Showing posts with label Kindred. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kindred. Show all posts

Monday, March 18, 2019

Interview with sci-fantasy novelist Indie Gantz


Novelist Indie Gantz joins me today to chat a little bit about her new sci-fantasy, Kindred.

During her virtual book tour, Indie will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Indie Gantz grew up in Northern Virginia and received her Psychology degree at George Mason University. Despite her passion and curiosity for the human mind, Indie left her chosen field of study to finally give voice to the many imagined minds she has created.

Indie lives with her family in North Carolina. She spends her days drinking tea and clacking keys.

Welcome, Indie. Please share a little bit about your current release.
Kindred is the second book in the Akasha series, a genre-bending Sci-Fantasy epic that follows twins Charlie and Tirigan as they enter a new world and try to reunite their family. Starting with Passage, the first book in the series, the twins encounter powerful foes, struggle with their own relationship, and eventually start to realize that family can be the one you make, not necessarily the one you were born into.

What inspired you to write this book?
This series was inspired by the need for more diversity in genre fiction, which also promotes healthy relationships, complex family dynamics, and realistic self-exploration. Also, blending fantasy with science-fiction is a lot of fun and opens the world up to endless possibilities.


Excerpt from Kindred:
“Sorry for taking over your room,” I tell him, walking until the hallway ends in a slatted wooden door. I push it open as Oleander sighs dramatically behind me.
“Yes. I am incredibly put out. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Even though Oleander laughs, a jolt of guilt runs through me. He must see my regret in the sudden tension of my shoulders, because the Gyan’s laugh immediately disappears.
“I’m kidding, of course.” He places a hand on my shoulder, essentially swallowing it whole and forcing me to look up at him. “I’m thrilled to give you my room, Charlie. Over the moon about it. Really! Are you in the market for a new limb, by chance? Because I’ve got a couple with your name on them.”
“My name? Really?” I tease, challenge in my eyes despite the kindness in his.
“Don’t believe me?” Oleander’s brow’s raises comically. “Have a look, yourself.”
The tall Gyan raises his arms out as much as he can in the small hallway, exposing his forearms. There, written in long, flourishing strokes, is my name.
“How?” The question escapes before I can think better of it. Oleander searches my baffled expression for what feels like several minutes. I haven’t a clue what he finds there, but whatever it is makes him smile ruefully.
 “You really don’t know what you’re capable of. Do you?”
 “I… I guess not. No,” I respond quietly. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Charlie.” Oleander shakes his head. “You are who you are.”


What exciting story are you working on next?
I am releasing the first character companion piece that corresponds with the series. Captive will focus on Finn, a minor character in the story thus far, and will be about the length of a short novella. These character companion pieces are meant to give the reader brief insight into another perspective, and enrich the world I’m creating. Captive will be released this fall.

Salvage, the third book in the series, will be released some time next year.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I considered myself a writer the moment my sparkly gel pen wrote down it’s first angsty line of poetry. I considered myself a professional writer as soon as I started publishing my books. We’re writers if we say we are!

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’d say I write part-time, as I have a young family and spend a lot of my time managing my household. When I’m not playing head of house, I read a lot, listen and play music, and learn new languages.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I tend to write all the dialogue first in a scene, or maybe even a couple scenes, without any dialogue tags or background information. To me, dialogue is the most important part of developing characters, and I want it to feel natural. I spend a lot of time fleshing out the dialogue before anything else in a scene!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a doctor. Unfortunately, I wasn’t raised in a feminist household, and I got it in my head that I couldn’t make it as a doctor and be happy as a mother in the future. I so resent this line of thinking now, and part of my series will be devoted to empowering women to be the writers of their own story.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I’m very excited to share this series with the world. It’s planned to be about 8-10 books, with 5-7 companion piece novellas. It’s a sweeping epic with complex characters and interesting dynamics. It’s got aliens and magic & love and loss. I so hope you’ll consider reading it!

Links:

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, December 17, 2012

Interview with YA paranormal author Michelle Cornwell-Jordan

We're starting the week off with an interview with paranormal author Michelle Cornwell-Jordan. She's on a virtual book tour for her novella Kindred (Night School Vampire Hunter Trilogy).

There are MANY giveaways with this tour: 5 e-copies of Kindred per stop, and after the tour ends in late January there will be an additional 1 lucky winner of a $25.00 Amazon virtual gift card and 3 lucky winners who will win an autographed copy of Rock Artist Cecile Monique’s EP Immortal Beloved! (Angel and Rafael’s song!) You can enter through the Rafflecopter code below.

Bio:
Michelle Cornwell-Jordan is a YA Paranormal Author. Her titles include a co-written work with Danny Jones entitled Reahket and her solo YA Novella series Night School Vampire Hunter Trilogy.

She is also the producer of the online radio segment IndieReview Behind The Scenes, where she and her co-host Jamie B Musings interviews Indie Authors and Musicians.

Michelle has been married for 17 years and has a 14-year-old daughter. A book lover, her favorite genre has always been paranormal adventures.

Another love is writing. Michelle has been writing about as long as she has been a bibliophile! Losing herself in a fantasy world that she is creating on paper is how she loves spending her spare time.

Welcome, Michelle Please tell us about your current release.
The Kindred is the second novella in The Night School Vampire Hunter trilogy.

Angel and her friends at Ame Academy, a boarding school for preternatural and humans are back, and they are preparing for battle against the dark forces that kidnapped Angel’s younger brother Jordan. Angel had recently discovered that she was a Hunter and that she alone has a special weapon against her enemies, her blood, which is discovered to be toxic to her enemies. Angel is prepared to use her training and all that is at her disposal in order to save Jordan, even if that means joining forces with the strange and mysterious Rafael, who at their first meeting, she recognized him as the boy she had dreamed about for weeks prior to his arrival at the school. Angel cannot shake the feeling that she knew Rafael before, and is hopelessly drawn to her extremely handsome fellow hunter.

Rafael frightens her, he hints of a secret; another time and another life lived.

Can love survive two lifetimes?

Events unfold that provides the answers to who Rafael really is and what they mean to one another; and along with these strange and blossoming emotions for Rafael, along with guilt and fear for her brothers safety; Angel discovers that she is more than just a Vampire Hunter, and that she plays a major role in a ancient prophecy, which she must fulfill by facing a force so evil that survival is not promised.

But she will face the Dark One, Angel will sacrifice all, if it means saving all whom she loves.

Many questions are answered, but the drama is just beginning.

What inspired you to write this book?
A local school located near my house. When seeing it, the idea sprung into my head about a different student body residing in the school.

Excerpt:
A thought came into my head and I turned, pinning Rafael with a please don’t mess with me right now…or I’ll rip your heart out stare. I said, “When we first met, you said we knew one another that you were with me when I was little, that we’ve always known one another…always…l-l-oved one another…” I quickly tuned out the others in the room, not wishing to focus on the reactions of the others…although I did catch the big smile from Elin; an incurable romantic it seemed. I knew this should have been a private conversation, but deep down I felt Rafael knew what was happening; I wanted to know what he knew…

He looked at me, with one of those intense, smoldering I’m a hot guy, and I really know what this look is doing to you stare…but I wasn’t going to allow it to affect me. I simply held his gaze in a stable, strong manner…and hoped I didn’t look like a deer in the headlights… he sighed and said, “Do you really want to talk about this here?” Rafael looked at me intently, leaning forward, resting his forearms on his knees…hands pressed together in the steeple formation that everyone uses to signify they are deep in thought.

I said quietly, “Yes.” He looked at me again, and I swear, if he didn’t stop looking at me that way, I would completely forget what we were talking about. He stood up, and crossed the room and came to stand in front of me—did I happen to mention how close he was? Well, enough that I felt a little uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t step back, and I refocused. I needed to hear what he had to say.

“I knew you because I am ThunderKin; yes, I knew who you were and what this meant in the war coming Samhain…”

“Okay,” I said trying to digest that here stood one of the legendary Thunderbirds…I saw how his eyes glowed, now appearing that unearthly golden hue; a worried expression passed over his features, and I wondered what worried him. I said, “And the rest about knowing me?”

“I knew you because…” he said as he reached out, placed his hand on the side of my face, and leaned in close, lips almost touching. He whispered, “I knew you because you are my destiny…my mate.”

Really can you believe this?


What exciting story are you working on next?
I am actually going to complete, then re-edit A LOT my 2012 NanoWriMo creation, Chrysalis.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I know we are to say when putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard…I know the old adage, that whenever we write even if no one sees it, then we are still writers. I agree that is true. But I did not “feel” like an actual writer, or the vision was clear to me, until one of my kids in the After School program where I work said “When will the next one be released?!”
The fact the child was awaiting my next novella that just shifted me into full gear to go towards this dream!

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, currently I still work an outside job; I work with children in an After-School program. I write whenever a morsel of free time appears.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I love to listen to music, and many times whatever I am listening, dictates the narration of my story.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a writer. Always and Forever.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Please join the Hunter Series Fan Club on Goodreads and FaceBook!

As a member, you will be the first to hear about great deals, giveaways and much more involving the series.

Also there are great Author Guests (Hunter Allies) that give guest posts speaking with our junior members 5th-12th grade.

Places to find the novella:

Thanks, Michelle. Readers, don't forget about the SEVERAL giveaways up for grabs with this tour. Enter here: