Author of the Week

AOTW- Clinton Festa

2012-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Clinton Festa

About the Author:

Clinton Festa, raised in Rockland County, NY, is son to two educators and grandson to four. Clinton studied animal science with the intention of pursuing a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Although not part of his science curriculum, Clinton took courses on writing, poetry, and literature while at Cornell University. He was also a cartoonist, writer, and the circulation editor for the Cornell Lunatic, the university humor magazine.
Prior to graduation, Clinton shifted his focus away from veterinary medicine. In a side-by-side comparison with vet school, he decided instead to attend commercial flight school in Florida, where he later met his wife.

Now with several thousand flight hours and ten years of aviation experience, Clinton has been the chief pilot for a cargo company in Raleigh, NC and an airline pilot based in LaGuardia. He now lives in Greensboro, NC and spends his free time with his wife and two small children, or writing. The epic drama Ancient Canada is Clinton’s first novel. Check out ancientcanada.com for more.

Interview with Clinton Festa

Clinton Festa is author of the novel Ancient

Canada

Holly: Hi, Clinton! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Clinton Festa: Hi! Since graduating college about ten years ago, I’ve been working in aviation. If you flew out of LaGuardia, O’Hare, or Atlanta recently there’s a slim chance I was your pilot. Greater chance if the landing was hard. I’d like to say I’m the first mythology writer who is also a pilot, but who knows.

Holly: Your novel Ancient Canada is your first novel, is this the first novel written or just the first published?

Clinton Festa: Both. First novel written and published. Although I used to write police detective stories with a friend of mine back when we were in fourth grade. Funny enough, I called him one day a few years ago to talk to him about Ancient Canada. He told me he was writing his first novel, too. It’s called My Sweet Saga by Brett Sills and it’s fantastic. No word yet if we’ll resurrect our crime series, featuring ourselves as police detectives, our canine sidekick Sniffer, and our arch-nemesis, the drug lord Stromboli.

Holly: Can you tell us a little about Ancient Canada?

Clinton Festa: Ancient Canada is a mythological world set in an alternate Arctic Circle. The main story focuses on Lavender and Marigold, two sisters exiled from Canada. Lavender has a unique ability to see life and death, but she struggles with self-doubt and the fear that she may have been created evil. Marigold has no unique gift. She struggles with a sense of uselessness and copes by making the occasional poorly timed joke. Like Canterbury Tales, each chapter is a different narrator who shares their personal story and philosophies. Together the chapters link to bring the epic of Lavender and Marigold.

Holly: What was the idea behind the novel?

Clinton Festa: I was walking around New York City in the summer of 2006 looking for something to eat. Ethiopian, Tibetan, Guatemalan... I couldn’t believe I had eaten it all. There are restaurants everywhere with a different country’s food, but I never found something I hadn’t already tried. I thought the only way to fix that was to make up a country, come up with a bunch of recipes, and open an ‘authentic’ restaurant for that country. The same idea turned into something that didn’t require a bank loan application. Canada fit best for the topics I wanted to address, but already has her mythology. So in the end, an alternate Canada fit even better.

Holly: How long did it take you to write Ancient Canada, start to finish?

Clinton Festa: About four jobs and two pregnancies (by my wife, not me). I started writing in 2007 and it was published late in 2011, so about four years. The actual writing took two and a half years. But that’s a little misleading. I was working a rare 9am-5pm pilot job, and would get my ideas during the week. I’d write them down, save them for the weekend, and do my writing on Friday and Saturday nights from about 10pm to 3am. Once finished, I began simultaneously polishing up the manuscript and looking for publishers. That took a while too, over six months. Once I found SynergEbooks, I sat in queue to be published, which was about eight months. All standard. Those eight months were more rounds of editing. I realized that my favorite thing about writing is the six or seven times you finish the same manuscript. You get to experience that sense of accomplishment over and over and over again.

Holly: You are published by SynergEbooks—would you mind telling us a little about the publishing process, how long it took and how the overall experience was for you?

Clinton Festa: Sure, I’ll tell you a lot about it. I have a friend who has had a few plays sold. He told me to get a copy of The Writer’s Market. I’d find out about a publisher from there, look for them online, and get their most up to date submission guidelines. Many would say they don’t accept simultaneous submissions, meaning they don’t want to spend any time reading your submission if it’s submitted anywhere else. If they like it but you are already talking to another publisher, they’ve wasted some of their time reading your work. Problem with that is they’ll sometimes take six months to get back to you. Let’s say 1) they all did that, 2) you cooperated, and 3) you got picked up on the sixth publisher. You’ve just thrown three years down the drain. The process is a lot of waiting and not taking it personally, because most publishers want something so specific you’d almost have to write a book just for them. And they get so many submissions a day it’s actually very professional and courteous that the majority of them do reply even to turn you down. It’s also great that most accept online submissions, because if they wanted an entire manuscript via postal mail, it could run you over $20 per attempt. For me, a first time author, I felt pretty fortunate that it only took a little over six months to find a publisher.

Holly: Do you have any plans for another novel, in 2012 maybe?

Clinton Festa: Not right now. I have to focus on marketing the first book, but I do have pages and pages of notes for a sequel. In the meantime I’m posting fables occasionally on my website, ancientcanada.com. I figure any good ancient world would have its fables.

Holly: Where can we purchase Ancient Canada?

Clinton Festa: Here’s the main link to most of the purchasing links: http://ancientcanada.com/Ancient_Canada/Purchase.html. You can buy it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from SynergEbooks’ website http://synergebooks.com/, among many other places. Currently it’s available as an e-book only, but should be in print fairly soon. The nice thing about e-books is that Ancient Canada shouldn’t cost you more than $8.50 USD. Part of that is the conversion rate right now. The Ancient Canadian ‘tile’ really tanked after all they went through in Chapter 19.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Clinton Festa: Email Marigold! Ancient Canada is a book where you can actually speak with the lead narrator at askmarigold@ancientcanada.com. It’s me writing of course, but I respond in character. It’s no sillier than posing for a picture with a six-foot mouse or duck at America’s favorite theme park. But you can ask Marigold serious questions, like, “Shouldn’t there be snow in Ancient Canada?”

Holly: When writing your novel, do you think you learned anything about yourself, maybe that you did not know before hand?

Clinton Festa: Yes. I discovered that I can write as well at 3am on my home computer as I can at 3pm on my work computer. Seriously though, I’m joking. I didn’t really do that I work. I was always gone by 3pm.

Books by Clinton Festa
Ancient Canada

Find Clinton at: His Website

AOTW- Aric Davis

2012-02-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Aric Davis

About the Author:

Aric Davis is married with one daughter and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he has worked for the past fourteen years as a body piercer. A punk rock aficionado, Davis does anything he can to increase awareness of a good band. He likes weather cold enough to need a sweatshirt but not a coat, and friends who wear their hearts on their sleeves. In addition to reading and writing, he also enjoy roller coasters and hockey.

Interview with Aric Davis

Aric Davis is author of, From Ashes Rise, Nickel Plated and A Good and Useful Hurt.

Holly: Hi Aric! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Aric Davis: I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and live with my wife and daughter. I have worked for the last sixteen years a body piercer, and I'm covered in tattoos and have huge ear piercings. Also, I'm obsessed with roller coasters, and my family spends a great deal of our summers riding them.

Holly: Why Mystery & Thrillers?

Aric Davis: The old saying is, "write what you know." What should be an old saying is, "write about what you like to read." I love mysteries, thrillers, and horror novels. I won't say that I always have, but I will say that I spent a fair amount of time perusing Encyclopedia Brown novels at the library, and things took a dark turn soon afterwards.

Holly: You published your first work in 2008 called From Ashes Rise. From what I understand it is set in 2012. I have to ask—now that it is 2012, do you find it, weird, that you wrote the book years ago, set now?

Aric Davis: It's a little weird, but at the same time we're three years from 2015, and I still don't have a hoverboard, not to mention the non-existent Jaws sequels. I was right on a few of the story elements in From Ashes Rise, and wrong on a few as well. The U.S. did elect a Democrat for the presidency, and little changed in the way the US government operated, despite promises to the contrary. Aside from that, I imagined a war that was still ongoing, and a country that was a train wreck financially as well as domestically. What got my story going was a government draft. I'm happy to be wrong on that count.

All that said, Ashes was not meant to be a political novel, it was a book about a man forced to walk through a secessionist Michigan, and the many adventures that find him on his journey.

Holly: Can you tell us a little about your novel Nickel Plated?

Aric Davis: "Nickel Plated" is about a twelve year old boy who works as a private detective, but he's not one of the Hardy Boys. Nickel, the protagonist, is a deeply damaged sexual abuse survivor who will do anything to help a child at risk, even putting his own life on the line. Nickel is fun, scary, and a little bit ridiculous. I'm incredibly proud of being a part of publishing it.

Holly: What was your inspiration for this novel?

Aric Davis: There are two answers for this question. The first is that "Nickel Plated" was written as a YA novel heavily influenced by the work of Andrew Vachss, one of our greatest living authors, and his wonderful "Burke" series.

The second is that in July of 2009, three of my extended family members were killed by a drunk driver. I poured my guts into the laptop, not as a means of creation, but escape. When the dust cleared, my damaged imaginary friend had walked into hell, and came out still breathing.

Holly: You have a new novel called, A Good and Useful Hurt that is expected February 21^st this year. Can you tell us a little bit about this novel and its characters?

Aric Davis: "A Good and Useful Hurt" has a protagonist in tattooist Mike, who meets and hires sarcastic body piercer Deb, and the two of them slowly fall for one another, never realizing that tragedy awaits them. Along with this central tale, readers will get an inside look at the real workings of a tattoo shop, and be made to endure some pretty horrific situations. It has a supernatural element to it as well, but I feel the reader would do best to experience that on their own.

Holly: Do you have any plans for more works in 2012?

Aric Davis: My most recently completed manuscript, "Blood Caked Bones" was finished last October, and has been submitted to my publisher. It is a very different manuscript than any of my recent work, and is about an alternate history United States, and a second civil war that begins at the start of the 20th century. I very much doubt that even if it were accepted it would see publication in 2012, but I do have high hopes for it in the future.

Holly: Are you perhaps working on anything at the moment?

Aric Davis: I am focused currently on short fiction and promotional work for "A Good and Useful Hurt." For me, it is much easier to begin work on a new piece of long fiction after I know the status of my last completed work, so until "Blood Caked Bones" is either given a go ahead or set aside, I will remain dormant. New short fiction can be found at The Five Hundred, a flash fiction collective that I belong to.

Holly: Where can we purchase your works?

Aric Davis: Amazon.com will likely be the easiest place for readers to find them, and both "A Good and Useful Hurt" and "Nickel Plated" are available in both print and ebook editions. Additionally, "A Good and Useful Hurt" is available in audio book format, and is read by super-awesome Luke Daniels.

"From Ashes Rise" will be a harder proposition. Before the release of "Nickel Plated" I decided to take "Ashes" out of print, mostly because it was not edited professionally. As proud as I am of the story, the editing and even the writing is quite embarrassing in places. Perhaps it will see an edit someday, but it is currently not one of my priorities.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to readers?

Aric Davis: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I could type that a thousand times and it still wouldn't cover it. I came to writing from a deep love of reading, and am extremely grateful to be able to be published, and have my work read by so many people. I still feel the need to pinch myself occasionally, and have long ago given up on the idea that this will ever feel all the way real.

Holly: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Aric Davis: That I could write a book at all was far and away the most surprising thing for me. I always loved reading, but I hated high school, and dropped out of college after just a few months. Teaching myself to write was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but there wasn't a single moment of work or drop of sweat that wasn't 100% worth it. I took the long way to get to the dance, but they still let me in, eventually.

Books by Aric Davis
From Ashes Rise: A Novel of Michigan
Nickel Plated
A Good and Useful Hurt

Awards/Recognitions:
- NICKEL PLATED received a starred review from Booklist:
Nickel is a 12-year-old abuse survivor living all alone in suburban Michigan. He sells marijuana and blackmails Internet pedophiles in order to fund his real profession: clandestine detective, complete with night-vision goggles, camouflage jumpsuits, a getaway bicycle, and some not-bad jujitsu skills. Most pressing among his current caseload is the pro bono mystery of an abducted little girl. She’s probably dead, but Nickel is determined to find out who did it anyway—and it doesn’t hurt that his client, the girl’s older sister, is one heck of a dame (“It was awful to see her go but nice to watch her leave”). Writing with a deaf ear to what’s fashionable in YA, Davis’ terseness initially comes off like hardboiled spoof and risks alienating readers with its steadfastly unemotional tone. Almost slyly, though, Nickel’s one-note voice becomes affecting; read between the lines and you’ll find a damaged kid whose defense mechanism is to be a crime-fighting robot. As dark as they get, Nickel’s travails are often laugh-out-loud funny: he’s got his plan, and he’s sticking to it. Readers will, too, right through the pulse-pounding climax and the crushingly offhand sadness of the denouement. Davis hits hard—but with a surprisingly light touch. — Daniel Kraus

-Amazon Exclusive, Gillian Flynn gave NICKEL PLATED a fabulous review:
Every so often you come across a book with a voice like a blast of pure oxygen. Aric Davis has that kind of voice: crackling, assured, energized. With Nickel Plated, he introduces an utterly unique character, 12-year-old Nickel, a former abused foster child, current runaway, and future force to be reckoned with (not that he isn’t already) with a keen brain, sharp sense of humor and hard-boiled self-awareness. Sworn never to return to foster care, Nickel supports himself by dealing pot, blackmailing online pedophiles, and taking on PI jobs, particularly anything involving a child in need. When pretty Arrow asks him to find her missing little sister, Nickel’s investigation uncovers a nasty corner of the suburbs involved in child trafficking. This is a dark but humane, chilling and sometimes heart-breaking work of noir, a reminder that children are vulnerable but also resilient, tough and resourceful. Davis takes on some very mature themes but never loses sight of the damaged but determined heart in his young narrator. Here is a character who demands a series, from a writer who will shake you wide awake. --Gillian Flynn

Find Aric at: His Website | Goodreads

Buy A Good and Useful Hurt at: Amazon

Aric Davis has offered to giveaway one (1) copy of his book, A Good and Useful Hurt!

All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

**Just sign in via Facebook or with your name and email, and click 'DO IT!' --Green Button-- read the instructions/directions of the entry well please, complete it and then click 'Enter'.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AOTW- Shelly Crane

2012-02-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

Shelly Crane

About the Author:

"Shelly is a YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born."

Interview with Shelly Crane

Shelly Crane is author of The Significance Series, Collide Series, Devour Series and The Stealing Grace Series.

Holly: Hi Shelly! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Shelly Crane: I'm a YA author of three series at the moment. I'm a stay at home mom and I love to read as much as I love to write.

Holly: You said you hated reading until you picked up a book in December 2009—and then started writing when you could not find anymore books to read. What was that book convinced you to start reading in ’09 and do you remember what you first started writing about?

Shelly Crane: The first book I ever picked up was the Twilight series. After watching the movies I had to see what happened next. Then the Mortal instruments series, then the Vampire Academy series. I started writing when I couldn't find anything else I wanted to read.

Holly: Has what you wrote then and what you have published now changed much in type, feel, etc?

Shelly Crane: Um, I don't think so. For me it feels the same. I still write the stories that I'd want to read. That won't change.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your first two novels in the Colide series, Collide and Uprising—and a little about the series in general?

Shelly Crane: Collide and Uprising are about Sherry. The world has been invaded by unknown 'beings' and her and her brother have to fend for themselves after their parents leave them. Merrick, one of the good guys, who is also Sherry's brother's guardian, comes down to earth to save them. Unfortunately, the body he lands in happens to belong to Sherry's abusive ex-boyfriend. But he's in love with her and she doesn't know it. He's watched her almost her whole life and doesn't know what to do now that he's there. And so the drama ensues :) They find lots of stragglers along the way and have to hide out underground.

Holly: You have another series called The Devoured, the second of which is set to come out this year. Can you tell us a little bit about Clara and this mysterious Eli?

Shelly Crane: Well, Clara is a popular girl who has all the things most girls want in high school; a wrestler boyfriend, on the spirit squad, popular friends. But her parents died and she begins to question it all. When a guy, Eli, comes to town and her boyfriend, Tate, starts to show signs of being abusive and possessive, she starts to open her eyes and see her world for what it really is. She can no longer sit by and watch her friends bully others and she can't pretend in her relationship with Tate anymore. And Eli is conveniently the catalyst for all this and is all too happy to be the shoulder Clara needs.

Holly: Do you think you will move to writing in other genres?

Shelly Crane: I have one adult book out now, Stealing Grace, but I don't think I'll write another one outside that series. Not that I didn't enjoy it, I just am way more comfortable in YA. That may change, you just never know.

Holly: Your Significance Series also has a new book coming out this year called Defiance in which we pick up again with Maggie and Caleb’s tale. I have to ask, who does your cover art?

Shelly Crane: I do all of my own covers with a little help sometimes to tweak it sometimes if needed. :)

Holly: What was your inspiration for the Significance series?

Shelly Crane: When I sit down to write that book, I thought about what I would love to happen to me. My other book, Collide, was dark and dangerous and I wanted something a little lighter that could make me feel giddy.

Holly: Which comes first for you when starting a new book/series—the character(s), plot setting or something else?

Shelly Crane: Honestly, just a thought or one plot line. For instance, for Significance, I started with two characters that I knew I wanted them to touch and fall in love. I didn't know what they were going to be named, or what the process was going be called (Imprinting) or the family members, nothing. I don't do plotting or outlines. I just sit down and write. It doesn't work for everyone but it's the only way I can write.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Shelly Crane: I freaking love you! You are the only reason I'm here right now. I feel so incredibly blessed and honored and blown away every day. By YOU! You rock my socks.

Holly: Has any new authors caught your attention lately, if so who?

Shelly Crane: Oh, yeah! I recently read a book by Quinn Loftis, Prince of Wolves, that is totally swoon worthy! Also, Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie will make you cry and laugh and then double swoon! Shannon Mcdermott, Nancy Straight and Alyssa Rose Ivy are some of the sweetest gals ever with yummy books as well!

Books by Shelly Crane

The Significance Series

#1: Significance

#2: Accordance

The Devoured Series
#1: Devour

The Collide Series #1: Collide
#2: Uprising
#3: Catalyst

The Stealing Grace Series
#1: Stealing Grace

Coming soon:

Defiance (Significance, #3)-- Expected Publication Date: May 2012Consume (The Devoured, #2))-- Expected Publication Date: 2012Taking Faith (Stealing Grace #2)-- Expected Publication Date: Summer\Fall 2012

Find Shelly Crane at: Her blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

This page will be on the Author of the Week blog permanently.

Shelly Crane has offered to giveaway 2 Kindle copies of Significance (Significance, #1)!

All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

**Just sign in via Facebook or with your name and email, and click 'DO IT!' --Green Button-- read the instructions/directions of the entry well please, complete it and then click 'Enter'.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AOTW- Emily Ward

2012-01-29T19:54:00.000-08:00

Emily Ward

About the Author:

Emily Ward is the author of Passages, Finding Fiona, and The Protectors series. One of her first stories featured a young girl whose doll came to life. The rest is history. She spent years writing mainly fanfiction (thank you, J.K. Rowling!), but has since ventured into originality. When it comes to fiction, she writes mainly young adult, contemporary, and fantasy. She also writes nonfiction, ranging from stories of her travels to thoughts on the Bible. Aside from writing, she loves reading, traveling, learning about God, sociology, religion, and Reeses sticks. Currently, she lives in Salem, Oregon with her husband Chris and their cats. Visit her website at http://emilyannward.com.

Interview with Emily Ward

Emily Ward is author of Promising Light and its three prequel novellas, Finding Fiona, and other novel(s), novella(s) and short story’s.

Holly: Hi, Emily! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Emily Ward: Sure! My name's Emily, I'm married, and my husband and I have two great cats. Right now, we live in Oregon, where we met and got married, but I've lived in Hawaii and a few towns in Colorado, as well. I can't really sit still. I like new places, meeting new people, traveling. I'm a bit of a chameleon. I blame it on my parents, who moved a lot for their jobs with the Salvation Army. I can blame my mom for obsession for writing, too! I've been writing stories since I was very young, and she has been nothing but encouraging. I've written a little bit of everything through the years, and I'm definitely still developing, but right now I write mostly fantasy, scifi, and young adult. Here and there, I also do nonfiction and mainstream, but spec fiction and YA is what I really love. When I'm not writing, I'm working on my Bachelor's for Sociology and Linguistics or volunteering around town or doing graphic and web design. Or house work, but not very often.

Holly: Do you remember how you first started writing when you were young?

Emily Ward: Yes, I do! I'm not sure how old I was, but I'm pretty sure my first story (on my own, not for school or anything) was about a doll that came to life, and the little girl who owned the doll. I wrote it in one of those black and white composition notebooks and showed it to my mom and my brother. I'm sure they were nice and supportive, but oddly the only response I really remember is my brother telling me that when someone new started speaking, I had to start a new paragraph. My mom probably still has that notebook somewhere. I wrote a lot of stories after that, most of them inspired by movies I'd seen or books I'd read. Diamond thieves, twins with secret powers, things like that.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about the first novel in your Protector series, Promising light?

Emily Ward: Promising Light is a fantasy novel about Grace, a young noble. She's in a secret relationship with another noble, Dar, but he leaves her soon after a mysterious man warns Grace about him and his family. She's soon kidnapped by Dar's family, and her questions are answered when she realizes they're shape changers. She's pulled into a struggle between the shape changers and a group of nobleman who call themselves the Protectors. The shape changers think she can break a curse set on their family, but Grace isn't sure whether to trust them. She wants to help, but she'd have to leave behind everything she's ever known. Not the snappiest description, but that's what the blurb is for! ;)

Holly: Your fantasy novel, Promising Light actually has three prequel novellas. Can you tell us a little bit about them and how they connect to the novel?

Emily Ward: Yes, definitely. The first, Shifting Light, takes place ten years before Promising Light; Fire and Light varies from eight to five years; and the last one, The End of Light, is two years earlier. They mainly focus on the beginning of the curse that has made the shape changers (also called Avialies) unable to have children, and how the Avialies react to it, particularly a group of teenagers and young adults. It involves some minor characters in Promising Light, such as Sashe, as well as major characters, such as Dar and Sierra. Shifting Light and Fire and Light are more YA Romance, but The End of Light has some very big events that affect the way things in Promising Light happen. I'm hoping that people who enjoy Promising Light will be able to learn a bit more about the characters through the novellas. But people who haven't read Promising Light would enjoy them, too, and will hopefully want to read on to see what happens!

Holly: Can you read Promising Light with out reading the novellas or would you recommend the novellas first to readers?

Emily Ward: No, you can read Promising Light first. In fact, if you read it first, you figure everything out about the shape changers and the Protectors at the same pace as Grace, the main character. If you read the novellas first, you'd know what Grace was looking for. At the same time, if you read Promising Light first, you'll know the outcome of some of the big conflicts in the novellas. I think it will be mostly up to personal preference. But I do recommend that the novellas are read in order, whether you're reading them before or after Promising Light.

Holly: You have another novel called Finding Fiona. Can you tell us a little bit about this novel and your inspiration for it?

Emily Ward: Yes, Finding Fiona YA scifi. It might be more of a novella at 45K words or 175 pages, but some people consider it too long for a novella. Anyways, Fiona loses her memory after a brutal attack. She has bits and pieces of her memory, but not enough to know what happened to her. Four months pass before she meets someone who claims to be from her past, then she finds out that the world actually thinks she's dead. This launches her journey to figure out what happened and how she escaped the men who killed her parents. The very basic ingredients actually came from a prompt: girl loses memory, someone finds her and says he's lucky he found her first because others are looking for her. And I took it and ran with it. I had to figure out what had happened to her and what she would do with that information. It was really fun to write.

Holly: Can we expect more works from you this year; are you perhaps in the works of anything at the moment?

Emily Ward: Yes, you should see Promising Light's sequel by the end of the year. I don't want to make any promises about when, but I'm about halfway through it right now and I hope it'll be up in the summer. Depending on how this book ends, there could be a third book in the series.

I'm also working on a fantasy novel called The Illusionist. Here's a rough blurb: Elliana has a secret. She can trick people's senses: make them see someone who's not there, taste food that doesn't exist, even feel things that are only in her head. She's determined to keep this secret and tries to live a normal life. Well, except for trying to dethrone an unjust king. She and the rest of the Council are trying to place someone new on the throne through the tournament that crowns the king every seven years, but they have to work through years of the king's blackmail, flattery, extortion, and bribes. When she realizes her powers could help them win, she has to choose who to help: the boy who's like her brother or the boy she's fallen in love with.

It's a very similar genre to Promising Light: fantasy romance that has a good/evil struggle but isn't on a "save the world" level. I've put it on hold for a bit for The Protectors series, but I've had a lot of fun with it so far and can't wait to finish it.

Holly: You have three collection novels, which I assume is the same as an anthology, short stories that have a common theme all by you? Did you set out to write the collections or did they just come together on there own?

Emily Ward: Passages and Beyond Home have stories and each are written by me. Love, Me (which should be released just a day after this interview posts!) is actually an anthology, so there are six other authors who have stories in the collection, too! As for my collections, they just came together on their own. Passages is seven different young adult stories I wrote, and I realized they'd make a good collection because they deal with similar subjects: romance, family, friends. Each one is pretty short, too, hardly over 3000 words. Beyond Home has three longer stories that deal mostly with people in their 20s (I think it's called "new adult"?). Each of the stories have travel involved: sisters going to the Grand Canyon after their dad dies; a woman reminiscing about a road trip she took with an ex; and a man going on a spontaneous trip to Hawaii with a runaway bride. It's funny how some themes reappear in my writing.

Holly: Where can we purchase your works at?

Emily Ward: My books are available pretty much everywhere: Amazon (my Author Central profile is http://amazon.com/author/emilyannward), Barnes and Noble, the iBookstore, and smaller retailers like Kobo, Sony, Diesel ebooks, and Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/emilyward). I sell the paperback of Finding Fiona on my website, too, and Promising Light's paperback will be for sale there once it's available.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Emily Ward: Thank you guys so much for reading! I appreciate every sale, every review, every read. It's amazing to think that people out there are actually reading and enjoying my books. So thank you!

Books by Emily Ward
The Protectors Series

#1: Promising Light

Prequel Novellas

#1: Shifting Light
#2: Frie and Light
#3: The End of Light

Single Title
Finding Fiona
Death of the Sun
Melanie's Secrets
Agape
The Prodigal Daughter
The Jensens
You Remember
Invisible Walls

Find Emily at: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Emily Ward has offered to giveaway two (2) eBook copies of Promising Light (The Protectors, #1)!

"Grace began a secret courtship with Dar for the thrill of doing something against her father, the king’s general. She hadn’t planned on falling in love with him. When Dar suddenly leaves her, she searches for answers, reluctant to let him go.

Everyone seems determined to keep the truth from her—until she’s kidnapped by Dar’s family. They’re shape changers who claim she can break a curse set on them ten years ago by the Protectors, a group of noblemen determined to stifle magic in the name of safety.

Torn between two worlds, Grace isn’t sure who to trust. If the curse endures, Dar’s family could die out forever. But to help them, she’ll have to leave behind everything she knows."

All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

**Just sign in via Facebook or with your name and email, and click 'DO IT!' --Green Button-- read the instructions/directions of the entry well please, complete it and then click 'Enter'.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AOTW- Jasmin Palo

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Jasmin Palo

About the Author:

Jasmin Palo, an avid reader and writer, is currently earning her doctoral degree in Molecular Biology at the University of Nevada Reno. She used her decade of expertise in the field of medical research to write the thrilling medical mystery 'Heart Attack'.

Interview with Jasmin Palo

Jasmin Palo is author of the novel Heart Attack.

Holly: From what I understand besides writing you are also earning your doctoral degree in Molecular Biology?

Jasmin Palo: Yes I am earning a PhD in molecular biology. This is where I got some of the plot for Heart Attack that involves some aspects of biotechnology.

Holly: Can you tell us a little about your novel, Heart Attack?

Jasmin Palo: Heart Attack is a cozy medical mystery novel that involves a pharmaceutical company called Witham. P.I Nathan Stone together with homicide detective Nicole Trent begin to investigate a homicide. They soon find out that people connected to Witham who have mysteriously died of heart failure may have been poisoned. I used my expertise in cloning and microbiology to write this book, letting my imagination do the rest.

Holly: Do you have any plans for another book or book(s) in 2012?

Jasmin Palo: I am hoping to write another book after I graduate later this year. Just as Heart Attack it would be a medical thriller.

Books by Jasmin Palo
Heart Attack

Find Jasmin at: Her Site | Goodreads |

Jasmin Palo has offered to giveaway an eBook copy of her novel Heart Attack to one lucky winner.

All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

**Just sign in via Facebook or with your name and email, and click 'DO IT!' --Green Button-- read the instructions/directions of the entry well please, complete it and then click 'Done'.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AOTW- Joann H. Buchanan

2012-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Joann H. Buchanan

About the Author:
The love of the written word is like a drug. A single thought can turn into miles across the ocean or a night in bed with someone you love. They are the very essence of my soul; I breathe them in everyday just to live. My heroes aren't the people who are rich and famous. They are the ones who aren't afraid to tattoo my heart with the words they write. The shadows between the pages are the undiscovered worlds and minds of the person who writes them.

Interview with Joann H. Buchanan

Joann H. Buchanan is author of I Am Wolf Book 1 of Children of Nox and Best selling novella Soulless Light.

Holly: Hello, Joann! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Joann H. Buchanan: Well, I’m a mom, radio show host, writer, Media Director of For You PR and well as you can see I do a lot. I love what I do though. :)

First I’m the mom of 5 beautiful children. Two are grown up and that leaves my daughters Sarah and Carolyne and my son Trystan. I also have an awesome fiancé named John. He is the single person who pushes me to keep going when I feel like giving up. This business can be hard, but it is so worth it.

My radio show is called The Eclectic Artist Cave and can be found on The Shark Radio Network and ZTalk Radio. It airs M-F at 11 AM EST. The show itself centers around the art of writing. I play music and have guests on that talk about their work and the art of writing. Every other Tuesday I have Jack Remick on and he talks about different writing techniques and styles. His teachings have made me grow as a writer. On Wednesday I do Writer Wed. I give a theme and people can send in a piece of flash fiction to be read on the air. The responses I get from this one are amazing. The talent blows my mind and I’m generally moved by the fact that I get to call these people friends.

I’m part owner of a PR company called For You PR. It’s a lot of fun and my partner Audrey Hamilton and I have tons of work to do on a daily basis.

Holly: Do you remember how and when you first began writing?

Joann H. Buchanan: When I was a kid, my parents would ground me, the only thing I was able to do was read or write. I would run out of books to read so I would write. I’m sure my parents did expect me to form a love of writing. I remember a few times I would upset them just so they would send me to my room so I could write without interruption. I was a closet writer from that time on.

Holly: Your first published work was, Soulless Light—can you tell us a little bit about this?

Joann H. Buchanan: A young love destroyed, an entire village murdered. The year, 1363-the plagued ravaged the land in every corner of Great Britain accept one lonely isle called The Isle of Ely. The bishop, sure the village had consorted with the devil sent his Templar Knights to investigate. Their hearts thirsted for blood. They killed every living person in the village. Julia's soul, so angered by the actions of the knights, is given a power in death she did not posses in life. She must decide if revenge is worth the price she will pay.

Holly: What was your inspiration for this novel?

Joann H. Buchanan: I watched a “B” movie about the Templar Knights and the atrocities they did. I thought too bad someone couldn’t give them a taste of their own medicine. That was the very beginning of the thought process. Then Masters of Horror was going to put together an anthology based on the theme, “undead” and the story fit. Unfortunately the book didn’t receive enough entries so it was squashed. Still I had this story I loved. It was the first time I had written in first person and I loved the way it turned out. So I decided to do something with it. I was going to try to self-pub it. I came upon World Castle Publishing and they took novellas. So I sent it in. I will never forget receiving the acceptance letter from them. :)

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your novel, I Am Wolf?

Joann H. Buchanan: I Am Wolf is book 1 in a series called Children of Nox.

Angel, hero, monster, devil--we all become what we really are. I Am Wolf --The journey of a boy about to become a man who inherits his ancestor's gift and must learn the right way to use it. He falls in love with Alaynee and begins to feel like he is normal again. When their world is shattered by the kidnapping of Alaynee's little brother, Jonah breaks the cardinal rule of his gift and bites the kidnapper, creating a creature called the unnatural. This sends him and all his friends on an adventure across the states to a place in Tennessee. There they find not only must they stop the unnatural creature, but they must save Cara--the girl the creature is after. Jonah must ask himself the most important question of all, would you sacrifice yourself to save another?

Holly: Which came first the plot or the characters?

Joann H. Buchanan: Neither, It was a single line I posted on FB.

I am part of Tibolt’s clan, a creature of the night. I wash myself in the shining sun and dance with joy in the glittering moonlight. I am loyal to a fault and sing in the midnight hours. I AM WOLF.
From there, the story grew into what it is today. I just instantly got lost in the world I created. I didn’t even know if I had anything until I was finished. I have 3 other books that are finished that will never see the light of day. So when I read through it, I was like wow, ok maybe this is one others would like.

Holly: Can we expect any more works for you this year; are you perhaps working on anything at the moment?

Joann H. Buchanan: Yes, Book 2 in the Children of Nox series is almost finished and ready to send off to World Castle Publishing. It’s called The Kiss—“What if” a single kiss could trap a soul?

I’m also working on a fantasy romance called Dragon’s Eye.

The last think I’m working on is Heartbeat, the story of a baby who is half angel. The story is told in first person through the eyes of her mom. It is about the love affair she has with Samuel and the lengths they go through to ensure Irulan’s safety.

Holly: Where can we purchase I Am Wolf?

Joann H. Buchanan: It’s out on Amazon and free for Kindle Prime members.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Joann H. Buchanan: I want to say thank you to all those who read my work. I’m blown away on a daily basis by those who send me messages in FB saying they loved my work, or that I inspired them to write.
I want to thank you Holly for having me on your blog. It’s such a beautiful page. :)

Also you can find me on twitter under JoannHBuchanan. Drop me a line on FB anytime. :)

Holly: Do you have an author who may have inspired you to write? If so, who?

Joann H. Buchanan: I have several. Stephen King and David B. Coe are huge inspirations in my life. I love their style and the way they are unpredictable. Each one leaves me either breathless or just scares the crap out of me. The emotions they evoke are on different levels because one is horror and the other is fantasy. Also I love R. A. Salvatore and his poetry in motion. There are really just too many.

Books by Joann H. Buchanan:
The Children of Nox Series:
#1: I Am Wolf

Single Titles:
Soulless Light

Coming Soon
The Kiss (Children of Nox #2)--Expected Publication Date: N/A

Find Joann H. Buchanan: at: Author Blog | Her Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

AOTW- Morrigan Michele

2012-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Morrigan Michele

About the Author:
Morrigan lives in a small town in the heart of Texas with her husband Robert and their daughter Brianna. She is also an ordained minister and is active in her community.
When she is not busy working on a book,she enjoys spending time with friends and family and she loves to shop. Morrigan and her sister Misty also hope to one day open a coffee
shop.

Books by Morrigan Michele and Misty Carmony
Blood and Magick #1: Betrayed

Coming Soon
Immortal Lineage (Blood and Magick #2) by Morrigan Michele and Misty Carmony--Expected Publication Date: N/A

Find Morrigan Michele at: Her Blog | Her Book Site | Novel Facebook | Author Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blood and Magick site

AOTW- Charlotte Blackwell

2012-01-01T22:46:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Blackwell

About the Author:

Charlotte Blackwell author of The Embrace Series is delighted to have the opportunity to follow her dreams of writing. She would love to share a little bit about her self with you now.

Charlotte was born in October of 1976. On the day of her birth Charlotte's father was racing stock cars, while her two older sister's watched from the stands as their father crashed through the wall of the race track. Within moments the stock car he was driving came back through the wall, and he won the race. He took his two daughters and hurried to the hospital for the birth of his third daughter, Charlotte.

Raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Charlotte enjoyed swimming, singing (although not so great at it) and writing her thoughts down. She never shared her passion for writing with anyone, and it got...Read full bio here.

Interview with Charlotte Blackwell

Charlotte Blackwell is author of the Embrace series.

Holly: Hi Charlotte! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Charlotte Blackwell: I’m a mother two three amazing children. For the past six years, I’ve been a stay at home mom to them. Now my youngest has started school and my oldest (who is homeschooled) enters High school next year, Wow that makes me feel old (haha). I love life, family and friends and am so glad to share little bits of that with others now.

Holly: Do you remember how and when you first began writing?

Charlotte Blackwell: It really wasn’t that long ago when I began write professionally. I started writing Immortal Embrace in November/December 2009. In the spring of 2010 I began writing various articles and became a contributor for Yahoo and other sites. I even began getting paid. It was great. Before that any writing I did was just letters and notes for myself to express my feelings. As a kid I tried writing songs, but sucked!

Holly: Can you tell us a little about the first novel in the Embrace series, Immortal Embrace?

Charlotte Blackwell: Immortal Embrace is where it all starts and the reader gets to know the characters. It builds the setting for the rest of the series. There’s a few exciting parts and a lot of relationship building. Readers of Twilight will really enjoy this book and relate to it.

Holly: What was your original inspiration for this novel?

Charlotte Blackwell: My children are the inspiration for it. Sophia the lead character is based of both myself and my eldest daughter. Sophia is fairly insecure and soon learns to come out of her shell and believe in herself more and more. I hope to get the message to my daughter and others like her that it’s okay to allow others in. Sometimes it’s difficult making new friends, but if you don’t give others a chance to like you for who you are, you could miss out on some really amazing friends.

Holly: Did it start off as the idea for a series or just the first novel Immortal Embrace?

Charlotte Blackwell: I always wanted it to be a series. Although I was never sure if I could pull it off. Immortal Embrace originally had about a quarter of Forbidden Embrace in it as well. I later decided to split it up and separate the story a little more. Each book continues where the last one left off, but have their own separate identity and plot.

Holly: Forbidden Embrace again follows Sophia Pierce and her story can you tell us a bit about this novel?

Charlotte Blackwell: As I said the first book we get to know the characters, but in book 2 a lot more happens. There’s action and romance and we really see Sophia’s relationship forge strong connections. We even learn why some of the characters are they way they are.

Holly: In the newest novel Mystic Embrace we follow Ebony Triggs. Can you tell a little about this novel and why the series has suddenly switched to a different character focus?

Charlotte Blackwell: Mystic Embrace is my favorite of the three so far. I decided to switch POV’s because Ebony really had a story that needed to be told. It still follows the rest of the series and characters, but we learn a lot more about Sophia’s best friend. She has had a hard life, and things don’t get any easier for her. So much happens in this book, and I was even surprised at some of the developments of it. It was fun writing Ebony’s story, but book four does return to Sophia’s POV.

Holly: Was the change of focus to Ebony planned or did it play out on its own?

Charlotte Blackwell: I actually wrote Mystic Embrace before I finished Forbidden Embrace. I knew Ebony would have a lot happening and it wouldn`t be fair to her if Sophia told it.

Holly: Do you plan a fourth book in this series?

Charlotte Blackwell: As I mentioned book four returns to Sophia`s POV, it is almost complete and called Everlasting Embrace. In this book we meet even more characters and even see another story play out.

Holly: Do you think you will move into other genre(s) writing wise in the future?

Charlotte Blackwell: I do have a contemporary romance for adults in the works, but had to put it to the side. I have some really amazing fans that want more of the Embrace Series. I`ve been averaging a new book in the series every few months. It`s been hard and rewarding at the same time. Once book four is done, I plan to finish my romance before returning to the Embrace Series. I also have some plans for amazing sci-fi books. I hope to begin work on soon too.

Holly: Are you perhaps working on anything at the moment?

Charlotte Blackwell: For the time being it is Everlasting Embrace, but will return to the others when I take a little break.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Charlotte Blackwell: I love my readers. They are so supportive and understanding, I wouldn`t still be writing if it wasn`t for them. So thank you.

Holly: Can you tell us about some of the items in your shop, Embraced With Love?

Charlotte Blackwell: Everyone loves to have the chance to get merchandise related to the books or films they love. I created a very simple shop that includes my tag lines, covers and even the Magnificent Ones, triquetra from the book of shadows. I thought it would be fun to have anything you wanted. I was able to set the prices and decided I didn`t want a huge mark-up. (some of the items are expensive enough). I didn`t open the shop to make money, I did it so fans could have Embrace merchandise. I`ve even ordered the teddy bear for a little girl I heard about, that was going in to surgery and needed a little something to cuddle.

Thank you for having me on the blog, Holly!

Holly: Thank you for being here, Charlotte! :)

Books by Charlotte Blackwell
Embrace Series
#1: Immortal Embrace
#2: Forbidden Embrace
#3: Mystic Embrace

Coming Soon
Everlasting Embrace (Embrace #4)--Expected Publication Date: January 2012
The Embrace Series companion book--Expected Publication Date: N/A

Find Charlotte at: Her Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Embraced With Love Store

AOTW- Angela Corbett

2011-12-26T01:10:00.000-08:00

Angela Corbett

About the Author:

Angela Corbett graduated from Westminster College with a double major in communication and sociology. She started working as a reporter for her local newspaper when she was sixteen and won awards for feature, news, and editorial writing. She has also done freelance writing. In addition to writing, she works as a director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, and listening to U2. She lives in Utah with her extremely supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fangirls could rival Justin Bieber's.

Interview with Angela Corbett

Angela Corbett is author of the new novel Eternal Starling that has been hailed as “..An amazing debut..” —Jennifer Murgia, author of Angel Star and Lemniscate And “..filled with a unique mythology, breathtaking romance, and two drool-worthy men.” —Lani Woodland, author of Intrinsical and Indelible

Holly: Hi Angela and thank you for being here! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Angela Corbett: Hi Holly! Thanks for having me! I'm a vegetarian, my favorite holiday is Halloween, and in junior high, my mom made me wear a bright pink bunny costume complete with a giant bunny head in the town Christmas parade. My crush was riding in the caroling sleigh behind me, watching my bunny tail the whole way down Main Street. I've never forgiven her.

Holly: When and how did your interest in writing begin?

Angela Corbett: I started writing poetry in elementary school and had my first poem published in a magazine when I was 11. I wrote a lot of short stories when I was a teenager, then fell in love with journalism. I studied journalism in college and did some freelance writing, but a few years after college, I realized how much I missed writing fiction. When I got the idea for Eternal Starling, I knew being an author was what I wanted to do.

Holly: I was reading your fun facts on your site and I could not pass this up, do you mind if I ask why you became terrified of Dr. Who? (I am not judging mind you; that show scared the crap out of me when I was little as well! >.<)

Angela Corbett: LOL! No one has asked me this before! When I was 5, I saw an episode of Dr. Who that had a scary, giant, bigfoot-like creature with bright red eyes. It completely traumatized me. For a while, I was scared of the color red, then I was just scared of anything with red eyes. The theme music still haunts me, and I can’t watch the show.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your new novel Eternal Starling?

Angela Corbett: Evie Starling is a stubborn, independent girl who meets two guys who tell her they're her soul mates. She mostly thinks they're insane, but when things start happening that they seem to have answers to, she has to consider they might not be as nuts as she thought.

Holly: What was your inspiration for this novel?

Angela Corbett: I knew I wanted to write an eternal love story, but I wanted to create my own mythology and make it different than anything I’d read before. I saw a TV show about reincarnation and realized it would be perfect for the love story I wanted to write. Then one day I was driving in my car and heard Gavin Rossdale’s song, “Love Remains the Same” on the radio. Everything fell into place in my head and I started writing Eternal Starling that night!

Holly: Do you think you will move to writing in other genres?

Angela Corbett: I love writing YA, but I also enjoy writing mysteries. I can guarantee that anything I write will always have romance though.

Holly: Do you have any plans for another book or books in 2012?

Angela Corbett: I’m working on the second book in the Emblem of Eternity trilogy right now!

Holly: Where can we purchase your novel, Eternal Starling?

Angela Corbett: You can buy it on Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, and IndieBound.com

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Angela Corbett: Just that I’ve been overwhelmed by all the support and the people who have emailed to tell me they love Eternal Starling! Knowing people like the first book so much makes it a lot of fun to work on book 2. I really have the best fans in the world!

Holly: Are you reading any interesting books at the moment?

Angela Corbett: I’m about to start Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare and excited to read it!

Books by Angela Corbett

Eternal Starling

Find Angela at: Her Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

This page will be at the Author of the Week blog permanently.

Angela Corbett has offered to giveaway a signed bookplate, bookmark, and magnet. Open to US and Canada only.

"A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them.

Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.

For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn’t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren’t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war."

All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

**Just sign in via Facebook or with your name and email, and click DO IT! --Green Button-- read the instructions/directions of the entry well please, complete it and then click 'Done'.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AOTW- Lenore Wolfe

2011-12-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

Lenore Wolfe

About the Author:

Lenore grew up in Montana, and Alaska, and currently lives in central US. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, holds a BA in Sociology, from the University of Northern Colorado, with a minor in writing and is a student of the Shaman path.

Interview with Lenore Wolfe

Lenore Wolfe is author of a couple titles, to name a few; Dark Warrior: To Tame a Wild Hawk, Doorway to the Triquetra and The Fallen One.

Holly: Hello, Lenore and thank you for being here! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Lenore Wolfe: Well, I was born in Montana and grew up between there and Alaska. I’m the mother of four grown children, three boys and one girl. I have 3 granddaughters and 2 grandsons. LOL, I’m a very young grandmother.:) I have so blessed with such beautiful grandchildren. I’m a full time author, and I draw, paint and sculpt when I’m not writing.

Holly: Do you remember when and how your love for writing began?

Lenore Wolfe: Yes. I always loved historical romances, and I kept thinking I can do that. I wrote Dark Warrior in my twenties, and then sat on it for nearly 20 more years. I always had this burning drive inside of me. I kept thinking that I was supposed to be a writer, but I was busy raising kids, living on the mountain. And even when I got off the mountain, I went to college for 7 years. Yet the idea that I should be writing wouldn’t leave me alone. It was kind of torturous actually. I’m a very emotional, deep and passionate person, so it became my lifeline to journal.

Then one day I realized something. How could I tell my children to reach for their dreams if I wasn’t reaching for mine? How could they believe—if I didn’t?

So I went after my dreams.

I love to write, paint, draw and sculpt. And I love to sing and dance. So I have several books in the works. I’m going to sing some songs and put them on Youtube, just to fulfill that dream, LOL, not because I’m that great as singing. I’m releasing my site in a few months for my paintings. (I’m painting angels right now. I plan to paint faeries, and then paint Goddesses). And maybe I’ll try out for a fitness competition so I can dance….

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your first novel, and the first in the Dark Cloth series, a Historical Romance called Dark Warrior: To Tame a Wild Hawk?

Lenore Wolfe: Dark Warrior is about a boy named Hawk, who grew up knowing the betrayal of someone he should have been able to trust. And through that betrayal, he gained another very powerful enemy.

He shares mystical visions with a woman he has spent other lifetimes with. They are destined to spend this lifetime together, too, but his enemy, McCandle, has other plans. He has killed Mandy’s father, and is determined to force her into marriage, thereby gaining control of her father’s lands.

Holly: What was your inspiration for this novel and its characters?

Lenore Wolfe: My father was an old mountain man. He grew up around the old cowboys, the ones who didn’t appreciate all the change. He wrote a wonderful novel, Kootenai Charlie, during the time I was writing Dark Warrior. I’d like to think I inspired him to do so, but, however he came about it, it shows his love for the land, the mountains and the Wild West. He instilled this love in me.

So it was the combination of my love for historical romance and the old stories of the west that inspired me to write To Tame a Wild Hawk. I later dubbed it, Dark Warrior.

Holly: Do you have plans for a second novel in this series anytime in the immediate future?

Lenore Wolfe: Yes. I plan to write Jake’s story, White Wolf’s story and Cord’s story.

Holly: Your second novel, Doorway to the Triquetra is an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance and the first book in your Children of Atlantis Series. Can you tell us a little about this novel and the world you have created?

Lenore Wolfe: I’ve always loved Native American lore. I’m a student of old shaman beliefs and some pagan traditions too. These inspired the idea behind Doorway of the Triquetra. In Ireland and Scotland, etc, there is still a very real belief in the Fae. We’ve lost a lot of these stories, but they are very much alive in some places. So I took the ideas of the old folklore and brought them to life.

Holly: Historical Romance to Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance is kind of a big change, was it just that this novel went in a new direction or did you set out to writing an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance?

Lenore Wolfe: I wanted to intertwine the old folklore into our modern culture, because we’ve lost a lot of our belief in a spirit world. It was still very much alive in our grandparents, so I had to take it all the way to the modern day era.

Holly: When do you expect book two will be published?

Lenore Wolfe: I’m hoping to publish the second book, Jaguar Witch, in the early spring.

Holly: You have a new book scheduled for publication this coming January called, The Fallen One, a new book in your Son of the Dark Mother series, which is a sister series of your Children of Atlantis. Can you tell us a little bit about this book?

Lenore Wolfe: Justice and Jes are both members of an ancient race of the Jaguar People. Justice, and his sisters, grew up preparing for a war, foretold by an ancient prophesy. This war would tell the future of mankind, but it would also tell the future of the other races who live on this earth, the ones with whom the human race is oblivious.

This war is a war between the old factions of vampires and the new ones who simply want the power to rule and dominate. But it is also a war with whom a very old and evil power has been setting up for the past several hundred years, perhaps even much longer. They have been slowly setting people into position, but since the human race dies off so quickly, they do not see the subtle changes taking place, changes that are placing these evil beings into position to take power.

The old races live much longer, so they have been preparing for such a war. If they lose, everything on Earth, as we know it, will change. The humans will become the livestock to a whole other race—a race who lives right here on earth and other races will become their slaves.

The prophesy must be fulfilled….through four dark princes who must save mankind.

Holly: Which came first to you, the character(s), plot idea or other?

Lenore Wolfe: The characters. LOL, I have never liked vampire novels, until this novel. This one actually inspired me to read some others. I started out to write about a member of the Jaguar People who was forced to change too early, and the next thing I know Dracon is introducing himself to the story.

I don’t like war, and the next thing I know, I have whole factions of Jaguar People and old Vamps, going to war with rogue vampires. <grin> It’s amazing where these stories take you. I write just to see what happens next.:)

Holly: Your books are published by Triquetra Press Publications. Can you tell us a little bit about Triquetra Press Publications?

Lenore Wolfe: I do run it. I am hoping that as I get to know more and more about the publishing industry, and hopefully make my books be successful, that I will be able to help other Indie authors to become successful too. J

Holly: Can we expect anymore works from you in the coming year?

Lenore Wolfe: I have a very young adult series, The Realm of the Elemental Witch, and The Realm of the Jaguar Witch, coming out this spring. The first book is from the Realm of the Elemental Witch, is called Fire Sprite. Water Sprite will be released later in the spring.

I will also be releasing the 2^nd book of the Sons of the Dark Mother, Embraced by Shadow in the late spring or early summer. This book is about Dracon’s story. And somewhere in the early spring I will release the 2^nd book of The Children of Atlantis, Jaguar Witch.

Holly: Are you perhaps working on anything at the moment?

Lenore Wolfe: Yes. I’m working on my own story which will fall under four books of the series, Her Broken Wings Could Fly, and as soon as I release The Fallen One, I’ll start working on Fire Sprite and Jaguar Witch.:)

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Lenore Wolfe: Never give up on your dreams, whatever they are. When you stop dreaming, you die inside, and then your body follows. And never stop believing.

Holly: Do you think any authors have influenced you or your writing style? If so who and why?

Lenore Wolfe: Johanna Lindsay influenced my historical romance tremendously. Her men were just so hot.:) But I seem to be a world upon myself with the paranormal fantasy/dark fantasy. They even have quite a bit of paranormal romance in them. I’d have to say the largest influence in these is the idea of the spirit world, the idea of all the old fairy tales, all over the earth, and where they all came from, and the idea that we might be very arrogant to always believe we are the only race in existence.

From there I just ask, what if?

Books by Lenore Wolfe
Dark Warrior
Doorway to the Triquetra

Coming Soon
The Fallen One (Son of the Dark Mother #1)--Expected Publication Date: January 2012

Triquetra Doorway (A Realm of the Jaguar Witch novel)--Expected Publication Date: January 2012

Fire Sprite ( A Realm of the Elemental Witch Novel)--Expected Publication Date: February 8, 2012

Water Sprite ( A Realm of the Elemental Witch Novel)--Expected Publication Date: May 2, 2012
Her Broken Wings--Expected Publication Date: Spring 2012

Find Lenore:
Goodreads | Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Lenore Wolfe has offered to giveaway one eBook copy of her novel Doorway of the Triquetra and two eBook copies of her up-coming release The Fallen One, A Son of the Dark Mother Novel!

Book Descrption:

Through the ancient power of the medallion, the Triquetra, Mira is the next Jaguar Witch, bound by the blood of the Jaguar to cross the doorway and learn the Way of the Stone. She must find the Doorway of the Triquetra, but each move she makes only leads her to a deeper mystery, where all of her past lives are bound--to four immortal men.

Book Descrption:

An ancient race and a prophesy fortells of four dark princes, the sons of the dark mother, who will rise up with a nation of old vamps to stop the rogue factions from ruling over mankind. Justice is the first in that prophesy, from the ancient Jaguar People. He is the Prince of Fire. Jess is one of the three sisters of the Jaguar witches who must help him to stop these factions of rogue vamps--or none of their lives will ever be the same.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AOTW- Larry Kahn

2011-12-12T00:25:00.001-08:00

Larry Kahn

About the Author:
Larry Kahn, the author of The Jinx and King of Paine, successfully negotiated the fast-paced world of domestic and international mergers and acquisitions for twenty years, first at a major New York law firm and then at an Atlanta Fortune 500 company. He penned The Jinx while on sabbatical in 1999 and is now devoted to writing fiction full time. Many of his more cynical legal clients and associates have accused him of writing fiction full time for many years. He resides in Atlanta with his family.

Larry developed a keen interest in social issues while attending Yale Law School, an idealistic spirit that continues to spice his novels. The vision of a colorblind America in his political thriller The Jinx led to endorsements by leaders of the ACLU, National Urban League and Artists Against Racism. And as the Baby Boomer generation scatters about the country, King of Paine envisions a renewed emphasis on family and tradition in which Americans create for their venerable elders, and ultimately themselves, a peaceful place to die.

Website and blog: http://www.larrykahn.com/

Interview with Larry Kahn

Larry Kahn is the author of The Jinx and King of Paine.

Holly: Hello Larry! Would you care to tell us a little bit about yourself?

Larry Kahn: I'm a thriller/suspense writer who spent 20 years masquerading as an attorney. Remnants from those two decades of "research" tend to show up in my novels. I live in suburban Atlanta with my wife and have two sons graduating Georgia State University this spring.

Holly: How and when did you start writing?

Larry Kahn: I wrote for my college newspaper, the Albany Student Press, and took a writing class every year. After law school, I limited myself mostly to legal writing--mergers and acquisitions work can be demanding--but I was always scribbling notes for my novel on little scraps of paper, dreaming.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your first novel The Jinx?

Larry Kahn: A young estate lawyer discovers a cryptic poem among his murdered client's possessions that hints at a 160-year vendetta against the American presidency. His skepticism wanes when he discovers an unusual phenomenon--the presidents elected every twenty years from 1840 through 1960 died in office, and Ronald Reagan barely survived an assassination attempt. His perilous journey leads him to the answer to his question: is the poem merely a dead man's wacky conspiracy theory or is a powerful cabal primed to claim the White House as vengeance for their ancestor’s death?

Holly: What was your inspiration for this novel?

Larry Kahn: My high school Civics teacher joked about the "20-Year Jinx" as the 1980 presidential campaign approached. It intrigued me, and when President Reagan was shot in 1981 the notion of a multi-generational conspiracy took root in my mind. I finally wrote the novel while on sabbatical in 1998-1999 so that it could be published before the 2000 presidential election.

Holly: Which came first the plot or the characters?

Larry Kahn: While my characters drove the plot forward as I wrote, I formulated the central ideas for the plot before the characters were cast. I searched for a protagonist who could unearth the conspiracy in a natural manner, without relying on coincidence, yet still a rare enough occurrence to explain why nobody else had ever stumbled upon it. When a raw trusts & estates lawyer, Benjamin Franklin Kravner, interviewed for the role, I knew his rookie mistake would lead to discovery of the critical clue among a dead client's sealed papers.

Holly: Is The Jinx the first full length novel you wrote or just the first to be published?

Larry Kahn: It was the first novel. Several prior works of fiction remain unpublished and are stamped "Legal Memorandum."

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your novel that was released in July this year, King of Paine?

Larry Kahn: King of Paine is a sexy, fast-paced suspense novel filled with characters who grapple with a range of intriguing end-of-life issues while everything they care about is at stake. The story follows two investigations, Special Agent Frank Paine's pursuit of a stalker committing a series of kinky Internet crimes and a reporter tracking the disappearance of wealthy senior citizens across the nation. Both paths lead to a hidden enclave where a brilliant biochemist harbors a deadly secret. Somebody is going to die there, and it may be Frank Paine's soulmate. Or him.

Excerpt

Frank tried to maintain calm, no easy feat for a control freak threatened by imminent destruction of a vital organ. He could handle a robbery. Everybody knew their roles. The thief waves the gun menacingly, takes the money, runs. The tough-guy victim stays cool, studies the perp’s face for later retribution, hands over his wallet with a defiant sneer. Nobody gets hurt. Egos remain more or less intact.

But now, unfamiliar with the ethos of the deep South, a series of dark questions reeled through his mind. How does a redneck obtain satisfaction for the sexual humiliation of his baby “sistuh”? Dueling banjos at dusk? A catfish eatin’ contest? Frank shook off the impulse to ask, “Is that a gun jabbed in my back or are you just glad to see me?” Midtown Atlanta wasn’t north Georgia mountain country, but no point inviting a Deliverance moment for the sake of one last irreverent wisecrack.

He recalled Jolynn had two older brothers, a lawyer and a construction worker. He hoped providence dealt him the lawyer. They tended to think through consequences and were less likely to act impulsively on pure emotion.

“You Josh or Zack?” Frank asked. “I’m with the FBI now. Check my ID. Inside coat pocket. Assaulting a federal officer is a felony.”

“Dang, a felony.”

A denim-clad left arm swung around Frank’s body and patted him down, leaving the credentials but lifting his gun from its holster. Then the force was withdrawn from his kidney, and a metal pipe clattered to the ground a few yards behind them.

“We’re pourin’ concrete tomorrow at a site ’bout a mile down West Peachtree. Don’t reckon it’s a felony if they never find a body. Any last words, movie star?”

Frank cursed his bad fortune. The construction worker, Zack. So this is how the movie ends. A scriptwriter might find something right, almost poetic, about his death at the hands of Jolynn’s surrogate, but he preferred a less dramatic way to fix the heart he had broken.

But how should he play it? He recalled Woody Woodbridge’s advice in the hallway at the Four Seasons. Slow everything down in your mind.

He sucked in a deep breath, thought about his opponent, how he might react to various strategies. The man built shit with his hands, danced on steel girders hundreds of feet above the city without a net. A mental image of Lee Fields added his two cents. Play it tough, Frankie Boy. Earn his respect.

He clenched his fist. “Tell Jo I always—”

He whirled and landed a roundhouse to the ribs. “—loved her.”

Hand stinging, Frank bounced on his toes like a boxer, poised to deliver another blow if Zack wanted to duke it out. The big guy’s surprise showed in his blue eyes, the only feature he shared with his kid sister. He looked like a denim gorilla. An angry denim gorilla with a forty-five caliber, FBI-issued Glock.

Frank recalled the famous scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where an Arabian swordsman dazzles Indiana Jones with his ferocious blade work until Harrison draws his pistol and slays him with a smirk and a single shot. Maybe we should’ve thought this plan all the way through, old man. His mental image of Lee Fields shrugged. That’s why we have rewrites, Frankie Boy.

As Zack raised the gun, Frank braced for a bullet to the head, jaw thrust out, eyes unflinching. If he was going to die, it would be like a man. Like Travolta taking a cruise missile in the chest in Broken Arrow, the only decent piece of work that screwball Scientologist ever shot.

Frank stared down the barrel of the gun, breathing hard, sweat drenching his underarms. If the bastard didn’t shoot soon, he thought his heart might explode first. “Do it!” he shouted. “Kill me if you think it’ll fix Jo!”

Holly: How did you come up with the idea for the plot and characters featured in this novel?

Larry Kahn: I could write an entire guest post on my inspirations for the plot. In fact, I did, and it will appear on CMash Loves to Read next Monday, December 19th. I can tell you an interesting bit of gossip about the characters. Frank Paine was not originally cast as the protagonist. The book was originally entitled Come Into My Web and featured the hero from The Jinx, Ben Kravner. I completed the novel (a finalist in a reputable novel contest), but then scrapped it because Ben didn't have the heft to carry the story as an FBI agent. I decided to go for a Hollywood upgrade, casting a former action hero in the lead role, and the results were amazing. Frank Paine brought some sizzle to the FBI, and his kinky past drives the rewritten plot. The moment of inspiration when I fired my old friend Ben was the moment this book went from an also-ran to a winner.

Holly: What did you find was the hardest and easiest part of writing King of Paine?

Larry Kahn: The hardest part was trying to paint Frank Paine, a deeply flawed man, as a protagonist readers can root for (almost as hard as trying not to end this sentence with a preposition). He did a bad, bad thing, but he'd give up his life to earn forgiveness from the woman he still loves. I hope his appealing qualities--remorse, integrity, courage, love of a strong woman--will ultimately win readers' hearts.

What I'm told I do best, and I suppose comes easiest to me, is maintain a fast pace. I try not to bog down in excessive description and back story. I follow the "fly on the wall" rule for dialogue--if I wouldn't be interested in eavesdropping on the conversation, I keep it off the pages. Every scene is designed to propel the story forward and build suspense. I want readers to be engaged and solve the case along with Frank.

Holly: Can we expect anything else from you in the future?

Larry Kahn: I'm writing, but don't expect me to churn out a book every few months like some e-book authors do. Much of the fun of writing for me comes from crafting intricate plots and researching relevant social issues, and I refuse to release a book without careful editing. All of that takes time.

Holly: Are you working on anything at the moment?

Larry Kahn: I'm still researching and outlining Hostile Takeover, a conspiracy thriller involving a plot by Asian sovereign investment funds to acquire vital U.S. companies and improperly influence the government. My fear is that it will become a true crime story before I'm done.

Holly: Where can we purchase your novels?

Larry Kahn: Both are available in e-book and print editions at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Larry Kahn: Happy holidays! Everybody's invited over to my place for a virtual beer and a complimentary chance to win a new Kindle Touch 3G before Christmas.

Holly: On your page it says that some of your writing influences are Frederick Forsyth, John Grisham, Greg Iles and Ayn Rand. Can you tell us which books by theses author specifically or what they all have in common that make them so influential to you?

Larry Kahn: The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth, because I read it at an impressionable age and loved the way the author hid the critical clue in plain sight. When the protagonist revealed whodunit, I felt awe and not at all cheated. That's a lesson I hope I apply in my writing--I want the reader to feel the suspense, struggling to solve critical puzzles along with the protagonist but then doing a classic palm slap to the forehead when the twist is revealed. "Damn, I should have seen that!"

The Firm by John Grisham, because the author showed that lawyers and the issues they address can thrill.
24 Hours and several other novels by Greg Iles, because they demonstrate how erotic undertones can spice a smart thriller.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, because the author proved that intelligence can be sexy, that suspense can be created with words as well as actions, and that fiction can be a medium for political philosophy. I think her philosophy is flawed, but that's another topic I could write an entire essay about.

Holly: Thank you so much for including Full Moon Bites in your blog tour and being here with us today!

Books by Larry Kahn
The Jinx
King of Paine

Next Blog Stops
12/13 The Book Diva’s Reads: Review & Guest Post “Buried Treasures: Treats for the Watchful Reader”
12/14 Alive On The Shelves: Guest Post “When Eye Candy Fights Back: Adding Depth To a Love Interest”
12/15 The Enchanted Book: Review & Guest Post “What Can You Expect From A 99-Cent E-Book? ”
12/16 Opinions of a Wolf: Review
12/17 Black Diamond’s Book Reviews: Book Giveaway & Review
12/18 Thoughts In Progress: Review
Click here for full schedule.

You can find Larry Kahn at: His Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Larry Kahn has offered to giveaway one autographed trade paperback edition of King of Paine, plus two ebooks.

A desperate patient. A rumored cure. How far would you go to find the fountain of youth?

King of Paine is a sexy, fast-paced suspense novel filled with characters who grapple with a range of intriguing end-of-life issues while everything they care about is at stake. The story follows two investigations, Special Agent Frank Paine's pursuit of a stalker commiting a series of kinky Internet crimes and a reporter tracking the disappearance of wealthy senior citizens across the nation. Both paths lead to a hidden enclave where a brilliant biochemist harbors a deadly secret. Somebody is going to die there, and it may be Frank Paine's soulmate. Or him.

Buy Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Giveaway Details:

Giveaway is open to US & Canada & International
Giveaway will run from December 12th 2011 - December 19th 2011
Winner will be chosen randomly, contacted and announced on December 20th 2011
You must complete the mandatory entry to be qualified to win.
The winner will have 48 hours to contact back before another winner will be chosen.
If you enter, you are acknowledging that you read and accept the giveaway/contest policy.
Giveaway is provided by the author.

To Enter:

Go to giveaway here.

AOTW- Felicity Heaton

2011-12-05T00:44:00.001-08:00

Felicity Heaton

About the Author:

Independent Romance Author writing under the names of Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. I primarily write paranormal romance, including vampire romance, werewolf romance, shape-shifter romance and angel romances. I also write dark fantasy / urban fantasy romances involving witches and demons, as well as writing science fiction romances.

All of my ebooks are available via Amazon Kindle, Sony, iBookstore and Barnes & Noble.

For a full biography, please visit http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/biography.php

Interview with Felicity Heaton

Felicity Heaton is author of over forty works to list a few; the Her Angel series, the Vampires Realm series, Heart of Darkness, Love Immortal, Forbidden Blood, and Sons of Lyra & Daughters of Lyra series’.

Holly: Hello Felicity and thank you for being here! Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Felicity Heaton: Absolutely. I’ve been writing since 2005, and penned my first paranormal romance in 2006 when I turned indie. Since then, I’ve been writing constantly and self-publishing my novels. I’m dedicated to providing quality reads so you can often find me reading books on writing and editing, improving my skill-set so I can continue to give readers great books and amazing worlds that will sweep them away. I adore world-building, the larger and grander the better, and I’m becoming known for writing paranormal romance books that are packed with passion, intense emotion that moves readers, description that makes the book play out like a movie in your mind, and kick-ass fight scenes!

I have to say that I’m pleased to have such a brand as I’ve always said that I write movies in book form, and I always picture everything in my mind when I’m writing it. I love to write about vampires, but have recently added angels to my list of favourite species and also enjoy writing shape-shifters and werewolves, as well as demons and witches. I do like to write science fiction romances too, but I’ve been on a paranormal kick for the past two years so I haven’t penned any new sci-fi romances recently.

As you mentioned in the introduction, I have written over forty stories. They vary in length from short stories to epic novels and trilogies. I’ve also written a wide selection of genres, but have come to focus on my two favourites—paranormal romance and science fiction romance.

Holly: When did your interest begin and how?

Felicity Heaton: My interest in writing probably began when I was reading as a tween. I loved fantasy novels, classic romances, and horror novels. I have a very active imagination so I used to dream up a world of vampires that I was a part of in order to escape boredom when walking to and from school, and even in some classes. That’s when I began making my own characters at least. A few years later in school, I wrote the opening chapter of a gothic horror for an English assignment. My teacher read it to the class as a great example, which completely embarrassed me but it also inspired me to keep writing. Since I was only a teen, I drifted away from it. I got back into writing in 2003 and haven’t stopped since then.

Holly: You first published with Linden Bay Romance but then moved away in 2006 and have been self-publishing since. Do you mind if I ask why you decided to self-publish?

Felicity Heaton: Going indie was a decision I made based on a lot of factors. I was talking to another author at the time and we were chatting about what our e-publisher did for us and what we could do for ourselves, and realised that we could easily do everything for ourselves. We were already doing a lot of the promotion work ourselves. Becoming self-published meant I retained more control of my stories and their future, and could create a website with my friend where the books wouldn’t get lost in the midst of new releases and disappear barely a few weeks after coming out, and I could send them out to review sites that actually catered for that type of book. My e-publisher had a tendency to send all books out to the same review sites, regardless of whether they were erotica or not. I went indie because I knew I could do all that the e-publisher was doing for me and more, and could probably reach more readers too.

Holly: You state that you published three novels with Linden Bay Romance; can you tell us about those three novels?

Felicity Heaton: When I first began writing, I decided to write stories in the romantic suspense and historical romance genres. I’m not sure why now that I look back. I had a romantic suspense book and two historicals published with them. I have written other historical romances and romantic suspense novels since then, but I gradually woke up and realised I should be writing what I love most—paranormal, fantasy and science fiction!

Holly: How did you first get published by Linden Bay Romance?

Felicity Heaton: It was the usual process. I submitted a book and they liked it, so they decided to buy it, and then they purchased the other two novels I had with them. I had other books they were interested in too but by that point I had decided that I wanted to go indie and see if I could make it on my own and set up a self-publishing cooperative with a friend.

Holly: What was it like self-publishing for the first time? Were you nervous?

Felicity Heaton: I was nervous but I started out small, self-publishing a set of short paranormal romance and fantasy romance stories. They were well received by the small group of readers we had already formed at this point for our cooperative, so that gave me the confidence to keep writing and keep being indie. Seeing the sales on the one retail website we were submitting to, Fictionwise, and seeing the books doing really well there boosted my confidence too. It was great to take control of the whole process and have control of where the books went out to for review and the advertising.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your popular novella, Her Dark Angel and the world and characters you have created in your her Angel series?

Felicity Heaton: The series is about a world of angels and demons where the angels are still in the service of a higher power. They’re not fallen like you get in a lot of angel romance novels and series, and there is no clear black and white, evil and good. Each of the books is sexy and passionate, and packed with action too. I love to world build and I haven’t held back in this series.

Her Dark Angel is the first book in the series so it’s a great starting point. It’s also only $0.99 at the moment, until January 15th 2012, and is available for that special price at the Amazon Kindle Stores, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBookstores, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and other online retailers.

Her Dark Angel is a story about a wronged woman, Serenity, who is also a witch, and a rather gorgeous but dark angel, Apollyon, who hears her pain and answers her call, escaping a long spell of guarding the Devil in Hell. Apollyon wants to exact revenge upon Serenity’s ex for the hurt he’s caused her by obliterating the guy, because as an angel of the Apocalypse and one due to rain destruction down on Earth, he’s a pretty wicked man and it seems like a reasonable punishment to him. Serenity convinces him to back down to something a little less end-of-the-world and decides to masquerade with him as lovers to make her ex jealous. Working with Apollyon to gain her revenge, Serenity finds herself falling for the dark angel, and finds an escape from the pain in her heart, but she has her doubts about loving an angel and feels she’s about to get her heart broken again. She isn’t the only one falling in love though, and Apollyon does his best to convince her that he really is the man for her, that he would never hurt her, and that they can be together.

The next two books in the series are novellas too. Her Fallen Angel follows Lukas as he tries to prove his innocence and find the person responsible for the hundreds of human deaths that were pinned on him, and convince Annelie, a mortal, that they can be together. Her Warrior Angel follows Einar as he hunts down the demons responsible for the deaths that Lukas was blamed for and finds himself working with a beautiful half-demon half-human woman, Taylor, and falling for her regardless of the fact that love between their species is forbidden.

Her Guardian Angel is the first novel in the series and brings all of the heroes and heroines from the first three books in the series together with a new hero, Marcus, and a new heroine, Amelia. Marcus is a guardian angel, and the most loyal of all the heroes so far. He thinks only of obeying his orders and fulfilling his mission to protect the mortal female Amelia, regardless of the way he feels about mortals. Amelia is a young thirty-something, going from one bad relationship to the next, and when Marcus moves in next door to her and protects her from a rowdy ex-lover in the dead of night, she starts to fall for him, but is convinced that no matter how good Marcus looks, he might be another black knight in disguise. In Her Guardian Angel, we learn more about the previous heroes and heroines in the series, and how their relationships are progressing, and more about Heaven and Hell.

Holly: What was your inspiration for this series?

Felicity Heaton: I’m never sure where my inspiration comes from because it’s normally a strange mixture of things that suddenly sparks the idea in my mind. I think with the Her Angel series, I was thinking about a vampire romance novel that I had an idea for, and one day wondered what it would be like if I swapped vampires for angels. When researching angels, I came across Apollyon and I was immediately intrigued. He was perfect for another story I had in mind, and once I had started dreaming up the world of the Her Angel series, I found I wanted to write many more stories in it. I wanted to explore a new world involving higher powers and beautiful but elementally masculine heroes.

Holly: Reunion is the sixth book in your Vampires Realm series. The first book, Prophecy: Child of Light, being published in 2007. Can you tell us a little bit about how this series started?

Felicity Heaton: I came up with the idea for the Prophecy Trilogy back in 2006, when I was still e-published and hadn’t gone indie yet. As I was planning the trilogy, I was detailing the world and really focusing on building it. By the time I had finishing planning those three books, I realised that I had a world that I didn’t want to leave after just a few books. I decided then that I had to continue the series and Vampires Realm was born. I have a passion for dark vampires, ones who are killers and are true to the myths and everything we associate with them. My Vampires Realm series vampires are more than happy killing us and feeding direct from the vein and they’re deadly and dark, but they’re very emotional too and intense, and live in a world where battles often happen between the bloodlines. They have other enemies too, ones who would kill humans, werewolves and vampires alike, and it’s only because of the vampires’ strength and power, and resolve that humans are protected from that evil. The Prophecy Trilogy is all about a young female vampire and her unlikely hero as they battle terrible forces to save the world. They’re not all evil, but if you like darker vampires, then you’ll like them.

Holly: The ninth novel in this series came out just this year, called Hunter's Moon. Can you tell us a little bit about this novel and its characters?

Felicity Heaton: Hunter’s Moon is a very emotional book, but passionate too, and focuses closely on the feelings of the hero and heroine—the hero as he struggles with his feelings towards a vampire, a species he’s vowed to have vengeance on, and the heroine as she fights her feelings for a werewolf, a relationship that is punishable by death in her world, and also fights to change his antiquated opinion of vampires. It’s also a battle for both of them against the hunters and the local werewolves.

Nicolae, the hero in the story, had spent almost a century in captivity, held as a slave of the vampires, and has escaped it all a century ago, but at the cost of his entire werewolf pack. They all died during the escape, slaughtered by the vampire bloodline that had enslaved them, so he’s both bitter towards vampires and towards himself too, viewing himself as a failure and keeping his distance from everyone, including other werewolves. The only pack he feels close to now is a local timber wolf pack in the remote region of Canada where he’s settled. When he’s out on a night hunt with them, he runs into some dangerous looking hunters who are armed to the teeth and searching for their prey. He finds it and it turns out to be a young and beautiful female vampire, and as much as he wants to leave her to die from the poison on the arrows she’s been shot with, he can’t bring himself to turn his back on her.

Tatyana is a strong woman, but she’s dealing with a lot of grief in her life and has come on what could be considered a suicide mission to defeat the six hunters who killed her sire. She’s already killed two of them, and she’s after the remaining four when they injure her and she barely escapes. She hates feeling weak, both physically and emotionally, but more emotionally than anything, and feels as though she has to be strong, even when she’s so tired and afraid, because that’s what’s expected of her. I think we’ve all been through moments like that where we feel we can’t be ourselves, but instead have to try to be whatever someone else expects of us. She’s also very kick ass, and she fights for what she wants, but she’s torn about it at the same time. She doesn’t try to deny her attraction to Nicolae, even when she knows that it’s wrong and illegal for her to want to be with him, but it’s a struggle for her to find the strength to reach out and take what she wants. I think readers will be able to identify with that too. Sometimes we’re not brave enough to just put our foot down and take what we want, and this is about not letting those moments slip past and instead finding the courage to go through with it.

Holly: Do you have plans for a tenth book in this series?

Felicity Heaton: Yes, I’m working on the tenth book at the moment. Masquerade is set in Saint Petersburg with the Venia bloodline but it brings all the bloodlines back together so we get to meet a new hero and heroine, but meet all the old ones too, with the exception of Tatyana and Nicolae as they’re living in Canada. Masquerade should be released in early 2012 and will be my first release of the year.

Holly: After all the books in this series, looking back to that first novel and the plans for more, has the series stayed constant on those first ideas for it? And if your outlook for the series has changed do you think now that it was for the better?

Felicity Heaton: The series has stayed very constant to the initial idea. There’s a few new twists and turns being added in the coming books, but all in all it’s how I first envisaged it would be and I think it will continue that way in the coming books. I have around 10 more planned at the moment. It’s not so much a series as a world, which is what I wanted. I didn’t want people to have to read all the books in order and follow a plot arc. Vampires Realm is about smaller stories set in a big grand and amazing world.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about In Heat and In Heat: Mating Call and the world you have created in it?

Felicity Heaton: In Heat was one of the only novels I’ve written on the fly with very little in terms of an outline. Normally I plot all my books out until I’m happy and then write that outline up in the form of a book. I had an idea for In Heat and just wrote it flat out. It’s about a black panther shape-shifter, Erik, and his destined mate, Kim. The trouble is, she’s human, so he has a whole lot of trouble ahead of him as he tries to win her heart and convince her at the same time to trust him before he reveals what he is to her. It’s very passionate, hungry, and erotic. The second book picks up a short time after the first book and introduces a rival in the form of a white tiger shape-shifter, and all hell breaks loose as Erik fights for his mate Kim.

Holly: You’ve had a number of releases this year. Ascension came out in April. Can you tell us a little bit Lealandra and Taig?

Felicity Heaton: Ascension is the story of Lealandra, a powerful witch on the verge of her ascension, a time when the magic that lives symbiotically within her will reach the pinnacle of its power and mature. Most witches don’t survive their ascension and instead fall prey to their magic, which seizes control of them and uses them like a marionette in order to do as it pleases for a short period before its host dies. Lealandra’s odds are dramatically lessened by the fact that someone is out to kill her. They’ve murdered her Counter-Balance, the witch that helped her retain control over her magic by absorbing some of its power, and now they’re after her. No longer able to trust her coven in New York City where the attacks took place, she flees into the city and eventually back into the life of her half-demon ex-lover and demon hunter, Taig. Taig is the son of a powerful demon from the underworld and his mortal wife, and he has serious issues with his demon lineage and that side of himself, enough that he’s never revealed his demonic appearance to Lealandra and can’t bring himself to believe that she could love a monster like him. When Lealandra appears back in his life after six years apart and asks for his assistance and protection, he wants something in return—her.

Holly: Your newest publication, Heart of Darkness came out just last month and features a vampire prince, Aleksandr Nemov and Elise a vampire guard. I am in love with the cover. All of your book covers for that matter strikes my attention. Who designed them if you do not mind my asking?

Felicity Heaton: I don’t mind at all. I actually design and create my own covers for all of my books. It’s part of the book creation process that I love and really enjoy. I always get to choose just the right picture for the book and come up with a design that really speaks volumes about it and can add to the reader’s vision of the story.

Holly: Love Immortal is a paranormal novel about werewolves and vampires that features Lauren and Julian. Can you tell us a bit about this novel and the plot you have created?

Felicity Heaton: Love Immortal is the story of Lauren, a thirty something woman who is just coasting through life, sometimes feeling as though she’s destined for bigger things. She’s been through a rough patch and is searching for some meaning in life when she comes across a huge werewolf in an alley on her way back from her Kendo class. Torn between believing she’s seeing things and believing it’s real, she isn’t sure how to react but ends up attacking it. It’s then that Julian rescues her. Julian is an immortal and bears a close resemblance to a vampire. When he tells Lauren that she’s a reincarnated demi-goddess on a three thousand year old mission to defeat the original werewolf before he can have his revenge on Zeus and all Olympus, she’s more than shocked and thinks she’s going crazy, but the more Julian tells her, the more real it all seems and eventually she finds herself falling for her mysterious protector. When he tells her that she must either go through her awakening and regain her immortal powers or die, she decides to take on the challenge of facing her destiny and winning Julian’s heart.

I came up with the idea for the bad guy and the book when I was researching Greek mythology for a future series of mine. I was researching ancient Arcadia at the time and came across the story of Lycaon, a king of Arcadia who tricked Zeus into eating human flesh at a banquet. Zeus punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf, and he would only turn back into a human if he abstained from his cannibalistic ways for ten years. In my story, Lycaon chose not to abstain and instead embraced his wolf side, learning to control it and harness his new immortal powers. I had already wanted to write the story using a reincarnation theme, with an immortal hero who had been around for millennia, so the two sides of the story meshed really well. I did some more research into Greek mythology, which I love anyway, and in homage to the tales of gods and mortals, I made the heroine’s mission eternal. If she dies, she is reincarnated and the hero must find and reawaken her with his blood. The story rewrites the origins of both vampires and werewolves, and combines that with some pretty spectacular settings and characters that readers will really come to feel for. It’s an epic story, which is fitting when it has its roots in Greek mythology.

Holly: Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Felicity Heaton: Thank you for reading my books and being eternally supportive and kind to me. Your emails, chatting with you on facebook and twitter, and all the fun we have together really makes my day, week and year and inspires me to keep writing new romance books for you all to devour like hungry little vampires.

If anyone here is new to me and wants to find out more about me and my books, then the best places to hop over to are:

My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
My blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Books by Felicity Heaton
Vampires Realm Series
#1: Prophecy: Child of Light
#2: Prophecy: Caelestis and Aurorea
#3: Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising
#4: Eternity: The Beginning
#5: Spellbound
#6: Reunion
#7: Seventh Circle
#8: Winter's Kiss
#9: Hunter's Moon

Sons of Lyra Series
#1: Slave Princess
#2: Runaway Hearts
#3: Fight For Love
#4: Stranded

In Heat Series
#1: In Heat
#2: Mating Call

Her Angel Series
#1: Her Dark Angel
#2: Her Fallen Angel
#3: Her Warrior Angel
#4: Her Guardian Angel

Daughters of Lyra Series
#1: Heart of an Emperor
#2: Heart of a Mercenary
#3: Heart of a Prince
#4: Heart of a Commander
#5: Heart of an Assassin

A Day in the Life Series
#1: A Day in the Life: Kassian
#2: A Day in the Life: Stella
#3: A Day in the Life: Kim
#4: A Day in the Life: Valentine
#5: A Day in the Life: Lilith
#6: A Day in the Life: Balt

Single Title
Love Immortal
Forbidden Blood
Embracing the Wolf
Ascension
A Promise of Passion
Vampire for Christmas
Of Blood and Snow
Heart of Darkness

Coming Soon
Find list here. You can also find works in progress here.

Felicity Heaton has offered to giveaway a eBook copy of her novel Love Immortal and some signed book swag that includes cover postcards, bookmarks and romance trading cards.

Book Description:

"Rescued from werewolves by the most breathtaking man she's ever seen, Lauren is dragged into the fight of her life and a dark world she never knew existed. There, she discovers that she's the latest reincarnation of a goddess and must drink the blood of her immortal protector, Julian, in order to reawaken and continue her three thousand year old mission to defeat Lycaon, the original werewolf.

With the help of Julian and an organisation of people with supernatural abilities, Lauren fights for her life, their future and the fate of mankind against Lycaon and his deadly army, but can she succeed when Lycaon has killed all of her predecessors?

Can she crack the armour around Julian's heart and seize her happily forever after with him? And can Julian bring himself to trust Lauren with the fragments of his heart after everything he's been through."

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter for a chance to win!

*All you have to do is read the instruction then click "I DID THIS". If you have any problems with the form please let me know.

AOTW- Darynda Jones

2011-11-28T00:12:00.001-08:00

Darynda Jones

About the Author:
Winner of the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance for her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT, Darynda was born spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. After the Golden Heart final, she pimped herself as best she could, landed an amazing agent and sold to St. Martin’s Press in a three-book deal. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, aka the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at http://www.daryndajones.com/.

Interview with Darynda Jones

Darynda Jones is author of First Grave on the Right which won the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance along with two other novels in her Charley Davidson series; Second Grave on the Left and Third Grave Dead Ahead which is coming out in January, 2012.

Holly: Hi, Darynda! Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Darynda Jones: Sure! And thanks for having me! Sadly, there’s not much to tell, really. I’ve been writing forever. I started writing seriously in 2002, finaled in the prestigious RWA Golden Heart in 2009, landed an amazing agent soon after that and sold soon after winning the Golden Heart that summer. It’s been an absolute dream come true.

Holly: Do you remember how your interest in writing began?

Darynda Jones: I remember writing my first play when I was six. Before that, I would scribble stories onto paper. The need to write, to create, has always been inside me. Right next to my liver, I think.

Holly: Could you tell us a little bit about your first novel in your Charley Davidson series, First Grave on the Right?

Darynda Jones: I love writing Charley, just so you know. She is everything I would love to be. She says what’s on her mind without worrying about the consequences. I worry about consequences to the extreme. I under-tipped once. It’s haunted me for years.

In a nutshell, Charley Davidson is a PI who was born the grim reaper. She solves mysteries for both the living and the dead. And they both get her into all kinds of trouble. I basically wanted a strong, independent heroine who was thrust into a paranormal world within an everyday setting. She has to walk the line between both worlds all while juggling her day job, dead people popping in and out of her life, and a super hot love interest who definitely keeps her on her toes.

Holly: What was your inspiration for this novel and the writing process like?

Darynda Jones: My inspiration was every strong female lead I read about and watched on TV. I love Buffy, Stephanie Plum, Eve Dallas, Sydney Bristow, Lorelei Gilmore, and on and on. Throw them into a pot, toss in a pinch of ADD, and you have Charley Davidson. Her skills at sleuthing involve more than her fair share of luck, but she looks good doing it.

Holly: Which came first the plot or the characters?

Darynda Jones: Definitely the characters.

Holly: Your second novel in the series was also published this year, Second Grave on the Left. Can you tell us a little bit about it and how the characters and plot progress?

Darynda Jones: In Second Grave we get to learn a little more about Charley’s love interest, Reyes, and we get to see Charley in action. Now that the introductions are out of the way, we get to focus more on Charley and what she does best. That’s right, comebacks. But there is a real mystery with her best friend/assistant Cookie’s friend missing. Also, Reyes is insisting that he doesn’t need his corporeal body anymore, and since it’s being tortured by demons (a ploy to lure Charley to them), what better time to be rid of it? Unfortunately, there are other considerations, like the fact that he has the power to bring about the end of the world. So Charley has her hands full what with finding a missing woman, dealing with her father’s past, and stopping the destruction of the Earth. All in a day’s work.

Holly: Did you have a harder time writing the second novel than the first in this series?

Darynda Jones: Actually, no. By that time, I was so into Charley’s head, that the story flowed much nicer. Now, making it a stand alone, as all books must be, even in a series, was not as easy, but with my editor’s help, I got that down as well.

Holly: Your third novel is set to come out in January 2012 called Third Grave Dead Ahead and I admit I am curious to know all about it, and I love the names of these books! Very catchy, would you mind if I asked did you come up with them?

Darynda Jones: I did, yes, although Third Grave was originally titles Third Grave Straight Ahead. My web designer emailed me one day. She hated typing the word Straight over and over and asked if we could change Straight to Dead. I loved it! I wrote my editor immediately with the change, and Third Grave Dead Ahead was born!

Holly: Do you think this going to be the last book in the Charley Davidson series or do you have future books in mind?

Darynda Jones: Books 4 & 5 have already sold to St. Martin’s Press, so definitely more. And I have plotted beyond that. We are hoping for a longer series.

Holly: You have a YA series coming in April 2012, the first book Death and the Girl Next Door. Can you tell us a little bit about this novel?

Darynda Jones: Sure! Here is a quick blurb:

Things get turned upside down for sophomore Lorelei MacAlister when the Angel of Death starts high school in her small town. What she doesn’t know is that she has been slated to die. It’s simply her time. And Death has been sent to do the deed. But when she touches him, when she peers into his eyes and reaches into his heart, he realizes she is more than what he was led to believe, and he disobeys his orders. He brings her back from the brink of death when he was supposed to push her into it. Because of this, he gets trapped on this plane. And that’s when all hell breaks loose. Literally.

Holly: Did you already have the Darklight series in mind or did you set out to write a YA series?

Darynda Jones: Well, I wrote YA long before I wrote adult. In fact, Death and the Girl Next Door was written years ago, long before First Grave. First Grave just happened to sell first. It went through many title changes and we only recently settled on DATGND.

I also have two other YA series in the works. Okay, I have dozens of series in the works, but I have two that I’m determined to complete and submit in the works. I love writing YA.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Darynda Jones: THANK YOU!!!!!!

Holly: Are you reading anything interesting at the moment? If so what?

Darynda Jones: Well, I’ve only recently discovered Jeaniene Frost, so I’m reading her Cat and Bones series right now and loving every single delicious moment of it!

Holly: Thank you so much for being here today, Darynda!

Darynda Jones: Thank you so much for having me!!!

Books by Darynda Jones
The Charley Davidson Series
#1: First Grave on the Right
#1.5: For I Have Sinned
#2: Second Grave on the Left

Coming Soon
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)--Expected Publication Date: January 2012
Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight #1)--Expected Publication Date: April 2012

Awards

2009- Winner of the RWA® Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance Manuscript
2009-1st place- GOTCHA! – FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT (suspense)
2007-1st place- PASIC Book of your Heart – RILEY’S SWITCH (now titled GRIMSIGHT) (YA)
2006-1st place-The Rebecca (LERA) –A THIEF AND A LIAR (historical romance)

Find Darynda Jones at:
Her Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Darynda Jones has offered to giveaway winners choice of either a signed copy of First Grave on the Right or Second Grave on the Left to one lucky winner.

Giveaway Details:

Giveaway is open to US & Canada & International
Giveaway will run from November 28th 2011 - December 4th 2011
Winner will be chosen randomly, contacted and announced on December 5th 2011
You must complete the mandatory entry to be qualified to win.
If you enter, you are acknowledging that you read and accept the giveaway/contest policy.
Giveaway is provided by the author.

To Enter:

Go to giveaway Here.

AOTW- Lena Coakley

2011-11-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Lena Coakley

About the Author:

Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. In high school, creative writing was the only class she ever failed (nothing was ever good enough to hand in!), but, undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She is now a full-time writer living in Toronto, Canada. Witchlanders, her first novel, has received three starred reviews and was called “a stunning teen debut” by Kirkus Reviews. It is a Junior Library Guild selection and an ABC new voices selection.

Interview with Lena Coakley

Lena Coakley is author of the YA novel Witchlanders.

Holly: Hello, Lena! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Lena Coakley: Well, I live in Toronto, Canada, but I was born in the States, and I love both countries. For almost ten years I worked as the administrative director for CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers, so I’ve had the opportunity to meet and be inspired by many great Canadian authors—I think that really gave me a leg up when I finally finished my novel and was ready to submit. I had a large community of wonderful people to ask for advice.

Other than that, I love reading, swimming and hiking. My father was an actor so I love theatre and movies, too. (And no, he wasn’t famous—I’m sure you’ve never heard of him!)

Holly: How and when did you start writing?

Lena Coakley: I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t writing—or at least telling stories. When I was in High School I thought I wanted to be an actress, but I was always writing plays and I enjoyed being behind the scenes more than I liked being on stage.

Holly: You state that if you had not gone on to be a writer you think you would have been a good archeologist, paleontologist, or a computer programmer. Can you tell us why you think so and how you got an interest in the above topics?

Lena Coakley: For part of my childhood, I was raised by a maternal grandmother who was crazy for archeology, especially Mayan archeology. She was so excited when the Mexican ruins of Palenque were discovered that she visited them the very first year tourists were allowed on the site. There were no commercial flights, so she rode in on a chickle plane sitting on the crates. There were no hotels either, so she stayed in the huts left behind by the archeologists. I was too young to go on that trip, but she did take me to Mexico many times, and—as you can imagine—she was better than any tour guide! She also took me to Europe a few times and to many different museums—she was fascinated by anything old. I’m sure I picked up my love of both archeology and paleontology from her.

It was something of a surprise to find out as an adult that I enjoyed programming. People probably don’t see a lot of similarities between writing a computer program and writing a novel, but I’m sure that figuring out a plot knot and figuring out a line of code use exactly the same part of the brain. It’s all problem solving.

Holly: Could you tell us a little bit about your novel Witchlanders and the plot and characters you have created?

Lena Coakley: Witchlanders is about two seventeen-year-old boys, Ryder and Falpian, who are on opposite sides of a bitter cultural conflict. Ryder, a Witchlander, is a poor farmer and the son of a witch. Falpian, a Bitterlander, is the wealthy son of a dark magician. But in spite of the long history of war between the Witchlands and the Bitterlands and in spite of their own personal differences, these two have to work together to defeat a new magic that threatens both their peoples.

On the one hand Witchlanders is a rip roaring adventure story about witches, catacombs, snow monsters and singing magic, but on another level, it’s a story about the entrenched prejudices that can keep people apart for generations.

One of the reasons I love fantasy so much is because it can deal with difficult issues like this and make readers see them in a new light—while still being enormously entertaining.

Holly: On your page you say that you have published two children’s books before you published your novel Witchlanders. Can you tell us, how did you come to write these two books?

Lena Coakley: I wish I knew because I’d love to publish more picture books! I probably have hundreds of unpublishable ones on my computer—some of them are so close!—but it’s such a difficult form. They have to be such perfect little gems.

I had a ceramics teacher who liked to quote this saying about throwing pots on a potter’s wheel: “First you throw a thousand pots, then you fire one.” I feel this way about picture books. First you write a thousand picture books, then you publish one. I admire anyone who can write more than one good one every ten years.

Holly: Do you think you will write a sequel to Witchlanders?

Lena Coakley: I’m not sure. I’m starting to think that if I do it won’t have Ryder and Falpian as main characters—although of course they would play a part. I’m writing something totally different right now.

Holly: Can we expect any works from you in 2012?

Lena Coakley: Ummm. Hopefully some short stories for adults, but not a novel. It might be a few years before my next novel comes out.

Holly: Are you perhaps working on anything you would like to mention right now?

Lena Coakley: Oh, I wish I could spill, but I don’t have a contract yet, so I can’t say too much about it. It’s a YA historical fantasy that takes place in 1834.

Holly: Do you think you might ever branch off from YA into a different genre?

Lena Coakley: I still haven’t figured out YA yet! But I can definitely see me changing gears completely in a few years. I’ve always wanted to write a play…

Holly: Do you have any authors that you think aspired you to become a writer?

Lena Coakley: Absolutely! I’m so thrilled that I got to meet Peter S. Beagle at World Fantasy Con this October because his book The Last Unicorn was enormously important to me as a 13- or 14-year-old. I also loved Ursula LeGuin, Lloyd Alexander, Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens. And when I got a little older, I was very inspired by Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges.

Holly: Thank you so much for being on my blog, Lena!

Lena Coakley: Thank you!

Books by Lena Coakley

Witchlanders
On The Night Of The Comet
Mrs Goodhearth And the Gargoyle

Short Story
Mirror Image

Find Lena at:
Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Lena Coakley has offered to giveaway one hardcover copy of Witchlanders to one lucky winner!

Book Description:

"High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him."

Giveaway Details:

Giveaway is open to US & Canada & International
Giveaway will run from November 21st 2011 - November 27th 2011
Winner will be chosen randomly, contacted and announced on November 28th 2011
You must complete the mandatory entry to be qualified to win.
If you enter, you are acknowledging that you read and accept the giveaway/contest policy.
Giveaway is provided by the author.

To Enter:

Go to giveaway here.

AOTW- Devin O'Branagan

2011-11-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

Devin O'Branagan

About the Author:
Devin O'Branagan's novels include the paranormal thrillers Spirit Warriors and Witch Hunt, published by Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books in English and Heyne Books in German. A new edition of Witch Hunt, updated for the 21st Century, was released in late 2010.
Turkish publisher, Dogan Egmont, will soon release a Turkish edition of Witch Hunt.

Devin is the author of the hilarious Red Hot chick lit novels that include Red Hot Property, the paranormal chick lit sequel Red Hot Liberty, and the canine chick lit spinoff, Show Dog Sings the Blues.

Her bestselling urban fantasy, Glory, was nominated for the 2011 Best Popular Paperback for Young Adults List, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.

The sequel, Pretty Sacrifices, will be released in 2012.

Devin's new paranormal thriller, Threshold, was released in November 2011.

Devin is a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and writes a weekly humor column for TAILS Magazine.

She uses her writing project to support animal rescue.

Interview with Devin O'Branagan

Devin O'Branagan is author of, Spirit Warriors, Witch Hunt, Red Hot Property, Red Hot Liberty, Glory, Show Dog Sings the Blues and recently Threshold.

Holly: Hello Devin! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Devin O'Branagan: I’ve been writing fiction since I was five years old, I’ve spent my life studying mysticism, and I’m passionate about animals.

Holly: Your first novel Spirit Warriors, which is now out of print, was published in 1988. Can you tell a little bit about it?

Devin O'Branagan: Spirit Warriors is a novel about the end-times as prophesied by the Hopi. When I wrote it, I lived in a log cabin near the Hopi reservation and studied with a medicine woman from the nearby Navajo reservation. That experience inspired Spirit Warriors and many of my novels since.

Holly: Was Spirit Warriors the first novel you ever wrote or just the first ever published?

Devin O'Branagan: I wrote my first novel when I was seven years old. Spirit Warriors was my first published novel.

Holly: Do you think it will ever be re-released?

Devin O'Branagan: I may release an updated version of it. I’m considering it.

Holly: Your second novel, published two years later in 1990, was Witch Hunt. I just love the cover for this one! Can you tell us a little bit about it and the characters you have created?

Devin O'Branagan: The cover for the original Witch Hunt won an award for the one of the best covers of 1991, as voted by the Magazine & Bookseller Association. It was designed by Keith Birdsong, a Native American artist famous for his covers for Star Trek novels.

Witch Hunt is a novel about a young woman who marries into the Hawthorne family, unaware of the fact they are witches. She finds herself in the middle of a modern witch hunt and must choose sides. The alternate chapters feature historical events in the history of this family, dating from the time of the Salem witch trials through to modern times.

I updated and re-released Witch Hunt in 2010. (The cover for the new edition is pretty awesome, too!) The new Witch Hunt has repeatedly been on Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List. It was also recently picked up by Turkish publisher, Dogan Egmont.

Holly: After the original Witch Hunt was published you have a period that you did not publish anything for a while, do you mind if I ask why?

Devin O'Branagan: I was very disillusioned by my experience with my publisher and vowed to never publish again. I’d rather not elaborate.

Holly: In 2008 you released your third novel Red Hot Property, which it says on your website to be Chick Lit with Attitude. Can you tell us a little bit about where your characters and the plot for this novel originated from?

Devin O'Branagan: I wanted to try my hand at writing satire and humor, as my favorite authors include Carl Hiaasen, Terry Pratchett, Dave Barry, and other similar writers. Red Hot Property was my debut effort, and I discovered I have a gift for comedy.

During my “I’m never going to publish books again” phase, I became a real estate agent. My first week on the job another agent approached me, gave me a leering once-over, and said, “You’re one red hot property with lots of curb appeal, and you show real well. I’d love to add you to my inventory.” It was the worst pickup line in history, but became the inspiration for Red Hot Property which is a comedic novel about the misadventures of rookie real estate agent, Molly O’Malley. Molly came up with a more witty response to the pickup line than I did. She said, “I don’t think your down payment is large enough to handle it.”

Holly: You also have another Red Hot novel called Red Hot Liberty; I read that it is paranormal?

Devin O'Branagan: Yes, it is the second novel in the Red Hot series. In Red Hot Liberty, Molly hires a new assistant, a sexy Englishman who is psychic and magical. He helps Molly discover that it is an enchanted world where all things are possible.

Holly: Do you have plans for more Red Hots?

Devin O'Branagan: Yes, the third novel will be Red Hot Vampyre, a comedy about all things paranormal.

Holly: The next novel you published was the first volume in your Legend of Glory series. Can you tell us a little bit about it and the basis of the series?

Devin O'Branagan: My literary agent dared me to try my hand at a vampire novel. I took up the challenge, and it turned out to be one of my most popular novels ever. It is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Glory whose blood contains the cure for a pandemic plague. A witch, an angel, and a vampire are assigned to be her bodyguards. It is a fast-paced paranormal thriller for readers of all ages and hit Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List in 2011. Glory was also nominated for the 2011 Best Popular Paperback for Young Adults List, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.

Holly: Do you have plans for a second volume in this series?

Devin O'Branagan: Yes, it’s called Pretty Sacrifices, and I planted seeds for it in Glory. If I don’t get it out soon, my fans will kill me. Seriously.

Holly: I loved this when I read about it; you published a novel this year called, Show Dog Sings the Blues, which is from the dog’s point of view. Can you tell us about this novel and did you have trouble writing it?

Devin O'Branagan: Show Dog Sings the Blues is a spinoff from Red Hot Liberty. In Liberty there is a scene where Molly’s new dog—a former show dog who is exceptionally pampered and prissy—is mistaken for a cowdog and has to work on a ranch for the day. It was such a delightful scene that I had to write it from the dog’s perspective. Show Dog Sings the Blues is a novella written for humans of all ages and hit #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases. I enjoyed writing this book more than any other. I think I was a pampered show dog in a past life!

Show Dog Sings the Blues is the first in a planned series of what I call canine chick lit novellas. The next book in the series will be The Twilight Bone, about a haunted dog show. I also plan others from the perspectives of colorful canine characters from both the Legend of Glory series and Threshold.

Holly: Can you tell us about your newest novel Threshold and the world you have created in it?

Devin O'Branagan: Threshold is about a young boy who drowns, has a near-death experience, and returns with a dangerous mission. It is a paranormal thriller about courage, faith, and the transformative power of love. The setting is a cattle ranch in Montana and the ranch manager, a Native American shaman, helps the young boy deal with the choices he must make. It is a novel filled with magic and mysticism. I was inspired to write Threshold after a near-death experience of my own.

Holly: Where can we purchase your novels?

Devin O'Branagan: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your local bookstore. All my books are available in both print and eBook formats. I sell autographed copies via my own website: www.DevinWrites.com

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Devin O'Branagan: My fiction is written to make you laugh, make you cry, make you think, and most of all, to entertain. I love writing and hope you love reading my work.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your pet(s)?

Devin O'Branagan: Both of my dogs have passed on, but I immortalized them as characters in my novels. In their honor, I do a lot of work via my fiction to raise money for animal rescue projects.

Books by Devin O'Branagan

Legend of Glory series

Volume #1: Glory

The Red Hot series

#1: Red Hot Property

#2: Red Hot Liberty

Canine chick lit novellas

#1: Show Dog Sings the Blues

Single Titles

Threshold

Spirit Warriors

Witch Hunt

Coming Soon

Red Hot Vampyre (Red Hots #3)--Expected Publication Date: To Be Announced
Pretty Sacrifices (Legend of Glory Volume, #2)--Expected Publication Date: 2012
The Twilight Bone (Canine chick lit novellas, #2)--Expected Publication Date: To Be Announced

Awards/Recognition

Witch Hunt--Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List
"The original Witch Hunt won an award for the one of the best covers of 1991, as voted by the Magazine & Bookseller Association."
Glory (Legend of Glory Volume, #1)--Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List in 2011. Glory was also nominated for the 2011 Best Popular Paperback for Young Adults List, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.
Show Dog Sings the Blues--Hit #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases

Devin O'Branagan has offered to giveaway one (1) copy of either print or a eBook copy of her newest novel, THRESHOLD. Must live in the US to be eligible to receive a print copy. International for eBook.

Book Description:

"Cole Dillon drowns in Deer Lake shortly before his thirteenth birthday. Elijah Thunderbird, a Native American shaman, travels between the worlds to bring Cole back from death. Unfortunately, Cole isn’t supposed to survive, and with the natural order disrupted, dark spirits follow them home.

During Cole’s near-death experience, he is assigned an important mission that involves saving the lives of many other children. However, when he is revived, he can’t remember the details and undertakes a challenging quest of discovery.

Meanwhile, the dark spirits begin to manifest in the lives of the local town residents, bringing hatred and death. When shamanic visions reveal that many young lives are indeed in imminent danger, Elijah has to help Cole find the courage to do what is required of him before it is too late.

As Elijah tries to help Cole, he struggles with his own personal demons, and both men—one young, one old—must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to save others.

A moving paranormal thriller about courage, faith, and the transformative power of love."

Giveaway Details:

Giveaway is open to US only for print; eBook edition is available Internationally.
Giveaway will run from November 14th 2011 - November 20th 2011
Winner will be chosen randomly, contacted and announced on November 21st 2011
The winner will have 48 hours to contact back before another winner will be chosen.
One entry per-person please!
If you enter, you are acknowledging that you read and accept the giveaway/contest policy.
Giveaway is provided by the author.

To Enter:

Go to giveaway here.