Author Interview: Krystle Jones, author of Veiled Innocence

I recently had the chance to review 'Veiled Innocence', a fantasy adventure with a bit of romance tossed in.  You can find the review HERE.  I asked Krystle if she would answer a few quick questions.  She agreed and I'm proud to give you this new author interview!


A Bit About Krystle Jones:

Krystle Jones grew up in Tullahoma, Tennessee, where she spent her grade school years staying up late reading stories rather than doing her homework. She managed to come out of high school with straight A’s, and went on to obtain a Masters in Flute Performance. She currently lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Veiled Innocence is her first novel. Visit her online at http://krystlejones.blogspot.com


The Q and A Session:
Tell us a few fun facts about yourself:
Krystle: I love to paint landscapes and sketch portraits. I also love putting together websites, voice acting for online games, and playing in musicals (I got my masters in flute).


When and how did you first come up with the idea for Veiled Innocence?
Krystle: I had a dream one night when I was about 22 or 23 (I'm 26 now) about a princess trying to escape a palace fire. I brushed it off to my overactive imagination, but she never really faded away. In fact, other characters soon materialized (Vishka and Rowan), and before I knew it, I had a premise for a story. I talked myself out of the idea of writing a novel, since I had never attempted one before, many times before just making myself do it. The first draft was a train-wreck (went through 6 drafts total, with 2 of them being a complete rewrite), and as I learned more and practiced writing, it became what it is today.


Has writing always been what you've wanted to do?
Krystle: Not exactly. I've always loved writing and reading, but I never really expected to become a novelist. I actually wanted to go into animation; I love cartoons, even to this day. I find it fascinating how people can bring characters literally to life with nothing more than a pencil and some paper. But I was also actively invovled in the band program, and eventually chose music.


Why did you choose the ebook/self published route? Do you believe the traditional routes of getting published are changing?
Krystle: I chose self pub because I wanted to keep all my rights to my work. I'm selfish in that aspect, I suppose, and I guess since I poured 2 years of my life into VI, it made me more possessive of that particular work. 


While I think there are more opportunities for publication available to writers now, both self pubbing and traditional routes have their share of hard work involved (query letters and piles of rejections vs. wearing many hats as a self-published author. I myself, as many of my colleagues are doing, act as publicist, writer, editor, cover designer, interior designer, etc.). While you have sole command and freedom when you go with self-publishing, you also need to be well aware of the large amount of time you'll put into the novel that isn't writing or editing (about a 40/60 ratio, for me, I think). It's a lot of work.


Describe your book in 10 words or less:
Krystle: An epic dark fantasy saga. (haha)


If you had to choose the cast for a movie adaptation of Veiled Innocence, who would play Rowan, Lian, and Vishka?
Krystle: Oh, this is tough! When I wrote VI, I hadn't imagined any particular actors/actresses for the parts. When I watched the trailer for Hanna, however, I thought to myself, "Saoirse Ronan (the girl playing Hanna) would make a lovely Lian." I honestly have no idea who I'd cast for Rowan or Vishka. Probably unknowns, or up-and-coming stars.


I'm a TV nut, what is on your DVR right now?
Krystle: True Blood Season 3. I didn't have HBO when it was airing, so I'm getting caught up.


What's next? Do you have an sequels planned and when should we expect them? Krystle: Yes, there are actually 2 sequels and a prequel planned. The two sequels are untitled at the moment, but the second book will come out May 23rd, 2012 and the third and final book will release May 23, 2013 (in case you're wondering, May 23 is my birthday). 


After the trilogy is done, I want to publish a prequel called Age of Stars, that tells Vishka's backstory (how she became Empress, the love story between her and Draxonus, and the events leading up to the opening of VI where we first meet her).


Where can readers find your book and what formats can they get it in?
Krystle: They are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon UK as an ebook at $2.99 and on Smashwords in epub and other ereader-friendly editions, also $2.99. Paperback will be available soon through Amazon and it will be $14.99.

Author Interview: Francine Pascal, author of 'Sweet Valley Confidential'

If you are female and in your mid-twenties, you have read Francine Pascal.  I know I sure did.  Francine Pascal is the creator/author of the Sweet Valley series and most recently, 'Sweet Valley Confidential'.  Francine was nice enough to answer a few questions for this little blog!  Enjoy!


A Bit About Francine Pascal: (info/photo taken from Goodreads)

Francine Pascal is an American author best known for creating the Sweet Valley series of novels. In 1982, she created the characters and the stories for the first six books and her agent, Amy Berkower of Writers House sold them to Bantam Books. From then on, she wrote the stories for every book ever published in the series. She now divides her time between homes in New York and the south of France.


More information on the Sweet Valley series can be found on the official website.


The Q and A Session:


After 27 years, Sweet Valley is still going strong. When you first started this adventure, what were your plans? Did you expect the series to take off as well as it did and spin off into so many different series?
Francine: Of course I hoped that the series would resonate with a lot of young readers but I definitely didn’t expect it to be as successful as it became. The truth is that adolescence is eternal and transcends generations. And also pretty much the same all over the world. Sweet valley tapped into all of the major events of teenage life: love, heartbreak, tragedy, friendship, family… That's why Sweet Valley sold in twenty-five different languages- it relates to everyone, everywhere. My hope for that series was certainly fulfilled!


Did you always want to be a writer or is it something you fell into?
Francine: I never wanted to be anything else but a writer. My brother was a successful playwright and it showed me that being a writer didn’t have to be a fantasy, it could be a real career for me.


Of the Twins, which one would you rather be best friends with? Why?
Francine: I love both girls in such drastically different ways. I would say that I was more of an Elizabeth with some bad Jessica tendencies. I definitely have the same morals and work ethic that Elizabeth does, but I’m also quite social, like Jess, and I’m also a bit of a procrastinator. I won’t reveal any of our shared bad tendencies, as I’d like to keep all of my fans! So to answer the question: I’d rather be best friends with Liz and keep Jess at a distance


If a writer wants to create a grand universe of books, like you did with the Sweet Valley line, what advice would you give them?
Francine: It’s very difficult to give how-to advice to writers. The best advice is to keep a daily journal and keep writing all the time.


I read on Wikipedia that you were helping create a Sweet Valley High musical. Is that true? Is it still in development?
Francine: There was a time when a Sweet Valley High musical was in the works. I was collaborating with David Bryant from Bon Jovi with the music and it was off to a great start… unfortunately, as with most other works of theater, it doesn't always pan out. Maybe the timing was wrong.


I'm big on television (both writing and watching!). What is on your DVR right now?
Francine: Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, 60 Minutes, The Good Wife and almost everything on PBS.


Any messages for your fans?
Francine: I hope you liked Sweet Valley Confidential – Ten Years Later. It wasn’t easy to take all those fabulous characters from the Sweet Valley High series and bring them into adulthood, but I tried to capture a reality and bring in some twists and turns you weren’t expecting. Too bad about Spoilers trying to vandalize your pleasure. Hope you didn’t let them ruin the surprises.


I know it was a little difficult for some of you to leave that safe cocoon of a fantasy world, but you have to admit you aren’t the same people you were at sixteen. Nor would you want to be. It’s the same for Elizabeth and Jessica; they’re adult now and real life isn’t as easy as high school.


I'd like to thank Ann Marie and Francine for allowing this interview. Check out my review of 'Sweet Valley Confidential', and check back March 5th for information on how to win a copy for yourself!

Author Interview: Nicole Zoltack, Author of 'Seeing for the First Time'

Recently, I've been in contact with ebook author Nicole Soltack. Nicole is the author of the six part ya supernatural ebook series, 'What You See is What you Get'.  I recently reviewed part 1 in her series, 'Seeing for the First Time'. Here now, Nicole has taken time to participate in one of my favorite book blogging tasks-- the author interview!


A Bit About Author Nicole Soltack...

Nicole Zoltack loves to write fantasy/paranormal, romances, horror, historical, for adults and young adults, novels, short stories, and flash pieces. She doesn't want to get boxed in by genre -- she might be claustrophobic!

When she isn't writing about girls wanting to be knights, talking unicorns, and zombies, she spends time with her loving family. She loves to ride horses (pretending their unicorns, of course!) and going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, dressed in period garb. To learn more about Nicole and her work, visit her website at www.NicoleZoltack.com or her blog at http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com.


The Q and A session...


When did you first begin to write in hopes of publishing?
July 2008. I started to write some short stories and started to submit to magazines. The rejections quickly piled in. Then I saw a call of submission for a sweet romance short story and I thought, hey, I could do that. The first story I submitted was rejected but the second was accepted. Since then, I've never looked back!


Why did you choose self publishing over the traditional agent/publishing house route? What do you think of the experience so far?
I'm epublished because I am trying to build up writing credits as well as an audience before I try to get an agent. I have two novels that I am working on right now that I plan on submitting to agents.


Now that more and more people have ereaders, I think that ebooks are really going to explode. The market is dramatically increasing for ebooks, well over any other format right now.


Do you believe in the supernatural (ie: ghosts, fae, werewolves, etc)? Have you had any weird encounters with anything that could fall under that category?
I believe in angels and demons. One time, during high school gym class, we walked outside for class. We had to cross the street, and I wasn't paying attention. I didn't realize that everyone else had stopped walking and continued on. I felt a large hand push me back half a second before a car whizzed by, so close that the car just barely missed grazing me. I'm sure that was my guardian angel protecting me.


For you, what typical comes first? Plot or characters?
Usually the characters, although sometimes I think along the lines of what if such and such happened… and then the plot comes first.


If you could see one sort of supernatural creature, who would it be?
I would love to see a pegasus. Could you just imagine flying on the back of a winged unicorn?!


Tell us a bit about how 'Seeing for the First Time' came about...
I love paranormal stories, always have, always will, but I wanted to write something a little different. Paranormal with a kick, or in this case, an eye.


I was thinking about how we can see but can still be blind. We might walk past someone on the sidewalk and barely glance at them, maybe miss that they are hurting inside.


To turn this idea into a paranormal one, I thought about a world like ours but where the paranormal creatures are unseen except by only a few people, called seers. There's a veiled mist that separates our world from the paranormal one. And that's how I cam up with the idea of Seeing for the First Time.


What might we expect in the sequels? Are they available to the public yet?
Book 2, To See, is available for purchase. There will be a total of six short stories with one released the second week of each month.


In To See, a vampire hunter, Eric, is introduced, and the stakes are raised. Things are only going to get more dangerous for Ana, now that she can see. Poor Ana, her life would have been so much simpler if only she could see unicorns or fairies!


If you could live in a specific book genre, what would it be and why?
High fantasy. I love the middle ages, and what could be better than knights and magic? I love sword and sorcery!


I'm a huge TV nut. What is currently on your DVR?
My favorite TV show right now is The Vampire Diaries. I used to prefer Stefan but now I am team Damon all the way!


Where can readers find your book?
'Seeing for the First Time'
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-smash
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-omni
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-kindle
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-kindleUK
http://tinyurl.com/nz-sftft-nook


And 'To See' is available:
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-smash
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-omni
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-Kindle
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-KindleUK
http://tinyurl.com/nz-ts-nook


I'd like to thank Nicole for taking the time to share her answers with the readers of this little blog! I appreciate it!

Blog Tour: Interview with Lou Aronica, Author of 'Blue'

A few months back, Tracee from "Pump Up Your Book" asked if I was interested in hosting author Lou Aronica.  Usually, I would have declined because the novel isn't actually aimed at kids or teens. 'Blue', however, has a premise that could interest a vast group of readers, so I decided, why not?

About the Author:
Lou Aronica is the author of several novels and works of nonfiction, including the New York Times bestseller, The Element (written with Ken Robinson) and the national bestseller, The Culture Code (written with Clotaire Rapaille). He lives in Southern Connecticut with his wife and four children.


Q&A with Lou Aronica:


Can you give us a sentence or two about who you are and where you're from?


Lou: I’ve been involved in the book world for the past three decades, first on the publishing side (I was Deputy Publisher of Bantam Books, then Publisher of Berkley, and then Publisher of Avon), and more recently as a writer. I’ve written sixteen books, including the New York Times bestseller The Element (with Ken Robinson) and the national bestseller The Culture Code (with Clotaire Rapaille). I live in Southern Connecticut with my wife and four children.


-When did you begin to write seriously and why?


Lou: I’ve been dabbling in writing since I was a teenager, and even when I got into the publishing business, I believed I was doing so to facilitate a career in writing. I didn’t write my first book until nine years ago, though. This actually happened somewhat accidentally. I’d set up my company, The Fiction Studio, with the intention of developing ideas for other writers to execute. When I sold the first of these to a publisher, though, I realized that I was too close to the project to turn it over to someone else. I decided to write the book myself, and it became my first novel, The Forever Year.


-Do you have any writing rituals (ie: listening to music, writing at night, etc)?


Lou: My only ritual seems to be getting up to walk around every couple of sentences. I’m fairly capable of staying in one place most of the time, but not when I’m writing. If I could figure out a way to type while walking, I’d probably be far more efficient.


-What inspired you to write 'Blue'? Who's your intended audience?


Lou: The original inspiration for the novel was my trepidation over my oldest child getting ready to go off to college. I was worried that I was going to lose her and that we’d never have the life we had when she was home. I realized, of course, that no one would want to read a novel about a guy wringing his hands over his daughter leaving home, so everything became a metaphor. As it turns out, Blue took me six years to write – long enough that my daughter has graduated college. In the end, I didn’t lose her at all, but at least I got a novel out of my neurosis.


I’d like to believe that Blue is equally readable by those who love fantasy and character-driven novels, as well as adults and teens. The three main characters are a man in his early forties, his teenaged daughter, and the twentysomething queen of the fantasy world they created when the daughter was little, so different people are going to identify with different protagonists.


-Pitch your book in 7 words or less!


Lou: Fantasy world turns real for life-changing reasons. Yes, I realize I cheated with the hyphenated word.


-In a movie of your life, who would play you? In the same respect, who would play title characters Chris, Becky,and Miea in a movie adaptation of 'Blue'? Why?


Lou: I think someone like Tom Hanks might play me well, though he plays everyone well. For Chris, maybe Greg Kinnear, and for Becky, let’s go with Hailee Steinfeld. I was thinking about Natalie Portman whenever I wrote from Miea’s POV, though that was before “Black Swan.” I’m glad I didn’t have that image in my head.


-What are you working on now?


Lou: I have two nonfiction books due to publishers during the first half of this year, including the follow-up to The Element. The next fiction work will be an anthology of stories set in Blue’s fantasy world of Tamarisk. I’m writing the first story and the last, and readers are going to contribute the rest. My next novel is in the very early planning stages. Hopefully, it won’t take me six years to write it.


-If you could live in a specific book genre, what would it be?


Lou: It’s not really a genre, but I would like to live in the world of character-driven stories. I think I’d be very happy in a world where people were relating to one another at a heightened level.


-If you could travel back in time, where would you go?


Lou: Not terribly far back. There’s too much about the present I would miss. However, I would have loved to have been an adult at the start of the sixties. So many things were emerging then: enormous breakthroughs in the arts and technology, profound social changes, new frontiers opening all the time.


-One of my other blogs is centered around toys, what was your favorite toy growing up?


Lou: Strat-o-Matic Baseball. I was (and still am) a huge baseball fan, and it was the first real sports simulation game. You used cards that estimated probabilities for all Major League players, so the players performed as they did in real life. There are plenty of computer simulations that do things like this now, but back then it was mind-blowing.


-If I were to look at your DVR, what television shows would I find on it?


Lou: Right now, you’d find “Modern Family,” “Top Chef,” “Nova Science Now,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” That, and a half-dozen episodes of “Babar,” because my five-year-old likes to watch them.


-One of the great things about blogging is that I get to spread the word about books I love. What's your favorite book and can you pitch it to our readers?


Lou: Many of my favorite books are classics like “The Catcher in the Rye,” “The Sound and the Fury,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” My favorite book that readers are less likely to know is John Crowley’s “Little, Big.” It’s an elaborate contemporary fantasy reminiscent of “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” I think John Crowley is one of the great fiction stylists, and anyone who loves language and imagination should get a copy right now.


-Where can readers find your book?


Lou: It’s available at all online retailers. The e-book is cheaper; buy that one.


I'd like to thank Tracee and Lou for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour! Check back tomorrow for more info on 'Blue'!