Feature Friday: Amy Christine Parker

AMY CHRISTINE PARKER earned her degree in elementary education at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, and then proceeded to try out many different jobs, including collectible doll maker, fondue waitress, and inner-city schoolteacher. It wasn't until she became a mom and began making up bedtime stories for her children that she finally realized what she was meant to do. Now Amy writes full-time from her home near Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, their two daughters, and one ridiculously fat cat. Her first novel, GATED, debuts with Random House Children's August 6, 2013. Visit her at amychristineparker.blogspot.com.

Interview:

A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Amy: 
It really is about reading a lot and writing a lot, but it’s also about learning and understanding story structure. Read novels, but also read books on craft and write and write and write until your hand falls off. Then get some feedback from honest, but helpful readers and then write and write some more. There is no easy, quick fix. Writing is a skill that takes time and effort to cultivate.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Amy: 
I have a lot of favorite books, but a real game changer for me was LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding. I read and reread that book in high school a bunch of times. If I had to pinpoint why it would be because it really was about the unraveling of the humanity in a group of boys and I just found it very chilling.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for Gated?

Amy: 
I was watching a TV show about extreme apocalyptic shelters and I was just fascinated by the people building them, about their conviction in the impending apocalypse. It got me thinking about extreme beliefs in general and that led me to cults and well...the story just evolved from there.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing Gated?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Amy: 
I didn’t really run into snags exactly. I just hit the inevitable quagmire that is the middle of a draft where all the holes in the plot feel insurmountable. The only way through that for me is to take a lot of long drives and a lot of long showers so that I can work them out (my car and the shower are where all my best thinking happens). It also took chocolate and caffeine on a very regular basis until I got through it!

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in Gated is your favorite and why?

Amy: 
I should probably say my main character here, but really, the character I liked delving into was Pioneer, the cult leader. I got into the research I needed to do to see what made him tick big time. He was disturbing and creepy and as far from who  I am as a person as I could get. That’s when the writing becomes a bit like the kind of pretend play I used to love as a kid.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Amy: 
My journey in one word was quick. I wasn’t a lifetime writer, although I have always had a major love affair with books. I only started writing in the summer of 2010. A little over two years later and I had written two manuscripts,the second of which snagged the interest of my agent. Two months after I signed with her, Random House made an offer. This was only 21/2 years after I started writing. I consider myself very, very lucky because I know that this is not the normal journey for most writers. That said, I also threw myself at writing hard core. I lost a lot of sleep to make sure I wrote everyday no matter what else was happening. I let go of anything and everything that took away from my family and my writing, but it was totally worth it. This is my dream and I feel so blessed that I get to live it.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

Amy: 
Right this minute I’m working on edits for GATED’s sequel which comes out Fall 2014, but I’ve also got another book I’m drafting...it’s too early to say much about it, but I will say that it’s a creepy thriller—my favorite kind of story.

A.L.:
What makes Gated different than other dystopian novels?  It seems to have an almost “The Village” quality to it, would you agree?

Amy: 
I would completely agree that there are elements of this book that are very similar to “The Village”. There is an isolated community that strives to be a utopia of sorts, but most definitely isn’t. As far as how GATED differs from other dystopians...I’d have to say the biggest difference is that it takes place now, in our time. It isn’t set in a future society at all.

A.L.:
What’s the first story you ever made up for your kids?

Amy: 
Oh wow, I don’t know if I can remember one specific one. I always make something up on the fly and my memory is pea poor! I will say that I tell them stories the way my grandfather used to with me. His favorite story was about two mischevious bears named Jinkie and Junkie who got into all kinds of trouble. The first story I told my girls was probably about them.

A.L.:
What’s your favorite building in Tampa?

Amy: 
I really like the buildings at the University of Tampa. I love their minarets. I actually had my author photo taken there because I like it so much. The building doesn’t really seem like it fits in Florida at all. It feels like it should have a snowy landscape around it, but maybe that’s what I love, the fact that it’s out of place. It makes it more interesting.

The Giveaway:
Amy is giving away a copy of GATED and bookmarks.

Gated:  Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Read Goodreads reviews. 
Buy on Amazon.
Buy on Barnes and Noble.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

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FOR YOUR HEART -- Sneaky Peek 3:

Sneaky Peek #3 from my upcoming novel, FOR YOUR HEART (Coming October 31, 2013)  Check out the description on Goodreads.  If you love it, mark it on your to-be-read list and tell your friends! 

            “You know, Lovely, you shouldn’t have run from me yesterday.”

            Freezing, I look up.  Green Man is sitting on the window sill, his long, raven-black hair outlining him like a death shroud.

            Instinct kicks in and I turn to flee, but he magically appears in front of me, his massive body blocking the door.  He flashes a dark smirk.  “There really is no need to run.” 

            I backpedal until my butt hits a sink.  Dread leaks to my toes, making my bones feel like linguini.  Good thing I already went to the bathroom because I’d be peeing my pants in terror right now.  Slapping my hands over my eyes, I start that age old manta, “You’re not real.  You’re not real.  You’re not real.”

            “Aren’t I?” He’s so close I feel his breath on my face, sense his body on the tips of the tiny hairs on my face.  “Shall I convince you I am real?”

            I peek between my fingers.  He’s there.  He’s lost his Ren Faire garb and is dressed in a school uniform – which is weird – and his handsome face is near enough that too deep a breath would bring his nose to mine.  I lean backward until I’m practically sitting in the sink.  I want to turn away, to run, but he has his hands planted on both sides of me. 

            What do I do?  How do I make him go away?  Am I psychotic?  Schizophrenic?  Should I even be talking to him?  Does humoring hallucinations make psychosis better or worse?  Maybe if I can figure out what he wants, he’ll go away?

            I struggle for my voice.  “W-what do you want?”

            He takes a step back, giving me room to breathe.  “Just to talk.”  He gestures toward my half tucked in shirt.  “Please continue with your business.”

            I ignore his prompt and back around the first sink.  “T-talk?  Y-you’re not going to hurt me?”

            He cocks his head and raises his hands.  “I don’t have any weapons.”

            Glancing at his big paws, I say, “You don’t need weapons.”

            He shoves his fingers into his pockets.  “I’m only here to talk.”  He circles me.  I try to spin to keep tabs on him, but he’s back on the sill before I see him move.  He’s quick.  Unnaturally so. With reflexes that fast, he certainly could’ve done anything he wanted to me already.

            “H-how do I know you won’t hurt me?”

            “You have my word.  I won’t hurt you.” He shrugs.  “For now.”

            I swallow the massive lump in my throat.  “For now?”

            He smirks.  “For now.”

Monday Muse - Sick Puppies: There's No Going Back

Anthem!

Feature Friday: Sarah McCarry

Sarah McCarry was born in Seattle and lives in New York. She is the editor and publisher of Guillotine, a chapbook series dedicated to revolutionary nonfiction. All Our Pretty Songs is her first book. Find her online at www.therejectionist.com

Interview:

A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Sarah:
Read all the time and write all the time and go out into the world and run around in it as much as you can. And I think one of the most useful things you can learn as a writer is the difference between criticism that comes from someone who understands the kind of book you are trying to write and criticism that comes from someone who wants you to write the kind of book that suits them, which are very different things. The first kind of criticism is useful to you as a writer and the second is not.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Sarah: 
Oh dear lord, that is an IMPOSSIBLE question. Impossible. I love a lot of books, very much, for very different reasons. I think in terms of books I love that probably went into this book, Francesca Lia Block and Elizabeth Hand are both very obvious influences, and I also loved Emma Donoghue's book of fairy tales retold, KISSING THE WITCH, which was a big influence on me as a young writer. And definitely Blake Nelson's 1994 book GIRL and Bett Williams's GIRL WALKING BACKWARDS, and all of Kelly Link's short stories. I didn't read Ovid until I was in my twenties, but I teethed on the myths that Ovid pillaged from (including the mythology of Orpheus, and of Persephone, which is the starting point for the second book in the trilogy).

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for All Our Pretty Songs?

Sarah: 
Orpheus and Eurydice is about the goth-est myth ever and is a really perfect framework for a story about teenagers and rock and roll. But I always knew I wanted to twist the ending; stories in which the boy is the hero (even if he is a failure as a hero, as Orpheus is in that particular myth) are not that interesting to me. And I knew that I wanted to write about the Northwest, and about the nineties, so all of that knitted itself together very well.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing All Our Pretty Songs?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Sarah: 
Honestly, my biggest struggle when I am writing tends to be dealing with my own self. I am a terrible procrastinator, I go to great lengths to make sure I am too busy to put time into my own work, I spend a lot of time and energy pursuing very unproductive trains of thought, etc. I wouldn't say that problem is "fixed," but a lot of things help--taking good care of myself, setting really clear boundaries with my freelance work, and the oft-cited Butt In Chair approach, which I have found to be pretty successful.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in All Our Pretty Songs is your favorite and why?

Sarah: 
Raoul! I love Raoul so much--I know it is a terrible cliché for writers to say their characters take on a life of their own, but there were times I honestly forgot Raoul was not a real person. He remains very dear to me. He is the voice of compassion and reason in the novel, but he is also pretty cheeky. I like to think he is an excellent balance of kindness and spark.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Sarah: 
Messy and long. I've written my whole life, but it wasn't until I moved to New York five years ago that I was brave enough to acknowledge I wanted to do it as a career. And at this point in my life, there's not much else I can do--I didn't really have any options other than making it work. Thankfully it seems to be (knock on wood), but it was an arduous and difficult path to get here, for sure.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

Sarah: 
I am at this very moment in a tiny cabin in a tiny town on the very northwestern edge of the country, spending a lot of time on the beach and writing the third book in the trilogy, which is about sailing and the stars and figuring out whether what you came from has anything to do with what you are. Also: Medea.

A.L.:
What made you write a novel that set best friends against each other?  Are you speaking from experience?

Sarah: 
To me, they're not so much set against each other as coming to the painful realization that what they've meant to each other in the past might not be enough to keep them together in the future. I think one of the hardest lessons you can learn as a human being is that love is not always enough to keep two people on the same path, which is I think a pretty universal experience.

A.L.:
Where is the best place to get dumplings in Brooklyn?

Sarah: 
The beef momo at Cafe Tibet in Ditmas are delicious, but really you have to go into Manhattan for soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai.

A.L.:
How much trouble have you gotten into/how much insurrection have you formented?  Do you have a wrap sheet?  Or is that a secret?  J

Sarah:
Ha! A lot, but I should probably plead the fifth. Let's just say I've never actually gotten arrested.

The Giveaway:
Sarah is giving away a copy of ALL OUR PRETTY SONGS and it's international!

All Our Pretty Songs:  The first book in an exciting YA trilogy, this is the story of two best friends on the verge of a terrifying divide when they begin to encounter a cast of strange and mythical characters.

Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters—the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator—find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil—and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying.

And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves—if she can.

Read Goodreads reviews. 
Buy on Amazon.
Buy on Barnes and Noble.

 How to Enter: 
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

 

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A.L.'s at AUTHORS AFTER DARK!

Hey everyone I'm at Authors After Dark this weekend!  If you're living in the Savannah, Georgia driving-loop.  Come check it out!  And don't forget the YA Day on Saturday.

If you're attending, stop by and say hi at these events I'll be a featured author at:

Thursday:
10:00 am: Alternate Timeline Steampunk
11:00 am: On Feathered Wings
1:00 pm: Cross Genre Paranormal
3:00 pm: YA Blogger meet and greet
4:00 pm: Faerie Tales Retold
10:00 pm: YA Pajama Party

Friday:
2:00 pm: Post Apocalyptic and You
3:00 pm: YA Chocolate Party
4:00 pm: Steampunk Tea

Saturday:
11:00 am: YA Dystopia
12:00 pm: YA signing
2:00 pm: Adult signing
3:00 pm: YA Reading: FOR YOUR HEART
4:00 pm: YA Shifters

(I'll also be at the Bookie Awards, the Vampire Ball, the Elementals Ball, and the lunches)
Hope to see you there!

Monday Muse: Volbeat -- Warrior's Call

Makes me wanna go storm a castle!

Feature Friday: Michelle Pickett

I've been an avid reader since a young child, writing soon followed. I began writing for personal enjoyment in college, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in accounting—why I chose a degree field that frowns on creativity remains a mystery—but I’m lucky enough to write full-time.

My debut young adult novel, “PODs,” was published by Spencer Hill Press June 4th, 2013. The second book in the PODs Series, “The Infected,” will release in November 2014.

 The first book in the Milayna Trilogy, “Milayna,” will release March 11, 2014. The second book, “Milayna’s Angel,” will release September 2014 and the final book, “The Innocent,” will release April 2015.

I was born and raised in Michigan.  I now reside in a small community outside Houston, Texas with my incredibly supportive husband, three amazing school-aged children, a 125-pound dog who thinks he’s a lap dog and a very snooty cat.

I write young adult Sci/Fi, urban fantasy, paranormal and dystopian romances (as long as I have a supply of Reese’s Peanut butter cups).

I LOVE to hear from readers. If you have a comment, question, suggestion or just want to say hi,     email me!

Website:    www.Michelle-Pickett.com
Email:        Michelle@Michelle-Pickett.com
Blog:        www.Michelle-Pickett.com/blog
Facebook:      www.Facebook.com/michellepickettauthor
Twitter:    http://www.twitter.com/michelle_kp
Goodreads:    http://goodreads.com/michelle-pickett
Linked In:    http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepickett

Interview:

A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Michelle:
Read, write, read, write, and repeat. Reading is important. It’s like going to school. It’s a way to study different writing methods and genres. And you can’t be a writer without writing, so you should write something everyday. If I can’t find inspiration for the book I’m working on, I write in my journal. But I always write something everyday. Finally, don’t give up. My dad told me if it’s worth having, it’s worth working for. So, don’t give up. Work for your dream. Write and then write some more.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Michelle:
My favorite book is “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls. It’s the first book that really took me out of myself and put me in the book with the characters. I still remember the first time I read it—on my bed crying at the ending. I still read the book even now. And I still cry.

My favorite book as an adult is “Olivia and Jai” by Rebecca Ryman, which is somewhat odd because it is a historical romance set in India. It isn’t a genre I write or normally read. I don’t even remember why I decided to read the book, but I fell in love with the characters. It is another book that moved me. I also reread it often.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for PODS?

Michelle:
I’d love to tell you some great story about getting the idea from a dream or something similar, but I can’t. I’m not really sure where the idea came from. I think the seed was planted in my brain when my husband and I were talking about the “super viruses” doctors are warning us about and how antibiotics are ineffective on them. Around that time my mother contracted a very aggressive strain of MRSA and the doctors were having trouble finding a combination of medication to treat it. I’d also talked to my doctor about the over use of penicillin and antibacterial soaps and cleaners.

I think these conversations and events rolled around in my head and I started playing the “What If” game, which is how all my books start.  What if this happened? And then this? And then that? And so forth.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing PODS?  What were they and how did you fix them?

Michelle:
PODs was actually a very fun book to write. It came very easily. When my editor read it she had some things she wanted to change and I agreed with her ideas. I thought they made sense and made the book stronger, but they were a little harder to write. I think because they weren’t “my” ideas. To fix them I used my editor as a sounding board. I asked a lot of questions about how I should approach the changes (The hardest was the addition of a new character). She gave me a lot of ideas. I also used my husband and son. Usually I do a  lot of talking and they just listen and let me talk! LOL! But it helps me work through some of the bumps I come across. And, to be honest, my husband has come up with some really great ideas for me.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in PODS is your favorite and why?

Michelle:
Well, it’s a given that Eva and David are two of my favorites so I’ll skip them. Roy is my favorite character. He is a secondary character and he doesn’t have many scenes in the book. I’m not sure what it is about Roy that makes me love him so much, but he just draws me to him. He’s around a lot more in the sequel to PODs, “The Infected,” which releases November 2014.

I also love Devlin. You can see his caring side in the way he treats his half sister. He comes off as gruff, but he has a lot more depth. And we’ll learn a lot more about him in the sequel.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Michelle:
I actually have a really fairy tale story. I almost don’t like telling it because I don’t want people who are trying to get published to  think my story is the way it happens. (and I don’t want those talented writers who are still trying to find an agent or publisher to hate me! ha-ha)

When I wrote PODs, I queried a few agents and none were interested. I gave up after querying about twenty (that’s an insanely small number). I came across Spencer Hill Press by accident. They were accepting unagented submissions so I submitted. The next day I got a request for my full manuscript and three days later I had an offer. Spencer Hill was the first publisher I sent PODs to. That isn’t they way it normally happens. I was INCREDIBLY blessed. I’m still overwhelmed by how truly blessed I am.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

Michelle:
I have a few things in the works right now. I’m currently in editing the sequel (and last book in the series) to PODs called: “The Infected.” It will release in November 2014

I have a paranormal romance trilogy coming out called: “The Milayna Series” The first book: “Milayna” releases March 2014. The second book: “Milayna’s Angel” releases September 2014 and the final book: “The Innocent” releases April 2015.

I’m getting ready to submit a young adult urban fantasy. I’m just polishing up the edits. I’m working on a New Adult contemporary romance and another dystopian.

A.L.:
What makes PODS unique in comparison to other dystopian “monster” books?

Michelle:
I don’t think there’s anything that features a “POD” living habitat on the market today. Also, the monsters in the books aren’t really monsters, but people infected by the mutated virus. So I like to say they’re the new generation of zombies—living zombies.  Living because they don’t actually “die” like a true zombie does.

A.L.:
If you were stranded on a tropical island, what’s the one thing you would want to have with you?

Michelle:
Other than my family, a box of matches. I’m assuming I wouldn’t have electricity for my Kindle so that’s out. So I’ll take matches to build a fire. (boring answer, I know)

A.L.:
What’s your favorite cooking show?  Likewise, what’s your favorite hoodie?

Michelle:
Oh, that’s not a fair question! I can’t name just one! I love them, even though I hate to cook. I like Chopped, but I love Hell’s Kitchen. My dad passed away in January—his is by far my favorite hoodie. :)

Thank you so much for hosting me! I had fun answering your questions. I love hearing from readers and other authors, so please drop me a note and say “Hi!”

The Giveaway:
Michelle has offered a copy of PODS as well as a MILAYNA notebook!

PODS:  Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.

Read Goodreads review.
Read Amanda's review.
Buy on Barnes and Noble.
Buy on Amazon.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to national entrants. 

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Monday Muse: Jimmy Skoog -- Pompeii by Bastille

Today I'm doing a little promo for a fellow artist!

Following the release of his February mixtape "Hometown Hero", Swedish rapper JaeWon is back with new music. This time he puts the pseudonyms aside and gets ready to release a load of new material this fall.

To start it off he brings us his own version of Bastille's smash hit "Pompeii".

Artist: JIMMY SKOOG

Original: BASTILLE - POMPEII

Additional production: ALEX ISAAK ( alexisaak.com )

YOUTUBE-LINK: http://youtu.be/RVL36i3KEYU

SOUNDCLOUD-LINK: https://soundcloud.com/jimmyskoog/jimmy-skoog-pompeii-bastille

ARTWORK: https://www.dropbox.com/s/omofmn2cj6cykpg/pompeii%20cover.jpg

TEASER FOR MY UPCOMING YOUTUBE SERIES: http://youtu.be/801TaxNNSqY

LYRICS:

Verse 1:

Can you hear me, I'm calling you //

it's getting hard to see the darkness through //

summer just left us with autumn blues //

and I'm having a hard time to follow through //

but when they photoshop and auto tune //

emotions off take out all the truth //

we go for that dream and chase that feeling // ('cause)

when we were kids that was all we knew // (HEY!)

always felt this adrenaline rush //

in my soul that's lead me to kicking up dust //

doctor prescribing medicine that //

he said would keep me from giving a fuck // (w'the fuck?)

just keep on living it up //

when they push you down, just turn everything up //

what, am I supposed to be giving this up? //

all the things that made me, you're kidding me, huh... // 

Verse 2: 

We don't care what they say //

when they say we're failures //

'cause it is up us now //

and only we can save us //

can't shake us, sh-shake us //

can't hold us down or contain us //

we just keep marching //

can't knock us down, they won't break us, SO //

this is it boys, this is war //

what the hell are we waiting for? //

misunderstood and misinformed //

we've been living our lives but can't take no more //

we will fight till they make us kings //

and make sure when they hear our names they cringe //

tear that roof till its caving in //

and we won't look back we're just taking wing... //

CONTACT:

Jimmy Skoog

iamjimmyskoog@gmail.com

jimmyskoog.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jimmyskoog

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/iamjimmyskoog

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jimmyskoog

Instagram: @jimmyskoog

FOR YOUR HEART -- Sneaky Peek 2:

Another excerpt from my upcoming YA paranormal romance novel, FOR YOUR HEART.  If you're interested in reading more, check it out here and don't forget to tell your friends!

            I slip down the oak and kneel behind the trunk of a white pine.  She has stopped spinning and is now pacing forward, her eyes scanning the ground like she's looking for something.  Then she stops and I see what she sees.  Everything inside me freezes solid.  I fight to breathe, I fight to stop her, but I can't move.  She steps forward and crouches in front of one of Roxel’s precious jewels.

            No, don't touch the roses.

            She reaches out and her fingers delicately trace the deep red petals of the tallest, most beautiful rose.  A delicious shiver dances up my spine.  The look on her face is enough to electrocute my heart back into beating and I draw in an awed breath.  She’s so beatific and enrapt that I’m entranced by her pleasure.  I never knew a woman could look at something with such innocent, unbridled pleasure.  Her eyes go liquid and her cheeks flush a shade pinker, her warmth spreads through my veins like a summer's breeze.  Her lips part ever so slightly, like she's expecting a kiss – one I’m more than willing to give. Then I hear it:

            Snap

            I blink and my eyes trace the smooth length of her arm.  She's got the rose's stem in her hand, but the stem no longer reaches into the ground.  Inch by inch, the space between the flower and dirt grows until Lovely has the petals against her soft lips and, eyes closed, is savoring the scent of the faerie queen's sacred bloom.

            For a moment, the simple act sends a primal ripple of pleasure slithering over my skin.  But then my mind takes hold and my heart gallops wild, fear eating my intestines like a rabid wolf.  What is Roxel going to do to me?  I’m to protect her roses, that’s why she sent me to patrol Carver Hall Park.  What will I do?  She's going to kill me.

            Suddenly, I'm filled with hatred for this tantalizing but destructive human girl.  She couldn't appreciate the beauty before her, she had to destroy it.  Why should I die on account of her folly? 

            Before I realize what I'm doing, I let out a roar and leap through the underbrush.  I grasp her by her treacherous hand, throw her to the ground, and hold her there. 

            “What have you done!?” I demand, knowing full well the implications of what I'm asking.  “How dare you come to this place!  How dare you pick a rose!  How dare you break its stem!  Do you not understand that you must ask leave of me!?”

            Lovely’s fingers loosen around the rose as terror slackens her muscles.  Those fae green eyes chase her crimson sin as it falls to the ground.  Then she stares at me, as if she can’t believe I am real.

            I tighten my grasp, drawing her attention to my hand shackled around her wrist, reassuring her that I am no dream.  “Speak up.”

Feature Friday: April Tucholke

April Genevieve Tucholke is a writer who digs classic movies, red-headed villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She lives in Oregon at the edge of the forest.


Interview:

A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

April:
Stay curious. Be interesting.

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?


April:
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
Because of lines like this:

"She wore a gown the color of storms, shadows, and rain and a necklace of broken promises and regrets."

And:

"I know magicians and I know magic and I say this: all magicians lie and this one more than most."

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea?

April:
 I read this truth-is-stranger-than-fiction article when I was living in Scotland: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8574484.stm The entire book spun off from this...

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea? What were they and how did you fix them?

April:
The ending was tricky. But then, they always are. What's the downright scariest thing I can make this character do right now? How do I have this character do this thing, and yet still be likeable? It was a delicate balance...

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is your favorite and why?

April:
River, of course. That charming, screwed up liar.

A.L.:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

April:
I got a creative writing degree in college, and I hated the kind of writing that was taught--anti-genre, wholesome, sentimental, mind-numbing realism. I loathe that kind of thing. So dull, so boring. I stopped writing for a long time after I graduated. Eventually I tried again--it was over a decade later. It took 3 manuscripts and a lot of hell and missteps and nightmarish rejections. But it worked out in the end. Which is pretty incredible.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?

April:
I'm doing edits on the sequel, BETWEEN THE SPARK AND THE BURN. And then I'm back to working on my post-apoc WIP, THE SCARECROW.

A.L.:
OMG, I love this cover and this title like WHOA.  Are you totally in love with it too?

April:
Yeah. I love it too. Glad I got to keep my title. Glad I got a font-driven cover.

A.L.:
Did you originally pitch Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea as a gothic horror?  Can you explain what gothic horror is to our readers?

April:
I pitched it as horror. But it was later pointed out to me that my book leaned Gothic, and I had to agree. You put a lonely, semi-orphaned girl in a rotting mansion on the sea, and send a mysterious, dangerous boy her way...that's pretty much Gothic fiction in a nutshell.

A.L.:
Who is your favorite redheaded villain?

April:
My husband.

The Giveaway:  
April is giving away a signed copy of BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, once the book comes out and it's International!

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea:  You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

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How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the arrow buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants. 

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