Casey Bond Author Interview

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Sorry I haven't been around. I took a little vacation during which time The Best Boyfriend in the World became The Best Fiance in the World. I'll be telling you more tomorrow! In keeping with my Monday posts through June, 2014, I bring you another UtopYA Con 2014 unofficial author interview. Yeah to awesomeness! If you haven’t picked up your tickets for the event yet, click the name to grab yours today. It’s being held at the Millennium Maxwell House in Nashville, Tennessee. We’re looking forward to meeting fans of YA and NA books!

Let’s get this party started! Snuggle down into your footed jammies (because it's freaking cold!), relax on your couch, and meet author Casey L. Bond!

Jo: Welcome to the blog, Casey! Soooo good to have you here for this interview.
Casey: Thanks for having me, Jo!

Jo: I’m not gonna beat around the bush here, my readers want the juicy stuff and it doesn’t do to hold the red meat outside the cage when they’re feeling like tigers. Tell me about publishing with Tate Publishing. How did you get in, what you like, what challenges you’ve faced.
Casey: *Grins* As with most things in life, it’s a weird story. I wrote Winter Shadows in the last trimester of my second pregnancy when I couldn’t sleep, edited it as best I could and sent it out into the world. Several agents replied that the story was interesting but not for them. My uncle bought my oldest daughter a children’s book at a signing near his home and sent it to her. He had included a bookmark from Tate Publishing, so I decided to check them out online. When it said they were open to submissions, I uploaded the manuscript and sent it away into cyber land. A month later, when I had forgotten about the submission, I received a phone call from their acquisitions department saying that they wanted the book in their 2013 catalog and would like to offer me a contract. After discussing with the hubs, we decided to go for it. The rest is history.

Tate designed the cover (with my direction), edited and is currently marketing the book along with me. Winter Shadows just released on 10.29.2013 so I haven’t even seen my sales yet (*ducks head*). They will send a report every quarter. Until then, I guess I’ll just keep chewing my nails. Everyone at Tate has been extremely nice and professional. I love the cover. A couple of challenges have arisen with working with Tate. One is that a few typos that apparently slipped through the cracks. Once Tate publishes, there’s no going back to correct those, so that’s a bummer. I’m a bit of a perfectionist :) Another, is that I can’t control my own pricing. I wish I had more say in my e-book price especially, but I have zero control over it. Sorry y’all :)

Jo: Well, congratulations! Sounds like an adventure! What’s the skinny on the book you have planned for Spring 2014? Title and blurb, please!!
Casey: *Smiles* Well, since you’re special, I’ll give ya a taste. It’s a YA Fantasy entitled Pariah. Here is the blurb, which is still subject to change….

Pariah

The New Covenant Series

by Casey L. Bond

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 doesn’t want to be the Chosen. She longs for love, strong enough to last a lifetime, and beyond. Riven loves her. But he is one of the fallen, prophesied to betray her. Can she trust him? Love him? Prophecy states that she is the key. The fate of humanity rests with her decision, as she holds the ability to open either the doors of Heaven or the gates of Hell 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 for which she has craved so long. Still rough :)

Jo: WOW. I can't wait! You must let me know when it comes out. I do enjoy my "special" status. *grin* Tell me about West Virginia. Did you grow up there? What do you love/hate about the area?
Casey: I grew up in Hurricane, WV and now live about seven miles away in Milton! I love the rugged beauty of the area. I’m an outdoors kind-of-girl and our state is amazing. I’ve traveled quite a bit and love our hills and mountains. We are a bit remote and it’s expensive to fly just about anywhere, but it’s worth it. As much as I enjoy seeing the world, I love coming home even more. In WV, every mile is a country mile.

Jo: I'm from Tennessee but grew up in Louisiana. I know know my marsh from my mountains anymore. WV is somewhere I intend to visit soon. I see you have Pinterest boards dedicated to your books. What’s the reason behind that, what made you start, and how has it helped you?
Casey: Hello. My name is Casey. I’m a Pinterest addict. I’ve been pinning for a while now and looooove it. I have boards for each of my books and works under construction. There’s also a huge board for Writing Inspiration and y’all are more than welcome to follow along. When I write, I have an image in my head. Sometimes, I can find something similar on Pinterest and share my vision with readers. Pretty darn spectacular, if you ask me! :)

Jo: Oh my... You may need PA :P You wrote a review for I, Zombie recently. I have to say thank you (y’all can see it here)!! It was an awesome review. What are your favorite genres to read and have you ever considered writing about those particular topics? Why/why not?
Casey: *giggles* Weeeeeeeeeeellll. I am quite eclectic in my reading tastes. I love dystopian. Winter Shadows fits that bill and I’m working on a new dystopian book that I am extremely excited about. I think it’s my best idea yet and I’m really thrilled about this one! I read a lot of YA and NA romance. Devil Creek falls in the NA category and I hope you all love it  :) I also like paranormal, hot cowboys and highlanders, and anything sci-fi that is interesting…..think Mortal Instruments. I don’t know if I’ll branch out more one of these days. I just work on what inspires me at the time. I’m super stoked about the dystopian project I’m working on now (between edits of Pariah). Did I mention that? *grins*

Jo: I like all genres except autobiographies. Hey, can't be a hater. Hehe I read that you spent a summer studying in Europe. First of all, please share with my readers what your degree is in (I know this but they don’t). Then, tell us what your favorite place was that you visited while traipsing all over the country!
Casey: I graduated in 2003 with a B.A. in Criminal Justice (emphasis on Legal Studies) from Marshall University, home of The Thundering Herd! Who’s got a HERD on? Yep. I just said that. I lived in Lyon, France with a French family. They were spectacular and I loved them, by the way. I did attend school there at the Université Catholique de Lyon in French Language and Culture. In France, my friends and I traveled to Cannes, Nice, Monaco (yes, we went to the Monte Carlo Casino), Paris, and Annecy. I got to walk through lavender fields, go to amazing vineyards and walk through castles! We also went to Geneva, Switzerland and Rome, Italy. My favorite was old Paris. It was so breathtakingly beautiful. I want to take my family with me and go back sometime when the girls get bigger.

Jo: I'm left wondering if you'll ever write legal thrillers... *gets jealous of travels* One day, I'll get to see Stratford on Avon :) Quick, what’s your favorite drink?
Casey: Tie. Diet coke or Diet Sunkist. Nectars of the gods.

Jo: I can't do diet anything. The aspartame feels like fuzz in my mouth. LOL Favorite snack?
Casey: Chips & salsa.

Jo: YUM! I like Pace :) Now, I have to ask, why Christian Fiction for Winter Shadows? I haven’t read it yet (Casey sent me a signed copy! *sticks tongue out at readers*) but I intend to. It’s an interesting genre choice. What difficulties have you faced?
Casey: When I wrote the book, I never thought about the genre. The story just flowed. I didn’t make the book to be preachy at all. Claire, the main character is sheltered. She grew up in a small community with an overprotective, very devout father. She had been raised a Christian and had lost her faith after her mother died from cancer. But, her faith is only one part of Claire and the story itself. It’s a dystopian YA. The government declares a pandemic. Claire’s dad doesn’t buy it. He and some other families from their community decide to go ‘off the grid’ and live in a cave system in rural WV. It’s about survival. Claire finds her strength and fortitude. She battles with herself over feelings she harbors for her best friend Ethan and outsider Colin, who is a breath of fresh air. I hope ya like it :)

Jo: Makes sense. I'm sure I'll love it. Time for the alien question of the interview! UtopYA Con 2014 is centered around aliens, the general them being “Take Me to Your Reader” so I’ve been doing this with everyone. Do you believe aliens exist? Why/why not?
Casey: *Laughs* I’ve never seen one. But, who knows. It’s a big universe out there.

Jo: *nods sagely* Agreed. Do you ever say, “Bond, Casey Bond,” when introducing yourself to someone? If yes, what is the usual reaction? If no, why the heck not?
Casey: Heck yes! This is my married name, so I didn’t grow up being taunted with it. I’m using the heck out of that line !!!!

Jo: I freaking love that. How awesome! I see you married your high-school sweetheart (how sweet is that?). Tell us three of your favorite things about your husband.
Casey: He is extremely funny, somewhat quiet and an awesome dad!

Jo: He sounds great. Gotta love the humor! Now tell us about your featured book of the week! Why did you write it, what was the most difficult thing about getting it done, and were you nervous about publishing it?
Casey: Devil Creek * ominous music * is a new adult romance set in my home state of WV. I wrote it because the characters in my head wouldn’t shut up. The most difficult thing about getting it done was finding time to do it. Two kiddos keep me busy. I write during nap and bedtime, but try to do a few things in between. Also, wading through the self-pubbing process feels like trudging through mud. I’m new to all this, so everything takes longer than it probably will in the future, when I get the hang of it all. I am nervous about this one. I’ve never written in this genre before, though I read a lot of NA. I love the book and hope you all will, too :)

Jo: I totally read it and I loved it! Y'all can see the review here. Anything I didn’t ask that you wished I had?
Casey: What’s my favorite color? Teal. One weird thing about me? I hate to open biscuits from a pop-open can. It scares me and I flinch every dang time. :)

Jo: Those scare me, too! LOL! That’s all the time we have for today! Thanks for joining me here on the blog, Casey. This was fun. I hope I didn’t creep you out too much with my cyber stalking of your author self. I can’t wait to meet you at UtopYA.
Casey: Stalk away, people. Stalk away. I can’t wait to meet you there, too! And, that goes for all my UtopYA peeps! Can’t wait to see y’all!

Okay, everyone, time for the skinny on Casey’s featured book of the week:

Title: Devil Creek
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: NA Romance
Print Length: 185 Pages
Purchase Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis: What is your greatest fear? For Aislin, it is the fear of being alone. She grew up in and out of foster care along with her brother, Declan. When he is killed by an IED blast while serving in Afghanistan, she leans on her brother's best friend, Gabriel. The two become inseparable.

When she catches her fiancée in bed with another girl? She isn’t even that upset. Mad as hell? Yes. As angry as she should be? No. That's the moment she realizes that she isn't in love with her fiancée. She is in love with her best friend, Gabriel. The only problem is that Gabe doesn't think he should cross the boundary between friend and lover with his dead best friend's sister. He wants her. He just doesn't want to want her. And, therein lies the problem.

After Aislin is attacked by a man she tried to love with her head in an attempt to heal her heart from rejection, she and Gabriel have one night of bliss together. Only one though. Gabriel gets spooked and runs. He is afraid. Afraid that Aislin will hate him for taking advantage of her vulnerability. Three years and nine months later, Gabe comes home to find Aislin with a dark-haired wanna-be rock star and a three year old little girl with familiar blue eyes. Seeing her with Jude, makes his blood boil. But does Gabriel deserve her? No. Does he want her? With every fiber of his being. He will do anything it takes to win her heart. He wants a place in her life and in the life of her daughter.

What is in the cards for Gabriel and Aislin? Can love survive without trust? Welcome to Devil Creek.

Thanks for hanging around the blog today and meeting author Casey L. Bond! While you’re still clicking from your purchase above, why not give her a follow on social media AND enter her great giveaway?

Facebook: Author Casey Bond
Twitter: @authorcaseybond
Pinterest: CaseyB007

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Got questions? Ask them in the comments below!

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

Jo

A Guest Post by Kristina Circelli

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! In keeping with my Monday posts through June, 2014, I have a guest post for you all from author Kristina Circelli. She's one of the lovely ladies attending UtopYA Con in June. If you don't have tickets to that event yet, get them now before the price goes up in February! Just click on the name and you'll be taken to the page where tickets are being sold. Without further ado, I give you a lovely tale written by Ms. Circelli!

The Wild One Speaks

by Kristina Circelli

I found her as a child.

She sat at the window, cheeks stained with tears, flesh purple and tender. A broken silhouette, praying for an escape. Yet when I approached, she wasn’t afraid. No, the girl with the green eyes looked right at me, knowing me, challenging me.

I was just a boy then, one who didn’t understand what it meant to have those eyes locked on me. I was just a boy who loved to have fun, one who hoped those tears would dry with an adventure she’d never forget.

And our adventures were many.

Nothing frightened my new friend, my childhood playmate, my Arianna of the Stars. Over mountains she soared. Through trees she raced. Across pirate ships she battled, all with me by her side. Her laughter filled my soul, her gaze capturing my heart. Just as I was the boy who took away her pain, she was the girl who made me whole.

But I realized this all too late.

Each time she returned home, the sadness grew. There was a darkness there, a shadow waiting for her to return. And each time she returned to me, that sadness pushed us apart a little more. Eventually I learned what it was that frightened her so, but I was just a boy who could not save her from the darkness.

Soon, I could not coax a smile from her fresh face. I could not hear her laughter over the solitude. I could not open her eyes to the beauty that our world held – the world we created together.

And then one day, she disappeared.

The window where she once waited was closed, the sound of her voice but a whisper on the wind, the dreams we once shared slipping away into the darkness. I searched for her every night, never accepting that she was gone, even when the land, our shared world, began to suffer in her absence. I suffered in her absence.

But still I felt her, always there, always unreachable. Something was wrong, and it was up to me to save her, my Arianna. When I learned the truth of our separation, when I finally found her, many years had passed, turning me from boy to man – a choice I was forced to make to bring my Arianna to her salvation.

And with that choice came wanting.

It was then, when I first saw her wandering through the woods, that I realized how much had changed. No longer was she the gangly girl with wide green eyes and an impish grin. No, a woman stood before me, one that my mind and body and soul desired with burning passion. She was made to be mine, as I was made to be hers.

So I found a way through that barrier, found a way to bring her home. In the beginning, I worried she had forgotten me and our adventures, but then she looked at me, truly looked at me, I knew that she saw the man just as I saw the woman.

Our new adventures were just beginning. Adventures not of child’s play, but of passion. They call me Malachi, The Wild One. They call her Arianna, the Star Jumper. We created this world together, and together we make it whole.

I found her all grown up. And I’m never letting her go.

~Kristina Circelli

Wow! I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did! Kudos for the entertainment, Kristina!

Find Kristina on her website or follow her on Goodreads! Also, be sure and check out The Never, the featured book of the week. Link is on the sidebar of the blog; just click the cover.

Why not leave this lovely lady some love in the comments or ask her a question or two about that story?

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

Jo

Book Review Devil Creek

Happy Friday, everyone! Today, I bring you a book review of Devil Creek by Casey L. Bond. If you remember from day twelve of the Christmas party, you'll see this title on the list. I have the very great pleasure of interviewing Ms. Bond for one of my special Monday spots on the blog in January as well. So grab your comfy slippers, a warm drink (because it's freaking cold outside), sit back, and read on!

As always, I'll start with information for the book on the chopping block today:

Title: Devil Creek
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: New Adult Romance
Length (print): aprox. 199 pages
Link to purchase: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
What is your greatest fear? For Aislin, it is the fear of being alone. She grew up in and out of foster care along with her brother, Declan. When he is killed by an IED blast while serving in Afghanistan, she leans on her brother's best friend, Gabriel. The two become inseparable.

When she catches her fiancée in bed with another girl? She isn’t even that upset. Mad as hell? Yes. As angry as she should be? No. That's the moment she realizes that she isn't in love with her fiancée. She is in love with her best friend, Gabriel. The only problem is that Gabe doesn't think he should cross the boundary between friend and lover with his dead best friend's sister. He wants her. He just doesn't want to want her. And, therein lies the problem.

After Aislin is attacked by a man she tried to love with her head in an attempt to heal her heart from rejection, she and Gabriel have one night of bliss together. Only one though. Gabriel gets spooked and runs. He is afraid. Afraid that Aislin will hate him for taking advantage of her vulnerability. Three years and nine months later, Gabe comes home to find Aislin with a dark-haired wanna-be rockstar and a three year old little girl with familiar blue eyes. Seeing her with Jude, makes his blood boil. But does Gabriel deserve her? No. Does he want her? With every fiber of his being. He will do anything it takes to win her heart. He wants a place in her life and in the life of her daughter. What is in the cards for Gabriel and Aislin? Can love survive without trust? Welcome to Devil Creek.

***Must be 18 to order due to adult language/situations.***

Will not appear in final review: I love the cover for this book. It's very captivating and pulls you right in. Lovely color choices on the designer's part. I also appreciate how large the author's name is. This is a chance for that name to shine and the cover artist did a great job of calling the name out.

Let's move on to why you're reading this, shall we?

I received an ARC from the author because I was one of the beta-readers for this book. I can assure you, all opinions are my own and honest. I'm not usually a fan of romance, but this book reads a lot like a coming-of-age story for the MC so I got into it. Enough rambling, let's get to the good stuff!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Devil Creek is told from two viewpoints: Aislin, the main female, and Gabe, the main male. Ms. Bond was wise to write it this way, because you get a deeper insight into what each character is thinking. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to reach into the pages and give them both a good shake. But making me care that much about the characters and their eventual outcome is something a good story does. I could connect with Aislin and wondered how many freaking men would have to betray her before she gave up on the gender for good. I was pulled into her world and felt what she felt as the tale moved forward. There are no loose ties left hanging at the end and that was something I appreciated a lot. Plot-wise, it was a brilliant tale and the pacing was really great. I sped through it in no time. There's no insta-love in this book. If that's what you're looking for, this isn't a story for you.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I have to say, I would've read a lot faster if not for the need for one more round of edits. It needs contractions, comma attention, and pronoun checks (I also found a couple of spelling errors - wrong word or wrong tense of word used). Because of those, I did get dissuaded a time or two. But they weren't so bad I couldn't read the book and the quality of the story outweighed these errors.

Rating:
1 Star for making me cringe at some of Aislin's situations
1 Star for a heartbreaking tale
1 Star for making me want to slap both of the MCs
1 Star for tying up all loose ends and lack of insta-love scenarios
-1 Star for the need for an editor
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended for those who love romance or coming-of-age tales that make you want to choke men in general.

I do hope you all get a chance to check out Devil Creek.

Remember to come on back for my interview with Casey in just a couple of short weeks.

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

Jo

Writing What You Don't Know

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Wow, what a busy couple of weeks here on the blog, eh? For the next few posts, I'll be talking about some of the things suggested on day ten of the twelve days. If you missed that post, just click the name and you'll be able to see what I'm talking about. So, today we're gonna discuss writing what you don't know. I have some posts on writing what you know and using a memory bible to keep track of places you've visited and things you've seen. But what about when you want to put your characters in a fantasy land or have them visit a place you've never been? I'll give you some tips and tricks on how to keep that straight. Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

I've said it a lot here on the blog: The best fiction is based in fact.

That will be a constant. No matter if you're writing science fiction, fantasy, or anything that requires you to think outside the box.

Rules:
In most works of fiction, the same rules that apply to the world around us hold true. Gravity, human survival (we need food, air, and water), human nature (reactions to things, love, betrayal, etc...) hold pretty constant, and other such things that are seen as everyday (sky is blue, leaves are green, etc...).

But what if you're writing about a world you've made up where the sky is pink, leaves are silver, and people no longer need air to breathe?

Well, you're gonna have to explain why those things are possible. What changed? How did it change? When did it change?

Here are a few tips that will help you when you're writing about something that isn't:

• Use your imagination to get an idea of the rules that will be broken in this world and make copious notes. If the sky is pink, write that down and say why.
• Google is your friend. Do research on why the sky is blue and what might change to make it perma-pink.
• Hunt down fantasy images that fit your vision of your world. If you can't find any, sketch out a few (don't try and be Rembrandt, no one is gonna see them but you). Keep them where you can see them as you write.

To give you an example, one of my works in progress is called M. In that not-so-distant future (2024ish), my characters get around their city on sidewalks that move at incredible speeds and are powered by the sun. Before I wrote that little bit of information, I did a lot of research. It seems there have been a number of attempts at making these fast moving sidewalks and detailed descriptions of just how they would work. Score! I could explain to my reader exactly how people would use it because I had a full grasp myself.

Make sense?

If you're going to break a "rule," be sure you have a reason and an understanding of how your fantasy idea could happen. Even if on another planet, be sure and explain why the world is the way it is or how we can survive there.

Now, if you're writing about a place that actually exists, you need to do some of the same research with a little modification here and there. Try these tips on for size:

• Pull up photos of the place you want to write about and curate them to a word document.
• List common temperatures of the area during the day and at night.
• See what other people are saying about the location and copy/paste those tid-bits into your document with the photos.
• Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the midst of the place. Without looking, type everything you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel into your word document. What do you think would be fun to do there? Write that down.

In The Bird, Stormy visits a place called Ringing Rocks National Park in Pennsylvania. I'd never been there, but I did a massive amount of research about the area and imagined how I would act if I were in her shoes. Turns out, I'm kind of a big ole kid. And she has that playful, whimsical attitude as well. I had her click the nails in her boots on the rocks to make them ring out.

Even though I'd never been there, I made it seem like I had. I was writing what I didn't know, but learned about.

What it all boils down to is this: If you're writing what you don't know, you must make it something you know before you can write about it.

It's all kind of an oxymoron.

You have to immerse yourself in the world and know every possible outcome of every action. If someone jumps and your world has light gravity, how much further will they go? Things like that. Be sure and keep a word or notepad document on every book. Yeah, even those that are based in fact. Dates and descriptions are important, too!

You don't want to say the sky is pink because there was an increase in dust and pollution in the atmosphere that causes the light of the sun to refract differently, only to contradict yourself in the next chapter.

What have you written that you didn't know?

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

Jo

Merry Christmas!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! If your name is on the rafflecopter below, I've sent you your prize! Check your e-mail!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who follows my blog or enjoys hanging around to meet new authors, learn about the craft of writing, win great prizes, or find new books to read. I hope you all have a wonderful, magical Christmas tomorrow and a great 2014!

I'm taking tomorrow off! I know, it's unheard of and how could I do that to you all? You'll be fine. Go enjoy some time with your families. I'll be back with my regularly scheduled program on Thursday.

and

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

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

Jo

Twelve Days of Christmas Day Twelve

Happy Monday for the second time, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed that early morning author interview with Kristina Circelli! If you missed reading it, click her pretty face there on the sidebar of the blog.

On to the fun!

I had an overwhelming response to the pitchfest this year. In total, I had sixty-three samples to read! I read each and every one. As I got to the last page, I either put them in a collection called: Indie Reviews for 2014 or Saved for Later. Some, I admit, were deleted from the fray. No, I'm not going to list which ones they were. That wouldn't be nice. I'm not here to burst bubbles, I'm here to give Indies a hand.

Without further ado, here's the final review list for 2014 (again, some were from this contest, some were books I chose on my own):

Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 Amazon Kindle $2.99
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf Amazon Kindle $0.99
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters Amazon Kindle $0.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.9
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum Amazon Kindle $3.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple Amazon Kindle $2.99
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch Amazon Kindle $7.99
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin (I have an ARC)
J. A. Huss Tragic Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary Amazon Kindle $0.99
Casey Bond Winter Shadows Amazon Kindle $7.99
Casey Bond Devil Creek (I have an ARC)

Added today:

Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99 
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tamar Hela Feast Island Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99


Your books have been shared [Anne de Bourgh, Ambience, Feast Island, Off Target], tweeted [Anne de Bourgh, Ambience, Feast Island, Off Target], pinned [Anne de Bourgh, Ambience, Feast Island, Off Target], and added to my Goodreads TBR list for this contest.

Congratulations to the authors that were chosen! I look forward to reviewing your books!

Here are the winners from yesterday's giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the entry form for the final giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Huge thanks to all the authors who took the time to come by and pitch! If I could buy, read, and review you all, I would! Yes, really. Be sure to enter the giveaway for today! Awesome set of books right there!

I'll be e-mailing everyone their prizes from the final giveaway tomorrow.

Thanks so much and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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

Jo

Kristina Circelli Author Interview

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! In keeping with my Monday theme, I welcome you to another UtopYA Con 2014 unofficial author interview. If you haven’t picked up your tickets for the event yet, click the name to grab yours today. In addition to getting to meet some wonderful YA and NA authors, you’ll get to be surrounded by books for three days. How awesome is that? So get your tickets and come meet us!

Let’s get to the good stuff. Grab your steamy mug filled with your beverage of choice, your posh armchair, and meet Ms. Kristina Circelli.

Jo: Welcome to the blog, Kristina! Good to have you here. I hope you’re looking forward to this as much as I am. Through my digging around, I found some rather interesting tidbits about you I can’t wait to share with my readers. Ready?

Kristina: Sure am! Who knows what you dug up about me. The Internet’s a scary place …

Jo: Yes it is! You’d be amazed at what I find about my authors! I perused your blog and found you only post on a now and again type basis. Is there a big reason you don’t write there more often?

Kristina: The biggest reason is time. I have a day job in addition to my books and editing business, so most of the time whenever I do something (event, book release, cover reveal, etc), I limit it to quick Facebook and Twitter posts because that’s all I have time for. I was doing really well with the blog when I first started it, then slowly lost momentum. Hopefully I can get back into it, since I really did enjoy writing blog posts. But, to be honest, for a while there I was only posting about movies and random stuff that had nothing to do with my books. When I had to actually post about work stuff, I got bored.

Jo: Blogging is time consuming! I don’t know how you ladies with full time jobs do it. Your Helping Hands series has an interesting premise. Where did the inspiration for that come from? Have you ever been involved in a child abuse case in any way?

Kristina: The inspiration came from several different sources, one of them being the book Ursula Sunshine, about a little girl who was abused and eventually killed by her stepfather, while her mother sat back and let it happen. I was really angry after reading the book and wondered why no one was willing to lend a helping hand (hence the title). I shadowed caseworkers for research as well, among other experiences. The individual stories are a culmination of things that built on one another for years until I was able to put them all together. The series started as just The Helping Hands, but I fell in love with the characters, especially bad-asses Melanie O’Conner and Tyler Mason, and had to keep telling their stories. Now, seven books are planned for the series (four are out, and I’ll be starting the fifth one in 2014).

Jo: I love that you’re doing something with your writing to open peoples’ eyes to some of the horrors out there no one’s paying attention to. *high five* Talk to me about being a creative writing professor at the University of North Florida. Was that the job you set out to do from the beginning or did it just happen? What kind of assignments are your favorites to hand out?

Kristina: No, it actually kind of fell on my lap and was too good an offer to pass up. I had gone to UNF to speak with an old professor about going for my PhD (which I haven’t done yet, but it is a goal of mine). During the course of the conversation, he broached the topic of teaching and basically offered an adjunct position for the next semester on the spot. Who could say no to that!

I’d never taught before, so I shadowed a few classes and ran my lesson plans by other professors. I was totally in over my head, but that’s kind of how I do things. Just jump in and wing it, and hope it all works out for the best. I’ve done both online and in-class teaching, and in class was great because it forced me out of my comfort zone and made me take on an authoritative stance, which has helped me in so many other areas of my life now.

I think my favorite assignments are our discussions on writing. I teach intro classes, so there are a lot of debates on what writing is, what makes a good story, so-called “rules” of writing, and so on. It’s great hearing the students’ opinions and having lively discussions on what it means to write, and challenging them to improve their craft.

I will say though that I took this semester off to build my editing business and I’m not sure if I’ll return in the spring. Teaching was never my ultimate goal and I am using the experience to improve my craft as much as I encourage my students to do. If I do sign up for the spring, it will likely be online this time around.
Also, side note because I love talking about it. When I eventually go for my PhD, I plan to continue my master’s thesis - which was titled, ‘Landscape of Mirage: An Examination of the Loss of Native American Culture in Correlation to the Destruction of Nature.’ It compares the ties between culture and nature, particularly in literature. The topic fascinates me.

Jo: Wow. PhD. I may pass out! You go, girl! Why did you start Red Road Editing and where do you see it five years from now? Edited for anyone we may know?

Kristina: Oh, I believe I have a few you may know :). Sarah Ross was my very first client. I also edit for M. R. Polish, Heather Hildenbrand, Dawn Pendleton, Magan Vernon, and most recently Adam Kunz ... to name a few.

As a kid, I always wanted to be a writer and editor. Instead of playing house or doctor or cops and robbers, I was playing Literary Agent. Because I was a nerd (OK, and still am). I dreamed of working for a publishing house and reading/editing manuscripts all day long. The older I got, the more I realized I could do it on my own, not even have to leave the great state of Florida to work for one of the Big Six.

So, I founded Red Road Editing. Red Road is a tribute to one of my novels (Walk the Red Road, Book 2 in The Whisper Legacy), and also my Native American heritage. To walk the Red Road means to follow the path of your ancestors, staying true to your culture and who you are. For me, it’s about embracing my heritage and celebrating our history of storytelling, and staying true to that tradition.

Five years from now, who knows! I’d love for the company to grow, maybe one day take on additional editors all under one roof. I’d also love to hold classes or panels kind of like I did at UNF where we have debates on different aspects of writing. I think that would be a lot of fun. The business has grown leaps and bounds this year alone (I started January 1, 2013) so I see great things happening next year.

Jo: I’m learning cool stuff from this interview. I had no idea what walking the red road meant! Interesting! How long have you been visiting Silver Sands Middle School? What started it and what’s your favorite part about it?

Kristina: Well, technically I’ve been visiting since I was about 12, since I went to school there for three years. Now, I’ve gone back the past two years for official author talks with a panel, along with a few solo chats with individual classes that were reading Beyond the Western Sun.

Jo: That’s an amazing thing you're doing. How awesome of you to visit with kids! You know one of the authors I’ll be doing an interview with later on (Carol Kunz). Can you give me an awesome, insider question I should ask her?

Kristina: Ask her what she did with her very first paperpack proof (for The Childe) :)

Jo: I’ll do that. Thanks for the tip! *winks* We all know you love Doritos. What flavor is your favorite?

Kristina: Blue Ranch Doritos all the way! Actually, my absolute favorite is Blazin’ Buffalo & Ranch, but some wiener at the Doritos company made the decision to discontinue them. I boycotted for about 24 whole hours.

Jo: LOL! I like ranch, too. Yummm! What do you think about the Doritos Locos Tacos from Taco Bell?

Kristina: I’ve … never been to Taco Bell. Yup, ya heard me. Not even once. (Okay, I suppose there is a chance I went when I was little, but I don’t remember it, so it doesn’t count.)

Jo: Oh my… You simply must try one. Just once in your life. Why did you choose to create a series based on Native Americans (The Whisper Legacy series) and their beliefs (besides being Cherokee), and what have you learned from your family that you may have worked into the books?

Kristina: Well, being part Charokee is why I wanted to. My great uncle is an Elder, so I grew up with him teaching me the stories and legends and language. Whisper, the main character, has been in my head for years and years until I finally built the story around her. The first book, Beyond the Western Sun, is a culmination of everything he taught me, and the other two books are based on my own research throughout the years.

The biggest reason for the series though is that I wanted to share my culture, something that means so much to me. My heritage is one of the most important things in the world to me, and not a lot of people really “get” what it means to be Native American. With The Whisper Legacy, I hope to bring to light a lot of the cultures and legends that people don’t know about. I want to tell stories, as my ancestors once did.

Jo: Storytelling does have strong roots in Native American history. That’s awesome. I asked N.L. Greene this question as well but I love getting a multitude of opinions. I see you live in Jacksonville, Florida. Did you grow up there? Have you had any run-ins with paranormal activity related to the Bermuda Triangle? Are you a believer that something is out there we don’t/can’t understand?

Kristina: I’m a huge believer. And huge paranoid freak that a ghost or alien or demon is going to possess me one day. I actually forced my husband to get us an alarm system after I saw a ghost in our garden … because that will TOTALLY protect us from a ghost.

I’ve had all sorts of weird things happen. Growing up, I’d sometimes come home from school to find everything on the top of my bookshelf on the floor, laid out in perfect order. My family swears up and down it wasn’t them (and they think I’m making it up), so I have no idea what was going on there. I think my childhood ghost followed me to Jacksonville (I grew up in the Daytona Beach area). My late cat, Sir Whisky Sour, used to stare into the foyer and just howl, staring at the air. Creeped me out. Just recently, the kittens started to do the same thing and all I can think is NOOOOOOO.

And why? Because the ghost likes the foyer. One year around Christmas, middle of the night, I wake up to the sound of a Frosty the Snowman ornament/table decoration singing and dancing and lighting up. I go out there and shut it off and am scared out of my mind, because this particular ornament hasn’t worked in about three years … (I think this story is on my blog somewhere, with a picture of demonic Frosty, haha).

The garden ghost may have been an alien. I’m not entirely sure. It was dark and I was leaving for work. The headlights passed over the garden and the shadow crossed the headlights and disappeared into the woods. The husband and neighbors think it was a homeless guy chowing down on our veggies, but how many homeless dudes do you know who have super tapered waists and pencil-thin shadowy legs and oval-shaped heads?

Sometimes when I’m trying to sleep I hear voices, like on a radio. When I lift my head and look around, they disappear. This could just be because I’m kinda delusional, though.

Jo: Who knows, an alarm system may pick up a ghostly apparition! Okay, that’s more than a little creepy! *shivers* I don’t think you’re delusional. For the record, I think believing we're the only things out there is a little haughty of us. Tell us why you chose to write your featured book of the week.

Kristina: They say that, in time, we all must grow up.

Keep your feet on the ground. Get your head out of the clouds. You dream too big. Such words force us out of childhood, out of our dreams, and into reality - if we let them. While our bodies may grow up and our minds may mature, our imaginations transcend the meaning of time.

To say that I grew up would be the truth. To say that I stopped dreaming would be a lie. My love for writing was born out of dreams, both waking and sleeping, that took me to worlds everyone else said could never exist. Perhaps this life is too limited in its possibilities, or maybe it is our lack of sight that keeps us from truly seeing.

You might even say that writing was, for me, an act of rebellion. Mermaids aren’t real? People can’t fly? Luck dragons are made-up creatures? Well, let me prove the many ways in which you are wrong. In books, there is no such thing as “impossible” - and that is what I love most.

The Never took hold in my mind many years ago, a story of what happens after we grow up, but cannot forget our dreams. Some of you may recognize its origin, the long-ago told tale of magic, or you may have heard my endless chatter about the boy who never says good-bye. The Never is not a story of what happens next, but rather, what happens when one woman decides to stop believing in the limitations around her and instead believes in herself - what she can do, what she can see, and what she can dream.

It is an unfortunate reality that we all must grow up. But, The Never has allowed me the rare opportunity to step back into a childhood that was all too short and be among the stories that keep my dreams alive, even during those pestering waking hours.

Even now, I am the one who stays on shore for fear of sea monsters. I am the one who looks for faeries in the flowers. I am the one who is terrified by the thought of being possessed, yet still hopes to meet a ghost or alien. I am the one who lives in The Never, if only in my dreams.

I hope you too enjoy the trip into the impossibly possible, and in the end, let your dreams take flight.

Jo: LUCK DRAGONS! *huge grin* Wow. The Never sounds awesome! I’m gonna have to check it out! Thanks so much for sharing. That’s all the time we have for today. Is there anything you’d like to add?

Kristina: Thanks for having me! I loved the questions, so much fun to answer.

Since we’ve talked about the Whisper books, check out Beyond the Western Sun! It is free across the board for ereaders. Check it out on the Kindle!

Jo: I’ll have to check that one out, too! Oh man, so much great stuff from you to read. Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me dig through your personal life today, Kristina! I can’t wait to meet you at UtopYA in June.

Now, a little about Kristina’s featured book of the week.

Title: The Never
Author: Kristina Circelli
Genre: Fantasy
Length (print): 276 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle  B&N   $2.99

Synopsis:
*Due to mature content, The Never is recommended for readers ages 18+*

“Out of nothing, we create something.”

Arianna has spent her entire life being called a dreamer, an artist who created a world no one else can see. And for her entire life, she has taken the medication that keeps that world – and the one who brought her there – at bay.

Now an adult, Arianna reawakens that part of herself kept locked away in the darkest corners of her mind. When she hides her medicine from her fiancé’s ever-watchful eye, he returns – the shadow in the night who collects her for an adventure known only in her fantasies.

But something is different about this world called The Never. It is no longer the cheerful place filled with light and laughter that she knew as a child. Now, the sea creatures drag their visitors into the depths of murky waters. The natives battle to the death against the tribe of children. And the pirates, led by the feared captain called The Hunter, seek out Arianna for their own sinister plans.

As Arianna goes deeper into The Never, she discovers just what her connection to the land means – and must choose between her life rooted in reality, and the world where anything is possible.

Scratch your itchy mouse finger and give Ms. Circelli a follow on social media!

Twitter: @KCircelli
Facebook: Circelli Books Novels by Kristina Circelli
Red Road Editing

Pinterest: KCircelli
I haven’t been on Pintrest in forever. Fair warning, I pin a lot of pics of Tom Hardy.

Thanks for giving Kristina and me your ear for a little while! She’ll be on the sidebar of the blog with her featured book for the next two weeks. Be sure to come back next Monday for a guest post by this awesome author.

Do you have questions for Kristina? Ask them in the comments!

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

Jo