Author Interview & Teaser Tour: through infinity and thanks for the memories by Libby Austin

 

Welcome to the teaser tour for the contemporary romances through infinity and thanks for the memories by Libby Austin!

Today, I am hosting an interview post with Libby Austin on this blog. In it, she shares a little bit about the books and herself. Stick with us, there's a link to Libby's website to download thanks for the memories for free at the end of this post!

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

Hmm Not much to tell. I’m a wife and mother who’s obsessed with books. My favorite color is green, I love crime shows but have a weak stomach, I have a very dry sense of humor, and I’m a Dr. Pepper addict.

2. Your book through infinity, what is it about?

through infinity is about a family coming together when one of them is in need. The overall theme would be ‘does love reside in our heads or our hearts’.

3. Where did the idea for your book come from?

The idea for the book came from my son. My husband had been working out of town for several weeks. He came home for a surprise visit. Our son ran up to him and said, “Hi, Dad! Do you remember me?” Of course my husband said yes, but I wondered what would happen if you didn’t remember, and from there, through infinity was written.

4. The children in the book, their characters where amazing, and Dawson I think will have a special place in readers hearts. Can you tell us about Dawson and is he based at all on someone?

Dawson is probably the only character who’s really based on a real person. He’s based on my son and the son of my editor. Both of our boys share similar traits. I took some of the characteristics from each of them and created Dawson.

5. Do your characters talk to you?

No, they really don’t. It’s more like I see what happens between them.

6. How difficult was it to write about Candice's recovery?

Candice was a difficult character to write because she’s very self-contained, and like most people, she had some thoughts she didn’t want to acknowledge. She’s not very vocal in her feelings and she felt a lot of shame for not “automatically” loving her family. I think that’s a struggle some new mothers, and fathers, deal with. Loving someone, even your child, isn’t always automatic. A lot of parents feel judged for that and guilty for that, so it was something I wanted to highlight.

It was difficult, in a sense, to keep it true to a story of a family coming together without sensationalizing it and turning it into a soap opera. When I wrote through infinity, it felt like most of the “drama” I could add was contrived and really didn’t fit with the story, so I kept it true to the storyline I envisioned.

7. What authors have inspired you?

Too many to name. Even authors of books that I didn’t connect with inspired me because they took the step to put their work out there for judgment. But to name a few:

Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Johanna Lindsey, Annette Broaderick, Jaci Burton, Tracy Anne Warren, Norah Hess, Kelly Elliott, Aleatha Romig, Anne Elliot, Colleen Hoover, Rebecca Shea, Jessica Sorensen, Gena Showalter, Megan Hart, Lauren Dane, R. D. Cole and Nyrae Dawn

But most of all, Lois Faye Dyer.

8. Talk about your cover, where did the idea come from and who designed it?

Aww the cover. I could probably write a book on that alone. Lol When I came up with the concept of the cover, I knew it wanted the infinity symbol on it with a color scheme of gold and/or silver. I didn’t want the infinity symbol to be broken, but it needed something to highlight the tension of the story. One night, as I lay in bed (which is when all great ideas seem to appear), the idea of missing puzzle pieces came to me. I passed that on to the cover designer I was working with at the time. When I received the cover mock-up from the designer it was nothing like I envisioned. It had a very somber tone to it, and while through infinity deals with a somewhat somber subject, the overall tone of the book is hopeful, or at least I hope it is.

After seeing that mock-up, I knew I wanted what I was envisioning to capture the story. I approached a different designer with my concept. I had figured out that I wanted something to represent her family as the missing pieces of the puzzle, but I didn’t want faces and I didn’t want silhouettes because they just didn’t convey the correct emotion. That night I was going somewhere and I put on my charm bracelet, and the light bulb turned on, which is where the pictures under the missing puzzle pieces came from.

The next issue was the positioning of the infinity symbol itself. Normally the infinity symbol is orientated horizontally, but that left too much blank space on the cover, so we turned it. Turning it, to me, kind of represented how Candice’s world had shifted.

Then as you see in the book with the chapter headers, the puzzle becomes filled in as Candice gets to know her family, which is why the back cover is a completed puzzle. The puzzle pieces, along with the colored background, also represent another sub‑storyline in through infinity.

Overall, the cover has been well received. I find that those who didn’t like it before they read the book, love it once they’ve finished. Choosing not to put a ‘standard’ cover on it was a risk, but I wanted the cover to really represent the story, and story isn’t about sex, although there’s chemistry.

Nathan with Nate’s Art did the final cover. He did a great job of turning my vision into reality.

9. Do you have a special time of the day you like to write?

I would probably write more at night if I could, but my early morning alarm clocks don’t cooperate with that schedule.

10. What has been the hardest thing about writing?

Writing wasn’t hard. Writing something that was coherent that people would want to read was hard. It’s everything that comes after writing that’s hard.

11. Will there be a follow up book to through infinity?

There will be one more book and a novella for the Woodruffs. Jason’s POV will be told in & beyond… There will be scenes that the reader didn’t get in through infinity. Jason had his own struggles that weren’t shown in through infinity. That was a conscious decision on my part, because I felt that the reader wouldn’t empathize as much with Candice and how lost she felt if they had all of the same knowledge Jason had.

SPOILER ALERT: Candice and Jason are together and they will stay that way, so I can’t imagine another story for them.

12. Do you have any writing rituals?

Nope. Not one. Maybe I need some.

13. What other projects do you have for the New Year?

Reft- a completely new book

& beyond… - Jason’s POV

DamN – a standalone novel

Love Defying

14. Coffee, Tea, or Soda?

Dr. Pepper and occasionally a Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce or Gingerbread Latter.

15. Jason Woodruff, Candice's husband in through infinity, I fell in love with him and the reviews from other readers all say how much they loved him. Did you realize that he was going to mean so much to your readers?

I would say I was hopeful. He’s very open about what he feels, and he’s loyal. Those are characteristics my husband has and I fell in love with him, so I guess I can understand falling in love with Jason. He’s what I would want if what happened to Candice happened to me.

16. You’re a new author, can you give any advice to others who are just starting out?

Hire an editor. Invest in your project, but be realistic about its potential. Be personable and understanding. Everybody has lives, and most blogs and readers are inundated with request to read books. It’s a slow process. Keep writing. Write, write, write, and write some more.

About through infinity:

Candice and Jason Woodruff had everything going for them: a strong marriage, the family they’d dreamed of, and successful businesses. When they made their wedding vows, they promised to love each other through infinity and beyond…but Candice doesn’t remember making that vow. Candice doesn’t remember the last eighteen years.
After a medical emergency, Candice awakens to find herself a married mother of four. She’s surrounded by a loving family of strangers, but Candice struggles to claim an identity while learning to be a wife and mother.
Candice is no longer the same woman Jason fell in love with all those years ago. Can they learn to love each other in this new reality?
Through Infinity is one woman’s journey as she rediscovers the love of her husband and children. But will that new found love be strong enough to carry them through infinity and beyond… 

Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | B&N | Kobo | Inktera  | Google Play | Google Books  

through infinity is only .99 cents for a limited time! 

About thanks for the memories:

Jason knew Candice's biggest Christmas wish was to remember the past eighteen years. As Thanksgiving approached, Candice retreated further within herself. Jason enlisted the help of their family and friends to grant Candice's wish. Each shared their cherished memories and placed them in a tin. Surprised to find the collection of tins, she couldn’t help but wonder what was inside.

With each memory, Candice felt a little more connected to the life and people she’d forgotten in the wake of her accident. Each one brought a sense of fulfillment and longing. When Christmas day arrived, would Candice be able to say thanks for the memories?

Goodreads

Grab thanks for the memories for FREE at Libby's website! 

About the Author: One day some words came to mind, so I wrote them down. Soon the words became sentences, which formed paragraphs, which, in turn, formed chapters. Before long, those words had become a book.

When I'm not reading or writing, I'm a wife, mother, and business owner. I've lived on the Gulf, East, and West Coasts, but as a born and raised Southern girl, my favorite will always be the Gulf Coast. There's just no place like home...

Webpage | Facebook Author Page | Facebook Friend Page | Twitter | Goodreads

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Burdin of Choice by Alexander Nader: Teaser Tour (Interview + Giveaway)

Welcome to the teaser tour for Burdin of Choice, book two in the Beasts of Burdin series by Alexander Nader. Burdin of Choice is now out and the first book, Beasts of Burdin, is only .99 cents for a limited time! This is an adult urban fantasy series.

To celebrate, I am hosting an interview post with Alexander Nader on this blog. In it, he shares a little bit about the books and himself. Stick with us, there's a giveaway at the end!

Interview with author Alexander Nader:

Can you tell us about your book in 10 words?

Smart mouthed, alcoholic private eye decapitates dastardly demons with style.

Tell us 10 interesting facts about yourself.

I’m not very interesting. Does that count as number one? No? Eh, I’m counting it anyway. #2 I have a hard time answering questions seriously. #3 I find idiocy to be among the highest forms of comedic gold. #4 I’ve dubbed myself ‘The class clown of word smithery.’ #5 Someone else named my blog ‘Eloquent Until the All Caps Cussing’ after I sent them a particularly profane (yet enlightening) email. #6 My hair is the source of my hidden super powers. What’s that? What super powers? Shoot, I wasn’t supposed to tell, now they’re not hidden. *Waves hand, erasing memory of last three seconds* #7 I consider my wife and kids the greatest accomplishment in my life. No. Really, that one’s serious. They rule. #8 I can only come up with 8 quasi-interesting facts about myself.

What was your biggest obstacle you had to overcome when writing?

My stomach. You see, I write on my laptop which I keep on my lap;portable computers are aptly named like that. So anyway, depending on how many cakes I’ve had that day, my belly sticks up. The thing blocks my view of the bottom part of my screen and I can only suck it in for so long before I blackout. After I blackout, I usually wake up in another state wearing someone else’s fez and that really interferes with my writing. I should probably go on a diet. Maybe low cal. Or low carb. Or…ooohhhhcake.

Where do you get your ideas?

I keep a house elf named Darby. Every time I need a new story I just ask Mr. Darby what he thinks I should write about. You should hear some of the stuff he comes up with. It’s literary gold. Hopefully no one ever finds out that I have him or they might….*Stares suspicious* *Waves hand, erasing 5.3 seconds of memory*

Where do you like to write?

Atop a pile of $100 bills on a beach that never sees anything but slightly overcast days with a temperature of a consistent 73 degrees Fahrenheit while Alton Brown cooks me scientifically correct hush puppies and a Vintage Trouble plays ‘Jezebella’ on repeat. But I usually just settle with my couch.

What kind of research did you have to do for your books?

So much demon research. All of the demons from the Burdin series are real. It took a lot of time to pick out which ones were good to use. You wouldn’t believe how many demons gave me bad directions and misinformation while I was scouring the underworld for perfect candidates. It took a long time, but finally I traded a crossroads demon my soul if he would just write the book for me. I like to think things worked best that way.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you force yourself to write daily?

My writing schedule stays busy. I’m constantly working on writing when I’m not working. As motivation to keep my writing up, I’ve allowed Mr. Darby to kick me in the shin if I go more than 24 hours without writing. It’s the only form of payment I offer the little guy, but he seems to get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
Welp, I’d like to say a whole lot. I’d like to say I’ve got a story in an anthology called ‘Memoirs of Dr. Renfield’ coming out December 1st. I’d like to say Burdin 3 comes out in June 2015 and I’d like to tell you about the secret super hero novel I’ve been working on, BUT I made a deal with a crossroads demon and I think my soul is due any minute now. OH MY GOD HERE HE COMES SOMEONE SAVE….

About Burdin of Choice (Beasts of Burdin #2):
Ty Burdin is back. Back to drinking and back to avoiding demons. He is, of course, the leading expert in his field. In both subjects.

That’s probably why, when a customer offers him way too much money just to locate a missing car and some mysterious cargo, he readily agrees. The dude is human after all—Ty’s prime target client base.

Along with the money comes a slew of disappearances which Ty tries to ignore while tracking down that car, because, of course, those missing people might be demon related, and as he’s said before, that’s agency business. Not his. Period.

Until today.

Ty Burdin is to back drinking as well as everything he vowed never to get involved with again.

Question is, which one will kill him first? The booze, the demons, or the Agency?

Burdin of Choice at J. Taylor Publishing | Goodreads | Amazon

Don't miss out on book one, Beasts of Burdin. Now only .99 cents at Amazon for a limited time!

About Beasts of Burdin:

Demon hunter Ty Burdin hung up his guns, knife, trench coat and fedora a year ago. Bags packed, hands washed of all demon politics, he’s done. Forever.

In fact, to get far far away, he dragged Nora, his rockabilly secretary, from Miami to the Tennessee mountains where he’s lived a life of peace—if peace can be defined as drowning in scotch and taking private eye jobs to keep the lights on. Jobs for real people. Not demons.

No demons.

He’s retired from that. Remember?

Demon hunters aren’t a dime a dozen, though, and when Ty’s brother asks him for a favor—just one—what’s a brother to do? Agreeing to take down one hillbilly demon shouldn’t take that long. In. Decapitate. Out. Favor complete. Back to the office where Nora and his bottle of whiskey are waiting.

Unfortunately for Ty, staying retired doesn’t seem to be in the cards, and an avalanche of bad luck draws him right back to an agency he despises and the career that nearly cost him his sanity.

This time, Ty has no way out and will have to face his own demons just to survive.

 

Also find it at J. Taylor Publishing | Goodreads

About the Author:

Alex lives in the tourist infested hills of east Tennessee with his amazing wife/muse and three superb children. He would tell you more about how awesome they are, but you probably wouldn’t believe him. When he’s not hanging out with them he’s making pizzas. When he’s not doing that he’s working at a bookstore and occasionally he jots a few words down. He’s a big fan of good music, good storytelling, and mixed martial arts.

He once wrote a short story about pirates to his wife via text message that blossomed into a full length novel and never stopped after that.

Facebook |  Twitter | Goodreads | Website

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MY NAME IS THANK-YOU by Kaizen Love: Author Interview and Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the book tour for My Name is Thank-You by Kaizen Love, a young adult book available now. Today I have an interview with the author to share with you. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the banner to visit other stops on this tour.

BLURB

My Name Is Thank-You allows us into the worlds of two very different thirteen-year-old girls. Each girl’s voice carries its own unique tone, as the girls beckon us to follow magically into their lives. One is a joyous story of hope against all odds, the search for acceptance, and the longing for unconditional love; the other a sad tale of unspeakable abuse, constant rejection, and an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Thank-You and Josephine create around us a world rich with emotion, one that will leave you inspired, breathless, and yearning for more words.

EXCERPT

"They say that a child’s imagination is one of the most powerful forces on this planet. As children we are able to tap into the mystery that exists outside of the walls of our minds. We are free from the cage of reasoning and ignorance. We are able to look beyond what is directly in front of us and see the path that lies ahead. As we grow, we begin to lose sight of these things. The mystery becomes overshadowed by the wall that grows bigger with each human experience. Eventually, we forget the magic and wonder that we once found in the belief that anything was possible, and the word impossible becomes the box that we use to shove God into. " (My Name Is Thank-You)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. How do you come up with the characters names/personalities?

I love to give my characters interesting names, or names that in some way describe who or what they stand for. For this novel my character's name is "Thank-You", and she lives the definition of gratitude.


2. What scene was the hardest to write? Why?

There is one very intense scene in this novel. I can't describe it in detail because it gives away a big twist in the story. But, I will say that it is a scene that highlights abuse in a very realistic way. I was sad when writing it, then angry, but it needed to be written.


3. What is your favorite scene in My Name is Thank-You?

The ending was my favorite. It made me laugh out loud with tears in my eyes.


4. How much of you is hidden in the characters in your book?

There is a lot of me in both my main characters. I think that there is a lot of all of us. I believe the only thing that separates us from each other are the way we perceive the details in our stories. We all have a beginning, middle, and an end. We fill those chapters in different ways, but all using the same vocabulary.


5. If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play Thank-You and Josephine?

I would have to say Josephine could be played by Quvenzhané Wallis, the young girl from Beasts of the Southern Wild, and 12 Years A Slave. And Thank-You, well, that is a tough one because she is so unique looking. Whoever would play Thank-You ultimately needs to have a big and beautiful smile.


6. What does your writing process look like?

Some days it looks like a lot of coffee, and other days it looks like a lot of wine. Ok, maybe not so much wine, a glass or two will do. It really depends on my mood, and what mood my characters are in.


7. What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

Never be afraid to be yourself. One of the greatest things about writing is being able to release the contents of your mind in a very special way. Don't spend so much time focusing what kinds of books are the most popular, or what you think will make the most money. Write what you feel, and allow the story to lead you.


8. What is your best marketing tip?

Research, research, and more research! There are so many tips and tricks online these days it is almost impossible to say which is the best. I research as much as I can, I make lists of things to try, and I do them.


9. What literary character is most like you?

I would have to say Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.


10. What are you working on now? What is your next project?

I am working on a novel about a young man on a journey of discovery. It will have a bit of humor, and a lot more romance. I am in the beginning phases of writing, so I cant' give too much away. My stories always tend to change as I go, they truly tell themselves.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Kaizen Love is an up and coming writer, spinning words into a beautiful web that should enrich the lives of all who read them. She has a positive and fresh take on life, and has mastered the art of storytelling. She grew up reading books by authors from every style, race, nationality, culture, and religious perspective; drawing inspiration from each one. Her greatest mission is to share love.

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LPLHQ3W

Website: http://kaizenlove.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaizen-Love/1387506034846336?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaiZenLove

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22711164-my-name-is-thank-you

GIVEAWAY 

Kaizen Love will be awarding a $15 BN/Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now Touring: Win the Rings by K.D. Van Brunt | Author Interview + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on Win the Rings book tour! Written by K.D. Van Brunt, Win the Rings is a YA urban fiction book available now from Evernight Teen, a division of Evernight Publishing.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jace has been the property of the U.S. Army since they found out about her when she was five, and now she has become one of its most valuable weapons. But Jace is not the only one of her kind. Gray is one too, but with the help of his sister, he has spent most of his sixteen years hiding from the Army.

Now, the Army has found out about Gray and they cannot allow him to roam free. Operating on the theory that it takes one to catch one, Jace is send out with a special ops squad to hunt Gray down. But Jace is not the only one pursuing Gray, and the competition is after her too. What ensues is a desperate chase through city after city as duty and honor collide with love and sacrifice.

Author Interview

1.  First book you remember making an indelible impression on you. 

The Lord of the Rings books (Hobbit plus trilogy).  When I first read it, I wanted to run away to Middle Earth, and sort of still do.

2.  If you could only eat one food the rest of your life, what would it be?

That’s easy.  Pizza, alternating between Chicago deep dish and New York style with the thin, foldable crust.

3.  If you were a shifter, what animal would you like to be?

An interesting question since my book involves shifters, except they shift to other people, not animals.  But if I were an ‘conventional’ shifter, I think I’d pick a tiger or lion.  It would be cook to be an apex predator.

4.  Favorite season? Why?

I like autumn.  The weather is cooling down and more comfortable (Spring’s out since I have allergies then) and around here it’s beautiful to see the leaves change.  Plus, all the fun holidays are bunched into these months: Halloween, Thanksgivings, Christmas/Hanukkah.  And, then there’s football too.

5.  Best movie ever made? 

I’m going to limit myself to movies that came out when I was old enough to experience their debut first hand, and the best one of those would probably have to be E.T.  When the trailers first came out, my reaction was, ‘oh, good luck with that.’ That was before I went back and saw it like 12 times in the first month. 

Book Trailer

 

About the Author 

K.D. Van Brunt has been writing professionally his entire career and has published an extensive list of nonfiction works. Win the Rings is his first fiction book. When not writing, he reads and listens to audiobooks during his daily drive through the sea of gridlock that is commuting in and out of Washington, DC. A long time resident of Maryland, he can often be found tromping around the many civil war battle sites in the area. To find out more about K.D. Van Brunt, including bonus content relating to Win the Rings, check out his website--www.kdvanbrunt.com--and follow him on twitter--
@KDVanBrunt.

Twitter: @kdvanbrunt

Website: www.kdvanbrunt

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/K.D.-Van-Brunt/e/B00IUFSVCG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21395951-win-the-rings

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KDVANBRUNT

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will give away one $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card to a winner randomly chosen through Rafflecopter.

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.