Interview with Resist author, Tracey Martin

Resist by Tracey Martin
(RedZone Book II)
Publication date: November 17th, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Truth is a powerful weapon...but explosives never hurt. RedZone, Book 2 Sophia can run but she can't hide. RedZone is on her tail and those of the six tech-augmented soldiers who escaped its clutches with her. If she could only focus on fighting her way to safety, she might live long enough to disappear. But it's not just her own backside she needs to watch out for. At her side is her boyfriend, Kyle. He's the reason she found the courage to escape, and she'll do anything to keep him and his secrets out of RedZone's hands. Only problem is, since she was once sent to capture him, he has good reason not to trust her. In fact, there's not much trust to go around. RedZone keeps finding them, suggesting someone is a traitor. And if that's not enough to recapture the group, the organization has a backup plan. One that will force Sophia and Kyle to choose between safety and risking everything one more time. Warning: Contains killer robots, mutant college students, and dangerous super soldiers. And those are the good guys. It's enough to make a rogue assassin wish she were taking her philosophy final instead.

    

INTERVIEW

Hi, Tracey! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.  

Thanks for having me! I’m mild mannered research consultant by day, and a crazed writer by night. Probably like lots of writers, I have weaknesses for coffee and wine, and I eat way too much chocolate. Although I grew up around Philadelphia, I moved to northern New England for grad school many years ago, and I totally fell in love with the Boston area. Good thing too because I haven’t been able to leave yet.

Tell our readers a bit about RESIST.

If you don’t mind, let me tell you a bit about Revive because Resist is the sequel, and it’s kind of hard to talk about it without spoilers…

Alone in a train station bathroom, Sophia Hernandez has no memory of who she is or how she got there. All she’s certain of are three things: her college ID is a lie, bad people are coming for her, and no one can be trusted.

The only clue to her past is the fellow student who finds her. Although Sophia’s gut tells her Kyle is lying when he claims he can’t help her, his touch makes her heart race. Is it because of a red-hot natural attraction, or a missing memory of something far more dangerous?

As two mysterious, menacing men chase them from the station, Sophia’s memories return in frustrating fragments. So do deadly skills she didn’t know she had. In the next forty-eight hours, a loved one’s life will be on the line as she sifts through a mounting tangle of secrets and lies.

Including the most heart-wrenching secret of all. Not only isn’t she a normal college student, she isn’t even a normal human.

Resist picks up right where Revive ends, continuing Sophia and Kyle’s story. Each book stands alone, but they’re better read together.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

Usually I couldn’t answer this question because I have no clue where my ideas come from, but Revive and Resist were inspired by a movie I watched. I thought it had such an interesting premise, but it never followed through on it. I wanted a chance to redo that story. Of course, the end result doesn’t resemble the movie in any way, but that’s the fun of writing.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definitely a plotter! If I didn’t plan things out, my characters would never do anything except trade barbs.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Plotting, ugh. Taking a premise and turning it into a complete story is just painful for me.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

The only thing I need is silence, or close to it. I can’t write in public because of the noise. Coffee doesn’t hurt either though!

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

This is a tough question. I think I’d like amazing healing powers and to never get sick. Maybe it’s not flashy, but if we didn’t have to worry about getting hurt, I think we’d be willing to risk a lot more to help others.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I’m not sure. I’ve googled too many weird things, but researching rates of decomposition in different climates or the temperature need for turning bones into ash—those probably rank up there.

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

Curled up with a glass of wine, Netflix, and my husband.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you.Let's hear your shout outs.

I love that you included this part because I love giving recognition to all the people who support me! I always have to give a shout-out to my husband first because he puts up this crazy-making hobby of mine, and to my editor who helps me make all my books so much better. I’m also super lucky to be a member of a couple great writing groups, and I don’t know what I’d have done without the support of the people in them.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog! And good luck with RESIST!

About the Author

Tracey Martin grew up outside of Philadelphia, the lucky recipient of a drama-free childhood, which is why she spent so much time reading about other people's lives. It was while she was working on her doctorate in psychology that she had an epiphany--imaginary people are way more fun than real ones. And so she began writing. Never able to choose just one of anything, she currently writes both urban fantasy for adults and contemporary stories for teens. 

She likes her coffee simple, her music epic, and her movies to contain explosions. A city girl at heart, she doesn't understand how she and her husband ended up living in New Hampshire, but writing keeps her off the mean, small town streets. You can find her online at tracey-martin.com.

    

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Interview with Alan Nayes

Seems like it's "Boys Week" here on the blog. I have another male visitor today, and his name is Alan Nayes, author of GIRL BLUE.

Welcome, Alan. Tell us a bit about yourself. 

First, thank you for hosting me today, Dorothy. I’m from Texas but live in Southern California and love the outdoors, reading and writing. My goal is to write stories that entertain and enthrall readers, and yes I’m still working at this. I own eighty acres of land in Texas and one day I plan to spend three or four months in a small house on this rural land and write the first draft of a novel that will become a future bestseller—or at least sell one or two copies to family members and friends.  When I’m not writing, I’m thinking about what I’m writing.


How long have you been writing?  

Dorothy, I’ve been writing stories for several decades now.  After I moved to southern California in the 80’s I decided to take a creative writing class at a local community college. I’d written some music in college but when I realized I couldn’t sing real well—not at all actually—I switched to stories. After several failed attempts at breaking into the screenwriting business I decided I would have a better chance at novels. Not much better, but I am making progress. My mantra—every day write something.


Tell us about GIRL BLUE. What’s the story about?  

Let me see, Girl Blue, in one word—bizarre. The story revolves around an extraordinarily talented sculptor named Jeremy Copper. His specialty is carving nude women in stone. Jeremy is one of the best in the world at creating his female erotic statues. But Jeremy is dying and he wants to make his last creation his legacy. Girl Blue will be carved from a rare block of blue granite. What Jeremy doesn’t realize is this rare block of granite is “haunted” by the vengeful spirit of a woman who lived in the 1920s. Girl Blue is an erotic supernatural tale about Jeremy’s quest for perfection. No matter how many more novels I write, I will never write another story as bizarre and sensual as Girl Blue.

How did the idea of the story come to you?  

I was inspired by a friend who told me how he would go and get these sensual massages from sexy woman. This gave me an idea to write a story about a guy who gets addicted to erotic massages. But that idea wasn’t going anywhere until I read an article about Auguste Rodin, the great sculptor. Bam—I was hit with the idea of creating a character who sculpted nude women in stone. And then the rest just fell into place. I began “sculpting” GIRL BLUE that night!

What drew you to write horror? 

I enjoy reading different genres—sci-fi, thrillers, adventure, and horror—so when I write, I try to write in different genres as well. Horror has always been a favorite genre of mine. Have always enjoyed  watching  a good scary movie( The Ring) every now and then, and also enjoy reading horror books. So it was only natural that I try my hand at creating a good horror story. GIRL BLUE is one of my attempts.

Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit? 

I have a couple of friends who occasionally look over my work, but for me I always hire a professional editor to edit the final manuscript. If I attempted to self-edit, it would be like trying to give myself a haircut—I’d end up with a mess.

Are you a planner or a pantser? 

A little of both, I think, Dorothy.  Before I start a novel, I know in general terms what direction the story is going to go, major plot points, and when they are supposed to happen. Having said this, however, the story never completely follows the broad outline—which is good I think—and there are always changes that spring up, either in character development or plot, that seem to take on a life of their own. That is the fun part of creating a story—fun only when it turns out to make the story better, of course. If the change becomes a deadend—well, that is what trash cans are for. I do a lot of cursing too when this happens.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?  

Dorothy, it’s always seems easy for me to come with ideas, however the actual sitting down and writing a whole novel is difficult. That’s where discipline comes in. Some days I just don’t seem “in the mood” to continue a story, and on those days I find it a real challenge to make myself write. Also, self promoting. If I wrote as bad as I promote, I’d never sell a book.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing? 

Several items—pen, paper, because I write my initial draft long hand. Also my computer so I can do some quick research if the need arises, which it does plenty. And something to drink—water or tea, usually, and also I snack a lot. Love Skittles.

Skittles rock! If you could have any super power, what would it be? 

The power to complete a great novel that everybody would clamor for and I would write the entire manuscript in say…a weekend. Wow, that would be pretty cool. Also would love to be able to transport myself to different places on the planet instantaneously—this would be great for research. Oh did I mention I would also be able to do this invisibly?

What's the weirdest thing you've googled? 

I presume you mean while researching a story. If you mean in general, well, we won’t go there. While writing a story I’d have to say I once googled the number of chromosomes in an orangutan. Weird, huh.

No, makes sense to me. ;) Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: absolution, antique, and arbitrary.

         Alliteration is to writing what absolution is to sin, though both can seem arbitrary when involving a priest as old as an antique crucifix. 

(Yeah, I’m trying to make sense out of this sentence, too.)

*stares for a while* *blinks* Okay, then. Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

 thinking about writing. Whoa, now that was original.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs. 

Family, friends, Samhain, my writers groups—the Eclective, IWU, Kindle Horror Books , but most of all—my readers! Thank you all.

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?

GIRL BLUE
          Amazon http://amzn.to/wEFi2A
              Amazon.uk http://amzn.to/zUqn0q
              Barnesandboble http://bit.ly/yJFVgU
              Samhain http://bit.ly/yrNhox

Me:         Website http://anayes.com/
              Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/527589.Alan_Nayes
               Facebook http://on.fb.me/ICI9Xe
               Twitter http://twitter.com/alannayes

        Blog   http://alannayes.blogspot.com/