DARREN SHAN - INTERVIEW - ZOM-B MISSION BLOG TOUR

Hello everyone! So I know I've been a little MIA recently but I have exams at the moment and exams equals revision which doesn't leave me much time to post.

Anyway today I have something very awesome to share with you! To celebrate the release of the next instalment in Darren Shan's amazing Zom-B series; Zom-b Mission, I have an mega cool interview to share! In fact a couple of years ago I have the pleasure of meeting Darren so being able to do this interview to celebrate this new book was actually really fun and exciting for me!

Moving on, I don't want to keep you waiting so without further ado, here is the interview!

1. What was you inspiration behind this series? 
I wanted to write about racism and the abuse of power in the early 21st century, but I wanted to come
at it in a roundabout way, not write it as a straight-up issues book. I felt I might reach more readers if I made the issues part of a wider, thrilling, exciting, horrifc storyline, rather than focus on them exclusively. Zombies seemed like a good way to do that -- George A Romero's zombie films explored racist issues long before I hit the scene, so the precedent was already there -- so off I set.

2. Are any of the characters based on people you know? 
Well, lots of them are named after people I know. I've done that in other books in the past, but more than usual in this novel, since it's got more of a contemporary urban feel than my other works, and "real" names suited the story more than they suited the stories of my previous work. But in terms of basing the characters on real people, no, not so much. Which is a relief, given how twisted and vicious the characters in these books are!

3. Do you have a writing ritual? 
I tend to write about ten pages (3,000) words a day when I'm doing a first draft. I'll write five pages in the morning, take a break for lunch, edit them after lunch, then write another five. Continue until finished. I'll then give myself a break of a few months, before returning to do a rewrite, and I take further breaks between each subsequent edit. In total, I'll usually spend between two and three years working on any one book, although I'll juggle a lot of different books around over that period, which is how I can release books so quickly.

4. What is your most embarrassing moment as a Writer?
 I was at an event once where a fan asked me about a certain character. I didn't recognise the name, and told the fan that I thought she was thinking of a book by a different writer. But no, she calmly reminded me of where the character appeared, and I finally recalled him! Luckily I'm not precious about these things, and I had a good laugh at my own expense.

5. When did you know you wanted to write?
 Since I was five or six years of age. There were lots of others things I wanted to be too (vet, rock star, footballer, astronaut), but being a writer was top of the list, and also a lot more achievable for me than my other goals, since I was actually good at writing.

6. Who is your favourite author and what is your favourite book? 
Stephen King is my favourite author, and has been for about thirty years, since I read my first book by him. My favourite book as a child was The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

7. What is the book you wish you had written? 
I don't have a desire to write any books that are already written. There are amazing, groundbreaking books that I admire the hell out of -- for example, Lord of the Rings, and the graphic novel Watchmen -- but they were the work of other creative minds, and I only focus on what I can produce myself.

8. How does it feel to see your book in bookshops?
 Nice, though not as mind-blowing as I think many people imagine. It's not like winning the lottery and walking around in a happy daze. A published book is the result of months and years of hard graft. By the time it appears on a bookshelf, I've gone through so many different stages that it's something of an anticlimax.

9. Can you give us any info of what you're working on next / what your next project is? 
There are several more Zom-B books to come (there will be twelve in total) so I'm finishing off those at the moment. I have also completed a first draft of what I hope will be my next book after that, but I can't say anything about it yet, as it's still very much in its infancy.

10. And finally a fun question! If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why? 
Stephen King, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens. I'm sure I'd get some good stories out of those three over the course of a meal.

So as you can see that was a fantastic interview and if you haven't already read the Zom-B books you should definitely check them out. Here are the links for:

Book 1

Book 3

Book 2

Book 4

Book 6

Book 5

Book 7

ELIZABETH LABAN - INTERVIEW

1. What was you inspiration behind the novel?

I have always loved young adult books, and really wanted to write one. When I was in high school, I wrote a tragedy paper about Greek and Shakespearean tragedy that always stuck with me. A few years ago, my agent Uwe Stender suggested I read Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werter. I loved the story, and especially the structure of the story. I started playing around with ways to modernize and retell it. Being one of the classic tragedies, it sparked my memory of the paper I wrote in high school, which, in turn, brought back that whole world for me. It all started coming together in my mind and The Tragedy Paper was born.

 2. Are any of the characters based on people you know? 

 Mr. Simon is most definitely based on my high school English teacher Mr. Arthur Naething. He is the one who assigned me the Tragedy Paper. At the time, I had no idea that the impact that assignment would have on me would be so huge. The way I remember it, Mr. Naething really
was obsessed with words like magnitude and hubris. He really did dismiss us each day by saying, “Go forth and spread beauty and light.” There are some differences, of course, between Mr. Simon and Mr. Naething. Mr. Simon is a much younger man than Mr. Naething was when he taught me. Also, Mr. Simon is harsher in some ways. When he keeps the late students out of the room, for example, that is all him. Mr. Naething never did anything like that. As for the other characters in The Tragedy Paper, they are completely made up.

 3. Do you have a writing ritual? 

 I really don’t have a writing ritual. I am not one of those authors who writes for a certain amount of time each day. I write whenever I can. Sometimes that means I have hours, sometimes only minutes. Also, I can go days without writing. I do usually write at the same place in my house though – at the dining room table.

 4. What is your most embarrassing moment as a Writer? 


My theory about “most embarrassing moment” questions is that nobody ever really tells the truth since it would be too embarrassing. If you asked me my most embarrassing moment as a teenager, I would have to make one up. But I will tell you this. At one point a few months after my book was published, my editor wrote to tell me that a very well-known author’s agent had read my book and liked it a lot. The author she represents is one of my absolute favorites, so I saw her name and didn’t read the rest of the email carefully. I thought my editor was telling me the author had read it and liked it a lot. I went crazy! I wrote back an over-the-top email to my editor, telling her this was a dream come true, it was more than I ever could have hoped for, and asking if I could tweet about it. I few minutes later, I got another email asking if I had misunderstood what she had said. That’s when I went back and read the first email more carefully. I was so embarrassed! Don’t get me wrong, I was thrilled that the agent liked it. But it would have been an even greater thrill if the author had read it, too. Most important, I wish I had just calmed down for a minute before reacting.

 5. When did you know you wanted to write? 

 I can honestly say that I have always wanted to be a writer – at least since I could hold a pen or pencil (or crayon). As a kid, I was constantly composing stories and poems. I focused on writing in college, and then went to journalism school. I have said this before, but it was reading S. E. Hinton’s books that really gave me the writing bug. I remember being in middle school and finishing That Was Then, This Is Now and thinking that more than anything I wanted to one day create a world that touched people the way I was touched by that book. Having said that, I should point out that it was thirty years later that The Tragedy Paper was published!

 6. Who is your favourite author and what is your favourite book?

 This is a hard question – and I will say it is constantly changing. There is no way I can name just one favorite author and one favorite book. This month, for example, I bought two new books by favorite authors just because they wrote them – Liane Moriarty and Curtis Sittenfeld. I loved What Alice Forgot by Moriarty and it is at the top of my list of favorite books. I loved David Payne’s Early From The Dance. I will also add Scott Spencer’s Waking The Dead, Sittenfeld’s American Wife, Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres, John Green’s Looking For Alaska, Jennifer Weiner’s Good In Bed, William Goldman’s The Princess Bride and Jane Schwartz’s Ruffian: Burning From The Start.

 7. What is the book you wish you had written?

 This is a tough one. Can I say John Green’s The Fault in our Stars? Doesn’t everyone wish they had written that book? Or Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. That is one of those books that you read and then find yourself thinking about at different times. It gets inside you and never leaves – which is a really good thing because it is such an amazing story.

 8. How does it feel to see your book in bookshops? 

 I love it! I hope I will never, ever get tired of it or used to it. Tonight, for example, my family and I are traveling and we went into a Barnes & Noble near our hotel. They had a stack of my books, and it was a thrill to see where they were displayed, and then introduce myself to one of the booksellers there.

 9. Can you give us any info of what you're working on next / what your next project is?

 Yes! I am working on another young adult book, not at all connected to The Tragedy Paper. This time the main character is a girl. I would say its biggest defining characteristic is that it’s a mystery.

 10. And finally a fun question! If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why? 

 Again, my answers would change depending on what’s going on with me or what I’ve been reading or watching. I would say Barrack Obama is at the top – I would love to sit down and talk to him, maybe meet his family. Next I would say an actor who worked on Friday Night Lights – we just binge watched the entire series, finishing last night, and it is all we can talk about! I would invite Kyle Chandler or Zach Gilford over for dinner and make some BBQ, ask them what it was like to work on such an amazing show. And finally, I would have to say S.E. Hinton because she had such a huge impact on me with her books. I see her on Twitter, and love reading what she has to say. But it would be pretty cool to sit down with her and get to know her a little.

KAREN MAHONEY - INTERVIEW

Just had a lovely interview with the amazing Karen Mahoney! Enjoy!

Would you be an Alchemist, Elf or Fairy?

First of all, thanks for inviting me! I love your questions – it’s nice to be asked
some different things.

I’d definitely choose to be an alchemist. I’ve always been fascinated by alchemy
and love any kind of magic.

Xan or Nav... which is your guy?

Ha! Well... in real life my guy is actually Nav (he’s based on my boyfriend), so I
guess I’ll have to go with him. ;) I do love Xan too, though. He literally came to me
in a dream and I feel pretty invested in his happiness.

What was your inspiration for The Iron Witch Series and why did you pick Alchemists
over Vampires or Werewolves?

I’ve always loved vampires (see: my other series about teen vampire Moth), but
I really wanted to do something different with the world of The Iron Witch. I’ve
read tons about alchemy – including some of Dr. John Dee’s journals – and there’s
just something about the mystery surrounding that particular branch of magic
that I find interesting.

Are any of the characters based on you or people you know?

Yes! As I mentioned, Navin is based on my boyfriend of the last six years.
Normally, it’s not the best idea to openly base characters on real people, but I
couldn’t help myself – and, I have to say, he loves that I did it. Otherwise, most
of the other characters come purely from my imagination. I’m sure some of them
have elements that are unconsciously inspired by people I know, but probably just
little things taken from here and there.

Do your family and friends ever try to find themselves in the characters?

I don’t think so... I hope not! :)

Do you have a writing ritual?

I’m quite random in my whole approach to writing. Often I write late at night, but
then again... I have been known to write in a busy cafe at lunchtime. I do like to
have a cup of coffee (or green tea!) before I start a writing session, but I wouldn’t
say it’s a ritual.

What is your most embarrassing moment as a writer?

The Iron Witch? Then, yes, I have the right person.”

Will there be a movie of The Iron Witch?

It would be lovely, but there is nothing in the works. Movies are something
completely out of my hands – if a studio or screenwriter or producer shows any
interest I’d be thrilled, but it doesn’t happen all that often. I did have some interest
from someone who wanted to turn The Iron Witch into a graphic novel, but that
didn’t go anywhere. Maybe one day!

When did you know you wanted to write?

I think I always wanted to write. The first time I consciously remember saying,
“I’m going to be an author” I was about 12 years old.

Who is your Favourite Author?

There are honestly too many to name. Here are five (it could just as easily be any
other five – or fifty): Charlotte Bronte, Marjorie M. Liu, Holly Black, Richelle
Mead and Neil Gaiman.

What is the book you wish you had written?

I can’t answer that, I’m afraid. I truly am writing the books I want to write. I love
reading, and read ALL THE TIME, but I can’t say I’ve ever thought there was
a book I wish that I’d written. I just feel grateful that we live in a time where so
many incredible novels are being created.

How does it feel to see your book in a bookshop or to know you’ve created a
worldwide phenomenon?

I’m not sure I’d call my books a worldwide phenomenon (although I appreciate
the sentiment!), but it is still a magical feeling to see my work in bookshops.
Also, the fact that The Iron Witch – my first ever novel – has been published in 8
countries blows my mind every time I think about it. I am very lucky.

If you could have dinner with any three people (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

Tough one! I’d have to say Charlotte Bronte, Erica Jong, and William Moulton
Marston (the creator of Wonder Woman). One of them is still alive... :)

ANGEL FIRE BLOG TOUR: Q&A WITH L.A. WEATHERLY

So today I am the final stop on the Angel Fire blog tour and I have an exclusive interview with the amazing L.A. Weatherly so I hope you enjoy!

Would you be an AK, Angel or Half Angel?

I think I'd have to choose AK. Though it's a dangerous life, they have a great
camaraderie when they're working together as a team. Being a half-angel would be
really difficult, I think; neither Willow nor Seb have an easy time of it before they
meet each other. And I couldn't possibly choose 'angel' without revealing my evil
side. ;)

Seb or Alex... which is your guy?

Ooh, tough one! I can't actually choose. When I'm writing the Alex scenes I'm totally
in love with Alex, and then when I'm writing the Seb scenes, it's him I'm in love with.
In fact, Angel Fire has shown me how utterly fickle I can be!

What was your inspiration for Angel and why did you pick Angels over Vampires or
Werewolves?

It's funny, but I didn't really start out thinking 'I want to write paranormal romance,
so what type of creature should it be about?' Instead, I was just looking for the right
structure for the love story I wanted to tell, which as it turned out needed to have
a supernatural aspect to work. I was also trying to do something original, so was
disappointed to realise that other authors had been writing about angels around the
same time - though as it happened, this worked in Angel's favour. The idea about
angels being beautiful parasites was just one of those wonderful 'what if' things that
come to you sometimes...'What if angels are real, but they're not good and kind like
we think?'

Are any of the characters based on you or people you know?

Most of my characters are based on different aspects of myself, which is why I feel
that I know them so well. The one who's the most like me is probably Seb, with all
his complications and contradictions.

Will there be a movie of Angel?

I hope so. Very excitingly, the film rights to the series have recently been optioned,
so keep your fingers crossed!

When did you know you wanted to write?

I've written almost literally my whole life - one of my first memories is of writing a
story and being very serious about getting it published.

What is your favourite book/s or author/s?

I always find it difficult to answer this question, because it changes on such a regular
basis! (See above point re: fickle.) However, one of my all-time favourites is I Capture

the Castle by Dodie Smith.

How does it feel to see your book in a bookshop or to know you’ve created a
worldwide phenomenon?

Wow, thank you! I don't know that I've quite created a worldwide phenomenon
yet, but I've certainly been extremely touched by people's enthusiasm for the Angel
series. It's wonderful to feel that readers love something that you've written as much
as you do.

If you could meet any 3 people in the world (dead or alive) who would they be?

How about the ultimate writers' dinner-party? For me, this would be Margaret
Mitchell, Mark Twain and L. M. Montgomery.

Thanks for the great questions - and I hope your readers enjoy Angel Fire! :)

Don't forget to go the the amazing: 

ANGELFEVER.COM

INTERVIEW - AIMEE CARTER

      What inspired you to write The Goddess Test?  

I love Greek mythology, and I’ve always been fascinated with the myth of Hades and Persephone. It was very much a process rather than a moment of inspiration, and the plot came to me in a lot of different pieces over the years. It wasn’t until about a year before I sat down to write the novel that I figured out how to put them all together to create a story I was very excited to write.

      Out of the book who is your favourite character? 

This is tricky. I love them all for various reasons, and while certain ones may not get much page time, so to say, they’re fleshed out in my head, and I love seeing how they react to situations. Henry, James, and Ava are my top three, and I think they all bring something a little different to the page. Either way, they’re never dull to write, that’s for sure.

      Are any Characters based on people you know?

Nope! Though after I wrote the book, I realized that one of the characters (Nicholas) vaguely resembles a good friend of mine who also happens to be called Nick. There are enough differences between them though that I’m pretty sure this is a coincidence.

      If you could spend a day with one god who you it be?  

Hades for sure. I would love to see the Underworld and visit my departed loved ones.

      Also, any sign of a film in the works? 

Not at the moment, but if there’s ever any breaking news, I always post about it on my Twitter account (@aimee_carter). I absolutely love films – I majored in film and screenwriting at university, actually – and would love for it to be made into a movie someday. I don’t have my hopes up, but you never know!

      If you could create a new god what would they be called and what would they be the god of? 

 I think the Greek and Roman pantheon (and Celtic, and Nordic, and the countless different religions throughout the world) pretty much have it covered. Maybe a god of publishing. We could call him/her Austowlingway. (Austen/Rowling/Hemingway)

      Can you give us any spoilers on Goddess Interrupted? 

I will tell you exclusively that the book starts in the September following Kate’s holiday. And that you will meet a new character on the very first page.

      How many books will be in the full series? 

Right now I have two written, and while I could go on, though not necessarily from Kate’s perspective, there are no solid plans to do so just yet.

AND DON'T FORGET TO LOOK OUT FOR 

GODDESS INTERRUPTED

SEQUEL TO THE GODDESS TEST

COMING SPRING 2012