A Love For Lit: Author Interview

Showing posts with label Author Interview. Show all posts

Author Chat: Annabell Cadiz

Woo wee! We are having an author twitter chat tomorrow (or today, depending when you are reading this) Friday the 22nd at 5 pm Central time (3pst/4mst/6est)! Our guest will be Annabell Cadiz, author of Lucifer! If you have any questions for her you can add them in the comments here or tweet them to me at https://twitter.com/alove4lit ! We will be using the hashtag of #IAMChat. You may find it easiest to use tweetchat to follow along, it auto updates and auto adds the hash to your tweets! Here's the link: http://tweetchat.com/room/iamchat

Well see you all there!!

Oh and while you are waiting, check out these posts feature Annabell:

Tweets about "#IAMChat"

About the Author

Annabell Cadiz was born in the sweltering heat of South Florida. She was raised surrounded by Puerto Rican chefs and band of siblings that weren’t all related to her. A self-proclaimed nerd and book-a-holic (her room does hold much evidence to prove her claims are justifiable), she created TeamNerd Reviews to showcase her EXTREME love for novels where, along with her best friend, Bridget Strahin, she hosts book reviews, interviews, giveaways, Indie Shoutouts and much more. She also blog tour services for authors. She also had the pleasure of being published in three separate issue of Suspense Magazine. She also adores Cinnamon Teddy Grahams, has an addiction to Minute Maid Orange juice, and is a proud Jesus Freak. Lucifer is the first book in the Sons of Old Trilogy.

Annabell Around the Web: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | TeamNerds Reviews

Sons of Old Trilogy

Book #1 : Lucifer. Have you ever wondered what could be hiding in the shadows?

Well, for eighteen-year-old Zahara Faraday, she doesn’t have to wonder. You see she comes from a lineage of Light Witches, those who have chosen to help protect and serve between the supernatural world and the human world. The only problem is Zahara, like her father Solomon, is as human as a human being can be whereas her mother, Mia, and her Aunt Catalina, were born as Light Witches. As a family they hunt down rogue supernaturals—creatures who harm humans or who have committed an act against their kingdom.

Zahara’s hunting skills are usually kept dormant since her parents would prefer she live life as a normal human girl without knowledge of the supernatural world. She plans on doing just that—except when she finds a couple being attacked by fairies, she has no choice but to step in. Before she can return to pretending to be blissfully ignorant, Zahara encounters a problem she isn’t the least equip to handle: Bryan Hamilton, the good looking new co-worker she has to help train. In a heartbeat, her best friend, Becca King, has set her up on a double date with herself and her new crush, Rekesh Saint-Louis, who happens to be the most powerful leader of the biggest Imago Coven in South Florida –supernatural creatures with the ability to control water . . . and suck out human souls.

Zahara has no time to focus on how she’s going to explain her double date with her best friend and the enemy they have a tentative truce with to her parents because soon one of the members of Mia and Catalina’s coven is found murdered with a strange tattoo of a snake with wings carved into his arm.

Zahara is then thrown into a whirlwind battle with an angel determined to have revenge against God, an Imago coven she doesn’t think they should trust, and slew of dream-eating fairies and powerful Nephilims, hybrid children of angels and humans, more than happy to rip her to shreds.

Normal just got a deadlier definition.

**Also, you definitely don't want to miss her huge giveaway!! She's giving away makeup kit by E.L.F along with one DVD copy of the movie Sixteen Candles, a fuschia metallic manicure set, a Girl Power Superwoman wristband, a LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD silver necklace, a silver bracelet with handcuff & key charms, Honey Sweetheart lotion (that smells INCREDIBLE!), two toned lip bloom (that is SUPER cute!), and gray colored cheetah printed socks that are SOOOO adorables and an ecopy of LUCIFER! ANNNND if that wasn't enough, FIVE other lucky winners will win a FREE ecopy of LUCIFER! Check out the giveaway directory for the link, she's #12.**

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With love,
Margaret

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Author Interview: Marilyn Almodover

Questions

Can you tell us about yourself and how you got started in writing?

I’m the only child of an aspiring writer and a voracious reader. So I guess that writing and reading are in my DNA. I started writing when I was 12 years old, and bored out of my mind during one particular long Science lesson. Not that I would recommend anyone to do that, I got a really bad mark on the Quiz that covered that lesson.

Can you tell us about Interred? How about the next book in the series?

Interred is the story of Baxter Jacobs, who right before she turns sixteen finds out that her family is Magical. She has to come to terms with a whole history that she didn’t know about, plus those pesky time bending abilities and a boy trapped in a time loop, which no one can see, except for Baxter of course.

The second book, Fissure, will be out June 22, and explores the cracks in times as well as Baxter’s ongoing progress with her magical abilities and a few more twists.

Who's your biggest influence?

During my Teen years we didn’t have a lot of teen books that interested me. I think I outgrew Sweet Valley High by the time that I went to High School because the stories were not juicy enough. So during my teen years I read a lot of Stephen King, Anne Rice …. All of those books were hidden from my Mum of course. I guess those are the biggest influence in my writing, or I hope they are.

Would you consider writing in a different genre..like Adult, NonFiction, or Contemporary?

Actually back in 93, the first full length novel that I wrote, was about a girl and her family and what happened to them during the coup d’état in Chile. The character’s age ranged from 18 to 23 throughout the book, I guess this is what we would call New Adult nowadays.

I didn’t start writing for the young adult market until 2008, when I penned my first YA story. I love the genre, and the possibilities that exist within it… so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I never say never, but right now, I enjoy writing for teens.

Where do you come up with ideas for your books?

Usually when I’m doing house chores or taking a shower. It starts with one character, which is usually very chatty, and then I build the story around them in my head, before I commit it to paper. Though, this doesn’t mean that I always know what I’m writing about. I don’t do outlines until I’m halfway through the first draft.

Do you have any pets?

Not at the moment. I had two Chihuahua dogs growing up. One called Chavo which means boy in Mexico. He ran away and then bit my Mum when she tried to bring him back to the house. Needless to say my mother didn’t try to coax him back to the house ever again.

My second dog, I had her since I was ten, and she passed away after I had my first child 12 years ago. She was called Princess Scritti Politti Anthrax Bonjovi Knight….. I was ten. *coughs* I would love to adopt a dog, but at the present time it wouldn’t be fair on the dog, as we move around a lot, though it’s on our list of things to do when we finally buy a house.

What's some of your favorite books/Authors?

Oh gosh, how much time do you have? I love the classics. Shakespeare’s Much ado about nothing, Dickens’ A tale of two cities, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Jane Austen’s Emma, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Geoffry Chaucer ‘s The Canterbury tales, Beowulf, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, Alexandre Dumas’ The Three musketeers and La Reine Margot and I’m also very fond of Camus’ The Stranger.

As I said before, I’m a huge Stephen King fan, my favorite book by him is the Shining. I also love Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches books as well as the Vampire Chronicles.

I’m a Potterhead, and I guess that I’ve read every single book in the Harry Potter series obsessively. Another book that inspired a huge obsession with the characters was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

Other books that I love are; Divergent by Veronica Roth, Hourglass by Myra McEntire, So close to you by Rachel Carter, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind, Bethany Lopez’ Friends and lovers series, Raine Thomas’ Daughters of Saraqael trilogy, Nikki Jefford’s Spellbound trilogy, Chelsea Fine’s Archers of Avalon series and Terry Giuliano Long’s In Leah’s wake.

What was the first book you ever wrote?

Oh gosh, it was called… Veronica the history of a rocker. I was twelve.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

The first draft is usually written in a few weeks time. Interred’s first draft took two weeks of almost 24/7 typing. I was a bit obsessed with it.

If your books were made into a movie, who'd be the perfect actors to portray your characters?

I think Hugh Grant would be great Fred. Ben Barnes would be amazing as Declan, because he’s pretty amazing, but also he looks great in Victorian clothes. I think since Jack is also English, someone like Nicholas Hoult would be great for him. Baxter… I’m not sure. Maybe someone who looks like Lucy Hale though I might change my mind about this. I’m glad I’m not a casting director; I wouldn’t know who to cast for Baxter.

Do you listen to music while you write?

No, I’m one of those writers who think silence is golden. I get distracted way too easily by lyrics, though classical music doesn’t bother me when I’m writing.

What are your thoughts on FanFiction? And how would you feel if someone used your characters in a story? How about people roleplaying your characters on forums/twitter?

I enjoy reading Fan Fiction, well most Fan Fiction any way. As long as they follow canon and are not making the characters do weird slash stuff.-yes, I’m a bit old fashioned when it comes to that-

I would love if someone wrote FanFiction that was inspired by Interred. It would be wicked cool.

As an avid roleplayer, I would love to see someone come up with a board inspired by the books. I think roleplaying offers fans of certain books a way of becoming more involved in that universe and also get creative. That’s awesome!

Do you always plan out your books before you start writing? Do you always know the ending? Do you ever change the ending or have a hard time choosing between two different endings?

I don’t do outlines, until I’ve written half of the book, I usually stop to assess the situation and decide how the book should end. I also write out bios for my character’s at this point, because I know them better, and can list their favorite things etc.

For now, I know what Fissure and Alternate are going to be about. Fissure’s ending has changed four times (as I’m on my fourth edit). Interred’s ending changed right before publication.

I have an idea of how the series will end, though nothing’s set in stone.

How do you let go of your characters once the story is finished?

As this is the first series that I’m publishing, I’ll have to get back to you after December 22, when Alternate is published. My guess will be, that five years from now, I’ll still feel like the overbearing mother of these characters.

About the Author

Marilyn Almodóvar is the author of a series of YA paranormal novels. Born in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, Lyn is a lover of words whose reading tastes range from Victorian novels to the books of Stephen King. Her favorite past-times have always been reading and writing, two activities that let her escape to other worlds.

It was this love that propelled her to choose Theater and French as majors in University, with a minor in English Victorian Literature. Lyn lived for almost a decade in England followed by three years in France before returning home to the States. A self-confessed citizen of the world, she is fluent in English, French and Spanish, with basic knowledge of the Italian language.

Lyn could happily exist breathing the clean air of Narnia, trapped in a cupboard under the stairs with Harry, fighting alongside Captain Jack Sparrow, doing an internship in Torchwood, or traveling around time and space with the Doctor…as long as she can have Mr. Spock, Captain Kirk and Captain Mal as companions.

Lyn currently lives in Central Florida with her French husband, English-born eldest son, and French-born youngest son. Her debut YA Novel, Interred, will be published by Iambe books on 01/22/2013.

Marilyn Around the Web: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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With love,
Margaret

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Indie Interview: Riana Lucas

1. What book inspired you most before you became a writer yourself?
The popularity of Twilight brought me back to reading as a hobby. After spending years and years avoiding reading at all costs, I picked up an US magazine on the 2008 Winter Olympics and a gymnast said this was the book she was reading right now. I had no idea at the time that I would be picking up a young adult book, much less a vampire romance. The way that Twilight caused me to be nervous, giddy at times and happy for a character inspired me to not only read more, but write more. If you can cause a reader to "feel" something, then I find the book to be truly special.

2. First book you ever remember reading?
When I was ten I read Wait till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn and it scared the bejeezus out of me....and I LOVED it.

3. How do you pick your character's names?
For the Deadly Flowers Series, I chose actual poisonous flowers for some characters and then chose others based on nature. They don't necessarily have to be "deadly flowers" because they are warriors and deadly in their own right.

4. Name an excellent indie book that you think needs more recognition.
Inescapable by Amy A. Bartol.

5. Share some quotes you love! Either from your book or someone else's!
"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed" Michael Jordan

"Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!" Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

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Indie Interview: Brea Essex

Brea Essex

1. What book inspired you most before you became a writer yourself?
Daughter of the Lion by Jennifer Roberson. It's actually the sixth book in a series of eight, but the main character, Keely, has always been an inspiration to me. Jennifer Roberson has been my favorite author since I was in seventh grade.

2. First book you ever remember reading?
Probably a Nancy Drew book. I read a ton of those when I was little.

3. How do you pick your character's names?
A variety of ways. Sometimes they just come to me. Sometimes I pull names from favorite books or shows. Usually I use baby naming websites, or the Social Security Name Index's list of popular names. Occasionally I use name generators. It can take a while to find the perfect name, but it's always there.

4. Name an excellent indie book that you think needs more recognition.
Anything by Megg Jensen, Allie Burke, or Thomas Amo. All three are excellent authors.

5. Share some quotes you love! Either from your book or someone else's!
My favorite quote from my book is: “Do not be controlled by your fear of the future. You will only create a negative reality for yourself.”

Other favorites:
“Being terrified but going ahead and doing what must be done—that's courage. The one who feels no fear is a fool, and the one who lets fear rule him is a coward.”
― Piers Anthony, Castle Roogna

"Ambition is like Tinkerbell--when you stop believing, it dies." --Tad Williams

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
― Siddhārtha Gautama

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