Author Interview + TITLE REVEAL: Dan Krokos (False Memory Series)

Guys, I'm so SO excited to have this on my blog today. I had the pleasure of going to an event with Dan Krokos last year, and he was so awesome I'm pretty certain I fell just a little in love. He's got a great wit and was so genuine and fun -- so when I was asked to interview him, I couldn't believe the good luck! I quite like him, and the False Memory series is a fantastic, thrilling read. It's completely unique from anything I've read, and I can't wait for the third and final book. Speaking of that third and final book...GUESS WHO'S GOT THE TITLE FOR IT?! A reveal, guys! Read on below for it...

False Sight (False Memory #2) by Dan Krokos
Disney-Hyperion, 336 pages
US Release Date: August 13, 2013

All Miranda wants is a normal life. She's determined to move past the horrible truth of her origin as a clone so she can enjoy time with her boyfriend, Peter, and the rest of her friends at school. But Miranda quickly learns that there's no such thing as normal - not for a girl who was raised to be a weapon. When one of her teammates turns rogue, it begins a war that puts the world in jeopardy. Now Miranda must follow her instincts - not her heart - in order to save everything she's fought so hard to keep. with the image of a terrible future seared into her mind, what will she have to sacrifice to protect the people she loves?
---------------------Synopsis provided by publicist

Purchase here!

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1. What’s it like writing in a female character’s voice? What made you go that route?
It was very difficult at the start, before I really knew Miranda. I don’t think I’ll do it again for a long time, at least not in first person. I went that route because at the time I’d been writing a lot of masculine adult crime fiction, lots of action and grit and all that. And I was getting rejections from publishers saying, “This is good, but it won’t appeal to enough female readers.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, since I know a lot of women read and love gritty crime fiction, but it started to make me think. What if this was all I could do? Did I really want to write the same kind of book the rest of my life?

So I decided to really step outside my comfort zone. Adult thrillers were comfy. But writing for the perspective of a teen girl? Decidedly uncomfortable. Luckily I had lots of great female readers to help along the way.

2. So much of this story seems to involve science, from the ability of the Roses to their existence. Have you always been a science nerd?
Always. Ever since my dad got me into SF as a kid. I think the advancements we’ve made are too incredible for words, and then I think about how much we still don’t know. It’s amazing. I try to base as much stuff as I can in reality, to make it feel grounded, but I definitely toe the line into fantasy sometimes. I’m a huge fantasy nerd too, so I just can’t help it.

3. What are some of the challenges you face writing a sequel/continuing series?
Continuity. Making sure stuff makes sense from beginning to end. It really sucks to have a cool idea for book 3, but then not have access to book 2 to make the necessary changes. I think it would be cool to write a series and have all the books done before they come out.

Another big challenge is upping the stakes in each book. If you have the world at risk in one book, what do you do for the next? Put it at risk again? That would get boring, fast, and it wouldn’t be all that tense.

4. Do you feel your writing changed between books?
Absolutely. I think False Sight has much better prose overall. I was a new baby author writing False Memory in 2010, and I’ve definitely grown since then. I also got more comfortable with Miranda’s voice, so it was nice to be able to slip back into that.

5. What did you learn from Book 1 that influenced how you wrote and/or approached book 2?
Apparently nothing. I wrote a draft of book 2, and then threw it out completely and started from scratch. It took a lot longer overall to finish the second book. Goes to show you that, even with an outline, things can go wrong. But the hard work was worth it, I think.

6. I know it’s futile, but it can’t hurt to ask: anything you can tell us about Book 3? The title? The first word of the book? Anything?!
Sure! The first sentence will probably be, “True Earth came back to finish us off on December 21st.” It’s Rhys talking, though he isn’t a viewpoint character, at least not after page 2.

Almost the entire book takes place in Manhattan during a snowstorm. The kind where it’s so cold it actually hurts to go outside. I wanted to keep it to one location after the mania in book 2.

And I don’t think I’ve revealed this anywhere, but the title is FALSE FUTURE.

7. Are you nervous about ending your series? What are your feelings about the end being near?
I’m really excited about it, about there being a conclusion. I have two series right now, and the worst part about them is that they’re not done. They’re not complete. So to finish something will be really cool. I’m nervous about it for sure (I’m actually working on the final edits right this minute), but I think it ends in a satisfying place. That’s all I want: for people who’ve been around the last two years to feel like it was worth the read.

8. I was at an event with you last year, and the girls in line were fighting about which boy they claimed. So I have to ask: are you Team Noah or Team Peter?
Team Peter, absolutely. He’s the guy I want to be. Noah is closer to the guy I am, or was. Actually, I’m Team Rhys. I like him a lot, and no one seems to want to kiss him.  [Ashley's note: I'm Team Rhys, actually!]

That’s nice that people still like Noah. After everything he’s done, I’m surprised anyone can forgive him.

Flash Answer Section 
Music or Quiet? Music.
Series or stand-alones? Series.
Pen or pencil? Pen.
Outer space or underground? Outer space.
Lose your sense of smell, or lose your sight? Smell.
Weapon of choice? Straight sword.
Scientists develop a pill that will enhance ONE of your five senses for 24 hours – but you can only ever do it once. Do you do it? And if you do, which sense do you choose and when? Sure, why not? I’d probably go with sight. Everything else might be awful. If you could hear that much better, you’d probably get a headache. And I live in NYC, so I already wish my sense of smell was dulled.

As I always end…
Last 3 items purchase?
A windproof ninja mask to wear in winter. Clear protective glasses for riding a motorcycle at night. And new computer speakers.

Last 3 websites visited?
Twitter, tumblr, and io9.com

Last 3 books read?
The Stand, The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, and Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

About the Author

After pumping gas for nine years to put himself through college, Dan Krokos, now twenty-seven, dropped out to write full-time. He is currently hard at work on three separate projects: the final stop for Miranda North in the False Memory series, the next adventure for thirteen-year-old Mason Stark in The Planet Thieves series, and his first adult thriller.

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How PERFECT is that title for the third book?! I'm dying for False Future! Thank you so much Dan for being a great interview and letting me host you! (And thank you Anne!)

Interview: FT Bradley, author of Double Vision! (MG)

I am so ridiculously excited to have FT Bradley on my little blog, guys! I just read her Middle Grade spy adventure Double Vision, and it is FANTASTIC! My review went up earlier today, you should read it here. I'm so excited to discuss publishing and spies with her!

Double Vision (Double Vision #1) by FT Bradley

Harper Children's, 244 Pages

US Release Date: October 16, 2012

One's a Secret Agent, One's Not.

Twelve-year-old Linc is a trouble-maker with a dilemma. His antics on a recent school field trip went way overboard, landing his already poor family with a serious lawsuit. So when two secret agents show up at his house, Linc is eager to take them up on their offer to make the lawsuit disappear. They just need one tiny favor.

Turns out Linc looks exactly like one of their top kid agents—an agent who's vanished during a vitally important mission. But no debriefing can prepare Linc for how dangerous the mission really is. It's too bad he isn't a black belt, a math genius, or a distance runner like his agent double. He'll need all those skills and more if he hopes to make it out of this mission alive. . . .
---------------summary provided by author

Five word book pitch: Go!

Dude, the pressure! Okay: Troublemaker kid becomes secret agent.

What made you write Middle Grade Fiction?

Actually, it wasn’t my idea, believe it or not. I’d been writing and pitching YA to agents for years, got close a few times but no luck. It wasn’t until my current agent (Stephen Barbara with Foundry) suggested I try middle-grade that I did. And I wish I’d done it sooner—MG is such fun…

Tell us about your publishing story – how did it happen?

Well, after my agent and I worked on a middle-grade concept, we put a proposal together for what’s now the Double Vision series. I wrote about 75 pages of manuscript, but roughly half of that never made it into the book…. :)

Harper Children’s bought it, and then I worked with my editor to refine the plot, the series direction, etc. But Linc stayed the same throughout the process. He’s a stubborn dude.

Why spies?

I always wanted to be a spy… Seriously, I love thrillers, that whole chase-with-a-puzzle type story. So I channeled all that into Linc’s adventures. It’s fun.

What made you choose Paris as the location for Linc’s mission?

I tried to imagine what city I would want to visit if I was a 12 year-old kid reading the book. And Paris was the first place I thought of. It’s such a mysterious and fascinating city…

Is Linc based off anyone you know in real life? Is he a little bit of you?

I was a goody two-shoes when I was a kid, pretty much. I would do all my homework, got good grades, did what I was told.

Linc is the opposite of all those qualities. If there’s a red button you’re not supposed to push, he’ll do it. And that’s what’s so fun: I get to make up for all the trouble I didn’t get into as a kid. You know, fictionally.

How much fun was it to think of all the cool gadgets Henry makes Linc?!

The gadgets are the best—and I love writing Henry chapters :) He’s a cool guy. I wish I could have some of these gadgets…. [Ashley's note: Henry was my favourite!]

What’s your favourite one? One you wish you had in real life?

Hmmm… The Tickstick is pretty fun—I could blow stuff up. Who doesn’t want that?

What kind of research did you have to do for this book? I really loved learning about all the different types of codes/ciphers there are!

That was a lot of fun. And a lot of my research didn’t even make it into the book—there are so many stories of codes being used throughout history, it’s amazing… I read a lot of books, geeky girl that I am. 

Were you a troublemaker like Linc growing up? The beginning chicken scene is pretty awesome…

Good girl, all the way :) I get to live vicariously through Linc’s troublemaking. He does all the stuff I didn’t have the guts for.

What’s one thing that surprised you about the publishing journey?

How amazingly good editors are at their jobs! My editors can spot plot problems, details I overlooked, like no one else. When I started this journey, I didn’t expect the editing process to be this involved. It’s very rewarding to see how much your writing improves with these editors’ help.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become an author?

Keep learning. Writing really is a craft: you never stop improving your skills. So have a positive attitude about everything, and never think you’re done learning.

For your blog tour, you had Linc go to different independent bookstores around the country – are indie stores special to you? Tell us about your favourite one!

Indie bookstores add that personal touch to book buying—I can’t say enough good things about them. Many of the stores I featured I’ve yet to visit—I can’t wait to, though. I’ve been to Seattle Mystery Bookshop years ago, and that’s a store I really love. The staff is so energetic! Makes me wish I lived around the corner.

Double Vision is the first in a 3-book series – are you working on anything beside’s Linc’s adventures?

Right now, Linc’s adventures take up most of my time—the schedule is pretty tight. But who knows what’s in the future? I’ll keep you posted… :)

What’s your favourite part of being an author?

I get to be a 12 year-old troublemaker when I sit down to write—how cool is that?

Flash Answer Section!

Le Tour Eiffel or L’Arc de Triomphe? L’Arc de Triomphe—the history is too cool.

Coffee or Tea? Coffee. Nuf said.

Ability to freeze time or ability to fly? Freeze time! That would be awesome…

Pen or pencil? Pen—why be wishy-washy? No erasing allowed.

Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate, with fudge sauce please.

Croissants or pie? Croissants, with chocolate spread. Yum…

Last three items purchased? Envelopes to mail, a lasagna dish to cook, and wine. Boring list, I know. 

Last three websites visited? Facebook, Twitter, and a Yahoo news story on spies.

Last three books read? The Bookseller by Mark Pryor, Cash Out by Greg Bardsley, and Drama by Raina Telgemeier. My nightstand is eclectic…

Did I not tell you she's awesome?! Give me a croissant with chocolate spread and a fantastic book with a troublemaking 12-year-old undercover spy any day. I love how it seems like she's got a great set of professionals around her, from attentive editors to an agent who can advise her and understand that her writing would suit well for MG. Please leave a comment telling FT how awesome she is, and definitely check out Double Vision! Also, stop by the website for the book - it's packed with great spy things and codes!

Double Vision is available now!

(and PERFECT for a Holiday gift, if I do say so myself!)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

F. T. Bradley is originally from the Netherlands and still likes to travel whenever she gets a chance. Her husband's Air Force career has F. T. and their two daughters moving all around the world, but for the moment the family lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Double Vision is the first book in her new middle-grade series about Linc Baker and Ben Green.

Find out more at www.doublevisionbooks.com, and follow F.T. on Twitter @FTBradleyAuthor.

Interview + GIVEAWAY: TEMPTATION by Karen Ann Hopkins

When I first heard about the book Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins, I knew it would be one I'd have to read. I'm fascinated by other cultures, especially ones that are completely unlike my own yet so close - something I think the Amish fall under pretty well! And then when you find out it's a romance, and pubbed by HarlequinTeen (if anyone knows a good romance, it's them)...I mean, that just has to be good. Today I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to interview Karen and discuss what the Amish culture is like and her experience writing Temptation. Check out the awesome photos she sent, too!

******

First, can you explain how you came to know the Amish culture?
In 2008 I moved from Tennessee to a farm situated in the middle of an Amish community in northern Kentucky. Immediately upon my arrival, the local Amish teens began coming to the farm to ride in the arena and participate with equine related activities. I got to know many of the Amish young people through the horse business, but I also drove Amish families as a part-time job. Amish girls babysit my younger children and my own teens have struck up close friendships with the neighborhood kids.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about the Amish culture?
That their lives are cozy and quaint compared to their non-Amish neighbors. The Amish have many of the same problems that everyone else has. Marital difficulties, financial stress, issues with disobedient children and disagreements with other families in the community are common among the Amish. But adding to those common problems is a lot of hard work to do basic chores, such as laundry, dish cleaning and mowing the yard. The Amish also face the daily dilemma of having to pay a person to drive them to town or deal with the aggravation of catching and harnessing a horse to do the same task. There is a real possibility of accident and serious injury every time they take to the roadway with their buggies.

What stereotype about the Amish culture is true?
They are very religious.

Was the inspiration for your novel from a real life story you knew or witnessed?
I was inspired to write TEMPTATION from observing the interactions between the Amish and non-Amish teens at my farm. Although, Rose and Noah’s story is fictional, I’ve witnessed several Amish youth leave their community to be with outsiders. In all cases, they were shunned by their families.

What surprised you most about the Amish culture?
I’m constantly surprised at how technology-savvy some of the Amish teens are. They carefully sneak behind their parents and the elder’s backs to use cell phones, video games and computers. Whenever one of the local Amish teens pops up on my FB page requesting friendship, I chuckle, but unfortunately, it’s not a laughing matter at all. These kids will eventually get caught and face punishment for using the same items that every non-Amish teen takes for granted.

Was anyone hesitant when they heard you were writing a novel involving the Amish culture?
My entire community was uncomfortable with the idea, especially since the subject is about their biggest fear—a forbidden romance between one of their own and an outsider. Overall, they have looked the other way and treated me and my children well nonetheless. I was especially pleased when one of the Amish girls who left the community a year earlier to be with her non-Amish boyfriend contacted me to say she loved the book. She told me that she cried while turning the pages, admitting that her own situation was similar to Noah’s. She married her sweetheart a month ago, and her family didn’t attend the wedding. I believe Rose and Noah’s story needed to be told as their situation happens in real life and is an unknown struggle to most people.

What other books or music inspired you while writing Temptation? (If any.)
I primarily read fantasy and paranormal myself, but I find the Amish lifestyle has its own surreal quality that makes it extra interesting and fun to write about. I was careful not to read any other Amish stories throughout the process of creating TEMPTATION. I wanted my book to be completely drawn from my experiential knowledge of the community that surrounds me.
The Amish aren’t allowed to listen to music, but one Amish boy in particular would sing the lyrics to Second Chance by Shinedown when he came to hang out with my sons. He related his own life to the song, and whenever I hear it, I think about Amish teens.

While writing, were you ever worried about a reaction to how you portrayed the Amish culture?
Yes, as stated above, I knew the Amish would be concerned to have their secretive world put into the pages of a book. I was careful to set Meadowview in Ohio and not Kentucky where I live and I tried not to use the names of my closest neighbors. Several former Amish have praised the book as accurate and fitting, making me feel confident that I portrayed the Amish fairly and honestly.

Have you experienced any backlash because of your novel/content?
Nope. I’m lucky to have wonderful neighbors. I know some of the Amish teens and their mothers have purchased copies of TEMPTATION in secret, but most won’t read the book. Overall, my relationships in the community haven’t changed much.

I know this is the first in a series - are the following two books continuations of Rose and Noah's story, or more companion novels to them?
They are continuations of Rose and Noah’s story. BELONGING, the second book in the series, will be available in May, 2013. (Ashley's note: It's on Goodreads already! Add it!)

What advice would you give writers who may be considering tackling a culture completely unlike their own?
They must live it to write about it. I actually went to my neighbor’s house to help with laundry for a day so that I’d get the real idea of what it’s like to hand wash with an old-fashioned ringer. I took an Amish family on vacation with my family to the Smoky Mountains and my younger children are babysat by the Amish on a regular basis. I’ve attended five Amish weddings and numerous church events. For the first two years that I lived in Kentucky, I spent more time with the Amish than anyone else. Through all these experiences I developed the knowledge to write accurately about not just the obvious differences between the cultures, but also all the little nuances that most people don’t know about.

Did anything surprise you about the Amish culture?

Tell me!

**My review of Temptation will be up near the end of the month!

Karen has also generously donated a copy to give away!

Open WORLDWIDE! (how awesome is that?!)

Enter through the rafflecopter below, and all my usual giveaway policy rules apply.

Ends 9/3, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Indie Bound

(bio & photo taken from Goodreads)

Blog Tour: Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

I have the absolute pleasure of hosting Caitlen Rubino-Bradway today for her blog tour; she's the author of Ordinary Magic, a Middle Grade fantasy book that releases next week!

I have to ask about the unusual spelling of your first name - is there a story behind it? Do you like it?

First, I’m really impressed that you noticed the spelling. There are people I’ve known for years that still spell it ‘Caitlin’. I actually really love my name, especially now that I get to see it on a book cover, but I’ve kind of accepted that it’s going to be misspelled a lot. That’s okay, I’m a terrible speller myself. Just as long as they get it right on the book.

There actually isn’t a story behind my name, other than the family rumor that Mom picked out all our names from seeing them in a book. But then she just decided on a spelling she liked. Mom did say I could make up a story if I wanted, so I’m going to say she spelled it that way just to annoy people. Although once this guy in a bookstore tried to convince me that the spelling was Old Irish (I think) and that I’d been mispronouncing it. Apparently the correct pronunciation is not KATE-lin but KAT-leen. Unfortunately, the wrong pronunciation was stuck in my head by that point, so we’ll just have to go with that.

Introduce us to Ordinary Magic: what's something you'd like the reader to take away from the story?

Actually, what I love about stories is that five different people can read the same thing and each take away something completely different. The story is the same, but the reading is personal. I’m really looking forward to hearing what my readers take away from Ordinary Magic.

But, seriously, it should be how awesome Gil is.

Your previous works have all been co-written with your mom (which I love, my mom is my best friend) - was it difficult to do a solo novel?

Yes and no. It’s difficult to write any novel — no matter how much I love a story, there’s always a point where I start tearing my hair out because it is just taking so LONG. That’s what’s nice about working with Mom: there’s somebody else to talk things over when you get frustrated, to keep you going, and, most importantly, go get coffee with. Of course, you also have to have a give and take. When you’re writing on your own, you get to control everything. But then it’s also all on you: meeting deadlines, getting up in the morning, and sitting your butt down in front of that computer.

Your previous works are also all Jane Austen-centric - does Ordinary Magic have any Austen-like qualities? Or did you want to depart from that fully?

I tried to depart from that fully; Ordinary Magic’s just a different story. It’s actually interesting that Mom and I write completely different stuff apart than when we’re together. On her own Mom wrote an awesome mystery series about a single mom, and I love MG and YA fantasy, but then we have Lady Vernon, which is an adult historical inspired by Jane Austen.

Your novel sounds fabulous! Why did you decide to write a fantasy book?

I love fantasy books! Especially middle grade and young adult — I feel like they really have this sense of fun and wonder. Some of my favorite books are kids fantasies; I love The Secret Garden, and, more recently, I was really charmed by Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George. It also helps that everybody’s running around in cool fantasy clothing — because, you know, pretty dresses only ever enhance a reading experience. In fact, I often debate dressing up for my reading time, I have a couple of Renn Faire outfits, but my favorite corset laces up the back so it’s really hard to put on by myself.

Are you working on anything else now, or are you basking in the soon-to-be-published glow?

At the moment I’m working on a YA paranormal that is taking forever to finish. It is going to make me go bald from all this tearing the hair out.

What made you choose to write a MG novel?

Actually, when I was originally submitting Ordinary Magic, I thought it was a YA — Abby was 12, because she just sort of showed up at that age, but there was some scary stuff in that draft. The two villains smacked the kids around and cursed a couple times, Abby’s older siblings engaged in a bit of risqué teasing, and there are carnivorous creatures in the book that we, shall we say, saw the aftermath of.  It was my wonderful and fabulous editor who pointed out that Abby’s age dictated my audience — because she’s 12, my target audience is going to be 8-14, as kids mostly like to read up. Because I was looking at a younger audience, I had to cut a lot back to make it more age appropriate. Sometimes it was just the way I’d talk about a certain thing, and other times it was whole scenes.

Was it difficult writing Ordinary Magic? Getting it published?

The writing and publishing process always has it’s ups and downs. For instance, it’s always tough writing a full-length novel, but I feel really lucky to have had Abby. From the first she’s been a character that’s taken hold of the pen, and her POV was one of the easiest things to write.

As for getting it published, I kind of lucked out there, too. I actually work for the woman who’s my literary agent, and I originally asked her to read the book over to just give me some feedback, not expecting her to offer to represent it. I also got Bloomsbury Children’s, which handles some of my favorite authors — I was especially lucky because that draft needed a lot of work. It was a 90k word behemoth that was a little all-over-the-place. I had to cut at least 30k words, which meant I chopped an entire plot line (that will — fingers crossed — make up the backbone for Book 2), and a lot of just chatty stuff. It took me about 9 months to do the revisions, and then another year for it to work through the publishing process, so it’s been a long road.

Argus Filch from Harry Potter

What inspired you? I can't help but think of Argus Filch, the Squib from Harry Potter - but I love that in Ordinary Magic there is a negative consequence for being non-magical.

You’re so right! I actually got the idea for Ordinary Magic a while back, when my friends and I were talking about fantasy novels we liked, and I thought how often I’d seen the special person or kid who is an orphan or unloved by their family who turns out to have the biggest magic of them all. Don’t get me wrong, I love that plotline, but I just thought, you know, I’d love to see a story where the main character can’t do any magic at all. How would they function?

Shortly after that I was re-reading Harry Potter, I was really struck by that scene in Chamber of Secrets where Harry comes across Filch’s Kwikspell letter, and afterwards Ron is laughing about it, and I couldn’t help thinking how much that must stink. There’s also the moment when Neville tells how his uncle dropped him out a window because he was worried that Neville’s magic hadn’t shown up. It’s supposed to be a funny moment, but how awful is it that your family would chuck you out a window just to prove you’re not a squib?

I absolutely ADORE the cover of Ordinary Magic - it's bright and whimsical and so enticing! Did you ever envision the cover before it existed? Is it anything like what you'd imagined?

It’s better than I imagined. I was thrilled when Bloomsbury Children’s accepted Ordinary Magic, and a big part of that was that I’ve always loved their covers. So I knew I was going to get something awesome. Which is good, because I also knew, from working in publishing and the Lady Vernon process with Mom, that the cover is ultimately up to the publisher’s art department. Publishers will consult with the author, but the final say is up to them. As you can see, they came up with something completely gorgeous.

What's the best part about being a writer? The worst?

I’d say the best part is seeing your book in bookstores, but actually my favorite is the feeling I get on those special days when everything’s working. The characters are mostly doing what I want them to do, but when they’re not they’re still interesting and telling me stuff about them I hadn’t thought about yet, when I can figure out the exact way to say what I want, and I can turn off the computer and go do my laundry, feeling like I’ve accomplished something. It’s a total high.

The worst part is, naturally, the exact opposite of that. There are days when nothing is coming, when it’s pulling teeth to get a sentence written, and my characters are all acting like a sullen 15-year-old Caitlen and refusing to even talk about why they’re not behaving. (Yes, I had a very moody teenagerdom.) Those are the days when I slam my computer shut and can’t stop worrying that the story is stupid, and cliché, and no one is ever going to want to read it in a million years.

As you can see, I’m well past the moodiness now.

Anything you would like to tell the readers?

Just that I hope you enjoy it. For all of my trials and tribulations, I had a lot of fun writing this book, and I hope that translates into the reading.

How can you be contacted/found around the web?

I am on Facebook and Twitter! Also there will be a website coming.

How about some randomness to close out! What were your last 3 purchases?

A coffee, a couple of sea-salt caramels, and a ticket to Newsies on Broadway.

Last 3 websites you visited?

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Obscurus Lupa's Channel on That Guy With The Glasses

My Twitter page

And of course, last 3 books read?

Eye of the World (now that the final book is coming out in January, I’ve promised myself I’m going to read the entire series)

The Truth by Terry Pratchett

Knightly Academy by Violet Haberdasher

How awesome is Caitlen?? Anybody who loves The Secret Garden gets a plus in my book, and I can't wait to see what's in her YA novel after all she had to edit out of Ordinary Magic. Thank you so much Caitlen for the pleasure of your company on my blog, and I can't wait to read all about Abby!

Ordinary Magic hits shelves May 8, 2012!

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