Friday 6 April 2012

Author Interview: Ada Adams

Ada Adams has written ReVamped.


1. What is your name and where do you call home?
Hello! My name is Ada and I am from Toronto, Canada.

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 debut novel, “ReVamped”, is a bit of a different take on the vampire genre. It’s a YA Paranormal story about a vampire girl, Dawn, who is responsible for revamping a group of misfits (think of everything you know about vampires and then reverse it and you get this gang). Upon Dawn’s arrival to a small town of Angel Creek, she realizes that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye. Throw in a couple of hot guys, an evil villain and a secret from the past, and Dawn soon finds out that she’s in for a lot more than she bargained for!

3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
“ReVamped” is part of the “Angel Creek” series. I’m currently working on the second book in this series called “ReAwakened”. There are some new characters and lots more twists in store for Dawn!

4. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
I think that I was inspired to write through my journey of being a reader. I loved reading since I was a little girl. I started devouring chapter books at age five and haven’t stopped since. I don’t think I ever will! Books and stories have such a magical way of enticing us to explore different worlds, realities and personalities, and I really wanted to be a part of that. I have been writing creatively for a very long time, but professionally-speaking, “ReVamped” is my debut novel.

5. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?
I love interacting with readers and bloggers! If you have a book blog and are interested in reviewing “ReVamped”, you can email me at info@revampedbook.com.

6. How did you come up with the title for your book?
“ReVamped” was the very first title for the story (even way before it was a book). In a way, it stuck, and I soon found myself unable to refer to it as anything but “ReVamped”. After all, it’s a very fitting title. The story is not only about revamping a group of misfit vampires, but it’s also about Dawn’s own journey. Throughout the book, she is faced with many obstacles, and she really grows and develops as a character. I had various other title options in store, but most of them had the word “Dawn” in them (which I kind of wanted to avoid due to “Twilight”’s popularity).

7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I am the type of person who judges a book by its cover (I know, I know!), so I wanted to play a very hands-on role in designing “ReVamped”’s cover. Lots of research and many prototypes went into the design plan. My team and I considered various cover options (especially the gazebo which was very important to the story). However, I always knew that I wanted the focus to be on Dawn’s eyes. Their unique color plays a significant role in the story, so the cover had to be purple! We didn’t use all of Dawn’s face, because I wanted the reader to be able to imagine the character in his/her own mind as they see fit. When I read books, I always like to put my own spin on the characters’ appearances. A talented photographer/graphic designer by the name of Olga Barkhatova (www.olgabarkhatova.ca) did the photography and graphic design for the cover.

8. Is there anything you would change about your book covers?
At this point in time, as work on “ReAwakened” is moving ahead, I must take a very close look at “ReVamped”’s cover in order to figure out how to make a congruent cover for the rest of the series. I will share one exclusive piece of information with you…”ReAwakened”’s cover will be green! And, yes, that color is very deliberate and quite significant.

9. Would you have different book covers for different countries?
I believe that most book covers are art and I love how different countries put a different, unique spin on certain book covers. Eventually, as the series progresses, I would love to see a variety of “Angel Creek” covers. However, I will always have a special attachment to “ReVamped”’s first cover!

10. Has the quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it?
I do judge books by their covers; however I try not to be too judgmental. If the cover isn’t the best, but the story is intriguing, I will read it in a heartbeat!

11. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?
Sometimes, I wonder if I should have made the focus of the book even more romantic. However, I am not a big fan of insta-love and I believe that characters have to get to know each other before they can truly fall in love and scream it from the rooftops. That’s why “ReAwakened” is so fun to write! It’s a lot easier for me to explore the romance in a deeper, more meaningful way in “ReVamped”’s sequel. There are also two new characters who don’t really agree with my take on insta-love, and boy, do they create some trouble in Angel Creek!

12. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
I love book trailers! It’s a great visual complement to the novel. “ReVamped”’s trailer is in progress (kind of backwards, I know, but it involves a lot of characters and actions scenes, so it’s taking some time to shoot). I can’t promise an exact date, but the trailers for both “ReVamped” and “Reawakened” should be out in April/May.

13. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
I love them all! E-Books are light, portable and easy to access. You can take a million books on your e-reader anywhere you wish! I love the smell of books, flipping through the pages, seeing the pretty coves in print, so I really enjoy reading paperbacks. Hardcovers, in my opinion, are the most beautiful way to showcase a book, but they are also harder/heavier than paperbacks. I love to listen to audiobooks when I’m working out or falling asleep.

14. Are you a Self-Published/Indie author?
Yes. To tell you the truth, I knew that pitching a vampire book – no matter how different – would be pretty impossible at this point in time, so I chose to venture out on the self-publishing path. I was just excited to get the story out to the readers as soon as possible! :) Self-publishing is certainly the more difficult route for any author to take, but it’s also very rewarding to see all the hard work you have put into a book pay off when you learn that others are enjoying your story.

15. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
I know this is going to sound really odd, but no. For some reason, I have a habit of not being able to read books or watch movies that I have already read/seen. That doesn’t mean that I don’t love those books with a passion, but I just prefer to read their sequels, view other information about them, or read other works by the same author. Weird, right?

16. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
I just started reading “Obsidian” by Jennifer L. Armentrout and “Divergent” Veronica Roth. Everyone has been recommending these books lately, so I thought I would check them out! I’m reading them in an e-reader format, though I’m sure I will get the print books as well. There’s just something so wonderful about physical copies of books.

17. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep writing and don’t give up! If you have an idea, don’t keep it hidden away. Start a diary, enroll in a workshop, join an online community of writers, do whatever it takes to motivate yourself to achieve your writing goals. Write because you truly enjoy writing. The story should come from a place of passion and love for the craft. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to try something new. Sure, it’s not the easiest path, but taking a chance on something unique can not only turn out to be rewarding, but also a lot of fun. These are just a few of my personal opinions and tips. Of course, what works for me may not work for everyone else. Find your personal inspiration and use it! Happy writing! :)

18. Where can your readers follow you?
Come by and say “Hi”! I love to hear from readers and other writers!





Amazon:

Kobo, Nook, iBookstore coming soon! Thank you for your patience.


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

1 comment:

  1. Thank you very much for having me on your blog! :)

    Best regards,
    Ada

    ReplyDelete