Featured Author - B. Kristin McMichael - Publication Spotlight

Happy Monday, everyone! It's that time of the week again, and I have some great young adult novels for you to check out. If you missed my interview with Mrs. McMichael, be sure and give it a read here. Get your clicking finger ready, grab a cup of Jo, and let's get going!


Title: Carnelian (The Chalcedony Chronicles Book 1)
Genre: Young Adult Time Travel
Length (print): 238 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Everyone has a past, but for most it isn't so far in the past as Seth Sangre. His past is literally from thousands of years ago. Seth's past led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now, and he just found exactly what he has been looking for. Mari had dreams of college being a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her, that's exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself not fall for the handsome Seth Sangre. But he doesn't plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest.

As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a past of his own that's literally in the past. Suddenly, Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She's connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be, and maybe he isn't the player who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime-and reveal family secrets she never knew existed.

Title: Chrysoprase (The Chalcedony Chronicles Book 2)

Genre: Young Adult Time Travel

Length (print): 212 pages

Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $3.99

Synopsis:

Mari had her time in the past and is finally home. Unfortunately, she didn’t understand the goddess’ warning that traveling to the past would have consequences. She could never have imagined what they would be, but she quickly finds out that not everything is the way she left it. Now Mari must learn how to time travel if she wants to put her life back into the order it was before she went into the past to be with Seth. Mari soon discovers that time traveling isn’t as easy as she thought it, and the goddess refuses to help her learn. Mari must turn to an old friend, someone she never planned to see again, and get his help if she wants to right what she has changed. But even that might come with a price.

Mari travels into the past again to find loved ones. Her journey brings more questions, and a few answers, to the puzzle that is her life. Mari can quickly see why her mother went to the future, and Mari needs to do the same as soon as she can to bring her loved ones back. The past is far more complicated, and dangerous than she ever imagined—particularly for Mari. She might just be the piece everyone is seeking in their own puzzles to control not only the past but the future, too. 

Title: The Legend of the Blue Eyes (The Blue Eyes Trilogy Book 1)
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Length (print): 252 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis:
Arianna Grace liked her boring, Midwestern, teenage life where she ignored the many unanswered questions of her childhood. Why were her parents dead? Why did she not have family? Where was she raised until she was five? When someone offers to explain it all, Arianna thinks she's just getting answers. Instead, she is thrown into a world of night humans who drink blood.

On Arianna's sixteenth birthday, her world is thrown upside down when she changes into a vampire. Night humans, or demons, as some call them, live in normal society. Learning all of the new rules of a world she didn't know existed might be hard enough, but it's further complicated by two former-friends that now want to help her take her role as the successor to her grandfather.

There is a war going on between the night humans. Sides have been taken and lines are not crossed. Four main clans of night humans are struggling for control of the night. Divided into two sides, clans Baku and Tengu have been at war for centuries with the clans Dearg-dul and Lycan. That is, until Arianna Grace finds out the truth; she's the bridge of peace between the two sides. But not everyone wants peace. With the night humans divided, Arianna is now a pawn in the war between them. She must choose a side--her mother's family or her father's--and for once in her life, decide her own fate.

Title: Becoming a Legend (The Blue Eyes Trilogy Book 2)

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Length (print): 273 pages

Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:

Arianna Grace is about to turn seventeen, and her life has been very complicated lately. She is the leader of four clans of night humans: dearg-dul, baku, tengu, and lycan. While the four clans seem to get along better with each other, there is internal conflict on both sides of her family, not to mention the three boys vying for her attention. Devin is set on keeping her safe above all else. Turner’s goal is to make her happy. And Andrew wants her for himself. At some point Arianna will have to choose between them, but first she needs to survive the plots against her.

Edward Lucan is making a chase for the power to lead the baku clans and is playing his cards by using his nephew Andrew to lure Arianna into a trap. Unfortunately for Lucan, Andrew has his own plans. He has spent the last year waiting for Arianna to see him as more than a friend, and he now finds it necessary to make a move for her affection, despite his uncle.

In the dearg-dul estate, Arianna discovers that the ambitious Lord Seeger has been laying his own strategies for power and is slowly poisoning her. After getting away with her grandfather’s murder, he is setting his sights on her. Luckily for Arianna, her team is on to all of the plans and is making their own counter strategies. Will it be enough to keep Arianna safe? Several people close to Arianna have been keeping secrets. If Arianna is to take power and control of the night, she will need to know the truth. Will someone finally tell her what it really means to become the legend everyone is waiting for, before it is too late to turn back?

Title: Winning the Legend (The Blue Eyes Trilogy Book 3)
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Length (print): 257 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Arianna has gathered the outside clans to decide her fate in marriage. A tournament will be held, and she is the prize, whether she wants to be or not. The only thing for her to do is watch the clan leaders fight over her, or is it? Thanks to her team’s well-made plans, Arianna has other strategies in place. Hopefully one of those plans will earn her freedom.

As the contestants gather and she learns more about the night human world, there are new allies to keep close and more enemies to keep even closer. Some even hold more secrets to her legend and possibly the actual reason to her existence. Now Arianna must decide what to do with the fate she has been dealt. The time has come to step out of the shadows of the men who protect her, and into her own power. The time is now for Arianna to take control, and fight for the destiny she wants to live.

Title: The Blue Eyes Trilogy Complete Collection

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Length (print): 665 pages

Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $6.97

Synopsis:
All three books in the bestselling Blue Eyes Trilogy are available together in one collection. Books 1-3 in the Night Human World follow the story of Arianna Grace, a girl who shortly after her sixteenth birthday finds herself thrust into the world of the night humans. Surrounded by the vampire-like Dearg-dul, the werewolf people called Lycans, the dream-consuming Baku, and the angelic Tengu, Arianna struggles to grow and find her place in the new world.

Title: The Day Human Prince (Day Human Book 1)
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Length (print): 222 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $3.99

Synopsis:
Devin Alexander grew up as the only day human in a world surrounded by vampire-like night humans who drank blood, sometimes his blood. He spent his life training toward one goal: the protection of one of those blood drinkers, Arianna Grace. But what is he supposed to do when the blue-eyed girl of the legends doesn’t need him anymore? What does his life mean then? How is a guy supposed to move on when the girl he has yearned over for a decade has chosen someone else?

Before he can even start to figure out his new life without Arianna, Devin has to deal with another problem. He needs to take care of some unfinished business with a night human he has known for less than a month, but with whom he is magically bound.

Vanessa McKinny has promised that she knows a way to undo the spell she placed on Devin to save his life. Devin would do anything to break the bond to be free of her, even if it means traveling to the sidhe village, a place inhabited by a race of night humans that has not had a day human visitor in more than a hundred years. If he doesn’t want to get stuck, he must work with Nessa to find a way to break the bond. Only then can Devin have time to get back to finding his new goal in life, unless he discovers that his path lies with the sidhe.

Title: The Day Human King (Day Human Book 2)

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy

Length (print): 222 pages

Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $3.99

Synopsis:

After he inherited the power of the late sidhe king, Devin thought the battle to protect Nessa and proceed with her coronation was over. Everyone feared him, and he had the power to do anything in the sidhe world. He was wrong. As problem after problem arises, Nessa and Devin discover that the path to the throne isn’t as simple as they thought. Formalities must be adhered to, preparations must be made, and between all of that, Devin and Nessa must decide what to do with an obviously pregnant Fiona, who won’t name the father of her child. To make matters worse, the elite sidhe are still assassinating each other. No one in the palace is safe. Who is behind the latest deaths, and can the coronation actually occur with all of the drama going on? Devin and Nessa’s road to power might be cut short if they can’t find the answers.

Title: To Stand Beside Her
Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance
Length (print): 350 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $3.99

Synopsis:
To be the best courier in the world, eighteen-year-old Benét Leila follows three simple rules: always work alone, never stay in one place too long, and never fall in love. Too bad she didn't follow her own advice.

Leila is a courier. To the people she takes from, she is seen as a common thief; to the people she helps, she is a savior.

Nalick is your typical king. He's rich, powerful, and always assumed to be right. When Leila crosses paths with King Nalick, she finds herself trapped. In a rush to save her best friend Kay from a prison sentence for a crime Leila committed, Leila trades her hand in marriage in exchange for Kay's freedom.

Tomboy Leila does not want to grow up, but in three months' time, she will be married to King Nalick, if Nalick can keep his end of the bargain. First, Nalick must make Leila fall in love with him, a hard task since Leila is not ready to love again after losing her first love to a greedy king. Second, Nalick must keep her safe. He is not the only king trying to hold onto her. Leila has made many enemies over the years, and even more admirers that want her as a prize. Lastly, Nalick must convince Leila that ten years of love is better than a lifetime without. Unless Leila can trust her destiny, she might not reach her wedding day at all.

~

There you have it! Which ones are you gonna grab?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Author Interview - B. Kristin McMichael

Happy, happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! By the luck of the gods, I'm bringing you an awesome interview with author B. Kristin McMichael today! She totally came through for me at the last minute, and I'm so very, very grateful to her. You're gonna love her so much. She's one of those strong, well-educated women I love to feature. Want to meet her in person? Well, you can! She's one of the authors attending utopYA Con in June. Ticket prices go up in FOUR days, so get yours here now. You don't wanna be the only girl left out of the party. Grab a cup of something warm, and let's get going!

Jo: Kristin! Welcome to the blog. I’m so excited to have you here I may drop. You’re such an interesting author to stalk *ahem* research—yes, that’s what we’ll call it—and I’m looking forward to reading your answers. It’s amazing how much I can dig up on a person with the internet. *grin* You ready?

Kristin: Uh oh… I mean yes. :)

Jo: Great! I’m gonna jump right in with both feet here, because my readers like the juicy questions to come first. No, no, don’t poke them. So, I have to know: How hard did you dance when your Blue Eyes trilogy hit #1 in so many Amazon categories?

Kristin: No dancing here- just sitting and staring in shock! I was sure it had to be wrong. Hubby might have been dancing in the background (all the promotional stuff is his hard work) but for me it was more like shock, and maybe a little denial, than anything.

Jo: I can jibe with that. When something so amazing and unexpected happens, how does one react? I see you have a PhD. Man, I do love to see a well-educated woman. May I ask what your field of study was and how long it took you to graduate? What was your most trying assignment? Should I call you Dr. McMichael? Heck, you worked hard to earn it, might as well demand it. *grin* Makes me ten times more excited to meet you at utopYA Con! I’m a total science geek, and love the endless possibilities.

Kristin: I am a molecular biologist in the real world and I worked in a lab until last fall when I had my third child. Now I love being a mom who writes books. It took me four years after my bachelor’s to get my PhD, but it mainly meant I spent a lot of time in the lab doing research for that time. The most trying aspect was writing my thesis. A couple hundred pages of scientific text is more than enough for a lifetime! The worst part of it is writing the background section where you have to cite every source for every fact you want to use. I think my reference list ended up including over two hundred papers I had read and cited!

Oh gosh- no- don’t call me Dr. anything! Then I feel like a shrink. It’s best to just call me by my name (and if you know the secret handshake you might even find out my first name….)

Jo: *widens eyes* Holy crap. If I wasn't starry-eyed before, you can bet your butt I am now. That's awesome. Now I'm really geeking out. You're an inspiring person. Okay, okay, no Dr. But I'll tackle-hug you for that handshake code! Okay, if I were picking through your life and meeting all your friends and family members, which person would say they do the most for you and your writing? Why?

Kristin: Oh by far that would be my hubby. It was really his idea to do the whole publishing thing to begin with. I have been writing for years and had novels just sitting around on my computer collecting computer dust. He was the one that said- let’s do this. I was really in the background going- gosh no. Why would anyone want to read what I write? So almost two years and eight books later we are still at it. He does everything behind the scenes and I wonder if people think he is B. Kristin McMichael at times when he contacts them about promotional stuff (his name also starts with a B). He does the marketing, helps out with all my social media (I can be so dense- hubby how do you do this?… How do you do that?… Thankfully I married a computer geek that can teach me everything- over and over again) He also reads all my books to check for any last typos after the editors get through with them, and sometimes he even leaves me messages in the margins like ‘Andrew did not just do that…..’ It is fun. He is my partner in life and now my partner in the book business also. I don’t think I’d have even half as much done if I had to do it alone.

Jo: That may be the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Isn't it a blessing to have someone share so much of your life? High-five your hubby for me! Tell me about the In D’tail Magazine Cover Contest. Are you the one that entered or did someone else nominate you, and what did you hope would come of it?

Kristin: That was a complete surprise. They chose the cover for The Day Human King out of the books that they were reviewing. They emailed us on a Tuesday morning saying we were part of the contest and sure enough after following the link we saw the book up on it. I actually didn’t have much hope for it as many of my new fans aren’t all indie fans and we were up against some stiff competition. It was just nice to be nominated as I can’t say enough about my cover artist Ravven. She is great to work with, and I love her work. Even if I just give her a slight idea of what I want, she can come up with something great, and then all the little details she puts into a cover makes them complete and unique.

Jo: That's awesome. Yes, I'm very familiar with Ravven's work. Being a cover design lover, I follow a lot of the news surrounding imagery and design. Now, your Facebook page has 23k+ likes. Wow. How does that make you feel on a daily basis? What’s the next milestone you’d like to hit with it?

Kristin: It is completely amazing if you ask me. Again- that is all my hubby’s hard work. I’ve sold tens of thousands of books in the past year but never had a clue who they went to. We were at first focused just on getting the books done, which has a learning curve of its own. As we got a little more used to the publishing part of it, we decided it was time to work on building the fan base to interact with the people who bought all my books. The retailers don’t tell you who buys your books, so we’ve been trying all sorts of things to reach book lovers and build awareness. Really, my hubby is a miracle worker. The best part is that I can finally connect more with the fans. There are so many people out there that have read my books, but I never knew where to find them. Now I get more interaction with them and it has been exciting to attach real names and faces to my fans.

Jo: He certainly sounds like a marketing guru and someone you're very lucky to have in your corner. Huge kudos to you for figuring out how to make the transition from nameless to interactivity. Rapid fire question time! Would you rather a t-shirt and jeans or a hoodie and sweats?

Kristin: T-shirt and jeans (that’s what most scientists wear to the lab every day- it’s a hard habit to break)

Jo: Me too. haha! Bubbles or Stillness?

Kristin: stillness

Jo: Left or Right?

Kristin: right

Jo: Love those answers. Time travel question! Since utopYA 2015’s theme is Time Travel, I’m asking everyone a question along that vein. Ready? If you could return to the past and change one person’s life forever with a small act, who would it be and why?

Kristin: I don’t know if I’d actually do anything at all. I’m one that feels like everything happens for a reason, and if you changed something, it would affect everything else. You have to take the good and the bad because if you change any aspect, everything else could change also. But if I had to choose something, I’d have to go with my grandparents- I’d try to convince them not to buy the laundromat they had for years in the 1950s. They both ended up getting cancer from the chemicals they used and they both eventually died from it. My grandmother was 49 and never even got to see my mother graduate from college, get married, or even have kids. But at the same time, without that my father would have never been roomies with my grandfather (after my grandmother passed away they lived together) and I would have never had my step-grandma who taught me how to make donuts. My parents live every day like it would be their last, since they lost their own parents at such a young age. So as much as it would be nice to change some parts of the past, I don’t know if I would want the other parts to change.

Jo: That's so sad, but I just love that answer. Sending you virtual hugs. Because I can’t help myself: Tell me about your time-travel series, The Chalcedony Chronicles. What inspired you to write them, and which character is your favorite?

Kristin: I’m a scientist, but in reality I actually was more interested in anthropology when I first was in college. I’ve always had a soft spot for historical times and wondered about the past. What was life really like in all these different times? I especially have always loved ancient Egypt. I have done a lot of reading over the years about various pharaohs and there were some that really intrigued me. When I was brainstorming novel ideas- Ancient Egypt was just one place I couldn’t pass up.

As to the series itself- my favorite character from the series is a toss-up between two of the side characters- Ty and Kye- and no they are not twins! Kye actually appears in the book that is coming out next in the series and he’s a character that sort of pushed his way into the story (no he was not planned, he kind of just showed up in the end of the second book. After writing the last chapter it was just like an ah-ha moment where he became more important than just being an unnamed guard in the palace). And Ty is just a fun, nice character who has a sucky fate.

Jo: Yeah, baby! I totally have a book recommendation for you! Give me a quick rundown of your plotting process for your novels.

Kristin: I plot, and I don’t plot. I kind of do both. I normally go into a book with certain points that need to happen (beginning, middle, end) and maybe a few subplots. But as I write, the characters tend to take things where they want them to go. To write the best characters I can, they tend to have extensive backstories in my mind so that I can picture everything they do perfectly. While I might want things to happen a certain way, sometimes the characters don’t let it. If it doesn’t make sense for them to do something, I just can’t force it to happen. Other times I’ll be writing, and then step away to say, “well darn, don’t know how that happened”. And then I’ll have to change parts of the plotline. I will say that a lot of my inspiration comes from my dreams. They feel so real that I can’t change who the characters are even if I wanted to.

Jo: I know exactly what you mean. My characters surprise me every day. Love your process! We have too much in common. LOL! Tell me, which book of yours would you suggest a new (potential) fan start with? Why?

Kristin: Well I’d say that would depend on what you like. For hardcore paranormal fans or those that prefer third person, I’d recommend The Legend of the Blue Eyes. It’s a paranormal series that follows around a sixteen year old girl that just changes into a vampire-like night human. But for those that prefer first person romance and like their protagonists a bit older, Carnelian would be better for them.

Jo: I'm gonna have to check those out. Not a hardcore paranormal fan, but I do love books. Well, that’s all the time we have for today. Is there anything I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Kristin: Just a thanks for having me. It is always great to do interviews and meet all sort of new people. Can’t wait to see you at UtopYAcon.

Jo: You're more than welcome. Thank you SO much for joining me on the blog, Kristin! I can’t wait to meet you in June.

Now, it’s time to tell you all about the featured book of the week!

Title: Carnelian
Author: B. Kristin McMichael
Genre: College Romance / Time Travel Paranormal
Length (print): 238 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $2.99  ~  Smashwords $2.99  ~   iBooks $2.99  ~   B&N $2.99

Synopsis: Everyone has a past, but for most it isn't so far in the past as Seth Sangre. His past is literally from thousands of years ago. Seth's past led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now, and he just found exactly what he has been looking for. Mari had dreams of college being a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her, that's exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself not fall for the handsome Seth Sangre. But he doesn't plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest.

As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a past of his own that's literally in the past. Suddenly, Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She's connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be, and maybe he isn't the player who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime-and reveal family secrets she never knew existed.

While your fingers are in the clicking mode, why not give this lovely lady a follow on every social media platform I could think of when writing up the template for these interviews (plus some)?

Pinterest: bkmcmichael
Blog: BKristinMcmichael
Facebook: BKristinMcMichael
Twitter: @bkmcmichael
Goodreads: B. Kristin McMichael
Website: http://bkristinmcmichael.com/
Mailing List: BKMcnewsletter
Amazon Author Page: B. Kristin McMichael
Tsu: B. Kristin McMichael

If you have any questions, pop them into the comments below. Kristin will be around to answer and/or respond!

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Author Interview - Kristina Circelli

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you another author interview from one of the fine ladies attending utopYA Con 2015! I did an interview with Kristina about a year ago (check it out here), and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the 2014 con. If you don't have your tickets yet, you need to get them now. Go here. Prices go up February 28th. You don't wanna be the only one left out of the party, do you? *grin* Anywho, grab your coffee and let's get going.

Jo: Welcome back to the blog, Kristina! I’m honored to have you here. It was so amazing to meet you at utopYA 2014, and I can’t wait to see you again this year. Are you ready to get rolling with this interview?

Kristina: You know it! I love to talk about writing :).

Jo: Yee haw! Let’s get to it. I totally didn’t realize you were a shy lady, and I was shocked to hear how you felt uncomfortable (didn’t pick up on that when I hugged you at ALL, but maybe I was just overly excited to meet you LOL). How are you planning to help yourself push through it this year? Any way we can all help?

Kristina: I’m always uncomfortable in large groups, haha. I am not exactly the best at small talk and close contact - but I have mastered the one-arm hug! To be honest, I push through it at every event, but I think I’m getting better now that I know more people, so I’m more comfortable just going up and saying hi.

Ways to help? I’m not really sure. But I will say that if you do approach me, I’ll talk your ear off about books, writing, movies, Disney, cats, elves that live in the forest. You’ll be wondering how to shut me up.


Jo: Heck no! I'll be asking for more. *grin* Now, I hear you’re writing a couple of horror books. Fill me in, lady! I want all the juicy details: Title of the series, main idea, and when we can (possibly) expect the first one.

Kristina: I am! I had actually planned on writing one horror book in a couple years, but I had the opportunity to pitch the book to a publisher, Permuted Press, at Indie BookFest last August. Permuted signed me, on the condition that instead of one book, I would make it five. So, the Five Flames series was born!

Without giving too much away, the premise is about a spirit that contains within it five demons, and when this spirit comes in contact with a human, those demons enter into a bidding war for the person’s soul. Five demons, five souls, five books. Though each book focuses on a different demon and person, they are all interconnected. So, a minor character from book one just might be the main character of book five, and so on.

The idea was born out of my own greatest fear - being possessed by an alien, ghost, or demon. My husband and I planned a trip to Savannah and went on a ghost tour, and the story built from there. The entire series centers around one house in Savannah, and its many horror stories.

The series will be out in 2016. The first book, Follow Me Home, will be out in November 2016 and then the others will be released in the following consecutive months.

Jo: It sounds incredible! I can't wait to read them. Congratulations on getting signed! How exciting is that? So, did you return to teaching at UNF? Why not? What did you learn by teaching writing?

Kristina: No, I never did return, and I’m pretty sure that I won’t. Between writing, editing, and my other job, it was too much and, in the end, not worth it financially. I enjoyed teaching but it was really more an opportunity that fell into my lap, and I didn’t want to pass it up because it was great experience and I learned a lot. I learned not only how to connect with students (which translates to connecting with readers and fans), but also how to better express myself. I’m great when I can write things down, but when I speak I can get jumbled and my words don’t come out right. Obviously as a teacher that’s frowned upon, ha. So I had to get better at presentation.

Jo: It's good to know exactly what you want and go for it. I applaud you. How’s the business going? Any awesome updates since the last time we chatted? I know you were wanting to expand your business and take on some new faces. Any luck on making that happen? What’s the plan?

Kristina: Business is great! I’ve taken on several new clients and worked with lots of current clients that I absolutely adore. I also began offering blurb writing services. I’m one of the rare few who loves writing blurbs :). That’s about it expansion wise. I actually took a few months off at the end of the year to write Follow Me Home, since it’s due at the publisher in February (book two is due in June), but now I’m back in it full swing. I don’t have plans to do anything big and crazy this year since I have a lot of books to write, so it’s business as usual for now.

Jo: I'm not a fan of writing blurbs, either. Great idea! I'm knee-deep in Markaza, and will be taking time for that one over the next month. I set a goal to have it written by March 10th. We'll see. Now, tell me about the book you wrote about your cousin that passed, and what writing A Single Swim did for you (kudos to you for writing that novel to raise awareness; I can’t imagine how difficult it was). By the way, it’s not on your Amazon author page. Is there a reason for that?

Kristina: Simple oversight - it’s on my Amazon author page now! Thanks for the heads up.

A Single Swim began as a book for my cousin who passed away, and her family. But the more I researched it, the more I saw an opportunity to really raise awareness on the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, so that people everywhere could protect their loved ones. I worked a lot with my cousin’s mom, PJ, and their organization, The Courtney Nash Amoeba Awareness Foundation in Florida, and with Heidi LaMeyer of Swim Above Water in Minnesota. With their help I learned about the amoeba and the families who lost young children, and a couple who lost adult family members (children are more common victims due to their immune system and the way the cribriform plate in the nose is constructed). I also met with infectious disease specialists who taught me the science behind the amoeba so I could better present that in the book.

It was heartbreaking to write, and hard because above all I wanted to do these families justice. I wanted to honor the victims, not create something that was sensationalist and used their stories for personal gain. So I sought to find a way to incorporate their stories and quotes from their loved ones, primarily the parents of young children, in a way that would speak to the hearts of readers.

The reception to the book has been phenomenal. People are aware, and they are thankful this issue has come to light, that stories are being told. I am actually planning to go back and add more to the book about awareness efforts. Now that I’ve been to events held by the organizations, I want to showcase them better, and offer updates on progress in terms of treatment.

Jo: You're welcome! Do you know you're one of my favorite people? How amazing of you to use your writing skills to try and save lives. *bows* You do so many awesome things to bring awareness with your books. *wipes away tear* Let's lighten the mood a little! Rapid fire question time! Aliens or ghosts?

Kristina: Oh man. Aliens, I suppose. I’m kinda terrified of a ghost possessing me. Aliens could too, but at least then I’d have proof of life from outer space.

Jo: Great answer! Cheese or mustard with soft pretzels?

Kristina: Cheese! Not a mustard fan.

Jo: Puppies or kittens?

Kristina: Kittens. I love puppies but my kittens (Lord Finnegin the Fierce and Master Malachi the Mighty) are the best.

Side note - if I ever get a dog, I’m going to name him Bohannon, Bo for short. Named after Cullen Bohannon from Hell on Wheels.

Jo: You totally need an itsy bitsy one! Great name for a tiny dog. haha! Time travel question (because the theme for 2015 demands it)! *grins* If you went back in time to the days when your Native American family was roaming what’s now the U.S., what do you think would be the most interesting thing you’d learn from them? What specific questions would you ask?

Kristina: Ooh, that’s a good one. I think the most interesting thing I’d learn is simply their way of life. Living off the land, truly being absorbed in the culture, everything from hunting to making crafts to spiritual beliefs.

I would ask a lot about that, spiritual beliefs and the cultural legends. I love origin stories, not necessarily of a people as a whole but of everything. Why the butterfly is silent, why only certain trees lose their leaves, and so on. Being able to connect to the spiritual aspect of the culture would mean the world to me, especially if I could then come back to my time and carry on those ways having personally experienced them. I try to do that now, particularly as a storyteller.

Jo: I agree. Spiritual beliefs are all kinds of interesting. Talk to me about the panel Tense Time Warp: Raise the Tension with Past & Present Tense & POV. What kinds of things will you guys be discussing and why should people attend?

Kristina: We … should probably start planning that, haha. I guess I can’t really speak to what all will be discussed just yet, but I can guarantee I’ll have some things to say :). This topic is a great one for me because I plan to come at it from the viewpoint of an editor rather than writer (because I write third person omniscient exclusively and don’t see that changing).

Regardless of what’s discussed, the panel will be extremely helpful to authors because it will help them get a feel for the tense and POV that is truly right for their story and genre, rather than choosing a tense/POV to follow or go against a trend. Knowing the benefits and pitfalls of each makes for a stronger book overall!

Jo: I noticed when reading Fragile Creatures. It's different, to be sure. I'm looking forward to attending! On a personal note, what did you think about Tom Hardy being Bane, and are you hoping he gets the role of Apocalypse in the new X-Men film? *wicked grin*

Kristina: Oh, you caught on that I have a little thing for Hardy, did ya? I could go on all day about the many wonders of Tom Hardy, but I’ll stick to the question at hand. What did I think of him as Bane? I think I’ve never been more attracted to a man wearing a mask that covers the majority of his face. Hardy in the X-Men? Be still, my heart.

PS - Reese was an idiot for choosing Chris Pine over Tom Hardy.

Jo: I figured that question would interest you. LOL! Yeah, my research goes deep! This interview could go on forever, but I’m out of space! Anything else you’d like to share with my readers before you go?

Kristina: Just to thank everyone for taking the time to read the interview! And, if anyone decides to check out my work, I hope you like it! I write something for everyone, which is why I am known for genre-hopping when it comes to my books. You never know what you’ll get!

Jo: I'm sure they'll love it. I know I'm digging your novel. What a great story! Thanks so much for joining me on the blog, Kristina! I’m looking forward to June so much. Can’t wait to see you!

Now, it’s time to tell you all about the featured book of the week!

Title: Fragile Creatures
Author: Kristina Circelli
Genre: YA Contemporary
Length (print): 274 Pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $2.99  ~  Smashwords $2.99  ~  iBooks $2.99  ~  B&N $2.99


Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Evangeline Frost had a great life, until the car accident that killed her father and turned her mother into a bitter alcoholic. Unable to bear the guilt, Evangeline attempts to take her own life, saved only by the memory of her beloved father.

Left with no other options, Evangeline is enrolled in a program for troubled teens at Kindred Hides Wildlife Preserve. There she meets Caster, a keeper as annoying as he is caring; Jett and Lettie, who treat her more like a daughter than troubled teen; and Ruke, a prized giraffe in mourning for his lost mate.

Immersed in the preserve with her new friends, Evangeline finally begins to heal. But the haunting memories of the accident and her mother’s unforgiving words threaten to destroy her progress. Only her new friends and their unconditional support, along with her own special connection with Ruke, can save her.

Evangeline must learn that there is redemption for her father’s death, and that the bonds between human, animal, and life are not as fragile as she once thought.

While your fingers are in the clicking mode, why not give Kristina a follow on every social media platform I could think of when writing up the template for these interviews (plus some)?

Blog: An Awfully Big Adventure
Facebook: Author Kristina Circelli
Twitter: @KCircelli
Goodreads: Kristina Circelli
Website: Kristina Circelli
Amazon Author Page: Kristina Circelli

If you have any questions, pop them into the comments below. Kristina will be happy to answer them!

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Author Interview - Rachael Brownell

Happy, happy Monday, everyone! Today I have another unofficial utopYA Con 2015 author interview for you. This time, we're meeting author Rachael Brownell. I think you'll love this little lady! She's got a lot going on, and has a ton of cool information for you. If you're new to the blog and wondering what utopYA Con is, click here to find out and get your tickets at the early-bird price! You only have a couple weeks left. Don't be the sad girl (or guy) left out in the cold! Okay, I'll shut up and get to the interview now. Grab a cup of coffee and let's get going!

Jo: Hiya, Rachael! Welcome to the blog. So good to have you here! Any friend of Casey L. Bond is a friend of mine. I hope you’re ready for all the junk I managed to dig up. Got your fingers ready and your nerves steeled? *grin*

Rachael: Thanks so much for having me. I’m really excited to be here!

Jo: You say that now... *wags eyebrows* So, I know you’re an author who writes for the love of the craft and the readers. Tell me, at what point did you decide not to go with the traditional publisher that picked up the first two books in the Holding On series? Do you look back and wish you had?

Rachael: Actually I have never looked back since leaving my publisher. There was so much that I didn’t agree with and had no control over that I will never go back unless I have more control.


Jo: I hear that from a lot of authors. Excitement that fades to black after just a few weeks or months. I may go digging around on that topic. *grin* Okay, I have to ask you if you still have a snip of something you wrote in high school. Would you share it with us? If not, tell me what writing did for you (on a personal level) back then.

Rachael: Writing was my outlet back then. I would love to share a snippet of that with everyone but the only thing left I’ve already shared. Holding On is the product of the one very long, not so great, book that I wrote when I was 17. I put my heart and soul into that book to make it what it is today.

Jo: I understand. I lost most of my early writings, too. So, what made you decide to change your book covers for the Holding On series? How many options did you go through?

Rachael: I wasn’t considering changing the cover, really. I liked the covers that I had but I was browsing Marisa’s website after looking at one of her posts and fell in love with a pre-made set that she had. It just felt right. I knew the second I saw them that I wanted them to represent the series. The rest is history.

Jo: Well, they certainly are beautiful. During my stalking research, I found another author with your name. Are you ever confused with that Rachael Brownell? Has it ever made for a super awkward situation?

Rachael: Ummm... yeah. About her. Let me just say for the record that I don’t know her, I’m not related to her and no, I didn’t write a book about getting sober. When I realized that someone else was already published under my real name, spelled the same and everything, I contemplated using a pen name but decided against it.

Jo: I can't imagine the comments. *face/palm* Time for rapid fire questions! Yellow or blue?

Rachael: blue

Jo: Niiiiice! Over the roll or under the roll (this is referring to the way the toilet paper comes off the roll on the holder)?

Rachael: under

Jo: B.J. Sheldon, did you hear that? *giggles* Fantasy or fact?

Rachael: fantasy


Jo: Great answer! Not that I expected anything less. Now I get to ask a cool question! *grin* Since the theme of utopYA Con 2015 is time travel, I’m going bananas with these little inserts. In the future, how many books do you think you’ll have published total, and what kind of impact do you see your stories having on the world?

Rachael: I hope to have at least 3 more out this year. The rest is yet to be determined. I try not to look too far into the future, I don’t want to let myself or anyone else down. As far as an impact on readers, if I am able to make one person love one of my books, one of my characters, or just one cover, it will all be worth it.

Jo: Well, one baby step at a time! *grin* I know you’re embroiled in a super-secret project with author Casey L. Bond—and it’s super-duper secret—but would you share a tiny tidbit (like a genre) with my readers? What made you two decide to write together?

Rachael: We’ve been talking about writing something together for a while. We’ve only shared a few fun facts with our street teams so I’ll share those with all of you as well…

1. It's a serial series.
2. It's dark, twisted and unlike anything we've ever written as individuals.
3. It's very unique--in a good way!
4. Here's the tag line of book one: HE'S NEVER LOST A GAME...

Jo: Eep! Sounds like it'll be amazing. I can't wait to read it! Do you see your writing career as something you’d like to eventually do full time, or do you think you’ll always be an off-time keybanger? Why/why not?

Rachael: I would love to do this all day every day but I also have a passion for my day job that will probably always keep me from giving it up.

Jo: Isn't it nice to love what you do? A huge thumbs-up for you, lady! Is there anything I didn’t ask that you wish I had? Any little secrets hiding in your repertoire you’d like to share? *grin*

Rachael: If I gave away all my secrets there would be no mystery :)

Jo: True! Thought I had you for a second there. LOL! *wiggles brows* Sadly, that’s all the time I have for today. Thanks so much for being an awesome guest, Rachael! I’m looking forward to meeting you at utopYA in June!

Now, it’s time to tell you all about the featured book of the week!

Title: Holding On
Author: Rachael Brownell
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Length (print): 235 Pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle FREE  ~  Kobo FREE  ~  iBooks FREE  ~  B&N FREE



Synopsis:
For five years Becca has been struggling to hide her feelings for her best friend, Brad. Now she finally has a chance to move on. She’s in a new city, she’s attending a new school, and she’s met the first guy besides Brad who’s held her attention in a long time. Not only is Ethan attractive, he’s an amazing tennis player, and he might just be Becca’s match on and off the courts.

Brad has loved Becca for as long as he can remember. Now that Becca’s family has moved two thousand miles away, Brad may finally be ready to lay his heart on the line and do whatever it takes to hold on to Becca.

But is Brad too late? Or will Ethan’s secret drive Becca back into Brad’s arms? Torn between her love for Brad and the promise of something new and exciting with Ethan, Becca has an almost impossible choice to make, the choice between letting go or holding on.

While your fingers are in the clicking mode, why not give this lovely lady a follow on every social media platform I could think of when writing up the template for these interviews (plus some)?

Facebook: Author Rachael Brownell
Twitter: @HoldingOn2013
Goodreads: Rachael Brownell
Website: Author Rachael Brownell
Amazon Author Page: Rachael Brownell on Amazon

Rachael has honored us with a giveaway! Get your clickin' fingers goin!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you have any questions, pop them into the comments below. Rachael will be around to answer and/or respond!

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Author Interview - Casey Peeler

Happy Monday, everyone! It's time for another unofficial utopYA author interview! Today, I bring you Ms. Casey Peeler! You're gonna love her southern charm and spunk. If you aren't familiar with utopYA, I have to wonder if you've been hiding under a rock, or if this is your first visit to my blog. *grin* Are you an author or reader of awesome books? Then this is a conference you don't want to miss out on! Find more information about the con here. Once you've decided this IS the con for you (how could it not be?), get your tickets while they're still on sale at early bird prices! Then, come on back to the blog and meet some of the people attending! Every Monday from now until the middle of June, you'll get either an author interview or some awesome information on the featured author's books. Don't miss out! Okay, enough of my jawing. Let's get to the good stuff!

Jo: Welcome to the blog, Casey! Wow, are you ever an interesting lady. I spent a good amount of time researching you for this interview. I hope you’re ready for what I found. *grin*

Casey: Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to see what you’ve found! I’m super excited about this interview and utopYA 2015!

Jo: Right? Just six months away now. Wow. Okay, let’s jump right in so the natives don’t get restless, shall we? What made you choose the Southern Romance genre?

Casey: I have lived in North Carolina my entire life. Some people don’t think of NC as “that Southern.” Once I open my mouth, you’ll never doubt it.  :) I chose Southern Romance because that is what I know. I absolutely love a good ole country boy, country music, hunting, fishing, and a good field party back in the day! I’m also a girl who believes there are fairytales and happily ever afters.

Jo: There are most certainly happy ever afters. I'm totally living my own. *grin* North Carolina is certainly in the South. Love that you have an accent! So, which aspects of romance can we find in your six novels?

Casey: Full Circle Series (No Turning Back, Full Circle, and Loving Charley) is about overcoming your past and discovering who you are as an individual in order to find your HEA. It can be read from anyone that’s in high school to 100, even though it is considered New Adult. Our Song is a Contemporary Romance novella. It’s one of my favorites that I’ve written. I told y’all I’m a sucker for a country boy. Now make him a country singer in a pair of tight jeans shaking it on stage, and I’m a goner! In Tune: A Love’s Duet is an anthology that features several authors and includes Our Song. All proceeds go to Fender Music Foundation to put music back in classrooms. Southern Perfection is a Young Adult romance, but it’s so much more than just romance. It’s about a family, secrets, faith, and love. This one holds a piece of my heart!

Jo: Those sound amazing. I love books with a life lesson of some kind. What event or events brought you to the decision to re-release Southern Perfection? Can you give us an example of a major change we might find?

Casey: This answer could be really long, so I’m going to be as brief as possible. Kenzie, Jillian Dodd’s daughter, read Southern Perfection after a conversation Jillian and I had in September. She liked it, but thought I could make a few changes to make it even better. After a call with Jillian and Beth Suit, editor, the rest is history! It’s releasing 1/13/15, tomorrow! ** Eeeep! Two stepping all over the house right now! **

In the new Southern Perfection, there are major changes in the prologue, the flow of the story, one major scene/turning point, and Emmett and Raegan’s future is laid out for you.

Jo: Sometimes, you just gotta have those re-writes! Sounds like a lot of work went into the second edition. I wish you awesome luck with it. I have to know: Where’d you come up with the name Emmett?

Casey: Honestly, I always try to find names that sound like strong, southern men. I also try to use names you don’t see often in other novels. If you look up the meaning, you will find it means, “a powerful force to all those lives they touch.” (http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/emmett ) If you’ve read Southern Perfection, you would agree that the name suits the character. Ladies, he’s going to make you swoon even more in the NEW Southern Perfection!

Jo: I use that name in my Abigale Chronicles Series for middle grade readers. It's my son and my grandfather's name. *grin* I love it! Does your dance mom background ever show up in your novels? If yes, which one and how? If no, why not?

Casey: At this point, that hasn’t happened yet! Now that you bring it up, it totally could in the future.

Jo: Why not, right? *wiggles eyebrows* Tell me a little about being a special needs teacher. What grade do you teach? What’s it like working with special needs kids?

Casey: I have taught high school special education for eleven years. I have students from grades 9-12, and I teach anything from English to a class called Occupation Preparation which is where students learn job skills to be productive citizens. Teaching students with special needs is an adventure each and every day, and sometimes the things kids say you honestly wouldn’t believe unless you were there. Most people tell me that they admire what I do, but honestly, I wouldn’t teach any other type of student. The students I teach each day are the ones that are our future. They aren’t going to be a doctor or lawyer, but they are the ones that will keep this world functioning. We all know that a college degree is nice, but if you didn’t have a mechanic, plumber, electrician, or any other vocational trade, this world would be in a mess. The biggest obstacle I face each and every day is their self confidence. They think everyone “knows” that they aren’t the top of the class. What I try to instill in them is that it doesn’t matter if you are number one in your class or two thousand as long as you are comfortable with who you are - strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes - you will go far in life.

Jo: *claps* What an awesome thing you're doing. My niece is a deaf interpreter for special needs high schoolers. I totally admire you ladies. Rapid fire questions! Wine or beer?

Casey: Beer!

Jo: Woman after my own heart! Beautiful Disaster or Walking Disaster?

Casey: Beautiful Disaster <3<3<3<3 #TravisMaddox4Life #mypermanentbookboyfriend

Jo: I knew that. *laughs* Big or small?

Casey: Small

Jo: Like, really tiny? I do adore small dogs. Now I have to ask you the time travel question because that’s the theme of utopYA 2015! Since you love country, you might like this one! *grin* If you could go back to the old west in America, what type of business would you be most interested in seeing? What town would you go to? Is there anything you’d want to do while you were there?

Casey: The Saloons! Helloooooo! I’m all about a cold beverage, loud music, and entertainment!


Jo: Sounds like fun! You could host a party there! Besides utopYA, you’re going to four other events in 2015 including A Novel Experience in Las Vegas. Have you ever attended any of those events before, and which one is your favorite? Why?

Casey: This year, utopYA is the only event that I have attended in the past. I will have to say, I’m super excited for Vegas!

Jo: Vegas should be fun. If you see A. G. Howard, high-five her for me! *grin* I poked around your review blog, Hardcover Therapy. Love it! I adore how it started with people asking you what they should read next. Tell me a couple of the difficulties you’ve had running a review blog, and what you get out of it.

Casey: The hardest thing is balancing everything - everyday life, reading, and writing. At one point when I was just reviewing, I felt horrible telling people no. Needless to say, I learned that you can’t read everything. My cousin loves to read as much as me. Chelly is now part of the Hardcover Therapy team, and she will be at utopYA with me again this year! :)

Jo: Amen. Balance is difficult at the best of times. Awesome that you're bringing Chelly on! I bet she's stoked. What are you working on right now? Care to give us a quick rundown?

Casey: **Takes a deep breath**
~Southern Perfection re-releases on 1/13/15.
~By Chance, a NA standalone novel, will release late March 2015.
~Full Circle Series will re-release in time for utopYA.
~Waiting on Walker, a MC Novella with a country twist releases early August 2015
~Full Circle Spinoff: Piper’s story (title TBD) will release in late October 2015.
~In December 2015, you will see either a Christmas novella featuring the Full Circle Series OR a novel to go along with Our Song!
**Breathes**

Jo: Whoa, that's a lot to manage! I'm crossing my fingers all goes well for you. I’ve taken up a TON of your time (hey, I’m thorough if nothing else), but I have just one more question. I saw that you named Travis Maddox as your perma-book boyfriend. What is it about that character that makes you swoon?

Casey: He was my “first” I guess you could say. Yes, I have read all kinds of books, but nothing compares to him. I swear, I was never the one that liked the bad boy kind, but I have always looked for the good in everyone. Even though he does some stupid things, he has a good heart. He tries so hard! Bless his heart! He wants to do what’s right and take care of Abby but he doesn’t know how. Oh and him fighting – HOT, tattoos - HOT, and that dang dimple – BEYOND HOT! Most of all, I love that when he loves with his whole heart, he is never the same. 

 “I know we're fucked up, alright? I'm impulsive, and hot tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don't deserve you...but I fucking love you, Abby. I love you more than I loved anyone or anything ever. When you're around, I don't need booze, or money, or the fighting, or the one-night stands...” ~ snippet from Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

I guess you could say every dang detail about him makes me swoon. I’ve read that book at least 8 times, and each time I fall harder and harder! Needless to say that Walking Disaster let me in on everything I wanted to know, and oh I was in tears at one point! I could ramble on for DAYS about why Travis “Maddog” Maddox is my permanent book boyfriend, or I should say book husband because if didn’t you know, I married him in a Beautiful Wedding! ;)

Jo: How sweet is that? I read some of the lesser reviews of that novel before I wrote mine. Holy crap people can be mean! Anyway, moving on! Well, that’s all the blog space we have for today. It was lovely having you on the blog, Casey! Thank you so very much for your time. I can’t wait to meet you at utopYA in June!

Casey: Thank you again for having me today! Jo, you have outdone yourself! You went above and beyond with your research and I <3 it! Thank you for wanting to know more about me and letting everyone coming to UTopYA know a little more about me! This has been a blast… now I’m going to swoon over Travis! ;)

Now, it’s time to reveal the featured book of the week! **PLEASE NOTE! Price changes to $3.99 on all platforms on 1/14/15 at 12:01am**

Title: Southern Perfection
Author: Casey Peeler
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Length (print): 221 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  Barnes and Noble Nook $0.99  ~  iBooks $0.99  ~  Google Play $0.99

Synopsis: Life is full of choices: good, bad, and ones you can’t control.

Raegan strives to be perfect in every way. Varsity cheerleader, honor student, and proud granddaughter of Dover Lowery. By day, Raegan is an over-achieving high school student, but at three o’clock, her real work begins.

What happens when appearances are not what they seem? Will Raegan be able to hold on to her life as she knows it, or will she be left all alone? All of these questions are answered with one night, one song, one story, and one boy.

While your fingers are in the clicking mode, why not give Ms. Peeler a follow on every social media platform I could think of when writing up the template for these interviews (plus some)?

Website: Author Casey Peeler
Amazon: Casey Peeler's Author Page
Facebook: Casey Peeler Author
Twitter: @AuthorCasey
Tumblr: Casey Peeler Author
Pinterest: Author Casey
Goodreads: Casey Peeler
YouTube: Author Casey Peeler's YouTube Channel
Tsu: Casey Peeler
Wattpad: Author Casey
Google +: Casey Peeler Author

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
If you have any questions for Casey, pop them into the comments below.

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Author Interview - Casey Bond

Happy, happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Wow. My fingers are trying to find the keyboard again, and it feels a little awkward. Amazing what a week off work will do, huh? Sorry if you commented last week and got no reply. I was taking a forced vacation (yes, I forced myself not to look at anything while I was away) and have just returned. While I missed everyone and my blog, I needed very badly to get away from it all for a moment or two.

Anyway, enough of all that! I'm back and it's time for another unofficial UtopYA author interview! What's UtopYA? Well, find out more here and grab your ticket now while they're still at earlybird prices! Today, I bring you a second interview with the awesome Casey L. Bond. If you missed the first one, check it out here. Casey's been a crazy busy author over the last twelve months... Let me allow her to tell you! Grab a cup of coffee and let's get going.

Jo: Okay, please allow me a moment. “Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” *recomposes face* Welcome to the blog, Casey! I’m so excited to have you here I can barely contain myself. I have so many questions for you! Since last time [link] you were here, you’ve been a very busy writer. Ready?

Casey: I was born ready! :) Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Jo.

Jo: *nods* Squee! *grin* First of all, tell me about your section of the new release Fractured Glass. What genre is it, and which characters did you introduce? Where did you come up with the idea(s)?

Casey: *Wags eyebrows* My section was fantasy and it’s literally in the center of the book. The best thing about writing, for me, is the world-building. It’s why I love paranormal, fantasy and dystopian novels. It’s really why I love reading in general. The author creates a world that I can escape to for a little while. I cannot wait for readers to explore the worlds (yes, that was plural) in Fractured Glass!

I introduced a few important characters and some minor ones, as well. My favorite is Calix. He’s tall, dark, hot and secretive—yum! I also love Yurit and Heema. They are amazing and I don’t want to ruin too much of the plot by telling you who or what they are, but….EEEEEP! Can you tell I’m excited? There are several creatures in this book and while some are frightening, some are just plain awesome!

Inspiration came from my crazy mind, songs I heard while writing, Pinterest boards and the previous sections written by Tia Silverthorne Bach and your awesome self. Upon revising the work, I also drew from the creativity of fellow anthology contributors, Kelly Risser and N.L. Greene. This project was amazing in concept, but seeing everyone work together to deepen the inventive story line and watching the novel anthology come to life was a blessing.

Jo: So much freaking fun writing that book. I also must admit, our Facebook party was amazing! Now, tell me three of your goals for 2015.

Casey: I want to finish writing Reclaim, book three in The Harvest Saga. I’d like to finish writing Paradox, book two in The New Covenant series….And, honestly, I need to learn how to plan and manage my time in a more efficient way. So many things are black holes, sucking my time away so fast that it’s gone before I even realized it was being pulled away. Those are the big three! Hopefully, I can work on all of them and conquer one at a TIME. (Pun totally intended.)

Jo: OMG you must finish Reclaim! I'm soooo eager to read that one. How many books did you release in 2014, and what are the titles? Which one is your favorite?

Casey: WOW! It’s been such an amazing and busy year! In 2014, I released the following books:

Reap (Book 1 of The Harvest Saga)
Resist (Book 2 of The Harvest Saga)
Pariah (Book 1 of The New Covenant Series)
Shady Bay (NA Romance)
Sin (Serial series consisting of five parts)
And my daughter and I released Chasing Wishes just a couple of weeks ago! It’s a children’s book that we plotted while driving home from a road trip to Cincinnati!


Jo: *passes out* Wow. You rock. I know your parents are huge supporters of your writing, and you’re pretty close with them. If you could write your younger self a letter to give advice on how to behave, what would it say?

Casey: Oh, my goodness! I’d tell me to listen to my mama (and Dad!). Teenagers and young adults have to make mistakes in order to learn from them, unfortunately. And believe me, I made my fair share. Thankfully, parents’ love is unconditional. My parents have always been amazingly supportive and loving and I just hope I can teach my children the same by loving them in the same way.

Jo: How sweet! I'm positive your kids are gonna grow up just fine. Maybe a little crazy, but... *grin* I know you’re on every social media platform known to man, but which two are your favorite and why?

Casey: Honestly, I don’t know enough about tsu.co to make a decision on that. The jury is still out for me. So many people jumped on the bandwagon, myself included, assuming that if Facebook limits promo posts in 2015, they would be able to promo there. And I guess that’s true to a point, but tsu limits posts as well. Ultimately, it’s all about money. Facebook wants to limit promos in the newsfeed, at least they want to limit the ones that businesses aren’t paying them for. Tsu uses some sort of point system to allow users to accrue money. They probably don’t want to pay out and so they limit posts, shares, the amounts of friend requests you can make per week, etc.

To answer your question, I would say my favorites are Facebook and Pinterest. I’m very new to Insta and Tumblr, so I’m still working on figuring them out. Facebook is fun. I know they can be a pain, but it’s the best social media site out there, in my opinion. And I’m a Pinterest addict. I love to pin. I have a zillion boards and I love to just relax, browse and soak in some inspiration.

Jo: That's totally true. You gotta check out Casey's boards. Amazingness! You recently wrote a book with your daughter. Tell us a little bit about how that worked and what the ups and downs of the project were. Title?

Casey: My oldest daughter and I came up with a basic plot on the way home from a road trip. When I got home, I saw a post from Regina Wamba that indicated that she worked with an amazing illustrator and wondered if anyone was interested in having a Children’s book illustrated. *Beams shone down from the heavens and the angels sang*

So, I messaged her. When we finished our story, I sent it to her and she had Hetty Mitchell bring the book to life through her drawings. Then, Regina worked her magic on the cover. It’s stunning. The book is called Chasing Wishes. And, my daughter is thrilled to be a part of it. She can’t wait to go to some signings with me.

Jo: How freaking exciting is that? I bet she's over the moon to hang with her mom and put her name in some books! I would be. Now, it's the dreaded time travel question! Since the theme for utopYA 2015 is time travel and write your own future, if you had a magical typewriter that let you do just that, what would you give yourself? What impact do you think it would have (what would you do with whatever you chose)?


Casey: A long and joyful life. I love living and love watching my babies grow. I want to be there for all of their milestones. I’m not sure what impact that might have on the world, but it would sure make me happy.

Jo: Great answer, Casey! Rapid fire questions! Up or down?

Casey: Up!

Jo: Left or right?

Casey: Left.

Jo: Gah! Thought I had you on that last one! Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham and Cheese?

Casey: PB & J!

Jo: Every time. *grins* What are you working on right now? Any ideas in the shed you’d like to advance share with my readers? *bats eyelashes*

Casey: Right now, I’m working on two projects. Crazy Love is a new adult romance with a dystopian vibe. And, I’m working on Reclaim.

I also have some projects planned for later in 2015. If you know about the Sin series, you know that the title was inspired by main character, Morgan Sinclare and the fact that the story is set in Sin City—Las Vegas, Nevada.

How about a hint? *grins* One of those projects will take place in a very famous city, one that I’ve recently visited: The Big Apple. Can you guess who the main character will be?

Jo: Oh my! Reclaim? Abby? Eeeeeeeep! So excited!!!!!!!! How’s the move going? Is it having an impact on your productivity? I ask this because I did the same recently and only now have gotten back into the swing of things. I gotta know if it’s just me, or if all authors have this issue during a move. LOL

Casey: Ugh. We have placed our house on the market and haven’t actually moved yet. Though, we’ve packed up and are cleaning like psychos everyday (just in case someone calls and schedules an appointment to look at the house). So, it’s a frustrating process at times. I’ve been reluctant to schedule Facebook parties, etc. because of the possibility that an appointment will be scheduled during the event and my kids and pets will have to vacate the premises! LOL! It’s a long process, but in the end will be worth it.

Jo: Yes it will be. Settling in is the hardest part. Well, that’s all the time we have. Is there anything I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Casey: I’m a Taurus. My favorite color is teal. I love spaghetti. I think that’s all! Thank you so much!

Jo: I'm ROFL! You're so cool. It was awesome having you here, Casey! I can’t wait to see you at the conference. We’re gonna have such a good time (and maybe come up with another book idea – yes, readers, you heard that right)! Expect squees and tackle hugs!

Now, it’s time to reveal the featured book of the week!

Title: Pariah
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Length (print): 315 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $3.99 ~ Barnes and Noble Nook $3.99 ~ iBooks $3.99


Synopsis:
What are the things that you need most in life—the things you crave? Solara longs for freedom. Having been raised under the Kingdom’s lock and key since the age of two, she wants to see the world. Upon turning seventeen and receiving no mark from the Lord, she believes freedom is finally within her grasp. Unfortunately, she is wrong. The Kingdom has been fooled. She is marked by an angel of light and one of the fallen dark ones. Solara is God’s chosen, and with her birth, the new covenant made with mankind is made manifest.

Solara also longs for love, strong enough to last a lifetime, and beyond. Riven loves her. But is one of the fallen prophesied to betray the chosen. Can she trust him? Love him?

Prophesy states that she is the key. The fate of humanity rests with her decision. She alone will determine whether the doors of Heaven or the gates of Hell open upon the Earth. But how can a normal girl, who has been raised with no knowledge of either side, make such a decision? And how can she turn away from finally tasting those things she has craved for so long.

While your fingers are in the clicking mode, why not give this lovely lady a follow on every social media platform I could think of when writing up the template for these interviews (plus some)?

Twitter: @authorcaseybond
Facebook: Author Casey Bond
Pinterest: CaseyB007
Website: Author Casey Bond
Blog: Author Casey Bond Blog
Goodreads: Casey L. Bond
Google +: Casey L. Bond
Tsu: Author Casey L. Bond

Rafflecopter giveaway time!

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If you have any questions for Casey, pop them into the comments below. She’ll be around to interact with you.

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo