Author Interview: Emma Michaels

I'm sure by now you've all heard of blogger turned author Emma Michaels. I thought so. And if not, don't admit it. Just go with it. Emma is the author of the upcoming August 13 release The Thirteenth Chime. Yes, the one with the awesome eyes on the cover that have a clock face in the irises. So now... I bring you Emma.

What factored into your decision to use a clock as the central point to your plot and give it power, rather than another object?

An experience I had one night during a storm here on the island where I live. We lost the power and we went to the neighbors to share a few candles. As the lightning flashed outside and the thunder rumbled the house, there was a moment of silence where only the wind could be heard. Right during this moment, the antique grandfather clock began to chime. The sound echoed throughout the house and it made me unconsciously reach out to grab a hold of someone's hand. It was this moment - the need to find a bond with someone else - where the "The Thirteenth Chime" was born.

If you were forced into a hateful and vengeful mind, how do you think you would react?

I'm not sure as it has never happened to me. I would hope that I would be able to find my way back to sanity afterward, that's for sure! I will say that I firmly believe there is always a light in any darkness as long as you can see it, I guess I would just have to search for that light.

If you could pair Destiny and David with any character from any book, what would be your picks for them?

I would put Destiny with Carlisle from "Twilight". But David... hmm... Oh, I know! I would put him with Cara from "The Sword of Truth Series" by Terry Goodkind - just because I want to see his face when she walks towards him with an Agiel! Cara rocks! *laughs*

What is the most private thing you're willing to share here?

Although I don't often tell him (so that he won't think about it and keep doing it!), I really love it when my fiance does spur of the moment romantic things like chocolate chip pancakes shaped like hearts or changing my screen saver to something super sweet. I just can't help it, I know I always say that I don't like surprises but sometimes they can be wonderful!

What kind of cake/confection would you describe yourself as?

A white chocolate truffle with powdered sugar on the top... because it just sounds so yummy that I can't help but pick it!!!!

Thank you, Emma, for stopping by and congrats on the release! Make sure you guys all check out this book- releasing soon!

Take Me There Blog Stop

A little over a week ago, I was lucky enough to meet Carolee Dean, author of Take Me There, at a local Barnes & Noble. Though she isn't the first author I've seen at this B&N (they host quite a few YA authors!), it's the first where I got to visit in length with an author which was an amazing experience. Carolee has traveled around Texas meeting with several bloggers as part of her Take Me To Texas tour. A good portion of Take Me There is set in Texas- which is the reason for this tour focus. Even better on the tour, Carolee had each of us sign a pair of cowboy boots she has! I felt a little awesome giving my signature out for once.

We chatted for about an hour and a half and had a great time! Having spent most of my life in Texas, I really enjoyed getting to help host something specific to this state- I am incredibly partial to it, after all. Not to mention, my brother is a proud Texas Longhorn alum and even still goes to UT football games. The Red River rivalry? We are all over that in our family. So given our state love of football- and our awesome college team- is it really a shock our state's large mammal is the Longhorn? Yeah, didn't think so. Should I be ashamed of knowing that? Maybe. Am I? Nope. I think what's more awkward is that we also have a state small mammal... because, uh, we need two? Any guesses on it? Yeah. The armadillo. Personally, I think it's the state nuisance but I don't make the rules. Didn't even know it was a mammal, did you? We think it is.

Okay. Enough about my awesome state and back to this tour. My review for the book will be coming this week, but is most definitely one you want to read! I was a bit shell shocked by the end of it- fantastic read. In the spirit of Texas travel, Carolee is stopping by the blog of each of the people she met and visited with to offer a giveaway of things she picked up in the different cities. Along the way with each blog stop, we will be dropping little bits of Texas trivia. Follow each stop for a final giveaway- fill in the quiz answers and be entered to win the grand prize that will be revealed August 30. Want an easy way to follow the tour? Check out this link here- it lists everything for you and will be updated to link directly to each post as they go live.

For others of you in Texas, Carolee has listed on her LJ page the stores where she left signed books behind. A great book AND it's signed? Yep. You want one.

So what can you win from my stop, courtesy of Carolee? A Take Me There tote bag, Texas trivia playing cards, and a really awesome bracelet. To enter, just fill out this form. Deadline is August 30. US only. Also, Carolee is hoping to make this an interactive thing readers can do even after the contest is over so make sure to spread the word- tweet, sidebar, or facebook it and just leave the link in your entry and you're all set!

Author Interview + Contest: Barbara Stuber

Here today is Barbara Stuber, author of Crossing the Tracks. This is a coming of age story focusing on a teenage girl in the 1920s. After losing her mother early, having a distant relationship with her father, and now being shipped off to the countryside to keep the elderly mother of a bachelor doctor company, Iris has a lot of strides to make. My full review can be found here, but I really enjoyed this book. Stay tuned after the interview for a way you can win a copy of this great book.


What would you have done if you were in Iris' position and being shipped off to live in the country with strangers without your father even asking your permission?

I would have done exactly what she did. I would not have been able to speak up or stand up for myself. My first impulse would have been to please somebody else, even if I was boiling inside.

If you were transported back to Iris' time, what do you think would be the hardest thing for you to adjust to?

The slower pace of life and the dismal selection of sanitary products.

Though Iris does interact with Dot and corresponds with Leroy, the majority of her interactions are with the elderly mother rather than someone her own age. Did you find it difficult to write this style of relationship for a YA versus friends of her own age?

Iris had a friend in an earlier version, but when I listened to their dialogue with an honest ear, Iris’s confiding sounded forced and phony so I booted the friend fast. Leroy, Marie and the wallpaper goddesses took over friend duty. Also, in this rural place, in this era, kids didn’t hang out and do things in groups. Even talking on the phone was open to the party line. (Come to think of it, our current electronic conversations are even less private!) But… overarching all this is the fact that Iris’s losses were so huge and the holes inside her so deep that she needed a strong, resilient character like Mrs. Nesbitt – an old soul who had survived a great deal and knew how to respond to the deep ache in Iris. I just couldn’t find a believable peer/friend type person for that fundamental role.

In your research for the time period, what was the most interesting thing you found?

The MUM Museum aka The Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health. Yes indeed, this is now an on-line museum – the real one owned and operated for years by Harry Finley in his basement, has closed. I learned about the “silent purchase,” viewed a range of mind-blowing contraptions, read “Nancy’s Biggest Day at Camp” written in 1941- if you’re feeling “dopey” you can turn that frown into a smile with a properly fitting Modess pad! I even found the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph for menstruation.

If you could pair Iris with any character from any book, who would you pick for her?

Lindsay Lohan. She’s a character in her own biographies, right? I picked her not because they would hang out together, but because Lindsay Lohan has become so shredded and shattered by life. She needs to move to Wellsford and absorb the calm, undivided, genuine attention of Mrs. Nesbitt, Dr. Nesbitt and Marie. Come to think of it – we all do sometimes.

What is the most private thing you're willing to share here?

The circumference of my head which is 21 15/16 inches. *Note: circumference varies with the humidity.

What kind of cake/confection would you describe yourself as?

The Original Fat Boy – not because I’m particularly fat or a boy or even that original, but because I really like them. Also they are a litmus test for friends, i.e. if a wad of the sandwich part is cemented between your front teeth and your “so-called” friend doesn’t bother to tell you… well, get a real friend. Another confection I’d like to think I am is that mysterious, hand crafted chocolate thingie in the back of the bakery case with a hundred secret layers.

Thank you, Barbara! If that hasn't whetted your appetite for this book, check out this great trailer:



For your chance to win a signed copy of Crossing the Tracks, fill out this form! Contest is US/Canada only and ends Sunday, August 8 at 6 pm CST.

In My Mailbox

I had another great week! I'm super excited for these titles!

For Review:
Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan
Sleepless by Cyn Balog
The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff
Radiance by Alyson Noel
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Tyger, Tyger by Kirsten Hamilton
It Started With a Dare by Lindsey Faith Rech
Hannah by Hannah Westberg
Alexis by Alexis Singer
Rae by Chelsea Rae Swigget
(Special thanks to Little Brown, Delacorte, Steve Brezenoff, Macmillan, Kirsten Hamilton, Lindsey Faith Rech and HCI)

Won from Cheryl Rainfield:
Scars (signed)

Bought:
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

That was my week! What did you guys get?

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Contest Winners!

Eleni and I had over 700 entrants- yes, 700 unique entrants- for our joint contest which is amazing so thank you to everyone who entered! Here's the winners, in order of how they get to pick. I'm shooting you emails shortly- you will have 48 hours to get back to me or I will pick a new winner.


Congrats to the winners and make sure you guys all check out the contests I have going on right now- and check for more I've got coming up!

Summer Reading Recommendations

I debated this morning while getting ready for work on what theme I wanted to go with today when I realized one that should be obvious for me that I haven't done yet: writing. There have been a few books that while I enjoyed them, I gave a lower star rating because the writing didn't work as well for me. I am huge on writing. I have a few pet peeves in writing and if they show up, it bugs me too much and distracts me from the story. But if the writing works for me... well, the author could write about a dog taking a dump and I'd still find it awesome. Thus... here are some books that the writing stood out as one of it's most prominent features, regardless of how great the story was to go with it.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink: Not only is this one set in a historical time, but the writing is absolutely fantastic. The descriptions are intricate and the mental images are very thorough. Even now, close to a year after I read this book, several scenes still stand out in my mind because of how strongly they were created.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey: I never have figured out how to describe the way Rick writes, apart from astounding. This was one of the first books that really made me take focus on writing style. There is a graphic element to this book (which the horror addict in my loved), but the way Rick wrote even a description of a severed head hanging on only by tendons was just... beautiful. Add in the very original plot and how awesome Will Henry is and I still remember a great deal of this book over half a year later (not to mention I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment).

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare: Most of you have read these ones so you can agree- while her characters are amazing and the story is phenomenal, Cassandra's absolutely astounding writing style ties it all together. Particularly in a genre where the majority of things are written in first person, Cassandra has mastered the third person perspective while still giving fantastic insight into the characters and forging strong bonds.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting: Though I admitted in my review to be a little disappointed in this book only because I thought the romance washed out the supernatural element, I couldn't deny that Kimberly is a downright awesome writer. The scenes from the killer's perspective? Creeptastic. Mix that in with a strong voice but still fantastic descriptions and infused emotion? Face it. Not all authors could do cutesy and creepy in one book and put the reader into both.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater: This is another one I’m sure most of you have read but you’d probably agree. There is something lyrical and gorgeous about Maggie’s writing. Even if Sam wasn’t as into music as he is, there would still be a musical quality to the way she writes and it’s a style that cannot be easily imitated and has to come naturally. Though her story and characters are great, the writing alone makes Shiver (and Linger) definable.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White: I’m not entirely sure how to describe this one since it isn’t quite the same as the others. Kiersten’s writing is strong and despite being through Evie’s eyes, the entire world is absolutely descriptive not to mention the voice is spot on. I think it’s the voice more than anything on this that stands out but the writing backs it up and with this book alone, I truly think that Kiersten’s writing in a different setting would still be simply awesome.