It's Monday! What are you reading? (80)

 

Hosted by Book Journey

Just Finished Reading:

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke
(Not as exciting as the first one...but still Naji ♥)

Currently Reading:

Of Triton (Of Poseidon 2) by Anna Banks
(Demi, my bro's gf, keeps spoiling me and lending me awesome books such as this one!)

Planning To Read:
I've checked out of life for these past two weeks and have done absolutely nothing but sleep, eat and watch korean dramas. It all started with Faith and the great Lee Min Ho (who always puts me in the mood for some kdrama romance). So, I went on a binge and watched Rooftop Prince and My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, but they left me slightly disappointed. I also started Monstar, which turned out to be awesome, but it's still airing which means I have to wait for new episodes. In the mean time I started Full House and Full House Take 2.
As you can see, my mind has been nowhere near writing or reading, and the result is this obscenely long list of titles I have for review...
Suddenly You (The Jane Austen Academy 4)
The Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
Ink (Paper Gods 1) by Amanda Sun
Obsession (Aurum 1/Lux Spinoff) by J.L. Armentrout
Touching Melody (Forever First 1) by Rachelle Workman
...which I somehow have to settle before June 20 because then I'm going on a mini vacation, ending up in Greensburg, PA for the June Writing Popular Fiction residency. I always like the June residency's best because the alumni are there too for the In Your Write Mind workshops and its like, writers everywhere!

Out This Week!

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Rush (The Game 1) by Eve Silver
Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

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.