Monday Muse: The 1975 - Chocolate

So, this was supposed to be the Monday Muse for like two weeks ago except I apparently forgot to set it to publish and it's been sitting here for a while without me noticing and no one felt like telling me my Monday Muse didn't go up.  :/  Anyway, it's here today! 

I have such a fan girl addiction to these guys. I want to make you listen to their whole album! LOL

Feature Friday: Jodi Meadows

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut.

*A Kippy is a cat.

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

Jodi:
Finish that first book. It doesn't have to be good. Just finish it. (Then revise it.)

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

Jodi:
I don't have a favorite book -- singular. I have lots of favorite books, mostly in the YA fantasy and science fiction genre. Some of my recent favorites are STARGLASS by Phoebe North, DEFIANCE by C.J. Redwine, THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson, and GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers. (I'm stopping there, because if I tried to keep naming books, we'd be here all night.)

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

Jodi:
I shook up a bottle of soda and let it spray all over the kitchen floor. I read the story in the bubbles.

Just kidding. The getting of ideas is kind of a mysterious thing. Ideas just happen. You can practice by asking "what if?" a lot; many of my ideas begin that way, and grow as I roll them around in my thoughts and more ideas stick to them.

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

Jodi:
Nothing that seemed really insurmountable. INCARNATE was my seventeenth completed manuscript, so by that time, I sort of knew what I was doing, and that if I messed up something, I could always revise it into shape.

Though, while I don't think it was a mistake, exactly, I did write the second and third books before I finished editing the first, which meant by the time I was ready to edit book three, so many things had changed in the plot and worldbuilding that it was just easier to trash the entire first draft and start over.

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

Jodi:
Oh I don't have a favorite. It's like choosing favorite children or pets! But, of course, Ana and Sam have a special place in my heart, since they're the two main characters.

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

Jodi:
As I mentioned above, I'd written sixteen manuscripts before I wrote INCARNATE, so as you can imagine, my journey to publication was, ah, long. Or it seemed very long. I started writing in 2003, got an agent in 2007, left that agent by the end of the year, and began searching for a new one. I wrote INCARNATE at the end of 2009 and got a new agent in the beginning of 2010, and sold INCARNATE that summer.

So all in all, it was really only a few years, but it it was my full-time job that didn't pay, and pretty difficult for me to get over all that rejection. (I have a pile of over 400 rejections.) But, I'm glad it happened. It gave me perspective and experience. I think I'm a better writer for the journey.

A.L.:
What are you working on now?  Sequel?  Something new?  Maybe some interesting tidbits about The Orphan Queen?

Jodi:
Right now, at this very moment when I'm answering these questions, I'm taking a short break while I wait for my edit letter on THE ORPHAN QUEEN. Before this, I was working on the first draft of its sequel. And any day now, I'm going to get my edit letter for OQ. So, to keep from having to trash the entire first draft of the second book (haha, remember when I did that with INFINITE? Yeah, good times), I'm taking a break, now that I know all the things I need to know to foreshadow properly in book 1.

Tidbits . . . The main character really likes office supplies. Specifically paper and dip pens and fancy inks.

A.L.:
You love to create yarnish things!  What's the most fantastic thing you've spun/knit/crocheted?

Jodi:
Oooh, I don't know. I really like the lacy shawl I'm working on, but I've been working on it for well over a year now -- and when I say working on, I mean I stopped working on it because it started demanding too much attention as it grew.

Um. I have some really pretty silk I spun. I like spinning silk.

A.L.:
I know it's super hard to choose just one of your ferret underlings, but if you had to feature just one of them today, who would it be and why?  What would this ferret say to the good readers?  (we like pictures)

Jodi:
Todd seems to be the most popular ferret, but Hiro has a pretty solid fan base. I don't think I could choose just one. In fact, I refuse! Here's a blurry picture of both of them together.

A.L.:
What are your feelings about the Newsoul series coming to an end?  Are you a little bittersweet or excited to move on to another chapter in your writing career?

Jodi:
Ahhh, both. I'm sad to leave Ana and Sam and the rest of the reincarnation gang, but their story is finished. I'm really, really excited to share THE ORPHAN QUEEN and all the fun people living in that story!

The Giveaway:
Jodi is offering a swag pack -- bookmark, stickers, signed bookplate -- internationally.

Infinite:  DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Muse: Idina Menzel -- Let It Go

Because I'm now obsessed with Frozen. I vote Idina over Demi any day, so that's why we get the official voice actress version and not the closing credits version. Also, the can we talk about the opening song?! O.O Hello Pure Moods!

Feature Friday: Ednah Walters

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, was released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN.

Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS (book 2) was released three months later. GRIMNIRS (book 2.5) is the bridge between book 2 and 3. Ednah is presently working on book 3, tentatively titled SEERS.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published five more books in this series. She's presently working on book seven.

WEBSITE: http://www.runestheseries.com/

  and http://www.ednahwalters.com/ 

BLOG: http://ednahwalters.blogspot.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/EdnahWalters#!/AuthorEdnahwalters  

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ednahwalters

Interview:

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

Ednah:
Read in the genre you are writing and write from your heart. Write what you are passionate about
and readers will see it, feel it, and love it. It doesn’t matter if it is about the boy next door, aliens,
zombies, or mythology. Force yourself to write according to what’s trending and it will show in
your work. Also keep in mind that trends come and go. By the time you finish your book, a new
trend could be starting, so don’t follow trends.

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

Ednah:
I don’t know if I have one. If I were to choose, I’d go with City of Bones. I love Cassie style of
writing and without reading TMI, I would never have thought of reading more on runes.

A.L.:
Where did you get the ideas for the Guardians and Runes series?

Ednah:
Guardian Legacy started with the dagger, the Kris Dagger. I can’t remember what I was
researching when I came across this magical Indonesian dagger. Then I started thinking about
who could wield it and went back to beings that have always fascinated me—Nephilim—part
human and part fallen angel. The fallen angel Azazel showed humans how to create weapons, so
of course he’d also created this special dagger.

As for Runes, after reading City of Bones, I started researching runes. When they led me to
another area that has always fascinated me-Norse mythology-I knew I had to write the series.
The best part was not a lot of authors were writing about Norse mythology, so I had/have room
to play with the back story. With each book, I find something exciting and new to add.

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

Ednah:
Not really. From book one, I always knew Lil would one day unite the Nephilim and so I knew
the direction the Guardian Legacy series would go. How they’d get there is another story. My
characters tend to lead the way once I start writing.

As for Runes, my characters keep surprising me. When I finished book one, I wasn’t sure what
Raine was. I just knew the Norns wanted her, but not why. When I started to write book 2, I
still had questions about the Norns’ motive. The revelation at the end of book 2 was perfect and
opened the door to book 3.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in each of these two series is your favorite and why?

Ednah:
I hate to be bias, so I can’t choose. What’s not to love about Torin? And we’ve barely scratched
the surface on what makes him tick. Echo… Oh man, he’s been through so much and is still
cocky and funny. Andris has a story to tell that will shock readers and Blaine with his love for
Mortals is not your typical teenager (if he’s even a teenager). And don’t get me started on the
girls… Love them all.

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

Ednah:
I started as a stay-at-home mom who needed an outlet. Being a stay-at-home mother is about the
hardest thing ever, so I wrote short stories at first to read to my kids, then I moved on to nursery
rhymes and added my twist and finally tried writing adult romance. I published three adult
romance books under a different name, got burned by the publisher, decided to drop that name
and use a different one. By the time Awakened, Guardian Legacy book one, was published, I had
three adult romance finished and couldn’t find a home for them. Rejection is part of a writer’s
journey, so I didn’t let the letters bother me. By the time I found a home for my GL series, I was
already considering self-publishing. So while I let a publisher take over the GL series, I self-
published my adult romance.

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

Ednah:
I am working on Forgotten, the next GL book, then I’ll be on to book 3 of Raine and Torin. I’ve
also started a NA. We’ll see how that goes.

A.L.:
You write for YA, NA, and adult readers.  What's your favorite age group to write?

Ednah:
Each genre is fun to write in its own way. Most of my adult books have suspense and so are my
YA series. However, there’s something about the way teenagers view the world and love, and
their search to find themselves and how they fit in the universe that I find fascinating and fun to
write about. I also think I’m going to enjoy writing NA because it is the in-between stage in a
woman’s development. We’ll see.

A.L.:
What drew you to the Nephilim for your Guardians series and Norse mythology for your
Runes series?

Ednah:
I love superheroes, especially those with powers. Anyone who knows me will tell you Thor is
my favorite superhero, followed by Loki and Incredible Hulk. Iron man and Captain America
come a distant third and fourth. So needless to say, I love writing about beings with powers.
Guardians and their ability to control elements are perfect superheroes because they have
powers over elements. As for Norse mythology, Asgardians use magic. I love that any humans
can become a powerful character in Norse mythology. The connection between magic and
witchcraft, which have been practiced by various groups throughout the history of the world, and
Norse mythology, makes the pieces in each story gel nicely.

A.L.:
Can you tell us, as concisely as you can, what the core mythological concepts are for the
Guardians and Runes?

Ednah:
In Guardian Legacy series, the myth behind the series is that some of the Nephilim were
left behind to watch/guard humans when the world was destroyed after Noah built the ark.
Unfortunately, some went rogue and decided to go after humans. These are the demons in most
religious books and myths. The Guardians’ job is to stop them.
In the Runes series, the myth is Asgard is real and Valkyries are still reaping souls of the dead
and taking them to Asgard for the final battle between the gods and the evil giants. Older
Valkyries also recruit future Valkyries from among humans, making them immortal by using
runes, which were first given to Odin and their knowledge passed on to other gods and humans.

To read more on the GL and Runes background, check out my websites at
www.ednahwalters.com and www.runestheseries.com

The Giveaway:
Ednah is giving away a signed copy of Grimnirs (US) and an e-copy (INT).

Grimnirs:  Straight out of the psych ward, Cora just wants her life to be normal. She doesn’t want to see souls or the reapers collecting them. The guy she’s loved from a distance for years moves away without saying goodbye. So yes, she’s nursing a serious heartbreak. It’s no wonder love is the last thing on her mind when Echo storms into her life.

The chemistry between them is mind-blowing.The connection defies logic. Even better, the souls leave her alone when he is around.

Too bad Echo is the poster boy for everything she hates in a guy—hot, beautiful,and cocky. He is also a soul reaper. A Grimnir.
The very beings she wants out of her life. Maybe normal is overrated because Cora wants it all. Answers. Love. A life.

Get your copy today!

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18339548-grimnirs


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) for each shipping territory (US or INT -- make sure you enter yourself in the correct one). I will contact the winners via email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Debut Author Giveaway/Hop

Be sure to enter my giveaway of A SLEEP SO DARK (ends 12/6).
Enter my giveaway of GRIMNIR by Ednah Walters (begins 12/6).
Be sure to enter in my book tour giveaway (ends 12/12).

2013 was a good year for debut authors (including myself, LOL)!

The Giveaway:
One lucky winner will be able to pick from the list of books below!

For Your Heart:  Experience THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN like you’ve never read it before…

It has been seven years since Jeanette Sauderheim followed her best friend into Carver Hall Park...and came out alone. Jeanette has never gotten over his mysterious disappearance nor has she gone back into the park. While that traumatic night still haunts her, Jeanette distracts herself by balancing her time between trying to pass Spanish, hanging out with her friends, and reading the latest manga.

But, when a promise to a friend drives her back into the park, she's forced to re-live the memories of that night. Lost and confused, Jeanette crosses paths with Tamrin, whose violent reaction to her provides yet another reason to avoid the park.

Tamrin, a knight of the Summer Court, has been sent to Earth to guard a garden of roses that hold special meaning to the queen of the Summer faeries. When his distraction at meeting Jeanette leads to her picking one of the Summer Queen’s roses, Tamrin vows to right his failure to do his duty.

However, the equivalent of one of the queen’s roses is a human heart and Tamrin’s reluctance to readily exact the sum from Jeanette sets in motion a spiral of love, betrayal, and magic that could mean damnation for them both.

Splintered:  This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

The Madman's Daughter:  In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

Level 2:  In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost-family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian-a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life-comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

Another Little Piece:  The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

These Broken Stars:  It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

--

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

Pretty Dark Nothing:  It’s been twenty three days since Quinn has slept for more than minutes at a time. Demons have invaded her dreams, stalking her, and whispering of her death. The lack of sleep and crippling fear are ruining her life. Energy drinks and caffeine pills don’t make a dent. When Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. The demons are determined to keep them apart, and Aaron from discovering the secret locked away in his memory. Together, they could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.

The Rules for Disappearing:  She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

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 winners via email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure to check out the other blogs participating in the Giveaway Hop! 

FOR YOUR HEART tour giveaway

Because it's just easier to put the giveaway on here so that you guys don't have to go hunting for the blogs.  (Even though they're right here)

The Giveaway:
A $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card, FHY swag/book, and a secret YA novel book pack.

For Your Heart:  Experience THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN like you’ve never read it before…

It has been seven years since Jeanette Sauderheim followed her best friend into Carver Hall Park...and came out alone. Jeanette has never gotten over his mysterious disappearance nor has she gone back into the park. While that traumatic night still haunts her, Jeanette distracts herself by balancing her time between trying to pass Spanish, hanging out with her friends, and reading the latest manga.

But, when a promise to a friend drives her back into the park, she's forced to re-live the memories of that night. Lost and confused, Jeanette crosses paths with Tamrin, whose violent reaction to her provides yet another reason to avoid the park.

Tamrin, a knight of the Summer Court, has been sent to Earth to guard a garden of roses that hold special meaning to the queen of the Summer faeries. When his distraction at meeting Jeanette leads to her picking one of the Summer Queen’s roses, Tamrin vows to right his failure to do his duty.

However, the equivalent of one of the queen’s roses is a human heart and Tamrin’s reluctance to readily exact the sum from Jeanette sets in motion a spiral of love, betrayal, and magic that could mean damnation for them both.

*This is an Upper YA paranormal romance novel with NA and contemporary fantasy appeal.

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 winners via email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feature Friday: Inara Scott

Inara Scott grew up on a steady diet of true love, heaving bosoms, and happily ever after. Romance inspired her first novel, penned at the age of 14, titled A Wild and Stormy Passion. Today, Inara writes anything and everything, including young adult fiction and adult romance. Inara loves to hear from readers, and can often be found avoiding actual work on Twitter (@inarascott) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/inarawrites). You can always email her at inara.scott@gmail.com.

Interview:

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

Inara:
There are a few people who can dash off a fabulous book every two weeks, but for the other 99.99% of us there's a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this line of work. Write and keep writing. Love what you do. Try to forget about the rest.

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

Inara:
I don't know that I have one favorite, but I dearly love Dragonflight--the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. I fell in love with this books because it's got everything I dream about--a Cinderella story; a tough, intense heroine; some romance; hot guys; and OMG DRAGONS.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for A Sleep So Dark?

Inara:
I always wanted to write one of those books where they assemble a team of misfits to save the world, and initially, the heroine for A Sleep So Dark was going to pull other people into her dreams and make them into a real dream team (sorry! pun intended)! But my books always start out as one thing and turn into something else, and somewhere along the way A Sleep So Dark turned into a love story and a mystery, which was even more fun to write than I could have imagined.

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

Inara:
I think the hardest part about writing this book was making it scary. After my first couple of rounds with my agent, she kept pushing me to up the suspense levels. I really had to pull back and think about how much information I was revealing in each scene. It's hard not to spill too much too soon when you're writing suspense!

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

Inara:
I love Tandy, the main character, because I adore strong heroines, and she's really incredibly tough. But I also have a sweet spot for Bodie, one of the side characters. He's a football player nursing a terrible secret, and when you learn the truth about him, I think it hits you hard.

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

Inara:
I guess you could say I've done just about everything as a writer. I started out writing adult historical romance, and I don't think I would have tried YA if the first couple of books I wrote had sold. But they didn't, and I was desperate to try something new, and I was inspired by a workshop I went to by P.C. Cast. The Talents, the first book in my Delcroix Academy series, was actually my first book to sell and be published. From there, I started down a dual path, writing both YA and adult romance. I continue to juggle both, and love having the chance to do a little bit of everything.

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

Inara:
I'm finishing up the third book in the Talents (Delcroix Academy) series, at the same time I'm working on a new adult contemporary romance series. I've been really busy lately!

A.L.:
Have you ever been to private school?  If you went to Delcroix Academy, what would your Talent be?

Inara:
I have not been to private school, but I love the idea! I think I'd be able to manipulate people's minds through my writing. Kind of like Mr. Judan, who can control people through his speech. Creepy, right? ;-)

A.L.:
What's the most emotionally damaging thing you've ever read?

Inara:
Wow, that's an interesting question. I read a YA years ago that was unrelentingly depressing. I've blocked out the title. The protagonist is a boy who's parents are divorcing, and he ends up horribly depressed. He falls for a girl (I think she's the daughter of the person his father was having an affair with) and she's starts to save him, but then at the end of the book she's terribly injured. You think she's going to die, then there's a moment where she might be rescued, and then your hopes are dashed and the worst possible thing happens. He falls deeper into depression and ends up wasting his days playing the Sims. It's awful. I still shudder with horror when I think about that book.

Authors get to write whatever they want, but I can tell you, I've got no interest in reading things that are like that. I need redemption and hope. That's why I read.

A.L.:
What the cutest breed of puppy ever?

Inara:
OMG, totally Havanese! I have a Havanese-Coton mix. He looked like this as a puppy:

The Giveaway:
Inara is giving away a digital copy of A SLEEP SO DARK.  Internationals welcome!

A Sleep So Dark:  Haunted…

After watching her mother die in a car accident, sixteen year-old Tandy McIntyre is plagued by violent dreams. Terrified to sleep and losing her grip on reality, she agrees to attend an experimental group retreat with Dr. Robert Gillman, an expert in lucid dreaming.

Trapped…

In the bitter cold of a Colorado winter, Tandy follows Dr. Gillman and his enigmatic son Cade as they lead a group of troubled teens into the wilderness. There, Dr. Gillman claims he will teach them to control their unconscious minds and master their dreams. But when the dreaming and the waking collide, will Tandy ever be safe again?

Don’t Fall Asleep…


Read Goodreads reviews
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 winners via email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Muse: Katy Perry -- Unconditionally

Some Katy love. This is an awesome video!

Feature Friday: Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. Midnight Frost, the fifth book in her Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series, was released in August. Killer Frost, the sixth and final book, will be released in March 2014. For more information, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/
Blog: http://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferEstepAuthor?fref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jennifer_Estep
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/580315.Jennifer_Estep


Interview:

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

Jennifer:
I would encourage budding authors to read in the genre that they want to write in and to educate themselves about all aspects of publishing, from writing and editing, to getting an agent, to marketing and self-publishing. Also, write in a genre that you enjoy reading. If you don’t like zombie books, don’t try to write one just because zombies are popular right now.

But most of all, I would encourage budding authors to have fun with their writing and enjoy telling their story. If you are having fun with your writing, then I think it will show in the finished product and hopefully make it an enjoyable story for readers as well.

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

Jennifer:
One of my favorite books is BEAUTY by Robin McKinley, which is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I like fairy tale retellings, especially of that story, and BEAUTY is just a lovely book.

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

Jennifer:
I’ve always enjoyed mythology and reading and watching stories about all the gods, goddesses, warriors, and creatures battling each other and going on all these epic quests. So when I decided to write a young adult series, I thought it would be fun to write something related to mythology and to try to put my own spin on the gods, goddesses, warriors, creatures, and more. So that was sort of the beginning of my Mythos Academy series.

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

Jennifer:
Not really. For me, the first book in a series – in this case, TOUCH OF FROST – is often the hardest to write because I am creating a world and magic system, along with characters, settings, and more. But after I get all of that established, I can just turn the characters loose and let them have all sorts of adventures.

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

Jennifer:
One of my favorite characters in the series is Vic, Gwen’s talking sword. Vic is really confident, and he’s just a really fun character for me to write.

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

Jennifer:
I wrote about seven books over the course of about seven years before I got an agent and sold my first book, which was KARMA GIRL, the first book in my Bigtime paranormal romance series. And I got a lot of rejections along the way. So getting published definitely did not happen overnight for me. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but it’s been a great ride so far, and I plan to keep writing as long as folks are interested in my books.

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

Jennifer:
Right now, I’m working on POISON PROMISE, the 11th book in my Elemental Assassin adult urban fantasy series, which is tentatively scheduled to be published in July 2014.

I’m also working on some other projects, including a new young adult series, so we’ll see what happens with those.

Folks can check out my website at www.jenniferestep.com for more information and the latest news about my books.

A.L.:
The Mythos Academy series is now on its fifth book.  Do you see an end in sight or are you just going to keep giving us Gwen until we say no more (which probably won't happen)?

Jennifer:
KILLER FROST, the sixth book, will be the last book in my Mythos Academy series. So readers will get to see how Gwen and her friends take on Loki and his Reapers of Chaos. I hope that fans of the series will enjoy the conclusion.

I’ve had a lot of fun writing the series, and if there is enough reader interest, I may write more in the series or do a spin-off someday. We’ll see what happens.

A.L.:
You write in both the adult and young adult realms.  Do you prefer one over the other?  Likewise, do you have a particular series that is more close to your heart than the others?

Jennifer:
I really like writing in both genres. All of my books, whether they are for adults or young adults, have some common elements, including strong heroines, magic/world building, and lots of action/fight scenes. With my Mythos Academy young adult books, I’m telling a little more of a coming-of-age story with a heroine who is still trying to figure out who she is, how her magic works, and what she wants her place in the world to be.

I enjoy writing in all three of my series – Mythos Academy (young adult); Elemental Assassin (adult); and Bigtime (adult). I think switching back and forth between the series helps to keep me balanced as a writer.

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

Jennifer:
Since we’re approaching the holiday season, I’ll share one of my favorite holiday songs, which is Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24 by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The Giveaway:
Jennifer is giving away a copy of MIDNIGHT FROST for US entrants.

Midnight Frost:  Here we go again …

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there …


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 US winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winners via email.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Muse: Girls Who Read by Roundhouse London

This is for all my girls!