Interview: Tenaya Jayne @TenyaJayne

Tags

indie author, paranormal romance, tenaya jayne, young adult

We haven’t had an interview in a while, but today I’m thrilled to welcome literary ninja Tenaya Jayne! I’m on her street team and I absolutely loved her debut novel, Forbidden Forest, which is free on Kindle Unlimited! You can read my review here and click on the book covers for the Amazon pages. Without further ado, Tenaya Jayne, everyone!

Nationally Bestselling author Tenaya Jayne has always walked a shaky line between reality and fantasy. A nomad by nature, she’s lived all over the US, and now resides happily in the Midwest, with her husband and sons. She’s an advocate for Autism awareness and women trapped in abusive relationships, and feels everyone has too much pain to not enjoy an escape into a fictional fantasy world. Her passions include reading, independent and foreign films, cooking, and moody music.

First off, can you sum up the latest book, Blood Lock, in a tweet, 140 characters or less?

Nope. *insert helpless laugh. I suck at twitter.

Ha! We all have our weaknesses. Where did the initial idea for Forest and Regia come from? What story/experience/event do you think inspired the series most?

My muse was being petulant. I was supposed to be writing a sequel to Blue Aspen, when Forest and Syrus took over my brain. You’re an author, you know what I mean. I think I needed Forest. She came to me and gave me an outlet and voice for a number of things I’d been going through. The night she fell into my head, it all happened so fast. I built Regia from the ground up in a few, adrenaline filled, hours. I had no idea, at the time, Regia would be my whole writing life for the following six years.

I do know what you mean. Characters really can help us work through tough times and I know many of mine have done that for me, too. What does your typical writing day look like?

I drop my son off at school, hit the gym for an hour, head home, shower and then write. I write a few hours and then my alarm goes off, letting me know I have 15 minutes before I have to leave and pick up my son from school.  I have to drive 20 minutes to the school, but that suits me fine because I always do my best brainstorming while I’m driving.

I find that driving, and being on the treadmill are the best things to get my head in the right place for when I actually get to sit and hit the keys. I don’t work on the weekends, and the summer is really hard as well.

Sounds like a pretty structured regimen! Do you have a go-to source for story inspiration? What is it?

Bottom line is music. Without music, inspiration is faint. Aside from that I’m inspired by other art forms: dance, paintings, and movies. Art evokes emotion. I’m an emotion junkie.

Feelings are vital to creating art and we all have to find our muses! Throughout this series, you concentrate on different characters in different books. What is your biggest challenge in writing such an array of main characters?

I connect with some more than others. I love all of my characters, but they are like real people. You have best friends, friends, acquaintances and enemies. It’s like that for me with my characters.

Understandable. We all have our favorites. 😉 Do you use any tricks to get into the head of the character you’re writing that day?

Music is the key for this. I have extensive playlists for every book I write. Each character has their own playlist aside from the main list. Every character along with every couple has a “sound” So for example, in my current WIP, when I need to get into Tesla’s head, I listen to Halsey. That is her sound.

Halsey? I can’t wait! Besides a laptop/notebook and pen, what is the one thing you couldn’t possibly write without?

My beloved jawbone speaker, a tall glass of iced tea, and long phone calls with my best friend, Amanda. She’s great to brainstorm with.

It’s awesome to have friends for support. How about your weapon of choice in the Hunger Games?

A backpack full of grenades.

Coming Soon

I’m pretty sure that’s cheating, but okay. Werewolves or Vampires?

Both, unless they sparkle.

No, this is a sparkle-free zone, haha. Hogwarts house?

Gryffindor but I’d have a Slytherin boyfriend. J

Good choice of partner. (As a Slytherin, I say that in a purely objective and unbiased manner.) Thanks for stopping by!

Don’t forget to check out Tenaya and her books. You can find her conquering the internet in various places here:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | YouTube | Pinterest | Amazon | BN.com

 

{Interview} Jennifer Anne Davis, author of THE KEY @AuthorJennifer

Tags

clean teen publishing, epic fantasy, fantasy, interview, jennifer anne davis, romance, young adult

Today I have the awesome, amazing author of the True Reign series as well as The Power to See and The Voice. The Key, the first in her young adult light fantasy series, is currently free on all channels, so grab it while you can!

You are the author of the light Young Adult fantasy True Reign series as well as paranormal suspense and contemporary. Do you think there is a consistent theme or element in all your stories? What has led you to write such diverse genres?

There most definitely is a consistent element in all my stories, regardless of genre. I always write about a strong female character that is up against seemingly impossible odds. However, she is able to overcome adversity by believing in herself, never giving up, and learning to trust her family and/or friends. However, I will say that after writing such varying genres, I’ve discovered that my strength is in fantasy, and I plan to stick with these types of books in the future.

What has been the biggest highlight of your career as an author?

Having my first book, The Voice, win some awards! I’m honored that it received an award from The Romance Writers of America a few years back, it’s a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (YA category), and the winner of the San Diego Book Awards: Best YA Novel. When I first started querying this book, I didn’t have much success. Many agents told me that no one would read a book about a broken girl who learns to overcome her past to be a role model for others. I finally found a publisher who believed in the story and I’m thrilled by the reception the book has received. It’s immensely gratifying.

Has there ever been a time when a reader drew a conclusion from one of your books that was completely different from what you intended? What was it?

Yes. For The Power to See, I’ve had some readers upset that it’s an actual book with a plot and not about sex. Since the main character is in her early twenties, the book falls into the illustrious New Adult category. Many people automatically assume the books is a romance novel, and that’s far from the case. The Power to See is a crime drama. While there is a romantic element in the novel, it is not the driving force of the book.

Complete this sentence: Before I start writing a new novel, I must…

Think about the story and characters for a solid month before I can even think of writing. I have to get to know my characters, understand who they are, what their personality traits are, what they look like, etc. I think about them in different situation and settings until I get a good feel for the book and the plot starts to unfold in my mind.

Oddest thing to have inspired you:

That’s a tough one. I’m not sure. I know watching my kids at MMA makes me want to write a lot of kick-butt fight scenes.

Will Scarlett or Robin Hood?

Will Scarlett

What’s a question you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

Honestly, I don’t know. I am a very private, quiet, boring person. Interviews typically frighten me because they take me out of my comfort zone.

Bonus question: Can you tell us anything about what to expect in the True Reign spinoff series?

I’ve just started to write the synopsis for that one! I don’t want to give too much away, but the story will be told from Allyssa’s point of view (first person). Allyssa is Rema and Darmik’s daughter. She will be the strongest female character I’ve ever written and I can’t wait for you to meet her! She is going to be loads of fun to write.

Also, Nathenek will play a major role in the book as well. He acquires a unique apprentice who causes all sorts of mischief in the book. The evil villain will be someone you don’t expect! The spinoff will be filled with action, adventure, and some sweet romance.

Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she finally married her high school sweetheart. She is currently a full-time writer and mother of three highly energetic children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.

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Read my review of The Key

Read my review of Яed

Read my review of War

{Interview) Rhiannon Paille, author of SURRENDER @RhiannonPaille

Tags

epic fantasy, fantasy, indie author, indie book review, new adult, paranormal romance, rhiannon paille, the ferryman and the flame, wordfire press

Today the talented Rhiannon Paille is stopping by the talk to us about her New Adult Epic Fantasy Romance series, The Ferryman and the Flame.

Rhiannon is a booksmith from the middle of nowhere, Canada. She holds a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology, which is to say she happens to know a lot about what goes bump in the night. When she’s not writing she’s singing karaoke, burning dinner, and hiding her superhero identity. She’d like to own a unicorn one day, as long as it doesn’t eat her. You’ll find her sipping iced cappuccino despite her allergy to coffee at www.yafantasyauthor.com

If you had to use seven words or less to describe The Ferryman and the Flame series, what would they be?

Sexy Ferryman, Dangerous girl, Bad ass villains.

 

Where did the idea for The Ferryman and the Flame come from?

The first snippet of The Ferryman and the Flame I can recall is this vision of a young girl in a white dress running through the forest, long matted white hair down her back, a violet flower pinned in her hair. The violet flower falls from her hair and wafts to the ground. Immediately after that the girl is standing at the mouth of a volcano, prepared to do whatever it takes to save everyone she loves. It was very cut and paste from beginning to end, and took me forever to learn more about that girl and why and how she’d end up at that volcano.

 

The Ferryman and the Flame is a mash-up of several mythologies and bits of folklore. What inspired you to mix so many legends?

I feel like I didn’t decide on a lot of what happened in The Ferryman and the Flame series. The story came to me in bits and pieces, and there wasn’t much room for deviation from the plot forming in my head.

The mixed mythologies came later when I realized Krishani wasn’t a Watcher but a Ferryman. Actually, he was a Death Walker, which isn’t a very widely used term for Grim Reaper anymore, but at some point I realized he transferred souls to the other side, and I went through all the names used for those types in history and well The Death Walker and the Flame isn’t quite as catchy as The Ferryman and the Flame.

 

The series uses a few familiar names, but quite a few unusual ones. How did you come up with them?

Kemplan helped a lot with the names. I made a joke once about how the story is fictional but the characters aren’t. I meant that. I think the only reason Kemplan helped me with the plot line and character development was because he got to star in the prologues.

 

What has been your biggest challenge in writing Kaliel and Krishani’s story?

Sorting the real mythological story from the fictional version of the tale. I wove some of that into the story, Kemplan burning the books on the Flames, High King Tor wanting to hide the Flames from everyone. So their actual legend is out there somewhere, but a lot of it had been erased because of what had happened between them. Digging it up and figuring out how to tell it as a coherent YA book was really hard. The legend had a lot of sex, violence, and a couple of super stupid things happen in it. Krishani for instance, he didn’t leave Avristar of his own accord in the legend, in the legend he was exiled for stealing from Lord Istar. I changed it in the book because Krishani had far better reasons to leave Avristar than theft.

In the legend however, Kaliel did set the volcano off, and she caused an ice age. So when I said it was difficult to deviate, that’s what I meant, this was its own lost and largely unknown myth I had the task of recreating.

 

Have you ever made yourself cry when writing?

Yes, while writing, editing, thinking, outlining . . . it was an emotional story for me to tell because I was channeling these characters and it was so tough to tell their story.

I’m glad I got through it though because this was the story that needed to be told.

 

You were recently signed on with Kevin J. Anderson and Wordfire Press. What’s that been like thus far? What does this mean for the series?

It’s an epic collaboration. Kevin is so supportive of me I never expected that, and it’s the first time I’ve had someone in my corner (that’s a professional in the industry, I’ve had others in my corner of course!)

We’re both control freaks, so we constantly send e-mails back and forth about what’s happening, he’s very quick to respond to anything I send even if he’s crazy busy. He had a fantastic team I’ve began meeting and working with including Peter J. Wacks, Quincy J. Allen, James Sams, Valerie, and of course his wife Rebecca who recently went for major surgery and is in recovery mode. So how he does all of these things is really beyond me, but it feels awesome to be part of a team.

 

What’s a question you’ve wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

I’ve always wanted someone to ask a question about TFTF that goes into the very small details, like why did a certain character do this or what happened to Khryannalin and Mythos afterwards? Stuff like that.

Find Rhiannon on:

Her website

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Thank you, Rhiannon, for stopping by! Check out my reviews of her books and don’t forget to visit her links!

Read my review of Skeleton and Dust

Read my review of Surrender

Read my review of Justice

Read my review of Vulture

{Interview} Priya Kanaparti, author of Dracian Legacy @pkanaparti

Tags

dracian legacy, paranormal romance, priya kanaparti, reuts publications, ya, young adult

Today I am hosting the brilliant Priya Kanaparti for an interview about her YA paranormal romance novel, Dracian Legacy, just released from REUTS Publications!

Priya lives in the beautiful city of Boise, ID as a full-time working mom and part-time YA Novel Author. For the past 7+ years she has worked in multiple fortune 500 companies and has recently found the passion to read and write. The Dracian Legacy is her first YA paranormal romance series. She strongly believes that true love conquers all and that’s a common theme you’ll find within her novels.

Dracian Legacy was originally self published. What do you think has been the best part of being with REUTS Publications versus self published?
Being a self published author, it was like trying to run a business single handedly. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some AWESOME people during that process, but it was exhausting. So when I found a publisher that was as excited about the book as I was, I knew I found a home to my characters! The best part really is that knowing that I’m not the only one that’s invested in wanting a success with my story :).

What is your favorite element of Dracian Legacy in its present incarnation?
I love that Ren’s character is so well developed! She doesn’t seem like she’s all over the place. Her journey in this version is something you’d see of a person that’s made mistakes, learned from them and is changing with them.

What part of the story came to you first? What was your biggest inspiration?
The first part that came to me was the bashing between Ren and Dean in the cafe from chapter 1. I knew that Dean was going to be a handful from that moment on ward. But trying to figure why and what the story was about took some time. The biggest inspiration for me has been my two favorite authors. Reading their work, really motivated me to work a little harder and try to be as good as they are!

If you could spend a day with any one of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?
Dean! I’m completely shamelessly biased toward Dean. I’d spend sometime and watch him. Not stalkerish. I want to understand him and the complexity around him.

Sum up your favorite Dracian Legacy character in a tweet–140 characters or less!
Dracian Legacy is about the Kshadrian race that’s been at war for centuries and a girl that’s center of it all.

Bad Boys or Good Boys?
Good boys that are badass :).

What’s a question you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?
haha. I saw a similar question from another interviewer, so I had the chance to think about my answer: I wouldn’t mind being asked about my dog – Koda – the under appreciated, overly loved fur ball :).

Thank you again Elisabeth for your support and having me on your blog today!

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Read my review of Dracian Legacy

{Interview} Jadie Jones, author of Moonlit @JadieJones1

Tags

author interivew, fantasy, Horses, indie author, paranormal, paranormal romance, ya, young adult

Today I am hosting one of my All Time Favorite Authors–Jadie Jones, creator of the Moonlit Series! And she even has a surprise for us at the end. 😀 So without further ado, Jadie Jones, everyone!

Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management, and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went.

She currently coaches a hunt seat equitation team that competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, and lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she’s not working on the next installment of the Moonlit series, she is either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Moonlit, book #1 in the Moonlit trilogy, is her first book. The sequel, Windswept, has been accepted by WiDo Publishing, and is due for release mid-2014.

What made you want to write?

Books have been a form of escape and exploration for me as long as I can remember. When I was younger, authors seemed like the keepers of the keys, as if they’d tapped into some kind of fairy dust not everyone could see. The idea of being a part of the magic, and creating sanctuaries for other readers really appealed to me

What was your main inspiration for Moonlit?

I read a fun fact that humans see less that 1% of the color spectrum and hear less than 1% of the sound spectrum. That *really* freaked me out. What in the world is in all that clear and quiet? What is happening all around us that we never experience? This was the launch pad for the “Unseen World,” a second dimension that coexists with ours. Then I had to develop a reason the dimensions were kept separate, why the Unseen creatures want to be in our world, and the consequences of that happening.

Without giving anything away, do you have a plan as to how the series will end? A general idea?

I always thought I knew exactly how the series would end. Then, while drafting book #3, something small happened early on that completely changed the way I envisioned the final pages. My main goal is to satisfy my tribe of Moonlit supporters. The story is very unique, and it’s not a formula read. So those who have emotionally committed to Tanzy and her quest have worked nearly as hard as she has to uncover what’s happening and why. I will do everything in my power to reward my tribe for taking this journey with Tanzy by way of a spectacular ending. That’s my goal, anyway.

Tanzy’s horse, Moonlit, plays a significant role in the story. Is there any particular horse that inspired the character of Moonlit?

Yes! When I was 17, I bought a two year old, dapple gray horse named Luna (thus, the inspiration for the name). I helped train her and hoped one day to start my own breeding farm with her. When she was five, she developed a Sarcoid tumor, which is a kind of cancerous virus, just below her knee. The tumor grew into her leg and wrapped around the bone. I spent every dollar I had to fix it, but we ran out of money and treatment options, and I was advised she had about a year before the tumor would likely make it unable for her to walk. I wound up giving her away to a complete stranger in Florida who had a great equine dermatology connection. This veterinarian was able to completely destroy the tumor threatening her leg. She went on to claim national championship titles, and has had several very successful babies. She lives at a beautiful farm in Florida, and I still keep in touch with her new owners. And I still miss her very much. There’s a picture of her on my desk I look to when I’m sorting out my thoughts.

If you could meet any one of your characters in real life, who would it be (besides Lucas)?

This question made me laugh! Short story: I was in a restaurant for a meeting when a waiter walked up who looked exactly like I envisioned Lucas. I mean, 100%. He even had a small scar across his cheekbone. I was so stunned. It’s like he stepped out of my head. I felt myself turn red and I couldn’t remember how to order water. It was ridiculous. That being said, I think I’d like to meet Maris. The ocean fascinates me, as do those people who seem to tap into nature in a whole different level than the rest of us. I think she’d be really interesting.

Are you working on any other projects we should watch for?

Once the primary series is wrapped up, I will turn my full attention to a new cast of characters in a supernatural story set on a fictional island, where ghosts from the past have a very active role in changing the present and future of those who visit. I have three other stories I’m making notes for in my journal. Also, there are a couple of ways we hope to extend the stories around secondary characters in the Moonlit series.

Peeta or Gale?

Peeta all the way!

What’s a question you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

How about… what is my secret dream for my career? I really want to see the Moonlit series made into movies – not because of the hope of a big payday, but because the story has so many visual elements, and I think a creative producer/director could take this story and paint an incredible picture. I want to see the images in my head brought to life.

Elisabeth, thank you so much for having me. I’m not sure you know what your support has done for me as a first-time author. Your interest in this series makes me fight through every moment of self-doubt. I hope I make you proud with the next two books. Because of this, I’m going to reveal the working title of book #3 on your blog first. It may not seem like a big deal, but I’m secretive of my working titles. They usually reveal an overall theme in the plot arc. So, for reference, the working title of book #2 is “Windswept” (due out this summer.) I’m not sure if they’ll keep that as the real title or not. The working title of book #3 is “Ascent.” J

Thank you again!

Connect with Jadie

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Read my review of Moonlit

{Review + Interview + Giveaway} Caprion’s Wings (The Cat’s Eye Chronicles Novella) by T.L. Shreffler @poetsforpeanuts

Tags

caprion's wings, epic fantasy, fantasy, indies, the cats eye chronicles, tl shreffler, ya, young adult

Words cannot express how excited I am to tell you about this book and host T.L. on my blog. So check out my review and T.L.’s interview and don’t forget to click here to download the first book in the series for free!

A novella of The Cat’s Eye Chronicles.
Release Date: February 28th, 2014

By the age of nineteen, all Harpies know how to fly—except Caprion. He has yet pass the test of the Singing and gain his wings. His family has disowned him in shame and people are beginning to talk. Now an evil voice haunts his dreams, taunting him, drawing out his worst fears—that he will remain wingless forever.

Caprion decides to find the root of this insidious voice, no matter what it takes. He journeys to the secret prisons of the Harpy underground, where he meets a young slave named Moss. In those sunless, decrepit cells, a forbidden friendship is formed. Can Caprion and Moss find the source of the voice? And can Caprion save Moss from a terrible fate?

Join young Caprion as he journeys down, down into the earth, finding his wings and forging a friendship that will change him forever.

*Caprion’s Wings is a companion story to The Cat’s Eye Chronicles.

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5 out of 5 stars

I am fangirling so hard right now. This book had me pacing in suspense even though I knew Caprion was going to get his wings and the Harpies were going to be fine and I was fairly confident my favorite/second favorite character would be fine. I cringed, I writhed in suspense, I laughed (in a he’s-going-to-be-your-general-someday-sucker way), and I want Ferran’s Map yesterday.

The plot:

In Volcrian’s Hunt (my review) we meet Caprion, a Harpy general who proves to be slightly less of an SOB than the majority of his compatriots. I kind of wanted to beat him over the head with a shovel for all his pompousness in that book. I wasn’t sure I would be able to overcome that very easily, but I was pulling for him by the end of the second page. Despite knowing he’d be fine, I had several moments of borderline panic and had to stop at a few points and pace until I calmed down because I couldn’t handle the suspense anymore.

The characters:

Like I said, I had a whole new outlook on Caprion by page 2. We get a glimpse into his early struggles and fears and I never would have suspected any of them when reading about him in Volcrian’s Hunt. (Though the fraternal rivalry is hinted at.) Caprion was brave and compassionate and not willing to let the propaganda about the Sixth Race cloud his judgment of Moss and I dare you to read this and not adore him.

In Volcrian’s Hunt, we learn that Crash (an elite assassin of the Sixth Race, my Favorite Character) knew a girl when he was younger who was kinder and sweeter than the Sixth Race generally allows and was abducted by Harpies when she was around thirteen. In Caprion’s Wings, Caprion befriends a girl of the Sixth Race around thirteen whose been taken captive and makes a deal to set her free and return her to the mainland. In Volcrian’s Hunt, :spoiler:we also learn that one of the female assassins of the Sixth Race who’s hunting Crash was abducted by Harpies as a girl and somehow freed and returned to mainland with no memory of how she escaped. :spoiler over: Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!! But I loved Moss and in part because of that I hated the majority of the Harpy race by the end.

Sumas and Dahlia and the Matriarch were just begging for some unspeakable fate in this book. Of course, they kind of were in Volcrian’s Hunt, too (except for Dahlia, who wasn’t in that book). This series does a good job of not making any one group or species all bad or all good, there’s a mix in all the races.

I love, love, LOVE these books and I want Ferran’s Map even more now! (Which I wouldn’t have thought possible.)

T. L. Shreffler lives in Los Angeles, CA. She loves diversity, fantasy, romance, iced tea, long walks, philosophy, and thrift store shopping. She recently graduated with a BA in Badass (Creative Writing) and her poetry has been published consecutively in Eclipse: A Literary Journal and The Northridge Review. She is author of The Cat’s Eye Chronicles (YA/Epic Fantasy) and The Wolves of Black River (PN Romance.)

Caprion’s Wings is a prequel novella telling the backstory of a character introduced in the third book of your YA Epic Fantasy series, The Cat’s Eye Chronicles. Did you always plan to write the novella or was it unexpected? How did you get the idea for it?

Caprion’s Wings was a very unexpected story! You could say it “fell out of the sky” (hur hur hur.) But there is a method to this madness. When I wrote the first version of Cat’s Eye back in 2006, Caprion made a brief appearance at the end of the book, right before Crash and Sora sailed happily off into the sunset (a very different version from what we have in Volcrian’s Hunt.) Readers at that time were very curious about Caprion and wanted to see more of him. So, as I rewrote Volcrian’s Hunt last year, I decided to make a little room for Caprion to continue his story. And he actually has an important role to play in Book 4, particularly with Krait and the Shade, so he fits in nicely!

Caprion is a “seraphim,” a battle-born Harpy with six powerful wings. Seraphims are very rare, so while studying Caprion’s character, I found myself asking a lot of questions: how does one become a seraphim? How does any Harpy gain his wings? And who was Caprion before he became the Matriarch’s right-hand man? I wrote Caprion’s Wings to answer these questions both for myself and for curious readers.

What was your biggest challenge in writing Caprion’s Wings?

Definitely the power play between Caprion, the Matriarch, and a young slave named Moss. The power dynamic between these three characters is very fluid. Caprion finds himself caught between rescuing Moss and appeasing the Matriarch; to save Moss, he must go against his queen, but as a seraphim, he has a duty to serve and protect his race. It became a very complicated scenario to weave! I must have read over it 50 times to make sure there were no plot holes.

Describe Caprion in a tweet—140 characters or less!

A wingless boy struggling to fly: doubtful, desperate, a little untried, but determined to change his lot in life. #CaprionsWings (rhyming intentional lol)

If you could say one thing to any of your characters, what would it be and who would you say it to?

To Caprion’s older brother, Sumas: my gawd are you a jerk! There is no reasonable explanation for just how big a jerk you are! (But as we age, I suppose we run across people who are selfish and competitive for no reason other than to get ahead in life.) Sumas, I wish you many grumpy, jealous and scheming thoughts for years to come….

And now a few questions just for fun…

Favorite mythological creature and why?

Gryphons! Because they are so unlikely….

Favorite overdone storyline?

A girl or boy being transported to another world where they partake in a mysterious, fantastical adventure! (ie. Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, etc.) This gimmick rocks because it allows the reader to retain their perspective on the “real world” while exploring a brand new fantastical world. What an excellent opportunity to discuss social norms, culture, perceived truths and other ideas contrary to what we find “everyday”…

What’s a question you’ve wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

Q: Why don’t you write about “tough” heroines who have tons of snarky attitude?

These days it seems like all female characters need to be pumped full of “snark” and “sass” to be “strong.” However, in real life, I find this kind of behavior extremely obnoxious! I don’t think it portrays women very accurately. Some girls (especially in the bookworm realm) are not extroverted, bullheaded and full of attitude. Many of them are quiet, shy, and sweet by nature. By creating similar heroines, I wanted to validate these feminine traits. You don’t need to be a b*tch to be strong.

These snarky characters seem to tell young women NOT to embrace their femininity, but to try to act like men, which I think is destructive. Women occupy a unique role in society. We are the mothers and the nurturers–and that’s just biology. Estrogen is full of gushy, mushy feelings, and that’s okay! We don’t need to compete with men. We need to embrace our unique identity as women. Men need to learn the value of femininity, and if women themselves are denying that value, then I don’t think feminism is doing its job.

As Crash says in Viper’s Creed, “You don’t have to be strong all the time. That’s asking a bit much. You can be soft too, if that is who you are.” It’s OK to be sweet, gentle, naive and young. You really don’t need to be “tougher than the guys” to save the world.

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Blog Tour Dates

2-23-14 | Spotlight Mimsey Style | Please Don’t Feed the Mimsey
2-24-14 | Spotlight/Excerpt | The O’Raven Chronicles
2-25-14 | REVIEW & Theme Song | Lyndsey Lindsay and Jane’s Views and Reviews
2-26-14| Spotlight/Excerpt | Oh My Shelves
2-27-14 | Character 5Q Q&A Caprion | Intisar Khanani
2-28-14 | REVIEW & Would you Rather w/Caprion | TTC Books & More
3-01-14 | Spotlight/Excerpt | A World of Words
3-01-14 | REVIEW & Spotlight | Genieva’s Book Blog
3-02-14 | REVIEW & Author top 10 | Becca Anne’s Book Reviews
3-03-14 | REVIEW & This OR That with Moss | Paranormal Book Club
3-04-14 | REVIEW & Guest Post | Alina Popescu
3-04-14 | REVIEW & Interview | Elisabeth | Inkspelled Faery

{Author Interview} Natalie Wright @NatalieWright_

Tags

akasha chronicles, book release, celitc mythology, emily's heart, natalie wright, ya, young adult

Today I have the pleasure of hosting Natalie Wright, author of the inventive, strikingly original Akasha Chronicles to celebrate the release of the third book, Emily’s Heart. (Read my review of the first book, Emily’s House, here.)

Seventeen-year-old Emily Adams unintentionally unleashed a shadow god’s dark energy power into the world and started an Apocalypse. But Emily is also the only one that can end the dark god’s reign. Though the powerful faerie magic of the golden torc is still coiled around her arm, self-doubt threatens to undo her. Emily wants nothing more than to feel the soft kiss of her one true love, but he won’t even speak to her. Her first crush is still quite dead and her best friend remains a prisoner in the dark god’s house of nightmares. A growing legion of black-eyed shadow people, devoid of conscience, roam the streets. Emily needs help now more than ever, but redemption seems far off indeed as she faces the expanding darkness alone.

Emily will need an army of her own if she is to save the world from being taken over by pure evil. But will a small band of Lucent geeks and freaks be enough to send the dark god packing?

Amidst chaos and ruin, will love blossom in Emily’s Heart?

Find Emily’s Heart

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The Akasha Chronicles Boxed Set – You SAVE 30% off the Cover Price for All 3 books! An Amazon Exclusive

What was your biggest inspiration for the Akasha Chronicles?

The original idea came from a vision I had while in hypnosis! Nearing the end of my last session, I got a vision of a golden object hovering over rolling, green fields. I didn’t know what the object was, but I couldn’t shake that vision.

I began doing research to see if I could find out what the strange, golden ring was. After weeks of scouring the internet, I saw a picture of an ancient Celtic torc. That led to more reading on the ancient Celts and I came across a story about an order of women that guarded the sacred flame of Brighid (an Irish Celtic goddess that later became a saint). It was said that they lived in a sacred grove of oak and ash, and that no men were allowed inside their sacred grounds. There were even legends that any man who entered the grove went mad or never came back.

The torc, the sacred grove, the ancient order of priestesses – I used all of that (and more!) to create the story in my first book, Emily’s House. The other two books, Emily’s Trial and Emily’s Heart, are extensions of book 1 but focus more on Emily in her modern, American world (rather than the ancient Celtic backstory of her ancestors).

What do you think is the greatest lesson Emily has learned since Emily’s House?

Wow, she has had to learn so many! Let me start by saying that Emily’s greatest challenge is her own self-doubt. Despite her powerful magick, she doesn’t believe in herself or see herself as capable. Incidentally, I think a lot of girls and women can relate to this, don’t you? I’ve met so many amazing women in my life who don’t see themselves as the rest of the world sees them – capable, smart, beautiful.

Anyway, in book 3, Emily’s Heart, in order for Emily to solve the problem of the rather *huge* mess she made of things in book 2, Emily’s Trial, she has to first find the ability to believe in herself. There’s no prince that will rescue her from the tower 😉 She has to save herself. In fact, she’s the one saving the prince :0

Without giving any spoilers, can you tell us about which scene in Emily’s Heart was your favorite to write and why?

That is hard to answer without giving too much away, but I really loved writing the culminating chapters. Emily’s Heart is told in dual first person. It switches back and forth between Emily and her friend and love interest, Jake. I’ve never written in first person male voice, so it was interesting and fun to channel my inner teenage boy 🙂 Toward the end, as the action reaches its peak, the chapters are shorter and it’s going back and forth between Jake and Emily, each adding a piece to the puzzle, each adding his or her perspective on the action.

It took me a long time – literally months – to know how this book (and series) was going to end. I had over a 100,000 words, but no ending. Then one day the muse whispered in my ear and I knew the answer. My fingers typed fast and furious and there was very little editing of that bit of work. I hope readers enjoy it as much (and are as satisfied with it) as I am.

If you could meet any of your characters in person, who would it be?

Madame Wong. Without a doubt. I wish I had a Madame Wong in my life. Sure, she can be hard on Emily and I wouldn’t want to tick her off! But she is the embodiment of the combined wisdom of two entities that have each lived for thousands of years. I’d love to hear her stories and learn from her.

In fact, I’ve toyed with writing a novella that is Madame Wong’s story. I wonder if anyone would read that?

Celtic mythology plays a huge role in the Akasha Chronicles. What draws you to Celtic lore?

As I said above, I had this vision, did some research and I was off and running. Though I don’t have a speck of Irish blood in my veins (which is hard for a lot of people to believe given my fair skin and red hair), both lines from my family trace their lineage to England, Germany and Denmark. When I began learning about ancient Celtic myth and history, I was surprised to learn that what we refer to as Celtic began much farther east than Ireland and Scottland. What we know as ancient Celtic culture has strong origins in what is now Germany. Their language and culture spread to the west and landed in Ireland. So maybe it’s in my DNA to be drawn to the stories and lore that can be traced to my ancestors.

And now a few bonus questions just for fun…

Worst pet peeve?

Hmmm. I have a few, mostly aimed at my husband 😉

But in general, I am peeved when I’m out to dinner with a friend and he/she keeps texting back and forth with their spouse/kid(s)/dog, etc. I’m a mom and don’t go out with friends often, so when I do, I give that friend my undivided attention. I guess I expect the same. Seeing someone constantly looking down and typing on their tiny screen makes me want to smack the smartphone off of the table!

Wow, that was a bit of a rant. Sorry! But yeah, that really peeves me.

What’s a question you’ve wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

Here’s a question I’ve never been asked: What’s your favorite snack food and what’s your address so I can send you a case? LOL. Just kidding.

But seriously, a box of caramel Ho Ho’s would be nice …

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{Author Interview + Giveaway} Janeal Falor

Tags

eBook, fantasy, Giveaway, indie author, indies, janeal falor, just for fun, magic, mine series, paranormal, self-published, series, ya, you are mine, young adult

Today the very awesome Janeal Falor has taken the time to drop by and talk a little about her YA fantasy series and herself! Take a peek at her answers to my wildly creative (okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating) questions and don’t forget to check out her links and the giveaway below!

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

What was the first book that made you want to write one?

Ooohhh. Good question! It’s been so long it’s hard to remember for certain, but it was probably A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. It transported me to another world in a way I could relate to and then made me want to figure out how to make that type of magic happen.

Where did you get the idea to write You Are Mine?
I had been reading a lot of marriage of convenience/arranged marriage-type books. Then I thought: What if these girls weren’t being sold off for money? What if they were being sold for something they had of great value, but something they couldn’t control. Something like–Magic! And You Are Mine took over my life.

Is there a particular character in the Mine series you consider to be the head villain? Who is it and why?

For the series it would be a toss up between the Grand Chancellor and the Chardonian society as a whole. Society’s ideals and expectations are what the heroines have to face and over come, but those ideals and expectations have been set, in large part, by the Grand Chancellor.

Do you have any writing rituals? What are they?

Being a homeschooling mother of three kids it’s hard just to find time to write. Because of that, I really don’t have any rituals. I have to write whenever, wherever, however I can. One thing I do have to have, though, is quiet. Noise distracts me to no end. Thank the stars children sleep and that libraries exist!

What do you think is the key ingredient to a good heroine?

Being relatable. If I can connect with a heroine, whether or not their circumstances are something I’ve been through, I can feel what they are feeling and cheer them on through whatever task they must overcome.

If you could have afternoon tea with any author, living or dead, who would it be?

Eep! So hard to choose just one. I don’t drink tea, but I’d love to have a cup of hot chocolate with Gail Carson Levine. Her stories are magic.

Thor or Ironman?

That’s like asking chocolate or caramel. Why both of course! Put them in the same movie, even better. Better yet, they can both come to my house. Wait, on second thought, I’d rather my house stay in one piece…

What’s a question you’ve wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

I’ve wanted to be asked: Do you believe in happily ever after endings?

Why this is what I’ve wanted to be asked, no idea, but: Yes! Most definitely. Except… I believe very strongly in realistic happily ever afters. If there’s not a dose of realism, it’s hard not to roll my eyes and then not want to think about the story again. A touch of reality to endings makes the happiness more believable and usually gives me more to think about.

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My Review of You Are Mine

Giveaway

For an eBook copy of You Are Mine, leave a comment answering this question: Is fighting for your freedom worth it, even if someone you care about might get hurt?

Author Interview: Chloe Jacobs

Tags

author interview, chloe jacobs, entangled teen, fantasy, greta and the goblin king, paranormal romance, young adult

Today I am interviewing the talented, hilarious (in a good way), and stupendously awesome Chloe Jacobs. Check out her fun answers to my interrogation (interview), drop by her media sites, and take a look at my 5-star review for her debut novel!

Sum up yourself in a tweet (140 characters or less)!

I was tossed in the river in a basket as a baby, raised by ninjas, and trained as a secret agent. Okay, one of those might be an exaggeration

Where did you get the idea for Greta and the Goblin King?

Well, originally I set out to write a twisted fairy tale because I love them. I love learning about where they come from and the meaning that was behind them when they were first written. But I didn’t want to re-do a fairy tale that had already been done often already. When I settled on the tale of Hansel and Gretel, and thought about where I could take it, I know that the real story I was going to be telling wasn’t about a witch in the forest and a gingerbread house, it was about an entirely new world beyond that witch’s oven where there would be more than just witches, but also goblins , ghouls, ogres, faeries, and an eclipse that turns them all into raging monsters.

What personality traits do you share with Greta?

Didn’t you read the whole trained by ninjas thing?

Haha just kidding (maybe)

Seriously though, I’m not really like Greta at all. I mean, I can be pretty stubborn, but that’s about as close as we get. Greta’s been through some serious tribulations and all I can say is I’m glad I haven’t had to live that kind of life. It was hard enough trying to imagine what it would be like to lose everything, not only your family and friends, but even the world as you knew it. I’m not sure I would have ended up as strong as she is.

In your book, you have a lot of new twists on old mythical creatures. Which one of your reinventions is your favorite?

Well, I really do love Isaac, but that might be for reasons other than the mythical twist his character ended up with. *grin*

I also loved to research the Lamia. I took the idea of the witch who eats children from Hansel and Gretel and found another similar myth. Did you know that in Greek Mythology, there is a creature called Lamia, who was tricked by Hera (Zeus’s wife) into eating her own child, and thereafter developed a bit of a taste for it? (She might have been driven a tad insane.)

What is your average writing day like?

I try to write every day (or edit, depending on the stage I’m at). For me, the writing process is about challenge. I write best when I tell myself how many words to get, and then I have to sit down and get it done before I can do anything else, like fool around on Twitter. *grin*

If you could go on vacation anywhere–fictional or real–with any person–fictional or real–where would you go and who would you take?

If I could go anywhere, I’d pick Egypt, or maybe Scotland, or China. I love the old places. The ones where history bleeds from the very stone and there are hundreds of stories that time has forgotten, just waiting to be rediscovered and told again. I should say that I would want to bring my husband, but he’s more interested in hiking through the woods and communing with nature, so maybe I’d bring my son because he loves that stuff as much as I do.

Legolas or Aragorn?

Oh. My. God. I have to pick?!!??!

What’s a question you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer?

I love to share what I’m reading lately, and recently I finished Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas which were so amazing, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one. I also read Tara Fuller’s second book in her reaper series, and the hero, Cash, is to die for! And I’ve just picked up The Dream Thieves by Maggie Steifvater and Graceling by Kristin Cashore so I’m looking forward to those.

I love getting recommendations, too, so tell me what you’re reading!

Thank you so much for letting me come by and chat today!

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Read my review of Greta and the Goblin King

Author Interview: A.M. Hargrove

Tags

aliens, contemporary romance, indie author, indies, just for fun, paranormal romance, romance, self-published

Today I am very excited to be hosting A.M. Hargrove, one of my favorite authors! Take a look at her great answers to my questions, check out her links, and don’t forget to take a peak at my reviews of her Guardians of Vesturon series!

A.M. Hargrove resides in the south, dividing her time between the upstate of South Carolina and the mountains of North Carolina. She truly believes that chocolate, coffee and ice cream should be added to the USDA food groups.

Her books include the Young Adult/New Adult series, The Guardians of Vesturon (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent and the novella Beginnings); the Adult novels Dark Waltz (A Praestani Novel) and Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge, and Kissing Fire. Her Mature New Adult novel, Tragically Flawed debuts on 9/25/13

What made you decide to become a writer? What was the first project you decided to take to publication?

I’ve always wanted to write, but sometimes life takes you in a different direction. Mine went the way of a job with a pharmaceutical company after college, and one promotion led to another. Before I knew it I was knee deep as a sales manager, and I loved what I did. However, as things go in the corporate world, my company got taken over by a larger one, namely Pfizer, and my entire division was slaughtered. So I took that as my opportunity to do a complete career change and here I am.

You have delved into Young Adult Paranormal/Sci-Fi Romance, but have also penned a number of well-received Adult Contemporary Romances. What do you think the biggest difference is between the two genres? Was there anything particularly challenging about one versus the other? They’re both challenging in their own right–paranormal/sci-fi particularly so in trying to make the make believe believable to a certain degree. But then in contemporary romance, you don’t have that truly fantastical element to rely upon to give your story that extra umph, so you have to focus on other things…perhaps some added suspense, drama or what have you. In either case, I find them both to be quite fun and thought provoking.

What made you decide to go indie with your stories?

When I started researching the whole process of the query letter and then the time it takes to get from acceptance to publication…or in most cases, NOT, I decided I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for things to happen. I’m a doer so I just did! I’m also impatient so that probably made 50% of my decision!

Of all your published works, do you have a favorite? Which one is it?

Ooooh, you never ask me that because it’s always the book I’m currently writing! Haha. But I have to admit, one of my most favorite characters ever is Jurek from the Guardians, and then Dark Waltz. He’s so freakin’ complex with issues on top of issues, but then deep down he’s a softie but you have to peel all his layers to get to him and believe me it takes for-effin-ever! I also loved writing Kissing Fire because it was a romantic comedy with some suspense thrown in, but the comedy part was so much fun for me!

What for you has been the most difficult part of being an author?

Turning it off! I love to write and have so many ideas brewing in my brain that I could write all the time.

What do you think makes a good love story?

I think one of the characters needs to have issues or be somewhat broken. There has to be conflict, of course, I usually like a bit of suspense and a curve ball and then some steam factor thrown in!

If you could have a dinner party with five guests—living or dead, real or fictional—who would they be?

Chris Hemsworth, Henry Cavill, Gerard Butler, Paul Newman, James Dean. Are you getting any ideas here? Chris Hemsworth is perfect in every way. Well, darn so are Henry and Gerard. I love all three of those men. Paul Newman had the most incredible blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Have you seen him in that old movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? If you haven’t, rent it now. You’ll be amazed at the color of his blue eyes. And James Dean… I’ve never seen any movie he was in because I don’t really care for old movies, but the black and white pictures I’ve seen of him look positively scrumptious.

James Bond or Jason Bourne?

Jason Bourne…Bada**! Broken and needs fixing! Smart and quick thinking. And of course, suspense!

What’s a question you’ve wanted to be asked in an interview? What’s your answer? How old were were when you learned to ride a bike? Answer–3 years old. I was the youngest in the family our of four so I was pushed to do everything because I wanted to keep up. So I bugged my sisters to death one day and they put me on one of their bikes and just yelled, “Pedal, pedal, pedal.” And I did. I couldn’t steer for anything and ended up crashing into the bumpers of cars a dozen times, but I learned that day. I told my kids because they were like six and seven when they learned and they swore I was telling a tall tale. My sisters had to tell them the story before they’d believe it.

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My review of Beginnings

My review of Survival

My review of Resurrection

My review of Determinant

My review of ReEmergent