Today I'm happy to host Brandy Isaacs on her blog tour with Saskia Book Tours, to introduce her new novel, Don't Let Them Find You, and interview Sydney Lake, the main character of the book. Sydney Lake has a secret. She has no idea who she is, where she is from, or what caused her to lose her memory in the first place. Four months ago she woke up alone and injured with a message written on her arm. DON’T LET THEM FIND YOU Not knowing who “they” were, she took the warning seriously. Sydney ran. For months she lived in hiding—always afraid of being found by Them. When Sydney wakes from a strange dream with a bleeding nose she chalks it up to just another bizarre turn of events. However, when she discovers she is just one of many who have had the same dream she realizes something worse is happening. The dream sets into motion events that convince Sydney They have finally found her. At first Sydney is determined to run again—to save her friends as much as herself. But, to survive, she has to stop running. To keep her friends safe, she has to save herself. Don't Let Them Find You is available at Amazon. Interview with Sydney Lake: 1. What is your full name? Is there anything significant about your name? Sydney Lake. Significance? It's not my real name. 2. How old are you? About 23 I think. 3. Tell us about your family. What do you like and not like about them? The only family I know is the friends I met four months ago. 4. Who was your first kiss, and what did you think of it? The first one I remember was Xander. 5. What is your occupation? IT whiz 6. What are your best and worst qualities? The best? I am a decent enough person to feel bad for whatever I did to get myself here. The worst? I am dragging my friends down with me. 7. What quality do you value most in a romantic partner? Tattoos? Just kidding! Someone that helps me remember why it's important to fight. 8. What is your favorite thing to do? Having hobbies is risky. 9. What is your greatest fear? That I will get my friends hurt. 10. What is your most treasured possession? My identity. About the Author: Brandy Isaacs will tell you first that her name is spelled without an “I”. If that is the case, I will call her Brandy Isaacs. However, that ends up sounding like “Sacks” and will not endear me to her. Just remember, no I. The I is trashy as a terminal vowel. She was raised in in Kentucky, but not the kentuck of the 70s where people had to dig holes for both one and two. It was a more cosmopolitan version of the place you’re thinking of. Instead of digging those holes, her family was able to hire someone to dig them – big difference. They did, however, love when the Sears Wishbook showed up in the mail each year. They were finally able to stop rubbing dirt in dirtier places. None of that is true. But all of it is true. Your author is one of those curious people. She is of the library and the local witches. She loved words. Even better, she loved when those words were strung together. In a word – stories. Those stories, of witches that were real and those that were not; of boy wizards; of young women who volunteered; of men who would suck blood. These stories define her. And it is stories that she wants to tell you. I could gloss her Bio for real – high school, college in central Kentucky, Grad school in Kansas, nonprofit work when she returned home – and it would miss the truth. Brandy Isaacs has stories inside her, and she need to tell them to you. They will excite you; they will scare you; they will arouse you. And you- -- you will keep turning the pages. When you hit the end, you will wish there were more. Links to find Brandy: Smashwords | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Read my previous interview with Brandy here.
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Last week I profiled author and psychiatrist Alexandre A. Loch and his novel Laplatia, Or, The City That Could Not Dream. Here he is today to answer a few questions about himself and his writing: 1. Tell us a little about yourself. Hi all! I’m a psychiatrist with a background in philosophy. I like reading, studying and trying to understand how people and our society work. In 2013 I completed my PhD by studying the stigma of mental illnesses, and I decided I had to write novels. I think fiction is a different means to achieve the truth than scientific writing. By creating fiction you can reach the truth in an artistic and unconscious manner, and then share this truth with your reader. 2. When did you start writing, and why? I started writing in 2013, after my PhD. I was kind of satisfied with my academic achievements, and I decided I had to do something different. Something to do with the arts. I had lots of things I needed to tell the world, things I could not write in scientific papers. And so my books came out. 3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? I write fiction with psychological themes. I like to create characters similar to real persons. I put many of the conflicts I see in people, my patients, and myself in my characters, and I feel they need to share these feelings with the readers. In my view when you read a book it needs to provide you a take home message. Or at least cause the reader to reflect on the world he is living in. That’s why I write, to urge people to think. 4. What is the greatest joy of writing for you? Surely the greatest joy of writing is to receive feedback from my readers. I love to discuss my books with them. And it satisfies me more when I see that a person really loved the reading, and that my book changed his life in some way. 5. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? My latest book is “Laplatia – or, The City That Could Not Dream”. I have some forthcoming projects but they are still very incipient. I need to shape them to have a better idea of what they will turn out to be in the future. 6. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series. Laplatia is a city in the near future where natural resources for the generation of electricity have exhausted. In this society mankind invented machines to capture electricity from dreams and imagination’s brain waves to turn it into society’s electrical power. So, no one can freely imagine or dream anymore. How would it be to live in a world like that? Laplatia resembles our society, where our thoughts are shaped by the mass media culture. We are all sort of Laplatians in some way. And so I reproduce common current existential anguishes people show in our society in the book. It has something of darkness, of desperation, and of self-questioning. It’s an unforgettable journey into our own thoughts to read Laplatia. 7. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them? There is Aaron, who works in one of the facilities that extracts electricity from human brains to turn it into societal electrical power. Though he is married, he is a lonely person, who finds himself trapped in his daily routine. There is his wife Daphne, who thought he was the love of her life but got deeply disappointed after years of marriage. Argos is one of the extractor facility’s leaders. He is a bit arrogant, and very stupid with his wife Ophelia. She, in turn, caught him cheating on her in the beginning of the marriage but still decided to stay with him. She is a very disturbed person who cuts herself to diminish her anguish. There is also a doctor, a drug addict, and so on. Wow, got a little bit excited here but never mind, there are no spoilers, lol. 8. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book. I spent nearly a month trying to write chapter 6! This chapter is one that explains the world of Laplatia. I thought it was filled with too much reflection, that it would bore readers with philosophical writing and reflections, and it nearly made me stop writing the book. Turned out that my beta-readers found that this specific chapter was one of the best chapters of the book! They commented that current writers usually do not explain their fictional world in details, and that in general disappoints readers. That’s an example of how different a writer and a reader can judge a same chapter... 9. Is there a message in your book? Do you want your readers to take something home? Yes. There are several critiques on the homogenization of our culture. We know how films end, there are sort of “recipes” for writing books and making movies and TV shows. The new is rare. Though much has been debated about canned culture and its consequences, like dehumanization and the distant and impersonal character of human relationships in general, we keep doing things the same. Laplatia aims to provoke those questions in the reader’s mind. Laplatia, or, The City That Could Not Dream: How would it be to live in a city where no one was allowed to use his imagination freely? Where dreams and fantasy had to be used for socioeconomic purposes? Laplatia is a dystopian city in the near future where natural resources for the production of electrical power on Earth have been depleted. With increasing chaos due to this shortage, civilization invented the Extractors, machines capable of extracting human imagination and turning it into Fos, electricity's raw material. Consequently, citizens were prohibited to "spend useless thoughts," such as those provided by imagination, dreams, and fantasy, unless they were destined to the Extractors. In this city, we follow the story of seven characters, their anguishes, their relationships, and their solitude. Laplatia is an erratic story that emotionally moves the reader and urges him to reflect about himself and the society. After all, who said one's thought is free? Laplatia is available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | About the Author: Alexandre A. Loch is a psychiatrist who graduated from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, obtaining a PhD degree by studying the stigma of mental illnesses. He also holds a bachelor degree in philosophy, and in 2013, he started his career as a writer. Besides writing, he currently acts as a researcher, having authored many scientific articles published in international journals, and being the associate editor of Frontiers in Public Mental Health. Alexandre always liked to read. Early in his childhood, he read several best-sellers and classics of international literature. His favorite authors are Hemmingway, Dostoievski, Lee Harper, Virginia Woolf, Jose Saramago, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Alexandre also appreciates contemporary literature in Portuguese and in English. His first released book, Bile Negra (Black Bile), is an introspective psychological fiction about Iago and his soul's journey through a big city. The book was well received by the Brazilian critic. In 2016, he will release Laplatia (The City that Could Not Dream), in the United States, by Black Rose Writing. With a shrill style, the aim of the author is to make people reflect upon the ideas presented in his books. His concept of art, which encompasses the art of writing, includes the idea that books should change people. "I like to make people think with my fictions. A book should provoke catharsis; induce the reader to reflect about himself, his life, and the society he is living in. For that, I usually use a sharp style that touches directly the reader's soul." Where to find Alexandre A. Loch: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Meet A.S. Johnson, author of multi-genre paranormal, science fiction, and romance novels: 1. Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in a traditional family structure with four older sisters and one younger brother. My father was a retired Navy Corpman and my mom was a traditional stay at home mom until we were all in school. Both our parents taught us that hard work and determination brokered success. After high school, I attended college and married. It wasn't until my later years that I started to follow my passion in life and become a writer full time. 2. Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing? I grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. I believe my writing is influenced by own strong personality. We moved a lot and in order to have friends, I couldn't sit back and be a shy person, otherwise I would have had a lonely childhood. I actively participated in sports, band, and choir. I think this trait of being a leader and not a follower as well as participating in life is something I've developed that comes through in each main character. 3. When did you start writing, and why? Since childhood, I've written poetry and short stories. It wasn't until 2008, after a crazy dream, that I actually started to write novels. I shared my dream with my niece Stacy, who encouraged me to write it out, so I did. In a matter of days, I had written the first six chapters of my debut novel "Orion" and it has been a continual journey ever since. 4. Who or what are your inspirations/influences? My influences in my youth are what lead me to my inspirations. My English Lit teacher, Mr. Black in tenth grade had us read Ray Bradbury's Canterbury Tales. Never in my life had I been exposed to something so vivid and deep. After that year, my love of reading boomed and I found myself amazing at how someone could pull you in and make you feel like you were a part of the story. 5. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? I write a broad variation of Fiction sub-genres, Romance, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Altered History, that cover everything from young adult to erotica. The main thing I enjoy about what I write, is how the story unfolds the deeper I go into each plot. 6. What music do you listen to while writing? I listen to a broad variety of romantic ballads in English and Spanish. These tend to spark my creative juices and help me overcome brief moments of writer's block. 7. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? My book, The Bayou Vampires: Lily, is to be released this March. It will be the first book in a erotica series of four. My forthcoming novel, Under Siege will be my first non-romantic based science fiction novel. I'm hopeful for a winter release date. 8. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series. My worlds are futuristic in nature and science fiction based. The Bayou Vampires: Lily is set three hundred years into the future after a peaceful alien race seeks refuge on Earth only to be subjected to the lies and betrayal of a U.S. Military with a desire to create a super soldier. This series follows Lily's journey into uncovering the truth along with three others who enter uncharted water all determine to bring down the military and make those responsible pay. 9. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them? Lily Guidry, is a Cajun with a strong female presence who is raised as a vampire hunter. She is confident in her abilities, and a dominate force over her three older brothers. Landry, Rex, and Billy Guidry are famously notorious for being brutal in their interrogation methods of rogue vampires and aliens. Their entire existence is based upon getting the job no matter the cost, their only flaw is a family secret. These crazy Cajun brothers aren't just crazy they are also vampires, a mutant race created when the human military tried to crossbreed with an alien race and Lily's younger(not older) half-brothers. I like the structure of each sibling and the idea that despite their bizarre upbringing and genetics, each one of them would kill to protect the other yet when it comes to their little sister, Lily, she is the Alfa of this pack. 10. Is there a message in your book? Do you want your readers to take something home? Every novel I write has a message of hope, determination, and self-awareness. Every female character I write is a strong female who never gives up her dreams. I want my readers to always believe in themselves first and remember they don't need a man to give you self-worth or purpose. 11. What is the greatest joy of writing for you? My greatest joy is when readers get inspired to pick themselves up and get back to the task of following their passion in life. 12. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book. The main male character, Arturo Tregree, aka Art, is named after my husband. Where to find A.S. Johnson: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads Introducing author Alexandre A. Loch and his dystopian science fiction novel, Laplatia, Or, The City That Could Not Dream. How would it be to live in a city where no one was allowed to use his imagination freely? Where dreams and fantasy had to be used for socioeconomic purposes? Laplatia is a dystopian city in the near future where natural resources for the production of electrical power on Earth have been depleted. With increasing chaos due to this shortage, civilization invented the Extractors, machines capable of extracting human imagination and turning it into Fos, electricity's raw material. Consequently, citizens were prohibited to "spend useless thoughts," such as those provided by imagination, dreams, and fantasy, unless they were destined to the Extractors. In this city, we follow the story of seven characters, their anguishes, their relationships, and their solitude. Laplatia is an erratic story that emotionally moves the reader and urges him to reflect about himself and the society. After all, who said one's thought is free? Laplatia on Facebook Laplatia is available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo About the Author: Alexandre A. Loch is a psychiatrist who graduated from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, obtaining a PhD degree by studying the stigma of mental illnesses. He also holds a bachelor degree in philosophy, and in 2014, he started his career as a writer. Besides writing, he currently acts as a researcher, having authored many scientific articles published in international journals, and being the associate editor of Frontiers in Public Mental Health. Alexandre always liked to read. Early in his childhood, he read several best-sellers and classics of international literature. His favorite authors are Hemmingway, Dostoievski, Lee Harper, Virginia Woolf, Jose Saramago, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Alexandre also appreciates contemporary literature in Portuguese and in English. His first released book, Bile Negra (Black Bile), is an introspective psychological fiction about Iago and his soul's journey through a big city. The book was well received by the Brazilian critic. In 2016, he releases Laplatia (The City that Could Not Dream), by Black Rose Writing (TX, USA). With a shrill style, the aim of the author is to make people reflect upon the ideas presented in his books. His concept of art, which encompasses the art of writing, includes the idea that books should change people. "I like to make people think with my fictions. A book should provoke catharsis; induce the reader to reflect about himself, his life, and the society he is living in. For that, I usually use a sharp style that touches directly the reader's soul." Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Introducing Colleen S. Myers, author of the paranormal/sci-fi/romance Solum series:
Colleen S. Myers was raised outside of Pittsburgh, PA where she grew up on Harlequin teen romances and stories from her mother's days as a paramedic. After graduating from Allegheny College, she spent a year in service in the Americorp working at a local Pittsburgh Women Infants and Children Clinic before attending Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine on a military scholarship. Upon completing medical school, Myers attended residency at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and earned three meritorious service awards. After serving seven years of active duty, including being on base in Washington, DC during 9/11, she is now a physician at a VA Hospital in Pittsburgh. Still an avid fan of romances into adulthood, Myers' love of the genre inspired her to hone her craft as a writer, focusing on contemporary romance and science fiction. Her background in medicine and the military provides an inspiring layer of creative realism to her stories and characters. Myers' first book, Must Remember, the first of the Solum series, is published by Champagne Press. The sequel, Can't Forget, is the recipient of the 2015 RWA New England Readers Award.
Must Remember (Solum #1)
Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth 'Beta' Camden is a survivor. When the E'mani-those pale alien freaks-destroy Earth with a plague of madness and scoop up the remains, Beta is one of the 'lucky' ones. For years, she endures their tortures, experiments and games. Then one day, she manages to escape their ship with her life, and no memory of her time with them. Stranded on their world, Beta wanders the mountains, looking for a way home. She stumbles onto the Fost-the E'mani's ancient enemy. Their war with the Imani is old and rooted in magic that the Fost once had and the Imani crave. Magic Beta soon discovers she's developing along with strange tattoos and disturbing glimpses of her past. The Fost take her in and train her in their ways. As she spends more time with them, she falls in love with their culture and with Marin-he of the hot hands and slit eyes. But the E'mani took her for a reason and they want her back-dead or alive. If Beta doesn't remember that reason soon, they're all going to die.
Must Remember is available at:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes | All Romance/ARE café | Champagne books Where to find Colleen S. Myers: Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads | Twitter Meet author Shari Sakurai, last week's (yes, I'm running a little behind!) featured author in the Paranormal, Fantasy, Dystopia, and Romance Readers, Writers, and Reviewers group on Goodreads. Shari Sakurai was born in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom. After completing secondary school she moved away from further education to work in administration. Shari is very interested in other countries’ cultures and mythology; in particular Japan. Japanese themes and influences can often be found in her work. Shari's debut novel Demon's Blood was released in ebook format on 25th January 2014. She has participated and won the National Novel Writing Month challenge for the past eight years. Where to find Shari Sakurai: website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+ Demon's Blood Immortal blood is precious and Kokawa Taku’s makes him especially unique. After vampire hunters force them to flee Tokyo, Taku and his lover, Thane, try to make a new life for themselves in England. But three months later Thane is still tormented by nightmares of the fire that almost cost them their lives. This leads to carelessness and the discovery of one of his victims. When faced with threats from all sides Taku tries his best to protect them although his actions are met with disapproval and anger from Thane. Unknown to his lover, Taku is also struggling to keep hidden the truth of what really happened three months ago. However, it is only a matter of time before Taku’s past and bloodline catches up with him. Demon's Blood is available at Amazon Perfect World (Perfect World #1) London, 2115 It is the year 2115 and the world is very different. With climate changes, natural disasters and war shaping the landscape, England has become a nation made up of several super cities and wasteland in between. Eric Rawlins is a genetically engineered superhero created by the London Security Agency (L.S.A) to defend and protect the city against both national and international threats. With his superior abilities, celebrity status and beautiful girlfriend, Eric appears to have the perfect life. However, it is an illusion created by the L.S.A in order to control him. Eric's nemesis is the charismatic Adam Larimore. The only son of billionaire business tycoon Victor Larimore, Adam is gifted with a genius level IQ as well as the same longevity as Eric. When the actions of the L.S.A throw the two of them together Eric finds himself questioning everything that he has ever known as well as discovering the true course of events that led to Adam turning to a life of crime. As they become closer Eric realises that the L.S.A may be the real threat to London. But can he trust Adam or is he part of Adam’s plan for revenge against those who have wronged him? Interview with Adam Larimore Perfect World is available at Amazon | Smashwords | iTunes | Barnes & Noble 1. Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Linda Andrews and by day, I’m a scientist for a local water company and by night I write Science Fiction, Apocalyptic horror, and romance novels. I read pretty much anything genre fiction although my favorite are mysteries and romance, and I love zombies. 2. When did you start writing, and why? I started writing when the paranormal line that I read from Harlequin was cancelled. At the time, I was commuting 90 minutes one way to my job and used to write on tape. Now, writing is a passion that I can’t give up. Every book is different and I learn something new. 3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? I write the Science Fiction because as I’m reading for my job, I encounter intriguing information that raises those important what-if questions. I write the apocalyptic/horror novels because I can kill lots of people and not have to worry about going to jail. Okay, not really (maybe a little), I consider them exercises in survival. If this happened, what would I do? And I write romances because I am a romantic at heart and like to give everyone a happy ending (if they deserve it) 4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? My latest apocalyptic series is the Hadean series. It’s about the science we’re using to change our food forcing an evolutionary pathway for humanity and the planet. 5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series. Hadean is set in Phoenix, Arizona in the current times. I enjoy the challenge of setting books in the desert as so many resources the rest of the country take for granted, such as water, are not readily available. The stories follow a group of 6 people as they struggle to survive, but one of them is infected. Most reviewers consider it a bit like 28 Days Later and the Crazies. 6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them? There’s Ellen who is a mother of 2. Her sister Rosa, who is a scientist working on figuring out what is going on and if there is a solution. Their cousin Raine who was a junior in high school when the world goes to pot. There is Drew who is a recovering drug addict, who has to put Ellen and her family above his addiction. There is Brent who is crazy but functional until he no longer is, this provides an inside look into the workings of the faceless masses who are infected. What I like about them, is that they don’t have any special skills and are just everyday people, who need each other to survive. 7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book. Sometimes I like my characters so much I have a hard time torturing them, er, I mean writing their story when i know bad things are going to happen :D More information and links for Hadean Where to find Linda Andrews: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Today I'm happy to welcome Emma Woods, author of YA dystopian fantasy Beasts and Savages: 1.Tell us a little about yourself. I'm a small town girl from the Midwest, and the oldest of four. Our house was crazy most of the time, with kids playing everywhere, so when I wanted to escape, I'd find a quite place or slip to my room and read. I was a book nerd/marching band geek, and Girl Scout and wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I went to college to become a teacher, but fate had other plans. I think if I would have taught, I may not have taken the initiative to write and publish, so in a way, I'm happy where I am. 2.When did you start writing, and why? I'd like to think that writing has always been and interest, or even a hobby I've had for most of my life. Does that make me a lifetime writer? I don't know, but I didn't decide to become a published writer until about nine months ago. 3.What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? I write mostly YA stories, because they are my favorite to read. I love writing because it is my escape. I have all these stories playing in my head. Why not write them down and share them with the world? 4.What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? My latest, and first, book series is The Beastly Series. Beasts and Savages is the first book in the series. The second book is in the works and coming along nicely, thanks to NaNoWriMo. It is due to be released on April 1, 2016. For the title, I plan to pick three of my best ideas and have a Twitter poll to let my readers pick it. 5."Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series. The world in Beasts and Savages is one where women and men live in separate communities. The women's cities are highly controlled and full of technological advances. The men live in small villages in the wilds and rely on women for medications and offspring. When girls come of age, they change into beasts with the sole instinct to hunt, mate, and kill a boy. To keep order, hunts are staged twice a year and most girls only hunt once. 6.Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them? Lea is a born and bred hunter, who endures changing into a beast for a few days once a month. When women are in full-on beast mode, their instincts take over and all sense of reason leaves them. They have one goal: to find a boy, mate with him, and then kill him. Lea is able to control her instincts better than most, and refuses to kill. She also one of a few who remembers changings, which means that she remembers every agonizing movement of her teeth dropping, bristles pushing out of her skin, and sudden sensitivity to light and sounds. I like how she follows her moral compass and isn't afraid to ask hard questions. Tanner is a green eyed sweetheart who doesn't have a clue. Lea is the first girl he's ever met, and he doesn't know how to treat her. He's a bit protective, strong, and isn't afraid to stand up for himself against other boys, but he does have a fearful respect for his father, Locke. He's known as the obedient son. I like that even though he has feelings for Lea, he's not a push over. When he thinks Lea needs put in her place, he tells her. Miller is a villain that we come to understand. Maybe not like, but at least we learn why he's a villain. He hates Lea, and all women from the start, and does terrible things to her. At one time Miller and Tanner were friends, but the presence of Lea puts a rift in their friendship. I like that he has a back story, a reason for being evil, instead of just being mean because that's what he knows. But be warned, his reason doesn't mean you'll hate him any less. 7.A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book. I wrote five endings to Beasts and Savages, and at the urging of my final beta reader, rewrote the one I had settled on again just 48 hours before I sent it to my formatting person to submit for publishing. Beasts and Savages is available at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble Where to find Emma Woods: Website | Goodreads | Facebook Last December I interviewed Sue Perry, author of the FRAMES series of speculative detective novels. Sue is back today with an interview with her private eye Nica. Take it away, Sue and Nica! 1. What is your full name? Is there anything significant about your name? I'm Nica S.T.A.T.Ic. Correct, my last name is an acronym. My full name is Veronica Sheridan Taggart Ambrose Taggart Ickovic. My acronymic identity is constructed of family, first love, big mistake, ever hopeful (wishful thinking) revisit of first love, tragic true love. The last couple years of my life have been as stable as old dynamite, so I was happy to discover this acronym, this promise of no more disruption. 2. How old are you? People are obsessed with age. Youth. Aging. Age differences. I'm not going to buy into that by answering this question. Let's just say I'm old enough to have learned some stuff and young enough to act on what I've learned. 3. Tell us about your family. What do you like and not like about them? My family is full of lovely, interesting, supportive folks. Unfortunately they are all dead. 4. Who was your first kiss, and what did you think of it? My first kiss was with Jenn, my best friend since third grade. Kissing seemed like such a big deal and we wanted to find out why. Our experiment did not enlighten us. 5. What is your occupation? I recently started calling myself a detective and - amazingly - I got clients right away! Private investigator. We'll see how long I stick with it. I've had more jobs than all my friends, combined. But this one feels different. It feels right. And I need one that feels right. 6. What are your best and worst qualities? I'm always willing to try something new - which makes me brave, if you squint at it right. Meanwhile, I get lost inside my head and distract myself at all the wrong times. 7. What quality do you value most in a romantic partner? Best of all, I like it when he makes me laugh. 8. What is your favorite thing to do? I can't remember how I would have answered this a few months ago but nowadays my favorite thing is to Travel the Frames, which as near as I can figure are other dimensions. It turns out there are an infinite number of Frames all around us in all directions, with all kinds of life, all living simultaneously in their Frames. 9. What is your greatest fear? Among the fears I can face, my number one fear is boredom. Among the fears I don't dare acknowledge, my greatest is that Ben Taggart, my first and third ex-husband, will die of a heroin overdose. 10. What is your most treasured possession? Now that I know about the Frames, I can't even think about an answer to this - makes me feel like a slave trader. What may seem like an object in this Frame could be a sentient animate being elsewhere. In just a few short months, I've been attacked by books, protected by a volcano, informed by a lawn chair, befriended by a pickup truck. And either saved or threatened by a cat. (It's hard to tell with cats.) I'll never again be able to think in terms of possessions. The FRAMES series is a quartet of speculative detective novels.
Book 1, Nica of Los Angeles, is available now. When rookie private eye Nica takes on a mysterious case, she enters a world of multiple dimensions called Frames, where buildings and lawn chairs can be sentient, a stray cat has great powers, books can be killers, and clouds can be spies. At home, Nica tackles missing person cases, while in the larger reality of the Frames she is swept into an escalating battle with stakes that could not be higher... Book 2, Nica of the New Yorks, is coming soon. Nica is available as an ebook and trade paperback from all the usual places on-line, including Amazon | Apple | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords Stay in touch with Sue: blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads Today I am happy to welcome author Shari Sakurai, interviewing her character Adam Larimore from her dystopian/sci fi novel, Perfect World: 1. What is your full name? Is there anything significant about your name? Adam: My full name's Adam Victor James Larimore. The Larimore family name is very well known due to the fact that my father, Victor James Larimore, was one of the wealthiest men in the country. 2. How old are you? Adam: I'm 22 years old. 3. Tell us about your family. What do you like and not like about them? Adam: Father was the only real family I had. My mother was a surrogate and was only interested in the money that father paid her once she had given birth to me. I've never met her and nor do I want to. My father made all of his money in creating computer software mainly for the Government and L.S.A (London Security Agency). We never really got along to be honest. As he paid for my creation he saw me as an investment rather than his son. He was pretty cold towards me most of the time, unless I did something to anger him which I did rather frequently! He was obsessed with his work and we didn't spend that much time together outside of the office. After learning that I had been created to inherit his company and wealth we fought most of the time. I remember him making more of an effort with me when I was a child, but his business-like approaching to parenting meant that I never really knew him. 4. Who was your first kiss, and what did you think of it? Adam: My first kiss was with a guy I met in one of the illegal underground nightclubs that I used to go to. Seth I think his name was. We'd been talking for a while and I was sure he wanted to kiss me, but he was kind of nervous about it so I took the initiative and kissed him *laughs* it was kind of awkward as I don't think he'd kissed anyone before either! We kept bumping teeth and he didn't know what to do with his arms - at one point he just had them by his sides! It was quite cute but nothing special really! 5. What is your occupation? Adam: Supervillain! *smirks* 6. What are your best and worst qualities? Adam: My best qualities are my intellect - I've never met anyone smarter than me - and I'm very self-assured and have a good sense of humour. I can be very arrogant and ruthless, but I would say my worst quality is not being able to deal with my emotions. I tend to hide behind my strong personality rather than talk honestly about my feelings. 7. What quality do you value most in a romantic partner? Adam: Honesty and openness. Most of the people in my life whom I've been closest to have lied to me so I really value someone who can just be honest with me. 8. What is your favorite thing to do? Adam: I love to visit places of historical importance that were left in ruin by the great tsunamis. I've spent quite a lot of time at the ruins of the Tower of London collecting artefacts that had been displaced by the waves and restoring them. I find the past fascinating and it's really sad that a lot of our history has been cast aside and forgotten in the wake of the disaster. 9. What is your greatest fear? Adam: That Eric will discover the truth about me and what agreements I made in order to get revenge against Ivan and the L.S.A. I'm terrified of losing him and know that I will if he ever learns everything about my past. 10. What is your most treasured possession? Adam: It's a photograph of me and my father. It was taken outside of Larimore Systems' headquarters when I was about eleven years old. There was a problem with a new program that the company was developing and I had been able to resolve it. He was so proud of me that day. It's one of the few occasions that I can recall us actually getting along. Perfect World (Perfect World series, Book 1) It is the year 2115 and the world is very different. With climate changes, natural disasters and war shaping the landscape, England has become a nation made up of several super cities and wasteland in between. Eric Rawlins is a genetically engineered superhero created by the London Security Agency (L.S.A) to defend and protect the city against both national and international threats. With his superior abilities, celebrity status and beautiful girlfriend, Eric appears to have the perfect life. However, it is an illusion created by the L.S.A in order to control him. Eric’s nemesis is the charismatic Adam Larimore. The only son of billionaire business tycoon Victor Larimore, Adam is gifted with a genius level IQ as well as the same longevity as Eric. When the actions of the L.S.A throw the two of them together Eric finds himself questioning everything that he has ever known as well as discovering the true course of events that led to Adam turning to a life of crime. As they become closer Eric realises that the L.S.A may be the real threat to London. But can he trust Adam or is he part of Adam’s plan for revenge against those who have wronged him? Perfect World: Amazon | Website Read on for an excerpt from Perfect World: |
AuthorI am Kyra Halland, author of tales of fantasy, heroism, and romance. Sign up for my email list
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