Tiger Lily Interview/Blog Tour

Today we sit down for an interview with the author of Tiger Lily, Jodi Lynn Anderson!!

To learn more about the book click the cover pic above!

So listen up all my Peter Pan fans, because this one is for you...

With a warm welcome and delighted squeals, we welcome Jodi Lynn Anderson into the wastelands. Let me be the first to say thanks to Jodi for taking the time to answer our questions and hang out with us today. Now let's get started!

Darkfallen:  With all the retellings out there what made you decide to go with Peter Pan?

Jodi: It was the character of Tiger Lily– I just felt like she had a story and it needed to be told. And then it was the idea of Tiger Lily and Peter together. In J.M. Barrie’s original story, the two are so courageous that they seem made for each other, and yet Peter devotes himself to Wendy. I felt like there was a story there, and that it came from Peter andTiger Lily being such strong, determined people and hurting each other. I got the sense of a difficult and passionate love story. And it felt so immediately real to me that it gave me goose bumps.

Darkfallen:  I love that you picked Tiger Lily's story to tell, what made you do that?

Jodi: Once I started thinking about her as acharacter, I just felt like,I get this person. I understand why she does the things she does.I think we expect girls to act a certain way, and when they don’t we find them kind of suspicious. And I felt like this was where Tiger Lily was coming from – she has just never been good at being “girly” – but she’s brave and she’s determined and she’s got a big heart. And then she meets Peter, who’s got his own set of hopes and fears, and the things that other people don’t like about her are actually wonderful to him, and the two fall in love. It’s life-changing for both of them. 

Darkfallen:  It was a little different to read the story from Tinker Bell's POV; what gave you that idea?

Jodi: I came to using Tink as the narrator really late in the writing process, and it was because I felt she was the only one who could give us real insight into Tiger Lily.Tiger Lily is too stoic and mysterious to reveal much about herself, but Tinkerbell, who can read people’s thoughts, is able to tap into the tumultuous things going on inside her and inside Peter. I also fell in love with the idea that Tink would feel loyalty toward Tiger Lily, while also being helplessly in love with Peter.

Darkfallen:  Do you think that you will take on a more retellings in the future?

Jodi: I’m definitely not planning on it! But it’s possible inspiration may strike at some point :-)

Darkfallen:  Now that Tiger Lily is out in the world what is your next project?

Jodi: I’m writing an atmospheric mystery set on a cold peninsula in Wisconsin, about two girls who live next door to each other but have vastly different lives. And then I’m working on a new middle grade book about a journey across the earth, called The Ordinary World.

Well there ya have Pan fans!
And a big, HUGE thanks to Jodi for taking the time to stop by today!!!

Lymi...

Interview with Cate Tiernan/Giveaway!

Today we sit down with Cate Tiernan for interview to discuss her newest book, Darkness Falls.

AND, because Cate is so awesome one lucky winner will get their own copy of Darkness Falls!

But first let me introduce you to the book...

Darkness Falls

By Cate Tiernan

Published January 2nd 2012 by Poppy

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

You can check out my review HERE!

Now let's give a warm welcome to Cate Tiernan!!

Darkfallen: I have to say that I loved the premise for this series. How did you come up with the idea of "rehab" for immortals?

Cate: I was thinking about how immortals would live, and what it would be like psychologically and emotionally to live such long lives. And I thought that it was likely that some of them would not age gracefully. I love the idea of an older immortal reaching out to others to help them with the challenges of a super-long life.

Darkfallen: When I first starting reading Immortal Beloved I had a hard time following Nas's train of thought. She seemed to be a little all over the place, but by book two she seemed to pull it together more. Was this your intent? Kind of a way to show how she was getting better?

Cate:Yes, exactly. At the beginning of book one, she can't sit still, can't focus, has a constant level of anxiety and a fierce need to protect herself at all times. As she becomes more healthy and more stable, this all gets better. By the end of book three, she's still herself, but a much calmer, more focused self who can follow through on things.

Darkfallen: I loved, LOVED Reyn's character. I wish I could have had more of him and Nas's relationship throughout the first two books and I am super excited to see where they go in the final book. Can you tell us...will we get more swoonworthiness in the upcoming book?

Cate: Oh yes. There will be swooning. Nastasya and Reyn take their relationship further in the second book, and in the third book, everything comes together. So to speak. Of course, it's not always smooth sailing . . . speaks fly, both good and bad.

Darkfallen: I have to say that I am intrigued by the "mental institution" for immortals up in Canada. Have you thought about maybe writing a novella, or even and entirely new series, based there? I wouldn't mind seeing how a few of those people turned out in the end. *winks*

Cate: That's a fun idea. For me, Immortal Beloved was about taking someone who seemed to have no redeemable qualities, and then show how even she can be redeemed. It would be interesting to explore that some more.

Darkfallen: River seems to be such a rounded, yet mysterious character. I love the way she meshes with Nas and the rest of the gang. Did you ever find it difficult to keep her so grounded? I think at times I would have just yelled at Nas if I was her. Lol.

Cate: I know--sometimes Nas seems to need a swift kick in the butt. But River is so much older and has so much more life experience. She's had a much longer time to work on her own abilities and her own feelings. I just created the ideal mother-figure--someone who sets boundaries and demands you live up to them, but offers constant unconditional love and support. I wish I had a River! I wish I was River!

Thank you for the interview--I appreciate it!

~Cate~

And now one lucky winner will get a finished copy of Darkness Falls!!
All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is being shipped from the publisher and is open to US residents only.
 

Interview with Lauren Hammond/Giveaway!

Today we sit down with Lauren Hammond, author of...

A Whisper To A Scream (The Sociopath Dairies)
By Lauren Hammond
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sometimes love....can be deadly.

Ellory Graham detested high school. She relished the fact that she was a rebel. A wild, carefree, type of girl. She basked in the glory of being the type of girl who stood up to authority. Unfortunately for her, her upfront, honest and bitchy nature always managed to land her in some kind of trouble.

Adam Jacobs was everything Ellory was not. Not only was he beautiful, but he was smart, artistic, and sweet. To almost every girl he seemed like the total package- that all around perfect guy. But in a town were nothing particularly interesting happens, and gossip seems like the only fun thing to do, sometimes those perfections become flaws. And it doesn’t take long for Ellory to find out, even Adam has secrets.

But Adam’s secrets, are the kind of secrets people die for....

You can check out our review HERE!

Sounds awesome right?! Well stick around and you just might get to win a copy;)

Were you inspired by Dexter when writing this?

 Actually no... When I first started writing A Whisper To A Scream, I’d only heard the name of the show mentioned in conversations. I’d never watched it and I didn’t really know what it was about. But now, I do... And I LOVE it!

What about American Psycho?

Another no... I’ve actually only seen the movie. I haven’t read the book yet. But believe me… I plan on it.

Do you feel you could really get into the frame of mind of a serial killer or is it all just fantasy?

I honestly feel like if I’m attached to the character I can totally get into that mind frame to bring them vividly to life in the book, but that’s pretty much where it ends for me… So I guess half is fantasy, half is me being in that mind frame. Books helped me a lot. I got this non-fiction book that has every notable serial killer in it starting with Jack the Ripper. I wanted to study their traits; I wanted to figure out what made them tick... Most importantly, I think I’ve always been fascinated with why people do what they do or why they are who they are.

Do you feel a killer could actually love?

At times I do, but then I always question myself. Maybe I hope they could.  Take Adam for example, he’s an excellent actor. He could tell you the earth was gonna blow up tomorrow and somehow he’d make you question yourself. Whenever I start writing a book that has a message like this one I ask myself what if? What if one person can have an effect on another like that? What if someone who has no empathy or remorse for their actions could love? I like to think it’s possible. But then again you never know.

At moments I thought that Adam was going to snap and want to kill Ellory.  Why didn't you do this?  It would have been for a great shocking moment.

All Adam wants is normalcy. Ellory makes him feel normal for the first time in his life. He actually thinks he might have a future that doesn’t involve rotting in a jail cell. He was definitely too attached to her to kill her. To be so conflicted and tortured by being abnormal and not really being able to show his true colors is something Adam struggles with. For him to eliminate his only sliver of normalcy, I just couldn’t envision it for Adam and Ellory in book one. But... who knows what books two and three will have in store for them?

Did you find yourself holding back the darkness because you thought the YA crowd would not accept this story?  Could you have made it darker?

A tiny bit. In the original version Ellory was actually ten times more brash. So brash that she was unlikeable, so I toned her down some. Also, in the original version, Adam had no POV. The story was completely told from Ellory’s POV. And I kept going back through it and every time I read it I felt like something was missing. I had to add his POV. I had to. What I wanted most was for people to understand that he’s not all bad. I mean, he is definitely more bad than good, but there is a shred of goodness in him that I wanted the readers to be able to see.

As far as this being darker. I think there all different types of readers. I think there are YA readers who enjoy really dark reads. I know I do. I can’t be the only one, right?

I could have made it darker... I actually have a short prequel that I’m going to put out as a free read right before Yelling Out Loud comes out. Adam’s last moment with Regina Taylor...Told from her POV.  Even though it’s short, I’d say it is much darker than A Whisper To A Scream.

Personally, I’m the type that likes to write really dark boundary-pushing books. Or books told from a characters POV that a person normally would not expect. In my novella He Loves Me...He Loves You Not, it is written entirely from the other woman’s POV. I think I do this because it is a challenge. I don’t like the norm, if that makes any sense, LOL.

There are times when I was confused in the story with Ellory's behavior.  She loves her mom then she doesn't dig her.  She just seemed to flip back and forth.  Is this what you were going for because maybe her hormones were going crazy, or is it possible that Ellory has an underlying mental disorder?

Oh Ellory definitely has major issues. Is it a mental disorder, who knows? Maybe. I think you’ll get to see a lot more that has to do with this in book two.

Where there any songs that inspired you, or that you listened to while writing this? I kept thinking N.I.N. The Perfect Drug when I thought of Adam & Ellory. Especially Adam with the “Without you…without you everything falls apart. Without you, it’s not as much fun to pick up the pieces.”

I am a music junkie. Music always inspires me. Most of the time when I’m writing, I like it quiet, but sometimes I put a playlist together of songs that remind me of my characters. Here are a few...

1.    Paramore – Monster – I’ll stop the whole world. I’ll stop the world from turning into a monster and eating us alive.

2.    Kings of Leon – Closer – Driven by the strangle of vein, showing no mercy I’d do it again. Open up your eyes, you keep on crying baby, I’ll bleed you dry.

3.    Rihanna & Eminem – Love The Way You Lie Pt2 – On the first page of our story the future seemed so bright. But this thing turned out so evil, I don’t know why I’m still surprised. Even angels have their wicked schemes, and you take that to new extremes. But you’ll always be my hero…Even though you lost your mind.

I loved how Adam & Ellory complimented each other with their own special brand of crazy. Adam unable to feel anything and desperately wanting to feel something. Ellory who feels too much and is desperately trying to not feel anything. Was this your original intent? Or did it just sort of happen after you started writing?

I did intend that... because I wanted them to be similar yet different at the same time.  Also underneath all of it, Ellory had witnessed her parents destroyed marriage and she has some bitterness towards love. Adam just wants to be able to feel emotion. So I think the way they interacted turned out great.

What do we have to look forward to in the next book?  Any teasers you can let us taste?

A whole lot of crazy and a whole lot of devious behavior... I do have a teaser. Here is your first glimpse at Yelling Out Loud, book two in The Sociopath Diaries.

“I’ve been locked up for the last sixty days. Imprisoned. Iron-clad in chains. Shackled to a wall to restrain myself from one thing; my own emotions.

The employees call this place an institution, I call it a nut-house. Straight jackets are an added accessory to your wardrobe and padded walls are the decorations in every room. I haven’t slept through the night since I arrived here two months ago.

I don’t think I’m crazy.

I think he made me go crazy. Adam made me go crazy.

I dream of him night after night. He’s a demon of destruction and despair, haunting me. Leaving me shriek wildly like a howling banshee, reminding me of what a sick and tortured fool I am for love. For his love.

Sometimes I swear hear him—his voice calls out to me and fills the bland white halls of the nut-house. Then reality hits. He’s not here. He has never been here and probably won’t ever come to see me. After that, the emptiness floods through me. Emptiness floods through me and drowns me when I face reality.

There’s an epic battle between love and emptiness ripping through my body. Opposing sides steel swords’ clash, cutting into me and the emptiness is smothering the love inside of me.  Soon I’ll be a robot, just like him. No love in me at all. He broke me. The one boy who I let in broke me. The one boy who I let see the real me bartered with my soul and ripped it to shreds.”

SQUEEEE!!!! I want more…I NEED more….NOW!!!! I don’t know if I am going to be able to hold on for the next book without going insane. She better make room for two in that padded hotel room with commentary straight jacket bathrobes.

Now that we teased you, and have gotten you all excited, it's only fair that we give you a chance to get your own copy of A Whisper To A Scream.That's right one lucky winner will get an eBook copy, and I'm telling you this book will change you. It's a must read! This contest is open Internationally so just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and...Good Luck!

Interview with Lisa Darling

Today we sit down with romance/erotic author Lisa Darling, and ask her a few questions.

Ya know...a little of this, a little of that...

Darkfallen: Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have
always wanted to do? Sorta like a calling?

Lisa: It's something I've always done, ever since early on in elementary school, I showed
an aptitude for writing and knew it was what I was going to do.

Darkfallen: What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story? The conflict, the suspense, the sexy num time? lolz

Lisa: Conflict creates Drama, for me those two are always first. The Romance isn't 'second', I wouldn't like to say that, but the romance doesn't bubble and come to fruition if it's never tested. It just sort of lays flat on the page.

Darkfallen: Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been
your favorite character to write? The most challenging?

Lisa: I'm one of those lucky writers who lives her life with a Muse (day in and day out).We have a mutually beneficial partnership. He throws out orders, I tear them apart, we bounce ideas off each other, constantly try to one-up each other, and in the middle of all of that chaos the 'magick' happens.
Ares is the character I have lived and worked with the longest—16 years now—so he's my favorite and the most challenging because of his nature. I tend to be the peace lover and he's the butt-kicker. Together we balance each other out although it's quite maddening at times.

Greta: You give me a piece of HAWT god man meat...and I'll take "maddening at times." RAWR!

Darkfallen: Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did
you do to change that?

Lisa: When we first meet Ares he's a pretty unlikeable guy, he's very grumpy, he's arrogant, he's a bit spoiled. Then again, he's a god so…what do you expect? LOL He grows and evolves throughout the story, he learns about himself as he learns about his love-interest, Alena and realizes that being a god is awesome but it's good to have a heart too.

Greta: HA! You say unlikeable...I say bad boy that needs to be punished. *winks*

Darkfallen: If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the
first thing you do?

Lisa: Again, I'm one of those lucky people, I wouldn't change a thing or do anything
differently.

Greta: *sings some guys have all the luck*

Darkfallen: Sorry about her Lisa. Just ignore her;) Anyways, can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release?

Lisa: This series will continue with the second novel "Child of War" on December 31,2011. Ares and Alena will bring their son, Raven, into the world and he's going to upset the status quo on Olympus.

Greta: QUE LIGHTNING BOLTS!

Darkfallen: Lightning bolts? Really? No One said anything about Zeus here! Now where were we? Oh, right! Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?

Lisa: I've always wanted to write a vampire story but I think I'll stick with the Olympians
for now.

Greta: Bring on more man meat...I mean Olympian God meat!

Darkfallen: Urgs...again sorry. Here maybe if we let Greta ask a few questions she'll settle down a bit. Lolz

Greta: Yes, YES pick me pick me! Ummm what to ask? Let's see...If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?

Lisa: Stephen King, John Lennon, Kevin T. Smith, Janis Joplin, and Jacqueline Susann. I
want to talk writing with Stephen and Jacqueline, philosophy with John and Janis,
and Kevin…well, he gets to stay until long after the party's over. ;-)

Darkfallen: OOOooo Janis Joplin would be amazing!

Greta: Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves
a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?

Lisa: Music is a huge influence on my life, I'm always listening to my iTunes…or Pandora, I really like Pandora. I also have the strange habit of listening to my local radio station while I write. I think the songs help on many levels, and yes, often they provide much needed inspiration. I just chalk those times up to the Muse making his opinion known.

Greta: What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them
difficult to write? Darkfallen usually just turns all beat read when she tries to. LOLz

Darkfallen: I DO NOT!!!! *starts blushing*

Lisa: They're the best! I often find myself chomping at the bit to get one when I know it's coming up. Love scenes are the scenes where the Muse and I are freest to do anything and everything we want. We often get quite lost in them.

Greta: Wait does that mean what I think it means? Nothing like a little bedroom research!

Darkfallen: Annnnddd we are back to ignoring her! lolz What are some of your favorite things or hobbies to do?

Lisa: I like to cook, nothing fancy, just good old American Yankee cooking. I try togarden, I love to grow things, we have a lot of deer and other critters which makesit difficult. I also take photographs of the sea and old abandoned buildings.

Darkfallen:Who are some of your favorite authors, and if we were to visit your home, what
books would we find on your bookshelf, end table, floor or e-reader?

Lisa: I have a 5 shelf glass and wood book case that holds nothing but Stephen King, just about every single hard cover he's ever written and some rare paperbacks. A few of them are even signed.

Darkfallen: If you could be any character of any book or movie, who would you be?

Lisa: This is going to sound so horribly cliché and romantic but….'Vivian' in "Pretty Woman".

Darkfallen & Greta: Thanks so much for stopiing by and hanging out with us! And for putting up with Greta *winks*

Wanna catch up with Lisa on the web? We know you do!

FaceBook http://facebook.com/lisabeth1
Blog: http://lbdarling.wordpress.com
Website: http://www.moonsmusings.com/lbdarling

Pick up your copy today on Amazon!

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Inside the heart of every warrior breathes the soul of a hero--even within The Heart of War.
Meet Ares God of War is the greatest Warrior the world has ever known, he's also moody, grumpy, dominant, ravenously sexual,and above all, built like a Greek God.
Suspected of killing his Daughter in-Law, Psyche, and long in exile from Olympus, the solitude of Ares' island is interrupted when Magdalena MacLeod a brash and sometimes manipulative Fey washes up on Ares' island after believing she's been shipwrecked. There is no wreck and her memory of events is sketchy at best. Branded with a golden chastity belt bearing the mark of Cernunnos, Celtic God of the Forest and Death, Alena has been on the run from the Great Horned God for 200 years. As Ares and Alena grow closer discord erupts on the island as his head woman, Kat, plots to get rid of Alena and the Olympians plot to use her in their endeavor to discover who killed Artemis. Ares will have to choose between his Divinely Dysfunctional Family, his pride, and Alena before dueling to the death with the God of the Forest.
Come along for an epic adventure of erotica, steamy romance, and drama in this Modern Day Greek Tragedy. Battle Ancient Gods and Fall in Love along side Ares God of War and Alena MacLeod. Theirs is a love that will rock the world from the heights of Olympus to the Celtic moors.(

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Do you know 'Damien'? Raven makes that kid look like an angel.
The "Of War"-series picks up in part I of this II-part sequel when Ares and Alena try to settle down on Olympus and await the birth of their son, Raven.
Haunted by prophetic visions along with a body and mind that are starting to betray her, Alena struggles to enjoy what should be a happy and blessed occasion. The relentless hostility from the other Olympians make her yearn to be back on their cozy island home, far away from all the bickering and backstabbing that makes up Life on mighty Mount Olympus.
Knowing of Zeus' unabashed hatred for Alena and the Celts, Ares becomes convinced Zeus is causing these visions and the breakdown of Alena's mind. To appease his Father, the God of Gods, Ares enters into a wicked blood pact ensuring the safety of his wife and unborn son. A pact that could cost the God of War everything he holds dear.
However, once the boy arrives, it quickly becomes clear Raven may be the most powerful and cunning Olympian ever born. Outwardly despised by Zeus for his Fey blood and his filthy Celtic mother the seeds of rage and doubt are planted in the Raven's mind by a very willing Apollo.
As Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite plot against the new family, bit by bit the true pasts of the Olympians and Celts comes to light, the battle begins for Raven’s mind and soul and for the ultimate control of Olympus.

Until next time...