Author Interview With Wendy Higgins and Swag Giveaway

What better way to end my weekend long Blogversary celebration than with an interview with the author of my favorite 2012 Debut and a swag giveaway!?
For my one Year Blogversary, I asked Wendy Higgins, author of my favorite 2012 debut if I could interview her and feature Sweet Evil!She said yes! HOORAY! And the she offered to giveaway swag! Sweet Evil SWAG guys!? Who's as excited as I am!? Anyhow, read the interview, enter the Giveaway and leave a comment saying how awesome Sweet Evil was, or just how awesome I AM! Either way! Thank you all for participating and enjoy the interview below.

Author Bio: 

After earning a bachelors in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until becoming a mommy. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives her the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. Sweet Evil is her debut novel.

So, what inspired you to write about Anna and Kaidan? Did it come to you as divine inspiration? :)
It did feel divine at the time, lol! I'd written lots of stories in my life, and started lots of books, but I never felt this strongly about any of them. Writing Anna and Kai's story took over my life. I'm not sure that there was one thing that inspired me. It was really a life's worth of inspiration - as if all the heartbreak, love, friendships, spirituality, and books I'd ever experienced rose up inside me and lent inspiration.

How did you come up with the title? I love it by the way!
The folks at HarperTeen came up with the title, and I love it too! It's an oxymoron - very catchy. My original title(s) were lame! First it was called Angel Prophecy, but the prophecy was taken out, so that wouldn't work. Then I called it Sin Legacy, but the word "sin" in a title would turn people off, so Harper brainstormed on their end and asked me what I thought of Sweet Evil. Love!

What are your writing habits? What are things that make it easier to write?
I have to be alone and snuggly to write, and it has to be quiet. I prefer writing in my bed, propped up against lots of pillows, or on the couch if nobody is home.


What was your initial reaction to finding out about your book being published?
When my editor contacted me for the very first time I had to leave the room I was in with my kids so that I could break down crying and flailing my hands without scaring them to death! I cried ALL DAY and could not stop shaking! I couldn't even make dinner - I had to order pizza, lol.
When you write, what kind of feeling do you get?
I let myself be overwhelmed with the emotions of the characters. My heart completely goes out to them. I will laugh and cry as I'm typing (another reason why it's good that I don't write in public - hello crazy lady!) I get so in to it, that if my husband comes in to interrupt and ask a question, I stare at him and blink for a whole minute while my brain switches gears. He says it's pretty freaky to catch me in the middle of story mode.


Once Sweet Evil is all wrapped up do you think you'll gift us with another book and/or series?
I'm in the middle of revising the sequel, which is under consideration with the publisher (*fingers crossed*) and then I need to write the third book, which is mostly plotted out in my head). I also have another book, which is completely separate from the Sweet Trilogy, and I'm excited to revise it and submit it to my agent. It's a stand alone book set in Ireland (Fae, magic, Leprechauns, love, fun!)

What are some of your favorite reads so far this year?
I've really enjoyed Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock and Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris.

Mexican, Chinese or Italian food?
I love all three of those, but Mexican is my hands-down favorite! (As you'll see from all the Mexifood references in SE, lol)

Any tips for aspiring writers?
Write what's on your heart, not what you think other people want or don't want.
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Happy 1-year Blogoversary, Melina! Thanks so much for having me! :)

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Author Interview With Danielle Sibarium

Heart Waves and Danielle Sibarium!
251 Pages, Released June 1st 2012 by KFR Communications.

Jenna Kingsley has a gift. She knows things. With a simple touch she can pick up personal information from jewelry or objects. While at a neighbor’s party, a voice mesmerizes her. Jenna is momentarily frozen as a ring is placed in her hand. White electricity surges through her and a dire prediction is made. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet. You’re going to break my heart.”
From the moment they meet Jenna is enchanted and entranced with Reece Walton. She’s thrilled to learn he’s spending the summer two houses away from hers. Every moment they spend together is magical. But she can’t get the prediction out of her mind. As the summer draws to a close and secrets are revealed, can Jenna get past the fear of being left with a broken heart to live in the moment with Reece or will her fear of being hurt fulfill the prophecy?

LINKS!
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Goodreads
Amazon
B&N

I am pleased to feature this original book, Heart Waves by Danielle Sibarium accompanied by an author interview in honor of my 1 year Blogversary, needless to say I just CAN'T WAIT to start reading Heart Waves! So hi Danielle and thank you for being here today!

Thank you so much Melina, for allowing me to be part of your blogversary! I’m very excited to be here!

How does it feel to have ANOTHER novel of yours out there for all to read?

Surreal. It’s just dawning on me that For Always is REALLY out there. It’s an amazing feeling each

time I get an email or see a review from a fan. The biggest difference between the release of Heart

Waves and the release of For Always is that for my first release I was unknown and there was a little

buzz, but other than my family, close friends, and myself, there was no real excitement. With Heart

Waves there seems to be a lot of excitement. I am filled with a sense of pride and fulfilment.

How was the writing process? Did you just start writing about Jenna and Reece one day or did you

outline everything first?

I never outline. I tried to outline when I was younger but I spent so much time on the outline, I never

got to the actual story. And then I’d try to write to the outline rather than having the characters

drive the story. I have my beginning, mid-points and ending that I stick to, but the road to any of

these places is often filled with detours.

How did you come across Jenna's gift and why did you settle on that one?

Like Jenna, I’d always known things. I don’t remember how it started, but the summer of my twenty

first birthday I spent a lot of time reading palms and jewelry. It got to a point where I’d walk into

a pizzeria or bar and random guys would just hand me rings and bracelets. That summer sticks

out as one of the most fun summers of my life and I hoped that sentiment would carry over in the

relationship between Reece and Jenna.

Please tell me it'll be a sequel! Can you tell us a title if it will?

There WILL be a sequel to Heart Waves. I can’t commit to a title or time yet, but I can tell you it is

already in the works.

And what are you reading right now?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I just started it.

What are you like when you aren't writing?

I am usually playing the role of wife and mother. I tend to act silly with my children and I’m often a

little distracted. I tend to think about my characters, a problem they have, or a problem I have with

them.

Tell us 5 COMPLETELY random things about you!

1 I was an extra on the Cosby Show

2 I did the Tony Robbins Firewalk

3 I met Derek Jeter

4 I love the Rodeo

5 I believe in angels!

Thank you NiftyBookPeeps for reading and be sure to check out Heart Waves!

Author Interview With Trinity Faegen and ARC Giveaway!

Author Interview

With Trinity Faegen, author of The Mephisto Covenant Series.

If you have read my review of The Mephisto Covenant, then you know how much I loved it! If not you can find it here. I loved it so much in fact that I decided to feature it on TPNR to celebrate my ONE YEAR BLOGVERSARY! And now I get to interview the woman who brought this literary gem to life! And in light of my blogversary she VERY kindly offered to give away a signed and finished copy of The Mephisto Covenant AND an ARC of the next book in the series, The Mephisto Kiss (Available sept. 2012) There will be 2 winners and you have Trinity Faegen to thank for making the giveaway INTERNATIONAL!! 

So the first book in the series, The Mephisto Covenant was a wonderful read!
So wonderful indeed I am featuring it in my Blogversary. And who better to talk about it than the author of the book herself!? Trinity Faegen!!

Thank you, Melina! I really can't describe how it feels when a reader
connects with my work. I'm incredibly happy that you enjoyed the book!

Well I certainly connected! Especially with Jax! Now, in all seriousness,
what I want to know is how was the process of writing that first novel?

One word: Painful. I wrote, revised, rewrote, then rewrote again. Then,
after it sold to Egmont, I rewrote huge chunks of it during the editing
process. It pretty much bears no resemblance to what it was when I began. I
still want to change certain scenes, but that pesky publication thing kind
of hinders any do-overs.

In the first book, we have a Russian background for Sasha, why did you
decide on that one?

When I was 12, I saw the movie, Nicholas & Alexandra, about the doomed last
czar and his empress. It began a life-long love of Russian history. Visiting
Russia is on my bucket list, and it looks as though I'll get my wish next
year - yay! I'm hoping The Mephisto Covenant is out in Russia when I go,
because whoa, would that be cool to see it in a Russian bookstore!


How many books are planned in this (amazing) series?

If the stars were perfectly aligned, I'd love to write a book for each
brother, including Eryx. Alas, Egmont only bought two, so after The Mephisto
Kiss, unless they contract for more, that's the end. At a minimum, I hope I
get to write book 3. You'll see why after you read book 2. *wink*

Which Brother is your favorite? I won't tell them I promise.

Zee. He's so screwed up, has so much of a story in him. I already know who
will be his Anabo and she's AWESOME!

How did you come up with the concept of Anabo and Mephisto?

I dreamed the Mephisto brothers as these dark, tortured guys. That's it. I
couldn't stop thinking about them. I didn't want them to be demons, which are something of Lucifer. I read books about Hell, including one called The History of Hell - interesting read! - and I hit on the idea that they were sons of Mephistopheles, another fallen soul who's of Hell, but not the devil. Once I had them fully realized, I knew I wanted to write romance stories about them. Every story needs conflict, and where's the conflict if an ordinary human could fall in love with them? They had to be dark and scary. So I set about dreaming up a girl who could be around them longenough to fall in love - and thus, the Anabo. That created its own set of problems, because they need to be without Original Sin, but not Mary Sues. I had an enormous amount of fun building the Mephisto world.

How long did it take to outline and then write?

As I said, I revised and rewrote this book countless times. I began writing
it in 2006. It sold to Egmont in March of 2010. The first draft went
amazingly fast, but what came after was long and slow and painful. I wanted
to sell this book SO badly, I was willing to do whatever it took to get it
in sellable shape. My agent was a trooper, and reread over and over, until
she felt like we had something worthy of submitting. By contrast, book 2,
The Mephisto Kiss, took 3 months to write. I had to rewrite the last third
of the book in edits, but it was a joy to do - I love book 2.

What is your favorite dessert?

Hands down, chocolate layer cake. The old fashioned kind like my Granny
made. You know, moist cake, delicious creamy chocolate frosting...oh, man,
now I'm DYING for some!

What are you reading? Any recommendation for my readers?

At this moment, I'm reading my friend A.E. Rought's book, Broken. It'll be
out in January 2013. Inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, it's a
beautiful and compelling read. I'm also reading J.A. London's Darkness
Before Dawn - insanely beautiful prose and a great story. I never miss the
opportunity, when I'm asked, to talk up Simone Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry
trilogy about the Fuentes brothers. Holy mama, do I love those books! If you
haven't read them, you need to get on that. The woman can write romance like
whoa and damn.

Thank you so much for having me as a guest on your Blogversary, Melina!
Congratulations!

And now thanks to her here is my first Blogversary giveaway!
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Author Interview and Giveaway: Jodi Meadows

Jodi Meadows, author of Incarnate has given me the honor of giving my first author interview! She is a 2012 debut author, her YA book, Incarnate, (which I am impossibly giddy and excited for) is set to be released January 31st 2012.


About the book: 
NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? 


The Interview:



So what do you think of being published in, as you pointed out on twitter, a mere 90 days?
It's exciting! And a little scary. I'd like to say I'm totally cool about the whole thing and I go whole days without thinking about it, but no. I'm not, and I don't. At least once a day I suddenly remember that I have a book coming out, stop whatever I'm doing, and just . . . wow. It's really happening.


What gave you the (I must say great) idea for Incarnate? Where did your inspiration come from?
Inspiration and ideas are tricky things to pin down. I wrote a note about the premise and tucked it away in my "new ideas" file THREE YEARS before I ever started writing INCARNATE. Like most story ideas I have, the seed for INCARNATE came from an especially productive round of the "what if?" game.


I think the cover for your book is drop dead GORGEOUS!  What do you think?
Agreed! I could not be happier with the cover for INCARNATE. The model is perfect, the color treatment is perfect, and the butterfly is perfect. I love everything about it.


We all know you are a debut author, what do you do day to day?
No day is exactly the same. Sometimes I spend all day writing or revising. Other days, I take care of a lot of business emails. Occasionally I have to do tax stuff. (Ew.) Sometimes I write guest posts or answer interview questions. It's all work. 


This will be a trilogy right? Do you have any ideas for another series? (you don't have to tell what the ideas are of course!)
INCARNATE is the first book in a trilogy, yep! I have lots of other ideas for series and standalones. One of the hazards of being a writer is having more ideas than you know what to do with.


Favorite Ice cream flavor?
Chocolate chip cookie dough.


Next three books in your TBR pile!?
I don't have an order I'm reading it. I tend to pick out something based on my mood, or whatever won't cause an avalanche to reach. But a few things on my pile are POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil, EON by Alison Goodman, and LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins. 


The Giveaway:
I have decided that this book needs all the attention it deserves, so I am hosting a Giveaway of ONE (1) copy to ONE (1) lucky reader! The giveaway starts today and the winner will be announced on Incarnate's realase date, January 31st 2012.
Enter below for your chance to win!!