Interview with Marieke

Well, I'm back from my blogging hiatus, all rested and refreshed and the proud owner of a brand new spiffy laptop (woot!). Must say, I've missed you all, and I can't wait to catch up and find out how all your Christmas and New Year celebrations have been.

Today I'm interviewing Marieke, my legendary critique partner, fellow blogger and Crusader, and wonderful friend who I'm just dying to meet in person one day. Oh, and she's also the co-conspirator in the evil "Something is Coming" plot/plan/teasy-thingy (but more on that later).

To launch straight into the juicy stuff...

Question 1: What inspires you to write?

Life. Cheesy, huh? ;) It has always interested me how people perceive the world. For me the world consists of stories. When I'm at work, when I'm sitting in a coffee shop writing... I don't just see people around me, I see stories. Whether it's the two kids on the street attacking each other with imaginary swords, the lonely girl sitting at the table in the corner, or the elderly couple walking the same route every single day. I want to know what lies underneath the surface.

And apparently I've always been very good at 'What if'-ing too. I have a bit of an over-active imagination sometimes! ;)

Rach: Inteereesting!!!

Question 2: What's your all-time favourite book (and why)???

Ugh, I so hate this question. Please don't make me choose?!

I don't really have an all-time favorite, because it changes with the mood I'm in. I do love quirky books, stories that are different then normal. I recently reread Meg Rosoff's Justin Case: YA magical realism about a boy and Fate. I didn't 'get' it the first time around but I'm starting to appreciate it more and more. (And truth is, I love all her books!)

I also *adore* When you reach me. It's quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. The voice is amazing, the story is wonderfully complex, and I love how it uses A Wrinkle In Time as inspiration.

Rach: Ooh, I've never read "When You Reach Me." But it's definitely on my TBR list!

Question 3: Do you listen to music while you write? Is there anything in particular that gets you in the writing mood?

It depends. Normally I love to listen to music, but I've learned that, now I'm getting deeper and deeper into Jaime's world in WICK, I prefer working in silence. She has a very typical world view and music isn't part of that. For me to listen to music is actually distracting.

It's a novelty for me, because normally I can block out any and all background noise! But it seems Jaime has a will of her own ;)

Rach: It's amazing how your characters can influence your own likes/dislikes while you're so deep in their world!

Bonus question: Is there anything you'd like to add?

Yep, I hear there's a massive contest and some awesomely amazing giveaways coming soon. If you want a head start check back on Tuesday, January 4 to find out how you can collect your first points.

Rach: (*Rubs hands together*)

Something is Coming...(Part Two)

Water slushes against the empty docks, inky-black in the dark of night. A lone figure dressed in a trench coat stands near the edge, checking his watch. It's three AM.

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He looks up when a pair of heels click toward him. The moon glows gently on the owner--a tall woman with thick auburn hair, pencil skirt under a thigh-length coat, and red, red lips. She runs her half-hooded eyes over him.

"John Smith?" she asks, her voice sensual and seductive with a slight accent.

His eyes dart over the docks. This isn't Joe Stranders. "Who asks?" He takes a step backward, ready to flee.

"Cho Sanders. You have something for me," she says with a meaningful look.

Damn. He shouldn't have hired that foreign exchange student for the summer. This wasn't the first time that imbecile mixed up the names. At least he got the location right this time.

"You have the money?" he asks. He reaches for the cream envelope tucked safely in a pocket of his trench coat.

She starts to answer, but the deep rumbling of thunder cuts her off. Purple storm clouds race toward them.

The woman throws herself into into the man's arms with a gasp. "Something is coming!"

"Yes." He breathes deeply, the scent of lavender clouding his brain. His eyes remain fixed on the heights above the small village. "Can you feel it?"

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Interview with Tessa Quin (Wait! Is that--? Something is coming...)

Today I'm interviewing Tessa Quin, my fantastic friend, co-conspirytor (I know, but I like this spelling!!!), critique partner, fellow blogger and Crusader, aspiring author, and owner of a cute little hamster who has an unfortunate book-eating fetish.

I've come up with a few (relatively) easy questions for her to answer, so we can all get to know her a little better.

Question 1: What inspires you to write?

I have always had it in me to write, but I wasn‘t serious about publishing until after I became pregnant. So I guess it's safe to say that my boys inspire me to write and the idea that when they become eight or nine, they might read my MG books, and when they become teens, they might read my YA books. They love books and I read to them every night. I've also had ideas for picture books that are directly inspired by a sentence they frequently use. I'm thinking about making it into a series and self-publish here in Iceland (I was told that most picture books were self-published in Iceland these days). They’ll be “boy-books”, because I pretend to know what boys like to read about.

Rach: That's so sweet you want your boys to read your books! And it's intriguing you've got PBs, MG and YA on the go, wishing you the best of luck with them all.

Question 2: What's your all-time favourite book (and why)???

May I mention a group of books? Harry Potter! You can't just say one Harry Potter book, you have to include them all. What‘s not to love about them? The entire world in the books is fascinating and they're packed with fun, imaginative things. Honestly, although the Twilight series became a craze, I doubt it ever reached the magnitude of the Harry Potter craze. It also inspired me to write, which is something I'll never forget (fan fiction, anyone?).

Rach: Gosh, there are so many HP fans out there!!! 

The offending hamster. It is pretty cute though!

Question 3: Do you listen to music while you write? Is there anything in particular that gets you in the writing mood?

Absolutely not. The only noise around me is the clicking of keys as I hammer away, which is music in itself. A friend tried to get me to listen to music about breaking hearts (no, not Achy Breaky Heart, it was something a little more heartfelt) to inspire my writing of a breakup scene, but I ended up chucking the CD out the window (in my mind – I take good care of my stuff).

Rach: Tee hee, glad you clarified, for a second I was picturing you sitting there and listening to Achy Breaky Heart!!! Oh no. Ok, so how do I get that song out of my head already?

I never thought I'd see the day when Billy Ray Cyrus appeared on my blog!!!

Tessa, one last question: Is there anything you want to add?

Yes, something is coming...

Rach: Hmm, whatever can you mean? (*chortles*)

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Tessa. Make sure you all head over to her blog, The Quest for a Literary Agent, and say hi.

And I'm being interviewed by Marieke (my other co-conspirytor) today - my very first interview, woot!!! So pop on over to Marieke's Musings and check it out... :)

Something is Coming...

It is a dark and stormy night. The wind on the moors is wuthering. A dark stirs in the East. Over the horizon, in the distance, something approaches fast.

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Can you see it?

Something is coming...