Sunday, 31 May 2015

PROMOTION - BOOKS BY MATTHEW J. BEIER

Title: The Confessions Of Jonathan Flite
Author: Matthew Beier
Release Date: 1st July 2014

BLURB from Goodreads
Jonathan Flite claims to have memories he can’t explain. Seven layers of them, to be exact, all belonging to a group of teenagers who disappeared from a place called Idle County in 2010—ten years before his birth. Seventeen years of anxiety, violent outbursts, and refusal to admit he is lying have landed him at Crescent Rehabilitation Center, a seaside juvenile center for rich kids, and nobody has ever dared to believe his memories might be real.

Until now. On a blustery November day just three months after a nuclear terrorist attack in Geneva, Switzerland, ex-CIA psychiatrist Thomas Lumen arrives at Crescent to interview Jonathan for a book about Idle County. Fueled by his personal connection to the disappearances three decades earlier, he asks Jonathan to share what he knows—anything and everything.

By reigniting this thirty-year-old mystery, however, Jonathan inadvertently becomes a target of the very same religious terrorists who attacked Geneva, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the secrets of Idle County under wraps. Jonathan must then make a choice: to continue telling his story, or risk the safety of everyone he loves.


PURCHASE LINKS


Title: The Breeders
Author: Matthew Beier
Release Date: 6th January 2014

BLURB from Goodreads
The storm has come. The homosexuals, once an ostracized social minority, have taken over the world. They understood the dangers of an overpopulated planet, usurped government power, and created a culture of perfectly engineered families. But Grace Jarvis and Dex Wheelock are heterosexuals--part of the government’s highly controlled backup plan for reproduction--and they have a problem:

Grace is pregnant. Dex is the father. It is a crime that has only one consequence: banishment to the Antarctic Sanctuary, an isolated biological reserve where reproductive criminals are allowed to exist in peace, without disrupting the rest of civilization. Yet there are rumors that genocide has already begun and that the homosexuals are finally setting natural breeders on a path to extinction. This leaves Grace and Dex with only two choices: to succumb to the tyrannical regime, or run.

They choose to run.

Matthew Beier’s debut novel tells the intimate story of two people bound by the force of life itself as they set out to protect their unborn child and find value for themselves in a world that has rendered them worthless. This rainbow-tinted reflection of our own society--part political satire and part dystopian thriller--is a novel you won’t want to miss.


PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon UK

 [I really like the sound of this one and it's making it to my Want To Read Wishlist as it has dystopian aspects which I love and it being a thriller would make it a little different too. I definitely fancy reading this one ~Jeanz]


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Matthew J. Beier is a novelist, screenwriter, photographer, and graphic designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His first novel, The Breeders, was published in 2012, and his second novel, The Confessions of Jonathan Flite, will be published in 2014. He attended film school at Chapman University in 2003, where he studied screenwriting, film production, and English before spending a final semester abroad at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. When Matthew isn't working, he enjoys tea, exercise, watching films, and spending time with his friends and family. He is currently hard at work on Book 2 of his Jonathan Flite Series, The Release of Jonathan Flite. 

He would love to hear from you at matt@matthewbeier.com, on his Facebook author page, or on Twitter @MatthewBeier
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PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - RECESS IS MY BEST SUBJECT BY PEGGY MASTELL

Title: Recess Is My Best Subject
Author: Peggy Mastell
Release Date: 13th November 2013

BLURB from Goodreads
What if, in order to survive, you were thrown into a teaching job with young children and no training? "Recess Is My Best Subject" tells the true story of a professional woman who, after a family tragedy, plunges into the world of substitute teaching in the public schools of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A far cry from the nun-run Catholic school of her childhood, this new world is one shaped by special needs, poverty, and new immigration.

Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, Peggy Mastel’s debut memoir follows her as she dives into the most challenging job of her life and, against all expectations, finds that she is the one doing most of the learning.


PURCHASE LINKS
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BOOK BLAST - THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED - SKIN BY K.C. FINN

Title: The Day The World Ended
Series: Skin
Author: K. C. Finn
Genre: Zombie Horror
Target Audience: YA
Release Date: 31st May 2015

BLURB supplied by Sparkle Book Tours
Thirteen-year-old Cherie starts her day on April 3rd like any other Saturday. Shopping, fun and friends are on the agenda, with only one slight alteration:
April 3rd is the day that the end of the world arrives.
Mysterious creatures known only as the Skins have been lurking in remote parts of the countryside, and April 3rd is the day that the Skins arrive in the big city for all to see. What follows is a horrifying discovery of what the creatures really are, and what that means for the future of the human race. Cherie is caught in the middle of the apocalypse with one mission in mind: to help her horrifyingly injured best friend find help. Her journey takes her to dark and gruesome places, where isolation, panic and death await.
Cherie will have to find strength within her fears to survive The Day The World Ended.

The much-anticipated horror series debut of Amazon bestselling author K.C. Finn has arrived. The Day The World Ended is a young adult horror novella, and the exciting prequel to full novel The Skin Revolt, releasing August 2015. Recommended for readers aged fourteen and above due to tense scenes, gore and violence. 

PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon US
Amazon UK

EXCERPT
To my distress, the news was on the wall-mounted TV here too, and it seemed now that the simultaneous sightings in Brecon and Pembrokeshire were not the only ones to have happened. This time, the report was focusing on a little town that I vaguely recognised, where a long, lumpy thing was lying in the middle of the road, covered by a sheet. Cariad had her back to the telly and she was totally engrossed in her phone. I’m not sure I could have alerted her to what was on the screen if I’d wanted to, for I was so transfixed by the sight of the mysterious covered lump in the road. It was only an animal, that’s what the Government had told us. Why was everyone so afraid to even try to move it? Bright yellow subtitles delivered broken chunks of what the reporter was saying.

THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH WALES CLAIM THAT THIS IS THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE REALISED. A SKIN HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN THE BUSTLING CENTRE OF SWANSEA TOWN. THE CREATURE WAS ATTACKED AND KILLED BY MR GWYLL POWELL, WHO IS NOW BEING DETAINED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

The subtitles must have been a few seconds behind the pictures, because suddenly the lump in the road was gone, and a sobbing woman was talking.

WE GO NOW TO MRS POWELL, WHO WITNESSED HER HUSBAND’S ACTIONS.

In an effort to catch up with themselves, the yellow words became a sudden scramble of letters. What replaced them was green text, part of what the crying woman was telling the reporter. I watched the tears streak down the lady’s pale face, and a shiver ran through me as the subtitles rolled on.

- AND I REMEMBER ITS SKIN. NO WONDER THE POLICE CALL THEM SKINS. IT HANGS ON THE THING’S BONES LIKE IT’S READY TO FALL OFF. PALE AND SEE-THROUGH, JUST LIKE A GHOST.

A loud clatter made me jump, and I nearly had a tray full of tea and cakes spilled over me. Cariad’s mum gave me a panicked look as she set down our snacks. She put a hand to my brow, and it took me a moment to remember where I was. Everything was normal in that little tea shop. Everything was safe there.
“Sorry I frightened you, Cherie love,” she said kindly. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes,” I stammered. “Sorry, Mrs Thomas.”
“No matter then. You girls eat up and enjoy yourselves,” she replied.
Cariad had barely looked up from her phone the whole time her mother was there. Mrs Thomas flicked the lid of her daughter’s Yankees cap, and Cariad spared her a cheeky half-grin before her mum walked away. Whatever was happening on Cariad’s phone was far too important for her to stop and really look at her mother. I wish they had looked at each other, thinking back on that moment. I wish they had shared one last bright smile together.
If they had known that one of those faces would never see the other again, I’m sure that they would have paid a little more attention.

 [Wow! this one sounds great, I normally wouldn't consider myself as a horror fan but this one has me seriously thinking about adding it to my Want To Read Wishlist!]





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K. C. Finn was born and raised in Cardiff, South Wales, where her love for storytelling grew at a precociously young age. After developing the medical condition M.E. / C.F.S., Kim turned to writing to escape the pressures of disabled living, only to become hooked on the incredible world of publishing.
As an author for Clean Teen Publishing and Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Press, Kim spends most of her time locked in the writing cave with an obscenely large mug of tea. When not writing, she can be found studying for her MA in Linguistics, watching classic British comedy, or concocting evil schemes in the secret laboratory in her attic.

AUTHOR LINKS
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon / Pinterest



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Saturday, 30 May 2015

BOOK PROMOTION - THE KEEPER BY JANINE WILD

Title: The Keeper
Series: Ava Connor Series
Author: Janine Wild
Release Date: 7th April 2015

BLURB supplied by the author
Join Ava Connor on her dark journey through the world of the supernatural...

Haunted by her past, 25-year-old Avalene “Ava” Connor drowns herself in work to keep her mind from wandering to those dark places that threaten to consume her whole. But even the most hardened soul has a breaking point, and Ava inches closer and closer to the edge with every passing hour. Then, one day, she meets a mysterious group of people that makes her question everything she knows, and once again, Ava’s world is turned completely upside down. 

She learns about Alteri, supernatural beings that have been living among humans for ages. According to Alteri legend, Ava is believed to be the key in finding a rogue Alteri, who is leaving nothing but a trail of broken bodies in his wake. Now, Ava can either turn a blind eye to what is right before her, or she can accept the truth, and help bring down the rogue Alteri—even if it means sacrificing her own life.


PURCHASE LINKS


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janine Wild is a writer and independent author. A self-proclaimed night owl, she stays up into the wee hours of the night until delirium blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Click here to visit her website. 

THE KEEPER is her debut Urban Fantasy novel. 

Janine Wild is drawn to books with complex characters and intriguing storylines. Her favorite genre is dark Urban Fantasy, but occasionally she ventures into PNR territory.

AUTHOR LINKS
Goodreads
Website

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BOOK PROMO & AUTHOR INTERVIEW - WATER WITCH - ELEMENTALS BY ALISON HIGHLAND

Title: Water Witch 
Series: Elementals
Author: Alison Highland
Release Date: 10th March 2015

BLURB supplied by the author
Marra Wend loves the theatre, pretty dresses, a flirtatious glance from a handsome man – and firing the guns on her warship. One of the most successful privateer captains in Surland, Marra is dispatched to capture the notorious pirate Nat Blue, although she suspects he may not be what he appears. But discovering his secrets will force Marra to reveal secrets of her own, including powers that might be best shared only with the sea.

Goodreads Link

PURCHASE LINK
Amazon US
Amazon UK


AUTHOR INTERVIEW

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
The name I write under is Alison Highland. I also write books under my own name, but since the style of those books is very different, I used a pseudonym for writing fantasy-romance to keep things separate. I was born in Tucson, Arizona and I now live a little ways up the road in the Phoenix area.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing. When I was in kindergarten and they taught us to write, they gave up big sheets of paper that were blank on the top half and ruled on the bottom half, so we could draw a picture and then write a story to go with it. I always asked for more paper, not so I could draw more pictures like most of the kids, but so I could write more story.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
Yes. Even though I've been writing for so long and figured it was inevitable that I would publish, I didn't really consider writing to be something I'd do as my main job. (Sadly, that's even truer now than when I started writing.) I was lucky enough to get a good part-time job, in a public library, which leaves me plenty of time to write.

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
"Water Witch" is self-published. I wrote three books under my other name that were published by Bantam Spectra, and two more that I self-published. I tried for a long time to sell another book to a major publisher but the market just didn't cooperate. I'm glad that self-publishing offers an opportunity to writers when the Big Five don't think their sales numbers are high enough to put out another book.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I plan to publish "Earth Witch" this summer, the second book in my "Elementals" series after "Water Witch." These are standalone books, with different characters in each but a shared setting, so they can be read alone or out of order. At some point I hope to round out the series with "Fire Witch" and "Wind Witch."

What genre would you place your books into?
For a while I was calling these "my cheesy romance novels." They're actually a combination of fantasy, romance, and adventure with a light tone.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
I've always had a focus on relationships in my books, and in fact, one reader called my first book a "stealth romance." Several years ago I was exploring some new styles and genres to write, and romance seemed like an obvious choice. Crossover books - romance mixed with another genre like fantasy or science fiction - were booming at that time, and I was excited by the possibilities there. I happened to be working on a series of sea stories (under my other name), and I decided to combine some of the research I was doing for those books with a fun romantic premise I had in mind. So my main character - a female privateer captain who loves the theatre and pretty dresses - was born.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
There are lots of things in my life that depend on routines, but writing isn't one of them. I've tried establish routines for when to write and how long to write and they all fall apart. I write when and where I can, whenever I have both an idea and time to write it down, wherever I have room to get my hands on a keyboard. (Google Drive has been really useful and I wish it had been around fifteen years ago when I wrote my first book!) I usually get distracted by music or any background noise, but if I have to write under those conditions I will.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Yes, if I have the format they need.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
This is pretty dangerous. I read just enough to get a sense of what readers' responses are, and of course I'll read any reviews that I request from people. When my first book came out (other name, big publisher) I got seven reviews on Amazon pretty quickly. Three of them loved it and four of them hated it. That was enough to give me an idea of how people were reacting, and after that I stopped reading the reviews. It's easy to obsess about why people didn't like your book, but really all you can do is write the book that you want to write, as well as you can. Readers have their own reasons for liking or not liking a book.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
No. See above: readers have their own reasons. Arguing with them about what they like or not is like arguing with someone about how they should like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
"Water Witch" was an obvious title once I had my main character in mind. I designed the cover using stock photography I purchased from a royalty-free art site. I took a look at the covers for some recent books in the same genre to come up with the design. Photorealism and portraits of faces are typical in these covers, so I made my design with that in mind, adding things I liked (abstract background) and leaving out things I wasn't crazy about (shirtless dudes). Not that I don't like shirtless dudes, of course, but I'm not crazy about them as a design element on book covers...

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
I write fantasy and science fiction, and one of the things that sometimes bugs me about these genres is when authors go out of their way to make character and place names seem exotic and otherworldly. If the names are so unusual, unfamiliar, and unpronounceable, it can actually make a book harder to read. So I try to make my character and place names variants on familiar names, with some minor spelling alterations: changing Stephen to Stephin, for example.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
I always start with basic character traits and fill things in as I learn more about the character. Sometimes a trait I started with doesn't work anymore as I go along and then I have to go back and edit things.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
This is pretty much the same answer. I have a really basic plot when I start, usually a premise and a big conflict or revelation that I want to build up to. Then I fill in the details as I go along. I often don't know exactly how my characters are going to solve their big conflict until I get there.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
My preferred format is what I have on hand. I work in a library and if I see a new hardcover that looks interesting, I read it. If I'm in a doctor's office and I need something to read while I'm waiting, I read an ebook on my phone. If I'm buying a book, I'll probably go for a less expensive paperback.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
It's unlikely. Trends go back and forth. Ebooks fizzled when they first appeared, way back in the pre-Kindle days. Then smartphones let everyone carry a tiny computer in their pocket and ebook sales skyrocketed. The trend might go back the other way; many people are already expressing fatigue at being over connected. Paper books always work, even when your battery dies. Collectors' books have become a pretty strong category. At my library job we've been having the similar "Are libraries dead?" debate for decades. Libraries have changed and some have closed down in certain areas, but they're still not dead, and I think the same will be true for books.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Write. Keep writing. Write some more. Find that balance between being objective and critical of your own writing and still remembering what you love about your story. When in doubt, keep writing.

Where can readers follow you?
Blog: alisonhighland.wordpress.com
Goodreads author page: www.goodreads.com/author/show/13550587.Alison_Highland
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Water-Witch-Elementals-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00U1UJUYG/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AlisonHighland


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SERIES PROMOTION & MEET THE AUTHOR - LEGENDS OF THE FOUR RACES BY E.A. RAPPAPORT

My series is called: Legends of the Four Races. I'm calling it the first Interlocking Matrix of nine novels (the first six of which are available). Each book is a standalone story AND part of two separate trilogies.

Title: The Legacy Of Ogma
Series: Legends Of The Four Races 
Author: E.A. Rappaport

BLURB supplied by the author
After the thief, Halia, discovers a crystal sphere magically protected in a crumbling castle, she meets three others with spheres of their own. Arwold, the knight, bears one on the hilt of his sword. The sorcerer, Ahriman, who has owned his sphere for some time, enlists the warrior, Xarun, to steal another one from the peaceful Arboreals. With the help of an elementalist and his apprentices, the four set off on a quest to discover the fifth and final sphere. Along the way, they must battle demons, dragons, and sometimes one another. And they have no idea what the spheres have planned for them at the end of the journey.


PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Forging Paradise
Series: Legends Of The Four Races 
Author: E.A. Rappaport

BLURB supplied by the author
An unrelenting army sweeps in from the badlands, wiping out every human city in its path. Hermod, a long-retired hero, escapes the destruction and gathers emissaries from his former enemies. Together, they must find a way to fight back against the Ferfolk’s overwhelming numbers, superior swordsmanship, and monstrous desert beasts. The ancient wizard Ogma sends the brave warriors into a demon-filled netherworld on a desperate quest to create a set of enchanted weapons powerful enough to stop the invasion. But magical weapons sometimes have agendas of their own.

 Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Shadow From The Past
Series: Legends Of The Four Races 
Author: E.A. Rappaport

BLURB supplied by the author
The Arboreals and the Ferfolk have been enemies for centuries. When an Arboreal wizard dies in a mysterious fire fueled by unnatural green flames, his neighbors are quick to assign the blame and prepare for war. But the wizard’s apprentice is not convinced. Jarlen sets out to discover who really killed his master and meets Tyraz, a young Ferfolk warrior investigating similar attacks against his own city. Together, the two inexperienced adversaries must expose the hidden evil behind the magical flames – an ancient spirit with a grudge of his own.

 Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Secrets Of The Undercity
Series: Legends Of The Four Races 
Author: E.A. Rappaport

BLURB supplied by the author
Halia seeks revenge against the Terun thief who taught her to steal as a child and then framed her for his crimes. But personal vengeance must be sidetracked when her friend, the hapless apprentice Oswynn, accidentally releases thousands of dangerous creatures from a mystical prison. One of them, a vicious half dragon, conspires with Halia’s archenemy to create the ultimate army. Despite lies and betrayals, Halia must find allies on a cursed island to help her conquer the legions of unearthly crossbreeds threatening total destruction. 

 Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS

Title: The Lesser Evil 
Series: Legends Of The Four Races 
Author: E.A. Rappaport

BLURB supplied by the author
The thief Senfra does not care about anyone or anything except a good night at the pub, certainly not about the people and animals rumored to be disappearing from the Cold Sea coast. But when Senfra’s men rebel and steal his fortune, he finds himself on the Cursed Island, surrounded by dangerous, crossbreed creatures. Senfra’s only ally is Toth, a necromancer reviled by society, and his army of undead skeletons. Together, they must face a master transmuter who has been combining animals and humans to create his own army of unearthly abominations. 

 Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Lyche 
Series: Legends Of The Four Races 
Author: E.A. Rappaport

BLURB supplied by the author
After a massive earthquake shakes the land, Jarlen, an inexperienced Arboreal wizard, and Tyraz, a Ferfolk warrior, travel from a cursed island in the north to the barren wastelands of the west, tracking an ancient spirit that is capable of combining living creatures with the dead. With little help from their respective communities, the two must discover the lyche’s foul plans before there is nothing left to save.

 Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS


MEET THE AUTHOR 

Author of Legends of the Four Races, a series of nine fantasy adventure novels that form an Interlocking Matrix of six separate trilogies. http://www.owlking.com/matrix/

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
I'm Ethan Rappaport, and I've lived in New England for almost my entire life. I was born in Massachusetts and currently live in Orange, a small town near New Haven, CT.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I didn't realize that I enjoyed writing so much until about ten years ago. I had always been a fan of fantasy and science fiction, but throughout my school years, I was completely focused on math and science. At MIT, I received dual degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Every teacher that I had in high school and college would always write, "expand this" or "write more", on every paper I wrote. I never dreamed that I'd be able to write an entire novel. Ten years ago when I began my current job, I was on a train for 3 hours per day commuting to New York. With an idea for a story that was based upon a Dungeons & Dragons campaign that I created as a teenager, I decided to use my time writing. As it turns out, I love writing!

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
I have a full time job as a computer programmer for a small consulting company based in New York. We primarily offer cost savings in the Market Data departments for many of the largest banks in the world.

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
I am publishing my books and those of my teenage daughter through my company, Owl King Publishing. I'm also working with a couple artists on some graphic novels.


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Friday, 29 May 2015

BLOG TOUR - OMNI - OMNI DUOLOGY BY ANDREA MURRAY

Title: Omni
Series: Omni Duology Bk1
Author: Andrea Murray
Publisher: Booktrope
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Romance
Release Date: 28th April 2015

BLURB supplied by Good Tales Book Tours
They will risk everything, even challenging the all-seeing eye of the Omni government. But will the prize be worth the cost?
Seventeen-year-old Pierce is a Drudge, the lowest social stratum in society.  For over two years, he’s hoped—prayed—that his upcoming aptitude test will finally free him from his virtual slavery and give him a chance at a better existence.  When he rescues Harmony, an Artist and member of the most successful stratum, his life takes an unbelievable twist.
With his gallant act and good looks, he becomes a media sensation.  Every stratum in society seeks his membership for their publicity, but as he becomes closer to Harmony, Pierce realizes what fame in Omni is truly like. His choices will not only affect him but Harmony as well. The life Pierce thought he wanted may not be worth the cost to either of them.


PURCHASE LINKS
Barnes & Nobles 
iTunes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea Murray has been teaching English for longer than most of her students have been alive. She has taught everything from elementary reading groups to concurrent credit classes. She is currently teaching junior high language arts. She has a BSE and an MA in English. She lives in a very small town in Arkansas with her husband of nineteen years and their two children. In addition to teaching, she also blogs on Chick Lit Plus, writes young adult fiction, and recently completed her fourth novel, Omni, a YA dystopian based on the story of Paris and Helen. Andrea has also written The Vivid Trilogy, a YA paranormal romance. When she isn’t doing that, she’s probably reading or watching bad B movies.

AUTHOR LINKS
Goodreads 
Amazon 
Facebook 
Twitter
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Andrea Murray
Interviewed by Good Tales Book Tours

Where did the idea for Omni come from?
I’ve been a teacher for eighteen years, and many years ago, I taught seventh grade language arts.  As part of that curriculum, we completed a large unit on Greek and Roman mythology.  I was fortunate enough to have my nephew in one of those classes.  He developed an appreciation for all those great old stories, and every time a new mythology movie comes out , he calls me for confirmation that the story is accurate or to tell me whether it’s worth watching.   He inspired the use of the story.

The society, Omni, came from my classroom.  Each week, we study Greek and Latin root words.  One of those a couple of years ago was “omni,” which means “all.”  While discussing the word, the idea of a society completely controlled by the government came to me.   I created the society, in part, from our own society, where entertainers like sports heroes and film stars make unfathomable amounts of money while many families can’t even pay their utilities.

What did you do on your last birthday?
I was teaching. My birthday is in August, and we are ALWAYS back in school by that time. However, my sister’s birthday is within three days of mine. (There is seventeen years difference in our ages.) So, we always have a family gathering around the time of both our birthdays. We usually have a lazy Sunday afternoon “picnic” style lunch and swim.

Do you have any tattoos?  Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?

I don’t have any tattoos—unheard of in today’s society, I know! I do have eight piercings in my ears, though. I love piercings, and if I didn’t have to work “in the public,” I’d have more. My husband told me I had to stop putting holes in my body.

What are you working on right now?

Book Two, Contra, is the editing phase. It should be out in the fall (hopefully) if we don’t run into complications. I’ve also been playing around with something different. I had a protagonist practically banging around in my head for a month or so, and I’ve decided to let her out. Her story seems to be a bit ghostly. We’ll see!

What do you think you’re really bad at?

I’m really bad at relaxing. I always have a million things to do, and relaxing, just sitting around doing nothing, is almost impossible for me. I have a hard time forgetting about the laundry sitting in the basket, the dishes that need to be unloaded, and the papers I’ve brought home ungraded.

Any weird things you do when you’re alone?

I talk to myself. Don’t judge. J I also make tons of lists. I make lists for everything to stay organized. I like to do this alone so that I can really concentrate on what I need to do versus what I want to do.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
I love, love, love Ben and Jerry’s Coffee Toffee Crunch! Coffee ice cream with Heath bar pieces, who wouldn’t love that! I also like anything with cherry and vanilla.

Which mythological creature are you most like?

I’d have to say I’m most like a werewolf. Sometimes, that angry animal side seems to slip out when I least expect it. I’ve always been a little obsessed with werewolves. There’s just something about being fierce that fascinates me.

What are four things you can’t live without?

Well, my kids have to be two of those four. They make me crazy sometimes, but they’re my babies, and I’m always thinking about them. Third would have to be my laptop. What writer can live without her own computer? It’s just not the same on a different computer. It’s like wearing someone else’s shoes—strange and uncomfortable. Fourth would be my phone. It’s my connection to everyone.

What message do you want readers to get from reading the book?
I hope readers will see that Omni is about integrity and hope.  Pierce doesn’t settle for what society has dealt him; he has dreams of a better life, maybe a better world, where class lines don’t hold citizens back.  However, he’s also learned to work within those constraints without compromising himself.  

What is your least favorite word?
My least favorite word is “can’t”. I hate when people say that. It drives me crazy when my kids tell me that. If we all maintained that we “can’t” do something, our society would never improve, move forward.  

What part of the writing process do you dread?

I’ve come to dread editing, not because I have a bad editor—it’s just the opposite. She’s great and makes wonderful suggestions, but I’ve found I don’t like combing back through it all, which is the complete opposite of what I tell my students!

If we were to come to your house for a meal, what would you give us to eat?
It depends on what time of the month it is! My husband and I are both teachers, and we only get paid once each month, so I buy a huge mountain of groceries after payday. If we’ve just gotten paid, you’d probably have meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green peas. If it’s close to payday, a bologna sandwich may be it.

Do you listen to music when you're writing?
I don’t listen to music when I write. Honestly, I like music, but I don’t LOVE it. I like to have Investigation Discovery (dubbed The Murder Channel by my kids) on while I write. I don’t know why, but it helps me think. Most of the time, I’m not paying any attention to it, but I like it on regardless.


Do you have any other talents you want to share?
I love to crochet in the winter. This last winter, I’ll bet I made twenty hats. Everyone in my family got a hat (or two). Picking out yarn and a pattern just makes me happy for some reason.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
When I’m not writing, I’m probably grading papers. I teach junior high English, and that occupies a great deal of my time. I also have two children, and I coach my eight-year-old’s Odyssey of the Mind team, which tends to take up what’s left. When I do get some “me” time, I enjoy reading (like most authors) and watching all the shows I’ve saved on my DVR. I’m ashamed to admit how much I enjoy television.  


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