Author Interview: C.W. Snyder ("Child of Nod")

Hello my darlings!
My guest today is C.W. Snyder, author of The Balance series (in progress). After reading his debut book Child of Nod, I reached out to him on Twitter with an interview proposal, which he graciously accepted. But before we get to know him (and his dreams 😉) a little better, here's a spotlight on his first book...

Title: Child of Nod
Series: The Balance (3 books)
Author: C.W. Snyder
Genres: Afterlife, Fantasy, Mythology
Year: 2017
Age: 14+
Child of Nod on Amazon | on Goodreads

Blurb: Alice wakes one day to find herself on the other side of death, in the corrupted fairy tale land of Nod. Unable to remember much of the events leading to her demise, she sets out on a journey to discover her memory and the reason for her presence in Nod. Unknown to her, the man responsible for her death, Jack, is on a mission to find her spirit and end her second life.
Alice takes flight, only to find herself drawn into the lives of those around her and the mystery permeating that place. From the humble streets of Elysium to the mirrored spires of Memoria, her journey takes her on a path that leads to a decision that will affect the fate of Nod.
Along the way, she meets a cast of characters that include a madman with a dark secret, her faithful companion, Dog, and woman made of memory. Together, they help her on her journey as she uncovers the truth of Nod and the woman behind it all, the Red Queen. (Amazon)

Interview: So, first off, thank you Clayton for agreeing to a Q&A session on Offbeat YA! Would you like to introduce yourself?

In my day job, I'm the systems admin for a small business. After work, I write, because I'm not quite at the 'people are throwing money at me' stage of my career yet. I have two dogs, I'm married, live in North Dakota, and occasionally pick up a guitar and play it badly. In the meantime, I've published a few short stories, and I'm the author of The Balance series, the first of which is Child of Nod. [...]

Author Interview: Fanni Sütő

Londemonium mock cover

Hello my darlings! 
Today I'm sitting with short-story author and aspiring novelist  Fanni Sütő, whom I've recently met on Twitter via a common passion for Doctor Who, and more specifically, David Tennant 😀 (you know me and David, right? But I digress....). During this interview, you'll see that the DW reference is actually integral to Fanni's approach to writing, since the worlds she creates are often (if loosely) inspired by the show, and populated by characters who slightly resemble a few Doctor Who cast members. And no, before you shake your head, I'm NOT talking about fan fiction here. I'm talking about inspiration and atmosphere. I will redirect you to some of Fanni's writing in a few paragraphs, but before I do that - and before the actual interview takes place - let's have a look at one of her works-in-progress...

Another mock cover

Novel vitals by the author: Londemonium is an urban fantasy, set in a world where Hell is a multicultural, global enterprise, sprawling in its own dimension like an infernal version of London.
Gregor is a German computer programmer whose girlfriend, Irene gets abducted by a young demon during their London trip. The ever calm and rational Gregor embarks on a fantastical journey to recover Irene from Hell. His story is a version of the Orpheus myth with a twist.
Molly, the other main protagonist, is a feisty Irish biologist whose research partner gets spirited away. She also finds a passage to underworld just to discover her secret heritage as one of the descendants of the Sidhe, the Irish fairy folk.
Aiko is an English-Japanese girl who comes to live with her drunkard father because it’s still a better option than staying under the same roof as her mother’s new boyfriend. She sees visions of a mysterious woman in white.
Raphael is an immigrant angel. He arrived from Heaven and works hard as a police intern to get accepted. His task is to round up a dangerous journalist who threatens to expose the secrets of Hell.
Londemonium is about how the lives of these four characters intermingle. Gregor and Molly end up in a flat share with Demi, the demon who got their friends. Aiko meets Rei, the majestic fox demon who helps her deal with her rage. The same Rei is Raphael’s superior who tries to help him get his naturalisation.
For the story’s aesthetic, feel free to check out my Pinterest board and Spotify playlist.

Fanni Süto

Dream cast for Londemonium

Author Interview: Edward Aubry ("Unhappenings")

Hello my darlings! 
Today I'm sitting (well, from across a whole ocean) with US author Edward Aubry, whom I've only recently discovered via his adult book Unhappenings (my review here). Edward was so kind as to reach out to me after I reviewed it - I tossed an interview proposal, and he gladly accepted. Now, I know that usually people are wary of reading interviews with authors whose work they aren't already familiar with, but believe me, Mr. Aubry has a few interesting (and even unexpected) things to say about writing and the birth of a novel (or series). Also, with my questions, I tried to spotlight the most peculiar aspects of his catalogue, and I hope to steer some new readers towards his books, present and future!

Before we get to know Edward Aubry a little better, here's a spotlight on his ongoing debut YA-NA series...

Static Mayhem's
(now Book 2 in the Mayhem Wave series)
original cover

Title: The Mayhem Wave (4 books Edit: 5 books!)
           Book 1: Prelude to Mayhem
           Book 2: Static Mayhem
           Book 3: Mayhem's Children
           Book 4: Balance of Mayhem (new!)
           Book 5: Mayhem's Reign (ex Book 4)

Author: Edward Aubry

Genres: Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Fantasy

Year: 2016+

Age: 14+

Release: From Nov 26th 2016 (1st book)

Prelude to Mayhem (book 1 in The Mayhem Wave series) on Goodreads

Blurb for Prelude to Mayhem: In the ruins of his world, Harrison Cody follows a mysterious voice on the radio as he and his pixie sidekick travel on foot across a terrifyingly random landscape. They discover Dorothy O’Neill, who has had to survive among monsters when her greatest worry used to be how to navigate high school. Together they search for what remains of Chicago, and the hope that civilization can be rebuilt. (Goodreads)

Interview: So, first off, thank you Edward for agreeing to a Q&A session on Offbeat YA! Would you like to introduce yourself?

Sure! Hi everyone, I’m Edward Aubry, author of Unhappenings and the soon to be released Mayhem Wave series. By day, I teach high school math. I am currently at work on my sixth novel, with plans for many more.

Cover Reveal & Author Interview: B.C. Johnson ("Deadgirl: Ghostlight")

Welcome to the cover reveal for Book 2 in the Deadgirl series!

Well, this is an unofficial cover reveal, to tell you the truth. Curiosity Quills Press has recently decided not to do official ones anymore, so its authors are left with the option of doing their own thing via trusted bloggers or not. I'm thrilled to have the chance to show you this beauty, in all its simplicity and mysteriousness. And class - let's not forget class :).

Title: Deadgirl: Ghostlight

Series: Deadgirl (Book 2)

Author: B.C. Johnson

Genres: Afterlife, Paranormal Romance, UF

Age: 14+

Available from: May 16th, 2016

Cover artist: Andy Garcia

Deadgirl: Ghostlight on Goodreads

Read my review of Book 1 here

  

Blurb: Transformed into a “phantom” by her own titanic will to live, Lucy must feed on the essence, memories, and emotions of others to keep herself solid. After defeating her Grim Reaper and learning that she could survive without hurting people, Lucy thought the madness was finally over.
Her cravings for essence under control, Lucy tries to live a normal life. Apparently you have to be alive for that to work, though, as Lucy learns that one of her friends is more than she appears. She insists that Lucy, with her ghostly abilities and tentative immortality, can join her in the fight to help those in need.
Thrust into the role of teenage savior, Lucy Day finds herself battling a pack of voyeuristic serial killers, a mysterious and deadly wraith, and the idea that she might actually have to start dating again sometime this century. (Goodreads)

Author Interview: GL Tomas ("The Sterling Wayfairer Series")

Hello my lovelies!
Today I'm sitting (so to speak) with two long-time blogger friends who have recently made a break into the writing world. Meet Guinevere and Libertad Tomas - or, more concisely, GL Tomas - proud owners of the Twinja Book Reviews and Rebellious Cupid Book Reviews blogs, and even more proud champions of all kinds of diversity in books (which imbues both their blogs anyway!).
GL Tomas have just self-published their first novel The Mark of Noba, which is also book 1 in The Sterling Wayfairer Series. With them, I'll get to talk about not only the aforementioned saga, but also the whole writing process, the path to self-publishing, and diversity of course!

Before we get to know GL Tomas a little better, here's a spotlight on their ongoing debut series...

Title: The Sterling Wayfairer Series (4 books)
Authors: GL Tomas
Genres: Portal Fantasy (though fans refer to it as Sci-Fi too), Time Travel
Year: 2015+
Age: 14+
Available on: Paperback and Kindle
The Mark of Noba (book 1 in The Sterling Wayfairer Series) on Amazon | on Goodreads
The City of Fallen Stars (book 2 in The Sterling Wayfairer Series) on Goodreads [out in Spring 2016]

Blurb for The Mark of Noba: Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career - distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.
But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: he and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.
Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.
If he doesn’t, neither of them will survive. (Amazon excerpt)

Interview: The Sterling Wayfairer Series is your first foray into fiction - but is The Mark of Noba the very first book you conceived? How long did it take to write? And what made you decide to split the saga in a total of four books?

It’s funny! The Mark of Noba is quite a new idea compared to other projects. We always had it in our head, that the first book or work we’d publish was a Adult High Fantasy (that we’re actually still working on! lol) but years of going through things have changed a bunch of the plot around.

The Mark of Noba only came a few years ago, in comparison to most our WIPs which we’ve had since teenagers. It did take a 2.5 years to write, but only because we greatly disagreed how the plot should go, how much back story we should include, which characters to focus on most, and many other dirty factors readers have no idea about!

A lot of your upbringing teaches you to think a certain way, and when we’d finished a 1st draft of The Mark of Noba, many of the characters were a little sexist. We couldn’t believe reading it back to ourselves, considering how much we try to combat sexism in our writing! So it was great that we sat on it for as long as we did.

The decision to split it into four books is based on how Tetra and Sterling’s story arc weakens or strengthens. What we have in store for them will make them see the world in new ways, and while we considered making it a trilogy, we would’ve crammed one of the most important parts about their past in Book 3, and it would feel very info-dump, lol.

Blog Tour & Author Interview: B.C. Johnson ("Deadgirl")

Welcome to the Deadgirl Blog Tour!

Meet Lucy Day

Some of you may know it by know: I only spotlights books on my blog (by cover reveals, blog tours, you name it) if I really like them. I don't see the point in selling you stuff I don't believe in, or I haven't even read yet. And I only interview authors if I'm familiar with them. Having an awesome book out is also a bonus ;). 
I have known B.C. Johnson for a year and a half (as in, talked with him on Goodreads now and then. I'm not saying we are close friends or anything. And no, he never bribed me into saying wonders of his book. Not that I remember, but you know, my memory lately...). I sought him out after reading Deadgirl when it first came out (if you want to read the story of how Deadgirl was resurrected after the original publishers liquidated their business, go here...it's gripping, a bit heartbreaking, but inspirational and energetic too). Deadgirl is still one of my favourite YA books to date, and Lucy one of my favourite heroines. After all this time, I'm proud to be part of the Deadgirl 2.0 blog tour, and to have the chance to grill B.C. Johnson with my questions ask B.C. Johnson some stuff from the top of my head. (Yeah, right. I only spent two weeks racking my brain for the perfect questions). But before I move on to the author, let's get to know his book a little better...

Title: Deadgirl
Series: TBA
Author: B.C. Johnson
Genres: Afterlife, Paranormal Romance, UF
Year: 2014 (first published 2012)
Age: 14+
Available on: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle
Deadgirl on Amazon | on Goodreads
Read my original review here

Blurb: Dead is such a strong word... 

Lucy Day, 15 years old, is murdered on her very first date. Not one to take that kind of thing lying down, she awakens a day later with a seemingly human body and more than a little confusion. Lucy tries to return to her normal life, but the afterlife keeps getting in the way.

Zack, her crush-maybe-boyfriend, isn't exactly excited that she ditched him on their first date. Oh, and Abraham, Lucy’s personal Grim Reaper, begins hunting her, dead-set on righting the error that dropped her back into the spongy flesh of a living girl. Lucy must put her mangled life back together, escape re-death, and learn to control her burgeoning powers while staying one step ahead of Abraham.

But when she learns the devastating price of coming back from the dead, Lucy is forced to make the hardest decision of her re-life — can she really sacrifice her loved ones to stay out of the grave? (Goodreads)

Interview: Hi Bobby, it’s a real treat to feature you on my blog today. Deadgirl is one of favourite YA novels, and besides, I love your sense of humour - so I’m glad to give both a spotlight.
OK, so, for those who are not familiar with your work or your personality yet – how come you took the plunge into the deadly sea of writing, particularly its YA current? 

I took the plunge because I had to - it’s all I was ever built for. I’ve been wanting to be a writer since I could put words together. It’s not even in my blood, it’s in my bones. It IS my bones. I mean, I’m no biologist so I don’t know if that’s medically accurate or not, but it feels that way.
As for YA, well, my beta reader, who also happens to be my wife, had read my first unpublished epic fantasy novel, and she told me that I wrote like a YA writer. She asked me if I knew that, and the fact was, I didn’t. I mean, I liked writing about young people, and I’m from the Stephen King school of “keep it simple, stupid” when it comes to language, but I never knew. 
Deadgirl was my first real crack at the genre, and it’s been my favorite thing I ever wrote. [...] 

He Says, She Says - Double Author Interview: Troy H. Gardner & Erin Callahan ("Mad World" Series)

I have not one, but two guests today! But before I introduce them to you, a little background is required. I was recently contacted by Erin Callahan, half of the writing duo behind the Mad World series, who (after perusing my blog and actually making a mental note of my reading preferences...something that very few authors seem to take the time for!) offered me the first two books in the series for review. I gladly accepted, and as you may have seen for yourself, they were reviewed respectively on September 8 and 15 (read my review of Wakefield | read my review of Tunnelville). While I was about to start on the second installment, I mentioned an interview opportunity to Erin, who enthusiastically accepted. I was debating if asking specific questions to her and her writing partner, Troy H. Gardner, when she mentioned they have two rather different approaches to writing - this being one reason why they make a good team. Erin's comment gave me the idea of a double interview with the same questions, which sounded like fun in this case. And fun it ended up being (but very insightful too)...you can judge for yourself :). 

Before we get to know Erin and Troy a little better, here's a spotlight on their ongoing debut series...

Title: Mad World
Authors: Erin Callahan & Troy H. Gardner
Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary
Year: 2012+
Age: 12+
Available on: Kindle (for now)
Wakefield (book 1 in the Mad World Series) on Amazon | on Goodreads
Tunnelville (book 2 in the Mad World Series) on Amazon | on Goodreads 

Blurb for Wakefield: Orphans Astrid Chalke and Max Fisher meet when they’re sent to live at Wakefield, a residential and educational facility for teens with psychiatric and behavioral problems.  Just as Astrid and Max develop a strong bond and begin to adjust to the constant chaos surrounding them, a charming and mysterious resident of Wakefield named Teddy claims he has unexplainable abilities. At first, Astrid and Max think Teddy is paranoid, but Max’s strange, recurring dreams and a series of unsettling events force them to reconsider Teddy’s claims. Are they a product of his supposedly disturbed mind or is the truth stranger than insanity? (Amazon excerpt)
Blurb for Tunnelville: Following their panicked escape from Wakefield, Astrid Chalke, Max Fisher and their friends find themselves adrift and on the run in western Massachusetts. After picking up a young thief with a complex philosophy, and dealing with the pains of prescription drug withdrawal, they make their way to Boston. The damaged teens settle in an underground tunnel community and encounter the fabulous Angie DeVille, who envelops them in her breathless and fast paced life. Dr. Lycen is tasked to hunt down the Wakefield escapees. But as Astrid and Max eke out a meager existence in their new home and do their best to stay off Dr. Lycen's radar, they learn that new and even more harrowing threats might be lurking just over the horizon. (Amazon excerpt)

Interview: In strictly alphabetical order - welcome to Offbeat YA Erin and Troy! I’m so glad to have you here. Also, it’s not every day one gets the opportunity of interviewing a collaborative duo of writers. I have a lot of questions (erm...probably too many...) and I do hope you won’t mind them…*ducks and crosses fingers* So, on with the first one...

Your bio says you met in high school. Were you already dreaming of becoming writers back then?

T: I wrote a lot when I was younger, but I wanted to be a director for quite some time. I knew I wanted to tell stories, but I didn’t know in what medium.
E: I didn’t start thinking about writing until I was in college. I reread a few of my favorite YA novels and thought, “Maybe someday I’ll write YA fiction.” But that was really just a pipe dream until one day when Troy and I were browsing in a bookstore together and he was like, “We should stop talking about writing and, instead, actually start writing.” We began planning the Mad World series on the car ride home.

What kind of books did you read as teens? Did any particular author influence your own writing?

T: I didn’t read much YA when I was a young adult, oddly enough, but Perks Of Being A Wallflower sticks out, and I got into Harry Potter when I was 17. I read a lot of Stephen King, Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter series, David Sedaris, and some of the Star Wars expanded universe.
E: I also read a lot Stephen King and I took Honors English, so I was forced to read a lot of classics, like Camus’s The Stranger and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, which I now appreciate. My favorite YA novel as a teen was The Goats by Brock Cole. I read it again a few years ago and it still blew me away. I also really loved Wise Child by Monica Furlong and The Cuckoo’s Child by Suzanne Freeman. They both delve deeply into the mundane in a way that really appealed to me. [...]

Author Interview: J.H. Walker ("Rewrite Redemption")

I'm hosting my very first interview today! J.H. Walker, author of Rewrite Redemption, kindly agreed to be my guest and do a Q&A session for my blog. Thank you J.H. for taking the plunge and being the first author to undergo my questions ;). Before we get to know this fine lady a little better, here's a spotlight on her debut novel...

Title: Rewrite Redemption 
Series: TBA
Author: J.H. Walker
Genres: Time Travel, Paranormal Romance
Year: 2013
Age: 14+
Available on: Kindle
Rewrite Redemption on Amazon | on Goodreads

Blurb: She’s sixteen. He’s seventeen. They don’t know each other…at least not yet.
She has a secret and her whole life revolves around keeping it. Every few months and with little warning, she simply disappears, pulled into the past for hours or even days. She’s terrified it will happen in front of someone, changing her life forever. So far, the only witnesses have been her parents, and that didn’t end well. She has no control over it and no idea why it happens to her.
She wants answers.
He has answers - at least he understands what’s going on. He has a secret, too. He’s part of an organization that goes back in time to rewrite reality. But he also has a problem. He broke the organization’s number-one rule by altering his own timeline. As punishment, he’s been blocked from time travel, which is most unfortunate. Because the changes he made to his timeline, accidentally resulted in disaster for his family. A disaster he’s now prevented from repairing. No one can travel beneath the organization’s radar except a Shadow. But they’re rare, so rare he’s never even met one.
Then he moves to her town.
Rewrite Redemption is a YA love story with paranormal/sci-fi elements. (Amazon)

Interview: I met J.H. Walker via a discussion on Goodreads, and we chatted about the weight of romance in YA books, along with her debut novel Rewrite Redemption, in a series of private messages. Since her book was out in those same days, I mentioned the possibility of an interview for my blog, and J.H. graciously accepted, despite me only being a budding blogger and this being my very first interview... 

So, first off, thank you J.H. for agreeing to a Q&A session on Offbeat YA! Would you like to introduce yourself?

Hi. My name is J.H. Walker and I've just debuted my first YA novel. Thanks, Roberta, for hosting this interview. 

Let's start with the mandatory question...what prompted you to become a YA writer? 

I was a great pretender as a child. I grew up in a very strict household that valued conformity and strict adherence to a rigid ideology. Right and wrong were absolute. Freethinking was wrong, and not allowed. On the outside, I conformed. I had no choice. But inside my head, I created very different worlds and those worlds saved me. I believe this was the foundation for my over-active imagination. As for the YA angle, I’ve always loved stories that go beyond the bounds of reality. YA is far more accepting of make believe than the adult market.

Besides, everything is so much more intense in the young adult world…the euphoria of a first love…the sorrow of a first heartbreak. It all entails so much more passion. Intense feelings can happen rapidly when you’re young, and they can be all encompassing and overwhelming. Reviewers cry, "foul, insta-love" and sometimes they’re right when it happens out of nowhere. But there are occasions where intense feelings happen fast and furious over something small that elicits your attention or bonds you to someone. Love comes in many forms. You can love ice cream. You can love a rock band. And when you’re sixteen, you can meet someone and fairly quickly feel something quite intense. I remember. Is that love?

Well, it certainly isn’t love as defined logically by an adult and run through adult filters. It’s not the kind of love that sparks and grows from honest evaluation and time spent together. It’s not the kind of love that will probably withstand hardship or even last very long. And you certainly don’t want to make any life decisions based on it, ha. But I say it is a kind of love. Perhaps you can call it a practice love. And maybe it only lasts a month, but while it’s happening, it can be quite profound and very real to the person feeling it.

I love the YA world. Even though it’s been a long time since I was a teen, I remember those years in all their intensity. Books helped me make it through my teen years. It’s only natural that I try to give back to something that gave me so much.

According to your bio, you've led quite the life. To what extent your peculiar experiences helped you shape your first novel?

I’ve had a lot of experiences both positive and negative. Hopefully, I’ve learned from them all. My life has opened my eyes to an incredibly diverse world. I’ve learned to search hard for the truth and not just accept what is thrown at me. My intense curiosity has often taken me beyond what meets the eye. These things have increased my awareness as one of the inhabitants of Planet Earth. That makes me cognizant of the imprint I leave as an author, which means that as I shaped my novel I was very careful of the messages it included. [...]