Writer Wednesday: Frequently Asked Questions Part One

A few weeks ago I asked you all to submit questions for the Frequently Asked Questions page on my website. I thought I'd also post them here, since this is where I initially asked for them. I've broken them up into two parts so neither post is too long, and you have the option to either read the questions and my responses or listen to them in video form.

I know you’re a Rick Riordan fan but, which other author(s) inspire you?

Becca Fitzpatrick is another favorite of mine. I loved her Hush, Hush series. The dynamic between Patch and Nora was amazing and well supported by a great plot. I also really enjoyed Black Ice, which is her new thriller. Her writing just draws me in and doesn’t let go.

Kelly, you have written quite a few books. How do you manage your timelines for writing each novel?

I admit that I get a little crazy when it comes to drafting a new book. That book just sort of takes over my life until it’s written. I frequently get ideas for other books while I’m drafting, but I quickly jot those down and get back to the novel I’m currently working on. I’ve learned my characters don’t share me very well. ;)

Do you set certain goals for your word count each day and do you always meet those goals?

I don’t have a standard word count set per day. What I do is look at what I need to accomplish that day. Sometimes I have to help out at my daughter’s school, so I might only have two hours to write that day. I can usually get about 2K written in an hour, so I’ll take the number of hours I have and multiply it by two. I usually meet my goals because I’m kind of hard on my self, but there are times when unforeseen circumstances make me have to adjust my goals a bit.

When do you know a book is finished, polished and ready to submit? Or even, how?

Basically when all I’m doing in a revision is moving words around, it means I’ve reached my limit. At that point I need to pass it on to my agent and get her feedback.

How you decide which bookstores to approach for readings and your pitches?

Unfortunately, I only have one bookstore in my area, so I definitely start there. After that I like to team up with other authors and do joint signings both where I live and where they live.

Are there any tricks you use to make yourself want to write during times when you absolutely do not feel like it?

I actually haven’t found a time when I didn’t want to write. I feel guilty if I don’t write every day, or at least revise. I look at writing as a career and take it very seriously, but at the same time it’s part of who I am. It feels weird for me to take a day off because I feel like I’m missing something I love.

How do you keep your two writing "personas", if you will, separate?

I don’t always. Into the Fire has both of my names on the cover because it was a book that really blended both Kelly Hashway and Ashelyn Drake. Of course I have other books that are purely romance or purely paranormal. I tend to just run with the ideas that come to me. I do have separate social media accounts for each persona though.

Are there times Ashelyn intrudes on your writing as Kelly?

When writing the second book in the Birth of the Phoenix series I got really stuck in a particular place because I knew where Kelly would take the plot and I knew where Ashelyn would take the plot, and those two didn’t mesh. That was tough. So yes, my two personas do butt heads on occasion.

Meet Ruby and Blane from Catherine Stine's Ruby's Fire

Today I have Ruby and Blane from Catherine Stine's Ruby's Fire with me. I know you'll love them, but first, here's a little about Ruby's Fire:

“Seventeen year-old Ruby and her little brother Thorn, have only known a life blighted by the extremist Fireseed Cult. The night Ruby is set to be claimed by one of its cruelest and oldest leaders, she makes a bid for freedom. With Thorn in tow, she stumbles into the world beyond, and finds an opportunity for a fresh start in Skull’s Wrath under the guidance of Nevada Pilgrim, a woman who may not be all she seems. Ruby's new life could bring her friendship, love, even fortune, but nothing comes without a price. Is Ruby's talent for elixirs keeping the roof over their heads, or do some of her associates have a more sinister and lucrative interest in them? Life outside a strange cult isn't without its dangers, and the experience leaves Ruby transformed and communing with the Fireseed more closely than she ever would have imagined. Stine delivers a thrilling adventure led by an exciting cast of characters, and the romance is really well handled.”   -YA’s The Word

Ruby

Seventeen year-old Ruby’s afraid of how beautiful she is because it’s always gotten her more attention than she wants. She has wild blond hair and a halo of curly bangs. She’s a master of mixing elixirs, a skill her father taught her when they hunted cave lizards and milked out their venom. She wears a belt brimming with pouches for catching lizards and beetles. She grew up in a strange desert cult, but she never realized how dangerous it was until the night she escaped. That’s why she still needs Oblivion, a sleeping drug that she concocted, but would like to kick.

Blane

Eighteen year-old Blane is the resident bodyguard at The Greening. He’s also a student there. He has massive shoulders and a chiseled face, yet the crafty glint in his hazel eyes and his spray of honey-hued freckles suggest a lighter, even playful side. He escaped East Coast sector where he lost his entire family, including his beloved dog, Cloud, in a horrific tsunami. There’s a rumor going around that his mother was a geneticist and his father was a brain surgeon back in the day, but Ruby doesn’t believe it because Blane likes to mess with her head. Blane spends a lot of time surreptitiously tracking Ruby, trying to figure her out.

Now, welcome Ruby and Blane!

Tell us, Ruby, what do you really want in life?

I want to earn enough money from my elixirs to buy a big wave-colored house out in Vegas-by-the Sea. I’d save my mother from the cult, and install all of my friends there. I’d hire a special tutor for my little brother, Thorn, so he can retrieve the sentences and phrases that the elders beat out of him.

Blane?

I want a good meal of northern Restavik boar. I want to play soccer. I want my dog, Cloud back. I want to be with people who bring something to the equation. (Gives Ruby a long, soulful stare) I want to be left alone.

(Ruby elbows him)

Liar!

Blane, what’s your favorite color?

(He glances over at Ruby, then away). Yellow, blond, like her hair.

Ruby?

Blue, the color of waves. I imagine them constantly—the bluest ever. If I win a finalist spot in the Axiom contest, I’ll get to see the Pacific.

Blane

I’m going to win a finalist spot. You’ll have to contend with me. Do you think you’d be able to stand a ride on a hovercraft together?

Ruby

(Slides a finger down the bridge of his nose, and says slowly, teasingly) As long as you bring something to the equation.

Thanks, Ruby and Blane!

Catherine's been generous enough to offer a giveaway in addition to letting us spend time with her characters. To enter, just fill out the rafflecopter below.

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Find Ruby's Fire on:

Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Find Catherine on FB, Goodreads, her blog, and/or her website.

Talking with Tom from The Chemistry of Fate by Meradeth Houston

Today I have a special treat for you. Author Meradeth Houston is here interviewing Tom from The Chemistry of Fate. Take it away guys!

“They are everywhere, can be anyone, and are always the last person you’d expect.” When Tom stumbles across his grandfather’s journal, he’s convinced the old man was crazier than he thought. The book contains references to beings called the Sary, immortals who are assigned to save humans on the verge of suicide. They certainly aren’t allowed to fall in love with mortals. Which the journal claims Tom’s grandfather did, resulting in his expulsion from the Sary. As strange as the journal seems, Tom can’t get the stories out of his head; especially when he finds the photo of his grandfather’s wings.

Tom’s only distraction is Ari, the girl he studies with for their chemistry class.

Ari has one goal when she arrives in town: see how much Tom knows about the Sary and neutralize the situation. This isn’t a normal job, but protecting the secrecy of the Sary is vital. If Tom is a threat to exposing the Sary to the public, fate has a way of taking care of the situation, usually ending with the mortal’s death. While Ari spends time with Tom, he becomes more than just an assignment, but how far can a relationship go when she can’t tell him who she really is? When she finds out just how much Tom actually knows about the Sary, Ari is forced to choose between her wings, and her heart.

Thanks so much for hosting me Kelly! I thought I’d give everyone a little introduction to Tom today, and allow you to get to know him a little better (and realize just why I love the guy in all his slightly-nerdy glory).

MH: (I sit down at my desk and take a long sip from a mug of something that is theoretically water. Tom settles uncomfortably into the seat across from me, nervously rubbing his hands together.) Nice of you to join us here today, Tom!

Tom: Thanks for having me. I think. Just what was this job interview for again?

MH: Yeah, about that, we’ll talk once we’re done, m’k? Moving on, tell me Tom, are you currently seeing anyone?

Tom: Wait, what does that have to do with a job?

MH: (Another sip) It just does. We like to be thorough. So, are you seeing anyone?

Tom: (Looking around like he might bolt for the door any second.) No. I don’t have time.

MH: Don’t have time? Come on, there has to be someone you at least have your eye on? A guy who looks like you (I can’t help eyeing the nice muscles on his arms) doesn’t have trouble getting dates, I’m sure.

Tom: You’re not going to give in until I say a name are you?

MH: Nope. Not a chance.

Tom: There’s a girl I study with for our chemistry class. Without her, I’d probably be flunking. She’s way out of my league though. Nothing’s going to happen.

MH: I’m very sorry to hear you think that. You two haven’t done anything other than study together?

Tom: (Sighs) She’s asked me to grab coffee a few times. But I can’t get involved. I need to keep my grades up.

MH: Why is that so important?

Tom: I’m on a full ride scholarship but the required grades are really high. If I don’t keep them up, so long scholarship and so long college.

MH: Sounds rough.

Tom: Yeah, well, that’s why I need another job…?

MH: We’ll get that to that, I promise. Tell me, do you work anywhere else already?

Tom: I have a job in a genetics lab on campus. I work there part-time.

MH: Do you like it?

Tom: It’s good. My boss is a little crazy, but it keeps me out of student housing.

MH: What’s so crazy about your boss?

Tom: He’s, just, nuts. I mean, yesterday I walked in on him doing a fashion show for himself, singing to Thrift Shop. He saw me and was excited to have an audience for the last of it.

MH: That does sound, random. I’ll bet he keeps work entertaining at least.

Tom: Yeah, definitely. And he’s been really good getting me experience in the lab. Speaking of which, this position, it’s working in a lab right?

MH: (Looking at my watch) I’m so sorry Tom, but I have to run! Thanks for stopping by and we’ll be in touch!

Thanks, Meradeth and Tom! Check out The Chemistry of Fate on Amazon and B&N. It's only $2.99 during the blog tour, so hurry!

Also, Meradeth has a giveaway for you! It's for a $10 Amazon GC and a beautiful journal. Enter below. And be sure to thank her or comment about the interview.

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Meet Shannon Duffy

Hi, everyone! I'm really excited today because I have Shannon Duffy with me. She's my publishing house sister, a great friend, and the author of the middle grade novel Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta, which released yesterday from Month9Books.

First, here's the synopsis and my review of Gabriel:

Synopsis:
Gabriel Stone is a twelve-year-old boy still reeling from the unsolved disappearance of his mother. With a dad who’s hard to relate to, and mounting pressures at school, Gabriel lets off steam by hiking in the place where his mother was last seen. There, Gabe and friends find a crystal that proves not only beautiful, but magical beyond their wildest dreams. Only, magic and beauty come with a price: in order to return home, they must save the dying world of Valta.

My thoughts:
Gabriel is a very likable character that made me feel for him right from the start. And his two best friends, Piper and Brent are so much fun, especially with the way they bicker with each other. Gabriel is desperate to find out what happened to his mother, but instead he finds a whole other world, a world that is going to die unless Gabriel can find the divinities and save them all.

The creatures Duffy cooked up in the book are amazing. I mean look at the flying tiger on the cover! I also loved that everything in Valta is the opposite of Gabriel's world, which makes navigating a little... backwards. The three friends meet a great cast of characters on their journey and they learn a lot about themselves on the way.

This is a great adventure with characters you'll want to read more about, and you can in the rest of the series.

Please welcome, Shannon Duffy!

Hi, Shannon! Okay, I have to ask, of all the great creatures in Valta, who's your favorite?
That's soooo tough to answer! Of course I love Gabriel cause he's based on my son. And Brent is based on my awesome newphew so love him too. Loove Piper's spunk. But I have to say I really do love Finley the monkey. He's just so cute and sweet that I wish I could get some magic dust to make him real and bring him home with me. hehe

I know your son's name is Gabriel. How similar is he to the Gabriel in your book?
I have to say a lot. My son will kill me for saying this, but he is the same with the horror movies. He's so interested to watch them, but when it gets dark he wants to then sleep in my room. I don't let him watch them anymore....and he does sleep with a nightlight, but hey, so do I. LOL And my Gabe is based on the Gabe in the book as far as looks too, and he has a strong, leader type personality I'd say. So, yeah, he's a lot like Gabriel in the book. :)

Which of your characters would you not want to meet in a dark alley?
Duke Malgor for one. He is just pure evil and doesn't care who he has to step on to get what he wants.

Can you tell us anything about the second book in the series?
Well you can expect Gabriel, Brent, and Piper to return to Valta to go on another different, but very important (and dangerous) quest.  You'll see the return of some familiar characters and be introduced to some new cool ones, too.

Just for fun:
Favorite animal: Dogs--I have three.
Best comfort food: Hmmm French Fries.
Superpower you wish you had: To heal people.

Thanks for coming by today, Shannon!

Thanks so much, Kelly for inviting me to your blog today!

~Shannon

Shannon Duffy grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and son, Gabriel. She’s mom to one boy, and several pets. Shannon loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions: shopping. Shannon Duffy is available for quotes, signings, video or podcast appearances, and all opportunities relative to GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA. 

GABRIEL STONE AND THE WRATH OF THE SOLARIAN, Book 2 in the Gabriel Stone series will be available from Month9Books in February 2014!

ABOUT MONTH9BOOKS:

Month 9 Books is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens… where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from each of its annual charity anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 10-12 non-charitable titles annually.GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is Month9Books’s first Middle Grade release. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.com for more information.

Goodreads GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15841297-gabriel-stone-and-the-divinity-of-valta 

Goodreads SHANNON DUFFY: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3873156.Shannon_Duffy 
Shannon Duffy Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShannonDuffyLit 
Shannon Duffy Website: http://www.shannonduffylit.com/ 
Goodreads Month9Books: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/67761-month9books 
Month9Books Blogger Central: http://month9booksblog.com/?page_id=477  
Month9Books Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/month9books 
Month9Books Twitter: http://twitter.com/Month9Books 
Month9Books Publishing Website: http://www.Month9Books.com 

Feel free to leave a comment for Shannon or answer my "Just for fun" questions.

Meet Lisa Basso

Today I have Lissa Basso, author of the YA novel A Shimmer of Angels with me!

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

Welcome, Lisa! I’m happy to have you here today to talk about your recent release, A Shimmer of Angels, which I loved!

Thanks so much for having me! *does virtual back flips for the crowd*

I’m a big fan of angel books, but I can imagine you had to do a lot of research. Can you tell us a little about the research you had to do for this book?

Should I begin at the beginning? *snort* Okay. First I started with a little angel research: names, legends, myths, bible verses, anything angel-related I could pull out of the library and internets (yes, internets). As you can imagine, this took a lot of time to sift through. After that was done, I turned my attention to my main character, Rayna, and her past, mainly doing research on mental health facilities, psychology, and current mental health laws. All the time I put into the research phase was well worth it when I started writing. But no matter how thorough your research, there's always something else that comes up. :)

Rayna has a gift but it’s mistaken for an illness at first, and wow does it enhance the story line. How did you come up with the idea to have her family think she’s mentally ill?

I knew Ray was going to be the only one on Earth able to see the angels. Since her world is grounded in the real world, I thought about how a real family would handle that. They'd be concerned at first, and when Ray's actions became more erratic and she started coming unhinged, her dad would have no choice but to have her checked out by a doctor and put her in therapy. The ideas grew from there.

You have two angels in this book who get Rayna’s attention. I couldn’t decide who I liked more, Cam or Kade. Did you want your reader to have just as hard a time choosing between them as Rayna? How did you go about accomplishing this?

I so did. When I first got to know Cam and Kade (during the character interviews) I fell (pun intended). Hard. I loved them both so much. And when I put Rayna into scenes with both of them, I noticed how much she took her own shine to each boy. I've read a lot of YA books with love triangles. Most of the time you can guess exactly who the main character is going to choose. I love mystery, so I wanted to keep the reader guessing. To do that, I introduced Cam and Kade in ways that showed peeks into both their good and not-so-gravy sides. I wanted the reader to get to know both of them before Ray's decision swayed them in either direction. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing "Team Cam" and "Team Kade".

Okay, well I'm Team Both because I love them both!

Just for fun:

Angel or fallen angel? Hmmm. Probably Fallen angel. ;)

Describe A Shimmer of Angels in three words: Mystery. Psychology. Angels.

If you had wings for a day, what would you do? I would fly. Normally I hate flying (in planes), but if I'm in charge and I know how to work those suckers, I'm taking my new wings out for as many spins as I can manage before they disappear. Or I pass out from exhaustion.

Thanks for being here today, Lisa.

This has been great! Thank you again so much for having me, Kelly!

That's not all. You can enter to win a copy of A Shimmer of Angels, a messenger bag, stainless water bottle, journal, keychain, and postcard pack. This is open to US and Canada only. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck.

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Interview with Andy Gavin, Author of Untimed

Today, I have Andy Gavin with me. His YA novel Untimed recently released through Tribute Books. You can find my review over on YA Bound.

Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, even his own mother can’t remember his name. And girls? The invisible man gets more dates.

As if that weren’t enough, when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously.

Still, this isn’t all bad. In fact, there’s this girl, another time traveler, who not only remembers his name, but might even like him! Unfortunately, Yvaine carries more than her share of baggage: like a baby boy and at least two ex-boyfriends! One’s famous, the other’s murderous, and Charlie doesn’t know who is the bigger problem.

When one kills the other — and the other is nineteen year-old Ben Franklin — things get really crazy. Can their relationship survive? Can the future? Charlie and Yvaine are time travelers, they can fix this — theoretically — but the rules are complicated and the stakes are history as we know it.

And there's one more wrinkle: he can only travel into the past, and she can only travel into the future!

Hi, Andy! Thanks for dropping by to talk a little about Untimed.

What made you choose to have part of your book take place in 1725 London?

I love history and at first I thought about going to the ancient world, which is my real passion, but I wanted to avoid over-indulging myself and for this first outing stay with a time, place, and celebrity that wasn’t so alien. If I was going back that far, I’d want to capture the monumental shifts in mindset, and it was too much for the first in the series.

Somehow, I always imagined Charlie in Philadelphia, and that led me quickly to Ben Franklin, who is a favorite of mine. In an alternate dimension there exists a simpler Untimed, woven between modern and 18^th century Philly. No London. No France. No China. That book would have been more like a Hollywood story, all packaged up neat and clean, but neat and clean isn’t the Andy Gavin style.

If you had to compare Charlie to a well-known historical figure, who would it be?

Hmmm. That’s a stumper. Charlie’s his own man. I tried to make him very likeable and funny but with an authentic fifteen year-old voice, which means it has a bit of an edge. Teen boys think about shit and sex. Sorry, but it’s true. I rub up on issues that make some squirm, even if I deal with the lightly: teen pregnancy, drinking, slavery, etc. But to sweep these under the carpet wouldn’t do justice to the 18^th century – or our own.

What was the best part about researching for this story?

Reading about the London underworld of the 1720s. I tore through perhaps 10 books on the topic (not to mention several Ben Franklin biographies, etc.) but the best was this out of print little book called The Road to Tyburn which vividly painted the sordid reality. After reading that, I knew I had to delve into the seedy side. Also great fun was combing through the two cant dictionaries I found, one from the 1737 and the other published in 1811. The number of hilarious sexual slang words is uncountable and it was a blast to disguise the nasty bits of Yvaine’s and Donnie’s dialogue with obscure cant.

If you could travel to any time, what would it be?

Personally, I’d love to visit the ancient world, mostly the great cities. Rome in different eras (Republican, Imperial, etc.). Egypt during the peak of the New Kingdom. Pericles’ Athens. Justinian’s Constantinople. Alexander in Babylon. All good stuff. We can bet that Charlie will be heading downtime sometime in the future… uh, his meta-future that is.

Just for fun:

Past or present? Past.

Favorite food: Spicettes, the funny flavored gumdrops. And I’m a consummate foodie!

What song best fits this book? I’m not sure, but while writing it I listened a hell of a lot to the Daft Punk Tron Legacy album. It seems to fit.

Thanks, Gavin!

If you want to check out Gavin's book, you can find it in paperback or on Kindle. And here's a giveaway as part of the blog tour:
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So, what do you think of the book?