Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Emily Suvada!

Bio:

     Emily Suvada is the award-winning author of the Mortal Coil trilogy, a science fiction thriller series for young adults. The first book, This Mortal Coil, won the Oregon Spirit Book Award, and was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and the Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
      Emily was born in Australia, where she spent her childhood reading, writing, and watching Star Trek. In college, she studied math and astrophysics, and went on to a career in finance before finding her way back to her first love—books.
     Today, Emily lives in Portland, OR, with her husband, and still spends most of her free time reading, writing, and watching Star Trek. She also enjoys cooking, coding, powerlifting, hiking, and art. Her interests include AI, nanotech, virtual worlds, space travel, and genetic engineering. She is represented by DongWon Song of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.

What has she written?

She has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing?

      I started writing stories as a young child - maybe seven or eight. I made a few serious attempts at short stories for competitions, but didn't try to write a novel until I was in my early twenties. It took me six years until my book was accepted for publication - publishing is a long, long road!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

      I hope that readers find themselves wondering about the future when they read my books, and questioning how they feel about widespread genetic engineering and other technological developments that we'll be seeing in the next few decades. I try not to say what's "right" or "wrong" in the future portrayed in these books, and instead want the reader to think about it and make up their own mind.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

      1 - Find a critique partner or group. You might be tempted to think that the most useful thing to come out of these relationships is other people's advice on your own work - but critiquing other people's writing is one of the best ways to learn and improve your own work.

      2 - Decide what you want out of writing. Do you want to be an award-winning writer? A bestseller? An inspiration to children? A page-turner who keeps people awake at night? A philosopher who makes them think? A romantic who makes them cry or swoon? A wordsmith who makes them gasp with the beauty of your prose? There are as many ways to be a "good" author as there are ways to have a "good" holiday, and the earlier a writer figures out who they really want to be, the better odds they'll have of achieving it. 

      3 - Develop a thick skin. This doesn't mean 'toughening up' - but rather facing the truth that many people will criticize, hate, or be utterly bored by your writing - and finding ways to deal with it. You don't love every book you read - so why should every reader love yours?

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

      I have three favourite novels - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and Neuromancer by William Gibson. Three very different books that I love in very different ways, and which have all equally influenced my writing.

5) What are your favourite pass times besides writing?

      I really enjoy reading, obviously! I also love cooking, gardening, and getting outdoors - I love hiking and cycling especially.

Cover Reveal: My Name Is Rose by Alexa Kingaard!

My Name Is Rose
by Alexa Kingaard
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: March 15th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Rose is unsettled, curious, and bored. Life in a hippie commune is her parent’s dream come true, not hers. She doesn’t share their passion for living off the land, nor does she enjoy the isolation that is thrust upon her. When she convinces them to send her to public school in the nearby town, a new world opens up to her.
As she pursues her education, Rose chooses a different path, leaving her parents heartbroken at her insistence they are hiding something from her. She’s convinced her father isn’t the man her mother married.
Although she finds love far away from her roots and upbringing, her wounds only deepen as she keeps her family at arm’s length. What she loses during those years can only be retrieved with her understanding that “a Rose by any other name is still a Rose.”

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:
Alexa Kingaard was born in San Diego, CA and has lived most of her life in the area. She currently resides in Carlsbad and is the mother of an adult son and daughter who continue to be her biggest fans and cheerleaders. A realtor for fifteen years, she remains involved with her profession and praises her brokers and clients for giving her the nod to be creative.
She gives all the credit for completing her debut novel, KEEP FOREVER, to her inspiration and late ex-husband, Jeff, who battled the residual effects of the Vietnam War for decades after his return.
Her second novel, MY NAME IS ROSE, will be released through Acorn Publishing March 15, 2019.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Cover Reveal: Kingdom of Salt & Sirens Boxed Set!

Kingdom of Salt & Sirens
Publication date: TBA
Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult

The Little Mermaid but not as you remember it…

Beneath the turbulent seas, beyond the smokey depths, lies a Kingdom that exists in your wildest imagination. A world where mermaids swim, sirens sing and shipwrecks hide mysterious creatures.
Make waves with our 11 magical retellings of the timeless classic, The Little Mermaid.
Dive into a world filled with adventure, love and magic!
One click now for your happily ever after.
Authors include:
J.A Armitage, R. Castro, Jennifer Ellision, Mira Crest, K.M Pyne, Laura Greenwood, Jacque Stevens, Scarlett Kol, Anne Stryker, Nikki Landis, and Tracy Korn.

Book Blitz: The Watchers by Misty Hayes!

The Watchers
by Misty Hayes
(The Blood Dagger: Volume 2)
Publication date: December 15th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult

Eighteen-year-old Corinth Taylor didn’t sign up to become a Watcher—an elite warrior destined to restore balance to the human race—he was chosen.
Corinth can barely control his own hormones… much less the deadly blade. And to make matters worse, his best friend, Larna, just so happens to be the very thing he’s supposed to eliminate.
But when vampires and slayer find a common enemy, Corinth knows it’s his innate calling to hunt evil down. And evil has a name: Gabriel Stanton. The enigmatic vampire who escaped their capture, has plans for Corinth, Larna, and Alastair… and it’s a threat they’ll never see coming.
When the line between good and evil gets crossed, devastating consequences start to happen. As Watcher and vampire worlds collide, Corinth must decide where to place his trust: with his old allies or his killer instincts. An upstart slayer. A clan of vampires.
What could go wrong?
It’s only the end of the world.
The Watchers is the second book in The Blood Dagger series, a high-octane paranormal YA thriller.
If you like witty heroines, unconventional relationships, and friendships that can withstand the grave, then you’ll love Misty Hayes’ high-stakes story.
Sink your teeth into a fun, fierce vampire series today.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

After walking for about an hour, the tunnel deposited us into a larger cavern. Every inch of space was filled with mushrooms. They were glittering blue patches of bioluminescent light. It was strangely hypnotic and exactly how I imagined another planet might look.
Larna dropped her hand from my shoulder. By the soft glow coming off the walls, I could see her admiring the shimmering fungi with her mouth slightly ajar.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that not all of the mushrooms were glowing. There was a section of fungi that darkened a spot on the wall where Al had stopped.
As I joined him, his voice carried around the cavernous space, making him sound haunted and forlorn. “Bluefoot
mushrooms.” It was the first time he’d spoken in over an hour. He pulled his backpack off and filled it with the
fungi. “I used to cook with these when I lived in France … They taste great in omelets.”
I plucked one off the wall because I had worked up an appetite, and popped it into my mouth and then
immediately spit it out. “Gross. That tastes like dirt.”
Taking a quick swig of water from Larna’s pack, I hissed, “You eat that?”
“They taste better cooked,” Al said, his mouth quirking up in amusement. “But they’re great protein. You
should eat up while you have the chance.”
“I’d rather eat sludge,” I muttered under my breath.
The further we progressed, the more claustrophobic I started to feel. Being in closed-off spaces and in the pitchdark for hours was taking its toll on me. I deposited a pebble from the bottom of my shoe back to its home, noticing for the first time how many blisters I had accumulated during this trek. I couldn’t see them, but I could definitely feel them. Mental note: Converse do not make great hiking shoes. I had a pair of perfectly fine boots, but they were swimming with the fish at the bottom of the ocean. That morning, before Larna dropped my bag, I had switched them out, hoping the gnarly blisters on my feet might heal if I wore a different pair of shoes.
Everything hurt, but I didn’t want to be the first to whine, so I sucked it up, and we continued on … and on …and on … until it seemed like we’d never see the light of day ever again. I felt something dark and sinister twisting its skeletal little fingers into my gut.
That thought sent me into an even more depressed spiral, and pretty soon that depression turned into an infection. What if Al didn’t really know where he was going? What if he was leading me to my death? He loved Larna—he didn’t care about me. They could see in the dark—all they had to do was leave me behind, and I would be lost down here forever. It wasn’t until I felt Larna’s hand shift on my shoulder that I realized she was still beside me.
Still, resentment started to gnaw away at me.

Author Bio:
Misty has always called Texas home but has a passion for world travel.
Before taking up writing, she has had a long career in law enforcement. Besides the self-torture of writing books, she also loves the self-torture of running. Misty is currently working on book three of her young adult trilogy in 'The Blood Dagger' series. The Watchers - Volume 2 will be released in December 2018.
When not writing, Misty enjoys reading any books by Jim Butcher, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Joe Hill (Owen King), and J.K. Rowling. A lot of author's write about pets on their bio's... Misty has a rescue parakeet named Peeta (As in the Hunger Games).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz: Captive Rebel by Erin McDermott!

Captive Rebel
by Erin McDermott
(The Allegiance #1)
Publication date: July 2nd 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

In a world where Greek Gods rule over the Allegiance, Marylyn O’Conner struggles to survive.

Marylyn is a rebel, forced to do the rebellion’s bidding until an unforgiving family debt is paid. A pawn in the war against the Allegiance, she is obligated to become a rebel spy, or her family will suffer.

When word spreads that an Allegiant Prince, Ariston, has escaped rebel captivity vowing to hunt down rebel spies, Marylyn realizes her only hope is to escape Allegiant territory.

While on the run, Ariston captures Marylyn, preventing her from any chance of returning home. Desperate, she knows she needs to escape her alluring captor or risk the safety of her family.

But Marylyn can’t keep herself from falling for the mysterious prince as she finds that he can empathize with her troublesome past – a past no ally has understood before.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Moist hands wrapped around my lower arm. “Excuse me, you’re that rebel girl aren’t you?” I turned to face a boy with sweeping black hair and piercing gray eyes. Unfortunately for him, he struggled to stand and his breath was repulsive.
“Who else would I be?” I bluntly responded while attempting to rip my arm from his hold. He only squeezed it tighter.
“I say you shouldn’t listen to these people who are talking poorly about you. I don’t think you’re a bad person. Not at all,” he gave me a weak smile and stumbled toward me.
I took a step back, weary of this boy. “Well, they’re probably right,” I said, trying to persuade him to back off. He continued approaching me with a sloppy grin plastered across his face. Clearly, my words did not dissuade him.
He held tighter on my arm as his face came increasingly close to mine. Before I knew what was happening, I reacted.
The moment his lips brushed against mine I pushed him away with my free arm. He went staggering to the floor. His one hand still firmly held onto my arm, dragging me down with him.
My body fell against his and my hair cascaded around his face. Before I could react, he slammed his hands against my chest, tossing my unprepared body onto the wooden floor next to him. My shoulder slammed onto the ground and I moaned in pain.
I reached for my shoulder and gripped it tightly. Before I could make another move large hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me up to a standing position. Bulky arms wrapped around me and I was pulled back into a man’s chest.
“Walk away before I hurt you,” Ariston’s warm breath tickled my ear as he spoke with a protective voice.
The boy in front of me was unrelenting, “She’s scum. Why are you protecting her?”
The pub went silent and all eyes were on the three of us. Ariston’s grip around my waist was unusually comforting, and I had a burning desire to ask him not to let go.
His deep voice echoed through the silent pub. “As your prince, and a man tortured by her kind, she is rightfully mine.”
“Rightfully no one’s,” I aggressively whispered only loud enough for him to hear and no one else.
“After spying on my family, you are mine.”

Author Bio:
Erin McDermott was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated college with a bachelors degree in History. If she's not in her room writing, you may find somewhere on the Jersey Shore with her family. She has been writing stories since 3rd grade. It was not until after experiencing the fast-paced life New York City had to offer that she decided to finally take the plunge and finish her first book, CAPTIVE REBEL (The Allegiance, Book 1).
During her years in college she expressed a deep interest in Greek Mythology, which she incorporates into The Allegiance Series. She is incredibly grateful to her family for supporting her throughout the trials and tribulations of the independent publishing process.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Jeff Giles!

Bio:

      Jeff Giles is a writer based in Montana. He was previously the Deputy Editor of Entertainment Weekly, where he oversaw all coverage of movies and books. Prior to EW, Giles was an arts writer and editor at Newsweek, where, among other things, he served as a Rohan Army extra in “Lord of the Rings” while chronicling the trilogy from start to finish (Peter Jackson shot a close-up of him, then cut it, saying he “looked silly.”) Giles has freelanced for many outlets, including Rolling Stone and The New York Times Book Review.
      Jeff’s debut novel, THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING is a Young Adult Contemporary/Fantasy. A Montana girl, who’s grieving after the mysterious death of her dad, chases her little brother into a blizzard—and stumbles on a bounty hunter from the underworld who’s come to take a soul. She tries to help him escape his life before all hell breaks loose.

What has he written?

He has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

I remember taking a cool blank journal on a family vacation to Greece when I was 9 so I must have been thinking about it even then. (I ended writing about five words in it and that's it. I still have it somewhere, I think.) By 14 or so, I was probably sure that it's what I wanted to do for a living if I could. I wrote many, many bad stories and poems before I graduated from high school. I even put the date on all of them, because I thought they'd be important some day!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

My YA books, "The Edge or Everything" and "The Brink of Darkness," are fantasy novels but they've got a lot of stuff about family and grieving and shame and empathy. Those are the themes that mean the most to me personally.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

First, find a schedule you can stick to, even if it's only writing a couple hundred words a day or week. That way you won't wander away from a project because you haven't sat down to write in a while. Secondly, I always suggest writing at least a simple outline if you're thinking of a novel, so that you know where it's going and that the plot is interesting enough to carry a reader through a novel. Third, make sure you have snacks in the house, preferably chocolate.

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

I have many favorites, depending on what genre. My favorite young adult novel is "Still Life with Tornado" by A.S. King. It's about a teenage girl going through a hard time with her family. She skips school to walk around her city and keeps magically meeting up with herself at older or younger ages-- and she tries to get advice from herself on how to handle her life.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?

In YA world, it's A.S. King. In other genres, I love the Canadian short story writer Alice Munro and the Japanese novelist Huraki Murakami.  I also love the British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. His sci-fi novel "Never Let Me Go" is one I recommend to all kinds of readers.  I also recommend Ann Patchett's thrilling/romantic novel "Bel Canto" constantly.

6) What are your favourite pass times besides writing?

I love music. I play a few instruments really badly and listen to all kinds of music.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

Cool question! I'm not sure. I had a great high school teacher, Mr. Emmons, who really encouraged me to write. But I think it was all the reading I did as a kid that inspired me the most. When I was in high school and college, I read a lot of John Irving's novels ("The Hotel New Hampshire" and "The World According to Garp" were my favorites) and I loved the funny, generous way he looked at people, especially messed-up families.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

I've never actually made a bucket list! But because I was a journalist I've already been really lucky in my life and gotten to meet many of my heroes and go to many places I dreamed about.

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?

Oh, I could write about a novel about being president of the high school marching band. We were the worst band ever.

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

I'm sorry about what we've done to the earth and to people who are different and to politics, and I know your generation will fix everything.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Elizabeth Lim!

Bio:

      Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.
      Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since.
      Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the colour turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She grew up in Northern California, with a brief stint in Tokyo, Japan, but now lives in New York City with her husband and their daughter.
​      Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with a degree in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and completed her graduate degrees at The Juilliard School.
 ​     She is represented by Gina Maccoby of the Gina Maccoby Literary Agency.

What has she written?

She has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

         The first story I remember writing was in third grade. It was a mystery fanfic starring the twins from Sweet Valley. 

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

         I want readers to fall in love with a new world, and to see that heroes come from all backgrounds. Most of all, I want readers to feel emotionally invested in my stories and characters, enough that they remember it long after they've finished reading. 

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

        Read as much as you can, but listen too. A good ear can improve one’s writing immeasurably. 

Give yourself goals, not a timeline. 

Don’t let rejections get you down. Persistence is key. 

4) What is your favourite novel, why? 

         It's so tough for me to pick just one! I love most of the books I read, so I'm going to cheat a little and pick some favorites from the last month. As of December 2018, my favorites would be Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, Circe by Madeleine Miller, and The Light Between Worlds by Laura Weymouth.

5) Who is your favourite author, why? 

         Same problem as the question above! Right now, I'd say Madeleine Miller and Laini Taylor because they both have a magical way of turning the most mundane action into something beautiful with their prose. 

6) What are your favourite pass times besides writing? 

         I love writing music, reading, and traveling. Lately I’ve started to enjoy taking and editing photos. In typical neurotic-writer fashion, I also really like updating my calendar and making lists.  

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most? 

         My mother

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

         1. See a shooting star

         2. Visit the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (and see its pillar-mountains)

         3. Learn to lucid dream

         4. See the Northern Lights

         5. Learn how to cook Cantonese cuisine

9) What is your funniest childhood memory? 

         When I was around 4 or 5, I loved playing pranks on my family. Sometimes I’d use red marker and draw all over my hands and pretend I was bleeding to freak out my parents, or pour tons of sugar into my aunt’s hot chocolate. I also really loved reenacting shampoo commercials in the shower in my bathing suit. 

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be? 

         Chasing adventure, a successful career, a way to change the world for the better are all admirable goals, but don't forget to prioritize love and building relationships that will last.