Blog Tour: Ardeur by Danielle Gavan (Giveaway too!)

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can get to the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is my pleasure to welcome Danielle Gavan!!!

Danielle Gavan lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband of eight years and their two sons. Danielle has been writing since she was in middle school.  

She loves a good book and is usually found with her nose in one. She has an extensive list of them on her book pile. When she's not writing or reading, Danielle keeps herself busy designing book covers and editing.

Her guilty pleasures are her favorite television shows Bones, House and Hawaii Five-0.

Danielle welcomes email and you may contact her at daniellegavan@rhpublishing1.com.

You can also find her hanging out on the forum she shares with Jennifer Feuerstein. The Crowded Minds is a great place to relax and have a little fun.

Find Danielle on the web:

http://www.daniellegavan.net

http://dgavan.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/DanielleGavan

http://www.facebook.com/danielle.gavan

http://everythingerotic.blogspot.com/

http://thedigitaldigest.blogspot.com/

And now... on to the interview!

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

Professionally? I’d say 2009. I’ve been writing for pleasure since grade school. The first thing I can remember writing was in seventh grade. A friend and I passed a small, heart shaped sticky note pad between us and we wrote the story together. Naïve tweens that we were, the story had us married to our favorite rock stars at the time. I was wed to Jon Bon Jovi, she to Richie Sambora. Jon and I had nine children. Nancy and Richie had eleven, if memory serves.

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

Oh, boy. Do I have enough fingers to count them all? Hmm... Maybe if I use my toes I’ll have enough. Let’s just say I spent way too many years working in the Customer Service/Call Center industry. Wait… I’m sort of still in Customer Service, aren’t I?

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

It depends on what else I have going on in my life. Ardeur took me five months to write. The timeframe for my novellas varied. Most of the chapters were written for Everything Erotic, one of the blogs I contribute to, so they were composed a month at a time.

If I’ve got loads of free time, I can usually crank out two to three thousand words a day, sometimes more.

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

For the most part, I’m a pantser. I can work with a very basic outline but if I know the ending, forget it. That last chapter, or two, has to be a mystery. If I have even an inkling of how the story ends my muse packs up and takes an impromptu vacay.

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

I don’t know if you’d call it a routine, per se. When the kids are in school, the first couple of hours in my day are spent getting them ready and sent off. After that, I’ll grab a cup of coffee or a glass of water and park myself at my desk. I hit ‘play’ on iTunes and let my fingers fly across the keyboard. There isn’t really a ‘right frame of mind’ for me to write. There are, however, wrong ones. If I’m stressed or in a bad mood it’s best I stay away from the computer until I’ve relaxed.

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

From my shampoo bottle. Ideas and characters usually come to me when I’m in the middle of washing my hair. I suppose it’s because I’m able to relax for the couple of minutes it takes to wash and condition the curly mess. Other times, I’ll see a picture or hear something and think ‘Hey, that would make an awesome story.” Then we’re off to the keyboard to bang it out before I forget.

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

Usually, I have a list of projects that need working on. Whichever one is closer to completion gets worked on first. At the moment, I’ve got three novellas and a series of novels that I’m working on. The novellas get worked on at least once a month since the chapters from those get posted on either Everything Erotic or Digital Digest. The series gets worked on a bit more often. The first novel is in the revision stages and, my co-author and I, hope to have it out this fall.

? What books have most influenced your life?

Hmm… I’d have to say the books that introduced me to romance novels. Virginia Henley’s The Raven & The Rose, The Pirate & The Pagan, The Dragon and The Jewel, The Hawk and The Dove.  Had mom not handed me The Raven & The Rose to read one afternoon, I may never have discovered this genre and grown up to write romance novels of my own. 

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

You mean I’m supposed to do other things besides work? lol Kidding. I’m a stay-at-home mom so any time I’m not writing is spent with my kids, taking care of things around the house or running errands. I don’t get a lot of free time. Anything I want to watch on television gets recorded and I watch it after the kids have gone to bed – if I’m not passed out shortly after them.

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Now that’s an easy answer. Basmati rice with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper. Super yummy. Oh, and red velvet cake with thick buttercream icing. Pure heaven.

? What do you think makes a good story?

Compelling characters, a believable storyline and good writing. I’m not a diehard believer in Happily Ever After endings. If the hero and heroine are together and happy, I’m good with that.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

Now that’s a hard one. If we could mash Diana Gabaldon and Laurell K. Hamilton into one person I’d say her. Diana’s Outlander series is incredibly well written, researched and the books suck you into Jamie and Claire’s world from the first word. Laurell’s books are smart, sexy and her characters are incredibly vivid. 

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

I’ve read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series several times in its entirety. I have all seven books in hardcover, tattered dust covers and all. I also have the Lord John spinoffs.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Cats, even though I’m very allergic.

·        Coffee or tea? Coffee.

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate.

·        Rocks or flowers? Flowers. I’m allergic to those, too.

·        Night or day? Day.

·        Favorite color? Blue.

·        Crayons or markers? Crayons.

·        Pens or pencils? Pencils. 

And now...the giveaway!

You can buy a copy of this great story HERE or HERE.

You can read my review by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.

Happy Reading.

Blog Tour: An Unexpected Bride by Shadonna Richards

This blog tour is presented by The Bookish Snob Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and the last stop on the tour!

Please welcome Shadonna Richards.

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I first realized when I was a little kid. (Smile) I began writing stories as soon as I could hold a crayon.

? How long does it take you to write a book? Depending on the length of the book it could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 years!

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?  Hmm. I don’t think I have an interesting writing quirk.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write? Not really. I usually write when I’m inspired—which, thankfully, happens to be a lot. Life inspires me. Having said that, I write much better when it’s totally quiet in the house like very early in the morning.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters? I get my ideas and inspiration for my characters from my imagination and everyday life. I’m always asking myself the “what-if” questions.

? How do you decide what you want to write about? Ideas usually just come to me.  I’m often with a pen and paper and try to write them down as fast as they come.

? What books have most influenced your life? The Holy Bible.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself? It was that long ago…I really don’t remember. I’ve been reading since early childhood.

? What are you reading right now? I’m reading a few contemporary romances on my Kindle right now.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing? In addition to spending quality time with my family and socializing, I’d have to say reading. I love books.

? What is your favorite comfort food? Anything with chocolate.

? What do you think makes a good story? Great characters, a solid plot and a little suspense. I love trying to figure out what’s going to happen next.  

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why? Too many to name. I have a lot of favorite authors that inspire me.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again? The Bible—in passages.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Both.

·        Coffee or tea? A hot, delicious mug of steaming tea, anytime.

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate.

·        Rocks or flowers? Both, it depends on the occasion.

·        Night or day? Day.

·        Favorite color? Pink.

·        Crayons or markers? Markers.

·        Pens or pencils? Pens. 

BIO

Shadonna enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. Winner of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write - 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America. An Unexpected Bride is her first novel. She has her BA in Psychology and lives in Canada. You can visit her at www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com or send her an e-mail at Shadonna (at) ymail (dot) com

You can buy this book HERE or HERE.

You can enter to win a copy of this book by filling out this form!

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!
Happy Reading!

Blog Tour: Chosen by Denise Grover Swank

This Virtual Book Tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can get to the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is with great pleasure that I present

Chosen and the author, Denise Grover Swank!

Denise Grover Swank began writing her first novel in the fourth grade, stopping at page seventy on her wide ruled spiral notebook. She continued writing in high school and attempted several novels in her twenties before life got in the way. In the fall of 2009, she participated in National Novel Writing Month, which led her to completing her first novel, a book which shall be eternally chained to a pillar in her external hard drive. Denise released her first published book in July, 2011, a southern mystery titled Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. Denise lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has six children, two dogs, and an overactive imagination.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at www.denisegroverswank.com and you can connect with her on Twitter.    

And now an excerpt for your reading pleasure:
(from Chapter 1):

When she smiled, Will almost lost his composure. Her face completely changed, catching him off guard. After watching her for twenty-four hours, this was the first time he had seen her smile. She was attractive enough, lean but with curves in the right places, and long brown hair she pulled back in a ponytail. Looking at her now, he lost himself in her deep, dark brown eyes. But when she smiled, the tension in her face fell away, leaving an ethereal beauty he didn’t expect.

“Who were those guys?” he asked, trying to refocus.

Her smile disappeared. “No one you want to know.”

“What do they want?”

If possible, her face became even harder. “We need to get you back to the motel.”

“Don’t you want to call the police?” He had no intention of calling the police, but it sounded like the right thing to say.

“No.”

Getting information out of her was trickier than he hoped. “What are you going to do now?”

She turned to look at him, the loose strands of long brown hair dancing in the breeze around her face. She looked wild and ruthless. “Look, we can take care of ourselves.”

This turn of events had completely changed his plans. Of course, nothing about this job was what he expected. They never told him she had a kid and he’d complained bitterly when he found out. He didn’t do kids. He was explicit about that. But the group who hired him said they didn’t care about the kid. They wanted her and raised their offer. It was hard to refuse. Somewhere along the path of their self-destructive course he thought of a Plan B, which was much better than his original plan. Maybe things were turning his way. “Let me help you.”

She pulled up to a stop sign at the four-lane highway. “No, thanks, we’re good.”

“We can trust him,” a small voice in the back said.

She looked up sharply and spun around to look at the kid in the back.

Will turned, too. The boy looked like a cherub out of one of those Renaissance paintings he had studied back in his college art appreciation class. Short blond curls framed his face of pale skin with rosy cheeks. Big blue eyes with long dark eyelashes. Will thought the kid’s beauty was wasted on his gender.

“We can trust him,” the boy repeated.

She turned to look out the windshield and hung both of her arms over the steering wheel. “Are you sure?” she asked, staring straight ahead.

“Yes.”

She rested her chin on her hands and closed her eyes. He decided she must be trying to figure out how to deal with this change of events. Personally, Will thought it was going too far on the permissive parenting scale letting a preschooler make a decision like that, but hey, it worked in his favor. He sure wasn’t going to protest.

“Okay,” she finally said, sitting up. “I need to leave town. They know we’re here so we’ve got to leave as soon as we can.”

“Who exactly are they?” Will asked. As far as he knew, he was the only one on this job. He’d be pissed if they hired someone else as backup.

“You don’t need to know that,” she said, turning at the corner. “How do you plan on helping us?”

“I can help you leave town.”

“Why would you do that?” Her eyes narrowed as she looked behind for signs of the SUV.

Will had seen the damage. The SUV wasn’t going anywhere. Where the hell had she learned a move like that?

He gave her his rugged, bad boy smirk and shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.”

“Do better than that,” she snorted.

He liked that she wasn’t easily snowed, even if it made his job more difficult.

“Let’s just say I’m hoping to get lucky, and maybe if I’m nice enough, I will.” He gave her a slow, lazy smile as he leaned against the door, crossing his arms.

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t count on it.”

“Don’t crush a man’s hopes. Just wait and see. I might grow on you.”

Raising her eyebrows, she twisted her lips into a wry smile. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

I hope you enjoyed learning about Denise Grover Swank and reading a piece of this great story!

You can buy this book HERE and HERE.

You can read my review HERE.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!

Happy Reading!

Winners!!!!

Congratulations!

I have a bunch of winners from the past few giveaways!

Thanks to all who entered!

The winners have all been notified by email and the ebooks won will be sent directly from either the tour presenters or the authors!  Congrats to all the winners and thanks again to all who entered.

Michelle A won Lucky Charm by Marie Astor

Janae won Betrayed by Ednah Walters

June M won Whispers of Evil by Stacey Kennedy

TFrances won Awaking by Madeline Freeman

Joannie S won Golden Healer by Christine Schulze

Blog Tour: The Vampire Way by Derek Clendening

This blog tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

Please welcome Derek Clendening!

Derek Clendening lives in Fort Erie, Ontario where he works at the public library. When not writing he enjoys reading and is a die hard football fan (Go Bills!) www.thehorrorofderekclendening.blogspot.com

And now for your reading pleasure...an excerpt:

Prologue

Hamilton, Ontario

August

Damien Masonite’s heart quickened when he raised the stake and hammer high above his head and poised himself. He had to kill his father tonight, but he worried that he wouldn’t have the guts.

To him, killing should’ve been easy, but he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. Watching Dad suffer changed everything he knew about life, but the old man wouldn’t know what hit him if he did it quickly enough. He wouldn’t suffer and Damien wouldn’t have any remorse.

Listening to the rain pelt the roof, his hands shuddered, and he rested the stake and hammer. It didn’t matter if his father was suffering; he knew that he wasn’t strong enough to finish him.

Staring at Dad’s slackened jaw and the sweat streaming down his face, he asked himself how he could be so selfish. Since Mom was staked in Toronto last year, Dad’s life had taken a nose dive; he was feeding less, and allowing his body to weaken.

Closing his eyes, Damien wanted to shut out the nightmare, but the terror enveloped him when he opened them. Certainly no other vampire family would have expected this to happen to them, he thought. Remembering all the times that Dad had sat him on his lap, telling him about the plentiful blood of his youth, he would also tell him about how books and movies had ruined their lives. The entire game had changed and it had forced them to move from town to town.

Damien knew that once this was over, he would have to start a new life somewhere new, except this time he would have to do it alone.

What is this feeling? Damien thought. Guilt seemed likely to him, since his own selfishness had allowed the old man to get sick. Whenever they’d fed, Dad had ignored his own needs, leaving the blood for him and Candace, and they had consumed it all, no questions asked. He was sure that if he’d forced Dad to take some blood for himself, he would’ve stayed healthy.

Dropping to his knees, he cupped Dad’s clammy hands.

“Anything I can do to make you more comfortable?” Damien asked.

“Make me a promise.”

“Anything.”

“Carry on our name; I can’t bear to think that you’re the last. Only you have the power to make our family powerful again.”

But I’m only eighteen, he thought. He wouldn’t dare say it.

“Everyone knows about us. They think we’re normal then they figure us out.”

Damien knew the sting of rejection all too well, particularly after they were run out of Toronto. Blood was plentiful in cities, but competition from other families was always tooth and nail. Knowing that rural people were never as naïve as they let on, they never managed to stay in small towns for long either. He was positive that if he could have stayed in any school for more than a semester, he wouldn’t have had to depend on family to break up the loneliness.

“What should I do to make us strong again?” Damien asked.

“You’re powerful,” Dad whispered, “even if you don’t know it.”

“But we’re running out of places to go.”

“Try the town I wanted to move to next and you’ll find yourself there.”

“But where?”

“Fort Erie.”

Damien stared at his chest and sucked in a deep breath.

“Every town has perfect blood,” Dad said. “I’ve never found it myself, but it’s there for the taking if you look hard enough. Whoever has it can expose you, but their blood can make you powerful again. If you find that person in Fort Erie, drink them dry and convert them.”

“But who am I looking for?”

Dad’s eyes fluttering, Damien worried that he’d be gone before he could tell him the answer.

“I need you to do something important,” Dad said.

“Anything.”

“Finish me.” His lungs wheezed as he exhaled a deep breath. “Take that stake and drive it straight through my heart.”

Feeling relieved that Dad wanted to be finished, Damien was also glad that he didn’t have to decide for him. He gripped the stake and hammer then raised them over his head and paused.

“I’ll never let you down.”

Closing his eyes, he pounded the stake into the old man’s chest, and a spray of hot blood struck his skin. Positive that he’d done the right thing, he still dropped to his knees, and buried his face in Dad’s chest to smother his tears.

When Dad’s chest stopped heaving, Damien decided that the mortals were responsible for his pain. Standing tall, he stretched his arm like eagle’s wings, and screamed at the top of his voice. He decided to mourn for Dad before moving on, but nothing would stand in the way of his mission.

The mortals had to pay.

* * *

Fort Erie, Ontario

September

Sitting slumped on a rock, Damien stared out at the Niagara River, and thought about Dad. Watching the water smacking against the rocks that lined the river soothed him whenever he felt down. It had quickly become his favorite spot. Next, he glanced up at the Peace Bridge and saw that traffic was backing up.

Coping with his pain had been a daily struggle but taking care of Candace and making his own decisions made him feel like more of a man. He’d buried Dad in the back yard, packed his few belongings, hit the road, and hadn’t looked back since. All that mattered to him was his new life in Fort Erie.

“What are you looking at?” Candace asked.

“You’ve broken the rules.” He didn’t turn to face her. “You know that I want to be alone when I’m sitting here.”

Brushing her off was no big deal to him because he was in charge now, and she was to obey his rules.

“You sure this is the right place?” She asked.

“Positive.”

“Water sucks.”

“Dad would’ve wanted you to trust me.”

“How do you know they won’t figure us out like they did in Toronto or Hamilton?”

“Look around you.”

Hopping off of the rock, he inched closer to the water, and rested his hands on his hips.

“The mortals don’t suspect a thing,” he said.

“How can you be sure?”

“I just know.”

Instinct had taken him this far and he wanted to keep trusting his gut. They had stayed in an empty house tucked away in the woods and Damien had read that it was haunted. Peace and quiet at last.

“We’ve hardly fed in a month,” she said. “I’m starving and I want to go home!”

“Don’t you get it? This is home!”

She shut up.

“School starts in a week and I’m already enrolled at Fort Erie High,” he said.

“But I wanted to go to school this year!” Her hands were on her hips and her eyebrows were slanted.

“We can’t be seen together. We screw this up, we move again. You want that?”

“At least let me have the first kill.”

“Dad died because of selfish thinking. Now we’re all each other have and we have to look out for each other’s good.”

“Won’t going to school keep you from finding the perfect mortal?”

“He’s out there . . . or she.” He found himself almost hypnotized by the water.

“What happens to us if you don’t?”

He shook his head. “It’s just a matter of time.”

You can buy a copy of this book HERE and HERE.

You can see my review HERE.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!

Happy Reading!

Review: Consumption by GS Johnston

Consumption by GS Johnston

Book Blurb from author site:

Who can a girl with a broken heart rely on if not her gay best friend?

Sara Sexton and Martin Blake are besties so it was natural for her to flee to him after breaking up with a Greek lover. But Martin has changed, preoccupied with his new business. In Hong Kong, he’s a high-profile, high-dollar interior designer.

When Sara meets Andy Harris, a romantic with a bubble-butt, Martin’s still on the market and not happy. Seems Martin’s only happy when Sara’s alone and miserable. Got any ‘friends’ like that? Now Sara has to juggle a consuming old friendship and a blossoming romance… And how does a girl do that? And what happens when she’s forced to choose between the past and the future?

My thoughts:  Wow!  I wasn't sure about the cover, but loved the blurb (I've had a few friends like that!).  I was so pleased that I had the chance to read it and find such a great story!

Wonderfully written!  I love the characters!!!! The author has created complex characters with such vivid personalities that you find yourself totally invested in.  It's like they come alive on the pages just for you.  
GS Johnston has taken those fabulous people and placed them in a world that has been meticulously crafted.  His attention to detail has given the reader an opportunity to feel as if they have actually been there with the characters.  
The relationships are fascinating.  Makes you rethink the people in your life , the roles they play and the place they keep - both in your heart and in your world.  
I found myself reading faster at the end of pages so I could get to the next one.  I enjoyed the story and was thrilled with the complexity and ins and outs of the relationships.

You can buy a copy of HERE or HERE!  The author site is HERE.

Interview with Greg Johnston: author of Consumption

Welcome to The Wormhole!

It is my pleasure to introduce Consumption and the author Greg Johnston!

CONSUMPTION: A Novel

Book Blurb from author site: 

Who can a girl with a broken heart rely on if not her gay best friend?

Sara Sexton and Martin Blake are besties so it was natural for her to flee to him after breaking up with a Greek lover. But Martin has changed, preoccupied with his new business. In Hong Kong, he’s a high-profile, high-dollar interior designer.

When Sara meets Andy Harris, a romantic with a bubble-butt, Martin’s still on the market and not happy. Seems Martin’s only happy when Sara’s alone and miserable. Got any ‘friends’ like that? Now Sara has to juggle a consuming old friendship and a blossoming romance… And how does a girl do that? And what happens when she’s forced to choose between the past and the future?

Now...on to the interview!

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

I'd have to use "writer" in a broad sense.  When I was very young I remember loving music.  I had a toy piano until my parents got me an upright.  I remember wanting to get "inside" the music, to understand how it was put together, into the matrix.  And I remember wanting to "make" music well before I understood enough of it, scratching out chromatic melodies with no idea of key.  In my teens, playing in a rock 'n roll band was an acceptable male form of creative expression and I began to write songs for the band.  I went on to write songs till I was in my 30s but then I felt I wanted something a bit bigger, more complex and able to discuss more.  It was around then I started writing short stories and novels. 

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

As yet, I don't really earn a living from writing.  So I worked/work at a number of things to support my habit. 

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

CONSUMPTION: A Novel took me a long while to write.  During that time I was also working on something else but by the time the editing was done and dusted, it would have been five years.  It then took another two years before I published it with Kindle.  The novel I'm working on now has taken a little less time, about three years to write, but I've had the idea for a long while but could never find the way to write it which stopped me starting. 

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

From writing song lyrics, I think there's an economy and a rhythm to the prose.  On a more macro level, I hope there is a balance between a fast-moving plot, depth of characters and humor. 

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

It depends on the part of the writing cycle.  I used to write in the early morning, first press of the grapes, but now paid work seems to spill throughout the day.  So I just write with the fragments of time I have.  So to make it easier to get into the groove instantly I have to set goals, both short term and long.  I try to start with a grand plan of the narrative; what has to happen by what point.  I work with the idea that the first draft will be 80 000 words.  So by the 20 000 word mark, the "drama" of the novel has to be setup, the next 40 000 develop and creates problems, the last 20 000 is climax, resolve and conclusion.  This works well for a first draft but the neatness of the structure is often gone by the final draft, but working on 20 000 word quarters is much more do-able than sitting down to a bank page and thinking I need to drum up 360 pages...  At that point it's easier to go and put a load of washing on. 

On a more short term goal, in that first-pass phase I try to write 2000 words a day, even if that means there are some very rough sketches. 

At the moment I am thinking about a new story so that involves a lot of dog walking and imagining - what would happen if I took this point of view or that, used these characters or that. 

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

Anywhere and everywhere.  I think the stories that have worked the best have been based in a factual story, a natural narrative arc, that I've been able to take and shake into something.  I've found stories out of a paragraph in another book or something I've found when researching something completely different.  One of the first ideas for CONSUMPTION: A Novel came from a phrase in Alain de Botton's Status Anxiety, that the need to have an expensive car was really a sign of early childhood trauma.  That got me thinking about how we construct the public and private images of ourselves by what we can buy and consume. 

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

First there has to be a spark, an idea or situation that ignites my imagination.  Usually this is along the line of two people drawn into an unusual situation which creates a poignancy.  In CONSUMPTION, it was the realization that two old friends had started to head in different directions.  Sara's aiming for simplicity but Martin has become more and more complex with exaggerated purchases and haute lifestyle.  Once I have something like this, then I needed to flesh this situation and decide what the hell will happen as a consequence.  If by the time I've done all that and the idea still excites me, then I'll think about writing.  In some ways as life is busy now, I don't get to start something without a lot of commitment to it.  In the past I think it was easier to start writing and just see what happened but that led to a lot of lovely words left lying on the floor of my work room. 

? What books have most influenced your life?  Reading Eco's The Name of the Rose and Byatt's Possession were big ones for the mix of imagination and intellectual rigor.  At school I remember writing an essay about 1984 and getting a good mark and thinking, "maybe I understand all this better than I thought".  Better than algebra, anyway.  It was a bit of a shock.

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

That's hard.  At the moment, I'm cleaning out my parents' house and found all manner of books from UK authors like Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter.  At that time, Tasmania was a chip of England that sailed to the South Pacific.  But I'd say the first book I read myself was Harry the Dirty Dog which I remember borrowing from The State Library of Tasmania. 

? What are you reading right now? 

The line edits of my new novel, The Skin of Water, Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks and A Thousand Glass Flowers by Prue Batten.  All keep me up at night. 

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

Watch movies, walk the dog, cook and chat. 

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Red capsicum slice thinly and smelted in extra virginal olive oil, garlic and chilli and served with pasta and a mound of grated, hard, salty, pecorino sardo cheese.  And a glass of Pinot Noir.  And a chat. 

? What do you think makes a good story?

That it tells me about a character(s), a place, a time and a situation that I know nothing at all about.  Differences between people is the main thing that's interesting about humanity. 

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why? 

Hmmm... there are so many.  Jane Austen still makes me laugh and thrill at her delicate expertise. 

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

I recently re-read again 1984 (what clear vision) and I feel a need to re-read To Kill a Mocking Bird again, and again, almost just for that syrupy southern language.  

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats?  Both.  I love all our children equally. 

·        Coffee or tea?  Two macchiato as the sun ascends and herbal tea as I work. 

·        Dark or milk chocolate? - Neither - White chocolate  (yeah, I know, it's not really chocolate but it's a lovely masquerading substance)

·        Rocks or flowers? - Flowers.  What's in a rock?

·        Night or day? - I used to come alive at 10 o'clock at night but now I find if I'm not in bed by 10 o'clock I burst into tears. 

·        Favorite color? - blue. 

·        Crayons or markers?  crayons because they're like oil paints. 

·        Pens or pencils? pens.  

For more information about the book or the author please check out the

Author website: http://gsjohnston.com/

***Stay tuned - tomorrow I will host the book review!***

Thanks Greg for the interview - and thanks to all those who stopped by!  Happy reading.

Blog Tour: Awaking by Madeline Freeman (multiple giveaways!)

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

You can enter to WIN an ecopy by filling out the form below and

also enter to WIN a print version by filling out the second form!

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

Featuring an interview with author Madeline Freeman!

Author Bio:

Madeline Freeman lives in the metro-Detroit area with her husband, her cats, her sister, and her sister’s cat. In her spare time, she reads, sews, rides her bike, and watches way too much TV on DVD.

She also loves anything to do with astronomy, outer space, plate tectonics, and dinosaurs. This is her first published novel.

 Connect with Madeline online:

http://www.madelinefreeman.net

http://twitter.com/laurealinde

http://facebook.com/madelinefreemanbooks

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

In a way, I think I’ve always know I was destined to be a writer. One of my earliest memories is of me walking into my bedroom and hearing my mom call something after me. In my mind, I tagged, “mom said,” at the end of her comment. In the fifth grade, I was writing short stories for fun. In middle school, I carried around teal notebooks and wrote longer stories and passed them around to friends. In fact, I started something of a trend among my friends on year, and many of them started writing stories.

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

Real jobs, or jobs just to work? I had a couple of retail jobs (Gadzooks, Borders) before I finished college. Currently, I’m a high school English teacher.

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

Depends on the book! I wrote the first draft of the book that was to become Awaking back in 2002 when I was still in college. Then I didn’t really do much with it for years. When I did come back to it (and completely reimagine it), I only wrote the first couple of chapters. When I finally decided that I was going to finish this book, it took me about three months.

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

I try to put inside jokes and references into my books. I try to make oblique mentions to things I enjoy. I guess these things are more for me (and maybe some of my friends) than it is for anyone else, but it amuses me.

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

I love writing in my comfy rolling chair in my office. I have a wireless keyboard that I usually have on my lap so I can prop my legs up while I type. I work especially well when my cat, Fat Baby, is snoozing on the desk beside me.

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

It depends on the story. If the story comes first, then I fill in characters that would fit best in that story. If, as in the case of Awaking, the character comes first (Morgan appeared very clearly to me), then I try to come up with other characters that will complement the first character. Sometimes characters will take on the physical appearance of a person I’ve met. Sometimes characters will share characteristics with people I know. But a character is never a carbon copy of a real person.

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

I don’t know if I decide so much as I go with what moves me. I have dozens of first pages of stories or sketchy outlines, but most of them will probably never progress very far. I write the story that is begging to come out.

? What books have most influenced your life?

When I was younger, Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume was influential. I liked how real the story was, how genuine the characters were. I don’t know if there are many books that have really influenced my life, but there are certainly ones that have influenced my style. When I read books by J.K. Rowling or Libba Bray, I’m inspired to write.

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

I have a clear memory of going to the school library in first grade and picking out a Ramona book by Beverly Cleary. When I got back to class, I looked around and noticed that most, if not all, the other kids had thin picture books. I remember being pretty impressed with myself in that moment. I know it wasn’t the first book I read on my own, but it’s the memory that sticks out most.

? What are you reading right now? Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson and Three Girls and a Baby by Rachel Schurig.

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

I like snuggling with my cat, riding my bike, and watching TV on DVD (or on Netflix).

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Ooh… an excellent question. I enjoy mac and cheese, sure, but I think usually pizza is my go-to.

? What do you think makes a good story?

A good story requires excellent characters and a plot that isn’t ridiculously overdone. It also requires writing that is engrossing and that transports you into the world of the story.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

I could go with Jo Rowling, but I think I lean a little more toward Libba Bray. There are other authors I enjoy, but the thing that I really like about Libba Bray is that she’s not one-note. The subjects of her books and the characters in them vary so much, but there’s a consistency in the way she tells a story. I enjoy her work.

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

Besides Harry Potter? The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

  

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Cats FOREVER!!

·        Coffee or tea? tea

·        Dark or milk chocolate? mile

·        Rocks or flowers? Depends on the rocks and flowers. If it’s lilacs, flowers all the way.

·        Night or day? Night—but only if I’m somewhere away from city lights and the sky is clear.

·        Favorite color? purple

·        Crayons or markers? markers

·        Pens or pencils? pencils

Now for the giveaways - here is the first form:



Here is the second form: 

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!

Happy Reading!