Q&A Video with Author Dorothy Dreyer - Entangled Souls #runesuniverse

Today I answer some questions about my new release: ENTANGLED SOULS, a Kindle Worlds Runes Universe novella.

Author Interview with Allison Whitmore #Giveaway

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Book & Author Details:

Forget Me Not by Allison Whitmore

Publication date: September 14th 2015

Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Theodora “Teddi” Donovan and Calvin Wynne have always hated each other. They didn’t have a choice after Teddi’s bootlegger father killed Calvin’s and left them both orphaned. The scandal has fueled gossip in quiet, quaint Brookhurst, New York, for over a decade. 

When a friendship develops between them as teenagers, they are ridiculed and shunned by the strict society that dictates life in their town. As they grow older, friendship turns into love, and Teddi and Calvin have to choose between their future and the scepter of their past. 

Spanning continents and decades, Forget Me Not is a coming-of-age story about truth, self-reliance, and the freeing power of love.

 

Hi, Allison! Welcome to We Do Write. 

Tell our readers a bit about FORGET ME NOT. What’s the story about?

It’s essentially a star-crossed lovers’ story set in the 1930s and 1940s. It is about the main characters journey into adulthood as well as the secrets of their families’ pasts they unearth. In the end, the secrets lead them to understand a great deal about the world and each other.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I wanted to write a story about a hypocritical town and two people caught in the middle of that.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I am a plotter who turns into a pantser as soon as I start writing. The story just goes its own way. I do plot because I will write myself into a wall. However, I end up just letting the story flow, and feel it’s good to have some direction to reign myself in. I definitely started out as a pantser only when I first started writing.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

When I am not writing as much as I’d like to on a scheduled day. It gets frustrating. Once, I am writing, then it’s great.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Other than the internet open for research and YouTube playing (seventy-five percent of the time), I like to have books around me. Notes, not as much. I usually write them and only pull them out when I’m trying to get going or revising.

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

It used to be teleporting, but now I’m going to say super speed. It would be great to be able to get a lot of stuff done very fast.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I don’t know. Maybe a cat fashion show when I was laughing at that scene in Anchorman and wondering if people really did those. They do. LOL!

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

writing or fangirling about Arrow...

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

Thank you to my family, Erin Virginia and Grace Arden (writing partners and friends), Kenya Cooper (publicist), Rachel Miller (editor), and Amalia Chitulescu (cover designer)

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog!

AUTHOR BIO:

Allison Whitmore started her first novel, Forget Me Not, one icy morning in her dorm room in Southampton, NY. After many years of teaching high school English, she came back to the novel to rewrite it. Allison comes from a family who loves history and enjoyed immersing herself in the research that brought Teddi and Calvin’s world to life. She lives in her hometown, Los Angeles, California. You can find her on Twitter @alli_whitmore and her website: allisonwhitmore.com.

    

 

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $40 Amazon Gift Card

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Follow the rest of the tour here:

How I Ruined My Life Tour: Interview with TL Bainter PLUS Giveaway

Today we're joining the HOW I RUINED MY LIFE tour by chatting with author T.L. Bainter. Come get to know more about this book, and be sure to enter the rafflecopter at the end of the post.

Hi and welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi there! I’m T. L. Bainter, author of How I Ruined My Life and owner of a very rambunctious Savannah cat named Sooba. I work as a Data Center technician full-time, and spend my days off writing, reading, and visiting Kansas City’s many local coffee shops.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Tell our readers a bit about HOW I RUINED MY LIFE.

How I Ruined My Life is a YA literary novel about the vital role friendship can play in our lives. The story follows Kyle Barnes, a plain, quiet, reclusive teenager that finds his life turned upside down when he becomes friends with James Porter. With his newfound friend, Kyle experiences life as he never thought he could - for better or for worse.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes&Noble

How did the idea of the story come to you?

The book is very strongly based on my own experiences as a young adult. In my adolescence, I was extremely reclusive and very quiet. Several experiences changed that and helped me grow as a person, shaping the man that I am today. How I Ruined My Life is essentially a slightly embellished version of my childhood.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’d say I’m a bit of both! With How I Ruined My Life, I wrote a very vague plot synopsis and then sat down to write. The book ultimately wound up being very different from the initial synopsis, with some parts being removed and others being added. If I feel the story moving in a direction other than the one that the outline wishes to take it, then I ignore the outline completely.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Revision. I think just about any author will tell you the same thing, since it seems to be the most painstaking part of the process. I can write ten thousand words over the course of two days, and then take a month to read and revise those very same words.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A cup of coffee. If I can’t mull over my writing while sipping coffee, then I find myself rather uninspired. Sometimes it’s whiskey, depending on whether or not it’s a work night.

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

Have you ever watched the show Misfits? I would love to have Curtis Donovan’s power from that show. It’s sort of like time travel, but only takes him backward except in cases of power-reversal (which occurs while under the influence of ecstasy in the show).

I probably thought too hard about this one.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I feel the need to reiterate that I’m a writer; I use Google to research some pretty terrible things in the name of writing. I think that the worst/weirdest thing that I’ve ever researched with Google is the human response to beheading, or: “What happens when you’re beheaded?”

I learned a lot, so it was worth having the bizarre question in my search history.

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

Hanging out at a local coffee shop, or going for a walk. I love my city, and find a lot of inspiration for my writing when I’m out and about.

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

I received immense support during the first stages of How I Ruined My Life, and individuals continue to support me in my endeavors to make this book successful. Obviously I have to give a shoutout to my mother and grandmother, who have both read all of the ridiculous stories I’ve ever written. Without their perseverance, I may never have reached this point. I also want to thank the individuals that inspired my story, namely best friend, Ben Schoonover, whom I miss greatly.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog!

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THE BELTANE ESCAPE by Ariella Moon Blog Tour @XpressoTours

The Beltane Escape by Ariella Moon

(The Two Realms Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: February 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Lady Fenella, ever surrounded by guards, knows only responsibility and duty. She believes Merlin and the Lady of the Lake are myths, Gran’s warnings about Fairy are superstition, and Fairy was invented to make children behave.
But then Gran brands her, Lord Argonshire kidnaps her, and the Lady of the Lake makes her a pawn. The Highland heiress must betray her newly betrothed and fend for herself when she dives into a wormhole to save her cousin. She lands in a part of Fairy even fairies avoid, and joins forces with Talfryn, a half-Viking/half-Fairy.
Fenella must use her wits to find her cousin, free the Lady of the Lake, and reach the wormhole in Glastonbury by Beltane. Nine days to unshackle herself from a sorceress, prevent a war between rival clans, and decide in which realm—and with which lad—she truly belongs. Oh, and The Most Powerful Wizard stands in her way.

 

Author Interview

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

Hi! Thank you for the warm welcome!

I am a shaman, mother of an amazing daughter, sugar addict, and the author of five magical young adult novels. I live with two shamelessly spoiled dogs, Gracie and Avalon, and one media-shy dragon.

Tell our readers a bit about THE BELTANE ESCAPE.

The Beltane Escape is about Fenella the young Thaness of Thorburn, who has no idea her fate is shackled to a powerful sorceress. She believes Merlin and the Lady of the Lake are myths, Gran’s warnings about Fairy are superstition, and Fairy was invented to make children behave. But a spell cast forward to sixteenth century Scotland finds Fenella and leads to her being branded, stolen, and betrothed. Traumatized and separated from her clan, the Highland heiress finds an unexpected ally in her kidnapper’s son. But their fragile alliance is tested when the Lady of the Lake lures Fenella’s cousin into Fairy. Fenella has seconds to decide. Should she remain with Edward, or should she dive into Fairy to rescue her beloved cousin, endangering her clan, and abandoning Edward to his ruthless father?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

The Beltane Escape and the next two novels in the Two Realms Trilogy are set in medieval Scotland and Fairy, two of my favorite settings. Arthurian legends, and the Scots with their turbulent past, have long fascinated me. While reading various clan histories, certain tales of greed and daring, violence, and survival, leapt out at me. While I pondered these tales, the author’s magical phrase, What if… floated into my mind.

What if a kidnaped thaness tumbled, like Alice in Wonderland, into Fairy? What if she had been lured there by a spell cast forward in time?

What if the Lady of the Lake was only eighteen and new on the job?

What if Merlin was twenty, and quirky like Sherlock Holmes?

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I am a little of both. When a story idea first comes to me, I experience an initial burst of unfiltered writing. But then, because the industry demands writers produce at a fast pace and I write slowly, I roughly plot the story and character arcs. That way, I know if my concept is strong enough to sustain a novel. Since The Beltane Escape is the first book in the Two Realms Trilogy, I also loosely outlined the series arc.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

My biggest challenge is to stay focused and not get sidetracked by social media and promotion. I love Pinterest and Facebook. Pinterest is much like Fairy. Once inside that realm, hours, even days, pass. 

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Trader Joe's dark chocolate covered almonds and Webster's Unabridged Dictionary must be nearby. The latter lists the date of first use for most words, which is vital for authors of historical fiction. I avoid using words that post-date my story. Sometimes it is difficult to find a substitute word. For example, The Beltane Escape is set in 1505, and the word "kidnap" was first used in 1675. This created a huge problem since my heroine is kidnapped. I finally settled on the word "stolen," but in a few cases "kidnap" was the only word that worked. So please don't tell anyone! As for the chocolate covered almonds, did I mention I am a sugar addict? I tell myself they are a health food. Protein. Caffeine. Close enough!

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

As a shaman, I have command of cool powers, such as spirit flight, the ability to journey to other realms. Magic infuses my life and seeps into my writing. I don't drink alcohol or take drugs because my life is already trippy.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I utilized my personal knowledge and experience of magic in The Two Realms Trilogy and my contemporary YA series, The Teen Wytche Saga. One notable exception was Spell For Sophia, the fourth book in the Saga. In that novel, Sophia, a  teen runaway, finds refuge on the bayou with a Voodoo priestess. I've always avoided voodoo because I sense a lot of dark energy around it. My google searches for voodoo spells and practices incorporated some very strange keywords.

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

Walking my dogs, or eating something containing sugar and/or chocolate. If not for the dogs, I would have a serious weight problem. Luckily, they keep me pretty trim.

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

I am so grateful for my loyal and new readers, my awesome editor, Barbara Millman Cole, my terrific cover artist, Amanda Matthews, for my technical support people, and for bloggers and reviewers like you who help spread the word about The Beltane Escape.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

You are welcome! It was a pleasure to be here. Thank you for the fabulous interview questions!

Ariella Moon draws upon her experiences as a shaman to create magical Young Adult fiction. Her Two Realms Trilogy is a medieval fantasy adventure series with romantic elements. The Teen Wytche Saga is a series of sweet contemporary paranormal romances.

Ariella spent her childhood searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia. Extreme math anxiety and taller students who mistook her for a leaning post, marred her youth. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. Ariella lives a nearly normal life doting on her extraordinary daughter, two shamelessly spoiled dogs, and an enormous dragon.

Ariella loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at http://www.AriellaMoon.com or visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ariellamoon.author

    

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $25 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hannah Both Ways Blog Tour: Interview with Rosie Greenway PLUS Giveaway

Today We're joining the HANNAH BOTH WAYS blog tour by chatting with author Rosie Greenway. Grab a hot beverage and come get to know all about Rosie and her book. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post!

Hi Rosie! Welcome to We Do Write.

Thank you for having me!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a former English teacher living in Ontario. I’m a pop culture junkie—music, art, films—I love it all. Writing is a passion I’ve enjoyed since I was a teenager. I’m thrilled to finally be able to share Hannah Both Ways with readers!

Tell our readers a bit about Hannah Both Ways.

A devastating Twitter prank yanks Hannah out of the popular crowd and turns her into the high school’s best bad joke. Determined to finish the year and graduate, Hannah must keep the humiliating details from her impulsive mother—who just might pack up their belongings and move. Again.

Hannah hovers below the radar by submersing herself in a new routine. Post-it notes, Dewey Decimal numbers and carefully planned trips to the library are her refuge. That is, until a persistent new student invades her space. Lucas has complete disregard for Hannah’s cynicism and snark, and he seems to know the bullies who targeted her. Can Hannah trust him, or is he part of another ploy to torment her?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I was originally inspired by events I was reading about in the news (a tragic bullying incident, a teen stabbing at a bus stop), but once I started writing, diverse things inspired the movement of the story—odd things like Tweets and random snippets of Emily Dickinson poems that intrigued me. The characters themselves grew out of a handful of real kids I’ve known. I wish I’d journaled my experiences while brainstorming ideas, but once I start writing, I do tend to just motor along.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I plot in my head, so I do know the general endpoint, but I like to give the characters the opportunity to take the lead as opposed to trying the get from point A to a prescribed point B. For me, plotting too definitively tends to result in writer’s block.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Finding time to get out all the ideas percolating in my mind is the most difficult aspect of writing. It’s incredibly frustrating having some great plot bunnies scampering about and not having enough time to corral them.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Nothing. I can’t afford to be that precious about process. If I find a few minutes, I just sit and write. The fewer “must-haves” the better!

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Don Aker’s Delusion Road. It’s a 2016 White Pine finalist (and Don is an amazing person—if you’ve never read any of his books, pick up The First Stone. Great book.)

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

Perhaps it’s selfish, but I would love to have the ability to transmit all of the plotlines unfolding in my head onto a page without having to type. I could plug a machine into my brain and have the ideas spill out fully formed…gosh, that would be awesome.

Oh my goodness, I'm so on board with that! Best idea ever! Ok, what's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Last December I was trying to develop a plot line about teenagers and their exposure to pornography. I was Googling things like “how to deal with porn addiction.” Afterwards, I started getting weird pop-up ads suggesting therapy and 12 step programs. Yay me. Lol.

Ha! Too funny. Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

Reading. Or watching The Walking Dead. Or out for dinner with my family. Or daydreaming about a new character or story. ☺

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

I’m so grateful to Rebelight Books, to Melinda, Deb, and Suzanne, in particular, for taking a chance on a newbie YA author. I’m also thankful for all the bloggers, like you, who take the time to read and support authors so tirelessly!

Thanks for stopping by the blog, Rosie, and good luck with your book!


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Blog Tour: Death Becomes Me by Elizabeth Holloway @eholloway300

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Holloway for the blog tour of DEATH BECOMES ME, book two in the Call Me Grim series. I've had the honor of reading this book while in its development stage, and let me tell you, it's awesome! For the low-down on the first book, click here. Let's dive right into the interview, shall we?

Hi, Elizabeth! Congrats on your second book! Tell us what the sequel to Call Me Grim is about.

Thanks, Dorothy!

Death Becomes Me picks up where Call Me Grim ends. Libbi and Aaron have broken their vow to be Reapers of their hometown, Carroll Falls, and have escaped. Now they are on the run from Abaddon, aka Death himself, and he’s not one to let things like that go.

Without giving too much away, how have your characters changed in this book?

Libbi has grown a lot since the last book. In this book she struggles with her devotion to her family and friends and her need for survival. It’s a hard path. And when her relationship with Aaron comes into question it becomes almost impossible.

Aaron also has his struggles. But, I’m afraid if I say anything about them, I’ll give too much away, so I’ll shut up now.

What is the biggest challenge for you when writing a sequel?

For me, the biggest challenge was writer’s block. I hate it. So. Much.

I also fought with trying to condense the series into a duology, but I ultimately found that I just couldn’t fit the whole story into two books. That was the hardest thing, I think, deciding the story needed to be a trilogy. It caused a lot of trouble for me. ☺

How have you changed as a writer now that you are published?

Writing as a published author is completely different from writing as an aspiring author. First, there are those dreaded deadlines, which somehow manage to drain me of all of my creativity. Then I worry about the readers and what they’ll think of the story. Self-doubt is my biggest enemy. But I do love the editing process. I love going over the story with an editor and shining that thing up.

What are your writer aspirations for the next five years?

I’m about to start working on the third and final book in the Call Me Grim series, which is untitled at the moment. I also have a YA thriller in the works called Drive. It’s about a teen petty thief who finds a girl tied up in the back of a van and decides to follow the van. I hope to have that one finished next year. After that, I may take a break. I have to go back to school for my job, so I’ll likely have all of my spare time taken up with that for a while.

Thanks for letting us take part in your tour, Elizabeth! Good luck with Death Becomes Me!

Thanks, Dorothy! It was a pleasure being here!

Interview With The Fading Dusk Author Melissa Giorgio

The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio
(Smoke and Mirrors, #1)
Publication date: July 19th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

In the gritty city of Dusk, seventeen-year-old Irina makes her living as the street magician Bantheir’s
assistant. The job isn’t glamorous, but she loves the crowds, the shows, and most of all, the illusion of magic. But Irina’s world is shattered the night she is arrested and charged as Bantheir’s accomplice to murder—murder by magic.

Real magic, the kind that’s been forbidden since the old wars.

Irina finds the idea of flashy showman Bantheir using actual magic to kill someone laughable, but she’s the only one who sees how ridiculous the claim is. But how can she convince everyone Bantheir is innocent when they’ve already made up their minds? Desperate, Irina must decide who she can trust to help her win her freedom. Is the surly, handsome Captain Leonid telling the truth when he says he believes Irina is innocent, or is he just using her to get to Bantheir? What about Aden, the sweet soldier and longtime fan of Irina’s who claims he’s on her side?

Irina said she wanted to know the truth, but when she stumbles across a dark secret that changes everything, will she be strong enough to survive?

           

INTERVIEW

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

Hello and thanks for having me! My name is Melissa Giorgio, and I’m the author of both the Smoke and Mirrors series and the Silver Moon Saga. I’m a giant book nerd who loves attending book events and meeting my favorite authors. I also enjoy traveling, although New York, my hometown, is my favorite place to be.

Tell our readers a bit about THE FADING DUSK.

The Fading Dusk is a YA fantasy set in a world where magic is forbidden after a catastrophic war a thousand years ago nearly wiped out all of the magicians and led to the extinction of the dragons. Irina, our protagonist, is Bantheir the street magician’s assistant. The magic might not be real anymore, but the citizens of Dusk who visit the shows still love being dazzled by the tricks. After one such show, Irina’s world is thrown for a loop when she’s arrested for aiding Bantheir in the murder of innocent citizens—murder by magic. Convinced of Bantheir’s innocence, Irina must work together with the very same people who arrested her to discover the truth.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I was having a conversation with my dad (unfortunately I don’t remember exactly what we were discussing!) and the term “smoke and mirrors” came up. For some reason that phrase stuck with me (it was the original title for a little while!), and it conjured up images of a girl walking through the dark streets of a city. Who was she? Where was she going? I needed to know the answers to those questions, and that’s how The Fading Dusk came about.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

My process for each manuscript is different, but I’m definitely a little bit of both. I try to do a general outline (I need a beginning and character names before I can start writing!) with major plot points, but I don’t have to know every single detail. Most of the time my outlines change once I start writing the manuscript, so writing out a detailed outline would be a waste of my time. However, I do try to come up with the ending as soon as possible, down to what the very last line will be. That usually does not change.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

When a scene doesn’t work and I have to figure out a way to make it work. I usually have to take a step back (which I don’t like doing!) and think about it long and hard before I can go back to the scene and start fixing it. I don’t mind cutting thousands of words and rewriting scenes, but sometimes I can’t for the life of me figure out what needs to go in that scene to make it work. It can be very frustrating, and the longer I go without a solution, the worse I feel. Both The Fading Dusk and its sequel required rewrites (sometimes scenes needed to be rewritten multiple times), but I always say the books that give me the hardest times are the ones I end up loving the most.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

My USB drive so I can back up my document as soon as I’m done. I’m paranoid my computer will crash and I’ll lose everything!

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

Flying, so I wouldn’t have to deal with airport security and long taxi lines on the runway!

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I was researching different types of poisons earlier this year.

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

Reading!

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

First of all, a huge thank you to Amy McNulty (author of the Never Veil series), my best friend and beta reader. She reads everything first, and if something doesn’t work, she not only lets me know, but she helps me figure it out. I send her many, many rambling emails in which I discuss the scenes and characters, and it helps so much. And a thank you and so much love to my parents, who are my biggest supporters. They push my books to everyone I know, and it means the world to me. Also, thank you to my friends for being with me every step of the way.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog to chat with us!

Thank you! It was a blast!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She’s always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan. She is also the author of the Silver Moon Saga.

                    

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