Blog Tour: Uncontrollable by SR Johannes (Review and Giveaway)

This virtual book tour is presented by the author, S.R. Johannes.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is my pleasure to feature SR Johannes and Uncontrollable.

S.R. Johannes is the author of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes. Uncontrollable, the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012.

S.R. Johannes is a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult category) and was also recently nominated for as Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult category) and semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Young Adult of 2012

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America doing marketing for over 15 years, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, English-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.

Blah blah blah - BORING!

In a nutshell - I love sunsets, rainbows, butterflies, and puppies. Oh yeah and zombies.

She has "graced" us with an interview!

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

In 2004, after I had my daughter I got an idea and started writing a picture book while she napped. 100,000 words later I realized how much I loved writing. Until then, I had always written things but never thought of it as a career.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

Well, I have always been in marketing but I worked for American General Life Insurance (boring) when I graduated from UGA. I decided to get a MBA from Auburn and graduated with a job at Accenture. % years later, I took a job with a client at Bank of America. In 2006, I left BofA to freelance copywriting and write.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

My first book took a couple years. But now I outline which saves so much time. If I know my story, it’s just a matter of writing it. Now I can write a book in about 6 months (once I outline)

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

You mean physically? I can’t type. I am a “pecker”. That does not save time. I should never have snuck by on my typing tests in high school J

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

I just sit down and blog. Then write. Once you get to be a mom, you take advantage of the time your kids are not around so it doesn’t take much to get me in the mood to write. I am usually itching to write and jump on it when my kids go to school.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

Life. I pay attention to my surroundings all the time. I think that is the unfortunate thing with having smartphones and games and music, people check out more. There are so many stories all around us. I never have a problem with ideas. For me the problem is choosing one and writing it fast enough.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

Whatever I keep thinking about. I am very visual so I will lie in my bed and see how an idea plays out in my head visually. Could it be a movie? If it excites me, I write it.

? What books have most influenced your life?

Pippy Longstocking made me want to write strong girl characters. Gone Wild by James Hall and Carl Hiaasen books made me realize I could do thrillers with a conservation message for teens. James Patterson taught me how to write thrillers that are pacy. My favorite book is John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. It made me realize there are characters and stories all around us, we just have to pay attention to them.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?

Laura Ingles Wilder – I used to love those House on the Prairie books.

? What are you reading right now? Endangered by Eliot Schrefer. Great book about a girl and her bonobo fighting to stay alive in the Congo. I love books that combine conservation with contemporary.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Besides playing with my family and hanging out with my hubby?

Think about writing J

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Comfort? Homemade chicken soup from Las Margaritas.

? What do you think makes a good story?

Anything can be a good story if you tell it right.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

John Steinbeck because I love how he uses regular people to portray real characters

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

I couldn’t do that. I have a short attention span so if I know what is going to happen, I won’t read it. I have too many books on my TBR list anyway.

Fun random questions: 

·                    dogs or cats? Dogs! (especially my black goldendoodle – best dog evah!)

·                    Coffee or tea? Sweet tea

·                    Dark or milk chocolate? Dark

·                    Rocks or flowers? Rocks? Who says rocks besides Mo? Flowers.

·                    Night or day? Night

·                    Favorite color? Green

·                    Crayons or markers? crayons

·                    Pens or pencils? pens

Uncontrollable by S.R. Johannes

As 16 year old Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program". 

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants. 

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues. 

Little does she know, she is being hunted too.

My thoughts:  
     Fantastic story!  The characters are wonderfully created and fleshed out into "real" people as the story unfolds off the pages.
     This is a wonderful addition to the series - picks up the story line and runs with it.  The plot is original and clever - keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The interactions of the characters are realistic and some will leave your heart aching.  The writing is creative and flows well, carrying the reader further and further into the story.
     This is one series you DON'T want to miss out on - I can hardly wait for the next one!

You can buy an ecopy of this book HERE.

You can enter to win a copy of Uncontrolable by S.R. Johannes by filling in the form below!

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!

Happy Reading!