Author Bethany Lopez, Ciao Release

Today is a great day for my friend and fellow young adult writer, Bethany Lopez, who has released her third book, Ciao, from her Stories About Melissa series. I am excited to reveal her new book and hope to gather interest for those seeking contemporary young adult novels. I have asked Bethany to include a character interview so our viewers can 'get to know' some of her characters along with an excerpt from her latest book!

Thank you Bethany for taking the time to introduce your character to our audience! I'm sure they will fall in love with her sweet and spunky attitude!

Melissa

Q:  Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

Well, I've always wanted to get out of Michigan and go anywhere else, but since I've met Giovanni and talked to him about Italy, I would really like to go there someday.

Q: Who is your favorite author?

Sarah Dessen

Q: What do you think makes a good story?

Romance. I like to read about falling in love

Q: Tell us about your family.

OMG... They're crazy! I am the oldest of five kids, so it seems like we always have a million people in the house and I can never get a second to myself. Megan is a spaz, Mikey is pretty cool, Monica is a little diva, and Max is a sweetheart. My parents are pretty cool, too, I guess.

Q: What was the scariest moment of your life?

Um, when my mom went into the hospital to have Max and we didn't know what was going on, and no one would tell us anything. Then when Dad came home crying, I thought something was wrong with my mom.

Q: Are you reading a book right now and if so, what’s the name of it?

What Happened to Goodbye, by Sarah Dessen

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

A fashion photographer

Q: What is your favorite meal?

I really like Lettuce Wraps and Yaki Mon Du. My mom and I can make them taste pretty killer.

Q: Do you play any sports?

No. Sports aren't my thing.

Q: Who is your ‘Hollywood’ crush?

Hmmm. I really think Ryan Gosling is HOT!

Q: What are you passionate about these days?

Raising money for the scholarship my friends parents are setting up.

Q: If you could sneak out to toilet paper your “frenemy’s” (friend+enemy) house, who would that person be?

Layla

Q: What do you do to unwind and relax?

I have been doing Yoga, and I really like.

Q: If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

Hmmm, well, someone that I hurt in the past, but is still in my life? My sister, Megan.

Q: Who should play you in a film? 

Haha... Taylor Swift

Q: Morning person or night person? How do you know?

I think I am forced to be a morning person, since I'm not allowed to stay up too late and I have to get up early for school.

Q: Is there a writer you idolize? If so who?

I guess, Sarah Dessen

Q: What would we find under your bed?

Fashion Magazines

Q: What is your favorite song or musical group?

I love Taylor Swift and the guys from The Wanted

Q: What makes you happy?

Hanging out with my friends.

Q: What is the next big thing?

I don't know, maybe I'll finally find a love like Jess and Giovanni seem to have... *sighs*

Q: In regards to yourself, give us one good attribute and one bad attribute. Be honest, we won’t judge you…

Um, okay... bad - I guess I have a hard time expressing my feelings sometimes. Good - I like to think that I am a loyal friend.

Q: Who did you grow up idolizing and why?

I think Emma Stone is super cool. She always makes the best movies and gets to kiss the hottest guys!

Q: What one word best describes you?

Cute

Q: Do your friends think you are an introvert or an extravert? Why?

Probably an extravert, since I always like to do stuff.

Q: Do you have any special routines or rituals?

I get up and do Yoga in the morning, then get ready for school. That's about it!

Please enjoy an excerpt from Bethany Lopez' Ciao novel, released August 15, 2012.

ENTRY ONE

My Fifteenth Birthday:

            Happy Birthday to me…. That’s right I’m now fifteen years old. You may be wondering where I have been all summer, since I haven’t written since the day of the Buddy Walk. Well, that last entry filled up my journal. I can’t believe I filled two journals already. I didn’t realize how much I like to write! I kept meaning to get another one, but I have been so busy that I just never got around to it. I have to say, I have really missed writing things down at night. I was so happy when I opened Megan’s present, and she’d gotten me another journal for my birthday. She said it is going to be a tradition, and she promised not to write in this one!

            I know I have a lot to write about my summer, but I have to tell you about my birthday party first. I had such a great time.

            My actual birthday was yesterday, so I celebrated with the family last night. We all went out to dinner and then they gave me presents when we got home. Mikey gave me some nail polish and Monica drew me a picture of the two of us playing Barbie’s (I think that was a hint!). My parents gave me some gift cards, because I like to pick out my own clothes rather than have them pick them out, and they also gave me a new iPod, which I totally needed. Max smiled at me, so I took that as my gift from him. He is turning into a really cute little guy.

To celebrate with my friends, I wanted to do a BBQ deal at the house and just invite everyone over for a great party. So I contacted my friends and told them to invite their friends, and my dad agreed to man the BBQ and try not to be too intrusive.

I went with pink and white colors, because I just love that combo, and my friend, Cassie, helped me pick out decorations and decide what to wear.

Cassie just moved to Dearborn. She moved in a few doors down from my house at the end of June. Being the outgoing and super friendly person that I am, I went down and introduced myself. Turns out she’s really cool, and we’ve spent a lot of time together this summer. She will be starting DHS as a sophomore with me in a few short days. She already knows Brian and Jimmy, of course, but the BBQ gave her a chance to meet everyone that she will be going to school with this year.

Anyway, it turned into an all-out bash! I was feeling particularly cute (Yoga is making me totally toned!) in my baby doll pink ruffled tank with white shorts and white sandals. I wore my hair in a side braid with pink hoop earrings and this sweet white flower ring that Cassie gave me as a birthday present. Mom kept Monica and Max entertained and Megan wandered outside a couple of times to grab cheese cubes and a hot dog, but was ghost most of the day. Mikey hung out with my friends the most, but it didn’t bother me. He played catch and basketball with some of the guys and stayed out of my hair.

Brian brought Mo along with him, but promised that there wouldn’t be any trouble, and there wasn’t. They’ve had football practice for about a month now to get ready for the season, so they brought some of the guys from the team along with them. Jimmy brought Kasey, Joshua, and Joe, who run track with him, and they brought their girlfriends. I hadn’t talked to any of them very much since my fallout with Layla, but they were all really cool. The others who came must have heard from word of mouth, because I had about fifty people from school at my house. It was awesome!

The biggest surprise came about halfway through my party. I was looking for Jimmy and couldn’t find him anywhere. He’d told me to come find him later, so he could give me my present. Just when I was about to give up, I saw him coming out of my house, and I started towards him. He caught my eye and smiled and then turned to motion to something behind him - and Jess walked out! I let out a “Whoop!” and went running up to hug her. She wasn’t supposed to be home until the day before school, so this was totally unexpected.

“OMG, Jess! What are you doing here?” I squealed, holding her close and not wanting to let her go.

“I wanted to surprise you. Happy Birthday, Mis!”

“You totally did! I’m so happy you’re here!” I said as I led her down the stairs.

“Jimmy, you knew about this didn’t you?” I accused, laughing as I turned towards him.

“Yeah… It was tough not telling you, but I knew it would be a great surprise!” he explained, grabbing Jess for a quick hug and telling her that he missed her too.

She hugged him back and smiled. Then she turned to Cassie, who had come up next to me and said, “You must be Cassie. I’ve heard so much about you. I feel like I know you already! Welcome to Dearborn!”

“Me too! I mean, I feel like I know you too, with as much as Melissa has talked about you. Thanks, and welcome back,” Cassie replied, looking quite stunning. Her hair is a striking red and she has brilliant green eyes. She totally looks like a supermodel and I would hate her if she wasn’t my friend. She would be intimidating if she wasn’t so sweet and friendly.

So, the party was pretty much perfect after that. My mom even gave me a letter from Ben, which she’d saved for me, since he wrote “Happy Birthday” on the front of the envelope. In fact, I have been saving it and didn’t think about it until now, so I’m going to sign off now so that I can go and read it. I’ll write more later to fill in the blanks about my summer vacation!

Ciao         

Thanks!

I'd like to thank Bethany again for her willingness to share her novel Ciao with our Sired Scribbling audience. If you would like to learn more about her young adult series, please visit her webpage at Bethany Lopez
or to purchase a copy of Ciao, click on the link, Amazon or Nook

Author Interview with William Bortz

Please welcome my guest today, William Bortz. We met in a literary forum and decided to interview one another because of our shared love of writing and our passion for creating stories. William has a sincere personality and a gentleness about him that I thought others should have the opportunity to get to know. Please welcome William to Sired Scribblings and find out how easy it is to become acquainted with him.

Q: Do you see writing as a career?

Hmmm, I don’t think career would be the right word. To me writing is more than a career, I don’t expect anything to come from my writing. What I mean by that is writing to me is not the means to an end, it’s simply something I know I’ll do for the rest of my life, it’s basically my lifeline.

Q: What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less
than 20 words what would you say?

These Ties is my latest book. It’s basically about the strain of personal relationships, and how they effect more than you know. And how love can cure all of that and open one’s eyes to the world.

Q: Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

I do! Actually, when These Ties was being published it was meant to be twice as long and sectioned off into two separate parts, but before it went into the process I decided they weren’t meant to be in one book. The second book is like a series, or more of a follow up of These Ties. It’s almost ready now, I’m having the cover designed and just adding a few more things. I’m very excited for this book, its twice as long, as is much more mature in the writing aspect. It has so many different elements in it, and it really tells more of the story that started with These Ties. I explored so much more with this book, and it’s been in the process of being written for about a year and a half. There’s so much art in it, most that was done by a friend of mine, and that really brings out so much in the book. I also explored a lot with other languages, one mainly, which is one I hope to learn, and it really brings something to the table that wouldn’t be there originally. This book is essentially my soul on paper. This book is really my life’s work, and when I have this one in my hands I will really feel like an author.

Q: Have you learned anything from writing your book(s) and what was it?

I have. It’s strange to think about. Learning something from a book you wrote yourself. But I really did! So many of my ideals have been secured through my writing. Whenever I have doubts or questions that’s when the writing comes, mainly because there are so many questions about the world and our life, so that’s where a good section of my inspiration comes from. I write about them, and feel secure. It’s almost like I answer my own questions without asking them. Writing your soul on paper makes it easier to figure out what it really needs, what it’s starving for, and how to feed it.

Q: How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the cover of your books?

Well one of the main influences of my work is nature. So when coming up for the design I knew it would have something to do with that. The guy that has done almost all the work for my books has been a huge inspiration to me as well. The idea came from advice he gave to me. I was talking to him about my worries about publishing my book since the ideas in it were so personal. He told me it’s hard to break through all the haze in the world, all the darkness and doubt, but that the stories I was telling would help others to find themselves as well. That’s where the cover came from. It’s so natural, and the best way I can explain is in one of the poems in my book.

            “Just remember the world can teach us a lot of things. Like even flowers can grow out of ash.”

Q: How much of the book is realistic?

The whole book is realistic, it’s based off of things I’ve experienced or things those people who are close to me have experienced. It makes the book so personal, but also so relatable. The book was written for them as well as myself before anybody, and seeing it meant a lot because it made me realize how much they have effected my life and how unbearable life would be without all the people who inspired this book.

Q: Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of “The moral of this story is..”)

There are a few actually. The main one of course is that love can cure everything. Everything. When the book was written I was so lost with my beliefs and outlook on life, and then I found love, and it changed the way I see the world, it’s creatures, and myself. A less noticeable message is that no matter where you come from or who you are, you can capture your dreams. The book talks a lot about my parents, and how they weren’t really parents to me, but a label they couldn’t match up to. All things that are seen as bad or negative can be used to power your life.

William, Thank you again for your time and the chance to learn more about you and your book, These Ties. We look forward to seeing the release of your other books and wish you all the success in the future. 

Follow these media links to get into contact with William

Blog: http://afreshnewview.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BNwillbortz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWilliamBortz

YA Author Angeline Kace

I have had the pleasure of meeting some amazing and fantastic people on Twitter such as my next guest Angeline Kace, young adult author of the book Decended by Blood. Angeline has graciously agreed to answer a few questions about her life and her writing career. Please welcome my wonderful friend and guest, Angeline!

Tell us about a favorite character from a book.

I would have to say Rose from the Vampire Academy series. I LOVE Rose! She’s strong, brave, and loyal to those she loves. And she’s a fighter! She also has confidence. She’s the ideal heroine for me in YA.

How do you describe your writing style?

Hmmm. This is hard for me to put into words. Some writers can write a scene of over 5,000-6,000 words long. This is hard for me to do. I’m a lot more concise in my writing style. I tend to write shorter scenes and shorter sentences. But it works nice when I’m trying to build tension or anxiety in the reader. ;)

Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?

Yep! Heather Hildenbrand and Jenn Sommersby. Also KC Neal. Heather has been there for me since the very beginning. We started trading our WIPs to give each other input and then we beta read and critiqued for each other. She has taught me so much about writing, and my strengths and weaknesses. Plus, she’s a very talented writer, so I feel extremely lucky to have her on my team. And she’s such a strong and powerful woman. She amazes me daily.

Jenn is a grammar wizard! No joke! She did the copy edits for me on Descended by Blood, but she was friend before that. She’s hilarious, sweet, down-to-earth, and brilliant. Plus, she’s a great friend and has always given me sound advice. I can’t imagine this journey without her part in it.

KC has been a great friend to me. She makes me laugh on a daily basis, and I’ve noticed my days aren’t nearly as happy when she’s not around. She was a HUGE moral support to me in the revision stages of Descended by Blood. I’m not sure I would have made it out of those revisions without her.

Do you hear from your readers? What kinds of questions do they ask?

Hahahaha! Mostly they ask me when Enemy Within is coming out. Or if they can have Mirko. I get that one a lot, too. lol I LOVE my readers. There’s nothing quite like the joy I feel when a reader reaches out to me and tells me they loved my book! I seriously get the biggest grin on my face and can’t even begin to express to them how much I appreciate them contacting me.

Tell us about the absolute BEST fan letter you have received.

Oh, man. I got an email from a reader last week that had me in tears. She contacted me to tell me how much she loved my book. She told me her husband was in the military and had been deployed for over 6 months. Then she thanked me for my book and told me that books like mine help to keep her sane. I’m almost in tears just relaying this to you. That seriously touched my heart. To know that my little book can give someone an escape from missing a loved one like that really made me glad with my decision to publish it. It makes all the bad reviews, the late nights, and days when I wanted to pull my hair out worth it. Man, I LOVE my readers! *wipes tear*

What are the most important attributes for remaining sane as a writer?

Hahahaha!! Some days I wonder if I really am sane. I think writers have to have a certain level of crazy to them to be able to write and publish. This experience has been the craziest, most frustrating thing I have ever done in my life. First it was the revisions and edits that were hard. Then it was the bad reviews. And man, those are TOUGH. Reviews were coming in so quickly for Descended by Blood, and no matter how many times you hear “you’ll get bad reviews because everyone gets them”, and “you can’t please everyone” you’re still not prepared for how hard it really is. Then there’s the marketing, and interviews, and guest posts, and tweeting, and watching your numbers, and trying to write the next book, and blog posts, and giveaways, and mailing the prizes from the giveaways. Man! It’s a LOT to keep up with!

But if I had to give advice for what a writer should do to keep their sanity, it would be to surround yourself with amazing people. People who get what you’re doing; the stresses and the triumphs. That has seriously helped me realize that some of the feelings, and the ups and downs are normal. And they also remind you that you’re not the worst writer in the world on those days you feel like you are. And they talk you down off the ledge from ideas you think will be BRILLIANT, but are probably just gonna make you look stupid. Basically, my advice is that you should keep those people close who MAKE YOU SANE. ;)

To learn more about Angeline's book, Descended by Blood or to find out when her sequel is being released, please follow her webpage http://www.descendedbyblood.com

A big THANK YOU to Angeline for allowing me to interview you and for the opportunity to showcase your exciting series! I wish you all the success and I'm looking forward to being able to read book two in the vampire saga!

Please read a short excerpt from Descended by Blood, Chapter one.

___________________________________________________

I heard a twig snap and jerked my head to the right. My eyes caught the glint from the eyes of a mountain lion creeping toward us; his ears pulled back, teeth bared. He rose from his crouch and started charging down the mountain straight for us.

          Kaitlynn must have spotted it a second after I did because she shrieked. She grabbed my arm and tried pulling me as she ran back to the cars. There was no way we would both make it out of here alive. We had been hiking up the trail for the last ten minutes, and this lion looked fast. It even sped up at the site of Kaitlynn running away.

          I planted my feet, and looked the mountain lion square into his charging eyes. Something clicked inside of me, and heat coursed through my veins. My vision intensified, and I could distinguish the areas of down between the lion's coarse fur as his muscles flexed and stretched.

          The lion and I connected on an intellectual level: predator versus predator. Only I knew, and I deemed the lion knew as well, that I outranked him as the more fearsome predator. How I recognized this, or how I discerned the lion realized this, I couldn't fathom. I had never been hunting before, so this instinct didn't come from a belief that man ruled supreme on the food chain. And this moment felt different somehow. It wasn't man versus beast; it was beast versus beast.

          "Stop!" I commanded.

          The lion skid to a halt five feet in front of me. He stared into my eyes, his ears perked back, fangs exposed in a snarl and hackles raised, but he didn't move a centimeter closer.

          I towered over him, my pulse pounding at the sides of my neck, my shoulders rising and falling with my deep breathes. My gaze pierced him, welding his toes and the pads of his feet into the ground. Somehow, I had been able to force my command over him, and when I told him to stop, I never considered that he would deny my order.

          The nerves along my scalp tingled with the sensation that the lion yearned to attack me, but he couldn't. The only thing holding him back was my decree that he shouldn't. My beast had prevailed as the most dominant among us.

          As soon as fear clawed up my spine at the realization of looking at myself as a beast, I yelled, "Leave!" before he could translate my hesitance and continue his attack.

          He hissed, spun around, and ran up the side of the hill, tail flogging behind him. I studied him, ensuring that he wouldn't change his mind and come back.

          Kaitlynn rushed up behind me. "Brooke, let's go!" she pleaded, voice shaking. I stood there, just to make absolutely sure. We had some distance to run before we'd get back to our vehicles, and I wasn't going to take any chances on being stuck in that lion's jaws.

          The creature was almost out of the small clearing and about to enter into the thick forest when a man stepped out from between two spruce trees. The lion rubbed his fawn pelt against the man's leg like a house cat and purred. My hypersensitive hearing digested the happy rumble cascading down the hill.

          The man loomed, just outside the shadows, in a dark trench coat, smiling. His malignant stare reached my eyes, and his smirk grew by spades.

          Kaitlynn yanked on my sleeve. "Brooke, please," she begged, "can we just get out of here now?"

          I loitered, eyes locked on this man who I was sure had just sicced that mountain lion on us. The way he pulled the corner of his lip up in a sneer suggested that he found pleasure in the way things ended with the lion. And it wasn't because we were safe, either; it had to do with something else about the situation.

          "Brooke! Now. It's gone. I'm leaving." Kaitlynn released me. Her sneakers thumped along the trail away from me—indicating she really had left—and I jerked out of my trance. The man and the lion turned; his long jacket snapped with his movement, and they fell away into the shadows.

          I trembled as I recalled the leer on his face. My blood began to cool, and I spun around to follow after Kaitlynn.

          "Kaitlynn! Wait." I reached her quickly, considering she left before me.

          "Let's just get out of here," she said, refusing to slow down.

          "That guy sent the mountain lion after us."

          "What guy?" Kaitlynn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

          "You didn't see that guy standing by the tree line at the top of the hill? The lion stroked up against his leg like a house cat."

          "I didn't see any guy. As soon as that mountain lion was gone, I was ready to get out of there," Kaitlynn said without slowing down. "It could explain why there was a mountain lion in Virginia, though."

          "What do you mean?" I asked.

          "We don't have mountain lions in Virginia. It must have been his pet or something. Maybe he called it back, and that's why it ran off."

          "No," I said, puzzled. "It was a wild mountain lion. It was definitely feral, and he sent it after us. But why?"

          Kaitlynn released a nervous laugh. "Yeah, that sure explains why a wild cat stopped mid-attack. My explanation makes more sense." 

          We neared the trailhead, and Kaitlynn pulled her keys out of her pocket and hit the disarm button, causing her Jeep to chirp up ahead.

          When the cars were in sight, Kaitlynn slowed and came toward me with her arms out for a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. I'll call you later tonight." She turned toward her Jeep.

          "Me too. Talk to you later."

          Kaitlynn threw the Jeep in reverse. When she put it in drive and hit the gas, rocks and debris flew up from the tires.

          I sat down in the driver's seat of my car, but before I closed the door, I heard a guttural growl from the distance. It sounded similar to the mountain lion.

          A shiver ran up my spine, causing my shoulders to spasm and my head to jerk. I escaped as fast as my old Mazda's four-cylinder engine could carry me.

___________________________________________________

 

Young adult male P.O.V.

In my line of work, I have the wonderful opportunity to write fanciful stories about supernatural characters and places. You would think my market audience, teens + young adult fantasy = sales, would be fairly easy to pinpoint, but I have found that equation far from the truth. Young adult literature has a large age range starting at 12 and ending at 18. Some libraries classify teen readers as 14-18, while another literature group specified some YA to be appropriate for mature 4^th and 5^th graders, not to mention the actual adults who prefer reading it. Then there is the gender factor…can one book genre appeal to both species equally or do girls take the cake because teen boys have been branded as ‘uninterested readers’.
I initially started writing young adult because of a promise I had made to my young sons. I created a story about twin boys with elemental powers and the all encompassing evil king to keep and capture their attention, but being a fan of YA literature myself, I wanted to draw in young women to the story as well. How was I to do that? I thought by incorporating small elements of romance and the fact my main characters are described as being relatively nice looking, I might be able to create a novel for both genders.  The boys obviously drawn to the superhero aspect along with the action sequences and the girls tending to associate with their personalities and romantic endeavors.  I’m anticipating writing four novels in the series with a possibility of a fifth book ending the saga, so I have had an amazing time writing the Elements books and filling the pages with new characters, new powers, new realms, and looking forward to new ideas that flood my imagination daily.
Anyone who has asked me the question, “Who do you base your characters on?”, knows my answer is my own children. Most of the characteristics Gage & Talon Thorn portray in the book are the personality traits of my sons.  Sometimes it is extremely difficult to add elements to the story that go against my instinct as a protective mother, such as a love interest or mild romance. I’ve wanted to nit-pick the young ladies in my books about how they treat Gage & Talon, but I quickly remind myself they are fictional beings and not my real-life daughter-in-laws in waiting. Ridiculous, yes, I know.
I have always been extremely fond of research and finding out bits of trivia throughout my life. In order to improve my story line and attract the attention of more teenage boy readers, I asked my teen son to humor me and answer some interview questions for a creative writing session. Here’s how it went: (some answers are short and to the point, vague… welcome to my life with a teen boy)
MOM = M                           SON = S
M:          Do you enjoy reading books?
S:            Some, if they are interesting.

M:          What type of books catch your interest?
S:            YA fantasy, paranormal, militia type stories, mystery, spy books, and mythology.

M:          Do you think books in the teen genre have too much romance?
S:            The types of books I generally read don’t have romance, but if YA books don’t have romance in them, what would the hero be chasing after or fighting for?
(I thought the above answer was so simple, yet quite powerful. The truth coming from a thirteen yr old. Love really does make the world go around, even in fantasy realms!)

M:          What do you look for in a superhero or a main character?
S:            In a superhero, I look for cool powers, and how they look on the front cover. In a main character I’m drawn to people who have a sarcastic personality, strong physical features, and a really cool name.

M:          Who inspired you to start reading books?
S:            My third grade teacher challenged our class to reach a reading goal and those of us who met the goal got to go see a movie at the theatre during school hours as a field trip. I found out reading wasn’t as boring as I thought and started picking up books more often and asking to go to the bookstore to find new ones.

M:          Do you read for fun or as a requirement for school?
S:            Both, but I need to be drawn to the front cover of a book I’m reading for fun. The character needs to look kind of tough, with awesome hair. (He laughs)

M:          What are your favorite book covers?
S:            Definitely Kingdom of Aqueous, and not because you’re my mom, but because it’s awesome! I also liked Prince of Persia. I liked the Percy Jackson books, but I thought the front covers were a little childish, but I still read them.

M:        In your opinion, why do you think teen boys don’t read a lot?
S:         Most kids my age would rather play video games, text or watch T.V.

M:        If you were a character in a book, what would you want to be like?
S:         I’d have to have a strong body, the ability to control water, the power to fly and be a werewolf all in one. Don’t forget to make my character extremely wealthy and incredibly handsome with a Learjet.

(Then he had the nerve to ask if I wanted his autograph before he gets famous! How cute is that?)


When we ended our short Q & A session, I was left with a refreshed feeling paralleled by a curiosity. “Do all teen boys think relatively the same, or is my son a small percentage?”  I asked my son’s best friend the same series of questions, and their answers were really quite close. Which leads me to my conclusion, teen boys do read, but only if the cover jumps out and grabs them!  Apparently, the old adage of: ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, doesn’t apply to young adults!

Interview with author Raine Thomas

Since becoming a 'twitter junkie' five months ago, I have had the pleasure of meeting a myriad of different people and enjoyed making new friends all over the world. One of the most interesting relationships I have experienced is the common bond I found with YA author Raine Thomas of the Daughters of Saraqael series. She is a genuinely kind person and will go out of her way to help anyone she can. In the short amount of time we have gotten to know one another, Raine has been extremely supportive and offers valuable advice for other authors breaking into the self-pub world. She was gracious enough to answer a few questions as a guest on Sired Scribblings and I am quite grateful she agreed. Please welcome Raine Thomas, YA fantasy/romance author.

Q: So many times you hear the term 'writer's block' and wonder if this is common for authors to experience. Does this happen to you and what works best for you to overcome it?

A:  I can’t say that I’ve yet experienced what is classically termed “writer’s block,” where the ideas won’t come and I sit in a stressed-out panic staring at the cursor on the screen. However, I’ve certainly stalled out in a scene and wondered what direction to take it. When that happens, I usually bounce ideas off my husband, who is a great sounding board. Between that and stepping away from the scene for a while to wrap my head around it, I’ve gotten through any hitches.

Q: On your blog Write as Raine and on your webpage http://rainethomas.com you mention you have a day job as a wedding coordinator; Does the continual 'wedding bliss romance' inspire you to possibly write a novel or series for a different genre such as Romance or Women's Lit? Do you feel YA literature is where you are more comfortable?

A:  This is an excellent question, Kate. The fact is, the first complete novel I ever wrote was an historical romance. It was never published and I have no plans for it to be. I do write nonfiction books for wedding vendors, which expands my writing beyond just one genre or group of characters. I think this is a positive thing and don’t intend to change it. Might I one day write another adult romance, though? You never know…

Q: Your Daughters of Saraqael series has been very popular since its release in July, 2011. Do you have any plans to release another series, and if so, when and what will it be about?

A:  It’s been very exciting to see the response to the Daughters of Saraqael! I’m currently at work on a follow-up trilogy (the Firstborn trilogy) and intend to release all three books at once, just like I did with Daughters. The plan right now is to release the books in early-to-mid 2012. In the meantime, I’ve just completed work on my first Estilorian short story, which will be released soon as a free eBook. Hopefully this short story and any others I create in the coming months will give my fans something to hold them over until the Firstborn trilogy is released!

Q:  Is there somewhere or someplace you go to find clarity or motivation while writing?

A:  Not really. Most of my writing is done sitting on the love seat in my family room. I do enjoy sitting out on my back porch, which overlooks a pond. The view is quite inspiring!

Q:  While I was reading your Daughters of Saraqael books, I was intrigued by the uniqueness of the names of both your characters and the groups in the Estilorian plane. How did you come up with the original names?

A:  Thank you! I deliberately kept the names of the central characters (Amber, Gabriel, Olivia, James, Skye and Caleb) what you could call “normal” and easy enough to read without stumbling over them. Many other characters (such as the title character Saraqael, pronounced “Ser-AH-KAY-el”) share the names of people or angels mentioned in the bible, mythological beings, or I simply made them up. The names of the nine classes of Estilorians were entirely made up by me. I just ran them through my head until they clicked.

Q:  As a wife and mother, how do you juggle career and family life while still regulating the hours needed to write a popular YA series?

A:  It’s tough! I work at least 40 hours a week as a wedding planner (often 50 or more) and family time is very important to me. My writing time is usually after 10:30 in the evening (after everyone else is asleep) until I get too tired to stay awake. Weekends often include writing time, as well. It’ll get easier over time when I can ease up on the wedding planning to focus more on writing, so I keep that goal in sight! 

Q:  When I am not writing my own YA book series, I work in an Outreach Department which assists people in need and I noticed you like to give to those in need as well by donating a percentage of your book profits. Can you describe what charities or volunteer organizations are close to your heart and why?

A:  You serve a great cause, Kate. Yes, I have begun a program called Raine Gives Back. I now donate 5% of all monthly earnings from the sales of my books to a different cause every month, and I’m opting to pursue causes recommended by my readers. Eight years of working with youth in need in the Atlanta area served to make me highly aware of the financial needs of all nonprofit organizations, so I’m hoping the Raine Gives Back program becomes more successful over time. I would love to contribute to a variety of causes! So far, donations have been made to Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® and HelpHopeLive.org, and I’ve identified St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for my December cause.

Q:  Hollywood has really jumped on the 'band wagon' to make popular YA books into major motion pictures. Do you see an opportunity for your series to make it to the big screen and is this an option you can see becoming a reality? 

A:  How fun would that be? While I don’t know the first thing about writing screenplays or adapting books into movie format, I think it’s possible the books would transition well onto the big screen. In fact, I’ve had a surprising number of readers say that they would love to see the books made into movies. I suppose only time will tell!

I want to thank Raine for taking the time to answer my questions and a chance for her fans to get to know her a little better. I have enjoyed the Q & A and look forward to seeing her popularity soar as time goes on. If you would like to know about the Daughters trilogy or connect with Raine, please follow the links to her webpage and social media sites:

Twitter (http://twitter/Raine_Thomas)
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/rainethomas)
Blog (http://RaineThomas.com/blog/)

Available for purchase: Daughters of Saraqael trilogy