Interview & Giveaway: M. Beth Bloom

Happy Halloween! 

I hope you are all reading something appropriately chilling.  

    Bloom's first short story “Love And Other Catastrophes: A Mix Tape” was featured in Story Quarterly and selected by Dave Eggers for inclusion in The Best American Nonrequired Reading: 2003 (Houghton-Mifflin), which he curates annually. Bloom is the founder of underground dance label 100% Silk (profiled here in LA Weekly) AND the producer/lead singer of the band LA Vampires (written up in The Guardian as well as Pitchfork and Fader). Her next book will be published through HarperTeen.

    M. Beth lives on the east side of L.A. where she indulges in raw fooding, magazine subscribing, thrift shopping, Sunday matinee'ing, and ladies book clubbing.

Favorite reads?
   The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Girl by Blake Nelson, Anagrams by Lorrie Moore, Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes, Karoo by Steve Tesich, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

Inspirations for the book?
   Great ‘80s and ‘90s campy vampire flicks like Lost Boys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Near Dark, and Interview With The Vampire, as well as ‘90s feminist icons like Daria, Clarissa Darling, Kennedy from MTV, Six from Blossom, and Ms. Musso from Parker Lewis Can’t Lose.

Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
   Yes!

Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
   Cacao and Almond Butter

The weirdest thing you've ever done?
   Open up for Sonic Youth on their Don’t Look Back tour. Trés Weird.

Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?
   ’94 awesomeness – Ice Cube, Nas, Tribe Called Quest, Hole, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., Sonic Youth, En Vogue, Digable Planets, Bjork, Crystal Waters, Smashing Pumpkins.

Do you need anything to write?
   Kale chips, Kombucha, silk kimono, space heater, and silence.

How long do you write on any average day?
   On a good day as long as five hours. On a bad day I’m lucky if I write my name on a store receipt.

Give us the number one reason to read your book.
   It’s not at all what you’re expecting…

Author Info:
Twitter: @QuinlanLacey
Facebook: Facebook.com/MBethBloom AND Facebook.com/DrainYouByMBethBloom

Summer. The 90s. The rich, sun-bleached neighborhoods of the Los Angeles canyons. Enter Quinlan Lacey, a cool, bored, sarcastic, sexy 17-year old with a dull part-time video store job and a mild case of teen ennui. That is, until she meets the alluring, River Phoenix-esque James, and realizes the hills are alive with the undead. Inspired more by the early, dry L.A. short stories of Bret Easton Ellis than the current crop of serialized vampire fiction, the supernatural grunge romance, Drain You, narrates the headaches and heartbreaks Quinn undergoes in her quest to stay sane and cool and in love and alive.

   Check out Publisher's Weekly review -"Bloom debuts with a languid, stylish novel that reads like a love letter to cult vampire flicks like The Lost Boys, the work of Francesca Lia Block, and Southern California in the 1990s." 

Or you can check out Amazon and Barnes & Noble for more info!

*Giveaway*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview & Giveaway: Julie Grasso

   With a background in paediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed great courage and resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories about a little girl elf just like them. She lives in Melbourne Australia with her husband Danny and their little elf Giselle

Favorite reads?
   Anne McCaffrey, Douglas Adams, Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwall and JK Rowling of course.

Inspirations for the book?
   Take a nerdy science fiction addiction + love of all things Caramel = a book about telepathic elves who are obsessed with chocolate cake with caramel sauce, that swing through rainforests on vines, have special healing powers, as well as doing battle with evil clones that aim to take over the universe.

Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
   Not when I was little. I got my inspiration after I became a pediatric nurse.

Any Pet Peeves?
   I hate pairing socks, I flatly refuse to do it. 

Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
   Peanut butter, chocolate gives me a migraine. 

The weirdest thing you've ever done?
   I once burnt down my grandmothers kitchen, quite accidental.

Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?
   At the moment its Twilight soundtrack, my toddler grooves along as well. 

Do you need anything to write?
   Chai Latte stat.

How long do you write on any average day?
   1-2 hours, depending on the toddler tantrums.

Give us the number one reason to read your book.
   Who wouldn't want to read about telepathic elves and evil clones that have a penchant for rhymes. 

Author Info:
Twitter: @jujuberry37 
Website: www.julieannegrassobooks.com. 
Amazon 
Goodreads

Caramel Cinnamon thought the worst day of her life was the day her grandparents, the King and Queen of the Elves of Cardamom went missing. She was wrong! The day she spills sticky toffee syrup onto her father's computer, that's when her worst nightmare begins. She finds herself marooned on a forbidden planet, sent there by an evil clone with a very sticky secret. Caramel is desperate to escape. If she doesn't she will lose her dreams of returning to Cardamom to become a healer like her Mum. Luckily, she has a secret of her own and the lives of her family and friends depend on it!

*Giveaway*

(Ends 11/14)

3 Paperback OR ebook copies up for grabs

Paperback only option for US/Can

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Cover Reveal: Dark Nebula

Nothing is as it seems anymore.

Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. looks Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon— the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness fade into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus.

Lies and secrets are everywhere, and a betrayal cuts Rae deeply. Among her conflicts and enemies, it appears as if her father is reaching out from beyond the grave to ruin her life. With no one to trust, Rae doesn’t know where or who to turn to for help.

Has her destiny been written? Or will she becomes the one thing she hates the most-- her father’s prodigy.

         Dark Nebula is the much-awaited sequel to Rae of Hope by W. J. May. 

GUYS! This book will be FREE on Oct. 15 on Amazon!

* Skips happily around the room hugging herself*

Free Book

Interview & Giveaway: Ilana Waters

   Ilana Waters is a freelance writer who lives in New Jersey. When not creating content for websites, she can be found working on novels and short stories—as well as nibbling string cheese. She once pet-sat an electric eel, and enjoys walking in circles around the park for no particular reason.
   Her first book—The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt: Book I of Hartlandia—is a middle-grade fantasy. It is available at Amazon, Barnesandnoble, Apple, Kobo, and Smashwords. Ilana is currently writing Book II of the Hartlandia trilogy, due out in 2013.

Favorite reads?
   YA and MG fantasy, mostly. Right now I’m working my way through the cannons of Philip Pullman and Roald Dahl.

Inspirations for the book?
   The usual: I dreamed it. Seriously, isn’t there another way we authors can come up with book ideas nowadays? :-D

Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
   Definitely—since I was at least six. Then I tried to be someone else for twenty-five years. Thank
goodness that failed—now I can get back to being a writer!

Any Pet Peeves?
   People who complain constantly about their pet peeves. ;-)

Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
   Forcing me to make such a decision would be just plain cruel.

The weirdest thing you've ever done?
   Um, can I plead the Fifth on that one?

Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?
   I listen to what I call “weird New Age music” when I write. It’s enough to fill the silence, but not enough to distract me. Since my novel (The Adventures of Stanley Delacourt: Book I of Hartlandia) contains fairies, there was some fairy music going on as well. Pagan, folk, and medieval tunes, etc. Fairies just love that stuff.

Do you need anything to write?
   A work ethic. But since I sort of lack that, peace and quiet will do.

How long do you write on any average day?
   Oh dear—not nearly as long as I procrastinate!

Give us the number one reason to read your book.
   Well, the water bill is coming due, and I really need to pay that sucker . . . kidding! Because I think it’s a fun and exciting mix-up of periods, themes, characters, and adventures that readers have never seen before!

Author Info:
I can be cyber-stalked at these fine locations:
IlanaWaters.com
Goodreads
Amazon
Amazon.com/uk
Barnesandnoble
Apple
Kobo
Smashwords
Twitter

         Ten-year-old Stanley Delacourt loves his quiet life in the peaceful village of Meadowwood. At least, he does until his best friend is killed. Then the town library—where Stanley lives and works—is burned to the ground. The individuals responsible for both tragedies are a nasty group of soldiers. They work for the kingdom’s new leader: Christopher Siren.
          No one understands the rules Siren’s creating. They don’t know why breaking them means death, or why the leader is so keen to destroy books. And no one can figure out where the former queen and king disappeared to—or if they’ll ever return.
          With the grown-ups too fearful to take action, Stanley vows to confront Siren. He plans to get answers and demand justice. Little does he know that his journey will involve sword-wielding knights, kidnapper fairies, and dark magic.
         Stanley has only two allies back home. One is an intimidated witch named Meredith. The other is a young apothecary called Sophie—who may have enchantment problems of her own. Can they help him discover the reason behind Siren’s crimes and end this terrible reign? Or is Stanley set to become
the next victim in the tyrant’s evil plot?
         If you enjoy the fantasy works of Rick Riordan, Lemony Snicket, or Philip Pullman, then explore the world of Stanley Delacourt today!

*Giveaway*

(Ends 10/30)

5 Ebook Copies

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Interview: S. R. Johannes

   S.R. Johannes is the author of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes.  Uncontrollable, the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012.
   S.R. Johannes is a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult) and was also recently nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult). Untraceable was also recently named a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Indie Book of the Year (YA)
   After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. 


Favorite reads?
   This changes all the time. Right now it is still Hunger Games. I really think when it comes to pacing, literary writing, and overall concept, it is brilliant.
   As far as fav of all time, Pippy Longstocking is my favorite kids’ books. I love Pippi’s tenacity and how self-assured she was at her age.

Inspirations for the book?
   I wanted to have a fast-paced thriller with an underlying conservation message and a strong girl in today’s world.

Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
   No. I have always written but I don’t think I knew being an author was an option. I didn’t start writing seriously until 2004 after I had my daughter. It was only then I realized it was what I needed to do.

Any Pet Peeves?
   Dishonesty
   Whining

Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
   Dark chocolate

The weirdest thing you've ever done?
   Well I don’t now about weirdest, but the coolest thing I have ever done is pet Shamu at Sea World. I was chosen from the crowd. It was awesome - though I smelled like fish the rest of the day. Not good in the Florida sun.

Do you need anything to write?
   Peace and quiet! Ice tea or coffee.

How long do you write on any average day?
   Maybe 2 hours

Give us the number one reason to read your book.
   It is a page-turner with some romance and tons of twists. You will cry, get angry, and laugh in only 300 pages.

Connect!
Follow S.R. online on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest
You can also sign up for her newsletter to keep up on author or book news.

   As 16 year old Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program". 

   While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants. 

   After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues. 

   Little does she know, she is being hunted too.

Congratulations on the release! This book promises to be an unmissable sequel.

Interview & Giveaway: J. Bridger

J. Bridger has had an eclectic life. She's worked in the psychiatric ward in a hospital in La Paz, Bolivia, been a veterinary intern giving all sorts of better-left-to-the-imagination exams to dogs and cats, and had her own spate in creating and running a television ad campaign. Currently, in her day job, she is getting her certification as a medical Spanish interpreter in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina.

By night, she's a fledgling author, who has just penned her debut novel, Shifted Perspective; she is currently working on its sequel, the next installment of The Tails of Change Series. J.'s always loved things that go bump (or that howl) in the night and devoured Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker starting in middle school. Her favorite shows are no less preternatural and include Big Wolf on Campus, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Teen Wolf. While she's been writing fiction for eight years and been published in several academic journals for her psychological research, this is her first venture into published original fiction. 

            J. Bridger lives in Raleigh with two Yorkies, a beagle, and a Schnauzer-Yorkie mix (as well as far too many dust bunnies). 

Favorite reads?

   I actually range. I do read a lot of non-fiction about media literacy and feminism, and one of my favorites there is Reality Bites Back by Jennifer L. Pozner about the deception behind reality TV. As far as fiction, it might be trite, but Stephen King is the man. My mom just got 11/22/1963 for her birthday, and I'm already planning to steal it!

Inspirations for the book?

   Well, I have my own “pack” of dogs with my beagle Snoopy (original, I know), my Schnauzer Chloe, and two yorkies named Mellie and Hurley. I've always had dogs growing up and have always wondered what their inner monologues would be like. Similarly, I love all things supernatural but werewolves are my favorite. Being able to meld both dogs and werewolves in one novel was ideal.

Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?

   Yes, and I used to think about how my pen name would work. I originally wanted something where the last name and first started with the same letter so looking me up would be easier for the kiddos (I was about eight at the time). As I got older, I assumed I'd just stay published in science, since I had papers published before I left grad school to become an interpreter/author. Still, I knew I'd always be writing something.

Any Pet Peeves?

   People who promise to pay their share but don't. My brother is one of those and drives me nuts with the free loading! 

Chocolate or Peanut Butter?

   Can we have a Reese's and just get both?

The weirdest thing you've ever done?

   An ex took me to an authentic Chinese place that served me chicken feet and I ate it. Not bad!

Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?

   This is a sad secret about me. Since college, I'll only write to three things, whether it be fiction or a crunch time before a paper turn in. These are all musical soundtracks: Pippin, A Chorus Line, or Broadway's The Lion King. Usually, I'll be writing to Pippin on a loop. Embarrassing but true.

Do you need anything to write? 

   I usually just need a chair and quiet. That's part of the reason I do only use the same three soundtracks because they've become a form of comforting white noise. If there's too much going on with roommates or TV, I just don't go anywhere.

How long do you write on any average day?

   Gosh, it varies. I've had days where in the past I did twelve hours in a row. For this novel, I'd give myself about an hour in the morning before classes and, if I had time, an hour at night after I'd finished my homework. To be honest, doing between 1-2 hours a day, every day, for a month added up to a novel!

Give us the number one reason to read your book.

   Snark. It's a ridiculous situation with a protagonist (Caleb) who knows it's ridiculous but has to deal with it anyway with honesty and humor.  

Author Info:
Blog - http://www.jbridgerwriting.blogspot.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/JBridger1313
Tumblr -http://www.tumblr.com/blog/jbridger1313
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Bridger/216174885176369

GoodReads Page for Shifted Perspective: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15922261-shifted-perspective

   Caleb Byrne's life seems to be going well after he's accepted to his dream school for pre-med studies. Going great, sure, until he grows four paws, a tail, and fluffy curls... Now he has to deal with being the world's lamest shape shifter, an estranged family with furry secrets of their own, a prying girlfriend, and a killer werewolf on the loose, and he thought life had been hard before! 

*Giveaway*

Ebook Copy

(Ends 10/22)

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Interview & Giveaway: Lorjio Metz

   Lorijo Metz lives with her husband and little brown dog in a hamlet just north of Chicago, IL. Though she has a degree in acting and directing, she much prefers the anonymity of the keyboard, allowing her characters to revel in the spotlight while she sits quietly sipping tea or coffee, nibbling on cookies, and dreaming up ways to complicate their lives.
   Lorijo is the author of the picture book Floridius Bloom and the Planet of Gloom, illustrated by Matt Phelan and published by Dial Books for Young Readers; as well as the author of over 25 nonfiction, educational books for kids, published by Powerkids Press.
   WHEELS is her first YA novel and first venture into indie publishing. In 2013, Lorijo will have another first as she makes her début as a lyricist on children’s singer and songwriter, Owen Duggan’s new cd, Puppy Dog Jig, for which she wrote the lyrics for the title track.



Favorite reads?
   Here’s a partial list of books that have left a lasting impression on me.

• Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy (For its absolute beauty and sorrow.)
• The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien (For its thoroughness in world building and the many memorable characters that inhabit it.)
• The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis (Moral tales that left a lasting impression on a my young mind.)
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Powerful writing that opened my eyes.)
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Erin Morgenstern uses words like a painter uses a brush to paint pictures and stimulate our imagination.)
• Tarzan (book series) by Edgar Rice Burroughs (These were my mother’s books. I read them when I was young, and I’ve begged her to leave them to me in her will.)
• Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Pure entertainment)
• The Books of Abarat by Clive Barker (Unique by any standard)
• Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (The first non-fiction book I truly loved reading.)
• The Harry Potter books, by J.K. Rowling (Brilliant storytelling, memorable characters and detailed world building)

Inspirations for the book?
   WHEELS began with a sentence about a girl racing down a school hallway and the desire to write a science fiction novel in which the gifted protagonist was also somehow disabled. That first sentence is long gone (as are most first sentences), but I did end up writing a story in which the heroine, McKenzie Wu, who has the ability to manipulate matter (inherited from an alien relative), is also
a paraplegic.
   Interestingly enough, only one of the reviews (so far) has mentioned McKenzie using a wheelchair. This pleases me no end, for my goal was to have people see her not as a disabled person—but as a person. Well…a person with an extra special ability.

Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
   I didn’t so much know, as I was told. If you read the About Me page on my website ( http://www.lorijometz.com/aboutme/), you’ll understand. Suffice it to say, I had no choice in the matter.

Any Pet Peeves?
   It makes me unhappy when people use (or should I say, abuse) religion as an excuse to promote intolerance and bigotry.

Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
   Dark chocolate and peanut butter.

The weirdest thing you've ever done?
   You really think I’m going to tell you about the time in 7th grade when I dressed up like Elvis Presley and sang “You Ain’t ‘Nothing But A Hound Dog” for the class? ( NO, it wasn’t an assignment.)

Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?
   Read Chapter 7 of WHEELS and then listen to Magic Carpet Ride Technoversion. (You can buy it on iTunes or check it out on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOuitqYGFIU)

Do you need anything to write? 
   Time, silence, and consistency. I also have an electric teapot in my office. I brew a fresh pot of green tea just about every day. (Stop by and share a cup with me.:)

How long do you write on any average day?
   I work at writing, editing or marketing from about 11am to 7pm almost every day.

Give us the number one reason to read your book.
   I write stories I want to read, with worlds I can get lost in and characters I hate to part with; add to that a touch of humor, some YA angst, a little romance and a lot of adventure—if all that sounds good, then WHEELS is the book for you.

Author Info:
Website: www.LorijoMetz.com
Blog: www.ScifiWriterMom.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ScifiWriterMom
Facebook: facebook.com/LorijoMetz

14-year-old McKenzie Wu, doesn’t know her great-great grandmother married an alien or that her great-great-great uncle is alive and systematically eliminating a race of beings on a tiny planet light years away—she has enough to worry about. Molecules keep rearranging themselves to suit her slightest wish, but only at the most inconvenient times. If that weren’t enough, she’s been dreaming about an accident; one she’s had no memory of until now and, if true, means McKenzie is responsible for her mother’s death. 

   When McKenzie stumbles upon a portal that transports her and her friend Hayes to the tiny planet of Circanthos, she learns the inhabitants believe she is the “One” destined to save them from H.G. Wells, a name that sounds strangely familiar, and his Tsendi warriors. But while her newfound ability might give her superhero status back on Earth, halfway across the galaxy it’s commonplace—all Circanthians can particle-weave—and if they can’t stop H.G. Wells, what can she hope to do?

   With the portal closed and no idea how to get home, McKenzie must learn to use a power she does not want and accept her mysterious past, or risk losing everything—her father’s love, her new alien friends and the boy. 

*Giveaway*

(Ends 10/16)

Paperback or ebook copy of Wheels

(Paperback only an option for US/Can)

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