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

utopYA Con Book Match Scavenger Hunt Game

Happy, happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have some awesomeness from the utopYA Con official bloggers. We pulled together and are leading you on a scavenger hunt for our panelists' books. I'll get to the rules in a moment. First, let me tell you about the utopYA Con 2015 earlybird ticket prices! They're ending February 28th! Standard admission is $90 right now, and VIP is $115. On the 28th, those prices go up to $110 for standard admission and $135 for VIP. So, go get yours here. Right now. You've been warned.

Now, let's get to the book hunt! Here's what you have to do to win:

1. Read the synopsis below.
2. Guess which book from my short list the synopsis belongs to.
3. Type your answer in the Rafflecopter entry form.
4. Enter every day throughout the month of February for a shot at the prize!

Each blogger will list one synopsis and five possible titles for you to choose from. It'll be a different title each week.
This form will stay up on my blog for one week. Then, I'll change the entry form to a link for the new hunt over on A Book Vacation. And so on, and so forth. At the end of the game, all incorrect entries will be removed before the winner is chosen.

What's the prize? Well...

You have a shot at winning a pack of three e-books; one from each of our keynote speakers: Denise Grover Swank, Kim Holden, and Lauren Miller! These prizes are being donated by the official bloggers. We wanted to do something awesome for you guys. What's better than books written by awesome women you're going to meet?

This week is now closed. You must go to A Book Vacation to enter.

     What if you woke up in a book? A reader trapped in fiction. The sexy hero waiting for her. A harrowing journey home.
     For fans of "Labyrinth" and "The Neverending Story" comes an epic romantic adventure ...
     A reader gets sucked into the book she’s reading and is trapped, unless she convinces the hero of the story to send her home. Just her luck - the book is unfinished, and its sexy hero is far more alpha male than she’s prepared to handle.
     What Naia doesn’t know: the story – and its hero – have been expecting her for quite some time, even though she has no idea what she’s doing there.
     Naia must learn quickly how to navigate the dangerous, magical world of Black Moon Draw and find a way to complete her journey with the unlikely, uncooperative hero of the story, who holds the key to returning her home.

And the possible titles are:

 

Amy Bartol - Under Different Stars 

Lizzy Ford - Black Moon Draw 

 

T. A. Kunz - Witch Hunter Olivia 

Jessica Sorensen - Seth & Greyson (The Coincidence Book 8) 

Kallie Ross - Descent (A Lost Tribe Book 1)

Time to enter your guess! Remember, you can enter once every day.

Go to A Book Vacation now to read the synopsis and titles and enter!


Bet you're wondering where I got those specific books, huh? Check out the official utopYA Con Reading list here. Lots of awesome stuff. It's a giant list of books by authors sitting on panels in 2015, and where we'll be taking the titles we play the game with. We love our panelists!

Don't forget to visit the other official bloggers this month:
Week 2 – A Book Vacation
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous

What do you think of our little giveaway? Did you enter?

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

Jo

Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous and Kim Holden Q&A - utopYA Con 2015

Happy Friday! Wow, it's the weekend already. How awesome is that? Following along with my usual Friday meme from now on, I'm bringing you all a snippet and link to the official utopYA Con post of the week. This time, it's from Ashley Bodette over at Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous. Let's get going!

From Book Junkie:

I am so excited for this year's keynote speakers for #utopYA2015!  Not only will we get to hear their amazing keynote addresses, but each of the keynote speakers will also be answering 10 questions in a blog post interview on utopYA's webpage! 

And I'm super excited to let you all know that EIGHT of those ten questions will come from readers like YOU!  This week, I am accepting questions for Kim Holden here on my blog.  That means you have eight chances...

See the rest here!

If you missed the other posts from the official bloggers, check them out:

Jo Michaels Blog - Marissa Meyer Interview
A Book Vacation - Heather Hildenbrand Guest Post
Paisley Reader - Denise Grover Swank and Lauren Miller Q&A

Now quit staring at your screen and get going to ask those questions!

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

Jo

Paisley Reader, Lauren Miller, and Denise Grover Swank - utopYA Con 2015

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! This week, over on The Paisley Reader, there's a huge opportunity for you. I'll give you a snippet of Maria's (she's the blog owner) post and give you a link so you can go check it out. Without further ado...

From The Paisley Reader:

Now back to this fantastic opportunity.

Each of these amazing authors, in addition to their keynote addresses, will be answering 10 questions in a blog post interview on utopYA’s webpage.

Guess what? Eight of these questions in each interview will come from you! That’s right, EIGHT! This is your opportunity to ask your burning questions of these authors.

This week, I am accepting questions for Denise Grover Swank and Lauren Miller. That means you have sixteen...

Yeah, you're dying to know more, huh? Well, get on over to this post and check it out!

Week one was an interview I did with Marissa Meyer. If you didn't catch that, you should certainly do so. It can be found at this link.

If you missed the post from A Book Vacation where Shana had the awesomesauce that's Heather Hildenbrand bring you a guest post, be sure and pay the post a visit here.

Next week, Ashley (Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous) will give you the chance to ask Kim Holden a question or two.

How exciting is this?

What are you waiting for? Get over to Maria's blog and get those questions rolling!

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

Jo

Official utopYA Con Author Interview - Marissa Meyer

Happy, happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! This is my official utopYA con 2015 post for the month of January. I’m excited to be bringing you one of the female authors tearing up the book market right now, Marissa Meyer! That’s right, the author of The Lunar Chronicles is gracing you with her presence. *grin* So exciting! She’ll be at the conference in June, and she’ll be speaking on two panels: ClockWise World Building and Gender Roles & Stereotypes. If you haven’t added those to your schedule yet, do that now.

For this month, the official bloggers are bringing you amazing utopYA panelist interviews, information, and awe-inspiring stories. Be sure and visit the other wonderful utopYA blogs:

Week 2 – A Book Vacation
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not So Anonymous

Remember, I'll be bringing you snippets of those posts with links every Friday so you'll remember to head over and check them out.

Let’s get to the interview! I know you’re all eager to hear what I’m going to ask.

Jo: Welcome to the blog, Marissa. You’re such an inspiration to so many female authors out there, and I’m honored to have you for a few questions. I can’t wait to meet you at utopYA. That being said, for my first question, I’d like to know what the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten on writing was and who it came from.

Marissa: Thank you so much for including me in your utopYA blogger coverage! I’m not sure where I first heard this advice (it’s certainly not unique), but I think the best advice is to write what you’re truly excited about, and what you love. It can be tempting to try and write to the trends or follow the market, but writing can be a long, exhausting process, and you need love and passion to get all the way to the end. And that passion will show through in the final product!

Jo: You’re so very welcome. We're stoked you had the time! That’s awesome advice, and I know a lot of writers will benefit from it. Hear that, everyone? Write what you’re excited about! Question two: Did you expect the wild success of your series, and how did you feel when you realized it was taking off the way it did?

Marissa: Oh, never. When I was writing Cinder I thought it would be a miracle if anyone else ever read it. There were many days when I thought I must be crazy, thinking that anyone else in the world would be interested in reading about a cyborg Cinderella! But that goes back to writing what you love – I was so excited about Cinder’s story from the moment it popped into my head, so I knew I had to write it and try to publish it. Once I started submitting to agents, though, things started to happen fast and I began to think that, okay, maybe I’m not crazy after all! The series ended up going to auction between two publishers, and Macmillan sent us a preliminary marketing plan, which was very extensive and enthusiastic. I think that was the first point when I realized that maybe this was going to be a Big Thing. (Though to this day it doesn’t feel entirely real!)

Jo: I can’t imagine how you felt. Must’ve been one heck of a high! You’re living the dream so many authors have. Congratulations! How awesome. Question three: What fuels your creative process?

Marissa: Ever since I was a kid I’ve lived my life half in reality, half in daydreams. I just constantly have little fantasies going through my head, and over time those start to crystallize into stories, complete with characters and adventures and little snapshots of different scenes. I long ago realized that if I didn’t write those stories down, they would haunt me forever. I might go through periods where I’m not “inspired” or excited about a particular writing project, but that need to write never goes away entirely.

Jo: I’m with you there. So many words, so little time! *grin* I have to know: Did you plot out your entire Lunar Chronicles series before you started writing? If yes, how long did it take you and what were some of the road-bumps you had to navigate through? If no, what’s been the biggest drawback to not having a set plot?

Marissa: I did – I’m big on outlines, and I knew early on that I wanted this series to overlap and intertwine in a way that felt really airtight. So I outlined all four books before I started writing, which probably took a couple of months, and then I drafted Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress all back to back. It was really helpful for getting a feel for the plot and characters and being able to foreshadow some events in the later books. That said, things always change, no matter how much forethought I put into them! So while I may have drafted the first three books early on, they all ended up having to be rewritten once I really started figuring things out. It was worth it, though—having so much written at the beginning of the process gave me a lot to work with.

Jo: I bet that helped when you were shopping book one. I know I’d like to see an author with their stuff together if I were a publisher. That’s quite an undertaking. Fantastic job! Last question! Since time travel is the theme of utopYA con 2015, I like to ask about past and future choices. So, is there anything you’d go back and change in your writing career? What impact do you think it would have?

Marissa: Oh my, good question! There was one novel that I’d started writing before Cinder about a teenage girl who was secretly an assassin. I ended up setting that novel aside for various reasons, but it still has a special place in my heart and I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I’d finished and tried to sell that book first, especially now with the success of assassin books like Grave Mercy and Throne of Glass. This isn’t so much a regret—obviously things have worked out pretty well with The Lunar Chronicles!—but it’s one of those things that I think about sometimes. Who knows, maybe that book will make a reappearance someday!

Jo: Well, if it does, I’m sure it’ll be as amazing as your series! Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence. I know you’re a very busy lady, and I appreciate you taking the time for my interview. I’ll see you at utopYA!

Now you know what kind of amazing people you’ll get to meet at the con. If you don’t have tickets yet, get them here while they’re still at early-bird prices.

Want to read Cinder? Pick up a copy on Amazon here for $2.99 (as of the date of this post).
Already read Cinder? Interested in Fairest? Pre-order it on Amazon here for $9.99 (as of the date of this post). Releases Jan 27, 2015.

Let’s give Marissa a follow on social media, shall we?
Twitter: @Marissa_Meyer
Facebook: Marissa Meyer Author
Website: MarissaMeyer.com

Thanks for reading the interview, and I do hope you pick up a copy of Cinder, book one of the series!

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

Jo

Indie-Visible 2.0 Soft Launch

Hooray! We here at Indie-Visible are thrilled to be (soft) launching our site!

So, who the heck are we anyway? Indie-Visible is an awesome collaboration backed by a super talented team of writers, bloggers, and freelancers in the publishing industry, who you can meet here and here. Indie-Visible's BookHub is an online magazine where readers can connect with their favorite authors in fun, innovative ways.

BookHub will have a variety of columns, including Indie Book Recommendations, Interactive Contests, and all sorts of activities aimed at getting to know talented authors and their books. If this interests you, be sure to click on the subscription link below!

In the PubHub, writers can get tips on a variety of writing and publishing elements, as well as build their dream publishing team by selecting from our endorsed list of freelancers. Our goal is to provide the perfect "Hub" for writers, where an environment of expertise and professionalism will offer high-level support in all phases of the publishing process and beyond. If this interests you, be sure to click on the subscription link below!

In addition to BookHub and PubHub, Indie-Visible has another AMAZING (Top Secret!) program set to launch in February. Keep your eyes out for an announcement sometime in January. Keep up on all the goodies by subscribing to our BookHub and/or PubHub newsletters (see below).

All subscribers will also be automatically entered to win one of our AWESOME GIVEAWAY PACKAGES. More details on those coming during our Full Launch in January!

Never miss out on an Indie-Visible post!

PUB HUB BOOK HUB

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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

UtopYA Con 2015 - Millennium Maxwell House Information - Rooms, Rates, Codes

Hello everyone! It's Friday and I'm running a bit behind. *frowns* I've waited and waited to do this post, but since it seems I've had a little snafu, I'm posting it now.

What I wanted to give you was information about the number of rooms left at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel (the official hotel for utopYA Con - shown on the left here), and a couple of blurbs from the manager. Alas, it was not meant to be. *head/desk*

Instead, I'm gonna relay the information from the utopYA website, tell you some of my own experiences, and inundate you all with photos of the hotel. Yay!

BOOKING LINK

First of all, they're offering a rate of $105 per night on the standard rooms with the code:

1506UTOPYA

Here's what you get:
This is the standard king

And here's the standard double:









Now, if you feel froggy, you can upgrade to a superior king (club room). Here's the photo of that room:

When I went, Tia and I stayed in the club room with two double beds (couldn't find a photo of that one, but it looks a lot like the standard double above). They have pictures at the ticket purchase link below. *grin*





It wasn't much more per day, and we got a free meal coupon (one each) for each night we were there. A buffet at Maxwell's (the hotel restaurant) was around $15, so it kinda balanced out. We loved it!

So, all that being said, you're now armed with the information you need to get to booking.

But wait! There's more! Isn't there always? *grin*

The hotel has a number of (the website says 2-3) shuttles every half hour or so from the airport, so there's no need to take/pay for a cab. How nice is that?

If you'd like to ship your books to the hotel ahead of time, they'll store them for you at a rate of $25 per box, per day. You'll need to call them at this number to talk with them about storing your sweet paper babies.

1-800-457-4460 M-F 8 am to 5 pm

I don't know how many rooms they have left (that's one of the questions I so dearly wanted to ask), but you better get cracking! Last year, people were scrambling at the last minute for rooms. You don't wanna be one of those folks!

As an added bonus, you can check out the utopYA schedule here. It's gonna be so much fun!

Again, the link to purchase your room:

GET A ROOM

Be sure and pop on over to the other official utopYA blogs this month for more awesome information on the hotel (like the bar, menu at Maxwell's, Nashville stuff to do, and in depth information on the rooms and amenities - there are TONS - available).

A Book Vacation - Week 2

The Paisley Reader - Week 3

Book Junkie: Not So Anonymous - Week 4

So, did you get your room yet? How was it last year?

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

Jo

Fractured Glass Preorder Available NOW - Plus UtopYA Con 2015 Tickets on Sale

How amazing is it that it's Black Friday already? Happy shopping, everyone! Guess what's available for you to buy? *grin* Sit on back, relax, and let's get to it.

I can't help but think how amazingly appropriate it is that pre-orders for Fractured Glass and tickets to UtopYA Con 2015 go on sale the same day.

Why?

Because the ladies I wrote Fractured Glass with (Tia Silverthorne Bach, Casey L. Bond, Kelly Risser, and N. L. Greene) attended UtopYA in 2014, and will return in 2015. Our novel was conceived at the con, and we're so freaking excited to be bringing it into the world at last.

PRE-ORDER FRACTURED GLASS NOW!!!

Fractured Glass is a YA Sci-Fi Novel Anthology unlike any other. It was written by 5 different authors who came together to give you 1 amazing story.

 Blurb - 

What if other worlds existed alongside your own? What if you could travel through them and truly escape reality?

 

Sloan and Harley Glass were born moments apart; but, despite their differences, the sixteen-year-old twins couldn’t be closer. They’ve held their tongues each and every time their mother has uprooted them—often moving across the country with little notice. They’ve learned to accept change. But what is Mom running from?

 

They discover they’re travelers—half-descendants of those who can traverse an entire universe of parallel worlds known as fractals. When the past catches up, Harley is kidnapped and taken to one of those distant worlds. Now, Sloan must garner her courage and find a way to rescue her sister. Traversing the worlds isn’t the hard part; it’s surviving the elements and the creatures lying in wait to destroy everything in their path.

Will the Glass sisters be able to save the fractal worlds from the kidnapper, or will everything fracture and crumble around them?

Pre-Order Link

~ Amazon ~ 

Find the authors' Facebook pages here...

Jo Michaels ~ Tia Silverthorne Bach ~ Casey L. Bond ~ Kelly Risser ~ N.L. Greene

 Get to know the characters...

Sloan and Harley Glass

Harley and Sloan Glass are sixteen-year-old twin sisters with the ability to traverse what are known as fractals. Harley is a soccer player and loves dancing, hanging with her sister, and running. Sloan plays guitar and enjoys school, her mother, and reading books. Both girls are excellent students and are home schooled.

Are you excited about this YA novel anthology yet?? Well, here's the link again:

Amazon Kindle $2.99

Pre-order it, and you'll get it delivered to your device automatically the day before Christmas!

What else can you get today?

TICKETS TO UTOPYA CON!

Grab them via the link above. It'll take you to the Eventbrite page.

You deserve these gifts. Get them for yourself.

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

Jo

#UtopYA2015 Time Warp Tuesday

Happy Time Warp Tuesday, everyone! Today's post is all about #WriteYourOwnFuture and talking about your past. Because I love the heart and soul of UtopYA Con, I'm gonna share some things about the event and give some advice to those wanting to write or the writers that are thinking of giving up. I'll also include some of my pictures from UtopYA 2014. Ready? Let's get rolling!

First off, let me pop in a reminder that tickets to the most awesome author conference on the planet go on sale NOVEMBER 28, 2014. That's right, Black Friday.

GET YOURS HERE

There are so many things I could say about UtopYA, but that would be a huge blog post. Now that I've gone, I know I won't be able to stay away. It'll take wild horses (and maybe chains) to keep me from returning to experience the camaraderie and spirit I found in Nashville.

Once a city I thought of as the Country music hub, it's now morphed into something magical and bookish in my mind. Readers lurking around every corner, mystical creatures peering from behind drapes, and a certain something that lights a fire in my writer self.

I'll get into Nashville and the Millennium Maxwell House more next month, for my UtopYA post in tandem with the other three bloggers: Shana, Maria, and Ashley. Watch out for those.

If you want to read about my experience at the con, I have a post here on my blog and a resolutions post here on The Paisley Reader that'll tell you what my goals are/were.

For fun, I'm including a couple of awesome photos from the con! Misty Provencher is with me in the first one, and Tia Silverthorne Bach and Toni Lesatz are in the second :)

Because those two posts are in place, I'd like to focus on the up and coming writer, or the one with serious doubts, in this one. I'm going with two of the prompts provided by Janet Wallace.

Q1: What would you say to someone who wants to write a book, but has doubts and fears?

"This one's easy: keep writing. No matter what, if you have the fire burning inside you to put words on a page in a cohesive manner, keep going. Never stop. Not even when that last word hits the page and you declare your first novel finished. Write another one. Put them out there for the world to see. Most people don't write 30k words in their lifetime. You're doing something awesome. Why would you ever let that go? WRITE ON! It's not just a meme."

Q2: What would you say to someone who's written a bunch of books, but haven't had the success they thought they would, and are thinking of giving up?

"Define success. First of all, you have to know what your idea of success is before you ever publish that first book. Are you after fame? Fortune? Notoriety? Supplying readers with great books? It's imperative you understand what you're trying to accomplish before you set out to get 'er done.

For example: My success is when someone leaves a review on something I've written that says how much they loved the story, or when someone comments on my blog saying how much they learned or appreciate the information I put here. I get all gooey inside knowing I entertained someone, moved them, made them feel something they might not have before, or brought them a little knowledge. I have pride in educating people. There's not one of my novels that doesn't teach the reader something. Even if it's just where Ringing Rocks Park in Pennsylvania is, and why it's such an interesting place to visit.

After you've given success your personal definition, move on to how you've achieved those goals.

If you're still feeling like you haven't done what you set out to do, try a different angle. Do something new. Keep going. To give up on yourself is worse than others giving up on you. Always drive forward with a goal in mind."

I hope that helps someone, somewhere, who's either thinking of writing a novel or giving up writing to forge ahead.

Did you post for Time Warp Tuesday? Leave us your link to check out!

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

Jo

Join UtopYAns for Time Warp Tuesday

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Well, it's the middle of the week and I thought I'd give you all something to look forward to in the upcoming chaos that's bound to ensue on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Without any ado whatsoever, let's get going!

Many attendees (past and future), of UtopYA will be getting together to talk about the theme for 2015: Write Your Own Future.

Even if this will be your first year attending the con, you're invited to join us all as we talk about what we're looking forward to next year, what we gained from past UtopYAs, and our massive share of photos, videos, and quotes we've gathered.

Your posts should go live Tuesday, November 25, 2014.

Hashtags for the blast will be: #utopYA2015 and #WriteYourOwnFuture

Include this little link in your post: http://utopYA2015.eventbrite.com and tell folks tickets will go on sale Black Friday November 28, 2014.

Many hugs go out to Janet Wallace, the super mavin of the con, without whom this amazing event would never have seen the light of day, for the idea.

She shared some prompts you're more than welcome to use:

• who did you befriend or who befriended you?
• what have you achieved?
• what was the most fun?
• what was the most outrageous?
• what makes utopYA different/special?
• what would you say to someone who wants to write a book, but has doubts and fears?
• what would you say to someone who has written a bunch of books but hasn't had the success they thought they'd get and is thinking of giving up?

So, help us make a massive effort to let people know why this event is special, what it means to you, why you come back, or why you're attending for the first time.

Are you going to UtopYA in 2015?

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

Jo

Author Interview - Sharon Rose Mayes

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today, I bring you another author interview from the fab ladies of UtopYA Con. If you don't have tickets to the event, don't worry, there'll be a new chance to jump on board November 28th. You need to bookmark the UtopYA website here so you can get yours. So, without any further blabbing on my part, I introduce to you Ms. Sharon Rose Mayes! Put your hands together, grab a cup of coffee, and let's get going!

Jo: It’s great to have you on the blog, Sharon! You were a complete anomaly to me before I began my stalking *ahem* research of you and your books. Ready to see what I managed to find out?

Sharon: Well if we have to, thank goodness social media wasn’t around when I was young.

Jo: Right? *grin* (Let’s get going! I see you’ve read (or are reading) the book On Writing by Stephen King. What did you learn from that little novel and how are you applying the lessons to your writing?

Sharon: To write for myself, and then worry about everyone else later.

Jo: What a hard lesson for any writer to learn. You’re a roller derby gal, eh? What team do you skate for, where can we see more, and do you use any of those experiences in your writing?

Sharon: I currently do not have a team, and am doing a rec league right now. Though in the future I really would like to be on a team. I need a derby name, does anyone have any ideas?

Jo: That's a great idea for a little contest! You should totally run with it. What’s the most interesting thing about living in Lufkin, Texas? I’m from Lake Charles, Louisiana, so I know exactly the area you live in. *waves to ex-neighbor* Where would you most like to visit?

Sharon: We are having a lot of growth and getting a lot of new quirky locally owned places. It’s growing and while I love Houston and would love to live there my boys go to a good school and I am not wanting to move. I was a literature minor in college and I would love to visit London and stalk some of the stomping grounds of some of my favorite Victorian poets and writers.

Jo: I've always wanted to visit Stratford on Avon. Can you say "Road Trip" for the literature lovers? *grin* Where did the idea for your blog come from? Why did you start it? What are your plans for it?

Sharon: I first started blogging back in the day as a scrapbooker, and have evolved from there into the mom blogosphere.

Jo: A blog on scrapbooking? Cool! I heard you’re going to school. What’s your major and have you had any experiences you plan to write about?

Sharon: My current major is creative writing with a minor in literature, even though I feel held back by Spanish classes. I live in Texas so you would think it would be a little bit easier, but seriously No, habla espanol.

Jo: I'm rolling on the floor laughing. Totally feeling you, though my bane was French. Your cats are soooo cute! How did you come by them and what are their names?

Sharon: I have three Miss Peaches who my kids had snuck home from my mothers, and she ended up being my princess, but don’t let her cuteness fool you she is one tough kitty. The other two were actually Miss Peaches’ own kittens from the one time she got out while in heat. She only had two so of course I had to keep Sookie and Riddick. And yep Sookie is name after the main character from the Southern Vampire Mysteries.

Jo: Wow. Great kitty names! Riddick *grin* Talk to me about your vlog on YouTube. What got you started, and how do you feel it’s helped you with your writing career?

Sharon: Sometimes I get long winded and my kids so not want me to listen to me so I have taken it to YouTube. I wouldn’t say it has helped me with my writing, but I hope it can bring some attention to it.

Jo: Anything new is awesome. Rapid fire question time! Good or bad?

Sharon: Bad! So, So Bad!

Jo: Long hair or short?

Sharon: Long!

Jo: Black or white?

Sharon: Black!

Jo: Time travel question! If you could change one thing you did in your life, what would it be? What do you think the result of that change might be?

Sharon: Definitely finish college sooner!

Jo: I'm on board with that one, too. You’re in a collection of books with a very good friend of mine, Carlyle Labuschagne, titled Certain. Tell my readers a little bit about it?

Sharon: It is a collection of short stories that are related to books that we have released. For example mine takes place before Blood Pact.

Jo: Cool. I need to check that one out. Why did you decide to jump the genre into New Adult under the name S. R. Mayes? Has it done anything for your career you’d like to share?

Sharon: I wouldn’t say it has done anything yet, it was something I did for fun. But of course kept from my mom. *wink*

Jo: Oh my... We'll you're out of the closet now. *evil laugh* Well, I think I’ve probably freaked you out enough for one day. *grin* Is there anything I didn’t ask that you wish I had?

Sharon: I loved the questions! Thank you so much for having me!

Jo: Thanks again for taking part in the madness, Sharon! I can’t wait to meet you at UtopYA 2015!

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

Title: Blood Pact
Author: Sharon Rose Mayes
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Length (print): 190 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle Free  ~   Barnes and Noble Nook Free  ~  Smashwords Free

Synopsis:
Riley Spencer has spent most of her life doing what is normal for her: attending school, spending time with her mother, and training to hunt vampires. It was how she grew up as part of the organization and when Nick comes to town and joins her team everything changes. Now Riley and the rest of her team begin to question everything they have learned about vampires and the organization that trained them to hunt the vampires that hide in the world.

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?

Twitter: @sharonrose
Facebook: Sharon Rose Mayes
Pinterest: Sharon Rose Mayes
Website: Sharon Rose Mayes

If you have any questions for Sharon, pop them into the comments below!

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

Jo