Interview: Jamie Baywood - Getting Rooted in New Zealand

 

Everyone, give a warm welcome to Jamie Baywood, debut author of Getting Rooted in New Zealand!

Hi, Jamie! How does it feel to have your book out in the world?

Publishing my story was one the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. I barely slept the first half of the year worrying what people would think of my book. I am just now starting to go on book talk tours throughout the United Kingdom and being interviewed. Since publication, I’ve mostly been working on networking and marketing. I haven’t told my family that I’ve written or published a book. They think I’m just living in the UK working on a MA in Design studying book covers. It’s been an interesting dance trying to promote the book and attempting to stay anonymous. 

That is the coolest thing I've ever heard! Imagine if they do find the book one day and suggest that you read it because they loved it so much? So, wait, did you always know that you wanted to be a professional writer or is this something new? 

My education is in fine arts. I had a lot of art shows in California and New Zealand and even managed an art collective in Auckland. I was bored with the fine art scene. Everything has already been done before in painting, but I am the only person that can tell my own story. Writing feels like a more honest form of art than any other method I’ve tried. While I was in New Zealand I meet a director named Thomas Sainsbury, he asked me what I was doing in New Zealand. My everyday stories made him laugh and he asked me to write a monologue for him. I had never done anything like that before. I was shocked by the adrenaline rush that came with storytelling and making people laugh. 

The stories made people laugh so I decided to organize the stories into a book and publish in the hopes to make others laugh too. 

I think those are the best kinds of stories, the ones who bring joy to others. So far, who or what has influenced your writing? 

Traveling alone and being celibate for a year was how Elizabeth Gilbert found her husband in Eat, Pray, Love. I probably took it too literally like an instructions manual, but it worked for me. I also enjoyed reading Area Code 212 by Tama Janowitz, The Buddha, Geoff and Me by Edward Canfor-Dumas, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins.

Is there anything you must have when you sit down and write? Coffee, Music, Cookies? 

Coffee.

What sparked the idea for Getting Rooted in New Zealand? 

I’m from California. In my mid-twenties, I had bad dating experiences in California and a dream to live abroad. I read in a tour book that New Zealand’s population had 100,000 fewer men than women. I wanted to have some me time and an adventure. New Zealand seemed like a good place to do so. I kept finding myself in unbelievable bizarre situations that I had difficulty processing. I wrote them down and shared them with others to verify I wasn’t losing my mind that these things were really happening. In New Zealand, I wrote and performed a monologue based on my real experiences contained in the book. After the show I talked to members of the audience that didn’t believe my story was true.

I think it's amazing that you decided to share your experiences with the whole world. What is your favorite scene from Getting Rooted in New Zealand? 

“Just like “biscuits,” the word “rooting” has a completely different meaning in New Zealand than it does in California.” (Page 55)

I had a lot of culture shock moments, learning the Kiwi slang definition of rooting inspired the title of my book. One night I was brushing my teeth with my flatmate Liam and I said, 'I'm really excited to live in this house because I have been traveling a lot and I just need to settle down, stop travelling and get rooted.'

He started choking on his toothbrush and asked me if I was hitting on him. 

This next question would be real people you met. If you could spend an afternoon with one of your characters, who would it be, and what would you do for fun? 

I keep in touch with most of the people I met in New Zealand. Some of my dearest friends in the world are in New Zealand. Although it is technically not home to me or my Scottish husband, it feels like home to us as a couple because that is where we met. We have been feeling homesick for New Zealand and really miss our friends there. My friend Natalie in New Zealand who I made an art collective with recently had a beautiful baby girl named Iris. I would love to spend the day with them and meet Iris. New Zealand has amazing beaches, I’d love to go to Piha and relax at the beach with Natalie and Iris. 

Describe Getting Rooted in New Zealand in five words or less. 

Funny travel memoir or unintentional true love story. 

Anything else you'd like to say to your fans and future readers? 

I am sincerely appreciative of everyone that has read Getting Rooted in New Zealand. I’m absolutely grateful that readers are enjoying the book and reviewing it positively. I love making people laugh. I hope you enjoy Getting Rooted in New Zealand!

Thank you for stopping by Amy's Book Den!

Jamie Baywood grew up in Petaluma, California. In 2010, she made the most impulsive decision of her life by moving to New Zealand. Getting Rooted in New Zealand is her first book about her experiences living there. Jamie is now married and living happily ever after in the United Kingdom. She is working on her second book.

Author Links:
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads 

Getting Rooted in New Zealand

Author: Jamie Baywood

Publication: April 2013

Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD 

Overview 

Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after reading that the country's population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal, she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it really means to get rooted. 

Book Tour: No Angel by Helen Keeble (Interview)

No Angel
Author: Helen Keeble
Published: HarperTeen
Publication: October 8th 2013
Genres: YA Paranormal
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

Rafael Angelos just got handed the greatest gift any teenage boy could ever dream of. Upon arriving at his new boarding school for senior year, he discovered that he is the ONLY male student. But what should have been a godsend isn’t exactly heaven on Earth.

Raffi’s about to learn that St. Mary’s is actually a hub for demons-and that he was summoned to the school by someone expecting him to save the day. Raffi knows he’s no angel-but it’s pretty hard to deny that there’s some higher plan at work when he wakes up one morning to discover a glowing circle around his head.

Helen Talks About Writing

1. Your first book, Fang Girl, was a paranormal comedy about a vampire fan girl who becomes a real vampire. Is No Angel a sequel? 

No, they’re completely unrelated – no characters from Fang Girl show up in No Angel. There isn’t any mention of vampires in No Angel, and Fang Girl didn’t have any angels or demons in it, so the jury is out as to whether they’re even set in the same world. (Even I haven’t quite made up my mind on that one) 

However, for those who enjoyed Fang Girl, I can promise that No Angel has the same sense of humor, including affectionate mockery of ridiculous paranormal romance tropes! Basically, what I do to vampires in Fang Girl, I do to angels in No Angel. 

2. What was the hardest part of writing No Angel? 

Working to a deadline! Because I had a two-book contract with HarperTeen (the first being Fang Girl), I actually had a deadline for No Angel before I’d written a single word, or even worked out what the story was going to be about! A very different experience from slowly writing Fang Girl in spare hours over the course of several years, with no-one but myself caring whether or not it was ever finished… 

3. How did you become a writer? 

The short answer is that I wrote a lot of stuff, and eventually got good enough (and lucky enough) to find someone that would pay me for it. 

The longer answer is that I’ve always written for my own amusement, but never let anyone read it until I went to university and started writing fanfic based on a role-playing game called Legend of the Five Rings. It was a rather unusual fanfic community, because people generally used the game’s setting but invented their own original characters rather than writing stories about pre-existing characters (like Harry Potter or Twilight fanfic tends to do). It gave me a lot of practice in inventing imaginary people! I then slowly drifted into writing completely original stories, and was eventually lucky enough to be able to sell some to magazines. After a few successes with short stories, and in a fit of pique at the prevalence of both Twighlight-inspired novels in bookstores and Twilight-bashing articles in newspapers, I decided to try writing a novel… and that was Fang Girl! 

So now, somewhat to my bemusement, I seem to have become a YA comedy author. I still blink at my own books sitting on my bookcase, amazed that they are really real. 

4. Are you a full-time writer? 

I wish! No, like most writers I have a day job – I’m an industrial software engineer. It is a very awesome career (where else do you get to play with oil rigs and nuclear power plants) but does mean I have to squeeze my writings into the evenings. I have a bad habit of forgetting to go to bed, so I’ll often be typing away at my laptop well into the small hours of the morning. 

5. Fun fact about writing No Angel? 

In order to keep track of where all my characters were at different times in the school day, I made timetables for them in Google Calendar… and then forgot to delete the calendars after I'd finished the book. I was greatly puzzled when Google started bombarding me with reminders to get to my history class. 

6. Are you a pantser (just sit down and write) or a plotter (outline everything first)? 

I used to be a total pantser (the first draft of Fang Girl was written in a month, for NaNoWriMo), but these days I’m more of a plotter. It’s something of a necessity when working to a deadline, with an editor who wants to make sure you’ve actually got a plan, and are not just going to kill all the characters in the last chapter out of despair. 

7. What do you do when you’re not writing? 

Apart from the day job, sleeping, and taking care of my family? I read everything I can get my hands on, especially fantasy and science fiction books. I’m also very into board games of all descriptions, from light family fun like Survive! and Kingdon Builder through to heavy strategic games like Tzol’kin or Puerto Rico. In any spare moments, I like to dabble in crafts – I recently learned to knit dolls and dolls’ clothes, and am now experimenting with making jewelry out of resin and plastic. If only there were more hours in the day! 

8. What books make you laugh out loud? 

I love Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books. They’re an amazing blend of so many different types of comedy: parody, political satire, character-driven, situational, wordplay, puns… even slapstick! He’s a master of messing with reader expectation to comic effect. I think my very favorite example of this in the entire series is the character in Thief of Time who’s dialogue is all “----ing” this and “----ing” that… but late in the book we find out (spoiler alert, look away now!) that all he’s doing is pausing and saying “ing”. Genius! 

Other writers I can consistently rely on to make me giggle are Sarah Rees Brennan (though she’ll make you laugh in one paragraph and stomp on your heart in the next) and Louis McMaster Bujold (who also manages to mix high emotional stakes with very witty characters). I’m also very fond of the classic P. G. Wodehouse stories, although some of them have, erm, really not aged very well (why hello there, casual racism). 

9. Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on now? 

I'm currently writing a YA dystopian comedy. No, really. If anything is ripe for a parody, it’s the whole “THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLS X AND Y IS BANNED!!” genre! The working title is Escaping Utopia, and it's set in an idyllic far-future society where there is no war or crime as everyone’s needs are perfectly fulfilled by government-issued androids called Soulmates. Unfortunately for one 16 year old boy, his brand-new Soulmate tries to kill him on sight. Hijinks ensue! 

The story also features a grumpy girl revolutionary hacker, a ridiculous number of huge planet-shaking conspiracies, and a bubblegum-pink battle robot named Candi who just wants to be loved. Let’s just say I’m having a lot of fun with this one!

Helen Keeble is not, and never has been, a vampire. She has however been a teenager. She grew up partly in America and partly in England, which has left her with an unidentifiable accent and a fondness for peanut butter crackers washed down with a nice cup of tea. She now lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, daughter, two cats, and a variable number of fish. To the best of her knowledge, none of the fish are undead.

Her first novel, a YA vampire comedy called FANG GIRL, is out 11th Sept 2012, from HarperTeen. She also has another YA paranormal comedy novel (provisionally titled NO ANGEL) scheduled for Sept 2013.

Author Links:
Website  / Goodreads / Twitter  / Facebook

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Interview: Jennifer Jimenez - Nonutopians

Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Jennifer, author of Nonutopians!

Hola! How does it feel to have your first book out in the world?
It is a bizarre feeling. There is a lot of commitment involved in writing a trilogy because when you love writing and you feel comfortable doing it, a bunch of ideas starts to pop-up but you have to stick to the one that is already on the market. After four years of hard work, when book #1 got published, I was already thinking about book #2 and the end of the series and the next book…it is kind of frantic in a good way.

I completely understand what you mean when ideas start popping up everywhere. There's never enough time to follow them all! We writers have a hard time accepting that. Did you always know that you wanted to be a professional writer?
I knew it since I was eleven years old. By that time, I was already in love with art, literature, and science. I began writing poems and songs in Spanish, and reading books in English, but life and its ways got me into studying electrical engineering, which is an exciting career too.

While I was at college, I began writing short stories and French poems, some of them are part of my first book. Besides studying engineering, I learned as many languages as I could (Italian, English, French). I also enrolled for an English Poetry class because I knew it would be useful later on in my career as a writer.

I wish I'd spent my college time as efficiently as you! While I did focus all my time on my English Literature classes, I regret never finishing the Italian classes. You delved in a lot of topics that helped your writing, but who or what has influenced you the most?
Ernest Hemingway and his short story: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, triggered some type of writing “style” in my mind; it is one of the best short stories ever written, but traveling around the world has helped me to have a bigger picture of life and its colors. The love for art, science, poetry, cafes and “strangers” influence in my writing.

After you're all inspired and ready to type, is there anything you must have when you sit down and write? Coffee, Music, Cookies?
I love to sit down at a café with a cup of coffee with latte art on it. To hear people around chatting while having their favorite drinks, is a thrilling moment for me. It is then when I get my two shots, caffeine and inspiration!

We've talked about the many things that inspire you. Now, what sparked the idea for Nonutopians?
One morning at 4:00 a.m., I had a vision while traveling with my little son and husband from Atlanta to Florida. I was first introduced to Amrit and Ansel and their intolerable love. I saw this movie in my head where two kids separated by a fence and pushed away from each other. Their parents did not want them together because they were different races, Puro Di Cuore (people with big hearts) and Optima Mens (big headed persons). They now play a vital Role in the development of the Nonutopians series.

What is your favorite scene from Nonutopians?
The instant when Shem and Vanora decided to go for a dive into the ocean at Flamenco Beach in Culebra Island is my favorite scene ever. It was there when they awoke to their common purpose. Many Nonutopians fans loved this scene. I think it is magical and unique how they got to love each other at that moment where their souls literally blended in a kiss.

If you could spend an afternoon with one of your characters, who would it be, and what would you do for fun?
I would spend an entire week with The Guide, because she comes from another dimension where everything seems clearer. She sees and knows pretty much about all the characters, their lives and more. I would go to the beach with her and have piña coladas…but I know she would love to take me to Paris instead…

Describe Nonutopians in five words or less.
Intriguing, transforming, LOVE, transcendental, and mystical.

It's been great having you here, Jennifer. Anything else you'd like to say to your fans and future readers?
Thank you for reading Nonutopians #1, but you will definitely enjoy it if you read it as a “Memoir” instead.

Jennifer Jimenez is a writer, songwriter, painter, dancer, and engineer.

Author Links:
Website / Facebook / Goodreads 

Nonutopians

Author: Jennifer Jimenez

Publisher: Self published, 2013

Buy: Amazon

Overview 

“What brings you inside: the aroma of the coffee. What lets you out: the most pure and intimate aroma never sensed before—the…”

Twenty-seven is a perfect cube, being 3^3 = 3 × 3 × 3, but for engineering professor Vanora, it’s something else. When Vanora has visions of the creation of humankind, she strives to leave behind a legacy of hope through an unusual book, in which the upcoming evolution of mankind is described.

Twelve-year-old Valeria has the ability to descend into human bodies. She sees the future through Amrit’s eyes, a seventeen-year-old Puro Di Cuore girl. Amrit meets arrogant and evasive Ansel, who is always changing locations to hide his breed. They are destined to live a relationship against the rules.

In a laboratory near rock-crushing waves, Gustav and Juliette were created against an international prohibition. The nineteen-year-old clones are meant to be killed before compromising the security of their country. Someone connects them all.

Saturday Spotlight - Todd Moody

Spotlighting my fellow writers at SHU and their works in progress.

    

Hello, Todd! Welcome to Amy's Book Den!

Todd Moody
Blog
Pilot and author, father and husband. I like to tinker with web stuff, read, draw in pencil and pastel chalk, listen to music, play poker and design stuff in photoshop. I also like to write. When I'm not writing, I am probably checking my twitterfeed or facebook or listening to music or reading a blog. I also love to read SF or paranormal romance and have been spending my evenings doing the P90x workout to fight off old age. It doesn't appear to be working, but at least I feel better about it.

Did you always know you wanted to be a professional writer? 
No, I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was about 43, five years ago.

Who or what has influenced your writing? 
Star Wars sparked my interest in Science Fiction and opened up a whole new world. It's why I'm a pilot now. CJ Cherryh is the author that inspired the type of fiction I wanted to write with her Union/Alliance stories, but it was Stephanie Meyer that actually made me decide it was something I could do. I felt like I could write at least as well as she could and it got my off my hiney and writing with a purpose to publish.

A pilot because of Star Wars. Now that is inspiration!

What is your favorite part about writing?
I love it when characters do things that surprise me. Sometimes in the course of writing, in the moment, the scene comes out of nowhere and you realize that it wasn't what you originally had in mind. Sometimes it's great and generates an entirely new thread. Sometimes it's not so great, and it takes you way off course and you end up having to backtrack. But even when that happens it feels like real magic. I think it's one of the reasons people believe in a muse.

Is there anything you must have when you sit down and write? Coffee, Music, Cookies? 
There aren't any must haves, but I like a calm mind, a block of time and music. Science Fiction soundtracks work great, like Tron, or something unobtrusive, like Radiohead or Muse.

Soundtracks are awesome. My music library probably has more soundtracks than anything else!

Tell us a bit about your Thesis Novel? 
In 2052 lifelogging is the law. Marin Cappelle is the right hand of the CEO for the company that manufactures the wetware chips that make lifelogging such a ubiquitous fact of life. When Marin wakes up one cold February morning, with her cloud memory and lifelog offline, the fidelity of her world is blown apart. People are dying by the dozen with millions more lives at stake, as Marin struggles to solve the enigma and get her life back in the process.

Describe QUINTESSENCE in five words or less. 
1984 meets facebook on steroids.

What sparked the idea for QUINTESSENCE? 
A blog post by Sci Fi writer Charles Stross about lifelogging. People are actually starting to do it now.

Treat us to a snippet of a favorite scene you've written so far. 

“I need you to take off your glasses though. I don’t want where we’re going to be recorded.”
I looked back at her. “Are you serious? That’s against the law.”
Both of Kasia’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously? Well, we don’t have to go there then. I don’t want what we do there compromised.”
“Then why are you taking me there?”
She laughed at me again. “To be honest with you, I think you would be a great addition to our cause.”
“Your cause? I thought you helped people that were disenfranchised or something,” I said.
“We do help those people, but I’m not saying any more until you turn off your lifelog.”
I pulled the glasses off and stuffed them into the little case that came with them and put them in my jacket pocket. “My lifelog's still offline anyway.” Why did I tell her that? Maybe it was her cavalier attitude.
“You’re full of surprises. I didn’t expect that, but it makes things a lot easier,” Kasia said.
“What kinds of things?”
“Things and stuff,” she said whimsically and then snickered.
That wasn't an answer, but I was coming to expect nothing more from her. “What does CAD stand for anyway?”
“It’s a leftover from a bygone era. My Grandmother started it as a halfway house about forty years ago. She named it Control –Alt –Delete. I guess that meant something back then, having to do with restarting. She thought it was funny, but the name stuck and we shortened it to CAD when people didn’t get her joke anymore.”

After reading about lifelogging and then reading this snippet, I'm so hoping to get to read Quintesscense one day!

Share with us one tip or advice about writing that has helped you a lot.
For each scene the POV character should have something at stake. If they don’t have anything at stake for that scene then someone else should be the POV. If nobody has anything at stake you might want to rethink keeping that scene.

That is some great advice! I didn't learn that until my second term lol

Thanks for stopping by!

Interview: John Mantooth - The Year of the Storm

Everyone, please welcome John Mantooth, debut author of The Year of the Storm! 

Hello, John! Welcome to Amy's Book Den. How does it feel to have your book out in the world? 
A little surreal, actually. I’ve dreamed about this day for so long, but now that it’s here, it sort of feels like every other day. Except I know it’s not. I have a novel, and it’s in bookstores. That’s what I wanted for so long.

It is a great accomplishment. As a writer-in-the-making I know the road to being published isn't easy, so congratulations! Did you always know that you wanted to be a professional writer? 
Definitely. But the problem was that I kept putting it off. I always thought, I’ll get around to it one day. That was a big mistake. I wasted all of my twenties, just thinking about writing. When I turned thirty, I decided it was time to get busy.  

Hah! I often think of all the time I wasted in my teens and early twenties when I could've been writing. But well, water under bridge and all that. Who or what would you say has influenced your writing?
My dad. Everything I write, I write with him in mind. I suppose he’s sort of my ideal reader. When I was about twelve years old, I walked by his room and heard him laughing like a crazy man. I poked my head in to see what was happening, and saw that he was reading a book. The book was Different Seasons by Stephen King. He told me to come on in and sit down. Then he proceeded to read aloud what was making him laugh so much. It was the pie eating contest in “The Body.” If you’ve read the book, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t read it, go do it now. Seriously.

After hearing that, my interest was piqued. I started reading all my father’s books, and ever since then, I’ve wanted to write something that he would like.

Those closest to us are often the best inspiration and motivation we can ever ask for. Is there anything you must have when you sit down and write? Coffee, Music, Cookies? 
Coffee is a must. I like background noise, but not necessarily music. Music tends to distract me rather than focus me. I usually write in a public place—a coffee shop or library—because I’m less likely to fall asleep there.  

What sparked the idea for The Year of the Storm? 
An interest in missing people, an old painting, and wanting to write about growing up. I’ve always been fascinated by missing people, where they go, what happens to them. I had been thinking about that a lot when I inherited an old painting of a cabin in a swamp at dusk. I won’t say the book wrote itself after that, but the ideas started coming, and I knew I had to make it work.  

What is your favorite scene from The Year of the Storm? 
Probably a scene near the end of the book when the main character has to say goodbye to a person who is very important to him. It’s the image that I think of whenever I think of the book.  

If you could spend an afternoon with one of your characters, who would it be, and what would you do for fun? 
Without question, I’d spend it drinking with Walter Pike. The man has lived a hell of a life, seen things that most men only dream, and he can put away some whiskey to boot!  

Describe The Year of the Storm in five words or less. 
(this is hard!)
Boy seeks missing family members.

Anything else you'd like to say to your fans and future readers? 
Hmmn… I suppose I’ll mention my novella, Broken Branch. It’s available from Penguin as an ebook for only 2.99. It’s a prequel to The Year of the Storm, but it can also be appreciated as a standalone story.
Oh, and thanks for having me! I really appreciate it.

Thank you for stopping by!

John Mantooth is an award-winning author whose short stories have been recognized in numerous year's best anthologies. His short fiction has been published in Fantasy Magazine, Crime Factory, Thuglit, and the Stoker winning anthology, Haunted Legends (Tor, 2010), among others. His first book,Shoebox Train Wreck, was released in March of 2012 from Chizine Publications. His debut novel, The Year of the Storm, is slated for a June 2013 release from Berkley. He lives in Alabama with his wife, Becky, and two children.

Author Links:
Website / Twitter / Goodreads

 

The Year of the Storm
Author: John Mantooth
Publisher: Berkley Publishing, 2013
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD 

Overview

When Danny was fourteen, his mother and sister disappeared during a violent storm. The police were baffled. There were no clues, and most people figured they were dead.  Only Danny still holds out hope that they’ll return.

Months later, a disheveled Vietnam vet named Walter Pike shows up at Danny’s front door, claiming to know their whereabouts. The story he tells is so incredible that Danny knows he shouldn’t believe him. Others warn him about Walter Pike’s dark past, his shameful flight from town years ago, and the suspicious timing of his return.

But he’s Danny’s last hope, and Danny needs to believe.

Interview: S.X. Bradley - Unraveled

Everyone, please welcome S.X. Bradley, debut YA author of Unraveled.

Hi, Susan! Welcome to Amy’s Book Den and congratulations on your debut! How does it feel to have your first book out in the world?

      It’s a very surreal feeling. As a writer, you dream of sharing your writing with others and you hope they are entertained so when it happens it takes a while to get used to.

I bet! Did you always know that you wanted to be a professional writer?

      I always knew I wanted to write, but it wasn’t until about nine years ago that I started to pursue writing seriously. I had no idea what I was doing, but I joined the organizations: SCBWI and the Writers League of Texas. I also completed my first novel, and sent it out into the world. It didn’t get published, but I learned that I could finish a novel and that was vital for me.

Finishing a novel is a huge step. I think it’s the point where we realize we actually can do this, that we are one inch closer to hopefully becoming like those authors we admire. Who would you say has influenced your writing?

      Edgar Allan Poe and Carolyn Keene really cemented my love for mysteries. Even though Carolyn Keene isn’t an actual person, Nancy Drew was my hero and I knew I wanted to write about strong, smart female protagonists. Nowadays, I’m really inspired by Lisa Gardner, Karin Slaughter, Jeffrey Deaver, and Tess Gerritsen. They are masters of suspense, and weaving plot with characterization.

I’m embarrassed to say I’ve only read Poe! But I know the Nancy Drew mysteries are very popular. Now, is there anything you must have when you sit down and write? Coffee, Music, Cookies?

      I usually have iced tea and popcorn with me. Depending on the scene, I will play music especially if it’s dramatic or emotional. I have a list of songs I use to invoke a feeling in me so I can translate it to the page.

Music is often key to making me focus on a scene. I can only imagine what kinds of music you used for Unraveled, because that is one thrill after another. Could you tell us, what sparked the idea for Unraveled?

      When I was in high school, there was a rumor that one of my classmate’s sister had been murdered, and that it was still an unsolved case. That story always stayed with me and it bothered me that the killer was never found. It was the inspiration for Unraveled.

That certainly would leave an impression! It’s also a perfect example of how we integrate real life into our stories. So, Unraveled has a lot of cool moments. What is your favorite scene?

     It’s the opening chapter when Autumn finds Celeste. In the first draft, that scene didn’t happen until Chapter 5. The first chapters had Celeste living, so when it came time to write the death scene, I cried while I wrote. I felt like I’d really grown as a writer. I understood how J.K. Rowling felt when she killed off Sirius Black.

That is one powerful scene. I couldn’t read it in one sitting. I had to put the book down, breathe, then come back to it. But I think starting with that scene makes the whole book stronger.

Now the fun part! If you could spend an afternoon with one of your characters, who would it be, and what would you do for fun?

      I’d love to hang out with Eduardo. He’s such a fun, laid back character. He has a strong work ethic and loves his family, but has a great way of adding some much needed humor to some serious situations. I’m sure he’d take me to Taco Bell.

Yes! Tacos with Eduardo. Totally.

Quick. Describe Unraveled in five words or less.

      Suspenseful ride for whodunit lovers.

Couldn't have described it better. Anything else you'd like to say to your fans and future readers? 

      Thanks for taking the time to read about Autumn and her experience. I hope you were entertained! 

Unraveled

Author: S.X. Bradley

Publisher: Evernight Teen, 2013

Genre: YA Mystery

Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

Sixteen year old math whiz, Autumn, spends her days reading about serial killers and dreaming of becoming an FBI Profiler. She never dreams her first case will be so personal. Her world is shattered when she comes home from school and discovers her murdered sister’s body on the living room floor. When the initial evidence points to a burglary gone wrong, Autumn challenges the police’s theory because of the personal nature of the crime. Thinking that finding the killer will bring her family back together, she conducts her own investigation using her affinity for math and forensics, but her plan backfires and her obsession with the case further splinters her family.

When her investigation reveals the killer is someone she knows, Autumn offers herself up as bait and sets a dangerous trap to unmask his true nature and to obtain a confession for her sister’s murder.

Saturday Spotlight - Rachel Robins

Spotlighting my fellow writers at SHU and their works in progress.

    

Hello Rachel, and Welcome to Amy's Book Den!

Rachel Robins
Twitter ♥ Facebook ♥ Pinterest
I started writing at the awkward age of 17, but didn't really start a serious pursuit of it until college. I've a BA in Christian Studies, a certificate in Creative Writing, and am currently a graduate student enrolled in the Masters in Fine Arts program at Seton Hill University for Writing Popular Fiction. In my spare time I write, I read, I dabble in almost every craft known to man, except possibly underwater basket weaving. You can find my thoughts on writing, reading, YA and UF on my blog R² Writes, and coming soon, my flash fiction at The Wood Word.

Interview: Helen Keeble - Fang Girl

Everyone, please welcome Helen Keeble, debut YA author of Fang Girl!

Hi, Helen! Congratulations on your debut novel. I already said this in my review, but I think it is brilliant! How does it feel to have your first book out in the world?

     Rather unreal – it’s taken two years to go from signing the contract to seeing the book go on sale. I still can’t believe that people are actually going to be able to read it at last!
  

     Two years may sound like a long delay, but it isn’t unusual in the publishing world; the idea is to give the debut author time to write a second book, so that it’s ready to release within a year of the first one coming out. I’ve just handed in the final draft of my second novel, another paranormal comedy that’s scheduled to be released September 2013. 

     Yes, it really does take an entire year for publishers to prepare a book for release. There’s a lot of proofreading, copyediting, layout and design to be done, not to mention the marketing.

Saturday Spotlight - Tiffany Avery

Spotlighting my fellow writers at SHU and their works in progress. 

Please Welcome Tiffany Avery!

Tiffany Avery

Blog ♥ Facebook

I'm a fantasy writer. Unpublished for now, but I don't see that being the case much longer. I'm currently at Seton Hill University where I'm in the Writing Popular Fiction program. As much as I love to write and want to be published, I want to teach people who have the same passion as I do realize their dreams or at least learn that writing can be an excellent form of therapy. I've had some awesome teachers and I hope to emulate them. The MFA from Seton Hill will make that happen.

Saturday Spotlight - Tonya Burrows

Spotlighting my fellow writers at SHU and their works in progress. 

Please Welcome Tonya Burrows!

Tonya Burrows

Blog ♥ Twitter ♥ Facebook

I write dark and gritty romantic suspense with a dash of humor. My debut, Seal of Honor, will be published by Entangled in Spring 2013.

Did you always know you wanted to be a professional writer?

First of all, thanks for having me, Amy!   ^___^

Yes, I’ve always wanted to write. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember. In first grade, I penned tales about lost unicorns and fluffy bunnies— masterpieces, I assure you. In 8th grade, I finished my first novel-length story and I haven’t stop writing since.

Who or what has influenced your writing?

One of the biggest real life influences on my writing was my 8^th grade literature teacher. She saw something in me—talent, passion, who knows?—and nurtured it, encouraged it. She made me realize I might actually have knack for this whole writing thing.

As for fictional influences, that award goes to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle. I used to fancy myself a mystery writer and my detective, Lucas Taylor, started out very Holmesian (but he’s developed into his own character over the years). I still plan to write mysteries, so don’t be surprised if you see Lucas out there on the shelves someday. 

 

Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the old Harlequin novels I used to sneak down to the basement to read without my mom’s knowledge. They sparked my love of romance at an age when I probably shouldn’t have known about the birds and the bees.

What is your favorite part about writing?

Oh, where to start? I love creating characters. That’s probably my favorite part, but I also love when those characters come to life and take over the story, driving it in a completely different direction that I had intended. In a way, I go on the adventure with them because even though I always know where they’re going to end up, I rarely know the route they’ll take to get there.

Character creation is my favorite part of the process too. I just love getting to know these amazing new people! Even if they're fictional lol

Is there anything you must have when you sit down and write? Coffee, Music, Cookies?

No, not really. I like it to be quiet or to have white noise in the background (like coffee house chatter). I tried the whole music thing and even the instrumental stuff became too much of a distraction. When I write, I disappear into the world I’m creating, so anything that anchors me here in the real world ends up hurting the story.

But I do need to have at least one cup of coffee before I start writing for the day. I think that says more about my caffeine dependency than my writing process, though.    

I use music as background noise...it just cant be a catchy song or I'll drift off singing ;)

Tell us a bit about your Thesis Novel?

My thesis novel, SEAL OF HONOR, is the first book of a currently untitled romantic suspense series. It follows Gabe Bristow, a Navy SEAL forced to leave the teams due to car accident that hobbles him. He struggles with his medical retirement until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team (HORNET) and free an American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. While in Colombia, he meets the hostage’s sister, Audrey, and romance ensues. Sparks fly, guns blaze.

LOL I hope you're using that as the catch phrase. Sparks fly, guns blaze. Love it.

Describe Seal of Honor in five words or less.

Action. Humor. Romance. Alpha heroes.

What sparked the idea for Seal of Honor?

Last summer, I commuted two hours a day, four days a week through Austin rush hour traffic, and listened to Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series on audio book. I loved the series so much that I decided I wanted to write about my own SEAL team. Except nobody does SEALs better than Ms. Brockmann and I wanted a little more leeway for my guys, no strict chain of command or rules to follow. Ah ha, why not make them mercenaries? But then what kind of work would they specialize in? I puzzled over that until my boyfriend at the time made me watch the movie Man on Fire. The idea of kidnap and ransom insurance intrigued me so much that I started researching it and ta-da! SEAL OF HONOR was conceived. 

It's amazing where inspiration and ideas come from sometimes. In your case a very badass Denzel Washington movie.

Treat us to a snippet of a favorite scene you've written so far.

I can’t share too much because the book hasn’t seen my editor’s red pen of doom yet, but here’s one of my favorite exchanges between Gabe and Audrey. In this scene, they are stuck together in a car, stopped on a Colombian highway in a suspicious traffic jam. While Gabe tries to assess the situation out on the road, Audrey tries to figure him out. 

She turned her head to one side, golden honey-brown hair cascading over one slim shoulder. Sunlight glinted off her ear. He hadn’t noticed she was wearing earrings before, little turquoise gems shaped like Pegasus. They suited her to a T.

“You’re really not my type, Gabe.”

“Ditto, sweetheart,” he said, keeping one eye on the stopped traffic. Why were those stupid turquoise earrings so freaking sexy anyway?  

“I can’t figure out why I’m so attracted.” Fine lines etched into her brow as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Okay, you’re hot stuff, but you’re also impolite, domineering, abrupt, sarcastic—”

“Stop. My ego can’t take much more flattery.”

She grinned at his deadpan tone. “See? And still, I like you.”

And now for the shameless plug. (Haha! plug away!) If you’re interested in reading more, look for SEAL OF HONOR out in spring 2013. 

Share with us one tip or advice about writing that has helped you a lot.

Set a goal for yourself and meet that goal every day. Think about writing more like a business— a job— rather than a hobby or a pipe dream. 

This is something I've learned the hard way. Goals really lower those procrastination levels. 

Thank you for stopping by! 

Remember my lovely readers, Seal of Honor comes out Spring 2013!