An Interview with Patricia Lynne + giveaway

Today Patricia Lynne is visiting my blog. She was kind enough to let me interview her. Patricia Lynne is the author of Leaves of Fall, which releases today.


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before a McPig, Patricia.
Could you tell a bit about yourself for those people who don’t know you yet?

I’m Patricia (or Patty. I’ll answer to either) and I have a creativity problem in that I want to CREATE ALL THE THINGS!

In all seriousness, writing wasn’t on my radar for a long time. I went to college for about a year as an art major, but I didn’t see where that degree would get me outside of teaching. I have the maternal instincts of a rock. You don’t want me around kids for more than five minutes. I kind of fell into writing. I was bored one day and decided to write down a story I thought about while trying to fall asleep in bed. It snowballed from there.

When I’m not writing, I paint, knit, and make jewelry and magnets which I sell at local craft shows.

What can you tell us about your books?

Leaves of Fall is a young adult post-apocalypse fantasy story about a young girl who lives in a world where man and nature—specifically trees—are at war. She is kidnapped by outlaws and rescued by a tree nymph named Birch who promises he can get her back to her family.

In any of my books you can find something paranormal, fantasy, or sci-fi. Sometimes, like in my NA Abducted Life, I mash paranormal and sci-fi together and create alien vampires and werewolves. I like my books to give people an escape. Turn off your brain and enjoy the ride. Life will be waiting when you return.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books?

The most I have done is used names of family and friends in my books. Sometimes I need a name for a once mentioned character, so I pick a relative or friend’s name.

Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?

I don’t have a desk, so I do my writing on the couch. Which is also the area where I do my painting, crafts, and jewelry making. I had a desk once and barely used it. I’m just not a desk type person.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?

My besties threw me a book release party for Being Human. They got a cake and made posters with my book cover on it. We goofed off a lot. Later, we had a bonfire.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?

Two big influences for me are Zac Brewer who wrote an awesome series called The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, and PNR author Kerrelyn Sparks. She can always make me giggle and she creates fun worlds and characters.

I’m never too busy writing to read. ;) Some awesome books I’ve read are by writing friends I’ve made online. Christine Rains writes urban fantasy and I’m eagerly waiting for the last book in her Of Blood and Sorrow Series. In fact, I may have yelled at her to get on it on her blog one day. Another writer I always make a point to pick up is L.G. Keltner. Her Self-Help 101 series is hilarious. I also think she’s trying to make a Guinness World Record on longest book title ever.

I’ll stop there before this answer gets too long.

Are there zombies or pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?

There are no pigs…yet. Anything is possible with my muse. I have a New Adult zombie story, but it needs a lot of editing. And a title. I’ve currently titled it Mmmm, Brains. Over on my Patreon, I’m sharing a zombie story that’s set in the town I currently live in, Sault Ste. Marie. The way this area is set up and how remote it is would be perfect for trying to survive zombies.

I must say I like the title Mmmm, Brains. I will keep an eye out. Thanks for stopping by and happy release day!

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About Leaves of Fall:


Armory was born into a world torn apart by war between man and nature. Trees are the enemy. But when she’s kidnapped by nomads and taken far from her home, a tree nymph is the one who comes to her rescue.

Birch promises he can get Armory home. He says not all trees wanted a war. Armory has no choice to trust him if she wants to see her family again.

Together, they trek across the ruins of America, meeting both human and trees who want nothing more than the fighting to stop. But the hatred between the two may be too deep to heal. Armory isn’t sure her friendship with Birch will be enough to convince the human race to take a chance on peace. Birch has a plan, though. He’s just not sure he’ll survive.

iTunes - Kobo - Amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Goodreads

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About Patricia Lynne:

Website - Patreon - Facebook
Patricia Lynne Amazon - Patricia Josephine Amazon

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Giveaway:

Patricia is giving away a handmade bookmark of choice to one lucky winner!

To be entered in this giveaway leave a comment for Patricia on this post with a way to contact you.

a winner will be randomly selected on Saturday May 25th, 2019 and contacted soon after.

An Interview with K.A. Krantz - Author of Larcout

As you might have noticed: I loved Larcout, the first book in the Fire Born, Blood Blessed series. So I did an interview with K.A. Krantz (aka KAK) to find out more about her and her books.



Welcome to Pearls Cast Before a McPig.
Could you tell a bit about yourself for those people who don’t know you yet?
KAK: I am a three-toed sloth. No? Fine. In truth, I do have five toes per hairy foot. The rest of the description is absolutely true.

What can you tell us about your books?
KAK: The Fire Born, Blood Blessed series begins in LARCOUT, a desert nation rife with political intrigue, the rumblings of civil war, and a long festering fear of the noble family Le Sri.

When the foreign-born daughter of the most reviled le Sri suddenly appears in Court as an acolyte to the ruling Lar, those who accused the family of treason scramble to stop the strange woman’s investigations into the national tragedy that led to her mother’s banishment.

They call her the Killer of the Kastra.
Vadrigyn os Harlo has eyes that see the dead. Strength to turn bones into powder. Fangs to rend her enemies asunder. Fire in her veins. Venom in her touch... And the magic to manipulate the minds of the masses.

She will be the salvation or the demise of the nation. Their future is her choice.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books?
KAK: I don’t. Perhaps it’s better said that I don’t do it consciously. I may use mannerisms, gestures, tics, or tells of someone I know, but I don’t intentionally construct fictional characters from real-life characters.

Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?
KAK: I rarely write at a desk. I tend to play Goldilocks and All the Chairs when I write. As for where I am when I’m not auditioning chairs, I’m usually painting…something. Walls mostly, though, my clothes and hair far too often.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?
KAK: I had a 5-Way. Seriously. In Cincinnati, we have our own style of chili—a thin meat sauce with the usual spices, except we include cinnamon and chocolate. It’s typically served between a bed of spaghetti noodles and a foot of shredded cheddar. That’s a 3-Way. Add onions and beans, and you have a 5-Way...and unkissable breath. It’s totally worth it.

What authors have been an influence to you?
KAK: My first and best love as a reader is historical fiction. Morgan Llywelyn, Nigel Tranter, and Bernard Cornwell. These authors snared me when I was young and are so prolific that I still have many of their books to read and re-read (even Tranter who passed away years ago). I love the notion of taking a nugget of fact and spinning an elaborate and compelling lie around it.

And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?
KAK: I’m indulging in The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition. The stories in the First Edition are the closest to the original oral tales, before Wilhelm extensively edited them for religious themes and narrative flow. In the US, we’re most familiar with stories from the Seventh Edition. It’s sort of like reading a Critique Partner’s final draft before it’s sent off to NYC publishers.

Are there zombies or pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?
KAK: Vadrigyn develops an alliance with a monster-hunting, shape-shifting boar in the next book, NIVURN (Spring 2016). The plethora of hyphens aside, Odosus finds that being Vadrigyn’s friend challenges personal definitions of faith, value, and glory.

As for Zombies (or bazombies as my wee nieces insist on calling them), Book Four in the Fire Born, Blood Blessed series takes place in Kethor, where the indigenous people don’t let the dead rest. That’s coming in early 2017.

Thank you for letting me stop by, Sullivan. It’s been a pleasure!

Thanks for dropping by, and for the exciting glimpse of the upcoming books. I'll be getting my trotters on NIVURN for sure!

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Larcout (Fire Born, Blood Blessed Book 1)
by K.A. Krantz

Blood-beings can be chattel or char.

Fire seethes through the veins of every Morsam, demanding domination and destruction. Combat is a hobby. Slaughtering the inferior blood-beings is entertainment. Life is a repetitious cycle in the prison fashioned by the gods. But mix-race abomination Vadrigyn os Harlo suspects the key to freedom lies with safeguarding the blood-beings; until her blood-born mother uses foreign magic to turn the Morsam against Vadrigyn. Betrayed, bound, and broken, Vadrigyn struggles against the dying of her essential fire. Yet the ebbing flames unleash the dormant magic of her mixed heritage…

The magic to destroy free will.

Seized by the gods and dumped in the desert nation of Larcout to stop history from repeating, Vadrigyn discovers her mother’s legacy of treason and slaughter still festers. To survive the intrigues of the royal court, the roiling undercurrents of civil war, and the gods themselves, Vadrigyn must unravel the conspiracy behind her mother’s banishment. But manipulating free will unleashes a torrent of consequences.

If she fails the gods, she will return to the Morsam prison, stripped of all magic and all hope.

If she succeeds, she can rule a nation.

Kasthu. Roborgu. Inarchma.
Live. Learn. Burn.



Find Buy Links to the ebook here

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About K.A. Krantz:

Blessed with a childhood rife with ogres, dragons, and castles, K.A. Krantz revels in fantasies dark and epic. To her great horror, reality occasionally insists on domination. Attempts at a business degree sent her fleeing into the catharsis of a B.A. in Writing; however, aspirations for a steady income and an emerging shoe fetish turned her into a dot-com masochist, during which time a Master’s degree in International Commerce & Policy proved useful. However, the lure of creating alternate worlds proved irresistible, so she bid fond farewell to the online communities she had nurtured via chat rooms, message boards, and dating services.

These days, K.A. Krantz splits her time between Cincinnati and the DC 'burbs with her ever faithful hairy beast. When the voices of characters impatient for her undivided attention are temporary silent, she indulges in a shoe obsession, conducts a love/hate affair with paint brushes, and pretends she has enough upper body strength to wield power tools.

K.A. Krantz writes high fantasy, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance.

Top Pearls Interview with Jeffe Kennedy and a Giveaway

The year is almost over, so it's time for my Top Pearls of 2014.

When making my list there was one author who stood out:
Jeffe Kennedy

Voodoo Bride and I read 5 books by Jeffe, and we thought all were Top Pearl Reads. We especially fell in love with her new Fantasy series The Twelve Kingdoms, and the third book in that series is among our most anticipated books of 2015.

So we decided to ask Jeffe for our traditional Top Pearls Interview, and to give away one of her books.




- What was your favorite moment of 2014?
Can I pick a couple? Writing-wise, it was seeing the Tweet that RT Book Reviews gave THE MARK OF THE TALA the June Seal of Excellence (http://www.rtbookreviews.com/rt-daily-blog/june-seal-excellence). It had never occurred to me that the book might be highlighted as the best book of the month out of so many hundreds of wonderful books. Because I never knew that could happen, it came as a total surprise – delight without an anxiety of wondering. It was an amazing moment for me. As I look back over the year, though, it was spending a few days on the beach in San Diego with my guy and my family over my birthday that also stands out as really wonderful.

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?
We’re going to have another couple over – a writer friend and her graphic artist husband – for dinner. Lots of good food and conversation. And champagne!

- What are you looking forward to in 2015?
So many people are excited for the release of THE TALON OF THE HAWK, the third book in THE TWELVE KINGDOMS, that I’m really looking forward to that coming out. Also, with THE MARK OF THE TALA up for Book of the Year, the RT Convention in May (13-17) should be really fun since I get to be in the awards ceremony. In February I’m going to the Coastal Magic Convention in Florida, which should be really fun, and the RWA convention is in New York City this year in July! I think 2015 will be a great year. J

- What can readers expect from you in 2015?
The next two books in my FALLING UNDER trilogy come out in 2015. UNDER HIS TOUCH comes out January 19 and UNDER CONTRACT around July 13. As I mentioned, THE TALON OF THE HAWK comes out May 26. If all goes as planned, we might see a fourth TWELVE KINGDOMS book next November. Cross your fingers!





Giveaway:
One person will win a print copy of either The Mark of the Tala or The Tears of the Rose (winner's choice).

the winner is blodeuedd

Pearls Cast Before a McPig is not responsible for any prizes getting lost in the mail.



Find The Twelve Kingdoms at Bookdepository

An Interview with Jeffe Kennedy

Next week The Tears of the Rose will release, the second book in Jeffe Kennedy's Twelve Kingdoms series. I managed to have a chat with Jeffe about The Tears of the Rose and the series in general.



Sullivan: Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig. The second book in your Twelve Kingdoms series will release next week. What can you tell about this series to people who don't know it yet?

Jeffe: Hmm. It's a fantasy trilogy about three princesses, the daughters of the High King, each more beautiful than the last.
The first book, THE MARK OF THE TALA, was about the middle princess and the second one, THE TEARS OF THE ROSE, is about the youngest and most beautiful.

Sullivan: In THE MARK OF THE TALA all three sisters were introduced, and let's be honest: Ami was a bit spoiled. was it difficult to write her as the lead character in book two?

Jeffe: Yes, I worried quite a bit about whether Ami would be too unlikable for readers to stick with. But it was also important to me not to flinch away from who she was and "nice her up" before she could get there on her own

Sullivan: I can tell you, you did a great job in my opinion.

Jeffe: yay! thank you!
It helped that I felt like it wasn't entirely her fault that she was so spoiled. No one had ever expected much more of her.

Sullivan: When you started on book one, did you already have the whole story arc lined out, or did it evolve while you wrote?

Jeffe: I'm really bad at pre-plotting, so mostly it evolved as I went.
I did have "sketches" of the next two books after I finished book one, with a general idea of how things would go. But when I started book one, I didn't know how it would end. Or that it would end the way it did, though after a time I suspected...

Sullivan: Do you use writing diaries or schedules to keep track of events?

Jeffe: Events in the stories? Not so much. I keep spreadsheets with the chapters, to track their length and the beats like the Act climaxes. Sometimes I note the major events of the chapter. I sometimes keep a big story board, but I don't do that for every book. It seems to vary for each story and I'm not sure why.

Sullivan: Could people read these books as standalones? Not that I understand why someone would: They're so good you need to read them all, I think..

Jeffe: Aww - that's lovely of you to say. I've seen several readers comment that they started with book 2 and felt fine about it. They understood what was going on and thought it read fine as a standalone. Of course, they also said they planned to go back and read book 1... so you might have a point!

Sullivan: About the three sisters: What struck me was how real their relationship felt. You really got the sibling rivalry and hierarchy. How did you decide to write them that way?

Jeffe: It's a misnomer to say I "decide" things. Really I just follow the story. When I started the first book, I wrote it around a dream I had. I was trapped in a castle and some kind of monster was outside hunting me. People kept going out to kill it and ended up getting killed instead. My sister (in the dream - I don't have one in real life) was telling me that she'd protect me and she and her husband wouldn't let the monster have me.

So I knew that my heroine would have a sister. Also, I wanted to write about the classical fairy tale structure with the three princesses. I'd always been fascinated by those stories and wondered what that would be like. How did the eldest feel about the youngest being the most beautiful? How did the middle princess feel about being the one who barely got any story time?

Sullivan: Evil question: Do you have a favorite among the three sisters? And which one was the hardest to write?

Jeffe: Ha! Like children, they're each my favorites, for different reasons and at different times. Each represents a different face of myself. Amelia took a lot of thought to write, because I wanted to handle the redemption of the unlikable heroine in the best way I could. But the most difficult to write was Ursula. I didn't expect that going in. She was really difficult to bring around, very hardheaded. And Ursula's book, THE TALON OF THE HAWK, finally finished at 131,000 words - much longer than the other two.

Sullivan: Any chance there will be more than three books in this series? Any extra stories in this world you want to tell?

Jeffe: Oh yes! I just put together a proposal for my publisher to do three more books! Book four would be Dafne's book and I have a juicy story for her. I really hope I get to write it because it's starting to tug at me. I'm really interested in what I came up with for books five and six, too. Then I have a concept for a third set of three. That would be ideal, if I got to do all nine.

Sullivan: I will send positive vibes to help make it happen. That would be so awesome.

Jeffe: All vibes are welcome - thank you!!

Sullivan: Last question: Any chance there will be a pig in the next book(s)?

Jeffe: Ha! I should have seen that one coming. THE TALON OF THE HAWK does not have pigs, though there IS a boar.
There are, however, zombies!
Just for you.

Sullivan: Yay!

Jeffe: Okay, not just for you, because the story needed it, but I knew you'd be happy

Sullivan: You made my day! :-D

Jeffe: hee, I thought that would!
Slow zombies though. and kind of horrifying

Sullivan: Slow zombies are the best!

Jeffe: I think so! after all, they ARE dead.

Sullivan: So everyone: buy these books. Not just for the zombies, but because the books are absolutely awesome.

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The Tears of the Rose (The Twelve Kingdoms #2)
by Jeffe Kennedy

Three sisters. Motherless daughters of the high king. The eldest is the warrior-woman heir; the middle child is shy and full of witchy intuition; and the youngest, Princess Amelia, she is as beautiful as the sun and just as generous.

Ami met her Prince Charming and went away to his castle on the stormy sea-cliffs—and that should have been her happily ever after. Instead, her husband lies dead and a war rages. Her middle sister has been taken into a demon land, turned into a stranger. The priests and her father are revealing secrets and telling lies. And a power is rising in Ami, too, a power she hardly recognizes, to wield her beauty as a weapon, and her charm as a tool to deceive…

Amelia has never had to be anything but good and sweet and kind and lovely. But the chess game for the Twelve Kingdoms has swept her up in it, and she must make a gambit of her own. Can the prettiest princess become a pawn—or a queen?

An Interview with Stacy Verdick Case

Today it's the release day of An Intimate Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

To celebrate the release Stacy dropped by for an interview as part of the An Intimate Murder Blog Tour :-D
Keep an eye on her site for other blog tour posts as well.

And if you haven't read it yet, be sure to read my review of An Intimate Murder which I posted earlier today.


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig, Stacy.
Could you tell a bit about yourself for those people who don’t know you yet?
I live in the State of Minnesota in the USA with my husband and my five-year-old daughter. I've been writing for as long as I can remember.

That's all there really is to know about me aside from my massive addiction to Starbucks Caramel macchiatos.

What can you tell us about your books?
All three book follow the central character of Catherine O'Brien and her partner Louise. They are St. Paul Minnesota homicide detectives with more than a few quirks between the two. The books are fast paced reads with humor and mayhem woven in to each one.

Do you have to do a lot of research for your books?
Yes, I'm one of those people who would spend more time researching than writing so at some point I have to stop myself and just write. I've gone through the citizen's police academy and made some great contacts who help with details.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books? Or even
let them be murder victims?
Oh yes! If you spend any time with me you are character fodder. The first book was written to kill of a boss I wasn't too fond of. Writing is cathartic that way.

What's next for Catherine?
I never know until I write it. I never plot things out. I will tell you I'm halfway through book four and Gavin's (Catherine's husband) mother plays a big roll in the next book, so you can imagine it will be heaps of fun.


Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?
Spending time with my daughter. I feel like time is whizzing by so fast and I don't want to miss any part of her growing up. Her and I spend a lot time reading together and going to our local library. She's also a great little cook's helper.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?
I celebrate each book the same way. I buy a bottle of champagne and my hubby and I toast the new book. I think people would be surprised that the first time you have a book come out it's almost anti-climactic. Over the years you build up such high expectations of what that day will be like that it could never live up to your dream.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with
writing to read?
I'm never too busy to read. Whenever I hear writers say they don't have time to read I think that's just wrong. Every writer I've
ever read has influenced me in some way but in particular Harper Lee, Cheryl Ann Porter (for all her wonderful workshops before she passed
away), Stephanie Bond, and Stephen King's earlier work.

As for what I'm reading right now: Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry.

Are there zombies or pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?
Oh, I love zombies! Have since I was twelve and my Mom checked out the real to real movie version of Night of Living Dead from
our local library. But I don't think they'll make it into my books unless St. Paul really does get attacked by zombies but then I think I'll be too buys to write. A pig though . . . that could happen. We'll have too see.

Thanks for dropping by!
I'm already looking forward to book four.

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About Stacy Verdick Case

Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Stacy Verdick CaseCampbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.

Stacy has written stories for as long as she can remember. She wrote her first book in second grade entitle No Snow on Christmas and hasn’t stopped writing since. “Other kids had a security blanket or favorite doll; I carried a red tattered notebook and pen.“

While still in High School Stacy’s writing earned her a McDonald’s High School Writers Award. her first novel A Grand Murder took third place in the Daphne Du Maurier awards for Excellence in Mainstream Mystery and Suspense (unpublished).

Stacy currently lives on five rolling acres of land north of St. Paul with her husband and her daughter. Her Catherine O’Brien mysteries, A Grand Murder and A Luring Murder, are available from Before the Fall Books. The third book An Intimate Murder is coming soon!

Stacy is hard at work on her fourth book in the series.

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Find buy links to An Intimate Murder here

Interview with J.R. Johansson + Giveaway - Paranoia Blog tour

June 8th was the release date of Paranoia, the second book in the Night Walkers series by J.R. Johansson. I loved the first book, Insomnia, so I was happy when J.R. Johansson let me be part of the blog tour for Paranoia. (I'm also stalking my mailmen at the moment for the arrival of my preordered copy of Paranoia)

Read on for info about Paranoia, an interview with J.R. Johansson, and a giveaway:


With Every Night of Blissful Sleep Darkness Grows Inside Him.

In the aftermath of the events that nearly killed him, Parker Chipp is trying to learn to cope better with life as a Watcher. And it seems to be working...until he wakes up in jail with a hangover and 12 hours of missing time. Darkness has somehow taken control and Parker doesn't have a clue how to stop him. He finds an unlikely ally in Jack, the mysterious guy in the motorcycle jacket who offers to help Parker master his abilities as a Watcher. But even as they practice, the darkness inside Parker is getting more and more powerful, taking over Parker’s body and doing everything he can to destroy Parker's life.

When Jack reveals that there is another kind of Night Walker, known as a Taker, Parker starts to wonder if the strange things happening in Oakville are more than just a coincidence. After all, people are more than just sleepwalking. They're emptying their savings accounts with no memory of doing so, wandering into strange parts of town and disappearing, they're even killing other people--all in their sleep. If Parker wants to find out what's happening or have any hope of seeing his father again, he’ll have to defy Jack and put his own life in danger...because the more he learns about these other Night Walkers, the more certain he becomes that his life isn't the only one that could be lost.

What people are saying about The Night Walkers series:

“The perfect blend of everything I love in a story. I hope a sequel comes soon!”
–James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of THE MAZE RUNNER

“Completely unputdownable. I’ve decided to nickname Johansson: Scary McScarypants, because she spooked me in all the best ways.”
–Carrie Harris, author of BAD TASTE IN BOYS

“Cleverly written and dangerously dark, Insomnia will take you to the brink of insanity. A must-read for thriller and romance fans alike.”
—Elana Johnson, author of POSSESSION

“A riveting story of terror and despair that will keep you up long past your bedtime.”
—Jennifer Bosworth, author of STRUCK

"This is a really suspenseful and enticing read."
-Sullivan McPig, blogger and reader

Buy Paranoia:
The Book Depository - Indiebound
Books A Million - Barnes & Noble - Amazon

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Interview:


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig!
Could you tell a bit about yourself for those people who don’t know you yet?

Sure! I am a young adult thriller author and my debut novel, INSOMNIA came out in June 2013 with Flux books. This blog tour is for the sequel, PARANOIA. It’s been kind of a crazy awesome ride for me the last couple of years. This series (The Night Walkers) has sold in eight languages around the world. I have another 2-book-deal with FSG/Macmillan that sold at auction last year. The first book with FSG, CUT ME FREE, is a contemporary urban thriller that will be released January 27, 2015.

Oh, and I really like football and hot tubs...and board games. :-)

What can you tell us about your books?

My books are a little varied in topic and theme, but they have a thriller undercurrent that seems to run through everything I’ve written. I also try to keep the pacing tight and fast and drag the readers along. If I was going to give my books some kind of commercial tagline it would be: Tense Taut Thrillers.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books?

I have never used people I know in my books. I often use names that I like. Parker from INSOMNIA and Cam from CUT ME FREE are both named after my sons. I also steal traits sometimes. I saw a man in line at a grocery store once who couldn’t stop rubbing his thumb across this metal thing he held in his palm. I still don’t know what it was, but I ended up using it in a book at one point.

Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?

I love playing racquetball with my family and throwing the football with my boys in the back yard. I can also be found at a couple of Green Bay Packers games a year, yelling, “Go Pack Go!” at the top of my lungs. Or sometimes in my hot tub named Valentino.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?

I took my mom and sister on a “Girls Cruise” and on release day I went to a very nice restaurant with my husband and parents.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?

So many authors have influenced me, but to name a couple: Stephen King, R.L. Stine and Jane Austen. Some great books I’ve read recently: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (October 2014 release), All The Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry, The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain and Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson. They’re all fantastic and VASTLY different books.

I will have to check out some of those books.

Last question:
Are there zombies or pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?

No...but now I BADLY want there to be. I feel like there could be. This should happen. I think I wanted to do this at some point and forgot. Clearly this was a mistake and should be remedied as soon as humanly possible.

Thank you so much for hosting me for this interview! It was so much fun!

Thanks for dropping by and answering my questions. I loved having you here.

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About J.R. Johansson:
J.R. JOHANSSON is a young adult thriller author. Her books INSOMNIA, PARANOIA (June 2014), and a third untitled book (June 2015) are with Flux Books. CUT ME FREE (Winter 2015) and another untitled book (Winter 2016) will be coming out with FSG/Macmillan.  She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she's not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she's nearly drowning in testosterone.

Jenn’s Links:
Twitter - Blog - Site
Tumblr - Facebook Page
J.R. Johansson on Goodreads

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Tour Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Interview with Rachel Aukes + Giveaway

I'm very happy to welcome Rachel Aukes to my blog today. She's the author of the awesome Deadland Saga. The first book, 100 Days in Deadland was my favorite zombie read of 2013, and the second book, Deadland's Harvest is just as awesome!

Rachel kindly agreed to an interview, and she'll be giving away a print copy of Deadland's Harvest to one reader of my blog!


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig, Rachel.
Could you tell a bit about yourself for those people who don’t know you yet?
I’m Rachel Aukes (pronounced “ah-kiss”), and yes, that’s my real name. I’m a writer of the bestselling Deadland Saga. I love animals, Guinness, anything sci-fi, and flying. I live in the Midwest United States, which makes it pretty easy to get out and fly my small airplane whenever I want.

What can you tell us about your books?
I write speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror). Right now, I’m working on the third book in the three-part Deadland Saga, and there will be several short stories to go along with it. Next on deck will be a bio-thriller, which will be a fun project I’m cowriting with an author I highly respect. I’ve also written romance (in the science fiction and paranormal side) under the pen name Berinn Rae.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books?
Yes. :-)

Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?
I still have a desk job in the corporate world, which keeps me at another kind of desk. So, when I can get away from desks, I head to the airport and take the Champ out for a sunset flight.


What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?
I bought a pair of badass boots I’d been wanting for a long time. They’re black and full of buckles. I still wear them to conventions whenever I’m in the mood to kick zombie butt.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?
I haven’t had a chance to read nearly as much as I’d like lately, but I still manage to fit in a book every now and then. A couple great books I’ve read recently are Slow Burn by Bobby Adair and Until the End of the World by Sarah Lyons Fleming. As for influences, Douglas Adams, Stephen King, and Sherrilyn Kenyon without a doubt have greatly impacted my writing style. Each are geniuses in their own way.

Are there pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?
There were some pigs in Deadland’s Harvest, though they were only mentioned briefly. Since I grew up on a hog farm, you can bet there will be pigs in future books!

Ah, yes... I remember them...
I will look forward to more pigs in your future books :-)
Thanks for dropping by!

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About Rachel
Rachel Aukes is the international bestselling author of 100 Days in Deadland, which was named one of the best books of 2013 by Suspense Magazine and one of the best zombie books by the Huffington Post. She also writes romantic science fiction and fantasy under the pen name Berinn Rae, which includes the RWA award-winning short story "Stealing Fate," a USA Today recommended read. Rachel lives in Iowa with her husband and an incredibly spoiled sixty-pound lap dog. When not writing, she can be found flying old airplanes and trying (not so successfully) to prepare for the zombie apocalypse.

Rachel is a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and Romance Writers of America (RWA).

Born: Manchester, Iowa, USA
Current location: Des Moines, Iowa, area
Schools: MPA, Drake University; BA, University of Northern Iowa

Website: www.RachelAukes.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachel.aukes
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rachelaukes


About Deadland's Harvest:
The seven deadly sins with a shambling twist.

The critically acclaimed DEADLAND SAGA:
Book 1: 100 Days in Deadland
Book 2: Deadland’s Harvest
Book 3: Deadland Rising

It has been one hundred days since the zombies claimed the world. Cash, along with forty-two survivors, have found safety in the secluded and well-guarded Fox National Park. The leaves are changing colors, a beautiful, brutal reminder that winter is coming. As the survivors prepare for freezing months without electricity and not enough food, they learn of massive zombie herds several hundred miles north…and headed their way.

To save the park, Cash must find a place for the survivors to hide from the migrating herds. If Cash and her small band of volunteers don’t succeed by winter, the Fox survivors just may become Deadland’s Harvest.

(Deadland’s Harvest is a journey through Dante Alighieri's classic tale on the seven deadly sins… zombie apocalypse style!)

Find buy links to 100 Days in Deadland and Deadland's Harvest here

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Giveaway

Rachel has kindly offered a print copy of Deadland's Harvest to one reader of my blog.

giveaway closed - winner: Enbrethiliel

Alien Collective Blog Tour - Review, Interview + Giveaway

This week Alien Collective released. You might know I'm a fan piggy about this series, so I'm glad to have Gini dropping by today for a small interview. There's also a giveaway. But first my review of Alien Collective to get you in the mood ;-)


Alien Collective (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #9)
by Gini Koch

What is it about:
Despite not having run for office, nor wanting to remain in office, Representative Jeff Martini is being wooed as the vice presidential running mate for a charismatic senator who seems likely to win the campaign. While the Diplomatic Corps has to deal with the pressures of a political campaign sure to uncover secrets they don’t want shared with the world, Ambassador Kitty Katt-Martini has other worries—handling the reemergence of her most potent nemesis, thought dead and buried.

What did I think of it:
I can't believe we're already on book nine in this cool and funny series. It seems like only yesterday that I picked up Touched by an Alien on a whim, lured by the beautiful cover, and cool sounding blurb. Even more surprising is that Gini Koch keeps delivering time and time again.

Having read a couple of Fantasy books before starting on Alien Collective I will confess I struggled a bit during the first few chapters to get into the story. But once I made the switch from serious Fantasy to quirky and fun SciFi I was hooked.

If you haven't started on this series yet, I can really advice you to go buy Touched by an Alien and dive in. Because this series is addictive and fun. Many things have happened since that first book, that made me fall in love with Gini's writing, and although maybe some people could read this book without having read the previous books, I tell you: you want it all!

This book is a typical 'Kitty Katt' book. It's full of humor, wittiness and bizarre situations. Kitty is a fun heroine, who you know will save the day... eventually. But before she does, you get taken on a wild ride that is well worth it.

There's tons of cool characters, both old and new. There's action, suspense and intense emotions. And there's one particular event in this book that made this piggy a very happy camper! I won't spoil too much, but let me tell you: some authors actually listen to my requests! I hope this will become a trend ;-)

So once again Gini Koch manages to entertain and delight with a witty, funny and cool story. I hope she keeps them coming, because I need more books to feed my addiction.

Why should you read it:
It's a quirky and cool SciFi read.

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Interview:


Welcome back to Pearls Cast Before A McPig, Gini. I always love having you drop by.
-What is the most memorable moment (good, bad, or other) you have had in your life as an author?

It’s funny you ask this question, because the answer relates to you. :-D The first fan email I ever got came three weeks before Touched by an Alien was supposed to be released. I almost threw that email away, but I looked at it and lo and behold, it wasn’t spam – it was someone telling me they loved my book. I’d honestly never expected to get fan mail, and it was just the most amazing feeling in the world. Any time I feel down, I think back to that moment and the warm glow of shock and happiness reading that email gave me…which came from you. You will always be intrinsically tied to me because every time I get fan mail, I remember the “first one”.

Aaaw, thanks *hugs*. I'm still glad I ran into Touched by an Alien that day.
-If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

There’s always the temptation to say yes, but I honestly like my life. I mean, sure, I’d like to have more time and more money (and this makes me different from exactly no one LOL), but overall I have a wonderful husband and daughter, great pets, family, friends, and fans, and really, that’s pretty darned good. Besides, I live all the characters’ lives anyway – in my mind, on the page, and in my mental “editing bay” where they have adventures that aren’t story worthy but that I know about anyway. It’s a controlled form of schizophrenia – I make it work for me.

But if I had to change places with a character, I’d take Kitty’s life. I mean, I’m not crazy enough to pass up sex with Martini.

-Any chance you will be going on an European tour? I could be your guide if you come to Groningen. We have a Martini Tower!

I would LOVE to, but finances being what they are, I would have to be brought out. But hope springs eternal and I would love to visit and check out that Martini Tower! Until then, my characters get to go to all the fun places while I, um, go to the Post Office. I know…it’s all glamour, this business we call show.

I will keep hoping! Thanks for dropping by :-)

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Author Bio
Gini Koch lives in Hell’s Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, AZ), works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. She writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series for Musa Publishing. As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series. She also writes under a variety of other pen names including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch. She speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. She is also the Lead Editor at Raphael’s Village, an online, nonpaying ’zine. Because she wasn’t busy enough, Gini’s added on featured guest columnist, reviewer, and webcaster for Slice of SciFi and It’s Comic Book Day. She can be reached through her website at www.ginikoch.com.

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Giveaway:
One reader of my blog will win a book from the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series. (winner's choice)

giveaway closed - winner is Aleksandra

An Interview with Rainy Kaye - Summoned Blog Tour

Today Rainy Kaye visits my blog.
There's an interview, info on her book Summoned and even an excerpt and giveaway.



Interview:

Is Summoned your first novel?

No, but yes. But no. I've completed four other manuscripts before Summoned, but they are all part of another series which is not quite ready to be plopped onto Amazon. My friend, author Natasha Larry, and I decided to take a break from our usual made up worlds and each try something else. Sixteen days later, I had written the draft of Summoned. A couple of months later, I signed with my lovely agent, Rossano Trentin.

Do you intend to write any more novels?

Yep. While Summoned was written as a standalone novel (no cliffhanger), there are likely to be a few more adventures with Dimitri. He's way too much fun to write. Plus there's that other series in progress, and a few other outlines floating around in my brainspace.

Why did you decide to write about genies?

I didn't decide to write about genies. I decided to write about Dimitri and, as it turns out, he's a genie. He doesn't live in a lamp or use magic, but you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a wish he has to fulfill.

Why did you write about a male character?

The primary protagonist of the other series is also male, so even though Dimitri is nothing like him, it wasn't something I had to give any real thought. Despite the fact “kick ass females” are a big thing right now, I think you just kind of know if your character is going to be male or female.

What was the most difficult part of writing Summoned?

I was working a day job and then turning around and pulling another eight hours writing. I did this nearly every night for sixteen days. So, basically, the hardest part of writing Summoned was recovering from the caffeine addiction.

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Summoned (Summoned #1)
by Rainy Kaye

Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally. Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker.

Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well. When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can't tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn't the type to tolerate secrets.

Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl's ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.

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Summoned is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

Find out more at http://www.summonedtheseries.com

Buy from Amazon

Author Bio

Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark.com and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. When not plotting world domination, she enjoys getting lost around the globe, studying music so she can sing along with symphonic metal bands, and becoming distracted by Twitter (@rainyofthedark). She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

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Excerpt from Summoned:

I dislike having to murder someone. Kidnapping is worse. At least when I setup a kill, I know what's coming. No connections, no honesty, no surprises. Everything I say and do are just steps to luring in my victim. Once the victim falls right into the trap, the next move is swift: crushed windpipe, fatal concussion, or a good ol' fashioned headshot.
Kidnapping, on the other hand, is a little trickier. First, the victim has an opportunity to respond. I don't like this. Sometimes they cry. Sometimes they manage to alert the authorities. And sometimes they escape, usually by inflicting bodily harm on me.
Dead people don't retaliate.
The second major difference between killing and kidnapping is my conscience. I get in and out with a kill. We have no chance to bond.
Abductees require a little more one-on-one. As much as I try to keep the switch turned off, I can't help but listen to their pleas and demands. And I usually realize I'm a jerk.
That's exactly where I find myself one late afternoon in June. I prefer doing this at night, but moreover, I would prefer not doing this at all.
Instead, I have a belligerent nine year old girl sitting in the passenger seat of my Honda Accord, shackles on her wrists and ankles and a small stuffed bunny on her lap. She's eying me in a way that makes me self-conscious. Like I'm the bad guy.
Probably because I am the bad guy.

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Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


or go to http://www.rainyofthedark.com/summoned-tours-giveaways/ to enter

A Small Interview with Maria Violante + Giveway

One of the books that made an impression on me this year was BirthMarked by Maria Violante. It's an original Urban Fantasy read with a very sympathetic heroine.

I already interviewed Maria earlier this year, but I decided to ask her a few end of year questions. She not only answered my questions, but kindly offered a copy of BirthMarked to one reader of my blog as well.


Welcome back to Pearls Cast Before a McPig, Maria.
What was your favorite moment of 2013?

As an author, I'd have to definitely say that the publication of BirthMarked was a huge milestone for me--and when I got the first review, and it was just so positive, I was humbled and pleased and really emotional.

As a professional, it would have to be November 1st, because that was the day I started my new job/career in multifamily housing management. I just got hired at an amazing company that I thought was a total longshot for me, and I can already tell I'm going to be really happy there.

I think a special mention would be Thanksgiving. I went to TWO thanksgivings, with twice the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing--jeez, I must have gained ten pounds! But being there with two different families was lovely, and my boyfriend (a very stoic man) took the opportunity to say something really romantic and I just melted.

What will you be doing on New Year’s Eve?

Hmm. . . I hadn't even thought that far ahead yet! I almost always figure it out a day or two before. I'm pretty sure that no matter what, I'll be with people I love (and probably tipsy) and with those two, you can never go wrong.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

The sequel to BirthMarked, which I am having the hardest time titling, is like 75% of the way done. I got off track this last month or so, what with the new career, car trouble, all of the things that life just kinda throws at you . . . but you know, the thing that always brings me back in is reviews, believe it or not. I'll just be doing whatever, and my phone will ping, and I'll see that someone new has left me a review on amazon and just loved the book--and then I'll feel really inspired to work on the next one! So that's great.

What can readers expect from you in 2014?

BirthMarked, books two and three--is she the lighthouse, or the lily? And what's going to happen with her and Shawn/Dean/ALLTHEMEN?

I've also got another series that's just been taunting me. I've rewritten the first half of the first book three times now, and it's just fallen flat for me--and I started this other book, that wasn't quite making it. One day, I'm in the shower and bing!--a light goes on. They're not working, because they're two halves of the same whole.

So I'm really excited about that project. Over a year in just the idea stage, and I know it will be great.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great New Year's Eve.


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Giveaway:

Maria will gift one reader of my blog with a digital copy of BirthMarked.
For your chance to win:
- Leave a comment for Maria
- Leave a way for me to contact you
- Do so before January 12th 2014

Open internationally for anyone who's legally allowed to enter this giveaway

A winner will be picked at random on January 12th or soon after.

An Interview with Susan Spann

Today an interview with Susan Spann, author of the Shinobi Mystery series. A series that is high on my wishlist.

Today is also the last day of the Between Dreams & Reality - Pearls Cast Before A McPig Event on my blog. There will be a last post tomorrow on Between Dreams & Reality. So don't forget to leave some author love in the comments, because I'll be picking an event winner on October 13th.


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig, Susan.
Could you tell a bit about yourself for those people who don’t know you yet?

Thank you for inviting me here today!

In addition to writing the Shinobi Mystery series, I’m a California publishing attorney – a transactional specialist, which means I don’t sue people or spend much time in court. When I’m not writing, I work with authors, publishers, and businesspeople on contracts and other document and business-based legal issues.

But mostly, I love to write.

Could you tell a bit about your books?

The Shinobi Mysteries feature the ongoing adventures of ninja detective Hiro Hattori and his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo. Together, they solve crimes in 16th century Kyoto.

The first book, Claws of the Cat, involves the murder of a samurai in a Kyoto teahouse. Book two, Blade of the Samurai, forces Hiro and Father Mateo to catch a killer stalking the shogun’s compound, and each additional book in the series will feature a different samurai-era setting.

How many books will there be in the Shinobi Mystery series?

As many as my publisher lets me write! At present, I have twelve books outlined and at least as many more in “rough idea” form. I love Hiro and Father Mateo, and hope to spend many years in their company.

Are there any other projects you’re working on at the moment?

Yep. But if I told you, I’d have to kill you. What I can say is that the new project is also series-based and that I expect fans of Hiro and Father Mateo will find it as exciting as I do. I’ll say more as soon as I can!

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books?

Not as entire people, but I have borrowed character traits. For example, Father Mateo’s housekeeper, Ana, has a distinctive habit of saying “HM” before speaking when she’s frustrated. I borrowed that trait from my father (who’s now deceased). There are others, too.
Distinctive personal traits are easy to carry over without forcing the character to “match” a real person. For me, it’s the best of both worlds.

If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

Probably not. I’d love to live in Hiro’s world as I’ve written it, but my age and my gender would make life in 16th century Japan substantially harder for me than it is for Hiro.

Plus, I’m not a big fan of the whole “squat toilet” thing. I like my indoor plumbing.

Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?

Usually with my nose in a book or my arms shoulder-deep in my marine aquarium, feeding the seahorses. I’ve heard there’s a “world” outside the walls of my house, but I’m treating that as a dangerous, unconfirmed rumor.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?

I had dinner at a favorite Thai restaurant with my family and a few close friends. I ate cupcakes. I danced naked with a unicorn under a full moon.

Well, ok, one of those is a lie. I’ll leave you to figure out which.

What authors have been an influence to you?

How much space do we have? The entire list would take pages to relate, but I’ll give you a few of the highlights:

In terms of “inspiration from afar,” I love the works of Michael Crichton, Lee Child, James Rollins, and Laura Joh Rowland – I read their books and I aspire to write as well as they do.

Closer to home, I have author friends who inspire me to keep writing and who urge me to stay on the path when things get difficult. Heather Webb, whose debut novel BECOMING JOSEPHINE releases in January 2014, is one of those, as is my friend and critique partner Marci Jefferson (author of GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN, which also releases in early 2014). Kerry Schafer, who recently had an interview here for her debut fantasy novel, BETWEEN, is another. I’m fortunate to have a wonderful group of supportive author friends who encourage and inspire me.

And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?

Again, too numerous to mention! The highlights, however, would have to include James Rollins’s THE EYE OF GOD, Kerry Schafer’s BETWEEN (I’m eagerly anticipating her upcoming sequel, WAKEWORLD), and J.A. Kazimer’s FROGGY STYLE, which I just picked up at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold conference last weekend – FROGGY STYLE has been out for a while, but I wanted an autographed copy so I waited because I knew she’d be there to sign it for me!

Are there zombies or pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?

I’m afraid there weren’t many zombies in samurai-era Kyoto (death by beheading tends to limit the Zed population), but there will be pigs! In fact, I’m toying with the idea of a pet pig for one of my supporting characters later in the series. The biggest roadblock to that so far is the fact that most Japanese pigs eventually ended up the “honored guests” at family dinners, and I didn’t want my audience getting attached to someone I knew would become an entree. (Sorry, Sullivan!) If I can find a way to keep the pig alive, I’ll make it happen.

Thank you again for inviting me here for an interview – I’ve had a great time!

Thanks for dropping by.
And you are right. No pig is better than a pig who ends up as food.



About Claws of the Cat:

When a samurai is brutally murdered in a Kyoto teahouse, master ninja Hiro Hattori has just three days to find the killer before the dead man’s vengeful son kills both the beautiful geisha accused of the crime and Father Mateo, the Jesuit priest that Hiro has pledged his own life to protect. The investigation plunges Hiro and Father Mateo into the dangerous waters of Kyoto’s floating world, where they quickly learn that everyone from an elusive teahouse owner to the dead man’s dishonored brother has a motive to keep the samurai’s death a mystery.




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Don't forget to leave a comment:
I decided to have an event wide giveaway on my blog for commenters.

At the end of this event I'll pick one commenter on any author post of this event at random and that person will win a book of his/her choice as long as bookdepository ships to where you live, you're legally allowed to enter, and the book costs no more than 10$

And drop by Between Dreams and Reality as well for more great author posts.

An Interview with Merrie Destefano + Giveaway

Today I'm interviewing Merrie Destefano. She's the author of the dark fairytale Feast and the imaginative Young Adult novel Fathom among others.


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig, Merrie.
Could you tell a bit about yourself and your books for those people who don’t know you yet?

Wow. Where to begin...I've loved reading fantasy and science fiction since I was very young, so writing in that genre feels natural to me. I also love plot twists and surprises and things that are a bit scary, so there's almost always a touch of that in my books. I like it best if there's a secret (or two!) at the core of the story that is slowly being revealed to the reader. At this point, I have two novels published by HarperVoyager: Afterlife and Feast. I also have several art books that I co-authored, published by Walter Foster: How to Draw Zombies, How to Draw Vampires and How to Draw Grimm’s Dark Tales. And I have a self-published YA novel, Fathom.

Have you ever been tempted to use people who’d been rude to you in real life as victims in your books?

Definitely! There was a girl who lived next door to me when I was young and who was a quite a manipulative little bully. I've obviously never forgotten her—or the times I challenged her, refusing to let her push me around. She crops up when I'm writing YA. Sometimes I'll use her last name or something similar, or I'll just use her personality.

Have you ever used other people you know as characters in your books?

I've unconsciously taken bits and pieces of people I know. For instance, the grandmother in Fathom is very much like my mother. Not exactly, but my mom was the inspiration. I love it when I hear readers say that they loved the grandma, because it reminds me what an interesting person my mother was.

Are there any other projects you’re working on or thinking about starting in the near future?

I have a whole list of books I'd love to write! Most of them have anywhere from ten to fifty pages already written. That's my test to see if a book deserves to be born—if I can put together a beginning that compels me to finish writing it, spending anywhere from 5 to 10 months immersed in the story. Right now, I'd just love to write a rendition of my favorite fairy tale, but I've also started a YA science fiction set in a nebulous near-future with echoes of the 1930s. And then I have an alien invasion story that I've started and those characters just sing off the page. So, I'm having a hard time deciding. I just finished writing a YA contemporary that took 5 months to complete and, right now, I'm taking a little breather from writing novels, doing some contract magazine editorial work instead.

Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?

Well, when it comes to writing, I like to write on my Chromebook in local coffee shops (Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is my fave.) Or I might write a little on my iPad in the living room, while sitting on a comfy sofa. But edits are always done on my desktop. When not writing at all? I love watching movies and reading and decorating and having lunch with friends and walking my dogs.


What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?

Unfortunately, there really wasn't much time for celebrating. I was writing my second book, Feast, and doing freelance (writing and editing) work, plus all the promotional work that goes along with a book release. But when I got the initial contract, I did go to a Coldplay concert. They’re my favorite band and it was apt reward, since I listened to their music the entire time I was writing Afterlife.

What is the best thing about being a published author?

I guess being published makes you feel a bit more validated. The writing is basically the same, before or after you've been published. But once someone pays you money and gives you a contract and then you actually see your book in a local bookstore, at that point you start to feel like maybe you really are a writer. I was in a bizarre situation when I finally got my first book contract. At that point, I was already the editor of a nationally-published magazine, so I'd had lots of articles published and had seen my magazine on bookstore shelves. But my heart has always been in telling stories and writing fiction, so having that validated was wonderful.

You have self-published several books. What are your thoughts about traditional publishing versus self publishing? Would you recommend self publishing to other authors?

Tough question! I have done some self-publishing and it seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but I still prefer traditional publishing. I'm not one of those people with a large, impressive platform, so my self-publishing sales aren't very big. Would I recommend it to other people? Sure. I'd just recommend that you try to do it professionally and realize that it might not open any doors to traditional publishing.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?

I'm continually influenced and inspired by other authors, especially those who seem to write books that cross genres. Books that have made a strong impression on me are: The Sky Is Everywhere, The Time Traveler's Wife, White Oleander, Origin, The Time Machine, Havah, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Replacement, Ashes, Ironskin, The Hallowed Ones, The Snow Child, The Road, Don't Breathe A Word, 17 & Gone, and Charm and Strange. I'm particularly attracted to books with a strong voice and unusual characters and a world I'm unfamiliar with. I long to get lost in a story that has all three of those elements.

Are there zombies or pigs in any of your books or will there be any in future books?

There are definitely zombies in my future! I was just asked to be the editor of the second issue of Zombies magazine. So, for the next month, I'll be eating, sleeping, and breathing zombies. In other words, I'll be having a blast!

Thanks so much for inviting me to be on your blog today! I really appreciate it. =)

Thank you for dropping by!
And I'll have to get hold of Zombie magazine, it sounds like my kind of magazine.



About Fathom:

Turning sixteen can be hell, especially if everyone in town thinks your mother killed herself and your sister. All Kira Callahan wants to do is swim, hang out with her best friend, Sean, and ignore the kids who torment her at school. That is, until one day when she gets invited to a party. For three minutes her life is wonderful—she even kisses Sean. Then somebody spikes her drink and some girls from out of town lure her into the ocean and hold her underwater.

Kira soon discovers that the group of wild teenagers who have come to visit Crescent Moon Bay are not as innocent as they seem. In fact, nothing is as it seems—not the mysterious deaths of her sister and mother, not her heritage, not even her best friend. And everything seems to hinge on the ancient Celtic legends that her mother used to tell her as a child.

Buy Fathom from Amazon here


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Giveaway:

Merrie kindly offered a digital copy of Fathom to one reader of my blog

The winner is Michelle W.

A winner will be picked at random on October 25th.
Open internationally to everyone who's legally allowed to enter this giveaway.

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Don't forget to leave a comment:
I decided to have an event wide giveaway on my blog for commenters.

At the end of this event I'll pick one commenter on any author post of this event at random and that person will win a book of his/her choice as long as bookdepository ships to where you live, you're legally allowed to enter, and the book costs no more than 10$

And drop by Between Dreams and Reality as well for more great author posts.

An Interview with Susannah Sandlin + Giveaway

We had Suzanne Johnson drop by with a cool piece of Flash Fiction not long ago. Today she drops by again, so we could interview her as Susannah Sandlin, the penname she uses for her awesome Paranormal Romances.


Welcome to Pearls Cast Before A McPig, Susannah.
Could you tell a bit about yourself and your books for those people who don’t know you yet?

Sure! I write both urban fantasy with a touch of romance and paranormal romance with a dose of urban fantasy. I’ve been writing fiction for only the last five years; all of my career has been spent in university publishing (which I still do). I currently live in Alabama, but consider my longtime city of New Orleans to be my hometown.

The Penton Legacy series, beginning with Redemption last June, was my first foray into paranormal romance—it’s a series set in a world in which the blood of humans who’ve been vaccinated for a pandemic is suddenly turned poisonous to vampires. So vampires are starving and on the verge of civil war. The war comes to the small Alabama town of Penton, where a group of peaceful vampires has established a kind of closed-society utopia in this little ghost town. Each book follows one of the vampire leaders and his own journey to love and forgiveness...while all hell breaks loose around them! In June, a very loose spinoff (different characters) called Storm Force was released that featured a special ops team of Army Rangers and shapeshifters working cases of domestic terrorism.

You had Storm Force released as a serial and was still writing on it when the first part released. Did this influence your writing or did you have the whole story already planned?

Writing a serial novel was a wild, wild ride! I did keep up with what comments were being made about the book by readers as each of the nine “episodes” came out (basically four chapters per episode), and I might have changed directions if everyone had hated the hero, for example, or one of the other characters. But that didn’t happen. I had mapped out the story in outline form before I started writing and, as always, I did change things as I wrote. But the general flow of the story didn’t change from my original vision for it. Everything just got ramped up really fast because of the serial schedule!

What is the future for the Penton series and its spin-off?

I’m working on a fourth Penton book and hope my publisher is interested in putting it out; if not, I’ll release it on my own because there were some things that happened in Omega, the third Penton book, that I want to explore further—the character of Cage Reynolds, for example, who was a psychiatrist for the British Army before being turned vampire. And the Native American child vampire everyone calls Hannah—I want to tell her story. I have a proposal in for another book featuring the counter-terrorism team from Storm Force, focusing on the eagle shapeshifter named, inappropriately, Robin. So...we’ll wait and see how it all comes out.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books?

Not really—the people I know aren’t neurotic enough to be one of my characters! Okay, there was one. The only character I’ve come close to basing on a real person was Krystal Harris, the heroine of Redemption. But my lips are sealed as to who it was based on!

Are there any other projects you’re working on under this penname or thinking about starting in the near future?

Besides working on Deliverance/Penton 4, I am in the “playing around and researching” phase with a story that I’m really excited about. It might go in any of several directions—paranormal, romantic suspense, or thriller, but it involves a washed-up salvage diver, a desperate woman, evil powermongers, and the Knights Templar. What’s not to like? LOL.


Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?

Unfortunately, it’s usually at my day job, which owns me from 7:30 each morning until about 6 each evening. So most of my writing is done nights and weekends.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?

My first book was an urban fantasy, Royal Street, written under the name Suzanne Johnson. It launched in New Orleans, where the series is set, so a bunch of friends (we call ourselves the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Snark”) came in from as far as New York City and we all converged on New Orleans for the launch at a local bookshop, then went with some of my good friends from NOLA to a dinner at Commander’s Palace. Beautiful memories!

When Redemption came out, my first book as Susannah Sandlin. I was working the day job and spent the evening frantically writing on the second Penton book!

What is the best thing about being a published author?

It’s still a new thing for me. It’s been only a year and a half since my first book came out—what a crazy year and a half! I think the best thing is being able to meet people in person or online who’ve actually read my books (which still surprises me) and want to talk about them. I also enjoy talking shop with other authors; there’s a great online community of authors who write similar genres or live in close proximity, and I’ve made great new friends, both in person and online.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?

Probably the most influential author on me long-term is Stephen King. I grew up reading his books, and his mammoth novel The Stand is still my favorite book of all time. I actually finished reading an amazing book recently that wasn’t for research! It is called Wisp of a Thing, and was written by my friend Alex Bledsoe. The book is a follow-up to The Hum and the Shiver, which was hands-down my favorite read of 2012. It’s a paranormal fantasy set in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, and is just beautifully written and a mysterious story well-told.

Will there be zombies or pigs in any of your future books?

Ha! Hm.... I can’t see me writing zombies. Pigs, however...I hereby promise to put a pig in the fourth Penton book, at least in a cameo appearance! My favorite recent pig story....I was driving down the length of Florida last fall, zipping down I-75 between Ft. Myers and Naples...and there was a freaking wild pig trotting down the side of the highway! He was huge. I know I can work that into a story somewhere....

I'll be keeping an eye out for the pig :-)
Thanks for dropping by.

Thanks for having me here today!



About Storm Force:

As leader of the elite counter-terrorism team Omega Force, former army ranger Jack “Kell” Kellison is always focused on getting the job done. So when a Houston high-rise is bombed and the governor killed or missing, Kell’s mission is clear: infiltrate the group suspected of the bombing and neutralize the threat by any means necessary. But once Kell meets beautiful chief suspect Mori Chastaine, he realizes there’s more to this case than meets the eye. And more to Mori than any man—any human man—could imagine.

Mori Chastaine is running out of options. Suspected for a crime she didn’t commit, forced into a marriage she doesn’t want, she sees no escape—until Kell walks through her door. A lifetime hiding her true nature warns her Kell might not be who he seems. But he could be the only one able to help save more innocent humans from becoming pawns in an ancient paranormal power play. If Mori reveals her secret, will Kell join her fight? Or will she become his next target?

Buy Storm Force from Amazon
This week Storm Force is just $0.99 for US readers.

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Giveaway:

Susannah kindly offered a copy of any of her 4 books (winner's choice) + swag to one reader of my blog.

The winner is Kristia

A winner will be picked at random on October 21st.
Open internationally to everyone who's legally allowed to enter this giveaway.


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Don't forget to leave a comment:
I decided to have an event wide giveaway on my blog for commenters.

At the end of this event I'll pick one commenter on any author post of this event at random and that person will win a book of his/her choice as long as bookdepository ships to where you live, you're legally allowed to enter, and the book costs no more than 10$

And drop by Between Dreams and Reality as well for more great author posts.