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabitable, would you rather live under the sea or in space?   Um, definitely space, because I’m hydrophobic as well.  I actually have panic attacks when I see large bodies of water.

What was your most favorite past time as a kid? Playing softball.  If there wasn’t anybody around to play with, I’d put on my mitt and throw a ball up against the foundation of the house so it came rolling back to me; or I’d throw the ball high up in the air so it was almost out of reach behind me and I’d have to jump backward to get it.  We didn’t live close to anybody else, so I had to keep myself entertained a lot. 

If you could live in any time period other than the present, which would you choose and why? I’d love to be on Prince Edward Island with Anne Shirley.  I love the idea of living in simpler times.

Take us through a typical writing day for you. Do you have anything quirky - like you have to have a certain pen to write with, or the desk laid out in a particular manner, does it need to be raining, do you require a certain food/drink/candy to work by? Will you have an absolute meltdown if the atmosphere isn't what you like? I’m pretty easy going with no set schedule.  I just have to be ALONE, and it has to be QUIET.

What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? One of three things:  I write through it, work on something else for a while or take a break from writing completely even for a day or two.  All of these have worked for me at one time or another, but taking a break seems to ALWAYS work.  I think that’s why we get writer’s block sometimes, because our brains need a break.  When I come back to look at something after leaving it alone for a while, I am usually able to see the problem, fix it and move on.

What is the craziest dream you've ever had? You don’t want to know, but I’ll tell you that it involved nuns, water, and adobe houses.

If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? I’d love to live in several places in Europe, including the UK, Italy, and Germany.  There is just something hopelessly romantic about those places in my eyes.  I’ve always loved the German language and customs, so that would be my first pick.   

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? <wink, wink> Chocolate, but it’s really not a secret, especially if you see my hips.

What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Peanut butter and chocolate.

If you could step into the shoes of any fictional character for one day, who would it be and why? Did I mention I really like Anne Shirley?  I think I’d rather be Marilla or Diana so I could spend time with Anne.

Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? I think all three have their uses.  I love hardbacks for my favorite, favorite books.  I like to get paperbacks when I’m getting books from the library or purchasing a book that maybe isn’t as much of a favorite.  E-books are great for traveling.  I think they’ll all continue to have important places in the literary world.

This or That
Underworld or Twilight
Original or Remake: Depends
Sweet or Salty
Drama or Comedy: Both
Fantasy or Romance: Both
Spring or Autumn
Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston
Walter Mathau or Jack Lemmon: Hello, we're probably related
Dirty Dancing or Footloose
American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice
Movie Theatre or Loveseat: because I can’t seem to get over the fear of contracting lice.
Tea or Coffee: I'm a water girl. Boring, I know.
Rain or Sunshine
Skiing or Surfing
Treehouse or Man Cave

Choose a challenge...if you dare!
Write a sentence using all these words: joker, fireball, backpack, sticker, hula hoop: With the joker suffering from mild distraction thanks to a fireball that came out of nowhere, I yanked the hula hoop into place, resting it on my large hips while I strapped the activation sticker around it—the backpack still tight on my back—and WHOOSH, up I went, higher and higher above the sidewalk.   Hey! That's actually pretty darn good! :)

You can pick up Cinder and Ella lots of places but here's the Amazon and Barnes and Noble links. And if you'd like, check out my 5 STAR review too, which (*coughs*) happened to make the back of the cover!



And now for the giveaway! Melissa is graciously offering a hardback of Cinder and Ella for you guys! Just fill in the rafflecopter below.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Jessie Harrell, Author of Destined



So today I have with me Jessie Harrell, the author of the beloved Destined I've seen all over everyone's GoodReads shelves. I always ask my interviewees to offer up a different kind of pic and Jessie certainly delivered! Love the unicorn! What she said: "Here's a picture of me and my youngest daughter, Samantha, at the Fern Bank Museum in Atlanta. I've always LOVED unicorns. And if you want to get really candid, here's me about to shove cupcake in my mouth after serving them up at my oldest daughter's birthday party. As you can see, I obvious believe my sunglasses are a superior form of hair clip."


...yum...now I want a cupcake. BRB!

Okay, sugar crave satisfied. On with the interview!


What was your favorite book as a kid? This ties back into the unicorns. I loved this series called Morgan Mine (also included were Morgan & Me and Morgan & Ewe). They were about a unicorn named Morgan and they were illustrated with the most beautiful pictures and written so lyrically for children's books. Probably no surprise that my oldest daughter is named Morgan.

Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? I can't stand people who drive at or below the speed limit until there is an actual police officer in the immediate vicinity. I have places to go, people!

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabital, would you rather live under the sea or in space? No question about it, under the sea! "Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me!" Sorry, Little Mermaid flashback. Space travel is another one of my pet peeves (don't get me started) and my time as a certified diver wasn't nearly long enough.

What was your most favorite pasttime as a kid? Duh - reading!

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? <wink, wink> Checking e-mail. Although it's probably not-so-secret and thankfully not that shameful, but I've gotten adult onset ADD as a result of technology and I have to know if I have email ALL. THE. TIME.

Do you like to listen to music when you read or write? Tell us a few of your favorites. I love listening to Joshua Radin - he's so mellow and his music just inspires me. I got to meet him after a concert a few years back and, as he was scribbling his name on my CD like every other person in line, I told him he was my favorite person to listen to while I was writing. I'm sure he TOTALLY remembers me now.

Underworld or Twilight: TWILIGHT!!

Sweet or Salty: SWEET! (I seem locked in caps lock tonight, but some of these choices I feel very passionate about. LOL.)

Fantasy or Romance: ROMANCE

Spring or Autumn: Autumn in Asheville

Walter Mathau or Jack Lemmon: I'm not old enough to admit I know who these men are ;) [LOL-You're my age girlie (which is young, of course) so I'm gonna bet you've seen Grumpy Old Me by now!]

American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice: American Idol (esp. the first episodes where the show all the people who suck - like I would if I were foolish enough to audition)

Tea or Coffee: COFFEE

Rain or Sunshine: I like both, actually. Rain for reading and napping; sunshine for playing

Treehouse or Man Cave: Dude, treehouse, all the way. Can I have one like the Swiss Family Robinson in the Magic Kingdom?


Alright, so if you haven't already put Destined on your to-read lists, you should do it now. :) Seriously, I'll even link it for you. And in case you're not convinced yet, just check out the synopsis and my review of Destined. Now on to the giveaway. Jessie is graciously offering one winner an ebook of Destined and a signed bookmark! Just fill in the rafflecopter below.

Get paperbacks of Destined at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the Book Depository. Grab the ebooks at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Friday, March 16, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Augusta Blythe, Author of Winterborne and Ravenstoke



Today I have with me the adorable Augusta Blythe. Indie writer. Lover of clown fish and sea urchins. Addicted to Dr. Pepper and Lindt's dark chocolate and sea salt. And she prefers Underworld to Twilight [*cough* -  me too! If Selene and Edward were to scrap, my money's totally on Selene. :) ]

Let's take a few minutes to get to know this sweet chic.



What was your favorite book as a kid? Just like I didn't have one favorite toy, I didn't have one favorite book. I loved Anne of Green Gables, Greek myths, and Little House on the Prairie.

What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? I love magical realism. I love magic in stories that seems as though it could really happen or has really happened. 



Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? Margaret Atwood is my modern favorite. I own Blind Assassin in hardcover and paperback. I may get one for my Kindle just to have my bases covered. Jane Austen is my dead favorite. Sense & Sensibility is actually my favorite of hers, even though it isn't her most popular book. I need a little disappointment in my stories and Willoughbey provides that.

Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? You don't want to go there. I am the queen of 'if I ruled the world' statements...

If you could meet any dead person, who would you choose? Any particular reason why? Charles Darwin, but not as a zombie. He had a brilliant mind and I'd love to get his thoughts on evolution based on current data.

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabital, would you rather live under the sea or in space? Either way I lose out on oxygen so I'd go with under the sea.

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? A writer, go figure. I used to fold over packets of paper and design my own covers, write out the table of contents and do chapters. Not much different from what I'm doing now.

If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? New Zealand. It's absolutely gorgeous there and the people are so nice. If only it weren't so far from my family, I'd be there. England is far enough.

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? <wink, wink> The Kardashians. I love 'em. I want them to adopt me. I don't care what anyone says about them (and if you check out Yahoo comments on occasion like I do, you will see the stream of venom directed toward them). I am fully aware of the reasons I should find them distasteful, but for some reason, I don't.

What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Dr. Pepper and Arby's cheddar and roast beef sandwich. I have them once a year, in the summer when I visit the US. That's pretty much the only time I drink soda and eat unhealthily so I really look forward to it.

Which is your favorite fairytale? I prefer myths to fairytales, but I guess I would go with the Hans Christian Andersen version of The Little Mermaid. The one with the deeply unhappy ending. Like I said, I like a bit of disappointment in my stories. Although I admit, when I read this version to my 4-year-old daughter, I skip over the ending. One day I'll stop doing that.

Underworld or Twilight. Probably a deeply unpopular response, but Underworld. It's so dark and Kate Beckinsale kicks serious lycan butt.
Original or Remake. Original, always.
Sweet or Salty. Both. My current fave is Lindt's dark chocolate with sea salt.
Drama or Comedy. Any good story has both.
Fantasy or Romance. Fantasy.
Spring or Autumn. Autumn.
Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston. Yikes. So soon? Whitney is from NJ so I've gotta go with her.
Walter Mathau or Jack Lemmon. Matthau.
Dirty Dancing or Footloose. Dirty Dancing. Always preferred Patrick Swayze to Kevin Bacon.
American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice. Idol. It was the first.
Movie Theatre or Loveseat. Theatre as long as no one's cell phone rings.
Tea or Coffee. Tea.
Rain or Sunshine. I live in England. Clearly, it's sunshine all the way.
Skiing or Surfing. Surfing. I don't do cold weather outdoor activities.
Treehouse or Man Cave. Treehouse


Check out Augusta and her books here:
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads





Refresh if you don't see books.

Now on to the giveaway! What's up for grabs? Copies of Winterborne and Ravenstoke. I've already read and reviewed both and they were super dreamy. [Winterborne and Ravenstoke]. Just fill in the rafflecopter below. If the rafflecopter acts up on you and doesn't offer the line to put in any required information, just put it in a comment below with your entry name (email not necessary)


Friday, May 6, 2011

Silver Moon by Rebecca A. Rogers - Author Interview and Giveaway

I know, I know - I've FINALLY moved to Blogger. For those of you who weren't with me up to this point, my website was on Webs.com. But their website was inhibiting my creativity and driving me nuts. So I decided to move and give my blog the facelift it deserved. I've imported a few of my favorite dream blogs for the hell of it so you'll see a little back-dating. The contest currently running on my old blog will continue through Saturday May 7th, so go enter if you haven't already!

But now for the real reason you're here today...with the new launch comes an awesome interview/giveaway. What's up for grabs? A SIGNED paperback copy of SILVER MOON by Rebecca A. Rogers and a piece of swag.

For seventeen-year-old Candra Lowell, senior year is supposed to be the time of her life. It’s not supposed to include being shipped off to her aunt and uncle’s house for 'her own good'. Whatever that means. There’s only bad news from this experience—when she learns she’ll go from human to werewolf in a few months. Complete with an inherited unique power.
At her aunt and uncle's house, Candra is plagued with nightmares of a whispering forest and glowing eyes, and a shadowy figure, who issues a warning—she needs to leave town. Candra tries to dismiss the haunting images, but when the shadowy figure appears outside of her home, Candra realizes she should've obeyed. Candra learns the meaning of the stalker’s warnings when she discovers she’s the new favorite target of a rival pack. She isn't just a werewolf—she's a werewolf in the middle of a feud that makes the Montagues and Capulets look like best friends. She’s also made a mess of things by falling for her sworn enemy. Worse, the rival pack wants the power Candra will receive on her eighteenth birthday. To protect her family and friends, Candra can’t run or hide; she must face her foes, even if it means death.

My take on Silver Moon (without giving anything away!): This was a great debut novel by Rebecca A. Rogers. Really loved the MC's voice on this one - sarcastic and sassy and kept my attention. Really enjoyed watching the forbidden romance bloom between Candra and Ben from the enemy pack and I'm anxious to see if these two can get together in the future without following the tragic footsteps of Romeo and Juliet. And in my mind I'm trying to figure out what Candra's secret power will be when she turns eighteen, and what it will have to do with the clocks standing still in her presence! Silver Moon has set the stage for what I'm anticipating will be a really awesome trilogy. Can't wait for Black Moon!!!

Interview with Rebecca A Rogers

1. What is it about the paranormal genre that lured you into writing about it? I think it's the mythology and interesting creatures. Whenever I want to escape, I look for books that are otherworldly, so I thought it'd be fun to actually write one. :)

2.  Which are you? Outline or make it up as you go? A little bit of both. My outline consists of one-line sentences - nothing that even remotely resembles a usual outline.

3.  Which character in Silver Moon would you most like to have dinner with and why? Ben. He's a cutie pie and I wouldn't mind a werewolf taking me out for dinner, as long as I'm not the meal. ;)

4.  Which character is closest to you in personality? Candra. She's a pretty tough chick. Stubborn, too. Too bad I'm not a werewolf, though, right?

5.  What do you think readers will enjoy most about Silver Moon? I'm hoping the action/adventure portion. I had fun writing those scenes. Some may enjoy the Romeo & Juliet aspect of it.

6.  So tell me...will Candra become a bad@ss werewolf in Black Moon? She will definitely be a bad@ss werewolf, but with that new lifestyle also comes challenges - heightened senses, learning how to control the urge to transform, eating small bunny rabbits. You know, the usual stuff werewolves deal with. xD

7. Atomic Fireball, Lemon Head or Starburst? Definitely Starburst. I eat entire bags of Starburst at a time. ^.^

Giveaway for Silver Moon

Now...on to the giveaway. It is open internationally. You have to be a follower on Google Friend Connect to enter. If you're not on it, it's simple and free. Sign up here. You can also earn a few extra entries if you're interested.

Giveaway ends May 15, 2011. Entries are now closed.

1. Follow this blog +1
2. Follow RAR's blog +2
3. Become a RAR fan on GoodReads +1
4. Tweet it, Blog it or Share on Facebook +1
5. You MUST fill out the FORM so I know who you are

Good luck to all that enter. As always, the winner will be chosen by random.org.