Monday, August 1, 2011

Blog Tour: The Hand He Dealt by Tanith Davenport

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on
The Hand He Dealt Virtual Book Tour!
The Virtual book tour is being hosted by Roxanne at Bewitching Book Tours.
Click HERE to get to the entire tour schedule.
You can read my review HERE - you can buy your own copy of the book HERE.
Please welcome Tanith Davenport!!!
Author Bio:

Tanith Davenport began writing at the age of sixteen as a way of utilizing her ability to drift into daydreams at any hour of the day or night. Her interests range between rock music and modern cinema to medieval literature and classical singing. She loves to travel and dreams of one day taking a driving tour of the United States, preferably in a classic 1950s pink Cadillac Eldorado.
“The Hand He Dealt” is Tanith’s debut novel and was released by Total-e-Bound Publishing on 13 June 2011. 

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
It's something I've wanted my whole life - I can't remember ever wanting to be anything else, apart from a brief period when I considered acting.
? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
Four, although I still have the last one. I would love to be able to write full-time, but as yet it isn't an option.
? How long does it take you to write a book?
"The Hand He Dealt" took me three years to write, but I don't intend my next ones to take more than a year.
? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Probably that I get a lot of my plots and settings from dreams! It's a cliché, but I tend to dream very vividly, which gives me a chance to "live" through the stories I later write down.
? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?
I have to multitask or I won't get anything done, so I usually surf a few websites before I start and keep pages open that I can flick to between paragraphs. It keeps me feeling fresh - if I force myself to stay with the book I'll end up staring at the screen for hours.
? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
Anywhere and everywhere. I keep a notebook with me when I can so that I don't lose any ideas, but I've been known to email or text myself if I can't get them down on paper. In the case of Astra in "The Hand He Dealt", I had just finished watching a Canadian film called "The Last Casino", which gave me the idea of a casino intern studying gaming management; the rest built easily from there.
? How do you decide what you want to write about?
Because I'm always noting down ideas, I usually have several settings and plots ready to go at any one time. It's just a matter of deciding which one inspires me the most. Right now I have two I'm working on - I couldn't choose between them!
? What books have most influenced your life?
"Rebecca" and "My Name Is Memory" are two of the best examples of emotional development that I've ever read.  They inspired me to put pen to paper after years of thinking but not daring to do it.
? What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love live music, particularly rock - just a few weeks ago I went to a Whitesnake concert with my husband. There's something very inspirational about the emotions in rock music.
? What is your favorite comfort food?
Pizza, preferably covered in every form of meat imaginable.
? What do you think makes a good story?
Strong characters that drive the plot. It's always obvious when the story has been forced in the wrong direction against the will of the characters.
? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
At the moment, probably Philippa Gregory, as I have a penchant for historical novels. However, that can vary from month to month - I've been reading a lot of Ann Brashares and Lisabet Sarai lately too.
? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?
"The Other Boleyn Girl". I've always been fascinated by the Tudor period and love the way her dialogue brings the characters to life.
Fun random questions: 
·        dogs or cats? Cats.
·        Coffee or tea? Neither - I don't like them.
·        Dark or milk chocolate? Milk.
·        Rocks or flowers? Flowers.
·        Night or day? Day. I'm a morning person.
·        Favorite color? Purple.
·        Crayons or markers? Markers.
·        Pens or pencils? Pens.
Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!
The next stop on the tour is: August 2 Guest Blog and Review