Interview with A.S. King!

A.S. King is the author of many amazing novels: Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Everybody Sees the Ants, Ask the Passengers, and The Dust of 100 Dogs. She is a winner of the Printz Honor Book Award for her novel, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, and her books have gotten amazing reviews. 
It's no secret that I love Amy dearly. Her writing is fantastic and she's an awesome person. There are almost no words to describe her awesomeness. 
If you're a fan of John Green, I'd recommend A.S. King.
So without further ado, here is Dual Perspectives' interview with A.S. King!

Tell us a little bit about your new novel, Ask the Passengers.

Ask the Passengers is a book about love, gossip and Socrates. Astrid Jones doesn’t want to be put into a box and she doesn’t want her love defined by the townspeople who don’t understand it. So she sends it to the passengers in the airplanes flying overhead. I won’t tell you what Socrates has to do with it. You’ll have to read it to find that out.

In Ask the Passengers, Astrid struggles with her sexuality. What made you write from her perspective and what she was going through?

I don’t think she struggles with her sexuality as much as she struggles with the masses of people who want to define her sexuality for her. I think I wrote it from that perspective because I don’t believe anything can be pinned down and defined rigidly, so Astrid’s struggle is a parallel to how I feel about a lot of things, really.

Do you listen to music when writing? What music influences you?

I can’t usually listen to it while I’m writing a first draft or else I’ll stop and rock out and sing and stuff. But I do listen through revisions. And I will often play the same song/s over and over as I revise—everywhere. In the car, at my desk, while I make dinner. Usually each book has a certain set of songs. The Ask the Passengers soundtrack revolves around The Ting Tings album We Started Nothing. It also has a bunch of dance tracks on it from back in the early 90s when I lived in Dublin. Josh Wink’s/Size 9’s “I’m Ready” and a little bit of Tricky and Massive Attack and Jamiroquai. Here’s a link to that Size 9 track, which is insane and almost 10 minutes long. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp27vbHyzEk I listened to this a lot while revising. But I would have to stop to dance, which can take time from writing.

What scares you?

Wow. Great question. Everything and nothing scares me. But on an everyday level, car accidents scare me. People who text while driving. People who drive after they’ve been drinking or doing drugs. Those people scare me because they are being recklessly selfish—putting their need to read a text/get somewhere after they’ve had too much to drink, above the lives of innocent people who are just driving home to see their families, etc. Selfish people scare me. People who can’t open their minds to see a thing another way. People who know that they are right. Those people scare me. Really.

How has being published changed your life?

Well, I can’t overlook the fact that I have achieved a dream. And it took me a long long time. I started writing novels when I was 24. I was 39 when my first novel landed on a shelf. I wrote 8 novels over 15 years before that happened.

Big achievement, publishing is. I did not try. I did. ß Yoda.

But on a more day-to-day level, publishing has changed my life completely. I mean, completely. I have a career now. It’s a job that never ends, really. From writing the books to promoting them to touring to school and library visits to conferences and festivals, I’m pretty much living and breathing my dream every minute of the day. I am far busier than with any other job, even as a former self-sufficient person. I work all day every day.

Weird things about being a published author: People will say stuff like, “At least you don’t have to work.” Um. And they ask me about how much money I make. It’s weird. I’ve never asked anyone how much money they make, but people seem to think this is an appropriate question for authors. Or, on the flip side, people just assume I make a lot of money and then, when they see my old car they say things like, “You must do other things with your money.” Um. Yes. I feed my family and pay bills.

How do you know if a story is worth pursuing?

A story is worth pursuing if I wake up thinking about it and go to bed thinking about it and I rush through the project on deck so I can get to the new, exciting project. Usually, the character comes to me first and says something to me. A page. Maybe two. And that’s all it takes to make me wonder what is going to happen next.

What, in your opinion, is the hardest part of the writing process?

Hm. The writing process is hard in all areas. Sometimes parts of a first draft are like lighting myself on fire. Sometimes revision is the same—impossible. Sometimes copy editing is killer, but I haven’t experienced that in years. But we all have at least one bad copy editing story. I think for me, because I write by the seat of my pants, the most difficult part is when I hit the 30-40k word wall. I may write myself into a corner or may be scared of how the middle is flat and I have no idea where the story is going. That’s usually when I have to take a day or two to talk it out and cry a little in panic…then it all comes to me.

What makes you pick up a book and read the back?

I am a visual artist first. My degree is in visual art, so covers are a big deal to me. I also like a snazzy title. If it sounds smart and I’m already wondering what the title means, then I’m inclined to pick up a book. But since so many covers and titles are geared toward getting a book on that chain book store’s shelf and are seeming more and more alike these days, I often rely on the expertise of my local independent bookseller. It’s so easy. They know me and my taste. I say, “What should I read?” They hand me a book. I read the back. Done!

Why do you write for teens?

I write for human beings. My goal is to get adults and teens reading the same books…and all going well to talk about the subject matter within. That said, I love—LOVE—visiting high schools and libraries and talking with teenagers. I think teens are more prone to open mindedness and change. And they are so darn smart. I envy the fact that they are in that part of life where they are in the thick of education—learning. Most adults are not in that part of life and many have morphed into those scary people I mentioned before who think they might know a lot more than they really know. Also, I love writing about teens because of these same reasons. They are in that time of life where they are changing, making choices, growing and becoming themselves. I wish many adults realized that these same things are possible no matter what age we reach.

Do you think it was harder to get published, or harder to be published?

Publishing has its challenges, but I’ve been fairly lucky insofar as being able to keep writing and publishing separated in my brain. And coincidentally I think that’s because it took me so long to get published. After so many years and so many rejections, I stopped caring about getting published. I just loved writing. I still function that way. It’s a huge help. So, getting published was harder, I guess.

What can we expect from you next?

Reality Boy is coming in October 2013. It’s about an infamous former child reality TV “star” who is forced out his angry shell by a girl who actually likes him. (Something he never thought possible.)

Max Black will come in 2014 I think. I can’t tell you what that one is about yet. There’s a bat. (Wings, not baseballs.)

Do you think that you would ever write a series? Or a sequel to one of your books? (*cough* Vera at 27 *cough*)

J I don’t seem to be wired to write series. All going well though, I may have a companion book for my 2014 book, Max Black. As for Vera Dietz at 27, yes. One day. I am presently working on a new adult novel and if there is a viable way to publish adult novels, then that might be one of them. Don’t know.

Coke or Pepsi?

I don’t do caffeine and I don’t really like soda. Though I do an occasional ginger ale on airplanes.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Write a lot. Read a lot. Don’t give up and don’t settle for anything less than you dreamed of. Don’t do it to get published. It will show. Do it because you love writing—because you can’t go a day without pounding out a few [thousand] words. Do it because you have something to say, not because you want people to listen to you. Don’t aim for trends. Aim to write the books that you would want to read. And never hurry. Publishing is the slowest business ever. Don’t worry. You can’t miss that bus.

Thank you guys! I loved coming around. Best of luck on your awesome book blogging project. Book bloggers are one of the reasons I am able to feed my kids. Thank you!

And thank you, Amy! Keep being awesome and writing fantastic books! 

Amy's Bio: A.S. King is the author of the highly acclaimed ASK THE PASSENGERS, 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults, EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ. She is also the author of the ALA Best Books for Young Adults DUST OF 100 DOGS and the upcoming REALITY BOY. After a decade living self-sufficiently and teaching literacy to adults in Ireland, she now lives deep in the Pennsylvania woods with her husband and children. Find more at www.as-king.com.

Review- Looking for Alaska

 "Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same."

Jami's Review:

If you have never read a book by John Green, shame on you. Go get one. Immediately. If you have read one of his books, then you should know that Looking for Alaska lived up to all of my expectations. It was everything a John Green book should be. Effortlessly humorous, engaging, marvelously written, and heart-wrenching.

I dove into Looking for Alaska. Over the first couple of days, I read maybe ten pages at a time before setting it aside. Not because it wasn't good; it was so beyond good. I just wanted to take my time with it. When you get a taste of John Green, you want to savor it. But once I hit the page 50 mark, I couldn't stop. I spent a good three hours of my day just reading until I reached the last page. 

Let me tell you something about John Green. He is not afraid to make you laugh. He is not afraid to make you smile. And he is definitely not afraid to make you cry. But there's a lot more to Looking for Alaska than a story about a boy and a girl and their friends and how they all mesh in this labyrinth of life.  Looking for Alaska is a story about how you never really know a person as well as you think you do. It's about different people knowing small parts of a person, but even all of those small parts don't make up a whole. It's about life having mysteries that will never be solved, and it's about the love you can feel for someone you hardly know, for a piece of someone you hardly know. 

I don't really know much to say about this book. There's not much you can say without giving it all away. LfA was John Green's first book, though it is the second of his that I have read (Paper Towns was the first) and all I can say is that John Green makes me look at my life in a light that I have never looked at it before. He makes you want to go out and live, truly live, and not worry about things that really don't matter. Maybe we should all take a page from Miles Halter's book and search for our own Great Perhaps. 

Or we could all sit around and read more John Green. Yeah. That sounds like the better option to me, personally. For me, Looking for Alaska gets five beautifully glowing golden stars.

Bryson's Review:

This book was beautiful. I loved all the characters, especially Alaska. It was a story that seemed more real to me than most because *SPOLIER, DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED*

it wasn’t the perfect happy ending. It was real, raw. It had that sense of ‘not everything works out’. And I loved that. Not everything is going to have a perfect little happy ending with rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes there is love, and sometimes there is hate. Sometimes there is life, and sometimes there is death.
And that’s what I love about John Green and his writing. He isn’t afraid to be real.


*IT IS SAFE TO CONTINUE NOW FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK*
Alaska was the perfect bad-girl who wasn’t all that bad. She was broken, but she had that sort of aura about her that I couldn’t help being attracted too. She was funny, sad, and beautiful.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book was that it was told from Pudge’s perspective. I really love when YA fiction set from boy’s perspectives gets into the nitty gritty things that boys go through. It’s that rawness factor that is real, that we have to deal with, that we can’t escape.

This book has definitely made me a John Green fan. His writing was different and real. It was funny and sad. This book will make you laugh and cry. But it teaches you, too. About love, and about friendship, and that even though someone is bad doesn’t mean that they’re all bad inside.

If you like John Green and want something similar to him, I recommend anything by A.S King.

PS: Happy Holidays everyone from Jami and Bryson!

 

The Gifts Aren't Only from Santa this Year!

The Gifts Aren't Only From Santa crew are gearing up for two days of FREE and discounted for charity e-books!

Join us for the Facebook fun on the 14th!

That's right. December 14th and December 15th, treat yourself to a buffet of ebook joy by visiting Amazon and downloading FREE ebooks or heavily discounted ebooks where 100% of the proceeds go towards charity. How cool is that to be a giver and a receiver all at one time?!?!

On top of that, there's a fun Facebook event scheduled for December 14th with cool games and prizes to win. Go here for details.

Want to get a heads up on the great novels coming up for FREE or discounted? Go here to peruse the titles. Just make sure you don't drool on the keyboard. You'll need it for the December 14th Facebook fun.

"What if I don't have a kindle?" you ask. Well, that isn't a problem. Got a smartphone (android, blackberry, iPhone), computer (Mac or Windows-based), or a tablet (iPad or android tablet), then you can download a FREE kindle app and take advantage of these great titles being made available to you.

Don't forget to enter to win some great prizes in the rafflecopter as well. Yeah, we're just loving the giving spirit! Make sure to share this with everyone so no one misses out on the fun, prizes and free ebooks galore!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE WITCH'S CURSE COVER REVEAL!

Jami and I interrupt our regular reviews to bring an awesome first look at David James's new short story, which is the prequel to LIGHT OF THE MOON, THE WITCH'S CURSE!

But first, let us introduce Mr. James. David's first book, LIGHT OF THE MOON, came out in late October, 2012. Bryson and I took the time to ask Mr. James some questions. You can read his answers below, and at the bottom of the post, we are a part of the circle of blogs revealing the cover for his new tie-in novel, THE WITCH'S CURSE.

Interview with David James

  Tell us about your new novel Light of the Moon.
 

Light of the Moon is a story about a boy and a girl, of course, but is twisted with dark curses, dangerous magic, and impossible choices. The two main characters, Calum and Kate, go on an incredible journey to save their families and their hearts. They discover magical secrets about their true identities, and battle in a paranormal war to save the ones they love most. Light of the Moon, at its core, is a story about family. 

   
What inspired you to write Light of the Moon? 

I was inspired to write Light of the Moon after looking up at the stars so much. I would always wonder why things were the way they were, and the true vastness of the sky really peaked my curiosity and pulled at my heartstrings. I also really wanted to write a story that featured characters unlike other characters; strong where normally one wouldn’t find strength, emotionally brave, etc. I wrote Light of the Moon because I wanted to read a story like it.

Why did you decide to become an author? Did you always know this was something you wanted to do? 

Always. When I was little I wanted to be a Power Ranger or a ninja or a wizard or a dinosaur hunter. I always came up with stories. Always was lost in a book. As for my reasoning on being an author, I want to create stories that make people feel, move people. I wanted to become an author so, in time, I could use the platform for helping people. I wanted to share my thoughts with those willing to listen. Sometimes, though, I think writing choose me instead of the other way around.

 What sort of things would you like to see more of in the YA market?

Rule breaking. I think, as people, a lot of us are afraid to step out of the box sometimes. In YA I’d like to see more strong female characters that are strong just because they are who they are. I’d like to see more diversity in characters, more relationships based on equality. I’d like to see more male POVs written to be powerfully emotional instead of overtly proud. It’s odd to me that so much of the publishing world, both YA and not, is stunted sometimes by the general opinion that what sells should be safely grounded in what already exists. Also, I’d like to see less emphasis on the genre of things. There are so many categories within each genre now, they’re beginning to overlap and lose meaning. Sometimes, a book is written because it must, and sometimes it cannot be categorized.

     Do you have any ideas of what you are going to write once the Light of the Moon series is done?

Oh my! You guys go with the hard questions! In terms of the Legend of the Dreamer series, I have two novellas coming out within the series, and the sequel next fall. After that, I have a few ideas I’m playing around with. One is nearly done, and I think that will be my next project. No words on what it’s about, though. That’s still a secret. I will say that this next project is very different from Light of the Moon.

  Why did you choose self-publishing over traditional publishing?

When I started looking into the traditional publishing world I got many enthusiastic responses for Light of the Moon. None stuck the way I wanted them to, though, and that made me look into self-publishing. Honestly, depending how you go into it, there’s not much difference between self-publishing and traditional. There is the added pressure of marketing yourself, which is the one thing you get with a traditional publishing house, but in general the process is the same. Plus, with the success of authors like Keary Taylor or Shelly Crane, it’s a changing world.  My main goal was to maintain the quality of work one would get when buying a traditionally published book, and I’m so pleased with the people that made that possible.

 What do you do to beat writer’s block?

Music and movies! For whatever weird reason, I can’t write in silence. Ever. At this moment I’m watching MTV’s Teen Wolf. Also, I eat a lot of gummies and drink far too much coffee.

  How do you know when your story is the best it can be?

I don’t know if you ever can. For me, a finished story comes after about twelve drafts and countless hours of wondering what could be better. In the end, I think a story is at its best when you read it back and can still smile and the words you’ve written. 

   What book/author has had the biggest impact on your writing?

I’m a big fan of lyrical writing, and Maggie Stiefvater is one who, in my opinion, does this incredibly well. Stiefvater’s book Lament was the book that changed my view on writing. It showed me that words are just as important as story, and that presenting a reader with words that make them feel is key. Still, when I’m at a loss for words, I read her books again and marvel at her writing structure. She writes in circles, not lines. Her talent blows me away, and it has influenced me more than I can say.

  What scares you?

Time, I think. Not moving fast or slow enough. Not being able to do everything I want because of something I can’t control. The world is so vast, so completely incomplete that it scares me time may get the best of us before we can change the things that matter most. So, I try to live with my heart instead of my mind. Time is unforgiving, but we don’t have to be.

And now, without further ado, the cover reveal for David James' short story, THE WITCH'S CURSE, available December 18, 2012 on amazon.com in e-format. It is the prequel to his novel LIGHT OF THE MOON.

"Before Kate met Calum in Light of the Moon, Magda met Samuel. Magda cannot stop her heart from running rampant with the beating drum of love. Whenever her eyes find Samuel, she can feel the pull of strings so vividly alive against her heart. But for Magda, love goes against fate; her destiny as a witch forbids her to need anything but the dark binds of magic. Soon, the witch's curse begins to call to Magda. To deny her love for Samuel would be unthinkable, but to defy her destiny would be impossible. Before the curse can consume her, Magda must decide between Samuel and destiny, and her heart may beat too savagely for anyone to stop."

 

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Since the beginning of mankind, civilizations have fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs...and now us. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening: An ancient evil has been unleashed, and it's turning everyday people into hunters, killers, and crazies. This is the world Mason, Aries, Clementine, and Michael are living in--or rather, trying to survive. Each is fleeing unspeakable horror, from murderous chaos to brutal natural disasters, and each is traveling the same road in a world gone mad. Amid the throes of the apocalypse and clinging to love and meaning wherever it can be found, these four teens are on a journey into the heart of darkness--and to find each other and a place of safety 

Jami's Review:  

 

Dark Inside was a refreshing post-apocalyptic style story that held my attention from the first page. Each main character (Michael, Mason, Clementine, and Aries) had their own opening chapter. They each had their own tragedy/traumatic event that you learned about and saw through their eyes before they were forced to escape.. or die. Amazingly, each character has their own voice. The two boys have totally different personalities, motives, memories, ect that keep them separate from each other. Same goes for the girls. Only once toward the end of the novel could I not remember which event was Michael and which was Mason, and that’s pretty darn impressive.

As far as plot goes, there is plenty of action at the beginning of this book to propel you into the chapters where things start to slow down. No book can be all action, all the time, and I think Ms. Roberts did an excellent job pacing this so that there wasn’t a lot of dead time between action (no pun intended). She did a great job at keeping the flow between chapters, even while changing perspectives. And toward the end, where the four main characters started meeting up and enteracting with side characters, it was so easy to keep everyone separated. I do think a few members of Aries’ group could have been left out as they weren’t major characters, but maybe they will be more important as the series goes on.

As for feels, this book has plenty! Laughing, crying, screaming. There is a bit of everything going on inside your mind as you read through this novel. I felt so, so bad for one of the male characters on so many occasions. I wanted to cry for him and just hold him. And then a side character who seems super important but is also very elusive really caught my attention. I’m so intrigued to see what it is about these characters that makes them different from the people who have already died and the people who are doing all the killing. Is it a genetic thing? A thought process? I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of Rage Within soon to find out! In fact, I plan on buying it this weekend just so Dark Inside is still fresh in my mind when I read it.

This is definitely a 5 out of 5 stars book. If you like dystopian setting, engaging characters, complicated stories and lots of emotion, this is definitely a great pick for you. If you don’t like those things, then I don’t know what you look for in a book. Happy reading!

Bryson's Review:

Let me start off by saying that this is the first review I’ve written where I didn’t connect with the book as much as I had wanted to. It kills me to write this, because I want to love every book, but I know that I never will. This is, in NO WAY, me telling you to not read this book. This is simply how I felt.
           Dark Inside is a 329 page novel set in a time where an ancient evil emerges into the world, changing people and the world as we know it.
           I didn’t quite connect with the characters. I was really enjoying the book in the beginning; it wasn’t until I had met all the characters and then was going back to them in other chapters that I disconnected. I felt like they didn’t feel enough for some of the situations they were in. There was a lack of tenderness for some events that I felt should have been given.
          After I’d read the first chapters that introduced each individual character, I started to lose touch with them. I had forgotten what had happened to the character in the previous chapter, and it ended up being one big blur to me.
          I personally love the idea for the book, and I am not saying that Jeyn did a bad job. She didn’t. This just wasn’t the book for me, and I hate to say that. Don’t let my review discourage you. Just because this book wasn’t the book for me, doesn’t mean it can’t be the book for you

Giveaway and Author Interview

So Bryson and I were chatting the other day and we decided that we wanted Dual Perspectives to be more than just a review blog. We want to do some giveaways and interviews with authors and just share general advice/tips/knowledge about writing and publishing. 

So we started emailing every author we know (and some we don't know) and we came across the first author we'll be interviewing for the blog: Ms. Caitlin Elyse.  Caitlin is the author of the fantastic Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted, which she released earlier this year.
I won a signed copy, and I LOVED it.

Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted is a stunning debut novel! I actually drove to Caitlan's very first event and received my own signed copy of the book. I started reading it on the way home (thank goodness I took someone with me who could drive while I read!) and I ended up finishing the book just a couple of days later. It's a wonderfully complex story filled with action, romance, adventure, intrigue, sarcasm, and... well, you'll just have to check it out for yourself to see what else! 
 
 But that's enough of an introduction, I think. Read on to see her answers to our interview questions and then for information about our awesome first giveaway! 

Interview with Caitlin Elyse 
Author of Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted

Tell us a little about Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted.

Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted is the story about an immortal, Kitty, who isn’t supposed to exist.  Her parents’ marriage was unsanctioned, but in a rare instance of mercy, the High Council of Heaven allowed her to live, and therefore, she is indebted to them.  She had a traumatic childhood because of this, and as a result has a violent vendetta against vampires. During a Heavenly mission to the human world, she meets another immortal, Storm, whom she ultimately falls in love with. Then she suddenly finds herself caught in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell, with Hell’s warlord, Itzal, calling for her capture.

That’s the short version. 

What persuaded you to write this book?

It actually started out as a kind of therapy, back when I was just starting my freshman year of high school.  I had a rough time during my entire school career, and I wanted to imagine what it would be like if I was a kick-ass character who didn’t care what anyone thought about her.  But once I started writing, the story kind of took on a life of its own, and I started becoming more interested in Kitty’s story than in my own.  It’s been an eight year project, but I’ve loved every minute of it.

What can readers expect from the sequel, Heaven Prays, Hell Preys? 

I don’t know if I can honestly say. ;) It’s going to be very different from the first book. There are lots of plot twists that (I hope) will literally blindside my readers.  I’m hoping to flesh out individual characters a little bit, and you’re going to see how Kitty and Storm act when they’re not constantly together. You’ll get to see more of them individually, as opposed to being a couple.  You’re also going to see more in-depth the realms of Heaven and how they operate, instead of just the IIC facilities on earth.

Why did you choose self-publishing over traditional publishing?

Actually, it’s probably because of the review I received from HarperCollins when I made the Top Five on Inkpop last year.  They told me my story was too “complicated.”  I actually took offense to that, not for myself, but on behalf of my readers.  Most publishers, especially right now, are looking for the simple-love-triangle one-plot-no-depth storylines, and I’d like to think my readers are a little more intelligent than that.  I didn’t want to put out a novel that was just a flat storyline that went no further than the covers of the book, I wanted to create a whole WORLD.  And an entire world provokes more thought than just “wow, that was a great story.”  It begs questions like “I wonder how Heaven would react to this scenario” or “I wonder what it would be like to live under a government with these rules.”

How do you know if a story is worth pursuing?

Usually when I actually get excited writing it.  If I get bored halfway through, I know my readers will be bored too.  And usually if it’s a more original piece of work than what’s out there already.  I have a three-inch binder full of plot bunnies that are halfway finished.  If I can’t even finish a plot outline, usually it’s only good as a short story or a story that stays in my head.  But I keep them all just in case I revisit them one day and all of a sudden BAM! the rest of the plot suddenly comes to me.  That’s actually what happened with Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted.

What kinds of things do you like to read?

The same kind of stuff that I write.  Modern paranormal/fantasy type stuff.  But I’m also a HUGE history buff.  I love historical fiction, especially about the Tudor line in England.  Totally one of my favorite subjects.

What books inspire you?

I can’t say that certain books inspire me, actually.  I guess you could say some books have taught me what NOT to write.  

What author has influenced your writing the most?

Probably either Mercedes Lackey or Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.  Both of them either reinvented the wheel when it came to their stories or didn’t believe in “simple” storylines either (Mercedes reinvents fairytales, and Amelia created a whole new world, sorta like I did).

What is your favorite book?

Surprisingly enough, probably East of Eden by John Steinbeck, which is neither modern paranormal or historical fiction.  

Do you listen to music while writing? What music inspires you to write?

Always.  Two Steps from Hell is my usual writing music, but I’ve got some other stuff by Taylor Swift and a few other random artists thrown in there too.  “Goosebump” music inspires me (aka epic music ).  Actually, I have a song that corresponds to just about every scene in Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted, and Heaven Prays, Hell Preys.

What is a usual writing day like for you?

I don’t actually do writing days, I do writing nights.  It usually involves a lot of nicotine, caffeine, and the epic music I spoke of.  I find that I write best in the middle of the night, usually because it’s like I’m in a trance.  I wake up the next morning not really remembering much of what I wrote, and then it’s new and fresh to me as well as my readers.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten up the next day and read over what I wrote the night before and said “Holy crap I can’t believe I actually wrote that.  That’s awesome!” 

What inspired you to start writing in the first place?

My school years.  I was a dreamer in high school, and preferred my own world(s) to reality. 

What scares you?

Interesting question.  I would have to say probably the downfall of modern society as we know it.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Just because someone (specifically, publishers) tells you that your work isn’t good, or it’s not what they’re looking for, or, in my case, that it’s “too complicated” doesn’t mean that’s necessarily true.  My uncle gave me some good advice when I received my critique from HarperCollins, and it was this: “People who can, do. People who can’t, criticize.” My advice would be, like many other authors, don’t give up.  And don’t change yourself or your style of writing just because someone tells you it’s not “in style.”  Either keep looking elsewhere if you want to do traditional publishing, or just do it on your own.

What, in your opinion, is the hardest part of finishing a book?

Actually writing the ending.  I can’t tell you how many times I revised and edited the ending of Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted.  For me, it’s because it was “the end.”  It’s definitely an emotional thing, I think.  When you write, you become emotionally attached to your characters.  So writing an ending and saying ‘goodbye,’ even if there’s a sequel, can be incredibly difficult.  Some people would say revision is the hardest, I think that actually letting the book end is harder. 

What can we expect from you next, writing wise?

Heaven Prays, Hell Preys is coming out (hopefully) in the spring or early summer of 2013, and Between Heaven and Hell and Heavenly Hellion are probably going to be released in 2014 and 2015, respectively.  After The Immortal Wars series though, I’m not sure.  I have a prequel started, detailing the tragic lives of Kitty’s parents, but I also have another urban paranormal and a high fantasy plot in mind as well. You can find all of the plot summaries for those on my website, www.theimmortalwars.com, under “Future Projects,” as well as summaries for the rest of The Immortal Wars series.

  

And that's all we have from Ms. Caitlin Elyse! Check out her website and facebook page for more information on the Immortal Wars books. 

Now, the giveaway. There is a rafflecopter set up on our Giveaways tab at the top, right-hand side of the screen. For more chances to win a signed copy of Caitlin Elyse's Heaven Bound, Hell Hunted, make sure you do everything on the copter! 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS FOR US RESIDENTS ONLY. SORRY, INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWERS. WE HOPE TO DO SOME INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAYS SOON, BUT THIS FIRST ONE IS FOR US ONLY.