Frost by Wendy Delsol

ISBN: 9780763653866
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 384

After the drama of finding out that she’s a Stork, a member of an ancient and mystical order of women, and that her boyfriend, Jack, is a descendent of the Winter People able to control the weather, Katla Leblanc is delighted when all signs point to a busy and peaceful Christmas. That is, until the snowstorm Jack summons as a gift to Katla turns into the storm of the century, attracting Brigid, a gorgeous scientist who, in turn, attracts Jack. Between the school play, a bedridden, pregnant mother’s to-do lists, and keeping an eye on her aging grandfather, Katla doesn’t have time to question Brigid’s motives or deal with Jack’s increasingly cold behaviour.


I really enjoyed reading Frost, which was kindly sent to me and my mum by Wendy Delsol! Whilst Stork, the first book, focused on Katla and her gifts, Frost, the second book in the series focuses more on Jack and his abilities. My favourite characters were Katla and Hulda. Katla was one of my favourite characters because of her selfless efforts to help Jack gain control over his powers and also to save him from those who wished to take advantage of his affinity for weather. Despite not appearing in this book as much as the first one, Hulda was one of my favourite characters because of her mysterious ways and constant guidance & advice. I really enjoyed reading about the Icelandic folklore, legends and myths within Frost. I also really liked that the creatures that the stories were about were named in Icelandic, for me it made them more mysterious and magical. Although I really liked the cover of Frost, I would have loved the cover to have reflected the story within more and to have had more of a whimsical feel to it (because of the legends and folklore).


Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Author Interview: Tammy Blackwell

Tammy Blackwell has written Destiny Binds.


1. What is your name and where do you call home?
My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
Wait. That is wrong.
*looks at name sewn into underwear*
It appears that my name is Tammy Blackwell, and you should return me to Calvert City, Kentucky, USA, should you find me.

2. What is the name of your most recent book, and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
If you’re reading this before January 2012:
Destiny Binds, Timber Wolves Book 1: Werewolves, Seers, and Hot Boys! Oh my!
If you’re reading this after January 2012:
Time Mends, Timber Wolves Book 2: “It’s complicated” just got more complicated.

3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
As I’m typing this, Time Mends, the second book in the series, is near completion. Fate Succumbs will be the final book in Scout’s story.

4. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
Destiny Binds has two covers. The first cover I did myself. It’s actually kind of a cute story (to me, at least). You see, as I was putting the finishing touches on Destiny Binds I found this little wolf figurine buried in the mud by my front door. Thinking it was cool that I found a wolf when I was writing about wolves, I brought him in and cleaned him up. Then, when I was searching for cheap images I could afford for my cover art, I found that exact same figurine. It was fate!
Sadly, my design skills are completely lacking. And no matter how cute the story, Alex the Figurine didn’t make a compelling cover.
Then, another amazing thing happened. A fan sketched out her own cover of Destiny Binds and put it on Facebook. That image, made by the amazingly super-talented Victoria Faye, is now my cover art. She will also be doing the cover art of Time Mends... and every other book I ever write if I can talk her into it!

5. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers, or audiobooks?
Honestly, I just like to read. I’m not a huge audiobook fan, although I will do one if I’m in a car for a long period of time by myself. But I devour paperbacks, hardcovers, and e-books equally. Actually, that might be a slight lie. I do tend to read more e-books simply because I find myself at home with nothing to read and end up buying something on my Kindle.

6. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so, what was it?
When I was a teenager I read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton so many times the cover fell off and the pages started to disintegrate. I don’t re-read one in its entirety much any more, but I do have a habit of going back and skimming through and re-reading my favorite/the most important parts, especially when I’m getting ready for the new release in a series. (And, let’s be honest, all the kissy/sexy parts get re-read more often than anything else.)

7. Have you ever bought a specific edition of a book because of its cover?
I love reading stories, but have no desire to really collect books. (I realize this makes me  strange in the world of book lovers. I’m sorry.) So, when it’s a book for me, it doesn’t really matter. However, when I’m buying books for my library (my day job is as a librarian), I do often seek out certain covers. One vivid example is Holly Black’s Modern Tales of Faerie series. I refused to buy the ones with he models on the front because I loved the originals so much and thought they would circulate better.

8. Have you ever read a book just based on its cover?
I’m not going to lie, I judge books by their cover all the time. There have many books I’ve picked up simply because they had a gorgeous cover. Actually, that was the whole reason I read Twilight way back in the day. (Yes, I’m one of those annoying people who say they read it before anyone else... But I really did! No, really! I had to anxiously await the release of New Moon!) On the other hand, I’ve almost missed some really good books because I wasn’t fond of their cover. (The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series both come to mind.)

9. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
As soon as this round of revisions is done I’m starting on The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (hardcover) and Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh (e-book). I’m excited about both of them. I like the concept of The Future of Us (two teens sign onto AOL in 1996 and discover their future Facebook pages), and I love all of Nalini Singh’s books. She is my absolute favorite paranormal romance writer.

10. Where can your readers follow you?

Well, I leave the house around 8:15 every morning...

Oh wait. You mean in cyber-space, don’t you?

In that case, I can be found on Goodreads, Twitter (Miss_Tammy), and my blog: www.misstammywrites.blogspot.com. Destiny Binds is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most everywhere e-books are sold.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Stork by Wendy Delsol

ISBN: 9780763648442
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 355


Family secrets. Lost memories. And the arrival of an ancient magical ability that will reveal everything. 
Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stork! I really liked the concept of the Storks, it wasn't something I have ever come across before, and probably never would have if Wendy Delsol hadn't kindly sent a copy to me and my mum for us to read and review. My favourite characters were Katla, Penny and Hulda. Katla only became one of my favourite characters when she became a Stork and had to take on the responsibilities that came with being a Stork, as before she became a Stork she seemed quite uppity and selfish. Penny was also one of my favourites because of her bubbly yet kind and caring nature. But Hulda's protective nature, guidance and quirkiness made her my overall favourite. At first I wasn't too keen on the cover, but as I read further into the story I understood the meaning behind the image and it started to grow on me. Despite this I would still have loved to have had the Stork aspects of the book reflected more on the cover.


Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Author Interview: David A. Santos

David A. Santos has written The Hopeless Christiantic and The Faithless Christiantic.

1. What is your name and where do you call home?

David A. Santos and Heaven :P

2. Do you have a pen name?

Das or weirdo if you ask my friends.

3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?

My most recent book is called The Faithless Christiantic and I couldn't explain it in 500 words, but it is a continuation of the first book The Hopeless Christiantic. Its a religious humor book, with drama, drama and more drama.

4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Well I may do a part 3. I left the ending open for possibilities. And if I get positive feedback I'll finish it.

5. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?

I did for the first book, but they haven't really helped sales so I may not give any to review, but I do ask that giveaway winners review it.

6. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?

For the Faithless Christaintic I did it myself (Createspace has images we can use) First book a friend did it. Guadalupe Mora

7. How did you come up with the title for your book?

The word Christian is a mixture of the words Christian and Romantic. I wanted people to know it is a christian book and a romance, but I couldnt come up with a decent title, so I decided to unite the words and change the middle word. The third book will carry a different name altogether.

8. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?

Physical books, e-books are good for free books, but I have yet to read any ebooks or ibooks.

9. Are you a self-published / Indie author?

Yes self published and self editing, which is two of the hardest hings about being a self published author. Alot of work.

10. Have you ever read a book just based on it’s cover?

No, I dont believe in judging a book by its cover. In fact I wrote a blog about it

11. Has the quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it?

No, but it makes me think twice, I still read it for the reason above. I believe all books deserve a chance just like people.

12. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?

Goosebumps. I made a promise to read them all. The one I am reading now is Ghost Camp.Paperback

13. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?

There is no such thing as writers block, you do have an idea, but you doubt yourself on it and think twice about typing it. << that worked great for me.

14. Where can your readers follow you?

Blog: http://www.davidasantos.com/

Facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-A-Santos/214296695286913

Goodreads author page:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5014824.David_A_Santos

Twitter:

@Princdassyfresh

Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Author Interview: Brandon West

Brandon West has written Scarlet And The Keepers Of The Light.

1.  What is your name and where do you call home? 

My name is Brandon Charles West and live in Virginia, although as the son of an Army Officer and a former Soldier myself, I have called numerous countries and states home of the years.  Virginia, however, will always be where I think of as home.

2.  Do you have a pen name?

No

3.  What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?

My new novel is titled Scarlet and the Keepers of the Light. It chronicles the adventures of Scarlet and her companions as they fight against the evil Thanerbos and his plans to rule over both the magical and non-magical worlds.

4.  Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Scarlet and the Keepers of the Light is the first in a series of five planned books for young adults.  The next in the series, do out next year is titled Scarlet and the Dragon’s Burden.

5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?

I have been writing since before I can remember.  I started writing detective stories when I was a kid and then transitioned into writing thrillers and spy novels as I got older.  My eldest daughter and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone are what inspired me to begin the Scarlet series.  After years of writing for adults, I realized, watching my daughter’s face as I read the Potter series to her, that I had the best audience anyone could ask for right in my own home.  I started Scarlet and the Keepers of the Light and the fell in love with the genre.  

6.  Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?

At this time I have a limited ability to gift books, but will consider on case-by-case basis.  Contact me at Fortoldon@gmail.com with any requests.  Kindle editions will be the easiest for me to gift.

7.  How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?

I designed the cover of the book using a silhouette of my daughter and our rather large German Shepherd, Leah.  Both were a perfect fit for two of the main characters in the book, Scarlet and Dakota. 

8.  How did you come up with the title for your book?

The title is based on the first magical creatures Scarlet encounters in the novel and her first introduction into the magical world, Satorium. 

9.  Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?

Although I’m sure over time there will be little nuances here and there that I’ll be critical of, on the whole I’m rather proud ofKeepers and wouldn’t want to change it. 

10.  Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?

I do, it is currently posted on YouTube and my blog.  I made it using imovie and I’ll admit that it was a blast to make.  Thus far, it hasn’t received many hits, so I’m not sure of its merit in translating to actual publicity, but it was definitely worth making, if only for personal enjoyment. 

11. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?

I greatly appreciate the way e-books have opened up the access authors and readers have to one another and wealth of titles that are now available.  I am also a huge fan of a well read audiobook.  The Harry Potter series, the Lord of the Rings, and many of the Robert Ludlum tittles are even better in their audio formats for me and I highly recommend them.  That being said, I still prefer a new hardback book, especially from a favorite author on release day.  There’s something very special about having the book in my hands and seeing it on my library shelve after I’m done.  I’m a bit of a bibliophile.  The only thing better is a old rare hardback you find in a used book store.  

12. Are you a self-published / Indie author?

I am self published.

13. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?

I’ve mentioned the Harry Potter series.  I read them for myself and them read them aloud to my daughters.  Anything by Dr. Seuss has been read countless times in my house.  My favorite book, and one of the only I have read purely for my own enjoyment multiple times is The Counte of Monte Cristo.  I have read it in several formats, unabridged, abridged and in French.  My favorite is the copy translated by Lord Blair.

14. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?

I’m reading Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin in hardback.

15. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?

Keep writing and do it firstly for yourself.  If you can’t enjoy the process itself, its not worth the effort and disappointment that comes hand in hand with writing.  The best advice I ever received personally was from Pat Conroy, who signed “write well,” in my copy of Beach Music.

16. Where can your readers follow you?

Blog: www.brandoncharleswest.org

Facebook page: 

www.facebook.com/fortoldon

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13028098-scarlet-and-the-keepers-of-the-light

Twitter: @fortoldon

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Keepers-Light-ebook/dp/B005YSUMA6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321131318&sr=1-1

Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Author Interview: Helen Scott Taylor

Helen Scott Taylor has written A Clockwork Fairytale.

1. What is your name and where do you call home?

My name is Helen Scott Taylor and I live near Plymouth in Devon in the English West Country.

2. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?

A Clockwork Fairytale.

A rags to riches fairytale about a lost princess and a maverick young spymaster who foil an evil magician.

3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

This is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy. The second book will be out next year.

4. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?

I started writing in 2003 after having a dream that I should. (Weird but true!). My first book, an adult romance called The Magic Knot, was published in 2009 after winning a competition. So far all the books I’ve written have been in the romance genre.

5. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?

Yes. I’m happy to gift books to book bloggers who want to review them. Just drop me an email from my website contact form.

6. How did you come up with the title for your book?

This book has had a number of different titles. It started off as The Starlight Stone, then became The Silver Serpent, but I ended up going with A Clockwork Fairytale.

Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?

7. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?

I don’t have a book trailer for this book. It is fun to have a trailer, but in my experience it doesn’t increase sales and costs a lot. I have only had one book trailer, for my second book, The Phoenix Charm. I loved to see the story come to life in the trailer, but it was too expensive for me to justify having another one made. And I’m not skilled enough to make one myself. (Although my son is studying film and media...Hmmm. Maybe I should ask him to make one for me.)

8. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?

Until a few months ago, I would have chosen paperbacks. But I am now in love with my Kindle, and I mostly read electronic books. I do enjoy listening to audiobooks in the car on long journeys as well. I’ve never been a fan of hardcovers. They are big and heavy and a nuisance to carry around in my bag.

9. Are you a self-published / Indie author?

My adult books have been traditionally published, but A Clockwork Fairytale, my first YA book, is Indie published. Since I published this book, I have also self published a couple of stories that were originally traditionally published. I love the freedom of indie publishing, the freedom to write what I want and choose my own title and cover. It is a lot of hard work, though.

10. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?

I rarely re-read books, but I have read Susan Johnson’s book Golden Paradise a few times over the years. And I read many of the classics such as Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Emma and Wuthering Heights more than once.

11. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?

I’m reading Summer Loving by Allie Spencer right now. This is a paperback, unusual for me recently, but when I bought the book it was more expensive in Kindle format, so I went for the paperback.

12. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?

The best advice I’ve ever been given is the old cliché, ‘Never give up.’ That really is true of writing. It is such hard work to learn to write a story of publishable quality. Whether you intend to self publish or go the traditional route, it is important to write a lot, read craft books, take writing courses, have your work critiqued by experienced writers and just keep slogging away until you master the craft. And then remember there are still people out there who will not like what you write. You can’t please everyone so you need to have a thick skin to ignore the critics.

13. Where can your readers follow you?

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/helenscotttaylor

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1915619.Helen_Scott_Taylor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/helenscotttaylo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Helen-Scott-Taylor/e/B002BMEYXO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/helenscotttaylor

Website: http://helenscotttaylor.com/

Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

ISBN: 9780857071958
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 318

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts. After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hunting Lila! It was wonderfully written, and as a result had me hooked from the very beginning. I really liked the concept of this book. Before reading this book I had never read a paranormal book where not only were all the supernaturals considered as criminals, but where the paranormal part of the book took a backseat to more important "normal" aspects of the story. My favourite character was Lila, because of her stubbornness and determination. I really like the cover, it's inkeeping with the story within.

Available at Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk.

Author Interview: Dina James

Dina James has written All Wounds.

1. What is your name and where do you call home? 
I'm Dina James and I live in Astoria, Oregon on the west coast of the United States.

2. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
My most recent book is a young adult paranormal novel called All Wounds. A girl finds out she's a doctor for Otherworlders and everybody wants a piece of her. Some more than others.

3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I do. This book is the first of my young adult series. The second one, Time Heals, is scheduled for release in Fall of 2012.

4. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
The cover was designed by the wonderful art department at Mundania Press by artist Niki Browning. The Healer's Mark symbol was created by artist Becky Hitchin of Kent, England and incorporated into the cover by Niki. 

5. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
I prefer actual, physical books. Paperback or hardcover, it doesn't matter. I like to feel the book in my hand and turn the pages. There's just something beyond tactile about paper and ink. Ebooks are nice for edits, but I have a hard time liking them because of e-piracy. This is the illegal copying of a copyrighted work, and ebooks, in my opinion, make it too easy to just upload to torrent/filesharing sites. E-piracy hurts authors, and filesharing isn't "sharing," it's stealing.

6. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
I have read Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series over and over. I especially love the second book in the series, Kushiel's Chosen. 

7. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
I just finished Jim Butcher's Ghost Story in hardcover.

8. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
I would give them the best advice I was ever given: accuracy lends credibility. If you're writing about something and you're not sure how it works or if it exists or anything at all, make sure you know what you're talking about. If you set your story in a certain time period, and you bring up stuff that isn't around then (no, we didn't have XBoxes in the 80s - we had Atari and Nintendo), you're going to look weird. A little research won't kill you. If you're writing about a known city (like Paris) or object (like the Eiffel Tower), make sure you know where it is if you're going to bring it up. People who read your work will know that the Eiffel Tower is on a specific street in a specific area of town, and if you move it (without justification) or get it wrong, people will notice. Take 5 minutes and Google where things like that are if you're going to reference them. It adds just that much more depth to your story.

9. Where can your readers follow you?

Website: www.dinajames.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dina-James-Chronicler-of-the-Paranormal/333654447563

Twitter: @dinajames

I also blog twice a month at the Evil League of Evil Writers website. www.evilleagueofevilwriters.com

Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Author Interview: Melissa Darnell

Melissa Darnell has written Crave.

1. What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?

Hi!  My name’s Melissa Darnell.  I was born in California, grew up in East Texas, and have since lived in the following states…Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, Utah, Iowa, and South Dakota (where I currently live).

2. What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?

The Clann Series #1: Crave is a contemporary YA series featuring a forbidden romance between members of warring vampire and magically-gifted societies.

3. Are you a self-published / Indie author?

The publisher for my Clann Series is Harlequin Teen.  My cheerleading and dance nonfiction books are all self published at www.CheerAndDanceBooks.com.

4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Crave is the first of 3 books in the Clann Series, with book #2: Covet due out in the fall of 2012 and book #3: Consume due out in 2013.  I also recently wrote an urban fantasy YA romance revolving around teens and illegal magic use called The Source.  And I have a YA conspiracy thriller and a contemporary YA Greek mythology story in the works as well.  So while I’m sticking with YA, the specific genres tend to range a bit in variety.  I don’t worry about genre too much when writing, as I prefer to go with the strongest story ideas that I have brewing in the back of my mind at any given time!  Whichever “pot” boils the quickest is the next title to be written.

5. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?

Unfortunately my publisher doesn’t supply print copies to me for reviewers.  But digital review copies of Crave are available upon request at www.NetGalley.com once you sign up as a reviewer and apply for a copy.

6. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?

Harlequin Teen has an amazing art design crew who designed the covers for both the U.S. and Australian versions of Crave.  I honestly can’t tell which cover I love more, so I feel incredibly lucky that I didn’t have to choose and got both!

7. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?

I’m one of those kinds of readers who like to reread books several times.  That is actually the true test of whether I keep a print copy or not…if I have read the book more than once all the way through, it stays on the family bookshelves.  Otherwise it gets donated to the local library.  Probably not surprising, my shelves are filled with mostly fellow paranormal romance authors’ works, including Christine Feehan’s Drake Sisters series, Anne Rice’s vampire books, and L.J. Smith’s Night World series.

8. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?

Getting published is a constant learning process.  My most recently learned lesson is all about revisions.  It’s easy to feel that revisions are a personal statement against you and your writing abilities, especially since the very essence of fiction writing is pouring your soul out onto the page!  But to your publishing team, your story is also a product that supports a business.  So when your publisher or agent suggests revisions, no matter what your first gut reaction is, just say “thank you, I will go over these suggestions and get back to you”.  If you need to rant and rave to your family or friends, get it out of your system.  Then get to work on those revisions!  They’re really not any kind of personal statement about you.  They’re just your publishing team’s attempts to shape up a product (your story) into something that will best meet the needs of the market and their customers (your future readers).  And while you might not understand or agree at first, in my experience every single revision suggestion I’ve ever received from my editor or agent has made my stories a hundred times better.   

9. Where can your readers follow you?

Readers can learn more about the Clann Series at www.TheClannSeries.com, about me specifically at www.melissadarnell.com, and I love to interact with readers on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/theclannseries on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheClannSeries and on GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3497970.Melissa_Darnell.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Author Interview: Suki Michelle

Suki Michelle has written The Apocalypse Gene.

1. What is your name and where do you call home? 

My full name is Suki Michelle Nacsa. I live with my co-writer and soul mate, Carlyle Clark in the Chicago area.

2. Do you have a pen name?

My pen name is Suki Michelle. I dropped the Nacsa because everyone, including me, tends to spell it wrong.  Carlyle doesn’t use a pen name.

3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?

My most recent book is The Apocalypse Gene, but it isn’t just mine. Carlyle and I wrote it together, a true collaboration.  Summary: Global pandemic is raging, far more than a mere disease. Only two psychic teens hold to key to its cure.

4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

The Apocalypse Gene is part of a series. Our publisher is eagerly awaiting the completion of the sequel. 

5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?

I was inspired to write poetry when my daughter was born because my emotions were too overwhelming to contain. When I met Carlyle, who had been writing stories for many years, encouraged me to try my hand at prose, and I fell in love with storytelling, but I still use my poetic roots to express ideas and images.

6. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?

We love to give gift books in exchange for reviews, print or E-book.  It’s always a thrill to wait for the response. Most love it. Some have great suggestions, which we apply to our sequel.

7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?

Carlyle and I conceived of the cover based on a scene that takes place in the cyber-world.  We described the idea to our publisher, and their art department produced it. We love our cover!

8. How did you come up with the title for your book?

I type medical reports all day, which is incredibly boring so I entertain myself with my imagination. One day, I thought – what if a pandemic happened, and its cure was outside the realm of medical science and into the hands of mystics? That was the seed of The Apocalypse Gene’s plot.

9. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?

We love our book as it is, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t learn from writing it and getting honest reviews. The pacing is incredibly fast, which many readers enjoy, but some prefer to slow down a bit and chill more with the characters. We will apply that knowledge to our sequel, which will also be fast-paced and even deeper into character. 

10. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?

We do have a book trailer. Here’s the link: http://youtu.be/anYcfv9AC9I

I’m not sure trailers actually result in book sales, but they can be a great hook for a potential reader to investigate further.

11. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?

I used to be a hardcore print-only reader, but since I got my Kindle, I’m in love with the convenience. Best of all, I can listen to audiobooks on it, which motivates me to go out and run. Exercise used to be boring. It’s not any more.

12. Are you a self-published / Indie author?

We are Indie authors. Our book was enthusiastically picked up by Parker Publishing, Inc., and we couldn’t be happier.

13. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?

I’ve read The Little Prince more times than I can count, to myself and aloud to my daughter when she was little.  It’s a lovely story.

14. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?

I’m “reading” two books right now. The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman on my Kindle.  I’m also listening to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. 

15. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?

Find a good online workshop and present your work for honest critique.  Be open to criticism. You learn the most from the feedback that hurts the most. Be prepared to delete even your most incredible prose if it doesn’t deepen character and/or advance the plot. Best advice? Get a thick skin.

16. Where can your readers follow you?

Website:  http://www.theapocalypsegene

Blog: http://www.theapocalypsegene.com/cy-chi

Facebook page: http://facebook.com/TheApocalypseGene

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12268194-the-apocalypse-gene

Twitter: @Suki_Michelle

Other: Carlyle’s Blog:  http://carlyleclark.wordpress.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Gene-Suki-Michelle/dp/160043102X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Smashwords:  Our book will soon be on Smashwords, but isn’t quite ready yet.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!