Showing posts with label Interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interview. Show all posts

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Interview: The Wildenstern Saga by Oisin McGann

Synopsis:
Nate Wildenstern's brother has been killed, and the finger is pointed at him . . . After nearly two years, eighteen-year-old Nate returns home to the family empire ruled by his father - the ruthless Wildenstern Patriarch. But Nate's life is soon shattered by his brother's death, and the Rules of Ascension, allowing the assassination of one male family member by another, means he's being blamed. He knows that he is not the murderer, but who is? With the aid of his troublesome sister-in-law, Daisy, and his cousin Gerald, he means to find out. But when the victims of the family's tyrannical regime choose the funeral to seek their revenge, they accidentally uncover the bodies of some ancient Wildenstern ancestors, one of whom bears a Patriarch's ring. The lives of Nate and his family are about to take a strange and horrifying turn . . .

Interview with Oisin McGann: 

1. Where did you get the idea for The Wildenstern Saga?

The original ideas came together, forming around the concept of a vampire-like family whose power came from money rather than blood, and avoiding all the usual vampire tropes. It was going to be a much more science fiction/fantasy world, but I wanted to appeal to a more mainstream audience. Sometimes you can entertain yourself by going really weird, but end up alienating readers. I realized the core ideas of the story would fit well in a Victorian world, but I didn’t want to lose the freedom and imagination that sci-fi/fantasy offers and I wanted to add more humour and a touch of chaos. That was when I brought in the engimals, the living machines, as a new thread, and wove them into the science of the story and the mythology of the world. I also wanted to avoid the usual English setting, so I set it in Ireland instead, which added a whole load of extra historical spice, as those were fiery times.

2. The series is set in Victorian Ireland and incorporates many aspects of steampunk. How did you become interested in steampunk? Do you participate in steampunk culture often?

I’ve always been fascinated with the Victorian contrast of civil and delicate manners against the grit and grime of the Industrial Revolution and the massive difference between rich and poor, between science and religion, between virtuous Christian values of a developing society and the beginning of a grinding factory society. It’s a fascinating period in history, which is why it attracts so much attention. Plus, of course, when I was growing up, Jules Verne was the granddaddy of science fiction (I didn’t read HG Wells until later in my life). I think there’s a nostalgia for that kind of sci-fi, because for many of us, the technology is still understandable and is very visual. Electronics have made tech almost magical, but has meant it can be almost any shape, which has led to many everday things ending up shaped like a very practical round-edged box (cars, phones, trains, radios and TVs). Steampunk is visually stimulating because it’s chunky and often ugly or ridiculously ornate, the shapes either dictated by the function or the décor of someone’s house – and it’s gorgeously funky because of all that. I don’t participate in the cosplaying or model-making, but there’s some really lovely stuff out there.

3. Engimals are engine-animal hybrids that can be tamed to work as machines in society. What’s your favorite engimal?

I suppose it would have to be Flash, the wild motorcycle Nate captures at the beginning of the book, but they were ALL fun to make. I think we’ve a funny relationship with machines; we can’t help treating them like animals – we shout at our computers, wrestle with our vacuum cleaners and have strange relationships with our cars. Creating machines that actually behaved like animals; a toaster that gets a thrill from having toast inserted in its back, or a bird that sings like a stereo, or a street-sweeper that can be led like a cow or sharp-edged, paper-like creatures that can fly and draw their power by basking in the sun . . . these all seemed a very natural step in a weird direction.

4. The Rules of Ascension are very harsh and taken very seriously in getting to the top of the family line. How did the idea for the Rules come about?

They were worked out pretty logically according to how I imagined a family like this would be governed. The aim is to create ruthless businessmen, to always increase the family’s wealth and power. So family life is shaped to breed predators and weed out the weak, allowing someone to kill someone in a superior position, as long as it conforms to the rules and no one outside the family finds out. As the family’s motto goes: ‘Suffer No Weakness’. If you take greed to its ultimate extreme, I figure this is what you’d get.

5. How long did it take you to write Ancient Appetites?

I plan ahead quite a bit, so when I start writing a book, I turn it out pretty fast and I like to have as finished a story as possible by the time I write ‘The End’ (I still write ‘The End’ – it gets taken out by the editor, but I still write it). That said, I’m normally working on two or three projects at a time, maybe more – though usually only one novel, unless I’m editing one and writing another. I think Ancient Appetites took about four or five months to write the first draft.

6. Ancient Appetites is set in 19th century Ireland. If you could live in any time period and any place, what/where would it be and why?

Oh, I’d visit other times, but I’d stay living right here. Vaccines, antiseptic, antibiotics, modern medicine and dentistry, the ability to travel, the access to information, human rights . . . we’re steadily making the world a better place. I do wish we hadn’t trashed our environment so badly, but there’s still hope there too. The past is lovely and all that, but it can stay right where it is. Certainly, you’d have to be an eejit to want to live in 19th century Ireland – most people had it pretty rough back then.

7. Do your three children influence your stories at all?

Mostly they distract me from my work, but yes, there are bits of them in the writing – that would be true of anyone I spend a lot of time with. We’re constantly influenced by the people and environment around us.

8. You’re both a writer and an illustrator. How do your creative processes differ for both?

I write imagining how I’d draw (or film) each scene and I’m constantly imagining dialogue and action while I draw. They’re two sides of the same coin for me. In fact, when I started teaching writing classes, which I still do, I’d never done any formal writing classes myself, I hadn’t learned any systematic steps, so my approach was the one I’d learned in art college; break everything into simple isolated elements, learn how to recreate those and how they fit together to make more complex things.

9. What young adult authors inspire you?

YA is more of a marketing thing than an audience thing. Writers who would have influenced me in different ways would include Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, Pat Mills (a UK comics writer), Tolkien, CS Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl, Willard Price, Alan Moore, Louis L’Amour, Craig Thomas, Agatha Christie and I loved books like Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Watership Down, The Wind in the Willows, The Iron Man, Pippi Longstocking and Moby Dick. I went through an Enid Blyton phase for a while, And then there was Jules Verne, of course.

10. What can you tell us about The Wisdom of Dead Men and Merciless Reason, the next books in the trilogy?

More of the same, but worse. By the time we get to Merciless Reason, things are really getting out of hand. The climax of that was a LOT of fun to write.

11. When you’re not writing or illustrating, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

I like walking in the mountains (though I’ve done less of that since our two youngest were born – the hills are still calling to me), I love films, reading and answering my children’s oddball questions. I travel around quite a bit, particularly in Ireland and I love seeing new places, but staying at home and getting jobs done on the house has become a bit of a treat. I like tinkering with stuff to figure out how it works. I was into martial arts for years and keep promising, when I’ve got the time, that I’ll get back into it. I still like a good fight scene, though I’m getting a lot less tolerant of the scripts of martial arts films now. Some of them are really shite. I have two dogs and a cat that demand a fair bit of my time too.

12. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Loads, but it wouldn’t fit here. Mainly, write what you love to read, so it will always be fun. Life’s too short for meeting other people’s expectations and this is too weird, frustrating and inconsistent a job to do if it’s not fun. I have no time for the perception of the miserable, tortured artist. Sod that, write what you love – all the rest is a bonus.

13. Do you think you have any similar characters to Nate Wildenstern, the main character in Ancient Appetites?

I think it’s important to make every character distinctive. I’d hope that every character I create is different from all the others. Part of the fun of writing is the challenge to make your characters interesting to write and it’s the only way to create that empathy in the reader.

14. Do you ever get writer’s block? How do you overcome it?

No, I really don’t. I think one skill a writer should train into themselves is the ability to observe and to make ideas out of the things around them. The world is FULL of stimulation for our brains, we only need to open ourselves up to it. I don’t believe in writer’s block as some kind of psychological affliction. If you get stuck in a story, find a way to make up something new or stop taking it so seriously and take a break and go and write something else. Don’t stop writing, just change what you’re doing. Everyone can get stuck, all the best writers do, but we do this for a living – you have to knuckle down and get on with it. If you can be beaten into submission by a blank page, you’re in the wrong job.

15. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I’ve had loads of good advice, but one practical one is that my English teacher once asked me how sure I was of the end of my stories before I start writing. In a burst of light exploding in my brain, I realized that sometimes I hadn’t a clue how my stories ended and I COULD THINK AHEAD AND FIX THAT. Now, I have the ending of my story before I start writing. I can change it – it’s my story, I can do what I like – but it give me a direction to go and helps me maintain pace throughout. It doesn’t suit every writer, but it works for me.

16. Your books have elements of fantasy, science fiction, adventure, and mystery in them. What’s the most challenging part of combining so many genres into one cohesive story?

I try not to think in genres. I like a bit of weird in my stories, so they often have a sci-fi/fantasy/horror element to them – letting go with the imagination is just too much fun –but there still have to be clear rules for those unreal bits, so that there can be no magical escapes or easy answers. Nothing pisses a reader off worse than giving a character a convenient or lazy way out of a problem. I think that once you can create character, suspense and pace, you can bring them into any type of story, and the type of story is dictated by the setting and the challenges your characters face.

17. What’s your favorite bookstore?

I don’t have one – there are a number in Dublin that I’d visit regularly and we have a couple of good local ones, but my wife is a librarian, so I can order home delivery any time I want.

18. Which character did you enjoy writing most in Ancient Appetites?

I don’t have a favourite character (as you can gather, I don’t really do favourites much at all), but Gerald was cool to write; he has this dry wit that delivers some of the best lines, and Tatiana was great – someone once described her as ‘pathologically bubbly’ and that’s a pretty good description. She’s a ray of sunshine in a family of predators.

19. Who is your favorite literary character?

Aw, I don’t know. Bilbo Baggins or Gollum? Charley from Charley’s War? Long John Silver? It’s a bit like asking a parent who their favourite child is. There are already too many to choose and I still want to find more of them.

20. Are you working on anything currently?

I’m always, always writing. I’ve just finished the sequel to Rat Runners and I’m now working on another novel, a kind of near-future Cold-War-thriller with an environmental theme. I’m also pitching a few different younger kids’ projects to publishers, I’m tweaking some new editions of an existing series and I’m just wrapping up the last few pieces for a project where we were exploring climate change through storytelling, trying to find different, and more positive ways of portraying it and looking to the future. But I’m ALWAYS writing. I’ll do it until somebody stops me.

Raquel
xoxo

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Blog Tour, Interview and Giveaway: By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart


By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart 
Series: By Blood #1 
Publication date: February 18th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal

Synopsis:
For 17-year-old Emma Wong, spending a summer in England should be a dream come true. Gorgeous scenery? Check. Lots of hot guys with accents? Yes, please.

Throw in an estranged mom, annoying new stepdad, and drooling baby half-brother, and it’s a disaster even her favorite cherry red leather jacket can’t fix. Even worse, there’s (hot) live-in research assistant Josh to contend with. The only thing more embarrassing than drunk-kissing him hours after they meet? Knowing he’ll be witness to her family’s dysfunction all. summer. long.

But when Emma meets a mysterious girl who happens to be a Druid, her vacation suddenly promises to be far more intriguing than she anticipated. Powerful rituals, new friends, an intoxicating sense of freedom...and Simon, the sexy foreign stranger she was hoping for. It’s all a perfect distraction from dirty diapers and awkward family dinners.

Trouble is, intriguing doesn’t often mean simple. And Emma is about to discover just how not simple her life really is.

By Blood is a novel about the ways that blood can bind us to others – or tear us apart.



Author Bio:
Tracy E. Banghart is a cheesy movie–loving, fantasy football–playing (go Ravens!), globe-trotting Army wife who began “practicing” her craft at the age of five, when she wrote her first story. She loves visiting the international friends she met while pursuing her MA in Publishing and spends a portion of every summer at her family’s cabin in Canada, where she finds inspiration and lots of time to relax on the dock. She lives with her husband, son, two lazy dogs and one ornery cat. When not writing or spending time with her family, she is on a mission to bake the perfect cupcake.




1.       What inspired you to write By Blood?
Emma's character first appeared as a supporting player in Moon Child, and as soon as she appeared, I just knew she needed her own story. She's feisty, dramatic, tough…but also really vulnerable. At the time, I was also feeling homesick for England (I went to grad school there) so I thought - wham! How about I ship Emma off to Oxford with her estranged Mom? Bet that'd be fun! ;-)
2.       What books have influenced your life most?
The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley; On Fortune's Wheel, by Cynthia Voigt. For Writers Only, by Sophie Burham. Also, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. As a young adult, I read A LOT…and frequently re-read my favorites. I think that's one reason I prefer to write young adult…I remember those books having such an impact on me. It might sound weird, but I think I figured out the kind of person I wanted to be through the strong, adventurous heroines of my favorite books, like those of Robin McKinley and Cynthia Voigt.
3.       What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Because I couldn't travel to England while I was writing, I had to rely on my memories, as well as Google Maps! Sometimes that would sap my writing momentum a little, trying to get all the geographical details right.
4.        If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be?  Why?
Ooh…interesting question. I'd say probably the second line of the book. Emma has a thought about trying to keep her little brother quiet…it's a sentence I wrote a number of years ago now, before I had my son (who's 10 months, about the age of Fermin)…and now that I AM a mom, it seems so violent! I wondered if I should change it, but I ultimately decided not to. It's a split-second thought Emma has, one that she has NO intention of acting on, and I think it really speaks to both her mindset/inexperience with children as well as her frustration with this fussy, screaming baby on a plane. I mean - we've all felt that frustration, right? Still…every time I read it now I think of my adorable little son and it really bothers me. Emma would NOT be my choice for a babysitter! ;)
5.        Can you give us an interesting fun fact or a few about By Blood?
The house Emma lives in for the summer is the same I stayed in when I lived there - and yes, I had the same closet-sized room (seriously, it was REALLY small).
All the pubs, museums, cookie shops, etc., are all real places with their real names except for the Wisteria Cafe. It's a real place, but I couldn't remember the name or find it online, so I made one up!
And, here's a juicy one….Simon looks exactly like a guy I had a crush on in grad school. But don't tell him I said that! ;-) (this was pre-hubby and baby, of course!)
6.        And now, before you go, how about a snippet from By Blood that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:
Here you go! :-)
Caught up in the moment, I ran my hands down his chest, over the smooth, slightly damp cotton of his shirt, and pulled him closer. I felt him resist, just for a second, and then his hands slid to my back and suddenly we were pressed tight against each other.
The heat, the sweat, the pounding music throbbing in my veins—I felt about thirty seconds away from bursting into flame.
The music changed to a swing number all technoed out. Josh’s hands dropped to his sides and he stepped away. Oh come on. What had I done this time?
But instead of running off, he grabbed my hand and spun me out, laughing. I twirled, skirt fanning, and bumped into another warm body.
Simon.
Somehow, suddenly, his arms were locked around me, and I was no longer holding Josh’s hand. We were almost the same height so he didn’t have to lean down to bring his lips to my ear. “Meet us Wednesday night,” he said, his breath cool against my hot skin. He held me but didn’t move to the music; it felt strange, like we were hugging in the middle of the dance floor. But I didn’t pull away.
“Meet you where? For what?” I asked, a little breathlessly.
“Come to the Wisteria. Eight o’clock. And wear white.”
“A Druid ritual?” I thought of the girls dancing in a circle, arms entwined. The freedom in Ash’s eyes.
“Do you want to see what we’re all about?”
I stared into his shadowed eyes, his face close enough to kiss. I could feel his body from my knees to my breasts. His arms tightened, like he wanted me there, close to him.
“Definitely,” I replied, heart pounding.

Book 2 : Moon Child is also available:






Thursday, August 22, 2013

Blog Tour: Witchling by Ari Harper- Interview and Giveaway

Series: Curse of Kin #1
Released: November 29th 2012
Publisher: Lycaon/Breathless Press
Purchase: Amazon


BLURB:
Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland-or so she thought. Her world is forever changed when she discovers that she is descended from a long line of witches. To her horror she finds she is the one that is supposed to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her. As if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic and her trainer is a man named Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches, and a god. It is Bones that has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons. Can Nera learn what she needs while staying immune to the charms of the man that gets under her skin at every opportunity?

About the Author
Ari Harper never wanted to grow up.
To offset the limitations of aging ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants.


Gods, witches and demons surround Ari while she spins her magic, doing mainly what they tell her to do. Given a chance, she prefers to work amongst chaos, which is good because she is constantly surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm.




What inspired you to write Witchling?
The story or should I say the bare bones of it ran around in my head for months before I started writing. Never having written a book before, I had no idea how to start. I tried to ignore the scenes assaulting me on a daily basis before finally giving in and I wrote the first three books in quick succession.

What books have influenced your life most?
I couldn't pick out any one book because I have read since I could hold a book. One series does stand out for me though. Walt Disney put out a series when I was a small child, two stories to each book. They had pride of place on my bookshelf when I was growing up, always with a book in reach.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?
With any book I find the middle the hardest. I don't plan my stories, they just happen. I generally get an idea that starts me writing and sometimes I know what the ending is but the middle, that is usually as much a surprise to me as it is to the reader.

Are you reading anything now?
I'm a big fan of Abbi Glines. I've just finished Twisted Perfection and can't wait for the next book.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
If it is truly what you want to do, don't give up, ever. Follow other writers, ask questions and learn. Don't go into this thinking your writing is perfect and always be open to suggestions.

Who is your favorite character from Witchling and why?
Jasper, what can I say? I love the Irish accent and he is one dish of a man.

Final Hint #9:

Who was the first casualty in the battle?


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Blog Tour and Interview: Alyx Rayer Chronicles by S.J. Pierce

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the Alyx Rayer Chronicles Series. The author gave a great interview to share. Enjoy!

Marked for Vengeance by S.J. Pierce 
Series: Alyx Rayer Chronicles #1 
Publication date: October 10th 2012 
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:

Alyx Rayer’s existence in Atlanta, the eternally bustling capital of Georgia, is one of routine and blending in among the worker bees. But her ‘normal’ life is actually a façade for a higher calling; she's a three hundred year old soul, encased in a human vessel and sent from the darkness between heaven and Earth to capture her Marked when summoned by her superiors.

During the initial, routine stake-out of her Marked, a dream prophet named Isaac Walsh, Alyx is thrown for an emotional loop when his allure captivates her heart from two rooftops away. The event marks the very instance when her sense of what’s right and what’s wrong is brutally challenged as her contact with him is strictly forbidden.

While already trapped between honor and desire, her emotional struggles are further challenged by a man in a black suit who continually pops up when she least expects it, his presence evoking a strange response from the scar she was branded with at birth. The scar tingles like a warning beacon, alerting her that something is amiss. Because her superiors never told her what this would mean, or much of anything except what to do when they summon, she can only conclude to try and keep her sanity, and her life, from completely shattering to pieces.

This engaging first book of the series is a Paranormal Romance novel interlaced with twists, turns, and thrilling suspense that is sure to satisfy readers of any genre.

***Book is on sale until June 28


Tethered by Fate by S.J. Pierce
Series: Alyx Rayer Chronicles #2
Publication date: November 29th 2012
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance


Synopsis:
Where fate would take the both of them now, Isaac wasn’t sure, but either way their paths were irrevocably tethered."

Hurled into the midst of a holy war between the sinister fallen Angel of War and their beloved Creator, gifted humans, Angels, and Spirit Guides unite to create a formidable, ethereal army. With the imminent battle only days away, continue to follow the story that captivated your hearts as a Protector Angel named Alyx struggles with her own inner conflicts between right and wrong, love and honor.

Passionate, engaging, and filled with surprising twists and turns -- see which path fate will lead our beloved Angel down next in this second book of the Alyx Rayer Chronicles.

***Book is on sale until June 28




1. What inspired you to write the series?

I’ve always had a fascination with angels and demons, which coincidentally, happen to be big right now in the Paranormal Romance genre. I’m also a sucker for Fantasy; my first introduction into this genre was with The Chronicles of Narnia as a child. So the series is a good blending of both – paranormal and fantasy, my two loves.

2. What were your favorite elements of the story to write?

I can’t say all of it, can I? lol If I was forced at gun point to choose, I’d say the characters because they move the story along. They need to be multi-faceted, interesting, and surprise you from time to time. In real life we all have our weaknesses and skeletons. We might be inherently good, but struggle with temptation and our darker sides. In my opinion, a hero/ heroine who always makes the right decisions and knows all the right answers and never does anything wrong is unrealistic and boring, so it’s no surprise that I put a lot of effort into constructing my characters and love every minute of it.

3. Were there parts of the story you didn't enjoy writing?

I can honestly say no to this one, even at gunpoint. :) I enjoy writing so much that even the heavier subjects are enjoyable for me. Not that I like putting my characters through tough situations, but I recognize every element of a story is necessary. I will admit, though, that I do cry sometimes as I’m writing certain scenes.

4. Do any of the characters personalities resemble your own, or people you know?
In a way, I think a piece of me is in every character. A favorite quote of mine is by Ernest Hemingway, who I love:

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

It’s so true. I pour everything I have into my writing, so it only stands to reason that – even if it’s a small percentage – at least part of every character is a reflection of me.

5. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

GREAT question! During promotional blasts and blog tours, it’s easier to only focus on all of the good things that have been said about your book. After all, we’re all trying to create a brand and make a sale. But hidden behind all of those gushing, enthusiastic reviews lurk the *gasp* negative ones! I’d say the toughest for me to swallow was one of my very first. He said my dialogue was stilted and I used too many descriptions, and I’ll tell you, NO amount of coaching will truly prepare you for your first blow. I knew it would eventually come, but it didn’t ease the sting. I just did what I thought was best – take what he had to say into consideration and use it to better my work.

Now… on to the fun part! :) One of my most memorable compliments came from a woman who reads and reviews a lot of indie novels. She emailed me to tell me that my Alyx Rayer series was so refreshingly different than everything else that was out there, it made her want to delete everything she had on her Kindle. Talk about a monumental compliment! And it couldn’t have come at a better time – right on the heels of my first negative review. I burst into tears. My fans really are my angels… God seems to send them when I need their encouragement the most.

6. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you for giving a debut author a shot! Your support has been the fuel that keeps me going on days when doubt and exhaustion want to win the battle. You rock!!!

About the Author:
Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy and Sci-fi novels. 

Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex storytelling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her first publishing credit was a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to 'life happens', but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self.




Friday, April 5, 2013

Timespell Interview & Grand Prize Giveaway!

Synopsis:
In TIMESPELL, the brash and impulsive Julia must team up with her sweet and straight-laced best friend, Angie, and the malicious and power-hungry Kaitlyn in order to keep the witch-like powers of her inheritance. But these powers come at a cost. The girls are bound to serve the Fates, and their first mission sends them back in time to Marie Antoinette’s Paris and eventually, into the chaos and war of the French Revolution.



Title: Timespell by Diana Paz 
Publication date: April 1st 2013
Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing
Genre: YA Time Travel


Today, I have the great pleasure in showing this interview with talented author, Diana Paz. You can also enter the giveaway to win a paperback or 3 ebook copies of Timespell.

Let’s start with your writing routine. Do you have a particular place you like to settle in to write?
I usually start with a snack and music, sometimes I spend a few minutes daydreaming about my characters and what I have planned for them… then I dive into my manuscript! My favorite place to write is on my sofa, tucked into the corner with my laptop, and I’m big on having a steady supply of tea and cookies within reach. I tend to snack a LOT while writing, but it balances out because I end up forgetting to eat during revisions.

In the novel, the three main characters seem very different. How would you describe them? Was writing in three points of view a challenge?
I enjoyed the challenge of viewing the world through each of my character’s eyes. Julia is sarcastic, outspoken, protective, and impulsive. Angie is steady, polite, thoughtful, and reserved. Kaitlyn is contemptuous, cynical, guarded, and fearless. They each have flaws and strengths that play into their relationship. I wanted to see if three girls who were so dissimilar could overcome their differences and, if so, would their experiences change them? What would their motivations be? Would they cooperate for the good of the world? For their own agendas? For personal gain? What about loyalty to one another? It was fascinating to me to think about how the girls would react to an existence that forced them to unite, and I loved seeing each of them grow.

Do any of the characters personalities resemble your own, or people you know?
Even though I created the main characters as their own people, I can’t help but infuse pieces of myself, and the experiences I’ve had, in every character I write. Because of this, I would say that I can relate to each of them.

Timespell delves into the time period of the French Revolution. What drew you to this historical period? What made you choose certain locations in the book?
I loved the idea of Marie Antoinette being the same age as my main characters when she made her Parisian debut. I think that’s probably what first had me poking into researching this particular era. The more I read, the more fascinated I became, and before I knew it, I had several scenes in mind for the story based around key events surrounding Marie Antoinette’s life. I liked choosing locations that made sense in the story and the timeline, so I decided to use Tuileries Palace as an anchor throughout a lot of the time travel that occurred in Timespell. Between Marie Antoinette’s Parisian debut and the terrifying march on the palace many years later, it was a great place to have the girls battle demons and experience key events of the Marie Antoinette era.

In TIMESPELL, the brash and impulsive Julia must team up with her sweet and straight-laced best friend, Angie, and the malicious and power-hungry Kaitlyn in order to keep the witch-like powers of her inheritance. But these powers come at a cost. The girls are bound to serve the Fates, and their first mission sends them back in time to Marie Antoinette’s Paris and eventually, into the chaos and war of the French Revolution.


About the Author:
Diana Paz writes books about magic, adventure, and romance. She was born in Costa Rica, grew up on Miami Beach, moved to Los Angeles in high school, and went to college in San Diego. Basically, she’s a beach bum. Diana graduated from California State University, San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. She loves old movies, epic fantasy, all kinds of music, and heading to the beach with a good book. Preferably sipping a highly sweetened iced coffee. 
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