Feature Friday: Dan Haring

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE FREEDOM TO READ GIVEAWAY/HOP, GO HERE.

Dan has been drawing and writing for most of his life. He earned his degree in animation from BYU and has worked on such films as The Incredible Hulk and Disney's Tangled. He's from a tiny town in Utah called Goshen, and currently lives in Southern California with his wife and children...However, I've recently learned that Dan is going to be moving to Connecticut.  Three cheers!

The Interview:

A.L.:

What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Dan:

Read, write, live life. Explore and take chances and let your

experiences inform your work.

A.L.:

What’s your favorite book and why?

Dan:

Oh wow, that's hard. I'm going to have to cheat and say it's a tie

between On the Road by Jack Kerouac and Lord of the Rings by Tolkien.

I love traveling, I love going out and seeing things, and On the Road

really speaks to that part of me, that hunger for seeing what's out

there. And The Lord of the Rings because I love fantasy and it's

amazing. I hope to someday create a world as incredible as

Middle-Earth.

A.L.:

Have you always wanted to be a writer? What came first, the desire to draw or the desire to write?

Dan:

Drawing came first. I grew up surrounded by people who could draw. My

grandma, my mom and dad, and my older brother and sister were all

artists of one sort or another, so that developed at an early age and

was always something I was drawn toward. I didn't ever really think of

myself as a writer until I started writing Oldsoul a few years ago.

But all through high school and beyond I wrote a ton of poetry, and I

even recently found a fantasy story that I had started in 8th grade.

So I guess the writing has always kind of been there, but art was the

primary pursuit.

A.L.:

Scale of 1-10, how absolutely awesome is your job?

Dan:

Haha. There are times, especially toward the end of a movie, when

we're working 80-hour weeks and things are breaking and the director

is giving ridiculous notes, when it's probably about a 5. (Because

really, I can't complain too much about sitting at a computer and

making movies for a living) But the rest of the time, especially being

able to work on a movie like Tangled, and seeing how much people love

it and knowing I was a part of creating that, then it's much higher

than a 10.

A.L.:

Where did you get the idea for Oldsoul?

Dan:

It basically started with the term “old soul”, meaning someone who is

wise beyond their years. I thought that someone who had a bunch of

dead people’s spirits living inside him might have reason to be

considered an old soul. It was something that I didn't think had been

done before, and it just kind of grew from there.

A.L.:

Did you experience any issues when writing Oldsoul? How did you

overcome them?

Dan:

There were a few points where I got stuck and didn't know where to go.

(I had a very, very loose outline and just pantsed the rest) I would

stop writing, sometimes for a week or two, trying to figure out how to

move on. But without fail, whenever I actually sat down and got back

to the manuscript and started writing, I was able to sort things out.

So I learned that I need to write my way out of those situations, even

if I don't end up solving the problem right away.

A.L.:

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Dan:

Most of the poetry I wrote was pretty emo stuff about girls and

relationships and things of that nature. About ten years ago I got

married and went to school for animation, and between being happy in

my relationship and working like crazy to get my degree, the poetry

fell by the wayside. Then one night, about four years ago, I sat down

and wrote what ended up as the first chapter of Oldsoul. I enjoyed

doing it, and decided to try to write a whole book, and it went from

there. It's still kind of weird to think I wrote a book.

A.L.:

So, your main character, Jason, is able to channel many different souls at once. 

 How did you manage this? Did it feel a little bit like writing a schizophrenic?

Dan:

Though he can channel all the souls within him, Jason really only

interacts with one of them, a girl named Erin, so it didn't get too

hectic. The hardest part was making sure it was clear who was doing

the talking. It was actually really fun going back and forth between

the two of them.

A.L.:

Which of the characters in Oldsoul is your favorite and why?

Dan:

Jason and Erin. I really like the relationship they have, and think

they make a great team. Neither would be complete without the other to

play off of.

A.L.:

What are you working on now? The sequel? Something new?

Dan:

I just finished up the first draft of a Middle Grade fantasy that I'm

really excited about. But I can't really say anything about it.

Hopefully soon though. There's definitely another Oldsoul story

bouncing around my head, but it's fighting with another MG fantasy and

a graphic novel and some other stuff, so we'll see which one wins.

The Giveaway:
We're giving away a copy of Dan's debut novel, Oldsoul!

Oldsoul: Jason Gouvas doesn’t want to believe he has special abilities or that he's an Oldsoul-- a vessel for the souls of people who have passed away, but the dead girl in his mind can be very persuasive.

Her name is Erin, and through her Jason is able to access the knowledge and skills of the souls within him. And with a group of power-hungry immortals bent on destroying the Oldsouls and overthrowing humanity, he's going to need them all.

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy it on Barnes and Noble.
Buy it on Amazon.


How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

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Freedom to Read YA Giveaway Hop

The Giveaway

One lucky winner can choose from any of the books below:

Just for Fins:  When Lily Sanderson decided to remain Crown Princess Waterlily of the mer kingdom of Thalassinia, she knew she couldn't just coast along in the current. But since she's spent the last couple of years on land, Lily's not sure she has the fins to lead a kingdom. Even her maddeningly pretentious cousin Dosinia seems to know more about ruling than she does.

But Lily has to dive in deep to keep her promise to Tellin, her mer bond in name only, who tells her his kingdom is suffering in the changing ocean climate. Lily knows this is a seven seas-sized problem. They'll need to create some serious waves to make the mer community aware and get it to join together to make things right. Lily has to lead the way, even if that means facing one of the iciest queens in the mer kingdoms.

Just when Lily thinks her double life on land and sea can't get any more complicated, an ancient mer law might separate Lily and her human boyfriend, Quince, after all. It feels as if the pair is up against a solid tsunami wave!

Chosen Ones: Life is bleak but uncomplicated for sixteen-year-old Tess, living in a not-too-distant future where the government, faced with humanity's extinction, created the Chosen Ones, artificial beings who are extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

When Tess begins work at Templeton, a Chosen Ones training facility, she meets James, and the attraction is immediate in its intensity, overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to Templeton than Tess ever knew. Can she stand against her oppressors, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Melody Burning:  Beresford doesn’t remember much about his past or how he came to live in the chutes and crawl spaces of the posh high-rise that shares his name. But when rock star and teen sensation Melody McGrath moves to an apartment on the fiftieth floor, he knows he has to be near her. Although she doesn’t realize it, Melody is threatened by more dangerous forces than her manipulative stage mom and the pressures of life in the spotlight. The owner of the glamorous building has been hiding a fatal secret within its walls, and Beresford puts all his plans at risk. Will Beresford and Melody be able to escape with their lives (and love) intact?

Bestselling author Whitley Strieber makes his young adult debut with this pulsing romantic thriller.

Fix Me:  Orphaned as a child, terrorized by her abusive brother, and haunted by memories, Leia feels exposed, powerless, and vulnerable. When her tormented mind can stand it no longer, she escapes to the zoo, where she finds shelter and seeks refuge. The zoo is a sanctuary: a protective space for families, and a safe place for the traumatized to forget. But can she ever feel safe? Can she ever forget?

Once again, Rune Michaels brings us a harrowing psychological drama that raises questions about the very nature of humanity. This chilling tale will challenge our preconceptions of family, memory, and self, leaving readers wondering, are we the pinnacle of evolution—or are we just animals on display?

Bleeding Hearts:  As vampires from all over the world descend on the Drake farm for the Blood Moon gathering, security is ramped up. Lucy has been temporarily banned, for her own safety—and to allow Solange some time to adjust to her new existence. But their enemies realize how much Lucy means to the family, and plan to abduct her to use her for leverage against the new royal family. Instead, Lucy’s cousin Christabel is kidnapped by mistake—and Connor Drake immediately heads off in pursuit, but isn’t in time to prevent Christabel’s infection by the Hel Blar. He can’t save her human life, but he can still try to save her new vampire life, and is willing to put his own life on the line for the girl he has grown to care so much about. Can he save Christabel, the Blood Moon, and his mother’s newly forged Vampire Alliance?

Clarity:  Don't close your eyes. Except when the truth is too dark to bear.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case -- but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother -- who has supernatural gifts of his own -- becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

I'M ALSO GIVING AWAY A COPY OF OLDSOUL BY DAN HARING, TO ENTER FOR THAT GIVEAWAY, GO HERE.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

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Monday Muse: Time After Time - QUIETDRIVE (w/ lyrics)

Sometimes covers are just done right. I love Cindy Lauper's version, but there's just something so much more YA about an emo boy singing this song :D Enjoy your Monday!

Feature Friday: Gina Damico

Gina grew up under four feet of snow in Syracuse, New York. She received a degree in theater and sociology from Boston College, where she was active with the Committee for Creative Enactments, a murder mystery improv comedy troupe that may or may not have sparked her interest in wildly improbable bloodshed. She has since worked as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker, and breadmonger. She lives in Boston with her husband, two cats, and a closet full of black hoodies.

Interview:

A.L.:

What advice would you give to a budding author?

Gina:

Let others read your stuff and listen to their feedback. I know that seems obvious, but back when I was starting out, I didn't let anyone read my work. Not my friends, not my family, not even my husband. He didn't even know what my book was about until the night before I went to a conference to pitch it. And once I did finally unclench my claws and release it to the eyeballs of others, I was resistant to their thoughts. "How DARE they judge my work?" I would scream in the high-pitched voice of a Victorian countess. But almost every time I changed something on the suggestion of others, it turned out for the better. So listen to people. You don't have to take their advice, but at least think about it, play around with something new, and you might be surprised with what pops out of you. (Ew.)

A.L.:

Have you always wanted to be a writer or is it something you just sort of fell into?

Gina:

Definitely just fell into it. I did almost no writing at all in high school and only started dabbling in college, but gave up on it after that because I didn't think it was a viable career choice. But several months into a terrible office temp job I got really bored and found myself seated at a computer for several hours a day with nothing to do, and so I dove back into it, and I haven't stopped since. (I was soon fired.)

A.L.:

Croak is about a budding Reaper, which reminds me of another young Reaper…Did you ever watch Dead Like Me? I feel that fans of one might enjoy the other, any thoughts?

Gina:

When I started writing the Croak books, I had only heard of Dead Like Me, but hadn't yet watched it. Since then I have seen a few episodes and very much enjoyed them, but I stopped because I didn't want to inadvertently copy anything! And I do agree - both are snarky dark humor, so I think there could be some definite fan overlappage.

A.L.:

Why did you make Lex a Punk-toughie? Were you worried she might be an unlikable character?

Gina:

It was important to me that Grims have an intrinsic dark side. All Grims who come to Croak were just like Lex at one point in their lives - bratty, delinquent, violent - but they settle down once they jump into the work and find their true purpose in life. It's a depressing, tough job, and I just felt it was necessary for the people in that line of work to have a malevolent streak somewhere inside of them. It does make Lex a bit unlikeable at first, but I think that's a necessary component of her growth throughout the story. Yes, she's a brat, but she's a brat for a reason, and once she discovers her rightful place she begins to understand why she is the way she is.

A.L.:

Who is your absolute favorite character in Croak? Why?

Gina:

This is a really tough question, because I love something about every one of the characters. Even the mean ones have something at least interesting about them. Which is good, I think, because you never want to sit down to write a scene and be like, "Ugh, this guy again." So I don't know if I can pick an absolute favorite, but Uncle Mort seems to make me laugh without fail, and I never get sick of Pandora's old-timey insults. Oh, and Poe is a trip.

A.L.:

So, we know you love writing about reapers, do you have anything else you’re working on or anything that you feel you might want to write about in the future?

Gina:

I just got word that the third and final book in the Croak series is a go, so that's going to be eating up all my writing time for a while. But after that, I do have a couple of ideas that I'm kicking around - nothing solid, though, so I can't really get specific. But I do think that whatever comes next will still have some element of magic or the paranormal, and that it'll still be funny. I actually don't think it's physically possible for me to write something too serious.

A.L.:

What’s your favorite book and why?

Gina:

I think it's too hard to pick just one, but I will say that one of the most original, weirdest books I've ever read is The 13 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear, by Walter Moer. It's a crazy fantasy through all sorts of amazing settings and wildly imaginative characters, and has a ton of amusing illustrations. It's a feast for the mind. A feast, I say.

A.L.:

You grew up in Syracuse, NY. I assume you might have spent long days cooped up inside with a good book. What writers/books do you think influenced you most growing up?

Gina:

I read all sorts of stuff when I was a kid, but when I got older I'd have to say the author that had the most impact on me was Kurt Vonnegut. I discovered him somewhere around the end of high school, and ended up reading every single book he's written. (I still read them whenever they come out, seeing as how he's still getting published after he's dead. Some people have all the luck.) His voice was just so dry and dark, but with these little streaks of hope and appreciation for how weird and wonderful life is.

A.L.:

So, they say write what you know…Would you say that Lex is a good reflection of your own voice? Cause if that’s the case then I encourage readers to check your FAQATLWA page…It’s hilarious!

Gina:

I'd say Lex and I are pretty similar in voice, though she is a bit grumpier than I am. I'm generally a pretty happy person. *grins like an idiot* But then there's also a bit of Driggs's wry, calm humor in me, and Uncle Mort's insanity - so I guess they're all me, split up several ways. Like horcruxes.

A.L.:

Did you have any difficulties/hit any snags when writing Croak? We know that you did a re-write for your agent, Tina Wexler, how did that go? Were you originally overwhelmed by her requests or was it super easy to do your re-write?

Gina:

Rewrites are hard, but they are SO necessary. And as daunting as they seem at first, they can actually end up being pretty fun - something new will crop up that you'd never thought of before, or a new character will somehow worm their way in and end up being exactly what the story needed. Tina wanted some pretty big changes right off the bat, and while they made me feel a little vomity at first, I tried them out and I was beyond pleased with the result. Sometimes you just have to get out of your own head and see something from another perspective, and the nausea will pass. Hopefully.

The Giveaway:
Gina has sent me a copy of CROAK and some swag to giveaway to one lucky winner!

Croak: Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate
New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of
dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort's true occupation is
much dirtier than shoveling manure.
He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business.
She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by
reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for
justice--or is it vengeance?--whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to
stop the attackers before they can strike again. Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with
her reaper skills?

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy on Amazon.
Buy on Barnes and Noble.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

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Monday Muse: 에프엑스_Electric Shock_Music Video

Every-so-often you just have to share some J-Pop with the rest of the world...

Feature Friday: Katherine Longshore

Katherine Longshore grew up on the northern California coast. At university, she created her own major in Cross-Cultural Studies and Communications, planning to travel and write. Forever. Four years, six continents and countless pairs of shoes later, she went to England for two weeks, stayed five years and discovered history. She now lives in California with her husband, two children and a sun-worshiping dog.

 Interview:

A.L.:

What's your favorite book and why?

Katherine: 

That is one of the hardest questions in the world for me to answer, because my favorites change according to mood and desire. Today I would have to say WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel, because I'm dying to read the sequel, and I won't let myself until I finished Book 3 of my own series. Mantel writes historical fiction with absolute immersion, it's so rich and textured and the characters so believable.  A very close second is THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green.  I wish I could be half as smart, articulate and funny as his characters.

A.L.:

What piece of advice would you give to budding authors?

Katherine:

Can I give two? The first would be to write what you love, not what you think will sell. Writing for the market can diminish freshness and takes away part of the joy. The second would be to finish the book. Sounds simple, but it is one of the hardest parts of the process.

A.L.:

You've done a huge amount of traveling throughout your life, how much of that factored into your writing?

Katherine:

Good question! My travels throughout England have added a great deal of sensory and visual inspiration to my writing. My world travels, like all my life experiences, have probably helped me to write with more emotional depth. Having seen the good and the bad, the beautiful and the grotesque, my imagination has a wider and more layered scope than it would have had I stayed at home.

A.L.:

When, after everything you've done, did you decide to write for young adults?

Katherine:

About four years ago, I was writing for younger children when I attended a conference and participated in a workshop on voice run by Lynda Sandoval. She had us write a few sentences inspired by photographs pulled from magazines, and then had us read aloud. Sydney Salter, author of MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, came up to me at the end of the workshop and said, “You know, you have a great voice for YA.” And it was like a door opened, and I stepped through. I think sometimes we all need a little push to find where we belong.

A.L.:

Will you always write historic novels or do you think you venture into contemporary?

Katherine:

I have a slew of historical stories that I'm dying to tell. But I also have some contemporary stories demanding to be heard. I'd love to write both.

A.L.:

Can you explain your path to getting published?

Katherine:

To me, it looks like a series of happy coincidences and extreme good fortune.  But in reality, I followed the path laid out by the hundreds of books and articles about “How to Get Published”.  I wrote a book, revised, revised and revised again. I queried agents, got a good number of rejections and ultimately found the best agent for me and my book in Catherine Drayton. It was Catherine who first suggested GILT could be part of a series of companion novels set in the court of Henry VIII, and sold it that way. And it was Catherine who placed it in the hands of Kendra Levin, who “got” what I was trying to do, right from the beginning.

A.L.: 

Who is your favorite character in GILT and why?

Katherine:

I used to be a teacher, so I try my best not to pick favorites. But I will admit to having a soft spot for William. He reminds me of my husband.

A.L.:

Did you hit any snags when writing GILT? What were they and how did you overcome them?

Katherine:

I took several wrong turns at the beginning. I tried to force my story to fit into a concept that didn't work for it. I tried to cover too great an expanse of history. And I couldn't write a first chapter that satisfied me. I overcame all of these problems by finishing the book. Once I finished, I knew how to begin. (Though I did go through at least seven first chapters before settling on one I liked.)

A.L.:

Where haven’t you been yet that you're dying to see? Likewise, what would you most like to see again?

Katherine:

The whole world is full of places I'm dying to see! Nepal, Vietnam, South America, Iceland. I'd love to visit the Loire Valley in France, Uluru in Australia, Mount Fuji in Japan, because I missed those places on my visits to those countries. But of the places I would most like to see again, Zimbabwe tops the list. Unfortunately, it is no longer the same country I visited, and I think going there now would break my heart.

A.L.:

Do you think that Kitty was an easy character to write? Is she a little like you, your complete opposite, someone you'd enjoy being friends with, or someone you’d avoid entirely in real life?

Katherine:

Kitty was both an easy and a difficult character to write, because she is a little like me as I once was. It's hard to admit to being someone so easily influenced by someone else and so shamefully ignorant of that person's faults and manipulations. And it's hard to put someone in that situation, even if she's only fictional. But because I understand how easily that can happen, writing Kitty’s outer weakness and her inner turmoil came easily. However, that didn’t stop me from being mad at her when she made bad choices.

The Giveaway:
I'll be sending a copy of Katherine's debut novel, GILT, to one lucky winner.

Gilt:In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free—
and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney’s best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII’s heart and brings Kitty to court, she’s thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat’s shadow, Kitty’s now caught between two men—the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat’s meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy it on Barnes and Noble.
Buy it on Amazon.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Muse: Troubled By the Way We Came Together-Natalie Imbruglia

I can't believe there isn't a better video for this song! It's one of my favorites of all time! Anyway, happy Monday and I hope you enjoy my lovelies!

Lyrics:
From hand to hand you bought and sold
blood is the shield against the weather
became a stone for fear of being melted
trouble from the day we came together

When you recover, from yesterdays low
tue slave to traction of pleasure
i collect the embers as i watch you grow
you left along the way we came together

As you breathe as you breathe it to life
you will lead, you will lead
as you stray as you star far from home
i will believe i will believe

Flames of love immerse you
cradle and coerce you
shadows over on the place you play
names of love remind along the way
seems shallowed by the way we came together

My heart carries on, umm,
but my head knows better
troubled by the way we came together

As you breathe, as you breathe it to life
you will lead, you will lead
as you stray as you stary far from home
i will believe, i will believe

'Cos you are here today, and gone tomorrow
basking in the fields of never never
you wanted today, oh but i wanted forever
troubled by the way we came together

My heart carries on, umm
but my head knows better
troubled by the way we came together

As you breathe as you breathe it to life
you will lead, you will lead
as you stray, as you stary far from home
i will believe, i will believe

'Cos you are here today
and gone tomorrow

Feature Friday: Catherine Knutsson

Today we've got Catherine Knutsson interviewing all the way from Canada!  Her debut novel, SHADOWS CAST BY STARS, just released and it looks awesome!  Catherine Knutsson, like Cassandra Mercredi in SHADOWS CAST BY STARS, is a member of the Métis nation.  She lives on Vancouver Island, on which the fictional Island of her novel is based, and divides her time between working with horses, singing, and writing.  

Interview:

A.L.:

What piece of advice would you give to a budding author? 

Catherine:

Only one?  Gosh, there are so many things I wished I had known when I was starting out!  I definitely think it's important for new writers to remember that reading is part of the job description, and not just reading in a writer's chosen genre.  And, I think the other thing is to remember that writing is a craft AND an art form, and honing a craft or an art takes time, so don't rush.  Allow yourself time to learn and grow before you start submitting.  Looking back, I think I rushed into trying to sell my work far too soon, when I should have been working on my writing skills instead. 

A.L.:

What’s your favorite book and why? 

Catherine:

My absolute favorite book is AN EQUAL MUSIC by Vikram Seth.  On the surface, it's a story about a violinist in a quartet and his relationship with music, a former lover, and himself.  But, on a deeper level, this book is about madness and obsession and talent, of losing yourself in your art, of losing yourself TO your art, and of losing yourself in love in the worst way possible.  And then, the long, slow climb of healing.  I first came across this book when I was in music school and was really struggling with what it meant to face giants like Bach and Mozart on a daily basis, when my own instrument (my voice) and talent seemed so flawed and inadequate in comparison, and the almost surreal challenge of losing yourself in the euphoria of performance, and then having to leave the concert hall and enter the real world with real people who didn't care a fig about the magic you were just part of.  I'm probably not doing a very good job of explaining myself here, but...for me, AN EQUAL MUSIC is a book that speaks to my heart and soul, and no matter how many times I've read it, I always am moved to tears.
 

A.L.:

The premise for Shadow Cast by Stars is so intriguing!  Can you tell me a little bit about its inception?

Catherine:

Sure!  Way back when, I remember thinking about the epitaph from King Arthur's supposed grave marker - "Here lies Arthur, the once and future king", and the promise that one day, he'll return in the time of his country's greatest need.  So, I wrote an opening to a novel with that in mind, read it, and thought, "I have no idea what this is."  All I knew was that the story needed telling, but I didn't have the skills to tell it yet.  So, after letting it sit for a good long while, I came back to it and decided that it wasn't really about King Arthur, but more about a future world in great need, and how, sometimes, we have to become the heroes in our own myths.  I was also thinking about how much the world has changed for aboriginal peoples in the last hundred years, and how much more it might change in another two hundred years, and how where we come from affects how we see the world.  A lot of that came from my own explorations of my heritage, for I didn't grow up knowing I was Métis, which led me to thinking about how the stories we're told, or the stories that are kept from us, affect how we move in the world. 

A.L.: 

Aboriginal people feature heavily in your book, and you yourself are Métis like your main character.  Can you tell us when you found out about this exciting heritage?  Did it factor into your decision to write from the aboriginal standpoint?

Catherine:

Like I mentioned above, I didn't grow up knowing I was Métis.  My aunt, who has a real talent for genealogical research, was tracing our family tree and discovered that my grandmother was Métis.  There were some pretty powerful and painful reasons why my grandmother kept this secret (she's since passed on), but once my aunt made the discovery, it explained a lot (I apologize for being somewhat vague here, but some of this involves other family members, and I need to respect their privacy and such).  I admit that I probably struggled with this discovery more than some of my other relatives, and writing SHADOWS CAST BY STARS was a way to explore some of those struggles, questions I had about blood quantum, and community, and stories, and cultural heritage--and, how much damage was done to First Nations and Métis families by the mandate of "taking the Indian out of the Indian".  I wanted to write about what it means when your history is taken from you, and how those scars affect multiple generations, and how no one can really heal in isolation - that we all have scars that need healing, and some of those scars are spiritual and environmental as well as emotional and physical.

A.L.:

What are you currently working on?  Something new or the sequel?

Catherine:

I've got a few things simmering away!  I'm just putting the finished touches on a middle-grade book that has the potential to become a series, and I'm about halfway through another YA novel set in a quasi-Arabian Nights world.  I'm pretty excited about both of them! 

A.L.:

Who is your favorite character in Shadows Cast by Stars and why?

Catherine:

Oh wow.  This isn't an easy question to answer, because I love all the characters--even the difficult ones!  I really have a soft spot for Helen, who is Cassandra's best friend, because Helen is a gentle, kind soul despite despite some terrible experiences she endured.  And, I also really love Cassandra's dad, who is a real salt-of-the-earth sort, and how he loves his kids more than anything in the world. 

A.L.:

So, you’ve got two cats.  We have to know, what’s the most absolute awesome name a cat can have?

Catherine:

Ahaha!  I think, if you asked my cats, "His/Her Most Royal Highness" would be the names they'd choose!  But, I think my absolute favorite name for a cat is Tissue, which is a name my mother suggested I give my first cat when I said I wanted to call him Toilet Paper (I was five at the time, so who knows what I was thinking!). 

A.L.:

Did you run into any issues when writing Shadows Cast by Stars?  How did you overcome them?

Catherine:

I think the biggest issue for me was coming to terms with the fact that I'm a drafter.  It can take me a really long time to find the story I need to tell, and then, even longer to pare away the flesh around the story to find its most essential form.  I can't tell you how many drafts I did for SHADOWS - several on my own (and each draft, for me, means going through the story about five or six times), and several for my agent, and then four for my editor, not counting copy edits & first-pass pages.  (And for anyone who says that editors no longer edit, I'm here to tell you that's not true at all!)  I realize now that this is just part of the way I work, but accepting that was hard when other debut authors were only having to do one revision before getting sent on to copyedits.  What really helped me come to terms with this was reading a lovely book called THE WAND IN THE WORDS, which contains a series of interviews with established writers of fantasy, and learning that all of them are drafters!  It made me feel a lot less alone, and also helped me realize that there really are many roads to Rome.  My road might be long and winding, but it will get me there eventually! (The scenic route!)

A.L.: 

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into becoming a writer and getting published?

Catherine:

Well, I have to admit I never intended to be a writer.  I mean, I wrote, but it was always for school.  I had always planned on being a musician and taught singing (and did some solo work) after I finished my music studies, but I had been living with back pain for some time, and long days at the piano (I accompanied my students) aggravated it to the point I couldn't function.  No matter what I did, I couldn't find a way to manage the pain.  So, that forced my hand, and since writing was something I could do without having to go back to school, I just did it, and discovered, pretty quickly, that I really enjoyed it.  I started by working on short stories, and then, after having some success there, branched out into the novel-length form.  Soon enough, I found a fantastic agent, and then, about six months later, we had a publishing contract, and I haven't looked back since!

A.L.:

Is Cassandra a character that was easy for you to write or did she take a little bit of work on your part?

Catherine:

I had a really good idea of who she was in my head, but it took some work getting her onto the page, and that wasn't easy! Fortunately, my editor and agent were both great sounding boards--I'm not sure I could have gotten Cass out onto the page as I did without their help!

The Giveaway:

Catherine has offered to send one lucky winner a signed copy of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS.  I'm totally jealous of you, future winner...

Shadows Cast by Stars: Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet—especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the Plague ravaging the rest of the world.

Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi might be immune to Plague, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe—government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cassandra and her family, they flee to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerilla warriors—and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken her under her wing, and the tribal leader’s son into his heart, the creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument…

Incorporating the traditions of the First Peoples as well as the more familiar stories of Greek mythology and Arthurian legend, Shadows Cast by Stars is a haunting, beautifully written story that breathes new life into ancient customs.

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy it on Amazon.
Buy it on Barnes and Noble. 

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

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Debut Author Giveaway/Hop

Hooray for awesome new authors!  The winner takes their pick from one of the following debut novels!

Incarnate: New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Article 5: New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Sweet Evil:  Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Struck: Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Hemlock:  Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love   

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

NOTE: I'm also giving away a copy of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS, a novel by another debut author (Catherine Knuttson) here.

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Monday Muse: Regina Spektor - "Fidelity" [Official Music Video]

This is one of my favorite songs! I love what Regina Spektor can do with her voice. Hope you enjoy.

Feature Friday: Shannon Dittemore

This morning we've got the wonderfully kind debut author, Shannon Dittemore! Shannon Dittemore has an overactive imagination and a passion for truth.

Her lifelong journey to combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College, performances with local theater companies, and a focus on youth and young adult ministry. The daughter of one preacher and the wife of another, she spends her days imagining things unseen and chasing her two children around their home in Northern California.

Angel Eyes is her first novel.

Interview:

A.L.:

What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Shannon:

I wish I had some original advice, something no one’s thought to say, but I don’t. Just read. Read, read, read. Read a lot. Read the kind of stuff you write. Read the kind of stuff you could never write. Read what your audience loves. And then write you. Write your story. Learn to take the feedback that helps and to ignore the stuff that doesn’t. It’s hu-ard! I know, but you need it, and guess what, the feedback never, ever ends.

A.L.:

What’s your favorite book and why?

Shannon:

Well! Omitting cheater answers like the Bible and such, I’ll go with the Count of Monte Cristo. I reserve the right to change this answer at any time because I’m human and that’s allowed, but I have so many amazing memories reading this book. I bought a battered copy at Powell’s in Portland with a couple friends of mine. We took turn reading chapters out loud. We read in random coffee houses, the famous Portland Rose Gardens, and even at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood. Awesome story, awesome friends. Some of the best memories ever.

A.L.:

So, I’m a sucker for angels and demons, I want to know all about the Angel Eyes mythos. :) Did you model your world entirely off of biblical mythology or did you take some liberties?

Shannon:

I absolutely took liberties. Absolutely. But, I will say that my imagination was informed by Biblical accounts. I’ve always had a thing for angels. For the way they’re described in scripture. For the things that aren’t said about them. Developing the Celestial was one of the most enjoyable parts of writing Angel Eyes.

A.L.:

Have you always wanted to write?

Shannon:

I’ve always written. Is that the same thing? Poetry or skits or short stories. I’ve always liked capturing my thoughts on paper, but for the longest time I thought I’d be on stage somewhere. Storytelling in all its forms fascinates me. I don’t feel like I’ve arrived at my final destination. I feel like I’ve gotten a chance to tell stories in novel form and that’s such an incredible opportunity. In a way it feels like home. Like it’s what I should be doing. For now.

A.L.:

You’re very transparent about your religion and the role of religion in your life. How much would you say it impacts your writing?

Shannon:

In every way. My beliefs, just like your beliefs, fashion the way we see the world. I don’t know that I’ll always write “Christian” stories, but it’s the filter I see the world through. That bleeds onto the page whether I like it or not.

A.L.:

Which of the characters in Angel Eyes is your favorite and why?

Shannon:

Brielle, of course, gets most of my attention and I’m more invested in her than in any of my other characters. She’s got all the potential in the world and I can’t wait to see what she does with it. Her friends are also very near to my heart.

A.L.:

Did you hit any snags writing Angel Eyes? If so, what where they and how did you overcome them?

Shannon:

All the time. Writing is full of course correction. I’ve done an edit where I completely changed the tense of the novel from past to present. I’ve deleted a bad guy and his entire family. I’ve deleted and added POVs. It makes the story richer, though, to take it through crazy edits. You end up with twists and turns that even surprise you as the writer.

A.L.:

What are you currently working on?

Shannon:

Right now, I’m drafting book three and getting ready to start line edits for Broken Wings, the second book in the Angel Eyes trilogy.

A.L.:

What’s your favorite food?

Shannon:

Decisions! I don’t know. I’m a fan of both coffee and chocolate. It’s a toss-up.

A.L.:
If you had one last day to live, what would you do?

Shannon:

I’d be so boring! I’d snuggle with my husband and kids. Maybe we’d all crawl into bed and watch Harry Potter movies until I’m whisked away.

The Giveaway:
Shannon is going to send one lucky winner a signed copy of ANGEL EYES and some bookmarks to give to your friends!

Angel Eyes Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . .

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy it on Barnes and Noble.
Buy it on Amazon.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to national entrants only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway