Author Interview: Naomi Canale (His Dark Ways)

Savanna Christy, a pastor’s daughter, is on a rebellion. Once her Dad told her the Bible warns of opening doors that shouldn’t be opened. She’s become obsessed with finding out if those doors are just as invisible as the God she’s been raised to know.

One night, during another thrill-seeking adventure, Savanna and her friends Amy and Lucky, head thirty minutes out of their small town of Tonopah, to check out the Goldfield Hotel, known to be one of the most highly active places for paranormal activity in the nation. Together the three of them break in, hoping to open one of the doors the Bible speaks of, and in the middle of a satanic séance the three of them are dragged to various places of the hotel. But when the door shuts before Savanna’s cornered, something saves her. As footsteps slowly make their way to where Savanna is under a window, she reaches out her hand. Daniel, an entity who’s been locked away between space and time, becomes just as visible as Savanna. And her energy can give him life again, only when they touch (which triggers an addiction).

website | twitter | goodreads

List five things you loved about writing His Dark Ways.

Atmosphere is definitely one of the things I loved when creating His Dark Ways. It takes place in Tonopah, Nevada, and if you ask anyone around Nevada (I’ve lived in Nevada all my life) people always have creepy stories to tell after visiting/staying in that little town. There’s also a great Clown Motel in Tonopah, so if you’re ever interested in a prickly vacation, it’s definitely the destination for you!

The other elements of His Dark Ways I enjoyed were the characters, especially the religious congregation my protagonist has to be a part of. They are often a strange and lively bunch, and that was fun to create. I also enjoyed investigating the ghost towns nearby and using them in the story. Murder was a fun one too, as sick as it sounds, I had a blast talking with a real detective and trying to create real scenarios on the page. Cops are a blast to talk with, and the stories they tell are usually stranger than fiction, so that was pretty cool.

List five of the most difficult things about writing His Dark Ways.

Putting my butt in the chair! I also came to a lot of forks in the road while writing His Dark Ways. I kept wondering where I should be going, which is strange because I usually have a complete outline before I write a book, and this book wanted to be something else.

His Dark Ways goes to some pretty dark places, places a lot of readers haven’t liked. But the book just went there, and sometimes an author has no control when a book takes on a mind of its own. It was difficult trying to visit those places. At one point, I wrote (in first person present tense) a demon. I was trying to get to the core of his anger and what would cause him to hate the world and that was not easy. Let’s just say I had a lot of nightmares because I have a pretty peaceful soul.

What are you hoping readers will take away from His Dark Ways, if anything at all.

His Dark Ways is definitely a redemption story. When I started writing the book, I was dealing with my sister going to prison for the second time (a big term), and her leaving my niece behind in a horrible meth environment. It was painful to see (my niece is very happy now, with our family), but I wanted to explore how one decision can alter our lives, and have a domino effect on the people around us. Our day-to-day lives can seem so innocent, robotic sometimes, and the decisions we make can change our lives forever, especially the ones that seem so little at the time.

What books are in your reading pile?

I’m currently reading The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, and Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. So far, Holly has captivated me, I can’t put her work down. I also have a lot of nonfiction books in my reading pile, I’m a sucker for history!

Are you working on anything currently?

I am. I’m currently working on a book that opens in the year 1820, in Boston. It’s creepy, but innocent to its time, and has these twists that keep popping up, and that’s really exciting for me. It’s been a blast to write, and I really can’t wait to share it with the world. I had a critique partner tell me recently that it was a great mix of Dickens and Poe, like they wrote a book together. That comment pretty much made my life!

The Debut Dish: Erica Cameron, Christina Farley, Sashi Kaufman, Lynne Matson & Kory M. Shrum

welcome to the debut dish!

What exactly is The Debut Dish? Well it’s a way to highlight a debut authors and their book. Perhaps after you read The Dish, you might want to pick one of them up! And if you’re participating in the Debut Author Challenge this is a great way to find books for your challenge list!

Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron

March 4th 2014 | Spencer Hill Press
website | goodreads

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella’s life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Dreams, silence, promises, lies, and strength.

Why should readers pick up your book?

One of the things I love about The Dream War world is that it take a lot of things that are usually ordinary and makes them special. Talents people have, dreams, jewelry, all of it takes on special significance in the series. Also, I got to play around with the metaphysical properties of gemstones and crystals, something I grew up knowing about, but a subject most people aren’t aware exists. It was a lot of fun and makes for some cool scenes!

What’s the best thing about being a debut author?

Well, I can only guess on this one since I don’t really have anything to compare it to yet, but probably the freshness of everything. I get to do a bunch of things–meeting bloggers, watching readers discover my book, go through the editing process, see my cover–for the FIRST time. That won’t ever happen again with any other book I write. It will all still be awesome, but it won’t ever happen again with this level of awe.

What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?

Snowcaps! And popcorn. Preferably together. I have a thing for salty and sweet in the same bite.

What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?

Coils and coils of jewelry wire. I love making shiny things and tend to drop the wire I’m not using on my desk.

Gilded by Christina L. Farley

March 1st 2014 | Skyscape
website | goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she’s next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There’s also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae’s heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae’s been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she’s always been looking for.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Vivid, action-packed, passionate

Why should readers pick up your book?

If you’re a reader that’s looking for a unique setting, strong female characters, and Asian mythology then this is the book for you. Think an Asian Percy Jackson for teens.

What’s the best thing about being a debut author?

I would say it’s the reader community. I never expected so many people to come behind Jae’s story and be supportive of it. I was worried that many people wouldn’t ‘get’ the Korean element or find it interesting. So it thrills me that that is the part that has drawn them to the story. I’m also so appreciative of the debut author groups that I’ve been a part of for their support and encouragement.

What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?

Twizzlers

What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?

It’s a toss-up between my homemade Chewbacca snow globe and my terra cotta warriors that I bought while visiting Xi’an, China.

The Other Way Around by Sashi Kaufman

March 1st 2014 | Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab
website | goodreads

Andrew West goes to an all-girls school and he still can’t get a date. If that’s not bad enough, his Mom is the headmaster. Everyone seems to have the wrong idea about Andrew. His teachers think he’s a good student who doesn’t apply himself -he really is trying. The kids at his old school thought he was a goth. His cousin Barry thinks he’s gay.

When his Thanksgiving break goes tragically awry he decides to run away. He catches a ride with a strange group of older teenagers. The Freegans are street performers and dumpster divers. As Andrew travels the country with his new friends he leaves behind the expectations of others and discovers what he expects of himself.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Runaway dumpster-diving road trip rebellion. Yes dumpster-diving is clearly a hyphenated single word!

Why should readers pick up your book?

Readers should pick up my book because of the quirky and genuine characters they will fall in love with. They will experience an alternative kind of coming of age journey through the slightly skeptical, ever observant eyes of Andrew West. And if that’s not enough, there’s body painting, pool hopping, hula hooping, and farm animals!

What’s the best thing about being a debut author?

The best part of being a debut author is sharing the final product with my friends and family. Of course I’m thrilled that the rest of the world will get to read it too. But sharing this part of my creative self with the people who know me best is really delicious.

What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?

Junior Mints –no contest.

What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?

So hard to pick just one. I think I’d have to go with this piece of clam shell I found at the beach last summer. It fits perfectly in my hand and on one side it has all these straight lines so I wrote the word order on it with sharpie. The other side has all these crazy dark swirling patterns so I wrote the word storm. I think it’s a good symbol of how my brain is much of the time. If that’s not odd enough I also have the remote control for a window air conditioner unit and it’s 7 degrees in Maine today.

Nil by Lynne Matson

March 4th 2014 | Henry Holt
website | goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Creepy, tense, gorgeous, mysterious, fated

Why should readers pick up your book?

Because I’ll love them forever?! lol Seriously, NIL a perfect spring break read. It’s a virtual island escape, to a place you’d never want to be. NIL is first and foremost a survival story, but it’s also a story of love and friendship and HOPE.

What’s the best thing about being a debut author?

The readers! For me, it’s knowing that the story I worked so hard to create (think years!) will finally make it into readers’ hands. It’s truly a dream come true, and I’m grateful for the chance. Readers bring NIL to life.

What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?

Classic M&M’s. Butterfinger bites are a close second.:)

What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?

Probably the pile of Rainbow Loom bracelets made by my sweet 6 year- old. They. Are. Everywhere. And those little rubber bands are sneaky.:)

Dying for a Living by Kory M. Shrum

March 4th 2014 | Timberlane Press
website | goodreads

On the morning before her 67th death, it is business as usual for Jesse Sullivan: meet with the mortician, counsel soon-to-be-dead clients, and have coffee while reading the latest regeneration theory. Jesse dies for a living, literally. As a Necronite, she is one of the population’s rare 2% who can serve as a death replacement agent, dying so others don’t have to. Although each death is different, the result is the same: a life is saved, and Jesse resurrects days later with sore muscles, new scars, and another hole in her memory.

But when Jesse is murdered and becomes the sole suspect in a federal investigation, more than her freedom and sanity are at stake. She must catch the killer herself—or die trying.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Girl dies again and again.

Why should readers pick up your book?

If they like original concepts and urban fantasy, they will like this.

What’s the best thing about being a debut author?

Everything is new and exciting. All the possibility!

What’s your favorite movie theatre candy?

If popcorn doesn’t count, then it’s got to be the Junior mints (with the popcorn, in my mouth, at the same time)

What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?

A pile of student essays. Odd because who knows what you’ll get when I’m in charge.

Cover Reveal: Compulsion by Martina Boone & Giveaway!

I’m thrilled to be helping with the cover reveal of Martina Boone’s COMPULSION!! You can also read about Martina’s dream movie cast and win some fabulous goodies!

Cover Reveal Video  

The COMPULSION Dream Cast

Before I get to the human characters, I have to say that setting is very definitely a character in the HEIRS OF WATSON ISLAND trilogy. Watson Island is loosely based on Edisto Island, and I borrowed from actual Charleston area plantation history to create the three plantations that shaped who the three families became. There was tons of material to work with-I mean, pirate treasure, ancient spirit witches, blood feuds, lonely, demented characters, curses, forbidden romance . . . How could I resist?

My dream cast of plantations would include Boone Hall Plantation, with bits of Magnolia Plantation and Drayton Hall thrown in. For the ruins of Colesworth Place, I’d love to use part of the columns that are all that’s left of the Windsor Plantation in Port Gibson, Mississippi. There is a Windsor Plantation on Edisto Island, too, but it doesn’t have the same level of drama and echoing sadness.
Okay, and now on to the fun part. Human characters.

Who would you want to play Barrie in a movie?

Barrie first. I’d love to Jennifer Lawrence play Barrie, of course, but basically, I’d like Jennifer Lawrence to play the main character in every movie, so that may not tell you much. I might go with Nicola Peltz.

Who would you want to play Eight in a movie?

Liam Helmsworth, I think, although Alex Pettyfer is probably the default here for most readers, and of course I wouldn’t turn him down. J

Who would you want to play Cassie in a movie?

Rooney Mara. This one’s a no-brainer for me. She could do Scarlett/Vivien Leigh, and I think she’d pull off the various sides of Cassie with the complexity that Cassie needs.

Who would you want to play Mark in a movie?

Idris Elba. I can picture him ROCKING a pink Chanel suit and heels and shaking his booty and singing along with Whoopie Goldberg in Sister Act doing “Hail Holy Queen.” I wonder if he’d be willing to shave?

Who would you want to play Barrie’s Aunt Pru in a movie?

Hard to believe that Reese Witherspoon is about the right age, but she is. And she would do a fabulous job. Plus if they cast Patrick Dempsey as Seven, then McDreamy might finally get the girl he missed in Sweet Home Alabama. Maybe. Eventually. By the end of the series—if I decide that he is truly good enough for Pru.

ABOUT THE BOOK

COMPULSION

By Martina Boone

Hardcover
October 28, 2014
ISBN: 18732883
Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

When loss is all you know, how do you find true love?

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead—a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family’s twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

ADD TO GOODREADS | PREORDER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. Her first teacher in the U.S. made fun of her for not pronouncing the “wh” sound right, so she set out to master “all the words”—she’s still working on that! In the meantime, she’s writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. If you like romance steeped in mystery, mayhem, Spanish moss, and a bit of magic, she hopes you’ll look forward to meeting Barrie, Eight, Cassie, Pru, Seven and the other characters of Watson Island.

ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY

Martina is giving away a signed and personalized ARC of COMPULSION, one of the first copies off the press, along with a sterling silver key necklace similar to one of the keys on the necklace Barrie wears. There are also three books signed by Kendare Blake, one of her favorite authors:

• ANTIGODDESS hardcover signed by Kendare Blake
• ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD paperback signed by Kendare Blake
• GIRL OF NIGHTMARES hardcover signed by Kendare Blake

The giveaway will run through 3/31/14, and it’s open internationally. Use the Rafflecopter giveaway  below to enter.

Want more chances to win?  Enter all eight giveaways in the cover reveal. Each has a different set of signed books by Martina’s favorite authors, including Laini Taylor, Maggie Steifvater, Stephanie Kuehn, Tahereh Mafi, Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, Megan Shepherd, Veronica Roth, Claudia Gray, Kat Zhang, Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman, and Jennifer L. Armentrout. Click the banner to find them all.

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In My Mailbox (239)

Welcome to In My Mailbox! In my mailbox is a way for me to highlight books I’ve bought, borrowed from the library, received as gifts or received for review. I’d love to hear about your books to, so feel free to share in the comments section!

Another crazy week for me! Work was insane busy and then of course being a mom is always busy, seriously I don’t know how some moms do it. SO much respect for the mammas out there! BUT the awesome books I got this week, helped make up for all the craziness! Check these titles out!

Always Emily by Michaela MacColl
Going Over by Beth Kephart
Never Too Late by. A. Destiny & Rhonda Helms
Steadfast by Claudia Gray
Death Sworn by Leah Cypess
Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell
Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens
Gold Medal Winner by Donna Freitas
In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith (Thanks AMY!!)
The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith (Thanks AMY!!)
End Times by Anna Schumacher
Subway Love by Nora Raleigh Baskin
The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson
Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
Ever Ending by Martyn Bedford
Kissing in Italian by Lauren Henderson

What about you?

Cover Reveal: The Walled City by Ryan Graudin, Plus an Interview & Giveaway!

Today I have Ryan Graudin stopping by chatting about the cover for The Walled City! There is also a giveaway for a signed ARC!

There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run.

Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. Teens there traffic drugs or work in brothels–or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.

What do you think about the cover?

When I first saw the cover for The Walled City I was blown away. I’ve always been a huge fan of abstract covers, and the team at Little Brown did a phenomenal job at capturing the feel of the book. Everything on the cover–from the dragon scales and city map in the background, to the girl’s mournful face, to the red dragon mark and the typography–is so fitting and significant!

Did you have any input?

They did actually ask me if I had any thoughts on the cover! I made the suggestion about the red dragon symbol (it’s very prominent in the book) and sent them the link to my novel’s Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/rgraudin/walls/. They actually drew a lot from various pins I’d posted while I was dreaming and drafting the story. It was so thrilling to be able to make suggestions and then see how they went above and beyond!

What, in your mind, makes The Walled City unique?

I’ve honestly never read anything quite like it (the closest I’ve come to describing it is PERFECT LIES meets MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA), which was quite terrifying when I was drafting the book and wondering if it would ever have a chance at selling. The story’s setting is based on a real neighborhood in 1980s Kowloon, Hong Kong. The real Kowloon Walled City was a lawless shanty town that was 14 stories high, 6.5 acres with sunless streets and over 33,000 residents. It was teeming with brothels, gangs, illegal dentists, heroin addicts. When I heard about this very real, yet unreal setting, I just had to put characters in it!

Ryan Graudin was born in Charleston, SC with a severe case of wanderlust. When she’s not traveling, she’s busy photographing weddings, writing, and spending time with her husband and wolf-dog. She is also the author of All That Glows (HarperTeen, 2/11/14) . You can visit her online at ryangraudin.com

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