Interview & giveaway with author Sarah Beth Durst–Vessel

In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.


     Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.

     The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own. 
~ Goodreads | Amazon

Please welcome author Sara Beth Durst to the blog today to talk about her captivating new fantasy novel, Vessel.

Karen: Your new book Vessel sounds amazing (and that cover is breathtaking!). Can you tell us about the story and how it came about?

Sarah: VESSEL takes place in a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms.  Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.

The story was born from multiple ideas.  I knew I wanted to write about a desert, and I'd been toying with the idea of a character who has the opportunity of extraordinary powers but at an extraordinary price.  I also had this image in my head of a girl dancing barefoot on the sand, knowing at the end of the dance that she will die.

K: Describe the main character Liyana. Do you think there is a message that young girls can take from the difficult choices she has to make?

S: Liyana is, I think, the bravest character I've ever written.  She doesn't want to die. She feels fear. Yet she is willing to do what she has to do, even if it means facing death, even if it means defying the gods, to save her family.

I think that fantasy is (or can be!) a literature of hope and of empowerment, and I hope that people reading Liyana's story feel a little stronger by the end of it.

K: All of your stories have a magical, fantasy element; were-tigers, talking gargoyles, vampire hunting were-unicorns. If you could create a magical world that you would live in, what would it be?

S: Dragons.  And unicorns.  Also, mermaids, griffins, ghosts, dryads, centaurs, pegasi, fairy godmothers, shapeshifters, knights, and talking cats.  But I want them all to be friendly with no desire to eat me.

K: Has your upbringing influenced your writing? Did your family encourage you?

S: My mom taught me to love books.  She used to take me to the library and let me drag home huge stacks of books.  She introduced me to the SF/fantasy shelves.  We used to read books side by side on the couch all summer long.

K: What was the very first story you ever wrote?

S: I wrote my very first story (outside of school) in fifth grade.  It was a cross between the Wizard of Oz and G.I. Joe.  Plus everyone in it had their own personal talking lion.

K: What is your favorite quote and why?

S: "Bird by bird, buddy.  Just take it bird by bird."  (from Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life)  It's from my favorite writing book of all time, and it's great advice whenever you feel overwhelmed.  (In the book, the author is relating an anecdote about her brother working on a research paper about birds.  He bursts into tears at the enormity of his task, and his father tells him to take it bird by bird.)

K: What magical worlds are you planning on taking us to next?

S: I am currently working on two projects:

SWEET NOTHINGS (coming fall 2013 from Bloomsbury/Walker) is about a girl in the paranormal witness protection program, who, haunted by dreams of carnival tents and tarot cards, must remember her past and why she has strange abilities before a magic-wielding serial killer hunts her down. 

THE LOST (coming fall 2013 from Harlequin/Luna) is the first in a trilogy about a woman running from her bleak life who finds herself trapped in a small town where all things lost -- luggage, keys, people -- are mysteriously deposited.

Thank you Sarah! We have a lot to look forward to in 2013!


Sarah Beth Durst is the author of young adult novels Vessel, Drink, Slay, Love, Enchanted Ivy, and Ice from Simon & Schuster, as well as middle grade novels Into the Wild and Out of the Wild from Penguin Young Readers. She has twice been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Award, for both Ice and Into the Wild.

Sarah was born in Massachusetts as Sarah Angelini and grew up in Northboro, a small town in central Mass that later became the setting for her debut novel.
At the age of ten, she decided she wanted to be a writer. (Before that, she wanted to be Wonder Woman, except with real flying ability instead of an invisible jet. She also would have accepted a career as a unicorn princess.) And she began writing fantasy stories.

She attended Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dragons, and wondering what the campus gargoyles would say if they could talk.
Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her two children, and her ill-mannered cat.Website | Twitter | Facebook | Books

*You guys should really visit Sarah’s blog. It’s FILLED with extras like excerpts and links to interviews & articles with Sarah.

GIVEAWAY!
I’m giving away one copy of Vessel!
Just fill out the form below. Ends 9/30/12 at 12:01 am, winner announced 9/30.

Sorry - US only for this giveaway.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Month of Treats: Interview with Birthday boy (& ghost) - Logan Keeley

Welcome to week three of A Month of Treats! Julie from My 5 Monkey's is celebrating witches with an interview with Carrier of the Mark author Leigh Fallon.

Today is Logan Keeley's birthday! For those of you not in the know - he's from Jeri Smith-Ready's popular Shade series. Logan, in a tragic event (moment of stupidity), died and became a ghost on his birthday....but he's not going to let a little thing like that get him down! 

What better way to celebrate A Month of Treats and Logan's birthday than with an interview with a real ghost! & a giveaway of course!

I have my pal Brooke from Brooke Reports joining me today. She LOVES Logan so I asked her to join in the fun.

Karen & Brooke: Happy Birthday Logan! *smothers you in hugs & kisses* What are your plans for the big day?
Logan: THANKS! (<<especially for the hugs & kisses)

I'm having a #forever17 party on Twitter, and you should TOTALLY come! If you tweet me (@keeley_logan) a music video, you can be entered to win free CDs, some Keeley Brothers swag, and a signed hardcover of ENTHRALLED: PARANORMAL DIVERSIONS. I have a story in that anthology, even though it's pink and has a picture of a girl on the front. She's pretty cute, so that's okay.


Karen: Find all the details on Jeri's Blog. Logan will be on Twitter at 9pm (Joined by Zachary at 10pm) for a #SHADEboys chat until midnight. Follow the boys: @keeley_logan @moore_zachary

K & B: You died wearing your Quicksilver cargo shorts so you're stuck in them forever, what do you wish you were wearing that night?

L: No no no, I'm wearing those forever because it's what I was wearing at the happiest moment of my life (which was, uh, about twenty minutes before I died--IRONY!).

K & B: (Our dear, sweet innocent Brooke was pondering what it would be like if you were in your birthday suit)

L: THAT'S MY ANSWER! For obvious reasons.

K & B: Since I asked you to stop by to help celebrate A Month of Treats, Brooke and I have a few Halloween themed questions we wanted to ask you.

L: OK, but you know how much I hate talking about myself. #LIESLIESLIES (<<AUUGH!! Ghost-honesty hashtag followed me from Twitter!)

K & B: As a ghost you're in a unique position to celebrate Halloween. Now you are one of the things that go bump in the night. Does that feel weird? How do you celebrate the holiday? Do you just stay in and watch scary movies or do you go out trying to annoy pre-shifters or haunt things?

L: Well, it’s funny. Trick or treaters are pretty tough to scare, because they see ghosts all the time. (For folks who don’t know, in my world everyone roughly seventeen and under—who call themselves post-Shifters because they were born after the Shift—can see and talk to ghosts, but no one else can.)

BUT the good part is, on Halloween lots of post-Shifters get the urge to play tricks on older people. And I help them with that. See, pre-Shifters are still pretty freaked out at the fact that there are all these ghosts around that they can’t see. I know, because I am a pre-Shifter. It’s so creepy—I’d be talking to one of my younger friends or my girlfriend, and they’d suddenly start zoning out watching a ghost. Of course, sometimes they’d pretend there was one there when there wasn’t. Not that I could tell the difference.

Anyway, it’s fun to be on the other side of the creep factor for once. Sometimes.

K & B: Hey! Did you ever go to Disney World? You could totally get a job on the Haunted Mansion Ride!

I did! But would you believe they BlackBoxed that sucker so real ghosts can’t get in? (To the Haunted Mansion, I mean, not all of Disney World.)

K & B: Are you a fan of the trick or the treat? I bet the Keeley Brothers got into a lot of trouble as kids! Did you ever pull any good Halloween pranks?

L: Yes. Our lawyer tells me not to talk about it.

Karen: That bad huh?

K & B: Speaking of treats - do you have a favorite Halloween candy?

L: I’m not a huge chocoholic, so I’m more about the candy corn and the caramel apples and the roasted pumpkin seeds.

Not Necco Wafers, though. Why do those things even EXIST?


Karen: roasted pumpkin seeds.....mmmmm

K & B: Casper the Ghost……friendly or creepy?

L: Movie version? Friendly. Cartoon? Creepy. I know, most people think it’s the opposite, but I don’t trust anyone who smiles THAT much.

K & B: We know how much you love attention but your options for fame are a little limited now because of your ……ahem….condition. What if General Mills calls you one day (pretend you can answer the phone). Do you accept the offer to become the new face on their box of Halloween "Boo berry" cereal? Get it? BOO….cuz you're a ghost?? Too tacky?

L: I’d have to talk to my agent about that. But your question inspired me to use about half a dozen Boo-Berry pics as my Twitter avi this month, so GO YOU!

Karen: Thanks Logan! Enjoy all the love and attention coming your way today before The Woman Upstairs takes you on a short vacation while she finishes writing the conclusion to the Shade trilogy....SHINE.

As a birthday gift from me to you - well you can't really use much - so more of a gift "in honor of your birthday" I'm donating $1 for every comment up to $50 to VH1 Save The Music Foundation. I know music is a big part of your life/death (sorry)!

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in America's public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's complete education. Since its inception in 1997, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has provided $48 million in new musical instruments to 1,800 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of over 1.8 million children.

So make me broke people! Leave a comment! Wish Logan a happy birthday and don't forget to join Jeri's all day Forever 17 Birthday Bash! ( #forever17 on Twitter) Details HERE

As always there's a giveaway!

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below!

Winner chooses from the following selection of spooky books:

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions - Anthology/various authors including Bridge by Jeri (includes signed book plate if you choose this book)
Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready (includes signed bookplate if you choose this book)
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Wolfsbane by Andrea Creamer

International entries welcome!
Giveaway ends 10/30 All Month of Treats winners announced on 10/31!

A Month of Treats: Interview with Author Stacey Kade!

Welcome to week one of a Month of Treats, co-hosted with my friend Julie from My 5 Monkey's!

It's GHOST WEEK! and I'm kicking things off with part one of our interview with Stacey Kade, author of the The Ghost and the Goth and the sequel Queen of the Dead. This is an amazing series that keeps getting better so be sure to check it out. (my reviews: The Ghost and the Goth, Queen of the Dead)

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like. (YA)

Welcome to For What It's Worth Stacey!

Karen: Do you have a favorite Halloween memory?

Stacey: I begged and begged to be Spiderman when I was four or five. And God bless my open-minded parents, they let me. No girly princess costumes for me that year, lol.

K: Do you prefer tricks or treats?

S: Treats!

K: What is your favorite Halloween candy?

S: Those little Reeses's Peanut Butter cups shaped like pumpkins.

K: Do you have any fears or phobias?

S: Too many to list! But the one people seem to find most interesting/absurd is my fear of birds. I don't like them anywhere near me. Flapping wings. *shudder*

Karen: I love animals but I'm afraid of ducks & geese. They hate me! They chase me down and try to attack. My husband never believed me until a duck chased me all through the zoo once. lol

K: What is your favorite scary movie or book?

S: I know it's ridiculous given what I write, but I don't actually like scary books or movies! That being said, I read and loved World War Z, even though it kept me up at night. And I don't know if it counts as a scary movie or not, but I love Disturbia.

Karen: World War Z....good choice! It was creepy on a lot of levels. I hope the movie is just as good.

The infamous Spiderman costume!

K: What is your best, worst or funniest costume you've ever worn?

S: I think the Spiderman year takes the cake. At a convention once, I went as a serving wench. That was not fun. :)

Karen: Thank you for sharing your Halloween memories, fears and pictures Stacey! Read part two of Stacey's interview tomorrow on Julie's Blog where she answers the all important question...."It's the end of the world. Who would you prefer to battle against? Witches, zombies, werewolves, vampires or ghosts?" and another giveaway of course!

About Stacey:

As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead.

From her first childhood scribbles about a magical necklace that would turn people into cats, Stacey has long been fascinated with what happens when the “ordinary” bumps up against “out of this world.” What if aliens landed on Earth? What if the afterlife is really just another dimension?

She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and their three retired racing greyhounds, Joezooka (Joe), Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy). When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television with her Roswell DVDs, staring rapturously at Jason Behr.

*Mark your calendars for Body & Soul - book three in the Ghost and the Goth trilogy - Available May 29, 2012! Also, check out Stacey's hilarious interpretation of the cover for Body & Soul

Find Stacey on: Website, Twitter,

Now for the first giveaway!

Enter using the form below for a ghostly giveaway!

Winner chooses one book from the following selection:

Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Ends 10/30! All Month of Treats winners announced on 10/31!


ENTER USING THE FORM AFTER THE JUMP!!

Interview: Jennifer Hubbard - The Secret Year

Author Jennifer Hubbard is stopping by today for Author Snaphots. Jennifer's debut novel The Secret Year was one of my first reviews on this blog and my first 4 out of 4 rating. It's a beautiful story and you can read my review HERE

Synopsis: After his secret girlfriend's death, seventeen-year-old Colt finds the notebook she left behind, but he is unprepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship.

Karen: Do you have a ritual or superstition that you follow when it comes to your writing?

Jennifer: Not really. I like to be in my office with the door closed, music on, and a glass of water nearby, but I will write wherever I have to--including on trains, in waiting rooms, etc.

K: Is there a must have snack you need to have nearby while you’re writing?
J: I like to start an evening writing session with a bit of dark chocolate. At other times of day, I don't usually eat anything while I'm writing.

K: I think starting off with a bit of dark chocolate is a great way to start off anything!

K: What inspires you and you're writing?
J: I write the kinds of books I wanted to read when I was a teenager. I write about topics that I care about, situations that make me curious. The Secret Year was about coping with the loss of a secret, and rather obsessive, relationship. My upcoming book, currently titled Try Not to Breathe, is about how a person comes back from the brink of suicide. I have a short story coming out in May, "Confessions and Chocolate Brains," that's about dealing with flaws in yourself and in your relationship--in other words, what happens when the "perfect couple" isn't perfect after all?

K: The Secret Year was the first book I read from a male POV. I now search out books with either male point of view or at least alternating between the girl’s and the boy’s. Do you have any recommendations for guy POV books?
J: People ask about this so often that I've compiled a list of very recent books with male main characters (some first person, some third person)  HERE
But for books published before 2009, some of my favorites also include Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You (Peter Cameron), Slot Machine (Chris Lynch), Whale Talk (Chris Crutcher), Thaw (Monica M. Roe), Shift (Jennifer Bradbury), Looking for Alaska (John Green), and Geography Club (Brent Hartinger).

K: That is an extensive list Jennifer! Thank you so much for compiling it. I wasn't even aware that there were that many male POV books out there. You also included one of my favorites from last year: SPLIT by Swati Avashti.

K: How do you think book review bloggers have changed the landscape of promoting books & authors?
J: I think it's great that people are using their blogs to discuss books! I now find out about most of my new reads online. Many book bloggers have also been very supportive of the writing and publishing community by coming to events such as BEA, ALA, and author signings. One book blogger, Harmony, even organized a combination author-signing/fundraiser-for-libraries in her home state.
Because of online networking, there are greater opportunities than ever before for readers and writers to connect, as well as for readers to connect with one another. That's one reason this is a very exciting time for YA writers. Personally, I also welcome interaction on Twitter, where I'm @JennRHubbard.

K: I recommend following Jennifer on Twitter. She has very interesting interactive discussions about YA, writing and reading.

Thank you for joining me today Jennifer and please don't forget to check out  The Secret Year
- now available in paperback.

Where to find Jennifer:
Website: http://jenniferrhubbard.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @JennRHubbard
Buy the book! The Secret Year

Interview: Ally Condie - Matched

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Ally Condie, author of of Matched. Make that - New York Times bestselling author!! Not bad for a debut novel.

Congratulations on all your success Ally and welcome to For What It's Worth!

Karen: Do you have a ritual or superstition that you follow when it comes to your writing?

Ally: Not really! I do have to have a lot of water on hand to drink (for some reason writing makes me thirsty). But mostly I don't have time for rituals--I get the kids in bed and I just have to go, go, go!

K: Is there a must have snack you need to have nearby while you’re writing?
A: Well, besides the water, I also really like cinnamon bears.:)

K: Since its February (the month of love), do you have a favorite literary couple?
A: Oooh, great question. I'm going to have to go with Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. I've been in love with their coupledom since third grade.

K: Sticking with the classic couples! I haven't read Anne of Green Gables yet but after googling them (ahh the modern age...LOL) I can see why you chose them. Very romantic.
(And I know....I know....I'm making it my mission to read the classics this year!)

 K: What is the last book you’ve read that you adored and want to tell people to go buy it NOW?
A: I am always on the lookout for good middle grade boy books (I have three little boys that will be reading them soon) and I just read a great middle-grade book called THE LIMIT by Kristen Landon. It's fast, smart, and one I can't wait to have my kids read when they're a bit older.

K: There are never enough good books for younger boys. I will have to check THE LIMIT out for my nephews.

K: How do you think book review bloggers have changed the landscape of promoting books & authors?
A: I think they've made reviews and book information accessible to everyone! I also think that book bloggers have changed the landscape because they become very trusted by their followers and become a real go-to source for books and opinions about those books. I know that as an author I personally really appreciate the support that many book bloggers have given to me and to my book and am very grateful for it.

K: Thank you for the support. I know as a blogger there is nothing I like more than getting the word out about a book I love. Matched is one of those books that is getting great reviews and support in the blogosphere!

Thank you for stopping today Ally!

Want to hear more about Matched? Watch an interview with Ally here:



Where to find Ally and all things Matched:

*Ally’s website: http://www.allysoncondie.com/
*Ally’s twitter: @allycondie
*Matched series website: http://www.matched-book.com/
*Matched Facebook app: http://www.matched-book.com/matched.html
*View the book trailer for Matched HERE

Interview with Author Cynthia Eden

As part of the month long Ultimate Reviewer's Challenge festivities, I've asked several authors to stop by for a few quick questions and share some of their writing quirks and inspirations.
First up is paranormal romance and romantic suspense author Cynthia Eden. I had the opportunity to meet Cynthia at the Romance Writers Association book signing in Orlando last year and she is just the nicest person you will ever meet. She even gave me chocolate to sustain me through the night! Now that's an author who's good to her readers!!

Karen: Do you have a ritual or superstition that you follow when it comes to your writing?
Cynthia: Before I start to write, I like to listen to some hard, intense music--mood music. It gets me in an energetic mood so my fingers can fly across the keyboard faster. :-)

K: Is there a must have snack you need to have nearby while you're writing?
C: Yes! Chocolate. Oh, how I need it. Chocolate can give me an inspirational boost when I hit a tough spot in the story.
Karen: Chocolate really is the answer to everything isn't it??

K: Since it's February (the month of love), do you have a favorite literary couple?
Hmmm...Tarzan and Jane. She was so booksmart and he was so...jungle fun. Intelligence and physical strength can combine so well. Tarzan was also very animalistic, and since I tend to write about shifters in my paranormal romances, I'm a bit partial to him.
Karen: What a great answer...now I can see where you get some of your character traits from :-))

K: What is the last book you've read that you adored and want to tell people to go buy it NOW?
C: Kresley Cole's DEMON FROM THE DARK was a book I couldn't put down. I love Kresley Cole's writing!

K: You're a very active blogger yourself, how do you think book blogging has changed the landscape of promoting books & authors?
C: I think book blogging has opened up a whole new (online) world for readers. Now authors can communicate with readers directly--we can talk books, characters, plots, and readers can get a direct line of information about new titles. I love the new world that's been created. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with others who love books as much as I do.

Thanks for having me!

K: Thank you for being here today Cynthia! Cynthia has also donated two books to The Ultimate Reviewer's Challenge Prize Pack! Deadly Heat and Deadly Fear
 
 

Cynthia's website: http://www.cynthiaeden.com/
**Cynthia is a very active blogger so be sure to check out her website. She is always spotlighting authors/new book releases and hosting contests.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cynthiaeden
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/cynthiaeden

Author Interview: Ann Aguirre

Today I'm welcoming author Ann Aquirre to For What It's Worth. I've been a fan of her Sci-fi romance Sirantha Jax series and was dying to read her take on YA dystopian. She did not disappoint. Ann's debut YA novel Encalve - Book 1 in her new Razorland series - will be released April 12th, 2011

Karen - Tell us a little about your YA debut novel, Enclave. You have said that you are obsessed with the series. (I am now too)
Ann - Always, when I get this question, I want to dig my toes in the dirt and go, "Golly gee whiz, I wrote it. Don't make me talk about it. You should just read it." So that's what I'm going to do this time. (But for those who like a more substantive reply, you can find out anything you'd ever want to know about the book right here. Or alternatively, you can just ask Karen if it's worth your time. I'm sure I can rely on her unsolicited testimonial.)
Karen: You can read just how much I loved Enclave in my review here

K- Why do you think people are so interested in the dystopian/apocalypse genre, particularly in YA, right now?
A -I think it's because they're uplifting. No, seriously. You take a world in utter disarray. Things are incredibly bleak. Then a hero arises, someone who has the desire and drive to succeed, no matter what. And this person changes his or her world in some fashion. How can that message not be incredibly valuable to young adults? I think it lends hope that there can always be brightness, no matter how dark it seems.

K -Do you believe in all the 2012 and apocalypse predictions?
A - Nope. In fact, there aren't any authentic Mayan apocalypse predictions per se. The Mayan calendar ends in 2012, but it doesn't mean they thought the world would. It's just the termination of a cycle.

K - What type of research did you do writing Enclave? Of course this is fiction but there were lot of little details that seemed very authentic regarding what I would think it would be like in a post-apocalyptic world.
A - It’s hard to envision the end of the world or predict what it might be like. Most of my research indicated that if some apocalypse occurred— disease, famine, or zombie scourge— society as we
know it would likely break down within a hundred years. I read a number of articles, including this one: Science Ponders Zombie Attack. (Full study details are available
here: here) In the nebulous future described in Enclave, biological weapons and manufactured plagues were to blame for the swift deterioration of modern life. To aid in that depiction, I watched Life After People, an informative and entertaining show on the
History Channel.
I also investigated what products might still be functional after such a calamity, what scavengers might be able to pluck from the wreckage of a lost world. Plastic has a long, long shelf life - one article I read said certain plastics will never break down in a land- ll— so the buckets, bottles, and sunglasses make
sense in that context. I also determined that such a catastrophe would preclude the use of motor vehicles, so nothing more advanced than a bicycle can be found in Enclave.
I also came across fascinating information regarding the longevity of canned goods. One anecdote relates that a can of veal, which was more than a hundred years old and had gone on an Arctic expedition with William Parry in 1820, was opened in 1938 and fed to a cat. In a similar case, the steamboat Bertrand sank in the Missouri River in 1865 due to excessive weight of its provisions. It was recovered north of Omaha, Nebraska, in 1968. Among the goods were cans of brandied peaches, oysters, plum tomatoes,
honey, and mixed vegetables. Chemists analyzed the food for spoilage and nutrition; though it wasn’t fresh anymore, it was still all as safe to eat as when it was canned.
Finally, the inspiration for the heroine’s underground tribe stems from my fascination with the folks who dropped out of modern society and developed their own counterculture, right below New York. You can read more in this fantastic book, The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth.
K - All your research really paid off. These little details helped it feel like our world and kept me fully immersed in the story. I found my self smiling when they opened something like a can of Comstock Cherries, it made the story more relatable to me.

K - I’m getting way ahead here since Enclave doesn’t even release until April, but the book read like it was a movie to me. Has there been any interest or is that all too soon?
A - There have been some nibbles, actually, but no bites yet. If the book does well, however, that could change.
K - *crossing my fingers* I totally see this book as a YA version of Alien - except with zombies and the apocalypse...lol Deuce reminds me so much of Ripley and the tension from that movie feels the same to me.

K - You have TEN books coming out this year.....do you have time to sleep? Eat?
A - Yes, actually. I also take weekends off to have fun and hang with my family. I approach this as my job -- the best job in the world, granted, and my dream come true-- but it is work. And so I work, at least forty hours a week at this. Sometimes that's revisions, edits, and writing new words, all on different projects in the same five days. Sometimes it means an overload of promo work and answering emails. Whatever it takes, that's what I do. Sometimes I work fourteen hours a day when deadlines demand, but it's so worth it. It all comes down to managing your time well, and I am very self-driven. I don't need anyone telling me to get to work or my book will be late. In the last three years, I've had over 45 deadlines (that's book, revisions, edits and galleys combined on all my various projects) and I've never once missed a deadline. So I think my motivation speaks for itself.
Karen - For a complete list of Ann's upcoming 2011 releases click here

K - What inspires you?
A - Weird things. Random things. Everything. The world is pretty awesome when you get right down to it. True story, I was driving to pick my kids up from school and I saw a man trudging down the sidewalk. He was dressed up, but disheveled, as if the day hadn't gone as he'd planned. In his hands, he carried a mixed bouquet of pink and red roses. He paused for a second outside a house, but he didn't ring the bell. Instead his shoulders slumped and he put the flowers in the rubbish. Then he walked on. Watching that, I thought, that's a story.
That's kind of how I operate. I get ideas from snippets of conversation, from a vignette I see, from the way people dress and talk. Sometimes books come to me in incredibly vivid Technicolor dreams. I pretty much always have an incredible backlog of ideas that I haven't gotten to write yet. It's enough to keep me busy for the next ten years.

K - You often describe yourself on Twitter as a geek who loves video games and Dr. Who. What is your favorite video game?
A - I worship at the altar of BioWare. I loved the Mass Effect games. I also love Dragon Age. I am counting down the minutes until I can grab Dragon Age 2 in March. But I also loved the old Baldur's Gate games and the KotOR series as well. (BioWare had a hand in all of those, so I guess you're sensing a pattern.) The only games I play right now that aren't BioWare are the Fallout series by Bethesda. For me, the story is paramount.

K - And what actor has been your favorite incarnation of the Dr.? Who has been your favorite of his travelling companions?
A - Christopher Eccleston (I know, everyone else loves Mr. Tennant, and while he was goofy and adorable, Mr. Eccleston had an irresistible dark and rugged vibe with his black jumpers and leather jackets and shorn hair.) Rose Tyler. Nothing has touched the magic of that first season for me, though Amy Pond is a very close runner-up. I loved that Rose got to live happily ever after with a version of the doctor.
K - I'm with you - no one beats Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Rose Tyler as the sidekick. David Tennant is a close second though. I still haven't been able to warm up to the new guy yet.

A -Thanks for having me.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by today Ann!
You guys have to wait a bit for Enclave but in the meantime be sure to check out her Sirantha Jax series, starting with Grimspace (Sirantha Jax, Book 1) If you're not sure if you like sci-fi this is a good one to start with. Plenty of action and romance! I'm starting her Skin series next (under the pen name Ava Gray)She has so many books out that it *should* keep me occupied until Outpost - book 2 in the Razorland series comes out in 2012.
Yikes!! I might not make it!

Zoe Archer: Interview and Contest!

Zoe Archer is back at For What It's Worth to discuss Rebel - the third book in her Blades of the Rose series. In case you missed her the first time around, click HERE to read Zoe's guest post introducing her exciting, sexy new series!

This time we're discussing Rebel, playing favorites, food and sexy Hellraisers!

*The Blades of the Rose series has been released one book a month, starting with Warrior in September and concluding with Stranger’s upcoming release in December. As a reader I’m thrilled to have a series wrapped up in four consecutive months but as author what has it been like? A whirlwind of publicity? Stressful? Fun? All of the above?

Zoe: Definitely all of the above. I'm currently under contract, so I have to find time to promote whilst making my word count, which isn't the easiest thing to do. It's important, though, and I can't complain too much because, hey, four books in a row! It's what I like to think of as a good problem. Besides, I spent years at some pretty awful day jobs, doing work I hated. I can't mind putting in long hours for something I love.

*All of the books have a blend of genres; historical romance, paranormal, action adventure, but Rebel seems to have the most paranormal elements to it. Without giving too much away can you tell us a little bit about Rebel, it’s hero Nathan Lesperance and of course another tough, smart beauty – Astrid?

Zoe: The paranormal elements increase from each book, so that by the time we get to REBEL, and then STRANGER, there is a lot more magic. But at bottom, every Blades of the Rose book is a romantic adventure. REBEL is no different. This time, we journey to the rugged, beautiful and dangerous Canadian Rockies, a place full of myth and legend. Nathan Lesperance is an attorney in Victoria, but he's more than just a lawyer. Nathan was taken from his Native family as a child and raised in a government school. Instead of becoming a carpenter or taking up some other manual labor-based employment, he fought his way to become the only Native attorney in the area, and perhaps in all of Canada. He's a born fighter, and determined as hell to prove himself. So he takes a dangerous assignment that leads him into the wilderness, and that's where he meets Astrid Bramfield.

Astrid was once a Blade of the Rose, and she and her husband worked side-by-side to study and protect the world's magic. But her husband was killed in action--he actually died in her arms. Grief-stricken, Astrid turned her back on the Blades and has lived for years as a solitary frontierswoman in the Canadian wilderness. When she meets Nathan, the attraction between them is immediate. But for Astrid, the attraction is also unwanted. She's deeply wounded, fiercely solitary, and determined never to give her heart again. Unfortunately for Astrid, but fortunately for us, the fight for the world's magic won't let her continue in her solitary state forever.

What follows is a lot of action, adventure, danger, ancient legends, dastardly villains, and some super hot love scenes!

*My favorite thing about this series (besides the seriously sexy guys) are the female characters. All of the women come from different backgrounds, and different experiences but they are all intelligent, brave and complicated. Why was it so important to you to write your female leads this way?

Zoe: I am the first to admit I'm a card-carrying feminist. That means it is very important for me that I like and respect the heroines I write. Having watched adventure films and read adventure stories where the heroines are incompetent, shrill liabilities constantly in need of rescuing, I was determined to create heroines in adventures who not only carry their own weight, but can kick ass and do some rescuing of their own.

If there is an element of wish fulfillment in every book, then what I want for myself is not to be taken care of and saved by a big, strong man. Instead, I want to be his equal, just as strong, just as capable. And the perfect man sees this strength as something both admirable and desirable. Fortunately, that's exactly how my husband feels, and while I can't shoot a rifle or ride a horse, there are other ways I show my strength, and he appreciates that.

*Although the series follows the same theme – The Blades saving the world’s magic from evil forces, each book takes place in a different location with different main characters. Which was your favorite to write?

Zoe: I can't play favorites! The books will get jealous! But if I had to pick a favorite, I'd say it was a toss-up between SCOUNDREL and STRANGER. SCOUNDREL was just so fun because Bennett, the hero, is the embodiment of fun: witty, sexy, doesn't take himself seriously, determined to enjoy himself no matter what he's doing. Yet I also really enjoyed writing STRANGER because I adore the hero, the inventor genius Catullus Graves. I'm not sure if it's right for an author to fall in love with their own creation, but, honestly, I think Catullus is seriously crush-worthy. Shy inventor genius with a love of waistcoats and freckled women! Who could resist that?

Every Blades book is a book I loved writing. These were stories I had wanted to tell for years, and I was finally telling them. Some days were challenging, some books were challenging, but I never lost my excitement, every time I sat down at my computer.

*Authors often speak of the “writer’s cave” when they are nearing a deadline. It seems that there is a massive intake of caffeine & chocolate, very little showering and angry outbursts…..lol. Since both you and your husband are writers, how does that work in your household? Does it help that someone understands the process so you both have a person to bounce ideas off of?

Zoe: We both totally get the "Can't talk, writing!" stage, so we respect each others' space. He and I share an office, and it works out fine. He puts his headphones on and I listen to my music, and we just write. We're each others' critique partners, so we read and give notes on our respective work. He also helps me tremendously with the plotting phase (Team Plotter!), as well as fight choreography, weaponry, and technical matters. He has been writing for years, but has recently started writing sci-fi romance as Nico Rosso and will have a book out on November 22 from Liquid Silver Books (plug, plug). From me, he learned about the romance genre, and he's embraced it whole-heartedly.

Being married to my critique partner is wonderful. We respect each others' voices and goals, and help to make sure we make our work as strong as it can be. I'm very, very lucky.

Karen here: To continue the plug for Zoe's DH - Go HERE to find out more about Taken to the Limit by Nico Rosso - release date November 22nd by Liquid Silver Books. 

*Onto the important stuff!

*I follow you on Twitter (@Zoe_Archer) and you tweet about baking a lot. (Which I must say is kind of mean, since you’re talking about fresh baked donuts and I don’t even live close enough to stalk you.) The holidays are coming up – do you have anything special that you make every year? Can it be sent safely to Florida? Hint….hint.

Zoe: For Thanksgiving, I usually bake up a batch of pies. My step-father loves pumpkin pie, so I always bake that, but then I try and do something a little different for myself. I'm thinking this year of trying an espresso chocolate chunk pecan pie. It's not dessert unless there's chocolate. Also, I usually give baked gifts to my in-laws, so I spend about a month beforehand combing through my sizable cookbook collection to pick out something delicious. It might be chocolate-covered biscotti this year, but I'm not sure. Again with the chocolate. Detect a theme?

Tell you what, send me a ticket to Florida, and I'll make something fresh in your kitchen. Any requests?

Karen: I like your theme! Anything chocolate sounds good to me! Your ticket to FL is in the mail....

*You also seem to have a thing for boots. How many pairs do you own?

Zoe: Yipes! That's a good question. I have hiking boots and weather boots (yes, we have weather here in Los Angeles), but for fun boots, I think I have about five pairs. Not very many, really, but I always want more. If it comes to the knee and has buckles on it, I want it!

Karen: From the way you tweet about boots - I thought you would have a closet full of them! Five is not bad at all. In fact I may have more than you.

*I’m skipping waaay ahead but this series sounds so good that I have to ask – What is your Hellraisers trilogy about? (releasing in December of 2011) I hear there will be sexy dark brooding men and leather involved.

Zoe: Oooh, The Hellraisers! They are some bad, bad boys. The premise is this: A group of 18th century English rakes inadvertently free the Devil from his prison and literally raise hell. Each of them is given a special power: the ability to control luck, being able to see the future, reading minds, or the ability to persuade anyone to do anything. They are not the clean-cut do-gooders that the Blades are. In fact, in many ways, they are both the heroes and the villains of their stories. And, because it's a Zoe Archer book, the heroines are pretty kick-ass (and those that don't start out as kick-ass become so over the course of their respective stories). Naturally, the heroes will be sporting tall leather boots. That is also a requirement of any Zoe Archer book.

Thank you so much for having me here today! Readers, please leave a comment and you will be entered to win a signed copy of REBEL (US and Canada only).

 

 Karen: Thanks for stopping by Zoe! Because I'm a BIG fan of the Blade's series and it's the holidays I'm throwing in a copy of Warrior & Scoundrel into the prize pack!

 

 

 

 

CONTEST TIME!!

Win a signed copy of Rebel from Zoe Archer
&
Warrior & Scoundrel from me....

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment

*You must be 16 or older to enter

*US and Canada only

*All entries must be received by Sunday 11/28/2010 11:59 pm EST

*Winner will be posted on this blog Monday 11/29/2010 -
it is your responsibility to check back to see if you won.

•The winner has 7 days to email me with their address or I will pick another winner.

Extra Entries:

+2 follow the blog

+2 Follow on Twitter - @teamsheltie

+2 If you're willing to put in a little effort:

 Go to my pal Lena's blog Addicted to Novels or her Twitter account at @Lena1xoxo and leave the phrase "Gobble Gobble" on any of her posts or on her twitter.
 LEAVE A LINK!

Visit Zoe: Zoe Archer

On Twitter: @Zoe_Archer

Buy the books!

Warrior (Blades of the Rose)

Scoundrel (The Blades of the Rose)

Rebel (The Blades of the Rose)

Stranger (The Blades of the Rose)

Interview: Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Raised by Wolves

I am so excited to welcome Jennifer Lynn Barnes here today. She has written one of my favorite paranormal books this year - YA or otherwise. Raised by Wolves is smart, original, gripping and extremely well written. You can read my review HERE. I had the opportunity to ask Jennifer a few questions about Raised by Wolves and I loved her answers. Enjoy!

I know this is the standard boring question - but for those who haven’t read Raised by Wolves yet, could you tell us a little bit about it?

Raised By Wolves is the story of a human teenager whose family was killed by a rabid werewolf when she was very young. Since then, she's been raised as part of the local werewolf pack, and she's actually pretty comfortable in their world--until the pack starts keeping secrets from her and she finds herself drawn into a fight for her independence-- and for justice. It's closer to Buffy than to a straight paranormal romance: lots of action, lots of sarcasm, friends who are like family, and coming of age.

Bryn is a human girl raised in a world of werewolves. She doesn’t possess their powers or strength. Is it difficult to strike that balance where Bryn is human but still capable of holding her own in a world that is predominantly male and where dominance is key and still make it believable to the reader?
When I'm writing, I never think "I have to make this believable" or "I have to make the main character strong." I think "I wonder what it would be like to grow up as the only human among a bunch of werewolves," and everything else just falls out of that. Bryn grew up knowing she was the underdog (no pun intended), and that shaped a lot of her personality. Having spent the first few years of my life in a neighborhood that was populated mostly by boys who were several years my senior, having to fight to keep up with people who are bigger and stronger than you are is something I relate to a lot.

You have a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) and did field research living with & studying monkeys, did your research with the primates help you to create the world in Raised by Wolves?
For my research, I've spent a lot of time on Monkey Island (which is really called Cayo Santiago), and that definitely shaped the way I write werewolves. Like wolves, the monkeys I study live in large social groups, have a strict dominance hierarchy, and rely on subtle facial expressions and gestures to communicate everything from submission to threat. When you're one of the only humans on an island with a thousand monkeys, you learn to think with that kind of pack mentality, and I definitely think that influenced the world I created in Raised By Wolves.

I assume that even though you studied monkey’s you chose wolves since “were-lemurs” don’t pack the same paranormal punch ;-)
I didn't actually sit down to write a book that would let me use my experiences as a primate researcher. I didn't even realize I'd tapped into it so much until the book was finished! I wrote werewolves because I've always loved werewolves-- that I've worked with pack animals was just a lucky coincidence! That said, I definitely think there's room in the market for were-lemurs... ;)

All the female characters are very strong in this book. I hear you are a big Buffy / Joss Whedon fan – do you think BTVS has influenced this generation of writers to create more complex female characters. Since that show I feel that girls can be portrayed as tough yet vulnerable in a way that they were never allowed to be before.
Joss Whedon's TV shows are a huge influence on my writing, and Buffy is one of my all-time favorite shows. I wouldn't go as far to say that female characters weren't as complex in the pre-Buffy days, or that there were things you weren't allowed to do, but I do think that this is a generation in which expecting female characters to be complex, tough, vulnerable, capable, but flawed is becoming more and more the default. Buffy didn't give us permission to write those kind of characters--but I do think it made us expect them and it changed the way we react to stories in which those kinds of characters are missing.
I also think that Buffy (and for that matter, all of Joss's shows) is a perfect example of a belief that I hold really close to my heart, and that's that there's not just one way to write a complex female character, just like there's not just one way to be a strong woman. Joss gave us so many examples of strong female characters: not everyone has to be a Buffy; Willow, Tara, Fred, Cordy, Anya, Faith, even more minor characters like Darla, Joyce, and in later seasons, Dawn-- all were strong characters in their own right. I think there's a tendency out there for people to write a single strong female character--often one who's physically strong--but in the Buffyverse (and in Firefly and Dollhouse), there are oodles of them, and each one is unique, with different strengths and different weaknesses.

You have written only YA up to this point. Would you ever consider writing adult paranormal? May I humbly suggest *beg* a novel/short story/anything involving Callum – the pack Alpha in Raised by Wolves?
I've never actually had the impulse to write an adult book before--probably because I still don't feel like much of an adult myself (and I am beginning to suspect I never will)! That said, I love the adult characters in Raised By Wolves, and if anyone could get me to stray into that realm, it's Callum (or possibly Ali).

I know you can’t really give any hints to the next book Trial by Fire without revealing spoilers for Raised by Wolves so I’ll just ask how many books do you have planned for this series?
That's a hard question to answer. The truth is that as an author, I never know how many books I'll get to write. Most of the time, with a series, the limiting factor isn't what the author wants to write; it's what the publisher wants to publish! If the sky were the limit and I could do as many Raised By Wolves books as I wanted, I would probably do four- one for each year between the time Bryn is 15 and when she's 18. Currently, though, my publisher and I haven't discussed past book two!

As you’re writing Trial by Fire and things get more complicated – is there a character that is giving you a hard time in terms of writing? What character are you enjoying writing more about?
The hardest character for me to wrap my mind around in Trial By Fire has been Chase. In Raised By Wolves, he was a freshly turned Were, and so much of his personality was dictated by that fact. In the first few months after someone is turned, the wolf instincts really overwhelm the human ones, so a lot of what we saw of a Chase in the first book was a product of that fact. As a result, I've been struggling in book two with figuring out who Chase is independent of his wolf--who he was before he was turned, and how he changes as a person as he gets his werewolf instincts more and more under control.
As for characters that I'm really enjoying writing more about, there are two that come immediately to mind--the first is Maddy, who you meet at the end of Raised By Wolves, and who plays a big role in Trial By Fire, and the second is a new character who you'll meet in the sequel. I'm also really loving Devon, who gets to show a lot more of his alpha side in Trial By Fire, even as he persists in being the world's only metrosexual werewolf.

This month I’m co-hosting The Ultimate Reviewers Challenge – an event where book bloggers write and link as many reviews as they can (at the end they can win a prize pack which includes a signed copy of Raised by Wolves!) As an author – what do you think the importance of bloggers are in raising awareness about new books?
I think the Ultimate Reviewers Challenge is a FANTASTIC idea. I am convinced that the number one thing that propels book sales is word of mouth. When I love a book, I want all of my friends to read it. I wrap it up and give it to my brother for Christmas, I tuck it into my mom's beach bag, and I convince my college professors that they really need to give YA a try! I'm a book pusher, and I think most bloggers are like that, too. You're the kind of people who love books and love talking about books, and I think that's the driving force in this industry. Whether it's on blogs or forums, or in person over coffee, people who talk about books are the best advocates authors could ask for, and I think the way the online blogger community has exploded in the past couple of years is fantastic!

Thank you for stopping by Jennifer!

You can find Jennifer on her website: http://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/  or her blog http://jenlyn-b.livejournal.com/
On Twitter: @jenlynnbarnes

Buy Raised by Wolves: Raised by Wolves

 Besides Raised by Wolves Jennifer has also written three other series: Tattoo and Fate, The Squad: Perfect Cover and Killer Spirit, and Golden & Platinum which I plan on reading soon while I patiently (or not so patiently) await Trial by Fire.