Hi everyone. I am rounding up my friends and doing a panel on indie-publishing. I asked a bunch of questions (things I want to know and others probably do to), they answered, and I am putting it together. Stop by every Wednesday for the next four weeks.
So why the title of this post? Because right now you are going to hear about their books and then next week they are self-promoting how awesome they are. :)
My authors are:
Erica Cope, Heather Diemer, and
J.A. Lantz
Panel - Round 1.
Erica:
What is your latest and greatest? In the Shadows (Lark #2)
What inspired this manuscript? It all started with a dream I had that inspired Lark.
Tell us about your leading character? Why would a reader like him/her? Oh gosh, I hope that people like Mia because she feels real.
Care to share a tid bit from your writing?
“Grey, do you think it’s too late?”
He nods sadly. “I’m sorry, Mia, but if they have her, I’m not sure if there is anything we can really do.”
The world distorts itself around me like a Fun House mirror, making me feel dizzy and nauseated. My lungs collapse in on themselves as the furious beating of my broken heart threatens to slam right out of my ripped open chest.
“I—can’t—breathe,” I gasp as Grey pulls me into his arms and holds me close to his chest, whispering words that I don’t understand. My tears fall freely, staining his shirt with wet splotches but he doesn’t care, he continues to hold me tight, comforting me just like he has done before. I feel his lips press down on the top of my head and even though this sweet gesture is completely innocent, my stomach flips unexpectedly which in turn elicits a crashing wave of guilt that instantly squashes the butterflies that had suddenly been awakened by his simple touch, shredding their wings into powdery oblivion until they no longer have any semblance of beauty.
What’s your favorite thing about this novel? Can I say the cover? LOL It's so pretty!
J.A. Lantz
What is your latest
and greatest?
My latest and greatest
would have to be Helix, the
manuscript I just reached the final draft stage with. (At least, I think I
have.) Also, I’m quite pleased with the manuscript I’m currently working on
which developed out of Helix.
What inspired this
manuscript?
My inspiration for Helix was my love for comic books and
super-heroes and heroines. Combine my love of comics with my enjoyment of young
adult literature and there you have the origin story for how my story was born.
Tell us about your
leading character? Why would a reader like him/her?
Well, in order to talk
my leading character, I have to talk about both leading characters since the
novel is told from their respective points of view. Samantha Martin, or Sam as she
prefers, is a small town girl who cares a great deal about her family and
friends, loves to read, works at a book store to feed her book addiction and
expects to lead a pleasant and ordinary life. Enter Collin Kane, the handsome
new guy at school or as Sam initially dubs him: “ the untamed raven-haired hunk
with the deep emeralds eyes and an amazing ass”. Collin and his siblings have a
secret, of course, and will forever alter Sam’s life.I think readers will like Sam
because she is very empathetic while I think readers will like Collin because
he’s the good guy everyone wants to have in their life. I don’t want to say to
much as I want readers to make up their own minds as to why they like Sam,
Collin, and the other characters.
Care to share a tidbit
from your writing?
The handsome face,
which I had come to know every detail intimately, was twisted with rage,
twisted with betrayal, and – most terrifyingly – twisted with hatred: hatred
directed entirely at me.
What
could I have possibly done to deserve such animosity?
His
every gesture, his every look, scared me to my very core. Instinctively, I
backed away from him as he strode across the debris littered room toward me.
What
could I possibly do to fend him off?
He
out-powered me in every way conceivable and in many ways I had never thought
possible until I met him and his family. His family lay unconscious, broken
looking and bloody, scattered about the demolished living room. The back wall
of windows shattered outward, the wind blowing through chilling me, but not as
much as the deadly gaze in his cold emerald eyes.
What
would he do to me?
I
knew I was not willing to stay and find out. Turning, I ran for the front door
knowing with each footfall I would never get away from him. A scream escaped my
lips as his hands clamped fiercely onto my shoulders cutting off my escape. Roughly,
he spun me around to face him, his emerald eyes boring into my own gray eyes,
searching for something he obviously did not find as his eyes grew ever colder.
“Collin?”
He
flinched as I spoke his name, a deep growl rumbled in his chest, as if his own
name both scared and offended him. He said nothing as he forcibly shoved me
toward the front door, his hand clutching my upper arm in a death grip. I tried
not to cry out, but I whimpered anyway.
Where
was he taking me? What would he do when he got me there?
I
dreaded to find out.
What’s your favorite
thing about this novel?
Um, too many favorites
to put in a concise answer. Plus, I don’t want to give any spoilers. I will
say, however, that writing the novel was a great experience.
Heather:
What is your latest and greatest?
I’m currently working on an adult
contemporary romance about Helena, a girl who’s a little lost about her future
until she meets Josh and he turns her world around. Can his love save her?
What inspired this manuscript?
Ummm...I’m not really sure. I was just talking to a friend and the title of the book
just came to me and the story just tumbled out after it.
Tell us about your leading character? Why would a reader
like him/her?
Helena was adopted as a child after
her father and mother both died the day she was born. The number 42 has followed her throughout her life, even
before she was born. She’s
considered it her lucky number and uses it to make major life decisions. Helena is an introvert and prefers to
keep to herself. She has a small close circle of friends to whom she’s fiercely
loyal. I think readers will like
her because she’s funny, a little neurotic, and has a spontaneous nature about
her.
Care to share a tid bit from your writing?
Watching the sun travel across
my rear view mirror, I rounded the last curve toward Josh’s house. Our last text conversation replaying
over and over again in my mind.
Josh: I want to meet you.
For real.
Me: I want to meet you too
Josh: Then come see me this weekend. I’m off all week. Stay with me.
Me: I don’t know. Wouldn’t that be weird?
Josh: I have a guest room…
I know we’ve
been exchanging texts for over a month now, forty-two days to be exact, but as
I drive closer and closer to him, the more anxious I become. All the fears I expressed to him that
he shot down are reemerging. What
if changes his mind when he sees me?
What if I’m too fat? What
if the literal and figurative scars on my heart turn him away? What if the forty-two thing weirds him
out? I’ve opened myself more to
Josh than anyone else. Ever. But he doesn’t know about my forty-two
obsession. How do you discuss that
through text messages? “Hey, I ‘m
obsessed with the number 42 and I use it to make all my life decisions.” That’s weird right? How do you make
someone understand that something as silly as this is actually really
important?
What’s your favorite thing about this novel?
This book is my NaNoWriMo project
and right now it’s totally random.
It’s taking on a life of its own and I love it. Every character is a little crazy. Anna and her fiancé Jacob (Helena’s
BFF’s) are hilarious and help bring Helena out of herself. They don’t believe her crazy number
obsession, but play along with her anyway.
Me:
What is your latest and greatest?
I am working on a NA dystopia. The US has had it's borders restructured and the government is now a monarchy. Except, the white house falls under attack and the princess has to get out of there. The Princess then has a mission (working out the kinks in the mission).
What inspired this manuscript?
Dean Winchester. Not a joke.
Tell us about your leading character? Why would a reader like him/her?
Emma Rayne is the Princess of the US is trying to become the Queen. She has to travel through battle stricken cities and learn the life she has been leading, wasn't realistic. Her job as Queen is scary for her, but throughout the novel, we watch her grow up. We watch her become stronger. We watch her be able to kick the crap out of people.
Care to share a tid bit from your writing?
The
only thing I could hear was the sound of my heavy breathing. Maddox and Harper
seemed like statues besides me. Or maybe my breathing was just too loud for me
to comprehend anything else.
“All
we want are your weapons and anything of value. Give it to us and we won’t have
a problem,” our captor said.
My
reaction was: Fine, take whatever you want just go away.
Harper
had a different reaction.
“You
aren’t taking anything from us.”
This,
like the men in the bar, amused our captor. He gave a short laugh. “Oh really?
Let’s remember I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your head.” He pushed the barrel
of the gun into Harper sending her body forward a little bit.
“You
don’t have it in you.”
I
couldn’t see the guy’s face, but this comment clearly caught him off guard.
“What did you say?”
“I
said: You don’t have it in you.” I could see Harper out of the corner of my
eye. She had righted herself. “As in you don’t have it in you to kill us.”
What’s your favorite thing about this novel?
It's not my comfort zone. I am actually struggling a lot with descriptions and belieable scenes - but that's great. It's making me better (and it's making me a little nuts).
There you have their current manuscripts, WIPs and novels in a nutshell? Intrigued yet? Come back next Wednesday to learn more and hear more about Indie Publishing!
