Interview with YA author Becca C. Smith

Today's guest is YA author Becca C. Smith. She writes young adult novels, and is here to talk about her newest book, Riser.

Bio: 
Becca C. Smith received her Film degree from Full Sail University and has worked in the Film and Television industry for most of her adult life.

Becca is the author of the teen horror/sci-fi novel, Riser. She is also the co-author of the teen graphic novel Ghost Whisperer: The Haunted and also wrote and illustrated Little Family Secrets, a graphic novel based on the true story of her great aunt who was famous for murdering her husband.

She currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and two cats Jack and Duke.

Welcome, Becca. Please tell us about your current release.

Black swirling holes churning madly in the center of every corpse.This is how eighteen-year-old Chelsan Derée sees the deceased.Her ability to connect to the black spinning holes allows her to control every dead thing within a four-mile radius.

But that’s the least of her problems. It’s 2320 and Chelsan Derée has to survive another year of high school, which for her is pure and utter torture, mainly due to the fact that her schoolmate Jill Forester’s favorite activity is making Chelsan’s life a living hell. If that isn’t enough, Chelsan’s impossible crush on Ryan Vaughn makes her brain do somersaults on a regular basis, especially since she is positive he doesn’t know she exists. And being eighteen Chelsan has to deal with the pressure of whether or not she should take a little pill called Age-pro, which cures aging, making the world eighteen forever and highly over-populated.

When Chelsan’s mother, Janet, is brutally killed, along with everyone else in her trailer park, Chelsan finds out that she was the intended target.

Chelsan must use her power to raise and control the dead to save herself, protect her friends and take down the man responsible for murdering her mother.

What inspired you to write this book?

I really started getting into YA books. I couldn’t seem to read enough of them and it inspired me to write my own. Riser was actually based on a TV pilot I wrote years before and I thought it would work nicely as a teen sci-fi novel

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’ve actually written two books in the Riser series and I’m currently working on the third. I hope to have it released by August or September this year. It’ll be the end of the first trilogy. Now that I’ve created a “world” I can write other trilogies within that universe. I’ve already thought of the first book of the trilogy revolving around a three-hundred-year-old assassin, so that should be a lot of fun!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I started writing at age 5. It’s something I’ve always done and honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Writing is a complete joy and escape for me. I love creating new and interesting worlds that others can escape into as well. I’m a Hungry Hippo when it comes to writing and reading! I just can’t get enough!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I always write. I often equate writing to breathing for me, lol. Even when I have full time jobs, I write at least a 1,000 words a day. When I have free time, I’ll sometimes write all day. I also like to draw. I wrote and illustrated a graphic novel, Little Family Secrets based on a true story.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure if I have any quirks per se, but I do love writing outdoors, if that counts. At parks, the front yard, the balcony, as long as I have my iced mocha and something to write on I’m happy!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I only ever wanted to be two things: a writer, or an astronaut. And I’m not an astronaut, lol.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’m also a sucker for younger YA books as well! I actually have just published a YA book for younger audiences called, Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale’s Treasure. It was a lot of fun writing it. It’s full of code-breaking, hunting for treasure and adventure!

Thanks for stopping by today, Becca.

Interview with authors behind Gabriella Hewitt pseudonym

Today's interview is with the authors behind the pseudonym of romantic suspense writer Gabriella Hewitt to talk about their novel Shadow Visions.

Bio:

Gabriella Hewitt is the pen name of creative writing talents Sasha Tomaszycki and Patrizia M.J. Hayashi. Together, they weave tales of romantic suspense and dangerously sensual paranormals. Check out the website www.GabriellaHewitt.com to find out about upcoming releases and events on their blog.

Welcome Sasha and Patrizia. Please tell us about your current release as Gabriella Hewitt.

Shadow Visions is the second installment in the Shadow Warrior series.

Manuel has been tracking down a demon bent on sacrificing women with hummingbird tattoos. He is in danger of losing his humanity to his eagle spirit until he comes across Ixa Reyes, a beautiful San Diego Detective working on the same case, who also bears the mark of Huitzilopochtli. She is his salvation and redemption from a past filled with failure. Only she wants nothing to do with him or her heritage.

When a demon kidnaps her grandfather, the wind god, they must work together to save him and all mankind. He has twenty-four hours to help her control her elemental power over wind that is if he can control his own desires to claim her body and soul. Because if he should fail, then the god of war will bring in a new era filled with blood and destruction.

When the last Shadow Warrior falls, so will humanity.

What inspired you to write this book?

Aztec warriors were a huge inspiration for this story. Eagle warriors were an elite division of the Aztec army, think of them as the equivalent of the US Marines. They were fast, lethal and stealthy. They were considered highly intelligent and closer to the Sun God due to their status and position on the temple. Warriors were allowed to walk up the steps and the closer to the top of the temple, the closer to divinity. They were a symbol of strength, aggressiveness and nobility and they were highly feared.

Manuel is cunning, quicker and uses his brains more than his brawn to figure out how to reach Ixa, his spirit mate and a hardened cop bent on denying her heritage. He could have flaunted hi muscle, or even his keen sense of style with his feather mantle and skimpy loin cloth, but instead he has another way directly to her heart—seduction and deduction.

Oh, Manuel is a very different kind of Shadow Warrior.

What exciting story are you working on next?

The third installment of the Shadow Warrior series -- Mountain Shadows -- It is a full length novel featuring some new characters and new gods but the same intense passion and kick-butt action scenes.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

No, we both are mothers of 3 and work. Patrizia is an Assistant Professor of English at a Japanese university. Sasha is a former NYC public school teacher, who now works as a substitute teacher in her new community.

Still we make it a point to get in a chair and write, write, write. Patrizia lives in Japan and Sasha lives in the USA. They zing the manuscript back and forth via the Internet. One writes while the other one sleeps and vice versa.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Sasha - I drink 2 cups of coffee and keep a stash of chocolates nearby for inspiration.

Patrizia – I can write with the kids around or the TV on, but for the life of me, I can’t write with music playing. Sasha will send me songs for inspiration that go with our current manuscript. I listen to them, but when it comes time to write, off they go. I can’t think with music on. Go figure.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Sasha - A Television/Movie Producer. In a way, I got to live my dream. Instead of movies, I write books that let people enjoy my crazy imagination.

Patrizia – I think it changed with each grade. I probably touched on every career choice at some point—even a forensic pathologist. Now I get to tackle all these jobs vicariously through my characters, and that’s just fine with me.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Sasha and I are often asked how we write as a team. We have been partners for several years now. I can’t imagine writing with anyone else. There’s no magic involved. It’s hard work, patience and the ability to take ego out of the equation. It always comes down to what’s best for the story. We know what we want to achieve and though it’s been a long road to journey, we’ve enjoyed every minute of it (well, mostly—rejections are never any fun. ;-)  ). We make a great team and we expect to be around and on the shelves for many years to come. After all, our motto is Think Big! And we always do.

Thank you for having this be tour stop. It's a pleasure meeting you both.