Interview: Melody Grace.

I'm thrilled to have Melody Grace, Author of the Beachwood Bay series answering a few questions!

Melody Grace is the USA Today bestselling author of UNBROKEN and UNTOUCHED. A small-town girl turned SoCal beach-lover, she spent years with her nose in a book before deciding it was time to write them for herself. She loves bad boys, good books, and pistachio-flavored ice-cream.

 

Questions

Where did the idea for Beachwood Bay come from?

It was all about Juliet and Emerson and their passionate affair! I was thinking about first love, and how sometimes we never move on, and it all pretty much flowed from there. I knew it was a summer romance they'd shared, so I got to thinking about a little beach town…. The details just came together, until I could imagine Beachwood Bay like it was a real place.

Did you plan BB to be a series from the beginning?

As I got further into the book, I knew there were supporting characters who deserved to get their own story. Brit, Garrett, even Carina. She was such a villain in Unbroken it made me so curious about her life, and what she was hiding under that perfect exterior. I love revisiting the town and spending time with everyone. They're like family to me now. (Except the guys. They're not related. Because that would be weird ;)

What else are you working on?

I have a YA coming out in the summer under a different name, DANGEROUS BOYS by Abigail Haas. It's dark and twisty and not at all like Beachwood Bay! And I'm so excited to get started on the next chapter of the Beachwood Bay series. A new family is moving to town, starting with angsty rock star Dex Callahan...

Random Questions

Ebook or paper/hardback? Real books for reading in the bath, ebooks for reading smut in public.

Favourite colour? bright pink.

Favourite character you’ve created? Still got to be Emerson.

Early bird or Night owl? Early Bird.

What are you reading at the moment? So many! I just got into the Sinners books by Olivia Cumming, and I'm stocking up on new books by my faves, Kendall Ryan, Lauren Blakely, and Monica Murphy.

Leave us with a teaser/quote from Unconditional?

Garrett reaches out and trails a finger down the side of my bare neck.

I feel his touch through my whole body, hot and heady, a surge of fire. Our eyes lock, and something fills the air between us, shimmering in the fading dusk light. Something I haven’t felt in so long, I almost don’t recognize the pull snaking through me, clawing in my blood.

                Desire.

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Melody for answering my questions. Make sure to look out for my review later on!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Interview: Jay Crownover

 I'm thrilled to have the chance to ask Jay Crownover (Marked Men) a few of my burning questions!

Jay Crownover

I’m a native Coloradoan and if you live here you know why that is a source of pride.  I love all the things Colorado has to offer and that is why I choose to set my books in this familiar setting.  I try to write about things I know and am familiar with which is why my stories feature plenty of rock and roll and body modification.
I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and I spend over forty hours a week watching the interaction between men and women in a unique way.  I think my 9 to 5 job offers me valuable insights into how relationships start and evolve in a social setting.  I love it.
I like to write New Adult novels because I remember being in my early twenties and thinking I had it all figured out only to be proven wrong time and time again.  When I look back those were the years that defined who I am today, and good or bad those decisions untimely set me on my current path, so that’s what I like to explore in my writing.

Questions!

Did you plan Marked Men series to be a six part series? Particularly Asa, was he always going to get his own book?
No, Asa was going to die originally at the end of Jet's book,  but something about him just kept whispering to me that he could turn it around. Plus of all the guys I needed a guy that was actually a bad-boy. He’s a criminal and really shady so that's fun to play with. I did know all the other guys once they were introduced were going to get their own books. They were all just too interesting to leave hanging.

Do you have a favourite guy or couple?

From the Marked Men books I absolutely do not have a favourite. I love them all and their stories have all been really important to me. I do have a favourite character...he's just in a different series and no one has met him yet! His name is Bax-Shane Baxter and he's a car thief.

What do you have planned for after the Marked Men series?

Right now I have a new series called Welcome to the Point that has the first two books coming out between the marked men books.  Better When He's bad is the first book and it's out in June. This series is very different from the Marked Men so it's exciting to try something new and something really kind of not out there in the NA market right now!

Books

Great series full of hot tattooed guys and strong girls! Highly recommended!

Are you a fan?
Which Marked man is your fav?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon Interview!

I took part in this last year and I was so excited to take part again this year!

I'm thrilled to have Melissa from Allodoxophobia here with some brilliant questions that she came up with!

 Be sure to check out her blog which she shares with her best friend Christina for some great posts and also my interview! Like last year I've added my comment underneath in italics.

 

Early bird or night owl?

Night Owl

 

What are you currently reading?

Up From The Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

 

Favourite pizza toppings?

Mushrooms, tomatoes and green peppers.

 

Cake or pie?

Pie, chocolate cream preferably. I don't think sweet pies are as big over here as they are in America! I've never seen a chocolate cream pie for sure!

 

What was the last TV show you watched?

Modern Family :) Love this show!

 

If you could travel to any place in the world tomorrow, where would you go?

Paris with my daughter- it is her dream trip.

 

If you could sit down and interview any author (past or present) who would it be?

William Faulkner, I was always impressed with stream of consciousness.

 

Who is your favourite book boyfriend?

Barrons from The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning...super bad, dangerous and very hot!

 

Favourite book heroine?

Celaena from Throne of Glass, Tris from Divergent because she made the brave choice. Great choices!

 

What is the one piece of advice you would give any person thinking of starting a book blog?

Read, read, read and don't be afraid to ask questions to other bloggers. They are the best source of wisdom :)

 

Thanks to Melissa for being my interview partner- I enjoyed meeting you and I've definitely been introduced to some new books and authors.

A huge thanks to Katelyn and Alexa for hosting the event!

 

Be sure to check out all the events going on today and tomorrow!

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

Interview: Fisher Amelie

I've been a fan of Fisher Amelie since I read Thomas and January almost a year ago! So I'm thrilled to have her here for a feature day! First up an interview!

 

About Fisher Amelie.

Where were you born?
I was born in Wichita, Kansas on a farm with my aunt and uncle. I’d often help out, typically in the pigsties. This one time, sheesh, I was balancing myself as I walked across the pigsty fence line and fell in.  Wait a minute…Only the Wichita part of that was true. Though, I do own a pair of sparkly red pumps. Haayaay! Anyway, I was born in Wichita but left at the tender age of five for the world of Larry Hagman, sans the drama. Basically, the ‘burbs of Dallas.
Where do you call home?
I live in my head but I reside in Dallas still. I have a pretty little family of my own now and I’d say they were my home.
Is writing your full-time Career?
Writing is my full time career. I dig it, a lot. It’s, like, my favourite thing to do in the entire world. I get giddy butterflies when I sit at a blank screen. It’s such a high.
Essentially I have two full time jobs, though. I’ve got kids so all you mama’s out there know where I’m coming from on this.

About Writing.

Where do your ideas come from?

Oh, man, you know, they come from everywhere but usually they’re inspired by things I read. For instance, for VAIN I’d just read this amazing book called Kisses from Katie. Its author Katie Davis dropped all her college plans, moved to Uganda at nineteen and decided, “I’m gonna’ stay and adopt a bunch of incredible kids and feed a bunch of incredible people.” It was her fate and I was so in awe of her. Anyway, her story inspired me to dream up VAIN.

How do you plan your books?

I lay out a basic plot line for the novel just to create my skeleton before delving a bit deeper into plotting out the subplots. All my characters get their own page of description where I go so far as to describe where and how they grew up and how that built them into the person they are. I create an entire world before I even write the first word so I cannot be taken by surprise.
Do you plan an entire series, or take it book-by-book?
My series are strange in that they aren’t chronological to one particular set of main characters. I don’t like writing MC’s for more than one book. I’m not sure why but I get tired of them quickly. I like to move on so I build my series as a sequence of stand alones, usually borrowing secondary characters from previous novels and making them my main characters.

How do you pick your covers?

I have the distinct advantage of having a genius marketing executive for a hubs. When I say genius, I mean he’s unfairly gifted with extraordinary creative talent. I tell him what I think I kind of, sort of want. He disregards that usually and gives me what I actually want. Then, voila! I don’t like to brag but my covers really are incredible. :D

What's Next?

What is your next book about? (140 characters or less!)

Spencer Blackwell is his father’s wicked pawn but he feels he doesn’t have a choice because his bank account can't take the hit regardless if his soul is turning as black as the deeds he’s hired to do.

Will this book be part of a series?

GREED is book two of The Seven Deadly Series.

What was your favourite part to write and why?

Funnily enough, my favourite part is a section I’ve yet to write. The ending is going to be DYNAMITE! It’s just so powerful and so emotional.
What else are you working on? At the moment, nothing else. GREED consumes me…the novel, not the sin. Nyuck, nyuck.

Five Random Questions!

Ebook or paper/hardback? Ebook.

Favourite colour? Teal.

Favourite character you’ve created? Ian Aberdeen of VAIN.
Dream holiday destination? Somewhere remote and somewhere tropical. Bring on the sun, baby!

What are you reading at the moment? The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

 

I have to agree Fisher's covers are absolutely gorgeous!

Stay tuned for a Callum and Harper post and a Greed teaser!

 

Much Love!

Lettie.

Xxx

Jolene Perry on New Adult.

Today Jolene Perry is sharing her opinions on and experience with New Adult! Jolene is another of my favourites and has collaborated with both Nyrae Dawn and Steph Campbell.

 

Jolene's Thoughts. 

What's funny is that my first published book was a New Adult book, even though there wasn't a name for that genre yet. I wrote the story of a girl whose first year of college was delayed because she got cancer. When she's finally able to go, she's forced to live next door to her brother and she maybe...might...end up being close friends with a guy who she may or may not fall for ;-) .....That was The Next Door Boys.

 

Steph Campbell and I did the same thing with My Heart for Yours. We wrote it as an upper YA, but once NA came out, we both knew our book fit into that category better.

When the NA category came out for real, I realized that a LOT of what I'd written fell under the age guidelines, so I cleaned them up and published - Falling, Left to Love, My Forever, 10 Weeks, 3 Sides to a Circle... 

I know that nearly all of the NA titles out right now are romance, and most of my novels focus on that, but I LOVE college stories. I love friendship stories. I love the idea that for the first time in a person's life, they're accountable for their own actions but they maybe haven't had enough experience to choose well ;-) I'm excited to watch NA branch out into all kinds of stories, exploring the time in our lives when we really come into our own and learn who we are.

 

 

Jolene grew up in South-central Alaska. She’s lived in Anchorage, near the Alyeska ski resort, on a cabin on an island on a lake, and then in a boring old house.

Jolene cannot express how many times she wished she could write a whole novel. And now she has. Several times. Life is good.

http://www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

 

Thank you so much to Jolene for very kindly taking the time to feature on my blog even with her recent release Out of Play!

 

I love that Jolene mentioned that New Adult style books have been around but now it has it's own genre it can branch out and diversify. I also love college/university stories, it's such an unique environment!

 

Do you agree with Jolene?

Can you think of any 'Upper YA' books that would be New Adult now?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

Nyrae Dawn on New Adult.

Second author of the week to give her opinion on the New Adult genre is Nyrae Dawn!

 

What does “New Adult” mean to you?

It’s so hard to say exactly because I think the lines can be blurry. New adult to me is just what is sounds like. It’s when you’re a “new” adult. I consider it over 18. There is safety in being under 18. Regardless of your situation, there are more laws in place to help you and parents can still be held responsible for you. That’s not the case afterward. For me, it doesn’t go over the age of 23, maybe 24. I think you should have quite a bit of practice by then.

Age isn’t everything though. It’s the experiences the characters are going through and HOW they deal with the situations.

 

What first drew you to New Adult?

I think it’s a fascinating time. I remember what it was like to be on my own for the first time. Learning how to handle my bills and all the new experiences that come with being on your own. I wanted to capture that in my writing.

 

Why did you want to write a New Adult book?

Pretty much the same as above. I love the freedom in the age and thought it would be exciting to write about.

 

What would you love to see next in New Adult?

I would love some lighter stories to go along with the heavier. I also would love to see more LGBT stories.

 

I am a compulsive reader and writer who loves YA fiction.
I love nothing more than writing about young adults. There is something so fresh and fun about it. You can pretty much always find me with a book in my hand or open document in front of me.
I live in Southern California with my husband and two children. http://www.nyraedawn.com/

 

 

 

Thank you so much to Nyrae for very kindly taking the time to feature on my blog even with the recent release Out of Play!

I think the upper age limit could go up as high as 25 but apart from that I fully agree with Nyrae especially about lighter stories like Falling by Jolene Perry.

 

What do you think?

Much Love!

Lettie.

Xxx

Steph Campbell on New Adult.

Steph Campbell is the first of my New Adult authors to give their perspective on the genre

What first drew you to New Adult?
The infinite number of amazing stories to read and tell from the NA age range. To me, NA is typically college age (18-24-ish) (even if the characters don’t attend college.)

Those are the years of so many firsts. First time away from home, first real relationships, first time living along, first major responsibilities and first real time to face hurdles on your own—with no parachute. It’s an incredible time to read and write about.

 

Why did you want to write a New Adult book?
Previously, I’d written what I’d call Mature/Older YA. There wasn’t really a whole lot of (what is now referred to as) New Adult out there.

The first NA book I wrote was LENGTHS (with Liz Reinhardt). At that time, Liz and I set out to write a book that we wanted to read, but couldn’t find. A Smart, sexy, college-aged romance with a lot of heart. I hope we accomplished that with the Lengths series! J

 

What does “New Adult” mean to you?

To me, New Adult is less about sexual content (though, the age does allow for more graphic content) and more about finding yourself. I think new adult is essentially coming of age. Books about self-discovery now that you’re on your own, and turning into the person you are going to be.

 

What would you love to see next in New Adult?

More character driven books, and less reliance heavy sexual content and huge plot twists.  

 

 

Stephanie Campbell lives in Southwest Louisiana and is a happily married mother to four evil geniuses, is a nail polish addict and YA Junkie. When she isn't reading, writing or wiping someone's nose, you can usually find her baking something. She blogs at: http://stephcampbell.blogspot.com/

 

Thank you so much to Steph for very kindly taking the time to feature on my blog even as she's moving!

I definitely agree that New Adult encompasses a time of so many firsts and creates a very diverse genre!

 

What do you think?

Much Love!

Lettie.

Xxx

Interview: Chelsea Fine.

I'm thrilled to have Chelsea Fine here answering some questions!

About Chelsea

Where were you born and where do you call home? 

I was born in Tucson, Arizona and lived there until I was fourteen. I moved to the Phoenix area my freshman year of high school (boy was that fun!) and have lived here ever since. I think “home” is an ever-evolving thing for me. Five years ago, I would have called my parents’ kitchen home. (It is, after all, where my mom feeds me.) But now I think “home” is my living room couch, curled up next to my hubby and our two kiddos. Wow. I sound sappy, haha. But I can’t help myself. It’s true.
What writers inspire you?
I want to be Veronica Roth when I grow up. But I’m also a huge fan of Cassandra Clare, Jennifer Castle, and John Green. 
Book for a long journey?
The Count of Monte Cristo. It lasts for days.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
Paperback copies of books are the best! You can underline in red pen and dog-ear the corners and leave tearstains on the pages. That’s what reading is all about.

About Writing

How do you plan your books?
I fly by the seat of my pants. It’s terrifying and unpredictable. I love it! 
Do you know how a book will end as you start writing it?

Sometimes. Not usually, though. Sometimes I think it’s better not to know. Like…I go on the journey with my characters without knowing the outcome, and sometimes that makes me experience their emotions in the same raw way a reader might. I don’t know.  

Do you plan an entire series, or take it book-by-book?
The correct answer here is “I plan the entire series.” But that would be a big fat lie. *grins*
Where do your ideas come from?The crazy Wonderland that is my brain, haha. I usually get inspired by pictures I see, or movies I watch, or songs I hear, and then I just let my imagination go wild with that inspiration.

About New Adult

What first drew you to New Adult?
The age group! 18-25 is sort of like a Dark Age and I LOVE the concept of giving characters that fall into this lost time some roles in the literary world. Instead of only knowing what their first kiss/love/heartbreak was like in high school and then jumping right into their career lives in their thirties, we can actually let all the significant life changes of their “college years” play out. Forget high school, those are the years that truly shape us.
Why did you want to write a New Adult book?
Because I wanted to write characters who had to figure out their futures beyond prom dresses and graduation. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things, I just wanted to write something with more at stake.
What does “New Adult” mean to you?
Characters who are new at being adults and living in an adult world without the supervision/threat/safety of parents.
What would you love to see next in New Adult?
More paranormal New Adult. And maybe a “New Adult” version of some popular Young Adult book series? That might be fun.

What's next

What are you working on at the minute?

I’m currently finishing up my first New Adult book, as well as working on my first MG series.

The New Adult book is about childhood friends who grow up together, experience a tragedy, and drift apart. But a year later, they end up living next door to one another for the summer and find it difficult to keep the past, well…in the past. It’s a story about hurt and healing, and true love of course.

And the MG series is about a young girl who stumbles upon some magic in Scotland and goes on a wild ride through a world steeped in fantasy, beauty, and danger in order to find her way back home.

Eeek! I’m so excited for both!

On Chelsea's Upcoming New Adult novel.

Tell us what your book is about in 140 characters or less.

What was I thinking, living under the same roof as Levi’s blue eyes? There’s no way I’ll survive the summer. I can barely survive breakfast.

Is this book part of a series?

No. At least that’s not my intention. However, there are some secondary characters that I would love to write about in the future.

What was your favourite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I loved writing the scene where my two main characters first kissed. It was sweet and intense…and it took place in a fort during an epic game of Capture the Flag, so yeah. Big fun. 

Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.

With the exception of Sophie & Carter, I’ve handled all my book covers personally. I have a great photographer (Ashley Bugg with Bugg Photographer) who shot the cover models for my Archers of Avalon series, and I have a love/love relationship with Photoshop where I design my own covers like a true control freak.

Leave us with a teaser/quote from your book?

'Levi is so distracting. His arms are all raised, and his shoulders are all broad, and he’s fixing crap, and it’s just...just...annoying.

I pry my eyes off his back and force my feet to the stove where I throw vegetables into a pan, grab a wooden spoon, and ignore his close proximity.

My body hums.

I ignore that too.

He’s unscrewing the cover of the fire alarm and his arm moves with the motion. Why does he have so many muscles in his forearm? That can’t be healthy. I drop my eyes to the pan and focus on bell peppers.

Because bell peppers are interesting and they don’t have forearm muscles or backs the size of Alaska.

The forearm muscles that I’m not thinking about lightly brush against my shoulder and the humming inside my body knots together and zips around like a bumblebee on crack.

I casually turn down the heat on the stove, like that’s the reason I’m suddenly a human vibrator, and go back to stirring. Levi goes back to screwing.

Bell peppers.

I’m thinking about bell peppers.

But those blasted muscles can’t seem to keep their distance and soon enough Levi brushes against me again.

Except this time his forearm grazes my breast and my body immediately goes wild like I’m some love-starved teenager and the humming dives low in my belly and the stove gets hotter and my breaths get shallow and suddenly bell peppers are the sexiest vegetable on earth.

From the corner of my eye, I catch Levi’s Adam’s apple bobbing with a nervous swallow, which can only mean one thing. The boob brush was an accident.

Well crap.

If he had been trying to cop a feel with his Hulkish forearm, I could have responded with some kind of snarky “you’re a pervert” comment. But it wasn’t on purpose and somehow that makes it sexier and now the cracked-out bumblebee is buzzing in my nether regions and my hands are starting to tingle and why the HELL is this stove so hot?

He lowers his arm for a moment, his eyes still on the alarm, and stretches his neck.

Ah, the neck stretch. Then universal sign of stress. Well at least I’m not alone in my frustration. My hot, distracting, pants-are-so-inconvenient frustration.

Wait, what? Who said anything about pants? I am NOT thinking about pants—or the lack thereof. Damn you, bell peppers!

I toss the wooden spoon to the side and move back to the counter where I pretend to be fascinated by a list of omelette ingredients.

I bite back a groan. What was I thinking, living under the same roof as Levi? There’s no way I’ll survive the summer.

Hell, I can barely survive breakfast.'

Thank you Chelsea Fine for asking the questions and to New Leaf Literacy for giving me the chance to do this interview as part of their Addicted to New Adult feature.

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx