Widower's Aura: Interview with A.J. Renee

I always love getting a chance to pick an author's brain!  No, seriously, it's so very much fun.  Apparently, I have a knack for picking questions that really, really make them think!  I loved interviewing A.J. Renee, and her answers are fantastic.  Thank you for allowing me to participate in the blog tour for Widower's Aura!




1. What was your inspiration to start writing a novel?
I’d love to say I had this A-HA moment but I didn’t. One of my best friends died way too young. I couldn’t get over the fact that she never got her own real-life love story. Writing Widower’s Aura was my own grief therapy and giving her the love story she never got. Sofia, while fictional, was inspired in many ways by my friend.

2. Do you listen to any music or anything while you write?
I do! I created a playlist on YouTube that includes John Legend, Gavin DeGraw, Christina Aguilera and A Great Big World, Christina Perri, Sam Smith, Paramore, Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Lawrence, Anna Kendrick, and a few more. I need music I’m familiar with so I don’t spend more time listening to the lyrics than writing. I also listen to my 6, 4, and 2 year olds playing around.

3. What are some of your go to writing snacks, drinks, etc?
Tea! I love this Lipton Green Tea that’s Jasmin, Orange, and Passionfruit. I’m not big into snacks because I’d eat the whole pantry if I did but I do grab about two squares of Dove’s Dark Chocolate. My friend laughs at me because she says I’m weird for only eating 1-2. I guess most people would eat a handful? Oh well, I guess that makes me weird, nothing new there.

4. What is your favorite part about becoming a published author?
Seeing something I started two years ago grow from grief into a wonderful love story that I can honor my friend’s memory with.

5. How do you keep your tasks organized? Between family tasks and writing tasks?
I’m still trying to figure out this balance. My family has to come first but there are some days that I’m reminded I’m struggling to juggle it all. There really aren’t enough hours in the day.

6. Do you have a favorite character in your books? Least favorite character?
My favorite character is always the one I’m working on. They become living and breathing people to me, even if it’s only in my crazy head. Least favorite character, wow that one’s hard. I feel like I should say Slick but I can’t and I can if that makes any sense. I want to protect him after everything he went through as a child but as a mom I want to smack him upside the head and tell him to take responsibility over his actions. The fact that he blames others for the things that were clearly in his own hands makes me CRAZY.

7. What authors do you draw inspiration from?
My love of small town stories comes from Marie Force and Kathleen Brooks. My love of the suspense mixed in with the love story comes from Julie Garwood. R.L. Mathewson’s humorous characters inspire me to create characters who can be quirky or silly.

8. If you could meet one author for 24 hours, how would you spend it?
Oh goodness. Just one? This is a really hard question. I have so many authors I love. Kathleen Brooks. So I can drink some of her special tea from Keeneston. We could talk about her lovely batch of friends who exist in my life as real beings. It would also be pretty awesome to brainstorm what characters should fall in love next.

9. If your books were ever made into a movie, who would you want as the cast?
Another hard one, HA! For the record it took me about 2 hours to figure out this list.

Sofia: Olivia Munn
Noah: Josh Duhamel
Lexi: India Eisley
Jaxson: Nick Robinson
Lindsey: Emilia Clarke
Marc: Jay Hernandez
Jaime Lynn: Nikki Reed
Jesse: Boris Kodjoe
Sheriff Randy: Robert Forster
Annabelle: Megan Fox
Slick: Logan Lerman

10. What color best describes your mood throughout the day?
Something bright like red or orange. My life is pure chaos with little kids and trying to balance all the hats I wear.

Blog Tour Stop #1: Falling Immortality by Robert Downs - Interview

Welcome to a very special edition of Into the Confessional, Robert Downs author of Falling Immortality has stepped into the confessional as part of his blog tour, hosted by Making Connections on Goodreads.  Enjoy your time on this first stop of the Falling Immortality Blog Tour.   Without further adieu, here is the transcript of Robert's visit to the confessional.


1. What made you want to become a writer?

Like many authors, I’ve always been a voracious reader. And once I realized being a garbage
man probably wasn’t the right career path for me, I set my aspirations in an entirely different
direction. As I grew older, I dabbled in song lyrics, or what I refer to as really bad poetry, but
I was testing out the writing waters, without really even knowing what I was doing. And after
watching Finding Forrester, I decided to become a little more ambitious with my water dabbling
by deciding to tackle a novel. I had to wrestle it to the ground like a bull, and it popped back up
with horns at the ready, as I waved my white flag. But several manuscripts stuffed in file drawers
later, here we are, and I can honestly say that I love it as much now as I did then. I just hope I’m
a bit smarter about the whole process.

2. From who or what do you get your inspiration and was there one individual that got you
started in writing?

It wasn’t a specific individual that kick started the writing gene (see my answer to question 1).
As far as where I get my inspiration, the short answer is everywhere. If I don’t get at least one
or two ideas a month, then it’s probably been a bad month. Will I use all my ideas? Probably
not. But it’s nice to know I have a wealth of ideas, and I can always seem to manufacture more.
Now, I know ideas don’t just explode in my head, but it sometimes feels like they do. Anything
can trigger an idea from reading to observing to two random thoughts popping together like
firecrackers to movies to a conversational phrase that won’t go away.

3. Every writer has their own unique process and each process has its own quirks. What are
some of yours if any?

I don’t know if I have specific quirks, but you’re right I do have an approach to my writing
process. It probably wouldn’t work for everybody, but it works just fine for me. When I write,
I pound the keys with as much force as I can possibly muster, and I keep going until I run out
of steam, or life gets in the way. When I was younger, I’d write for what felt like an entire
weekend. Even though I don’t write quite that much now, I still try to devote as much time to
the writing process as I can. Since I have a day job, I write during the evenings when I’m not
previously indisposed, or as much as I can on the weekends. Oh, I should probably add that I
have the same desk (slightly modified) and chair, since I was in the fourth or fifth grade. I don’t
consider it a quirk, but my wife probably would. And, yes, one day I do plan to upgrade my desk.

4. Where did your inspiration for Casey Holden come from? Someone you know personally?

Not really. He’s a rather unique individual, so I can’t say he grew out of one specific person. I
hadn’t read many hard-boiled or noir novels, so I had no idea how much I loved the genre. But
I do. I really, really do. The closest I probably came to hard-boiled was Robert B. Parker, and I
devoured his novels like a tray of cupcakes. I wanted a strong, unique voice, so naturally I came
up with the strongest male voice I could possibly muster. He’s me without the moral compass,
filter, and way too much money and time on his hands. These are all problems I don’t currently
have to worry about, so I have a lot of fun exploring the world through his eyes. As my dad
would say, he’s my alter-ego.

5. Do you have anything special in the works? If so when can we expect it to hit shelves?

Oh, I like to think all of novels are special, because let’s face it, if you’re going to devote several
years to the process from conception to manuscript completion to final product to marketing,
you’d better have a damn good reason for doing it. But I can tell you my publisher and I are
working on editing the second Casey Holden mystery titled Graceful Immortality, so we’re just
a bit beyond step 2 of my timeline. As for when it will be available to readers, your guess is as
good mine, since many aspects of publishing remind me of a weather forecaster trying to predict
the next rainstorm. But I hope we can have it available for purchase in a year and a half or so, if
not sooner.

6. If you had the chance to spend one month anywhere in the world, what one place would you
choose?

Well, Hawaii comes to mind. It’s been on my places to visit list for a while now, and I’ve never
been before. Short of being on the West Coast, the flight time is about as short as it will ever be
for me, since I live in New Mexico. In a few years, though, I’m liable to give you an entirely
different answer.

7. If you could visit any fictional world for one day where would you go?

Again, I’ll give you the first answer that comes to mind Sherlock Holmes. Sure, he’s not the
first detective to have ever walked the Earth, but he’s certainly one of the most famous and most
beloved. I’d love to see 221b Baker Street and London through his eyes. I know it could only
help my own writing.

8. If you had to choose four fictional characters to have a meal with who would they be and what
one question would you ask of each of them?

Four characters that come to mind are Jack Reacher, Elvis Cole, Archie McNally, and Sherlock
Holmes. Honestly, I’d probably sit around with my mouth open, and it’d take me fifteen or
twenty minutes to summon enough courage to ask them a question. I’d probably ask them about
their detective skills, since all four of them have a different approach and they each bring unique
capabilities to the table.

9. What are the top three books on your to read list right now?

The top three in my pile of books to read. Sorry, I don’t mean to be a smartass, but every book
on my shelf and in my Kindle is important to me; otherwise, why would I spend the money,
or more importantly, take time away from other activities to read? Now, that’s not to say I
don’t love reading, because I do, so I can’t even fathom a world without books. When I read, I
completely immerse myself in every book.

When I look at reading, just as I do with writing, I focus on what book I want to read, or write,
right now. So the short answer to your question is The Corpse Wore Pasties, Moneyshot, and
Capital. If you ask me in a few weeks, I’ll have an entirely different answer for you, since I’ll
have three completely different books at the top of my pile to read right now.

10. What one question would you ask to any historical figure if you had the chance?

The first historical figure that pops into my head is Martin Luther King, Jr. Since he was such a
great leader, I’d probably ask him what I could do to become a better leader.

11. One final question and this is actually for Mister Casey Holden, what is your ideal date that
does not include sex.

Here’s what he would say: Whatever the girl wants to do. Because when he takes a woman out,
it’s not about him: it’s about her. It doesn’t matter if it’s the movies, dinner, a picnic lunch, a
day at the beach, flying to Paris, driving toward the Appalachian Mountains, or walking through
MacArthur Center Mall, dating is about showing an interest in her and making her feel special.
So he would do whatever it takes to knock her out of her high heels, even if it’s just for a
moment. Because if he’s successful, he knows she’ll come back for more.

Website: Robert Downs
Facebook Page: Robert Downs Books

Into the Confessional: Voluspa Author: Ray

This is an interview with the Author of the YA Novel Voluspa.  Review is soon to come.  Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! 

1. How old were you when you got hooked on reading and what book started it all?  

I used to pester my parents to read to me all the time before I learnt how to read. After that as far as I can remember, when I was six or seven I could finally read on my own and I have been hooked ever since. I think some of the first books I read were by Enid Blyton.

2. How did you know you wanted to be a writer and who do you draw the most support from? 

I have always wanted to write. All through childhood and teenage years, I wrote for neighborhood periodicals, journals and so on. It’s only recently due to my husband’s urging, I decided to write a novel.

3. Each writer has their own process when writing, and each process has its own little quirks.  That said, what are some of your little quirks? 

Even though I use my laptop to write the book, I create flash cards to aid in my writing. For instance, I make up cards listing pertinent information about a particular character or some place in book.

4. Have you always enjoyed or favored fantasy over other genres in both reading and writing? 

I personally think imaginative literature has immense scope and it can entertain all age groups so yes, I have always had a penchant for the fantasy genre.

5. What can we expect in the next part of the Voluspa story? I do hope it includes lots more Amy and Drake (not that I'm biased or anything!). 

Absolutely; the next book picks up from where the first one ended. Amy and Drake’s journey continues.

6. If you could spend a full twenty four hours (midnight to midnight) in any city in the world where would you go and what would you do? 

It’s a cliché but I would definitely choose Paris. I would spend hours in the Louvre and the rest, walking along the streets of Paris.

7. If you were to be buried (entombed) like an Egyptian Pharohwhat would you want to fill your tomb? 

Books, books and more books and perhaps my laptop.

8. If you were a citizen of Voluspa, what clan would you belong to? If Morphous, what would be your animal form?  

I think I would love to belong to the Empath clan. Being able to connect to another person  using just my mind sounds fascinating.

9. If you could have two hours with any fictional character what would you ask them? 

It would be Peter Pan. I would ask him to take me to Neverland; ask his fairy friend to sprinkle some magic dust on me so I could go flying with him. Eschew all practicality and just loose myself in one rip roaring adventure after another.

10. In the great debate about e-readers and physical books: are you a lover of e-book portability, physical book feel/smell or both? 

I have grudgingly accepted the whole e – book trend but I love holding an actual book. The smell of old bound leather or crisp new pages is incomparable.

Into the Confessional: Natasha McNeely

Today's trip into the Confessional we have author Natasha McNeely, who is an epic author and a friend of mine! I adore her and was so glad that she sat down to answer some questions for me and take a trip inside the Confessional here at CoaB :)  Also, look out for her guest post coming soon, along with a give away of her book.

1.       You’ve lived in the Netherlands and Germany, have these places had an influence on your writing?
They have had an influence on my writing, but not directly. Living in different countries spurred my love for culture and languages, so I’ve focused on studying both of those more, in and outside of my education. Because of that, culture and different languages often find their way into my writing, so my cast of characters is often diverse and from all over the world.

2.       Making the jump from the USA to the Netherlands at such an early age, what sort of impact did this have on your life? Was it more like an adventure since you were only seven?
To be fair, I don’t remember much about what I thought about it at the time. I do remember that when we moved to the Netherlands, I knew only two words in Dutch. No and grandma; nee and oma, respectively.
Once we were there, I immediately started at a Dutch school without any help of extra courses to improve my language skills. Six months later, I spoke it fluently and aced more Dutch tests than my Dutch classmates! In that respect, moving at such a young age was less of an adventure and more a way to learn things I never would before.

3.       Your first self-published book, A Glimpse of the Dark, is a collection of short stories. Why did you choose to go with this collection as a first publication piece?
I felt that it would be a good way for readers to see a broader variety of the stories I write in a compact and easy-to-read form. I could have started with a full-length novel, but as I am also working on being published traditionally, I want to save any major novels for that.
“Worst” case scenario, they’ll be joining my self-published collection.

4.       From your blog, I see that you have two works currently in progress, can you give us a glimpse into how you get your writing done?
I tend to focus on one project at a time, even if my blog states multiple projects. The Forbidden Series is a series that consists of four novels. The first is finished. Werewolf’s Lair is the first book in The Hunted Trilogy and is currently underway. It is my main project and, once the first book is completed, depending on where my inspiration takes me, I will work on book two of one of the two series.
More on that when I finish Werewolf’s Lair; its deadline is set for August 31^st.

5.       Do you have any quirks that somehow find their way into your writing?
Oddly enough, I’ve never considered this question before. Quirks. I tend to run my hand through my hair, or tuck strands of hair behind my ears a lot. Now that I think about it, I’ve been struggling to limit the amount of my characters who do that. It’s a habit of sorts for me. Having long hair just calls for it to happen, especially since I always wear my hair down.
That aside, I have a habit of making my main characters fond of books. I should change that, even if it is a habit that everyone should have.

6.       What are some sources you draw inspiration from for your writing?
Inspiration comes from everywhere. Books, music, television shows, movies – even things as simple as snippets of conversations that I catch when I’m walking down the street, or getting groceries.
Music is wonderful as inspiration. The melody and the lyrics paint a picture and we all know that a picture’s worth a thousand words. Video game soundtracks in particular are my favorite songs to listen to while writing. No lyrics. Just the music to guide me through whatever scene I’m writing.
Books talk for themselves. Not only are they a great source of inspiration, but reading also shows writers different ways to write – different perspectives, tenses, and so many other things. The more you read, the more you can write.

7.       Now, for a fun question, if you could meet one historical figure who would it be and what one question would you ask them?
My choice is a bit peculiar, but I would choose to use my question for Amenhotep IV, also known as Akhenaten, former pharaoh of Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty.
Ancient Egyptian mythology is easily my favorite mythology that I have studied so far, with so many gods and goddesses, each representing a different aspect of nature and of life. I would ask him: Why did you, in vain, turn Egypt’s religion into monotheism?

I love the old Egyptian religion with all its gods and all its myths. He changed it so there was only one god: Aten. When the pharaoh died, Tutankhaten, his son, changed his name to one we are all more familiar with: Tutankhamun.
This was an act of defiance against the monotheistic religion, rejecting the god Aten and instead restoring power to the old god, Amun, and all other gods. He returned the polytheistic religion to Egypt.

In the end, I want to know what Akhenaten’s thoughts were and what the reasoning behind his decision was.

The Confessional: Michael Cargill

On this week's trip into the Confessional, we have Michael Cargill, who if you've read his blog you know that it is riddled with sarcasm and rather unique information.  His books are fantastic, epically so and I love all of them that I've read so far.  My first introduction to this author was Shades of Grey, which I highly recommend.  

From your blog, I see that you recommend anyone unsure of which of your books to start with you recommend Shelter from Thunder why is that? What about this book makes it such a good starting point for your books?

Shelter from Thunder was actually my very first story.  I recommend it as a starting point because it is short, sweet and, best of all, totally free; perfect reading for very busy people on a strict budget.  Or cheapskates with short attention spans.  Or novice translators looking for something to add to their portfolio.  Or that smart gremlin from the film Gremlins 2.

I have had good feedback from everyone who has read it so, what the heck, I thought it was a good way to get people hooked on my stuff.

Sarcasm seems to be a language you are fluent in, and I adore that! Your blog constantly has me getting odd looks from various people.  Where do you get your inspiration for the sarcasm heavy posts?

God knows.  Sometimes the initial idea appears out of the blue after seeing or reading something.  I got the idea for one character after seeing a copy of Horse and Hound Magazine in the supermarket.  Although it's about posh idiots who are into fox hunting, the actual title of that magazine is absurd; the mixing of two completely different animals like that seems like a parody itself.  Other times I look around the room wondering what a particular object, like a lightbulb, would say or do if it could speak.

See, you are now all looking at me as if I am mad which isn't fair.  When Moses spoke about this sort of thing 2000 years ago they followed him all the way across the desert.

Do you currently have any works in progress? If so when can we expect to see them available for purchase?

 I do, yes!  All my previous work has been short stories or anthologies and this is my first novel.  It's actually finished and in the hands of some very kind people who agreed to proof-read it for me.  I had my first response back from one of them this morning and he really liked it which was a huge relief.  My ego is fragile you see, if the first person to reply said they hated it I would probably sit there and cry.

It is called 'Underneath', it is a thriller/suspense thingy and I am hoping that it will be available in the next couple of weeks or so.

In the world of publishing, not all feedback is positive.  How do you handle a negative review? Do you inquire as to why the review was negative? Do you attempt to try and win those that write negative reviews over? Or do you simply let it be?

It's kind of weird actually.  Quite often, no matter how polite or constructive the reviewer is about it, any kind of 'negative' point raised causes me to have a kind of mini-tantrum in my head.  I fully admit that this is childish and irrational, but it doesn't last long.  I have a cup of a tea, simmer down and then re-read it with a calmer head.  I have had some helpful constructive criticism from people and I am grateful for it, despite my initial mini-tantrum.

HOWEVER.  I wouldn't ever try to argue a negative point with a reviewer.  In a way, a reviewer might take their reviews as personally as I take my work.  Also, if I wrote a review of a film or something and the director got all stroppy about it then I would just laugh at them.  If they posted angry comments on my blog I would just edit whatever they wrote to say something stupid about bumblebees and lettuce.

Some bad reviews I have to laugh at though.  One of my books, Diary of a Dork, has got lots of one-star reviews from people on the Barnes and Noble site who specifically state that they haven't read it.  The 'reviews' are so badly written that I wonder if they were penned by the smart gremlin from Gremlins 2.

What is your writing process like when you are working on a story for publication? Any quirks that manifest themselves while you are working?

As much as I hate to disappoint people, my writing process is staggeringly dull.  I just sit there in my pants and type a load of nonsense out whilst working my merry way through a load of chewing gum.  There are no exotic rituals where I surround myself in candles made out of the Pope's ear wax or ask a naked Frenchman to read me some poetry.

MICHAEL'S BOOKS

My Reviews of Michael's Books

Review: Shades of Grey by Michael Cargill

Into the Confessional with David Estes

Well everyone, it is the day you've all been waiting for! Time to open the Confessional for its first use! Anyone else think that sounded as dirty as I did? Well, our first entrant into the Confessional is author David Estes.  Thank you David for coming to sit with us in the confessional and share a little bit of yourself and your books with us today! 

1.) What made you want to become a writer and from what authors do you draw inspiration from?

 In the back of my mind, I always had this crazy notion that someday I would write books for a living, but I always found some excuse not to write.  I moved to Sydney two and a half years ago for work and met my wife, who helped convince me to start writing in late 2010.  Now she can’t get me to stop!

 

So I’m pretty much obsessed with writing now and recently began doing it full time.  I published my first three books in October 2011 as a trilogy (The Evolution Trilogy: Angel Evolution, Demon Evolution, and Archangel Evolution).  I have loads of other projects at the moment too, which I’ll tell you all about later.

 

Once I started writing, I think I knew pretty much right away that it was what I wanted to do with my life.  It’s just who I am!  When I’m in the throes of a writing session (I mean like living, breathing, feeling the characters, the plot, the drama), it’s the most amazing feeling in the world for me. 

 

My inspiration comes from all different places.  From the authors I look up to like Suzanne Collins, JK Rowling, and Veronica Roth, to music, to the little things you see in life as you’re walking down the street: inspiration is abundant in this world, so you always have to be ready to grab it and embrace it.

 

2.) Of all the genres out there why did you choose to gear your writing to children and young adults?

 

Ahh, so many things.  I guess first and foremost it’s the chance to write for a young audience.  I loved loved loved reading growing up, as both a child and teenager, so it is so exciting to help young adults and kids use their imaginations while developing a love for reading.  I am also so excited about what is happening within the YA and children’s genres.  The interest in it has expanded across generations and so many not-so-young adults are reading YA books these days that there are really no age restrictions anymore (I know I regularly explore the YA an children’s sections in the library!)

 

Although I am in the gender minority for authors in the genre, I feel right at home in the space.  I am a bit of a romantic, and I prefer writing about younger characters, so it’s a perfect fit for me!

 

Finally, I’ve never really grown up myself, always enjoying reading books across all genres and age groups, so it was just natural that I should write in such a versatile genre. 

 

3.) Being a writer with OCD, give us a glimpse into your writing process, how do you work through a creation?

 

*Laughing out loud* I guess I don’t hide my OCD too well!  It’s strange really, in that my OCD manifests itself in some ways but not in others.  In terms of my writing process, I don’t think my OCD has much of an impact as my process is relatively unstructured.  I don’t really use an outline and tend to rely more on a set of general ideas in my head.  In other words, I just sit down and start writing, letting my creativity run wild, so to speak.  As the artistic juices start flowing, I tend to come up with more and more ideas, which I type below my writing as bullet points which I later organize and slot in to the appropriate sections of the book. 

 

However, where my OCD does come into play, is in the amount that I write.  When I am working on a project, I am obsessed with finishing it.  I track my progress based on a planned number of words and make sure I’m writing at least 2,000 words a day. Generally by the halfway point, I start pushing my words per day up to 3,000, and in the last few days I’m hitting 4 or 5 thousand words per day.  If I only hit 1,000 words in a day, or can’t write at all, I get really stressed because of my OCD!!  So it’s a blessing and a curse I guess.  It helps me to write quickly and finish a lot of projects, but it also stresses me out a bit when I’m not making as much progress on a book as I think I should be.

 

4.) Aside from quirks that come along with your OCD what other little quirks do you have that influence your writing a novel or reading one for that matter?

 

Ahh, I know why Martha’s asking me this.  She and I know each other quite well from Goodreads, so she knows I can be nuttier than Snickers bar.  Well, let’s see, where do I start?  I guess the first thing is that my characters talk to me…literally.  Like I can’t get them out of my head.  Day, night, and everywhere in between they are talking to me, which is why I am constantly on my iPhone, jotting down what they’re saying. 

 

Another weird thing is that I’m somehow able to stop and start writing in an instant.  My wife, Adele, is amazed by this.  I can go from having a conversation with her, to opening up my laptop, taking 30 seconds to read the last couple of sentences from my last writing session, and writing five hundred words without taking a breather or even thinking about it (about twenty minutes of solid writing).  I don’t know where it comes from, but that’s what has allowed me to write 9 books in 18 months. 

 

The same principle applies with my reading.  I’m obsessive and able to pick up a book and read only a paragraph at a time. Adele calls me ‘Brick’, after the child character from the TV show The Middle.  In the show, Brick is constantly reading no matter where he is.  That’s me.  We’ll be watching TV and then a commercial will come on and Adele will run back into the kitchen to get a drink, and when she comes back, I will have my book out, trying to sneak in a page before the show comes back on!

 

5.) With your Evolution trilogy, why did you chose a non-religious take on the angels and demons? Why evolution?

 

Mostly because I always just have to be different! I’d read a few angels series and enjoyed them, but they all seemed to be similar in that the plot involved fallen angels and some level of religious focus.  I just wanted to try something new and thought it would be cool to create completely brand new angels and demons, who were simply humans in a highly evolved state.  I’ve received so much positive feedback on the concept that I know I made the right decision—I think the concept is completely unique to Angel Evolution, which I’m quite proud of.

 

6.) What projects are you currently working on?

 

My current project is a YA dystopian series written from the perspective of two characters in alternating chapters.  Without giving two much away, the two characters (one male and one female) come from very different walks of life, but are thrust together unexpectedly.  As their lives intertwine, they must seek to bring balance to a world that is out of control.   I’ve finished the first book, called The Moon Dwellers, which I will release on June 30^th of this year! 

 

I have also recently finished a YA novel about a boy with a very unique disability and one hell of a sense of humor who meets loads of interesting teenagers on a suspenseful yet funny adventure to uncover the truth about the father he never knew.  This book is scheduled for release on July 31^st of this year.

 

I have also completed the first four books in a children's series aimed at kids between the ages of 7 and 10.  It's a classic superhero story about a girl who meets a strange animal who leads her to a treasure chest in the middle of the forest.  The chest contains a gift that allows the girl to perform miraculous feats.  I have another two books planned for the series, which I will be working to complete in 2012, although the first four books in the series will be published on August 31^st 2012.

 

My remaining projects range from a variety of children's novels from the fantastical to the downright silly, to my next venture into YA fantasy, and to the creation of an adult suspense/mystery series with a strong and interesting male character.  I have written the first page of more books than I can count without taking off my shoes!

 

7.) Recently you announced that you’d be spending time travelling with your wife, Adele, what are some of the places that you want to see in the two years you will be traveling?

 

We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to travel for the next two years while I write fulltime.  We’ll be on a very tight budget, so we’ll be sticking to countries and places where we’ll be able to lock in relatively cheap accommodation. 

 

We haven’t planned it all out yet as we want to stay flexible, but here is a rough itinerary:

 

Hawaii- two months to see our close friends and relax!

Nashville- one week to get our country music fix

Pittsburgh- 1 month to see my parents, brother, and sister, go Steelers!

Florida- 1 month to see Adele’s cousin and nieces

Caribbean and Mexico- 4-5 months just because we want to!

Morocco, the Mediterranean, and Asia- 12 months.  We haven’t made detailed plans this far ahead yet!

 

So all in all it will be the experience of a lifetime and promises to provide me with plenty of inspiration for my next books!

 

8.) When can we expect new material from you publishing wise?

 

For the rest of 2012, I will publish at least one book per month.  I know it sounds like a crazy amount of new material, but my backlist of unpublished works currently sits at 6 books, so it shouldn’t be a problem!  The first of the parade of new books, my YA dystopian The Moon Dwellers, will be published on June 30^th 2012!!  I can’t wait to see what my readers and fans think!!

 

9.) If you could ask one of the characters in your head any question, what would it be?

 

I’ve actually been thinking about this for a while.  I’d ask Adele, the main character in my new book, The Moon Dwellers, whether she ever gets scared.  Because honestly I don’t know.  She seems so tough throughout the book but I just think there’s another layer to her that will come out eventually.  But until I write it, I’m not sure. 

 

Thank you so much Martha for the awesome interview questions and for including me as the first author in your new interview series!!  I’d love to hear comments and feedback from everyone via one of my social networking sites below.  Happy reading!

 

My blog/website: http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com

My Facebook page/s: http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Estes/130852990343920

My Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/davidestesbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/davidestesbooks

 

Where you can buy my books:

Amazon in print or Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/David-Estes/e/B007R75PEU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Smashwords in ebook:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/davidestes100

Nook Books:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angel-evolution-david-estes/1106958983?ean=2940032810933