The Crossroads Tour Day 5

1. Could you tell us a little bit about the world you created in Everlasting?

The world is very much the same one we know—well, at least the same one those in 1855 knew Only this world has a legend children are told while growing up, one they come to believe in, akin to the Boogeyman or the existence of unicorns—that there is a stone blessed with the magic to bring someone back to life.


2. Would you be willing to tell us where you see the series going?

I would love to write a third and final novel in the series, however at the moment it isn’t lined up with Scholastic. Camille and Oscar’s story isn’t finished yet. I feel terrible about leaving readers on such a cliffhanger! Right now though I’m working on a few other YA and middle grade projects.


3. Which of your own characters do you most enjoy writing?

I loved writing Ira Beam’s character. He was so easy to write! He’s so easy going and fun, filled with witty comments that just rolled onto the page. I also love writing my middle grade protagonist Suzanna Snow. She is also a lot of fun, and filled with such curiosity. She makes me remember what it’s like to be 11!


4. Which of your characters do you find most difficult to write?

By far, Camille is my toughest character. I know her really well in my head, and our inner conversations never lack () but when it comes to portraying her on the page, she gets stuck. Writing her takes lots of concentration!


Find Angie:

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1. Could you tell us a little bit about the world you created in The Faerie Ring?

The world is London, 1871 – a time when belief in the occult and mysticism is very strong, yet the world is undergoing an overwhelming change with the advent of technological development. The repercussions of these changes are being felt in both London and the Otherworld, as the intersection of both worlds is impacted.


2. Would you be willing to tell us where you see the series going?

Much of THE FAERIE RING is set in London. In the second book, THE TORN WING, we see more of the Otherworld and learn about alliances and relationships that have happened in the past that affect the present.


3. Which of your own characters do you most enjoy writing?

I quite enjoy writing Tiki and Rieker. Their characters have a lot of depth and mystery to them and it’s fun to find where their paths intersect.


4. Which of your characters do you find most difficult to write?

I don’t find Larkin difficult to write, but she is the most complicated character. Like an onion with so many layers – we’ve only just begun to peel the top coat off to find what lies underneath.


Find Kiki:

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How the Tour Works:

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page, and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all of the answers and email them to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT.

My Book Boyfriend (41)

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie of The Unread Reader, in which we swoon over boys in books!
(I--as in me, Amy--don't like to use commercial photos, I like to use the authors' descriptions and my imagination.)

Zachary Moore
Book: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Series: Shade

Last to be born before the Shift, his presence can ward off ghosts, he's a sensitive, kilt-wearing Scott. Dark hair and broad shoulders with a Scottish accent thick enough to make your toes curl. Green eyes and dimples, he has an athletic build from all the soccer he plays. He's also a bit of a science geek, with a bold personality and won't take crap from anyone.

Quotes:

Zachary started to answer, then brushed his lips with the side of his finger. "No, it's stupid." I'd never seen someone use so much of their mouth for that word. "What's stupid, besides your mind games?" "Okay, but if I start, you let me finish." He spoke to the radio instead of meeting my gaze. "The pieces of you are complete shite today, the bloated eyelids and splotchy skin and your hair all"--he waved his hand--"you know, and all together you should look pure hackit, but somehow you're more bonnie than ever." I rewound his sentence in my head. Zachary's eyes flicked up to meet mine, and I must've seemed pissed, because he said, "Sorry," and reached for the car door handle. "Wait. What's 'hackit'? What's that mean?" "Ugly. But 'bonnie' means--" "I know what 'bonnie' means." Zachary held up a hand. "I'm no' flirting with you, not with your boyfriend just passing. I'm only making an observation."

Zachary unzipped his dark brown leather jacket. "Here take this." "No, you'll freeze." "Don't insult my rugged heritage." He shook out the coat and scooted over to me. "I'd be a real walloper if I let you shiver."

Genesis by Kristie Cook

Genesis:
A father who reveals his truth.
Twins who take different paths—one light, one dark.
Angels who have plans for them both,
And Demons who do as well.
So the Earthly battle for souls ignites…

A tale that is over 2,000 years old, this is the story of the Amadis beginnings.

I instantly fell in love with this Soul Savers prequel by Kristie Cook. This novella has all the information that is missing from the previous two books in the series. This short book had more action in it than some full sized books I have read, the characters were well written and I felt a strong connection to all of them. I really felt I was a part of this world that Kristie created, as she pulled me right into the pages. The story was easy to visualize and I found once I began to read, I could not stop until the very end. Although there is not much mystery throughout the book, there are a few twists and turns that fans of the Soul Savers series will love.

The Crossroads Tour Day 4

1. Could you tell us a little bit about the world you created in The Ghost and the Goth?

Sure! Alona Dare is the ghost of the recently dead Homecoming Queen. (In talks, I always like to say I killed the Homecoming Queen with a bus!) Will Killian, social outcast and school pariah, is the only one who can see or hear her (and other ghosts as well. The two of them would never have spoken when Alona was alive, but now they have to find a way to work together, despite how much they dislike each other initially.

The world involves a lot of ghosts (obviously) but also two people figuring out who they want to be, who they can be, in this place where life and death merge.


2. Would you be willing to tell us where you see the series going?

The third book, Body & Soul (May 2012), is the final book in the trilogy. And I had so much fun with it! It’s been really wonderful to write the scenes I’ve been imagining since writing the very first book several years ago.


3. Which of your own characters do you most enjoy writing?

You know, that’s a tough question. I enjoy different things about writing both of them. Alona is always straightforward about what she wants, what she expects, what she thinks she deserves. Will is a little harder to read, but his temperament is more similar to mine.


4. Which of your characters do you find most difficult to write?

My answer to this is going to be similar to the previous one, I’m afraid! Alona is difficult in that her reaction is often very different than my own would be in similar circumstances. As for Will, though his reactions are more like what mine would be, I have a tougher time reading him, figuring out what it is that he truly wants. He’s quieter than Alona, so it takes me a little longer to work out what he’s after.


Find Stacey:

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1. Could you tell us a little bit about the world you created in Under My Skin?

The SKINNED series is set in fictional town called Redgrave, Alberta. It’s cold, isolated and nothing is at it seems on the surface. There are hidden agendas. Newcomer, and series main character, Eryn McCain fits in more than she originally expects – she’s got her share of secrets. As the series progresses readers learn more about Eryn’s backstory, as well as the colourful, paranormal lives of her new acquaintances – from a motley crew of teen hunters who track and kill her kind, to a witch who controls time, and a police chief who happens to be a master vampire. Factor in a love triangle full of fangs, fur, and tragic romance…that’s SKINNED for you.


2. Would you be willing to tell us where you see the series going?

I predict Eryn and her crew will have many adventures and riddles to solve before SKINNED and the town of Redgrave will be laid to rest.


3. Which of your own characters do you most enjoy writing?

Paige, Eryn’s cousin, is a spoiled, cheerleader-wannabe, unrepentant bitch and I adore writing her scenes. In the first book, Under My Skin, readers will hopefully love to hate Paige and her self-absorbed ways. Second Skin introduces a whole new Paige as a magic spell goes awry and the blue-eyed, Medusa-locks becomes someone…else. Mucking around with Paige’s personality was a highlight in writing Second Skin.


4. Which of your characters do you find most difficult to write?

Since the series is told through Eryn’s point of view, I often find her the toughest to write. I want readers under her skin, feeling what she feels, fearing what she fears, etc. I try to accomplish this through many passes over her emotional scenes, adding more depth each time and digging for the most evocative, sensory language. Eryn is half wolven, a human/wolf hybrid. Her senses dominate her experiences and I endeavor to go above and beyond when describing situations through her eyes.


Find Judith:

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How the Tour Works:

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page, and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all of the answers and email them to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT.

Future Favorites (56)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released and that I can't wait to read!

Buried: A Goth Girl Mystery by Linda Joy Singleton:
Release Date: March 8, 2012 by MIDNIGHT INK

In a new school and determined to keep her secrets from being discovered, Thorn finds a mysterious locket that leads to a shocking discovery—the unmarked grave of a newborn baby. Surrounded by new friends she barely knows, as well as the school’s famous former student, a smoking-hot musician named Phillipe, Thorn must investigate to find out if one of them is a murderer.

The Crossroads Tour Day 3

1. Could you tell us a little bit about the world you created in Shade?

In the world of the SHADE novels, everyone the heroine Aura’s age and younger can see and hear ghosts, but no one else can. Otherwise it’s much like our world, but as you can imagine, when everyone knows that ghosts exist, and adults can’t see them, people get pretty paranoid. There’s a government agency, the Department of Metaphysical Purity, that deals with ghosts and especially the uncontrollable shades (which is what ghosts turn into if they let bitterness warp their souls).



2. Would you be willing to tell us where you see the series going?

The final book in the SHADE trilogy, SHINE, will be out in May 2012. Mysteries will be solved, and Aura will have the happy ending she’s worked so hard for!


3. Which of your own characters do you most enjoy writing?

In the first two books, it was either Logan or his brother Dylan, but in SHINE, I’ve gotten into Zachary’s head and figured out what makes him tick. Traveling to his home city of Glasgow, Scotland, made me understand him much better. (It also helps that he, along with Logan, has a very active Twitter account: @moore_zachary and @keeley_logan).


4. Which of your characters do you find most difficult to write?

Probably the adult characters. Aura’s aunt/guardian Gina is pretty easy, because I know lots of strong Italian-American women like her. But Eowyn (Aura and Zachary’s junior-thesis advisor) is trickier. She’s a scientist, but she’s also a little mystical. I like that she’s mysterious, but it often takes me a few drafts to figure out what secrets she’s holding and why.


Find Jeri:

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1. Could you tell us a little bit about the world you created in Fairy Bad Day?

In the world of Fairy Bad Day there are twelve different kinds of elementals roaming the earth and the only ones who can see them are those who are sight-gifted. Most of these people go to slaying academies such as Burtonwood where Emma and her friends attend. It is their job to keep the world safe from the invisible threats. Of course as well as using swords, a lot of built up places are protected by small wards, which repel the various elementals.

Most of the other students who attend Burtonwood have two sight-gifted parents but Emma doesn’t. Her mom was a famous dragon slayer before she died but Emma’s dad is a civilian who knows how the world works, he just can’t see any of it for himself.


2. Would you be willing to tell us where you see the series going?

Fairy Bad Day is a stand-alone book so there are no plans for a series, which is probably a good thing because I’ve just written my first middle grade series and I’m not sure how I would’ve managed if I couldn’t write all three books at once and then go back to the beginning and fix up all the bloopers!!!!


3. Which of your own characters do you most enjoy writing?

Malik! He is a dead djinn ghost who stares in my aforementioned middle grade series (called Sophie’s Mixed-Up Magic). He is seriously the funniest character that I’ve ever created and I had to be very careful he didn’t steal the whole show (of course he did steal everything including all of my snack food!)


4. Which of your characters do you find most difficult to write?

I don’t really find my characters difficult to write because I understand where they’ve come from. In my upcoming YA book Demonosity, I do have a slightly bad character, however I so understood him and his actions that he ended up being a joy to write (and yes, I might’ve fallen just a little in love with him. My first bad boy!!!!)


Find Amanda:

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How the Tour Works:

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page, and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all of the answers and email them to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT.