Monday Muse: Moon Trance- Lindsey Stirling

So, I know I just did a Lindsey Sterling post a couple of weeks ago, but this one is special for Halloween! Enjoy!

Feature Friday: Gretchen McNeil

I am also hosting a YA Mythology giveaway/hop HERE.

Gretchen McNeil is an opera singer, writer and clown. Her YA horror POSSESS about a teen exorcist debuted with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins in 2011. Her follow up TEN – YA horror/suspense about ten teens trapped on a remote island with a serial killer – was released September 18, 2012, and her third novel 3:59 – sci fi doppelganger horror about two girls who are the same girl in parallel dimensions who decide to switch places – is scheduled for Fall 2013. Gretchen's new YA contemporary series Don't Get Mad (Revenge meets The Breakfast Club) about four very different girls who form a secret society where they get revenge on bullies and mean girls begins Fall 2014 with GET EVEN, followed by the sequel GET DIRTY in 2015, also with Balzer + Bray.

Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. Gretchen blogs with The Enchanted Inkpot and is a founding member of the vlog group the YARebels where she can be seen as "Monday." She is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Interview:
A.L.
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Gretchen:
Learn to deal with rejection.  It's really hard at first.  We all love our books, and want everyone else to love them.  But the reality of publishing is that NOT everyone loves your writing, and the sooner you learn how to let that go, the happier you'll be.  Learn from criticism, but don't let it discourage you!

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Gretchen:
My favorite book of all time is Anne of Green Gables.  It was like the twelve-year-old me was reading about a turn of the century version of herself!  Anne is smart, imaginative, fearless and constantly getting into trouble.  Let's see… me, me, me and me.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for Ten?

Gretchen:
My editor, actually.  We were talking about what my next project should be, and she mentioned that one of her favorite things about my style is my ability to write scary, suspenseful novels.  Then I started thinking about why I enjoy writing that genre.  Basically, I'm a junky for a good mystery and anyone who can spin me along on a tenuous thread of suspense and expectation, turning the screws and upping the ante with every page.  Agatha Christie and Christopher Pike were huge influences on my writing and clean, direct style of storytelling.  And of course, the masterful cinematic storytelling of Alfred Hitchcock.   Put those pieces together and you have TEN!

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing Ten?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Gretchen:
TEN was pretty tightly plotted from the beginning, so along those lines I was fine.  The biggest "snag" I ran into was my deadline!  I only had ten weeks (oh, the irony) from when TEN sold to when my editor was going to need a first draft.  It was really tough, writing to a deadline like that. I had to break up the process into smaller, more manageable pieces and just knock them out one by one.  About halfway through I didn't think I was going to make it.  Then somehow – boom!  I was done!

Remind me never to do that again.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in Ten is your favorite and why?

Gretchen:
I love Gunner.  He's, um, not too bright, but he has the knack of saying the right thing at the right time, with total and complete bluntness.  Love it.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Gretchen:
I've only been writing for about five years.  I spent most of my life training to be an opera singer.  High school, college, grad school…  I worked as a struggling singer for many years before stepping aside.  Writing filled that creative gap for me!

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequels?  Something new?

Gretchen:
My next book (Fall 2013) is another stand alone, more sci-fi horror this time.  It's called 3:59 and it's about two girls who are the same girl in different dimensions, who discover that their worlds connect every twelve hours – at 3:59 – for one minute.  When they decide to switch places for a day, all hell breaks loose. Literally.

After that I just sold a two book series, also to Balzer + Bray, for 2014 and 2015.  GET EVEN and GET DIRTY are books one and two in the Don't Get Mad series about four very different girls who have formed a secret revenge society, getting back at bullies and mean girls who have terrorized their classmates, which all goes well until one of their targets turns up dead and the society is implicated in the death.

A.L.:
In your first novel, Possess, you write about a girl who can communicate with and banish demons.  In Ten, your latest novel, you write about a bunch of teens trapped on an island with a murderer…We have to ask:  You’re into horror movies aren’t you?  Which one is your favorite and why?

Gretchen:
Easy.  The Exorcist.  I've never seen anything so terrifying in my entire life, which is one of the reasons I decided to write about demonic possession in POSSESS.  It's a mix of good vs. evil and that haunted house vibe where the house itself is a character in the film.  It's amazing how the tone of the whole house changes once Regan starts playing with the Ouija board…

A.L.:
So, you get +10 because I’m totally in love with everything circus and carnival related.  Can you tell me a little bit about how you became a member of Cirque Bezerk?  Do you think any of those experiences have influenced you as an author?

Gretchen:
Cirque Berzerk is just one of the awesomest experiences of my whole life.  It was a fluke that I got involved, actually.  A friend of a friend knew that this little home-spun circus troupe was going to be putting together a full, through line show with a live band and three singers.  They had two rock vocalists, and wanted a classical singer to round out the sound.  My name came up, emails were exchanged and there I was, a circus freak.

As for inspiration, let's just say that there's a circus story bouncing around in my head…

A.L.:
You’re a former coloratura soprano.  Most of us have no idea what that is, can you enlighten us and tell us a little bit about your training and career as one?  Are you ever going to write about a singer?  Maybe a modern day retelling of Phantom of the Opera?

Gretchen:
No Phantom retellings.  There are plenty of them out there!  But yes, I've actually considered a story with a classical singer as the main character, but I haven't quite come up with the right plot yet.

A coloratura soprano is a high voice – one of the highest – who usually sings the fast, florid passages in opera.  Think of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute.  My favorite role, one that I was lucky enough to perform twice, was Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos.

Opera is a tough business.  Tougher, in some ways, than publishing if you can believe it.  The pool is so much smaller, and there are SO many fish swimming around in it.  But the music, the stage craft, the ability to show a story on stage.  I miss all those things dearly. 

The Giveaway:

TEN:  And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives – three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, both of which involve Kamiak High’s most eligible bachelor, T.J. Fletcher. But what starts out as a fun-filled weekend turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly, people are dying and the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

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

NOTE: There's a new extra credit option, so make sure you read!
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YA Mythology Giveaway/Hop

Finally, I'm back to doing giveaway/hops!  YAY!  Hope you guys enjoy this one.

NOTE: I am also giving away an additional copy of DARKNESS BECOMES HER by Kelly Keaton HERE.

The Giveaway: 
One lucky winner gets to choose any one of these books!

Abandon by Meg Cabot

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.

Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart. 

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

IF SHE FAILS... 

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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Don't Forget to visit all the other awesome sites that are doing YA Mythology giveaways too!

Monday Muse: Pandora

Today's Monday Muse is soundless but no less colorful.  Behold, PANDORA by Steve Delamare.  I saw it on DeviantArt and just had to share it with you all!

Feature Friday: Daniel Marks

Daniel Marks writes young adult horror and fantasy, spends way too much time glued to the internet and collects books obsessively (occasionally reading them). He’s been a psychotherapist for children and adolescents, a group home counselor for the chronically mentally ill (none of that rubbed off...at. all.), and a Halloween store manager. He's survived earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons to get where he is today, which is to say, in his messy office surrounded by half empty coffee cups. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Caroline, and three furry monsters with no regard for quality carpeting. No, seriously. None.

Interview: 
A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Daniel:
Learn to take criticism early. In fact, seek it out. A common mistake aspiring writers make is not revising their work enough or depending on first readers that are not critical enough or are overly invested in not hurting feelings. Even the best writers produce terrible first, second, even third drafts. Get some feedback. Incorporate it. When you look at the same words for so long, you become blind to how they can suck.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Daniel:
The Stand. Period. I love the scale and scope of it and King’s mastery of the multiple POV. It’s simply brilliant. I need to give it a reread soon.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for Velveteen?

Daniel:
Back when I first started writing, I put together a novella-length treatment for a longer story. It was called THE TROUBLE WITH THE LIVING and featured Luisa (who appears in Velveteen as a secondary character), a 12-year old girl who idolizes her detective grandfather and turns that into a basis for an ill-fated search for a local killer. The story ended up being too dark (which would become a primary descriptor for all may work, as it turns out) for the age group and so I set it aside. Years later, when I was looking for a new project, pulled out the story and decided to revisit that character after her death, all the way to purgatory.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing Velveteen?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Daniel:
Definitely. I think a writer always missteps in the drafting stage, and that’s why we revise. The biggest mistake I made with the manuscript was one of alternative perspective. We sold the book on the strength of the opening chapter, of Velvet’s revenge story. But there was another thread that’s not in the final book. Nick, Velvet’s romantic interest, had a major POV. That was nixed in the first revision letter. Now, mind you, the book was considered risky when it was acquired. Thirteen editors turned it down, deeming it too disturbing. But after the deletion of Nick’s POV, it became even darker, more gruesome. The purgatory storyline had to be expanded to offset this. I’ve seen some reviews suggesting disappointment that the story wasn’t simply about the haunting of Velvet’s serial killer. I could NEVER have sold that book. Ever. The moments between Velveteen and Bonesaw are too intense. There’s zero levity. If the book was too disturbing for acquisition before, imagine trying to get a book full of torture and forced suicide attempts past them.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in Velveteen is your favorite and why?

Daniel:
Velvet is, of course, the closest to the way I think, but Logan is my favorite. A 12-year old gas-huffing, card shark with a short fuse carrying a bear trap on the end of a chain all wrapped up in a Grover costume? Come on!

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Daniel:
I started writing about eight years ago, six months before I landed my first publishing contract (for an adult urban fantasy series). Those books, while very close to my heart, did not do well. That’s actually an understatement. They were virtually invisible, which warranted a pseudonym for further work (there were other reasons for the name-switch, but let’s just go with that reasoning, because one look at sales of that series would be reason enough to pass on future work). I struggled with Velveteen for two years before my agent took it to the market. The entire process is frustrating for aspiring writers and “established” authors alike. So Velveteen sold and I was, frankly, shocked that I was given a lifeline on this career. In eight years, it’s been a constant financial struggle. I think most people think writing is a viable career choice, but It’s not easy to make money this way and only a very few writers ever become “comfortable.” But I just keep plotting away.

A.L.:
So, according to Goodreads, we know Velveteen is going to be a trilogy, are you working on anything else?

Daniel:
Actually. We don’t know that. The next book in my contract is not a Velveteen sequel. As I mentioned before, Delacorte needs to see what kind of sales reaction we get to the book before they commit to the other two. My suspicion is, and the reason I wrapped up the majority of the storylines in Velveteen, is that this could be the only book set in that world. I had to look at it that way to move on to the next book, which is still being decided.

A.L.:
So, you’ve been a psychoanalyst for children…How did that play into writing a dead girl who wants revenge on her killer?

Daniel:
The twelve years I spent counseling definitely factored into writing some pretty authentic dialogue, but at the same time, the kids I worked with were not anywhere near average. These were some seriously tough kids. Which is my thing, I love people who have a rougher edge. I love them in real life and in fiction. Prickly heroines? Sign me up.

A.L.:
I have to ask…Has anyone called Velveteen the Anti-Lovely Bones yet? …Cause that little tickle in the back of my head is all like, “Yes!  Finally, a dead girl with straight priorities!”

Daniel:
I have seen some comparisons, but they’re quickly put aside when people read the book. Velveteen has very little in common with the dead girl in Lovely Bones. In fact, she has more in common with her own killer than she does with that girl.

A.L.:
Why the name Velveteen?

Daniel:
Three things. Velveteen is obviously a reference to The Velveteen Rabbit. The Departurists, the revolutionaries that are tearing purgatory apart, want nothing more to be “real” again, which is the metaphorical connection between the two books. Velveteen is likewise a fabric that covers movie theater seats. My protagonist’s love of film and her relationship with her mother and others in the book centers around the cinema, so that was a no-brainer. The fabric itself tends to go ruddy overtime, threadbare like the bunny and this is recreated in the look of souls in the book, their ashen skin.

The Giveaway: 
Danny is giving away a signed copy of his debut YA novel, VELVETEEN.

VELVETEEN: Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that’s not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it’s not a fiery inferno, it’s certainly no heaven. It’s gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn’t leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what’s really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she’s figured out just how to do it. She’ll haunt him for the rest of his days.

It’ll be brutal... and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen’s obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she’s willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can’t help herself when it comes to breaking rules... or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her

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

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Monday Muse: Haoma

A pretty for Monday!

Feature Friday: Heather Anastasiu

Heather Anastasiu recently moved to Minneapolis with her family, and when she's not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café or daydreaming about getting a new tattoo.

Interview:

A.L.:

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

Heather:

Really listen to critique and be willing to incorporate it, even if it means big changes and rewrites to your piece. The most basic building block of being a writer is learning the discipline of sitting down to put in the hours it takes to write. But once you’ve mastered that, the next biggest obstacle is hearing what others have to say about your writing and really listening. It can be painful to hear that people don’t love your work right away. Often we have dreams that our first book will be a masterpiece. But that’s just not the way it works. It takes a lot of time to learn how to write scenes, natural dialogue, and a compelling plot. For every other artistic endeavor we accept that it takes years of practice before you’ve mastered it—learning an instrument or being a painter. Writing is no different. But try to find a critique group where they mix in positivity with constructive criticism, because being a writer also takes dogged determination, and it’s important to have others who will encourage you along the way.

A.L.:

On your site, it says your favorite book is East of Eden, would you mind telling us exactly how it blew your world open?

Heather:

Before I read East of Eden, I was very narrow in the kind of fiction that I read – it was pretty much strictly Christian romance books. While those books were entertaining, they were all reinforcing the same narrow way of looking at the world. Then, on a recommendation from a friend, I read East of Eden. Steinbeck doesn’t look at the world through rose colored glasses at all. The way he wrote about human beings with all their alternate follies and glories felt so incredibly real. It struck a chord with me. He wrote about some of the worst things that humans can do to one another, but at the end, shockingly, was a note of redemption. Steinbeck was not religious, but his form of gritty redemption felt more true and earned than the cheesy watered-down versions I was getting in the other books. Yet, in spite of all the darkness in the book, he still saw the world as full of so much beauty, and he wrote in such a way that made me want to caress the pages after I’d read a sentence. So not only was it the characters and his message, it was his lyricism that captured me.

A.L.:

Where did you get the idea for Glitch? It seems almost like The Giver, at first, but it gets way cooler!

Heather:

I’ve always loved dystopias, ever since I was a kid when there was a rash of dystopian sci-fi 80’s and 90’s movies. As far as books, I loved The Giver and 1984, both of which I read in school at various points. The idea of a government that tries to control every aspect of its subject’s life, stripping them of both their individuality and freedom, was a constant source of fascination for me. Those seemed like the most important parts to life, and I always thought stories about fighting back against such oppression also get to explore those themes about what it means to be human.

As for Glitch, I got the idea after my husband and I talked about this creepy Popular Science article he’d read about research into putting memory chips in Alzheimer’s patients. I was immediately both wigged out and intrigued by the idea that we might start integrating technology in our bodies more and more in the future. Then my imagination took it the next step, wondering what would happen if the government controlled all that tech in our bodies, and the idea for Glitch was born!

A.L.:

Did you hit any snags while writing Glitch or the sequel, Override? What were they and how did you fix them?

Heather:

Boy did I ever!!! Especially with Override. The first draft of Glitch sailed out pretty easily and without much sweat or tears. Override, on the other hand, had to be rewritten from scratch almost three times. But I’m on a six month release schedule between books, so all of those rewrites had to happen on a seriously fast timeline. The biggest problem was that the draft was written during a difficult time in my life, and I learned (afterward) that I can’t write very well unless I’m happy and everything is nice and stable. The book I produced at first was wooden with characters who felt distant and unrelatable, and the first half draaaaaaaaaaaaaaged. I’d understood Zoe so clearly in book 1, but then I had trouble connecting to her journey as it continued in book 2, mostly because I was at this strange disconnected place in my real life. 

But everything settled down at the beginning of 2012, and I was finally able to get back into a good headspace. After a few lengthy mis-starts, I rewrote the book from scratch. That was a hard call to make, but sometimes it’s just necessary to start over. And when I did, both Zoe and Adrien came back to life for me. I could feel their passions and their struggles and had a much clearer vision for what the book would be. So even though the basic plot points of the book didn’t change much in the different versions, everything else did. I don’t think there’s even one sentence from the first version that’s in the last! 

A.L.:

Which one of the characters in this series is your favorite and why?

Heather:

Well, I’ve got a lot of love for Zoe since I’m in her head all the time writing in first person :) But I think as far as my favorite, it’s probably gotta be Adrien. He goes through a lot as the series continues, and my heart would alternately break for him and be lifted up as I was writing his scenes. There was nothing more emotionally wrenching than getting in his head and seeing the world as he sees it.

A.L.:

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

Heather:

I wrote three novels in six years and stacked up piles and piles of rejections (literally hundreds by the end) of every kind imaginable—rejections from agents, rejections from literary magazines, rejections from MFA programs. But after the sting of each rejection wore off, I’d dig back into a project or start a new one. I went faithfully to a little writer’s group that met at my local library. And I tried to really soak up and incorporate what I was hearing in my critique partners. There’s this dogged determination you have to have when you’re trying to make it as an author, so I kept holding onto the impossible dream and continually strove to get better and better.

Then in the spring of 2010 I came up with the idea for Glitch. All that semester I plotted it out in my head, but I didn’t have time to write it until summertime. I wrote it in a crazy blaze, and could tell even as I was writing that this one was different from my previous book attempts. The response I got from agents when I queried it was a lot different too! Suddenly I had lots of requests for partials and fulls, and then one agent, Charlie Olsen at Inkwell Management, sent a magical email saying he wanted to set up a phone call with me. There were things he really liked about my manuscript, and other big things that needed changing. After several big rounds of edits, he offered representation, and when we went on submission in January, the trilogy sold in three weeks in a pre-empt to St. Martin’s. That was literally the most insane and amazing day of my life.

A.L.:

We know we can expect two more books in this trilogy, but what are you going to write after that? Anything in the works?

Heather:

Oh yes, there’s always something in the works ;) There’s a lot of time waiting in between edits on each book, and I always use that time to work on drafting the next book. I finished a draft of book 3 this summer and have been playing around with a few different cool ideas the last few months. Only time will tell if they end up going anywhere, but I’m hopeful!

A.L.:

So, you love body art – especially tattoos. Would you mind telling us a little bit about some of the tattoos you already have and maybe some thoughts on which ones you’ll get next?

Heather:

My first tattoo was a celtic tree of life on my inner wrist, because I wanted something really symbolic. In the image, it’s a circle where the roots are indistinguishable from the branches, so it represents the idea that birth and growth are always cyclical, like an ever continuing exchange, which I find very meaningful. I never want my life to become stagnant. 

But after I got that tattoo, I realized that while it’s meaningful, next I wanted some tattoos that are just plain beautiful—flowing pieces of art on my skin. Nothing like your classic skull and crossbones kind of thing for me! So next I got my Alphonse Mucha inspired lady on one arm (her hair! I love the flowing hair!), and a couple years later, to celebrate my book deal, got a huge three-quarters arm sleeve of bursting roses and lilies. But after all the long sessions it took for the roses and lilies (ow), I think I’ll wait a couple years before I dive back in for another one!

A.L.:

So, you chill out in cafes on a daily basis, what’s your favorite café drink and why?

Heather:

While I mainly drink black coffee, my favorite splurge drink is a white chocolate mocha, with extra pumps of white chocolate. I want it so sweet that it tastes like liquid fudge. Yummmmmmmmm.

A.L.:

How are you enjoying Minneapolis? Have you found some excellent places in your travels?

Heather:

So far I love the weather here more than anything. I moved from Texas and it has been such a lovely relief to go from sweating all the time to putting on cozy sweaters, curling up next to the window, and watching it snow. So much more aesthetically pleasing than sweat! And snow is freaking magical. Everyone else here in Minnesota says it will lose its charm after a few winters, but I refuse to believe it!

A.L.:

What’s your favorite style of art? Do you yourself like to paint in this style?

Heather:

I’m a fan of most kinds of art and love to peek into how other people see the world through their artistic expression. There’s just so many forms that beauty can take. I really enjoy dramatic gothic art that people make with photoshop these days. I’m a sucker for a girl in a beautiful dress with long flowing hair! When I paint, I use oil and love to focus close up on faces. There was a long stretch where I painted pictures of old statues of women with, you guessed it, long flowing hair. The women in the statues always wore such emotive expressions, I love trying to capture that in my paintings.

The Giveaway:

Heather is sending a signed copy of GLITCH to one lucky winner!

GLITCH:  In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

Read Goodreads reviews.

Buy on Barnes and Noble.

Buy 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.

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Monday Muse: Skyrim- Peter Hollens & Lindsey Stirling

I have a girl-geek crush on Lindsey Sterling. I like this video cause it's all epic, "let's go to war" which is basically where I'm at with both my novels, LOL. Enjoy!

Feature Friday: Elizabeth Kolodziej

Elizabeth J Kolodziej, a young fiction writer originally from Torrance California, is a smart and original thinker who has researched the origins of vampires, werewolves, and witches for many years. She writes her books from the knowledge she has gained while trying to be as original and inspiring as possible. Her books encompass both true folklore facts along with innovative ideas motivated by the great writers around her.

Today, Elizabeth has sent a Guest Post:

Hello everyone! A big thank you to AL for letting me do a frog leap on to her blog for the day.

It is never easy being an Indie Author in the beginning (or at the end sometimes), but finding a niche is the whole key. So I’ve heard. However, what I think is even harder is being a young female in this world and having to fight past the fake glitz, sex and pressure thrown at them every day of their life. Too many times I begin to wonder if young girls are being given the reality of life experiences since we have shows that glamorize being a teen and pregnant. They need to be shown that they can grow up and be powerful without being rich, pregnant, having a super sweet 16 or being in beauty pageants.

What I think young people need to do is read books that show what life is going to honestly be like some day while being able to get out of their own world and into a fantastical one. They need to read about strong female characters that will have ups and downs. Thinking it over, I believe I found a couple of things in The Last Witch Series you will not find in all paranormal romances; besides the Greek god mythology and witches that is.

That something is:

Death and a strong female lead

Yes, death happens in books all the time. However, The Last Witch series begins with Vampyre Kisses and shows Faith as a normal young woman hungry for knowledge and adventure. Then Werewolf Descent comes out and Faith’s life is turned upside down by the death of someone she loves very much. What happened to Faith in the second book was so tragic I myself was in actual tears while writing that final chapter. Something that is not normal for me.

I think the most difficult part of Werewolf Descent ending and beginning Witch Devotions was that I was a chapter or two in to the third book when my father, David Kolodziej, passed away. He never got to see the second book published, but that book is dedicated to his memory and it is sort of ironic in a way now that I think about it.

He was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. In March of 2011 he died suddenly and the event for my family and I was more than devastating considering he was the keystone.

I had never been more shocked, depressed, explosive and at the point that I didn’t know if I would ever write again. In fact, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to do anything ever again.

My dad was my support and the one who believed in me more than anyone in the world. He gave the best advice and was so smart when it came to life and people. I was only 26 when he died. The thoughts of him never being able to give me away at my wedding (if I get married) cross my mind all the time. Thoughts of him never being able to brag about me as an author make me want to cry. He just loved me so much.

I had vivid dreams about him for the longest time and still do on occasion. Sometimes they are so real to me that I wake up and forget he is dead. That is something I don’t tell many people, but am willing to share at this moment because I want to explain Faith and how I was able to finish Witch Devotions. Because…It was not at all easy.

With my dad gone I didn’t write for around five months. Then I sat down and I looked at the first couple of chapters. I was able to connect with Faith in a way I never had before. I knew exactly what she was going through. That is why the first paragraph (well probably first page or two) was in my eyes my most honest writing.

The first paragraph:

“The ice at the bottom of the glass had already numbed my fingers. I glanced at it to see the whiskey all but watered down. I lurched forward to grab the bottle, the cap sitting on the table beside it. As I poured, the gush of liquid swirled around until the glass was full once again. I was sitting in my bathrobe with nothing but a pair of pajama shorts and a wrinkled tank top on. I folded my legs beneath me as I stared at the blank TV in front of me. I could only guess how messy my hair was after not showering for the past couple of days. My eyes must have looked worse than a frat boy after a three-day binger, but it had been awhile since I slept for more than an hour. Every time I closed my eyes and drifted off, I was taken back to that place. Back to where BLANK had died.”

I don’t want to spoil the second book for anyone who has not read it yet. 

I am so grateful to my beta reader and blogger from I Smell Sheep, Sharon, because she was truly a huge help for me with this book. Witch Devotions was similar to showing the whole world my biggest, widest, most ugliest wound.

Just about every scene in it was a way for me to write out my own feelings and get out my anger (and other emotions). In a fantastical way, Faith’s journey was my journey in this instance. What I wrote is the closest you will ever see to me explaining how I personally and deeply felt after loosing someone so close to me.

It was funny because there is actually a scene between a new character Jeff and Faith after she looses her memory. She wakes up from this horrible dream and…Well take a look:

            “I woke up with a start, the shadows in the room frightening me. I practically fell out of bed and searched the wall for a light switch, forgetting there was a lamp, and panicking that I was unable to find one. My stomach was churning as my body shook. My hand found a knob and I pulled the door open, falling to my knees in the hallway. Jeff was nowhere in sight. There was a small light on downstairs, but it wasn’t enough. I hunted down the light switch for the hallway and flipped it on. The brightness almost blinding, I sat against the wall and pulled my knees up to my chest.

Footsteps brought my attention to the stairs. “Did something happen?” It was Jeff with a sandwich in his hand.

I shook my head and began to rock. “I needed the light. Couldn’t find it in there.” I motioned with my body to the room I was sleeping in.

Without hesitation, Jeff took a seat next to me and offered me part of his sandwich. I refused and he took another bite. He chewed and I tried to control my breathing.

“It won’t be like this forever.”

As if something burst in the room, my body stopped rocking. “What?”

He swallowed his food. “The way that you feel at this very second. It won’t last.” Jeff’s hazel eyes were soft as he took another bite. “It always seems that way when you are upset or frightened, but eventually, you will ride the emotion out and be back to yourself again.”

When I met Jeff, my first impression was not profound and knowledgeable, but I guess everyone is full of surprises.

“Plus, you’ve got to be special if Louis is taking an interest in you. So whatever is making you upset, well, you’re going to be able to get past it.” He swallowed before taking another bite. All the rough, military bravado he formerly displayed melted away and I thought I was now seeing a normal human being.

“You’re right.” I just sat there for a moment. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

His eyebrow became crooked. “Did I give you the impression I am an asshole?”

Shrugging, I grabbed the last bit of his sandwich and stuffed it into my mouth.

“Hey!” His wide smile looked good on him; compared to the somberness I had seen when I first met him.

“I never got to eat before and you’re being nice, remember?” I said around a mouthful of food.”

I remember speaking to a friend one night about my dad after this scene had been written. I said that and instinctively went back to this scene and had to laugh. Because it is the truth. However, it is a truth not many people can see after a horrific event like death.

The reason I point all of this out and am being so dreadfully honest with you that I’m afraid what might happen is because young people do loose people in their life and when you’re a teenager you may not know how to deal with it. Yet, now there is this book out there that delves into pain and loss; a story that can pull you out of your head and let you be somewhere else for awhile.

Faith is a character everyone can connect to in some way, especially now. Everyone will deal with death at some point or another. This book/series is a way for someone to see a young woman become a strong independent person able to get through the obstacles thrown her way. BUT! It shows the honest to goodness truth of what can happen to someone when they feel like they have lost everything and push everyone away.

I don’t think there can ever be enough female role models in books, movies, life etc etc. This is something The Last Witch Series gives teenagers. The idea that you can do whatever it is you want in life, whether you are looking at Faith or at myself. Both of us strive to overcome everything and everyone that push us down.

It was my wish in the beginning of this journey to inspire others through my writing and it was after my father’s death that I realized just how many people he himself inspired. I hope my books do just that for you.

Liz ^_^

The Giveaway:

Liz is giving away an ebook copy of Vampyre Kisses, the first book in The Last Witch series.

Vampyre Kisses: Vampyre Kisses is an enthralling story about a young woman named Faith, who seems content with her life, but deep down craves more excitement. Then a mysterious man named Trent enters her world and everything changes. Surprising to Faith, Trent is a green-eyed vampire from Ireland. She is even more amazed to find out that she is a witch, and the last of her kind.

Faith learns that she is destined to restore her witch line and becomes more powerful as she gains confidence and knowledge, but danger lurks everywhere -- especially when unknown assailants steal the most important gems from the vampire master and werewolf royalty.

Now surrounded by a world filled with mystifying vampires and werewolves, can Faith gain enough power to help her friends and rescue the stolen gems? 


Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy it at Barnes and Noble. 
Buy it at 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: The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

So, I'm not normally a Country music person, but I do enjoy Bluegrassy stuff. This is a piece that's very classic sounding and a little haunting. Enjoy!