20 Questions with Kia Garriques + Giveaway

The UK based author Kia Garriques has stopped by my blog today to do an interview and tell us more about herself and her book "Innovera Yakov: A Journey of a Thousand Eyes"

J:Have you always wanted to be a writer?

KG: I wanted to be lots of different things: a psychologist, and actress... until I tried them and realised I didn’t like them. In actuality I have always written. Writing has always been what I return to after my attempts at different things - so I guess I have always been a writer, whether I chose to become one or not.

J: If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

KG: Well I am currently in fashion, so I would probably be doing what I am doing right now.

J: Was there anything specific that inspired you to write Innovera Yakov, or did the idea just come to you?

KG: The concept of Innovera Yakov originated from my dreams. I used to dream about these Beings in some other world. At first, it was scary but then I learned to overcome that fear and started looking forward to them. At one point, I became so enthusiastic about science, evolution and the possibility of realities and forms of life that might exist outside of what we know, that I wanted to absorb anything in relation to that. Innovera Yakov addresses many of the questions I have about our earth and the universe in general. It’s my attempt to understand life.

J: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

KG: When I am faced with characters that have to die or disappear. Losing them is very hard.

J: Are any of your characters based on people you know? Which character is most or least like you, and in what ways?

KG: I haven’t based my characters off anyone in particular. I think Ayana, in Innovera Yakov is similar to me. She is the underdog and it takes her a long time to discover her strengths. It took me a long time to start to believe in myself. The day I started doing that, I realised that I had the power to transform my life and be the person I wanted to be. I can relate to her because she has scars - both inner and outer scars - that she has to learn to live with and it’s only when she embraces them that she begins to find herself.

J: Do you need anything specific when you write? Music on, quiet, snacks?

KG: I always write after midnight - around 2 or 3 am - when it is very quiet outside and I imagine that everyone else is asleep. My impulse to write and dream up worlds comes alive around that time. I like listening to music from swing-beat to blues to jazz. But I write best while listening to classical music turned down low, especially Bach.

J: How long does it take you to write a book?

KG: It depends really. The first draft takes a couple of months, and then there is the whole refining process – cutting out things here, fleshing out other bits - it’s a long process.

J: Can you tell us a little bit about what you are working on right now?

KG:I am working on my second book in the series while networking and meeting other authors.

J: What do you like to do when you are not creating such great stories?

KG: I love watching movies. I enjoy going to the gym, spending time with my family and friends I guess.

Alright, let's do some 'Get to Know You' questions:

J: Are you a morning person or night owl?

KG: Night owl!

Last song that was stuck in your head?

KG: I was here by Beyonce

J: Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show?

KG: The Simpsons. I can watch the same scenes over and over again and laugh myself silly. I really can.

J: What was your favorite book as a kid?

KG: Beauty and the Beast!

J: If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

KG: Working! I can’t sit still. I feel guilty when I do.

J: If you had to eat one thing and one thing only for an entire week, what would it be?

KG: Special fried rice. I love it!

J: If you could recommend one book that everyone should read, what would you choose?

KG: Animal Farm! I think everyone should read that.

J: Picture this scenario. You just received a phone call from someone who wants to turn your book into a movie. They also tell you that you have full control over who gets cast in the movie. Who do you pick to play the parts?

KG: I am all for giving people a chance. Whether you are new and established, for me it’s all about the talent and that person’s ability to embrace the part and make the most of it. There are new and emerging talents out there and so it would come down to how well you can play the characters and whether you are a perfect fit.

J: Finish this sentence. My perfect day off would be... 

KG: having readers around the world, read, love and recommend Innovera Yakov to others; tweeting me and talking about the book. When that day happens it will be my perfect day off.

J: Everyone can always use another piece of good advice. Is there a piece of advice that someone has told you that you or something you have learned on your own that you would like to share with us?

KG: Follow your dreams. Work for what you want and even in the depths of despair or fading confidence never give up. It is important to believe in yourself because not everyone is going to believe in you.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Kia! It was great to have you!

You can find out more about Kia by visiting her website HERE, her Facebook page HERE, or following here on Twitter HERE.

Now for the giveaway.

Giveaway goes from March 27th til April 10th.

Open internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And keep an eye out for my review of "Innovera Yakov: The Journey of a Thousand Eyes"!

Interview with Teresa Lo, Author of Hell's Game

"On Halloween night in Deer Creek, Kansas, Jake Victor, Ashley and Ashton Gemini, and Kristin Grace convince Ronnie Smalls to meet them at the town cemetery, which local folklore has always rumored to be the Gateway to Hell. Their intention was only to scare him, but soon the wicked prank becomes actual horror as the group learns the Gateway is all too real. After demons snatch Ronnie and drag him to Hell, the terrified foursome vow to keep what they had seen a secret.

Two years later, the group receives a mysterious letter, an invite to play a high-stakes game in Hell. If they win, they release Ronnie’s soul as well as their own from eternal damnation. If they lose, they are stuck in Hell forever. Choosing to play, they face nightmare after nightmare as each level escalates in intensity and forces them to face the seven deadly sins.

Inspired by the legends of the Gateway to Hell in Stull, Kansas, Hell’s Game explores the cruelty that teenagers can inflict upon each other as well as the horrors that exist amongst mankind. It is a dark, action-packed young adult novel that will both scare its readers and make them question the true meaning of evil"-Goodreads.

Tell us five things about yourself that most people might not know.

TL:

1. I grew up in Coffeyville, Kansas.
2. Last year, I adopted a cat named Paige, and I renamed her Paige Turner because I’m a bookworm!
3. When I was in middle school, I owned and read the entire Goosebumps series from R.L. Stine.
4. The book The Shrine at Altamira by John L’Herueux inspired me to write fiction.
5. I was the president of the pre-law fraternity in college, but I never ended up attending law school. I went to film school instead!

FBL: Your cat's name is the coolest ever. Just sayin'.

What audience would enjoy reading Hell’s Game?

TL: Hell’s Game follows a group of popular teenagers who are forced to play a high-stakes game in Hell after they play a mean prank on the school nerd. As the group moves from level to level in the game, the settings intensify, and each level is a manifestation of one of the seven deadly sins. I hope that Hell’s Game can be enjoyed by lovers of horror and by a broader audience. If YA readers enjoy the writing of L.J. Smith or Suzanne Collins, they most likely will enjoy Hell’s Game.

FBL: I love new takes on the seven deadly sins! This book sounds right up my alley.

What influences your story lines and settings?
The Midwest greatly influences my stories and settings. I like to write about real people and examine their psychology. When I write horror, I try to avoid cheap thrills, but instead, I think about what I’m the most afraid of, and I try to bring that out through characters that a lot of people have met in their lives.

FBL: That sounds like such a great way to write a horror story and actually make it scary. 

What are your favorite horror movies?

My favorite horror film is Frailty, starring Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey. It’s very creepy, and the audience has no idea where the story will go. I like horror that genuinely surprises, and Frailty has one of the best twist endings I have ever seen. I also like Rosemary’s Baby, Silence of the Lambs, and The Craft.

FBL: Frailty blew my mind the first time I saw it. The ending completely took me by surprise.

What is the main message that you’d like your readers to take away from Hell’s Game?

Every character in Hell’s Game is affected by some form of evil, whether it’s harm inflicted by another person or harm inflicted by a supernatural force, and those evil acts create a negative ripple effect in everyone’s lives. The main message I wanted to share was that those who see or know of evil acts and do nothing are just as guilty as those who committed the crime. Hell’s Game is very much a morality tale that I hope will influence its readers into doing the right thing.

FBL: Thank you so much for the interview, Teresa! I cannot wait to dig into Hell's Game! I'm always looking for a good horror novel and yours sounds perfect.


You can check out Teresa's website and Goodreads page for more information on Hell's Game. And then head over to Amazon to purchase it for your Kindle.

Teresa Lo’s website: www.tloclub.com

Hell’s Game on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Game-ebook/dp/B007S3HYTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333928392&sr=8-1

Hell’s Game on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13584901-hell-s-game

Author Interview with Sandra D. Bricker and book trailer!

Yesterday I posted my review for Always the Baker, Never the Bride, which I really loved.  So today I am excited  to share the book trailer for the second book Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride and an interview with author Sandra D. Bricker!

1. How did you decide on a wedding destination hotel as the setting for your books?

 As a former publicist, a lot of event planning went into that job. I used to wish all the time that there were more venues that offered everything in the same place, and that led me to this idea of one location that offered everything from engagement party through honeymoon...and The Tanglewood was born!

2. How did you "meet" the character of Sherilyn?

 I looked in the mirror. LOL. Well, then I squinted my eyes and made her a natural redhead with awesome features! Sherilyn is very much a reflection of myself. She battles a weight problem, she's uber-organized to the point that she makes the people around her a little crazy, and she has a wilder side that she has worked very hard to divert.

3. Is there any part of your personality in Sherilyn or the other characters?

 I think there's a little piece of me in all of my characters. From the first book, Emma was a diabetic with a penchant for cake. [Check!] In The Big 5-OH!, Olivia was an ovarian cancer survivor in search of what comes next after an experience like that. [Check!] Sherilyn, of course ... [Check! and Check!]

4. While doing the research for this book, did you come across any interesting stories of weddings gone awry?

 I did! A disappointing wedding, I have come to believe, is the most traumatic thing a bride can experience. She's been building up to that one moment and that one day, often since childhood. I came across several stories that made me cringe, and even cry. One bride with an outdoor wedding wasn't just rained out; it was a monsoon! Another bride I read about broke the heel of her SIX INCH shoes and fell into her cake before they even cut it. Like any other carefully-planned event, a wedding is pretty likely to have something go wrong. But sometimes things go "wronger" than others.

5. Do you think you would make a good wedding planner?

 I think I would. I used to love that part of my job as a publicist. My clients were all actors, and they had their fan club gatherings and pet charity fundraisers, all of which required event planning skills. But on occasion, I've been asked by my less-organized friends to help out with planning their weddings, and it has been a real kick for me. In fact, my friend Dianne (the most UN-romantic or ceremonial person I know!) told me she and her fiance had decided to go downtown that week to get married at the courthouse. "Dianne," I objected. "You can NOT call your friend the romance writer and say something like that!" A month later, they went to St. Augustine and were married in a beautiful destination wedding planned by ME.

6. What type of environment is best for your writing?

 I write best with a large block of time (no less than four hours) to be alone and play my inspiration music and really get into my story. I usually have a cold bottle of water, a cup of coffee or tea, or even a soda nearby, and a bowl of munchies like nuts or pretzels nearby.

7. What do you hope readers will take away from your stories?

 Before I turn it in to the publisher, I pray over every manuscript I complete and ask that God's hand would be upon it, and that every person who reads what I've written would be blessed in some way and draw closer to Him.

8. What's next for you?

I've just completed the third book in the Emma Creation series (Always the Designer, Never the Bride), and I'm just about to start on book four, the final one in the series (Always the Baker, FINALLY the Bride). I'm really excited about the opportunity to give Emma and Jackson their happily-ever-after ending at last. Emma's been a good friend to me, after all! I want to see her blessed and happy.

 ~*~

I am terribly excited for the 3rd and 4th book of the series! I am reading Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride and am loving it so far. I hope you enjoyed the interview and book trailer! Now, get to the book store and pick up Sandra's books!

20 Questions with author M. Leighton and a Giveaway!

It's time to play...

Today I had the great pleasure of sending M. Leighton, author of The Reaping 20 interview questions which she so kindly took the time to answer.

Here is what she had to say:

J: Have you always wanted to be a writer? 

ML: To be honest, until I wrote my first novel, I never even considered it.  It's kind of like wanting to be an astronaut or a famous actress.  Being a real, honest-to-goodness, bona fide writer seemed to be better suited to the “fairy tale” category than the “attainable” one. 

J: If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

ML: I’d probably be pulling out handfuls of hair as I tried to force my square peg into a round hole.  As we adults must, I’ve done what needed to be done for many years, but I was never really happy (occupationally speaking) until I wrote my first novel.  And then it clicked.  I can’t imagine loving any job more.

J: What made you go the route of self-publishing?

ML: Oh, self publishing!  How I love thee!  Let me count the ways... 

I tried to get a novel published through the traditional channels and was promptly rejected.  At my husband's request, I started looking into self-publishing with Amazon and Smashwords.  And you know what?  I started to get really, really excited.  I could publish the work that is near and dear to my heart without having to sign away my life.  I could write what I want, when I want.  AND I wouldn't have to charge an arm and a leg to keep industry leaders in their Bentleys!  It was obvious to me from the very start that it was a win-win situation.  So when I finished The Reaping, I bypassed the mere thought of traditional publication, put it straight out in eBook format and I haven't looked back since.

J: Was there anything specific that inspired you to write The Reaping, or did the idea just come to you?

Inspiration strikes me in a lot of different ways, but what I start out with is never, EVER what I end up with.  The book that I plotted out in the beginning was quite different than the finished product.  Carson and Fahl had their own ideas for where the story was going.  I just listened to them.

J: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

ML: When the story started taking a different direction, I knew I had two choices: my way or the Humpty Dumpty way.  I could ignore the voices of the characters and continue on with MY plan and write the book I’d painstakingly planned.  Or I could go with what my willful characters wanted and then go back to the beginning to pick up all the pieces and glue them back together again.  I ended up going with Humpty Dumpty and the characters. That Carson's hard to ignore!

J: You created such great characters that are so real and so believable. Are any of them based on people you know? Which character is most or least like you, and in what ways?

ML: No, the characters aren’t based on anyone that I know, but I’m sure that will happen eventually.  I think Carson is the most like the person I HOPE I could be in that kind of situation.  Few of us ever get the opportunity to see what we’d do in a dilemma like Carson’s, thank God.  And I’m sure we all HOPE that we could be brave and selfless, but one never knows.  We can only hope that we’d do the right thing.

J: Do you need anything specific when you write? Music on, quiet, snacks?

ML: Quiet!  As close to absolute silence as I can get.  I can hear the voices in my head better.  I’m kidding.  (Or am I?)

J: How long does it take you to write a book?

ML: Anywhere from two weeks to three months.  The Reaping took three months, but I was working at the time and I started it right before the holidays.  How crazy was that?  Evidently I'm much more courageous than I look.

J: Can you tell us a little bit about what you are working on right now?

ML: I was torn about what to focus on first when I finished The Reaping.  But an idea for a dystopian novel hit me (right in the middle of showering, as some of my best ideas tend to do) and I decided to go with that. 

Without giving too much away?  Hmmm, let's see.  It's the story of a very special girl and her sister who, based on a mysteriously written prophecy, strike out across a (sort of) post-apocalyptic landscape in search of the one man, a reluctant warrior and outcast angel, who holds the key to saving humanity as well as the earth itself.

J: What do you like to do when you are not creating such great stories?

ML: I wish I could say that I love to run ten miles a day or I love to do hours of pilates followed by making my own bread and yogurt, but...I just don't.  I love to read and watch movies.  And eat.  I'm not going to lie.  And of those, eating's probably my favorite.  I love to eat.  Really!  If it were an Olympic sport, I'd undoubtedly have won the gold several times over.  People would be envious of my impressive display of medals and trophies.

Alright, let's do some 'Get to Know You' questions:

J: Are you a morning person or night owl?

ML: I'm a strange combination of the two.  I wish I could be solely one and not the other, but I can't seem to manage it.  I've been known to stay up until 3 or 4 am, but usually I don't.  I can't seem to sleep late so I start winding down by midnight or a little after.  I'm usually awake (sadly) by about 6:30 or so.  I'm a weirdo.

J: Last song that was stuck in your head?

ML: Turning Japanese.  I know that sounds insane, but we watched Let Me In (sad vampire movie) last night and that song was in it.  I was totally stuck on it until late this morning.  The worst thing about it was that the only words I know are "I'm turning Japanese.  I think I'm turning Japanese. I really think so."  And those few words just kept going round and round and round in my head.  It's a wonder I slept at all.

J: Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show?

ML: Glee.  Does that count?

J: What was your favorite book as a kid?

ML: Cinderella.  And that's weird because I was a skinny tomboy.

J: If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

ML: Planning on how to spend it and then wondering where it went.

J: If you had to eat one thing and one thing only for an entire week, what would it be?

ML: Chocolate.  Or fettucini alfredo. 

J: If you could recommend one book that everyone should read, what would you choose?

ML: Stands A Calder Man by Janet Dailey.  Great book!  Sad book!  I would never inflict such emotional pain on one of my readers. 

J: Picture this scenario. You just received a phone call from someone who wants to turn your book into a movie. They also tell you that you have full control over who gets cast in the movie. Who do you pick to play the parts?

ML: Wow!  Great question.  That is incredibly hard to say, though.  Maybe Amanda Seyfried and Chace Crawford.  That's a tough one.

J: Finish this sentence. My perfect day off would be...

ML: Lying on the beach with my husband.  Warm sand on my back, hot sun on my face, wind in my hair and a great book on my Kindle.

J: Everyone can always use another piece of good advice. Is there a piece of advice that someone has told you that you or something you have learned on your own that you would like to share with us?

ML: Don't waste your time doing something you hate.  Life's too short.

That is great advice!

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview.

Thank you for having me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can check out her blog HERE

There are  also two other books for the Kindle by this awesome author called Caterpillar and Wiccan. Personally, after reading The Reaping, I cannot wait to read those two.

You can check out my review for The Reaping HERE.

I enjoyed reading this book so much that I am going to give away a copy of it!
Since it is a Kindle ebook before you enter make sure you have a way to read it.
The giveaway will end March 10th so get to entering!

Just click HERE to enter :D