Author Interviews – Z. Elizabeth

Anna Bloom, Author Interviews, Interviews

AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Anna Bloom

Posted on August 8, 2013October 6, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Today I have a very truthful interview with the lovely Anna Bloom!

If you have yet to know of her and her awesome book (Which i am currently reading. Sorry guys, Ben is mine and has been for a few months now ;)) then maybe this will get you interested and click that button on 25th September 😉

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Synopsis

One year. One woman. One Diary. One question: can you ever stop history from repeating itself and if you could what would you do to stop it?
When Lilah McCannon realises at the age of twenty-five that history is going to repeat itself and she is going to become her mother—bored, drunk and wearing a twinset—there is only one thing to do: take drastic action.
Turning her back on her old life, Lilah’s plan is to enrol at university, get a degree and prove she is a grown-up.
As plans go, it is a good one. There are rules to follow: no alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys and no going home. But when Lilah meets the lead singer of a local band and finds herself unexpectedly falling in love, she realises her rules are not going to be the only things hard to keep.
With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges: will she ever make it up the Library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? And most importantly, can she become the grown-up that she desperately wants to be.
With her head and her heart pulling her in different directions can Lilah learn the hardest lesson that her first year of university has to teach her: The Art of Letting Go?

1) Firstly, where did the inspiration for The Art of Letting Go come from?
So this is the honest answer…When I was at Uni I wrote a diary…no I promise you I am not taking the p*ss, I actually did. A long long time after I graduated I found the diary and gave it a quick re-read. I was shocked and horrified by just what a pile of drivel I had written. So I threw it away. Another few years passed and I started thinking about the diary again, I guess I no longer felt so sensitive about the stuff that was in there. I kind of regretted throwing it away and I felt bad that I had thrown away a bit of my past just because I felt it in that moment. The more I thought about it the more the idea grew that it would be so much fun to just re-write my Uni diary and make it much more exciting than anything that actually happened to me! Much much more exciting…. No one would want to read a book about my antics at Uni but hopefully everyone will want to read about my characters.

2) How long did it take you to write it?
Well the overall writing with all the different versions took about two years, but when I first started writing I was not doing it seriously, I was just messing around. In fact I wrote a large percentage of the first version in long hand.

When I eventually started in earnest it was quite quick. My epithany for this version actually happened on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend I then wrote like a crazy person for two-three months solid and had pretty much finished the version I was going to keep by August when I handed it over to me editor. I am very spontaneous – if I hear it in my head then I just have to keep going until it is all down and I won’t stop until it is complete!

3) From your guest post, you said there were many things that changed, how did you know that this was the final version?
This was just the version that I knew worked. It was everything that I wanted, funny, sarcastic, romantic and a little on the edge. I did not want to just write a straight forward romance I wanted to push the reader a little, I wanted to challenge them into liking my characters. There is one bit that my editor, was like, no seriously there are going to be a lot of women that complain about that, but I held firm. A book should challenge you. It should be fun and enjoyable but the reader should want to invest in you and your characters and I really hope I have achieved that. I want everyone to believe in the world I have created and I knew I had the version I wanted to keep when I knew I believed in it – I was no longer trying to hit a word count the words were just flying from my fingers.

4) You’re book is unique, you use diary entries to mark the days/time of the events, what made you choose to do it this way?
I’ve touched on this above but I only really started the Diary idea after my Jubilee weekend epiphany. It just suddenly made sense – there I was trying to write a book based on this idea of an old diary of mine (remember not my actual diary) but I was not writing it as a Journal. The moment I started breaking it all up and looking at the academic year as a diary it all started to flow pretty fast. I love the fact that on some days Lilah has nothing at all to say but on another she has the one of the best days of her life. That’s what real life is actually like – it is not all drama every day! Well not for most people.

5) Is Lilah based on you or traits of you? Come on, no lying now 😉
Um…this is a tricky one. Truth be known Lilah does have a few of my traits, mainly a deep love of wine. But I don’t rely on Vodka to see my way through emotional trauma and I can cook!

I think most people want to know if this book is based on what happened to me at Uni but sadly it’s not. However, I do take note of pretty much everything that goes on around me and I am known to slide the odd thing in.

The fountain pen gaff in the opening pages is something that I once said to someone (thirteen years later it’s still one of the more embarrassing things I have said) and I did have a friend at Uni who puked on a pub carpet after a trip to the Imperial War Museum. In the second book there are a few of the crazier things that my sister and I have done over the years but I will reveal them when the time is right!

6) Ben is unique in the way he looks, black hair, blue eyes and freckles. Did you imagine anyone to look like him when you were writing him? It had taken us forever to find him.
The reason we can’t find a suitable picture of Ben, although I am rather pleased with the one we have found this week! Is basically because he only exists in my head. There is no Ben Chambers and he is not based look wise on anyone. The only thing I was determined to have were the cornflower blue eyes, that was very important to me but the rest just grew as I wrote him. I think that’s why his eyes are the first bit that Lilah see’s because that is the first bit I saw as well. I think his mannerisms are a culmination of many influences… but I can admit that I do love a man who can play guitar.

7) Taylor Swift songs are a big part of the book. What was it about her songs that made Lilah think about which ones she followed that day/week?
I listened to A LOT of Taylor Swift when writing this book, and I truly love her writing. She can get down in a three minute song what it takes me a 100k word book to say.

I added the songs on my first read through. So I listened to it a lot when writing but not any song in particular but then when I went back through from the beginning every time I had a little giggle or something obvious jumped out at me I added it in. I used to sit there and think – what would Taylor sing about that?

There is one Taylor Swift song that started off my whole writing process and I do mention it in the book but it is not one of the songs she is living her life too. I will tell you the day the book comes out and it goes back to my first answer regarding the diary….haha cryptic!

8) are Taylor’s songs a guilty pleasure on karaoke? 😉
I am far too old for Karaoke and I think the last thing I sang at Karaoke was an Abba song (I say no more) but I do have a feeling that one day…and maybe you will be there to sing it with me I will belt out All Too Well at the top of my lungs. I love that song and it is the sort of song that needs to be shouted…but I will need to be hideously drunk to do it!

9) how many bottles of wine did you get through when writing The Art Of Letting Go?
Too many too remember!! In fact I hate to think….

10) what is your fav wine?
Depends what mood I am in. Either a perfect crisp Pinot Grigio, or a deep heavy Shiraz guaranteed to give you a cracking headache.

11)if I were to come visit you, what would the night consist of? This is a plan!
Well we would have to go to Putney…obviously… We would start at the top of the high street at the Wetherspoons with all the old men (cheap booze) and then work our way down the high street until hopefully ending up at the Half Moon where if our luck is in there will be a hottie singing live music. Or we could go to The Fez…but I am probably too old to get in these days!

12)do you have more books in the line up? Like the second and third years? Spin-offs? Wink wink.
Yes, Year Two – The Art of keeping Faith is in editing right now. It is a bit of a shocker and even I cannot believe that I have taken the characters to those places, but it does have a good ending and that is all I am going to say!

Year Three – The Art of Growing Up is going to be my hardest one to write which is why I am putting it off for a moment until it is completely right in my head. The story line is going to go full circle but I already know how it is going to end, and believe me I cannot wait to write that scene.

Ben has his novella which I just love. There is this one line that makes me give a little squeal every time I read it. I love Ben maybe a little too much at times.

Alongside Year Two I am going to have another Novella based on a character called Zoe….a publishing assistant who helps Lilah out of a trick situation – twice (ha! You only know about the once). She is going to be around for the rest of the series and you never know may get a full novel of her own at some point when I have finished at Uni. Maybe a publishing house will be my next port of call! Actually I am going to finish a novel based in Cornwall first with a hot artist called Jude in it first but then maybe after that will head back to the big smoke and visit a publishing house.

13)You are an avid reader of my blog, and you always send me cute emails that make my day. I have to ask, what is it about my blog that keeps you reading?
I love your infectious love of books and your enthusiasm for supporting everyone. I like the fact that I think I can now read in between the lines of your reviews and know when you like a book and when you really love a book…I probably can’t but I like to think I can.

And I like the fact there is always an element of fun to the posts. It is not just a blog where you review books because that is what you say you are going to do. It is a blog you run because you love reading and you also love the art of writing and respect it.

14) if you were to pick one guy, other than your husband (don’t tell him I asked you this) to marry, who would it be?
Brandon Flowers. No hesitation whatsoever at all.

15) finally what scene are you most looking forward to people reading?
Oh that’s quite a tricky one. I think I like all the quiet moments between Lilah and Ben the best. I love it when they have conversations in the middle of the night. But if I had to narrow it down to one scene it would be Trafalgar Square or maybe the Leaver’s Ball. Or maybe Trafalgar Square, or maybe The Leavers Ball or maybe…

Follow Anna on Twitter @annabloombooks
Her Website: http://annabloomwrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaBloomBooks

Author Interviews, L.M Augustine, Promotional Events, YA

AUTHOR INTERVIEW with L.M Augustine (+GIVEAWAY)

Posted on July 9, 2013July 9, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

So L.M Augustine week kicks off with an interview from the awesome guy himself!

Kicking off the week, we’ll get to know L.M and Click To Subscribe before we do anything else hey 😉

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Synopsis

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I ❤ Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she’d have on.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him

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L.M’s interview

1. What was the first book you can remember reading?

This definitely isn’t the first book I ever read, but I remember reading Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke pretty young when it first came out.

2. How did you come up with the idea of Click to Subscribe?

Click was inspired after I watched one of John Green’s vlogs where he mentioned that two of his fans met online and hit it off so much that they were organizing a real life meetup. At the time, I thought that was so interesting. I mean, falling in love through social media? I didn’t even realize that happened.

Over time, the idea started to develop, and I kept thinking how plausible that could be. I wondered what those two people would have to be like to fall in love over the internet, wondered what happened to them and how all of it came to be. I’m not sure how the rest came about, but the next thing I knew it was midnight and I was scribbling away the first chapter of what would eventually become Click To Subscribe.

3. How long did it take you to write the book?

Only a month, actually. The book really flowed out of me.

4. The banter between Cat and West is amazing. How did you come up with it?

I really have no idea. Cat and West took over my brain from the start. It was more like they were actually speaking, rather than me “coming up with dialogue,” as weird as it sounds. Their characters just meshed so well that they did the rest of the work! I only sat back and watched. 🙂

5. Cat and West loveeee ice cream. Did you have a massive tub next to you when you were writing?

I didn’t! But that would’ve been a brilliant idea… because it’s for, um, research. Yeah. Research. (How did I not think of it at the time?!)

6. And what is your favourite flavour?

Black raspberry chip. I know, I know, I’m weird.

7. West used his videoing as a way to keep his mother in his life, as she was the only one who knew about it. Why did he not want to tell Cat about it? Was it just because it wanted it to be his and his mother’s thing?

I think for West, he just wanted his own thing. I mean, he has always has Cat and he has always loved her in a friend kind of way, but with his mom, he needed something that was just for the two of them–and that was vlogging. He liked having this own part of his life that he could escape to whenever he wanted, because real life kind of sucks sometimes. I don’t think he shared because he liked having his own thing with his mom, and he didn’t want anyone, best friend or not, intruding on that space.

8. Cat was an amazing character, never giving up on her feelings for West and trying to make him see what was in front of him. What made you write Cat this way? Most YA girls aren’t so strong and confident as she was with her feelings and telling West.

Honestly, I wrote her strong because I was tired of the weak YA heroine trope. Anyone who reads the book can see that Cat is the stronger character–she knows what she wants while West is so conflicted–and I think that’s more realistic. Females are just as often strong characters in real life as males, and plus, it only felt right for Cat and West’s relationship that Cat is the strong one. West is dealing with his mom’s death and she is his support system through and through.

9. Your next book is called Two Roads and is N.A. How big a jump was it from YA to NA, if there was any jump?

For me, the issue wasn’t so much a jump between genres as it is a jump between characters. NA and YA are much different and I definitely had to change some of my storytelling and book themes for NA, but that part wasn’t very difficult for me. The part that gave me trouble is distinguishing Logan and Cali from Cat and West. They’re very different couples with very different problems, and I sometimes found myself turning Logan and Cali’s banter into something Cat and West would say, which I couldn’t have. Separating them on a relationship level was the definite challenge.

10. Have you thought about who would play Cat and West if it was made into a movie?

I have, actually! I picture West as a young Austin Butler and Cat as Ariana Grande. Ariana’s red hair is EXACTLY like Cat’s, with the red velvet color and all.

This is how L.M sees West: (Austin Butler)

And this is how he sees Cat: (Ariana Grande)

11. And lastly, is there a deep dark secret you would like to tell me? 😉

*leans in* *whispers* My deep dark secret, the fate of the world as we know it, is actually– *connection gets cut and secret forever lost*

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About L.M Augustine

L.M. Augustine is a YA romance author who is obsessed with writing about dorky teenagers, love, and happy endings. He currently lives in New England, where he spends far too much time reading books and screaming at his computer, and he believes that the solution to the world’s problems can be found in chocolate cake. Click To Subscribe is his first novel, but it won’t be his last.

Find L.M. on:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Email: authoraugustine@gmail.com

Links to buy Click To Subscribe (Which ya’ll should!)

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

(And all other Amazon stores)

B&N

Kobo

iBooks
Smashwords

GIVEAWAAAAAAAAAAAY

And now for your chance to win TWO Ecopies of Click To Subscribe. It’s open internationally, so good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interviews, Book Tours, Music, New Adult, Romance, Terri Anne Browning

BOOK TOUR: The Rocker That Savors Me – Terri Anne Browning (+ AUTHOR INTERVIEW)

Posted on June 18, 2013October 6, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Today is the The Book Lovers stop for The Rocker That Savors me. It includes a review and an Author Interview 🙂

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Synopsis

Layla…
…has had a hard life. On her own at a young age, always having to do what needed to be done just to survive. Now she has two other people depending on her and she needs a job fast before they get evicted. A job interview introduces her to Jesse Thornton, the delicious drummer for Demon’s Wings. He reminds her of all the mistakes of her past, but is also her hope for the future.

Jesse…
…has never let anyone in. The only real family he has ever had are his band brothers and Emmie—the only women he has ever loved. But then Layla comes into his life and he would do just about anything to get one taste. Can he move past his own insecurities and allow this woman into his heart?

5/5 Stars

My Review of The Rocker That Holds Me

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My Review

Jesse has only loved one girl in his life – Emmie. But he knows her heart has always belonged to his band mate and ‘brother’ Nik. The band and Emmie are his everything. They are the only real family he has and the only people he has let him, even if he is hiding some secrets from them – like the nightmares. But then Layla comes along and he will do anything to have her. Can Jesse move past his insecurities and allow himself to love and open his heart up to Layla?

Layla has had a tough life. From being on her own since the age of 16, she has had to do whatever she could to survive. Now she has two other people who depend on her and she needs a better job before they get evicted. When a job interview with Emmie introduces her to Demon Wing’s drummer Jesse Thornton, he reminds her of all the past mistake and the reason why she doesn’t date rockers. But there is something about him that she can’t stay away from. Can she move from her past and focus on her future with Jesse?

Ever since I read The Rocker That Holds Me I was really hoping that Terri Anna Browning would write books for the other members of the band. There were a lot of questions about each character that I wanted to know about. Wanted to know about their past and how it shaped them into who they are today. When she confirmed that there would be books for the others, I was holding my breath for them.

If you read my review of TRTHM, you will see that I loved Jesse. He is an amazing guy and an absolute godsend to Emmie for all of her life. He would and will do whatever he can to make sure she is safe and happy and I was so happy that his book was second.

As I’ve said before, you become drawn in to the characters lives. You feel for them, you want to know them in real life and you want to have a family circuit like the band and Emmie do. You can see the love they have for each other and how close they are. They have all grown up in similar households and they have been through thick and thin together. Terri Anne Browning brings all these emotions out of you when you read this book. I was grinning, crying, laughing, swooning and of course, the kindle throw when I became frustrated at Layla and Jesse (due to their stubbornness of not listening.)

Ms. Browning’s writing will have you hooked though. She definitely knows how to write sexy ass rockers. Sexy ass rockers who have a past and who, when they find the right girl, fall in love and in time learn to let go of the past. She writes with such emotion and depth that you can’t help but feel for these characters. It’s like they are real to me and you feel some kind of connection to them through the book. They really do take your heart.

Mentioned above, I love the bald, tattooed drummer that is Jesse. Growing up with a drunk of a father who used to beat him until Jesse was old enough to fight back, protecting Emmie along with his band mates was the only thing that mattered. Making sure she was safe, especially when the band became famous. Nothing mattered more than Emmie.

Jesse really is a brilliant character. He loves unconditionally, hes strong yet he’s gentle, hes confident and cocky but he never really uses his famous status, more content on being grounded and just basking in the love that all this band mates and Emmie share together.

As everyone in the band, he has a past. He’s never really had anyone who he has felt ‘more’ with apart from Emmie, but he’s just her best friend, so when he hears and meets Layla for the first time, its like a shock to the system. He can’t get this girl out of his head. He just needs her, needs to be with her and have her. It was so nice to see Jesse this way; to find someone who he wants to be with, to pursue romantically because he and Layla had this sizzling chemistry right from the start. As much as she told herself to stay away, she couldn’t, and Jesse was adamant on having her. Their pull just overtook them both and they just had to be together.

I loved how he (and the group) took Layla’s sisters under their wings, treating them with care and love. It was perfect to see this band, who love music and don’t care for the famous status to embrace three new characters into their dynamic and love them unconditionally too.

Jesse really would do anything to make Layla happy – even when they had a tipping point during parts of the book – but in the end, Jesse loved Layla with everything. You will find out just how much throughout the book ;).

Layla is an awesome character. I really, really loved reading her story and getting to know her throughout the book because she had such a strength you get drawn to. She has had one hell of a tough ride, from being kicked out at 16 and dropping out of school to doing whatever she could to survive the next few years, she had to grow up fast. Now she has custody of her two sisters, Lana – 17 and Lucy – 6, whom she loves more than anything, she wants them to achieve everything she never did. Layla loves fiercely, is protective, honest and a great friend to Emmie but she also had a vulnerable side to her at times. Mostly because of her past and the way she dislikes Rockstars because of her mother and her father. Although she didn’t want to fall in love with a rockstar, watching her with Jesse was so nice to see and it was great to see her so happy. To see her fall in love with Jesse and become close to the other band mates, as well as becoming best friends with Emmie.

There are a few scenes where you just want to shake Layla and tell her to listen to Lana and Emmie, listen to watch they are telling her and for her to stop being so stubborn. But you can kind of understand why she reacted that way (You’ll know what I’m on about when you read that scene). I’m just so glad that she and Jesse got their happily ever after. They both truly deserve it.

I particularly loved that Emmie and Nik (and Drake but we’ll get to him) had such a big role in this book as well. We see a very pregnant, stressed out Emmie but when she hires Layla, you see Emmie gladly welcome Layla and her sisters into their life. I loved having Emmie and Nik being a side part to The Rocker That Savors Me. You see how much they love one another, how they will always be there in an instance when one is hurting or upset (More Emmie on this), how they just can’t live without one another. I still love seeing the two of them like this after everything they had been through in The Rocker That Holds Me.

I adored how easy the three girls blended into the group dynamic. The guys all love Lucy because they remind them of Emmie at her age, but a much happier version than the little girl they had to save and keep protected and they all welcome Lana because she has this calming effect on Drake.

Now onto Drake. We all know that he drinks himself into a stupor to escape the demons of his past – which we do not know yet – but when Lana is introduced to him, it’s like something has clicked inside of him and he doesn’t need to pick up a bottle and get steaming. He’s adopted Lucy and treats her like his little sister, building sandcastles with her, taking her shopping. Just spoiling her rotten.

Then we come onto his ‘relationship’ with Lana. It’s like she is his muse. His muse to stop drinking, to start living life; to smile and laugh and show his artistic side, the one side that he has never, ever shared. Despite Lana being 17 and Drake 31, they have this special connection, and although Drake is petrified of the age gap, he just can’t be without Lana. There are sides to see to Drake that will tear you up, make your heart clench for him and that is why I cannot wait for book three. I NEED BOOK THREE NOW TERRI! I need more Drake in my life!

I can’t tell you how much that epilogue just….*sigh* I loved it so much. It was perfect and just holy moly, the most amazing way to end The Rocker That Savors Me. I am so not going into detail but Layla, Lucy and Jesse are just waaay too cute together and I’m smiling just thinking about what happens but I’m going to be good and not spoil it for you. You have to read it yourself to see why I am smiling to a computer screen like an idiot whilst typing this out. I can’t stop giggling and smiling at the amazingness of the epilogue. Too. Darn. Sweet.

If you loved The Rocker That Holds Me, then PLEASE grab your copy of The Rocker That Savors Me. You get more Emmie and Nik sweetness, you get to see Jesse fall in love, you get to see three beautiful ladies be added to the band’s family and you see character development, character’s grow and journey, characters fall in love and it ends perfectly for the next book in the series which is Drakes – The Rocker That Needs Me and by god, I need this book in my life right now, because, although all the characters stole my heart, Drake took a little bit extra in this book.

So yes, love sexy rockstars who have sexy times but also journey through their pasts to find love and acceptance? Then this series is definitely for you!

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Interview with Terri Anne Browning:-

When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?
I was sixteen. It was summer vacation and I was so bored. I couldn’t find a book that would hold my attention for longer than 15 minutes. So my mom told me to write my own. She was sure that I could do a much better job. I pulled out one of my notebooks and got to work. Of course I got thirty pages into it and another idea for another story plot popped into my head. The first story didn’t get finished and neither did the second, but I had so much fun. I’ve been hooked ever since.

How did The Rocker That Holds Me come about?
I had been thinking about a character like Emmie for a while, but I couldn’t really get her personality down. I couldn’t decide what kind of hero would suit her, and then I realized that she needed more than one hero to make her complete. That was how Jesse, Drake and Shane were added in. Putting a rock theme into it was just the icing on the cake. The whole tattooed, bad boy persona for the guys really clicked for me as I brought them to life.

After you wrote The Rocker That Holds Me, did you ever plan to create a series or was it after fans of the book demanded more?
Even as I was writing The Rocker That Holds Me I was thinking ahead to Jesse’s book, but when the fans started screaming for a sequel I was ready to deliver.

The Rocker books all share (or are going to) the back stories of all the band mates and Emmie. Was it difficult to come up with different stories for them or did you know exactly what they were?
Jesse’s was the easiest to do because he is just so loveable. Everyone wants a Jesse in their life, either as a lover or a best-friend. Drake’s was easy to create because Jesse’s set the ground work, but he was just so gut-wrenching to write. But it’s Shane that is proving to be the most difficult of the band to write. I don’t know where he is going to take me and that can be terrifying.

In The Rocker That Savors Me, you introduce three more characters into the band and Emmie’s lives. What was your decision in doing this and not just introducing one?
Layla came as a package deal even as I was creating her in my notes. She just didn’t feel complete until I added in Lana and Lucy. She needs them just as much as they need her and that makes Jesse fall faster for her.

Drake held a big part in The Rocker That Savors Me, and he has become a favourite of mine now. Was this as to introduce him more as his book is next in the series?
Yes, although at the beginning it wasn’t where I was going. Drake had other ideas though and I went were he took me.

This may be a spoiler for those who haven’t read The Rocker That Savors Me, but what made you decide that Lana would be the one for Drake?
In the beginning even I wasn’t sure if that was going to work. The age thing was a big issue and for some that can really be the deal breaker. But there was just so much chemistry there and Drake couldn’t stay away. When you are that far into the dark you reach for the light whenever it is presented to you.

Do you have a favourite character? And who do you love to write the most?
I hate to pick favourites here, it’s like picking a favourite child…Jesse is my favourite though! He’s just so big and scary, but such a softy and so loveable. Jesse was created with my husband’s personality so I really do have a closer connection to him than the others. I love writing from Emmie’s POV, probably why I have included—and plan to include at least one POV from her in every book. She is such a strong and sassy character and I put a little of myself into her.

Do you have any other projects in the work for when you finish the series?
Well…If things work out the way I want them to, I’m hoping to continue on with the series through Axton Cage. I’m hoping that his book, which will be out next year sometime, will pave the way for more The Rocker… books with his band OtherWorld. But before that I’m really thinking about a follow up book that includes all four guys of Demon’s Wings.

Have you ever thought about who you would like to play each character if you’re books were made into films?
There are a few people that I have thought about. Mostly it has been Emmie’s character that I would love to see come to life. Emma Stone really comes to mind. I just love her attitude! But if I were to ever have the chance to do a movie, or a TV series which would really be awesome, I would want actors that are just starting out.

And lastly, is there a deep, dark secret you would like to reveal? 😉
Lol! Well, I don’t have many secrets. I don’t have a secret sex life, and I’m not hiding any bodies in my basement. I will reveal that I work under a pen name, but I almost always answer to it. I like the anonymity that comes with using the pen name. I don’t think half of my extended family even realize that I’m an author!

Author Interviews, Book Tours, Interviews, Karli Perrin

BOOK TOUR: AUTHOR interview with Karli Perrin

Posted on June 14, 2013October 6, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

So this is my second entry for the April Showers tour and its my author interview with Karli 🙂

Before we get to the interview, here are the links for April Showers:

Amazon UK
Amazon US

Without further ado, here are my questions and her answers…

When did you realize you wanted to become a writer? –
I have always loved to read and write and have been plotting stories for years. But it was only last year that I actually sat down and gave writing the proper time and attention it deserved.
Which book inspired you to write?
I can’t pinpoint it to just one book but reading definitely inspires me. I grew up reading the Harry Potter books so J.K.Rowling is definitely a big inspiration to me. She is a genius!
How did April Showers come about?
I wanted to write a book about a girl moving away from home and starting University. The rest of my ideas just stemmed from there.
What was the writing process like? Did you write it in order or different scenes before joining it all together?
As this was my first book, I just let the writing take control. I started off by writing the big scenes and then went back to the start and joined all of the scenes together. I also added scenes in during editing.
How long did it take you to write April Showers?
It took me just under six months. I work full time so it took me a while to get into the rhythm of coming home and writing during the evenings.
You’ve given us two book boyfriends, if you had to choose, which one would top the other?
I’m going to keep that a secret! I love them both. Even though they are completely different, they would do anything for April.
Katie is a brilliant friend to April – shes always there with advice, was she based on anyone in particular?
I love writing for Katie, she’s so much fun! One of my best friends in real life is called Katie but that’s where the similarities end!
The banter between everyone has me in stitches, where did you come up with all these lines?
Well I love sarcasm and I think that is pretty evident after reading the book 😉
What made you choose Manchester University for the school April, Lukas and Isaac attend?
Manchester is my home town so I wanted to pay tribute to it! I also went to a University in Manchester.
Rain scenes and kissing in the rain covers are my favourite. The rain scene in the book is a pretty pivotal moment in April’s life. Did you always know that the rain scene would be the scene to change everything?
Yes, right from the start, I knew that the rain scene was going to be the turning point in the book.
There are some pretty shocking events that occur in April Showers that I had no idea they were going to happen. Has anyone else guessed before they were revealed, or were they just as surprised as me?
I think most people have been surprised by them, which is what I was aiming for!
April is a big believer in fate, are you?
YES! I am a huge believer in fate. Good or bad, I think that everything happens for a reason.
I highlighted so many quotes in April Showers, which one(s) is your favourite?
I love when Katie is giving April some advice and says this – “You deserve a man who makes you feel butterflies. Love isn’t safe. Love is crazy and scary and unpredictable. You can’t control it and you sure as hell can’t fight it. It’s one of life’s greatest risks…but it’s also one of life’s greatest gifts.” This is so true!
Would you get a tattoo of that quote?
No because it’s too long but I also like the quote – ‘No rain, no rainbow.’ I would consider getting that as a tattoo 🙂
Have you thought about who you would like to play each character if April Showers was made into a film?
Yes, I think that every writer has their dream cast! Just based on looks, I imagine April to look like Emma Roberts, Lukas to look like Alex Pettyfer and I’m not sure if there is anybody hot enough to play Isaac 😉 But there is a guy called Rodrigo Guirao Diaz and he looks pretty close to how I imagine Isaac to look!!!
Have you got a plan of what is going to happen in book two? And when will you begin to write it?
Yes, I know the main storyline for book two and I have already started planning. I know exactly what will happen in the first few chapters. I will begin writing it after April Showers is released. I won’t make my readers wait too long! Book two will definitely be out this year.
And lastly, is there a deep, dark secret you would like to reveal?
😉 If I told you, I would have to kill you!

You can follow Karli at:

@Karli_uk

Author Interviews, Samantha Young

The Book Lovers presents…Samantha Young.

Posted on May 4, 2013April 30, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

So I got an email about a week ago from the lovely Katie Sheldrake at Penguin UK inviting me to ask Samantha Young some questions. Seeing as I love Samantha and her books and because I have never interviewed an author yet, and to be invited to interview one, well I jumped at the chance.

I’ m not going to take credit for all the questions, my friend and fellow author Karli Perrin chipped in with some questions of her own, so in the run-up to the release of Down London Road, here are the Q&A’s with the lovely Samantha Young.

Look out for my review of Down London Road coming tomorrow on my blog too!

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Questions for Samantha Young

1. I know you probably get asked this question a lot, but what made you start writing? Did you always want to be a writer?

When I was little I read the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and it sparked my imagination so much. From then on I always had a pen and paper in hand, whether I was writing worlds or drawing them.

2. You write both Young Adult and Adult/Contemporary Romance, which do you prefer?

I love writing young adult because I get to create these young heroines that teens can relate to and throughout the book or series I develop them into young woman who readers hopefully can look up to and admire. Writing adult fiction is wonderful too because there are less limitations, and with contemporary romance it really is all about characterisation which is my favourite part of writing. Hmm… I don’t think I can choose a genre. I love both!

3. How do you come up with the plot of your books? Do the storylines just come to you?

My inspiration is usually sparked from something—whether real events, a setting, or even song lyrics. Once I get that first little ember of an idea I sit down with pen and paper in hand, music on in the background, and the plot for a new book usually builds quite quickly from there.

4. How do you pick the names of your characters? And do you spend time thinking of the ‘right’ names for your characters?

I do spend time thinking about the right names for my characters. Their name has to fit their personality and often, not always, have some kind of significance, whether major or minor. Sometimes I scroll through baby name websites to help me out, but most of the time the name comes to me quite organically as I write character profiles.

5. Do the names come to you before or after you plot out the storylines? And what about the names of the novels? I know they are the streets in which the characters live on, but what made you pick those streets?

The names come to me after I work out character histories and plot. Usually. The titles for this series are street names because it’s the place setting that has an important role in the turning point in the main character’s lives. A series also needs continuity in the titles so the street names are all Edinburgh street names of cities or countries in other parts of the world.

6. With On Dublin Street and Down London Road, did you have a process of how you wrote them? For example, did you start at chapter 1 and work through or did you write random scenes then bring them all together?

I wish I could write out of chronology but I need to write from beginning to end. Piecing scenes in here and there like a puzzle would probably confuse me. I need to let the development of the characters and the plot unfold naturally in order to catch any mistakes or tweak scenes that aren’t working toward the overall development.

7. As someone who cannot pick a favourite character, from both the guys and girls, can you? Who is your favourite guy and girl? And who was your favourite character to write about?

I don’t know if I can pick a favourite guy and girl because as couples I love both their dynamics, but I think Jo was definitely my favourite character to write. She was the most challenging heroine I’ve ever written and by the end of the story I absolutely adored her. I think she’s an incredibly relatable and likeable heroine.

8. Out of the three books – On Dublin Street, Until Fountain Bridge and Down London Road, what were your favourite scenes to write from all of them?

On Dublin Street – my favourite scene to write was a scene at the end when Joss and Braden are clearing up their misunderstandings. After having gone through so much it was such a passionate and heartfelt encounter. I loved writing it. For Until Fountain Bridge I loved the scene when Ellie’s going on her first date and Adam and Braden are overbearing but really funny. And for Down London Road my favourite scene to write was the “kitchen spider” scene. It’s a pivotal moment between Cam and Jo and I loved building their chemistry to sizzling.

9. When I read On Dublin street, I was impartial to Johanna, but when I read Down London Road I became to admire her strength and determination. What made you write a book about Johanna? I know many fans were hoping for a sequel for Joss and Braden.

I love that readers wanted more from Joss and Braden but a sequel from them would have been about throwing angst and drama at them for the sake of plot and I try to make my novels more natural than that. The important element of their story had been told and I really felt I needed to move onto someone else’s story. However, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t keep Joss and Braden around so readers could still catch up with them. Choosing Johanna seemed like the natural next step. When she was introduced in On Dublin Street readers were introduced to her in a way that most people in her life are — completely misunderstanding her. This is partly Jo’s fault of course, but that made her interesting. I loved the idea of taking a character that appeared to be one thing on the outside but was in fact so much more on the inside. The challenge was getting who she really is across to the reader and I hope I definitely did that.

10. Have you thought about who you would like to play each character if your books were made into movies?

I have thought about most of the characters. For Joss – Jennifer Lawrence. For Braden – Chris Hemsworth. For Ellie – Rosamund Pike. For Jo – Alexis Knapp. For Cam- Jamie Dornan. I’m still stuck on Adam. I like James McAvoy for Adam but many of my readers prefer Henry Cavill.

11. Are the streets in your book close together? This is for *street stalkers* such as myself who is planning a trip to Scotland to visit these streets.

The title streets Dublin Street and London Road are about a ten minute walk from one another. However, London Road is a very long road and Johanna lives at the lower end so it’s probably a twenty minute walk.

12. And lastly, is there a deep, dark secret that you would like to share with the rest of us 😉

I may be working on a new project…

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So there you have it! Many thanks to Samantha Young for answering my questions and I hope you all love Down London Road as much as I did. And hands up who is excited for this new project *Hands up*..Hmm i wonder what it is?!

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Author Bio

Samantha Young is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She’s been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller ON DUBLIN STREET.

For more info on Samantha’s adult fiction visit http://www.ondublinstreet.com
For info on her young adult fiction visit www.samanthayoungbooks.com