Interview with Shayna from EARTH

I interviewed Shayna, the main character from Earth by Shauna Granger, and here are her answers to a few of my questions below:

1.  What is it like being a magic user in a world where pretty much everyone around you doesn't even believe in magic?

It’s a little strange, kind of like finding out you’re the last one in your class who still believes in Santa. I know I’m lucky to have other magic users around me; as I got older (especially dealing with high school), it became very clear to me why a lot of magic users who don’t understand what powers they have, or don’t have people around them to help them with it, slowly go insane one way or the other.

2.  What are the best and worst parts of having magic?

Hmmm, as far as my magic goes, the best part is my elemental abilities, being so in tune with the Earth and getting to see other magical creatures like faeries, gnomes, stuff like that. But my empathetic magic makes being around so many other teenagers that much harder. Each one is like a tiny tornado of anger, hormones, stress and erratic bursts of happiness. It’s a little much to deal with.

3.  If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?

I wouldn’t mind being a few inches taller, haha! Really though, I don’t know if I would change anything. I could do with a shorter time in high school, but at least it’s almost over. I think if I changed anything I would miss out on something I would regret. I don’t know if Steven and Jodi and I would’ve ended up such close friends if we didn’t all have the bond of magic. I try not to tempt Fate.

4.  How hard is it to keep your magic secret from the majority of the people around you?

Most days, now that I have better control of it, it’s not so hard. But there are still days where I know my other classmates think I’m a freak because I have a hard time being in crowds of unknown people; all of those unknown emotions just wreak havoc with my empathetic abilities. Really, how many teenagers do you know who need someone to hold their hand just to go to the movies or to a restaurant with friends? That came be pretty lame some days. But I am glad we live in Southern California; since my elemental magic is tied to the earth there have been a couple of panic induced earthquakes that would’ve been hard to explain otherwise. I guess that could also fall under the category of “worst parts of having magic” and “what would you change in your life.” Hopefully I’ll get that under control before someone catching me doing it on one of those damn cellphone cameras and it’s all over the web.

To win an ebook of Earth, leave a comment with your email address on this post! Giveaway ends on Oct. 30.

Comment on every blog’s post to be entered into the Grand Prize for a signed print copy of soon to be released Air and bookmark! Second Grand Prize is a signed print copy of Earth and a bookmark!

Armchair BEA: Interview

 

 

I interviewed Tif from Tif Talks Books for Armchair BEA, and this is the awesome result!

Cade Crowley: I see that you've been a book blogger for quite some time, now! What inspired you to start?

 Tif: I was moving around a lot and wanted someplace consistent to share my thoughts on books, both for my own records as well as to just chat books with others.   All my friends were making their own family blogs.  I wasn't really into the family blog, but a book blog was perfect for me!

 

 

CC: When you aren't reading or blogging, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

T: Reading and writing take up most of my spare time!  BUT, with the time that I do have left, I spend time with my husband and two children going on a multitude of adventures.

 

CC: I know that a lot of us Armchair participants would love to be at BEA right now. What is your primary reason for not going?

 T: My primary reason for not going is twofold ... I have no one to care for my kids for an extended period of time (and my husband has a grueling and inflexible work schedule) as well as it being my busy time of year for my "day job."

 

CC: What is your favorite book of all time, and why?

T: Ha!  I can't just pick one book as my favorite of all time!  So, here are a few of my favorites:  The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (probably my most read books!), Wicked by Gregory Maguire, Blindness by Jose Saramago, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.  Can you tell I'm an eclectic reader?!?

 

CC: What has been the best book this year for you?

T: The best book so far this year?!?  I think I am going to go with another series, but a graphic novel series this time ... The Good Neighbors series by Holly Black and illustrated by Ted Naifeh.  Gorgeous artwork and simply fun story! 

 

CC: What do you look for when you're picking/reading a book?

T: I typically choose my next read based upon fellow blogger recommendations or to be completely shallow ... if the cover catches my eye!  Yep, I sometimes judge a book by its cover!  

 

CC: What is your favorite thing about blogging?

T: My favorite thing is the book-ish connections, of course!  I love knowing that I am not alone in my passion and love of reading, and blogging is a great outlet for this!

 

CC: Least favorite?

T: My least favorite is the time commitment!  I work full-time with two younger children.  That alone creates a busy schedule and does not allow me to write as much as I would like.  Even after four years of blogging, I still struggle on a regular basis with finding my balance!

 

CC: If you could say one thing about blogging to non-bloggers, what would it be?

 T: Me to non-bloggers ... Check it out!  You never know when you will find your next favorite read thanks to "real readers!"

 

 

Thanks for doing this awesome interview, Tif! I had a great time getting to know you :)

Interview with Cassie Clare and Holly Black

Last night I was lucky enough to interview Cassie Clare and Holly Black before their Santa Monica signing, and it was the coolest thing ever. Other than stuff for my intro to journalism class, that was my first live interview ever. Very fun.

There was one little problem, though. The dreaded technical difficulties. My computer decided to refuse to record anything, so we did the interview on my brother/assistant's phone. It didn't come out great, and towards the end, heads start getting cut off. Off of the picture, not bodies. Just to clarify.

But at least you can pretty much hear what everyone's saying :) There are some tiny spoilers, but nothing too big, I don't think.

I absolutely love both of these authors. To give you an idea of how much, here's a little story:

I got an ARC of Red Glove, so there's no fun story about that. It was an awesome book, though. But the fun story is about City of Fallen Angels. I was playing around on my computer Monday night, waiting for midnight to come so I could start reading. I came across some complaints that Kindle pre-orders were taking up to three hours to arrive, and I was like, nooooooooooo. So I canceled my pre-order and bought a Kindle copy at midnight.

Rewind to about eleven pm. I had just finished doing the laundry, and there was still an hour before CoFA released. What to do? Make coffee. I made three cups of coffee and lined them up on my desk so that I could read until who knows when and not wake up everyone else in the house while I made coffee. So. This kind of was a bad idea.

I had previously decided that, since I had to get up for class at eight the next morning, I would be going to bed at three. I don't normally stay up that late, so, at about one, I got up to drink the first coffee. It was the nastiest thing ever--cold, too much sugar, cheap brand--and I had to drink it like a really big shot to get past the horrible taste. (I did end up drinking all three coffees before three. Like shots. Nasty shots.)

Having consumed way too many coffees and half a sleeve of thin mints, I checked my phone for tweets and saw that it was 3:03 a.m. Time to stop reading :'( I looked down at my Kindle, and I had stopped at exactly 50%. I read 10% in class that morning, then finished the remaining 40% while waiting for my brother/assistant to get out of school. I ditched my two night classes and he ditched academic decathlon, and we went to the signing. Yay!

I was really nervous because I am just about the shiest person on earth, but it ended up being really awesome. I had a lot of fun and spent too much money! :D

MAX-imum Exposure Tour Stop - Interview with Max of "13 to Life"

Welcome to the MAX-imum Exposure Tour for the 13 to Life Series!

Each site throughout the tour will have swag and an individualized interview with either Pietr, Max or both! Shannon has also included an audio download for each interview so you can hear the Rusakova boys!

And here's today's interview!

Cade: Hey, Max. How do you feel about the events at the end of 13 to Life, and how do you think they should be dealt with?

Max: Loyalty is very important in my family and we learned a very surprising truth about someone we thought was a family member. But he’s not. He’s a traitor. And traitors should be dealt with. Harshly.

Cade: What is it like being the middle child in the Rusakova family?

Max: It is probably like being the middle child in any family. The oldest one gets to be the first at everything, so he gets attention. The youngest and his twin get to be the babies, so they get attention. And then there’s me. So maybe I work harder to get attention.

Shannon Delany is the winner of the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world and the author of the 13 to Life series through St. Martin's Press. 13 to Life is already available and Secrets and Shadows hits stores 2/15/11 with Bargains and Betrayals landing on shelves 8/16/11 (already available for pre-order!)and two more as of yet unnamed novels coming out in 2012.

For more about Shannon, visit her author website: www.ShannonDelany.com or her series website: www.13toLifeseries.com ; You can also find Shannon on Facebook and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Shannon_Delany

Want a fun freebie you can print out and use with a web-cam to make a bookmark much more than a bookmark? Go here and check out the Augmented Reality bookmark: http://ht.ly/3KgG7

Author Interview with Kersten Hamilton

Cade Crowley: What was your favorite part of writing Tyger Tyger?

Kersten Hamilton: Creation. I loved creating the characters and the worlds—Teagan’s world in Chicago, and the goblin world of Mag Mell. Even, Lucy, the smallest character, was such fun to write!

CC: Describe Tyger Tyger in five words.

KH: Romance, adventure, action and fun!

CC: What is your favorite YA novel, and why?

KH: How could I choose just one? When I was a young teen, I decided to read all of the books in the Anglo-Saxon tradition starting with Beowulf and working forward.

That lasted until I discovered Chinese folk tales, and Russian fairy stories…and my goal became to read every book ever written. I am not going to achieve this goal, but I will die trying! J

There have been many, many brilliant writers in many cultures throughout time, and I love them all.

But right now, my favorite YA novel is In the Forests of the Night, book two of the Goblin Wars. My own book. Not because I think it is greater than all of the other books I love, but because I am still writing it and I can feel the fire of creation all around me. I love that feeling. It is what makes the hard work of writing worthwhile.

CC: What made you decide to be an author?

KH: I think writing was just in my blood and in my bones—a writer is what I was created to be. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t working toward becoming an author. It has been, and still is, a lot of work–I have dysgraphia, so getting the words onto paper is a challenge.

CC: Who has inspired your writing the most?

KH: George MacDonald. He was a writer in the 1800’s and I discovered his books as I was reading my way through history. MacDonald became my role model. Not just because of the stories he wrote but because of the way he lived his life. George MacDonald believed that God loved everyone, no matter what. And so MacDonald tried to love everyone too, with all his might. I want to be like that.

It was awesome having you, Kersten, and thanks for answering a few of my questions!

The trailer for Tyger Tyger (see my 5 zombie review here), Kersten's YA fantasy novel, has recently been released, so check it out:

Author Interview with Emma Michaels

Emma Michaels was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them with every moment.

With her Debut novel, The Thirteenth Chime being released August 13th 2010 and future releases planned Emma Michaels aspires to one day make it to the top ten of the New York Times Best Sellers List. With her fiancé at her side and her small white Chihuahua, Hope, she writes, reads, reviews and tries to live everyday to its fullest, whether in the pages of a good book or reaching out to others.

Emma Michaels, author of The Thirteenth Chime, which comes out on August 13, 2010, has graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us. Since I haven't read the book yet, none of the questions relate directly to it; most of them are about her writing style and influences. Enjoy!

Find Emma at:

Her Blog

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Facebook

Hopefully I can get a copy of The Thirteenth Chime soon so that I can post a review here :)

~~~

Cade Crowley: First of all, thank you so much for doing this! I really appreciate it when anyone volunteers to do something for my blog. Forgive me if my questions aren't very original or insightful. This is my first interview, so I have no clue what I'm doing.

What made you decide to write paranormal?

Emma Michaels: Actually, I knew right off that I wanted it to be a YA novel, but it became paranormal as the book progressed. So I hope that both YA and paranormal book lovers will enjoy the reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

CC: Was there any one event that made you realize that you wanted to be an author?

EM: Yes. I was ill when I was younger and I was given a book by Tamora Pierce to read that really helped me deal with that time of my life. Shortly afterward, I found out that she would be doing a book signing at a bookstore near to where I lived. I went with a family member and not only did I get my book signed, but I was able to speak to her. The experience was wonderful and I knew after reading the book and meeting her that I definitely wanted to become a YA author one day.

CC: Did anyone in particular influence your decision to become a writer?

EM: Other than Tamora Pierce, my father has been a great support in my life in deciding to become a writer. I was also very fortunate with my fiance, who has support my decision to write my debut novel since the beginning and been my driving force pushing me forward.

CC: Do you outline your books, or are you a pantser (someone who writes without an outline, for those of you who haven't heard the term)?

EM: I do create outlines for my novels, but I only use them as a guide to keep on track. Once I begin writing, I just let the story itself flow and go wherever it wants to go.

CC: What is your favorite part of writing?

EM: My favorite part is when I sit down to write and I don't think about the words - I just feel them and type as fast as I can to keep up with the story. I feel that letting the story tell itself allows the characters come alive to anyone who reads it in a unique way. 

CC: Do you enjoy writing light and humorous scenes more than emotional ones, or vice versa?

EM: I enjoy both equally, but I think the emotional ones are the most difficult to write at times. I immerse myself in music to help me with the atmosphere of the moment, but I'm right there with the characters in what they are feeling and experiencing.

CC: Are any of your characters based on people you know in real life?

EM: No, I try to let the characters develop on their own. I've looked back through the book and wondered if maybe I based a character off of anyone accidentally. But all of my characters are their own individuality and I am very glad to have gotten to share their story with all potential readers.

CC: Does being a blogger affect your novel writing?

EM: Not the writing itself, no, but it does affect my outreach to my readers. To me, writing a book is not just about the writing or being published, it is about writing a book that I hope others will enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. It allows me to keep in touch with potential fans and to touch their lives the way that they have touched mine. Everyone has been really wonderful and supportive and I hope to continue blogging and writing for many years.

Thank you so much for the interview and thank you to everyone reading!! Your support means so much to me! If you would like to hear more of get updates on The Thirteenth Chime feel free to stop by my blog. http://EmmaMichaels.Blogspot.com

Thanks again Cade!!!

~~~

Emma was a pleasure to interview, and I hope you guys go check out her website and get The Thirteenth Chime on Friday the 13th of August, which is the greatest release date ever!