The Crossroads Tour: Day 16 Amy Brecount White

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today is the last day for The Crossroads Tour and Amy Brecount White is stopping by to celebrate Halloween with some of her own Halloween memories.  Amy is a 2010 Debut author.  Her book, Forget-Her-Nots was released earlier this year.  You can read a couple of chapter here on her site.

What is your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?

In college, my friend Suz and I were really into philosophy and had read this cool book called, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. We smeared mascara on our faces and hands, dressed grunge, and went to the party as motorcycle mechanics. One of my best Halloweens ever.

Do you have any Halloween family stories that you can share with readers?

I’m allergic to nuts and peanuts, and so are two of my three children. Halloween can be scary for us in a strange way. But it was pretty funny when one of my kids looked at the usual candy selection someone offered -- Snickers, Baby Ruth, Reeses -- and says, “Excuse me, do you have anything without nuts?”

LOL. We have to weed through everything when they get home.

White bellflowers and orange crocuses for hosting me, Aly!! - And thanks Amy for stopping by - here's to a peanut and nut free Halloween!!!!!

For more information on Amy Brecount White, check out her website: www.amybrecountwhite.com

To find her on Twitter, folllow: @amybrecountwhit

Since this is the last day of The Crossroads Tour, there is a SWAG Pack giveaway.  The picture below is what will be included in the pack.

The rules to entering:

1.  Please fill out the entry form below.
2. You must be 13 or older.
3. You must have left a comment on at least one blog post from Tour Days 9 to 16 (today would count).  (Additional points for additional comments.)
4. Tweet the contest (optional)
5. Only one entry per participant.
6. Open Internationally.
7. All entries must be in by Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 11:59 PDT 

The Crossroads Tour: Day 15 Angie Frazier

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Angie Frazier.  Her debut YA novel Everlasting was released in June of 2010.  A little piece of trivia....Angie and I attended the same college (though not at the same time) in New Hampshire (Keene State).  I am so excited to be able to support a fellow alumni. 
 

Did you have a book that you read either in Middle School or High School that scared you the most? What was it and what about it scared you?

Oh man, all of Stephen King’s books scared the living bleep out of me. Probably the one that scared me the most was Pet Sematery—the book managed to scare me more than the movie.

Did you have a paranormal experience that prompted you in writing the story that you did? 

As a kid, I lived in a house in Louisiana that was supposedly built over an old burial ground. I was five or six and I had awful nightmares all of the time--even now they give me goosebumps when I think of them. And yes, there were ghosts. My parents even saw them. So, you could say I’ve been curious about the paranormal ever since.

Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it? 

No, honestly I have just always been a little obsessed with death and resurrection and eternal life. This
was my way to explore it a little further in my own way.

Did you have a favorite paranormal/horror story writer as a child/teen that you wanted to emulate? If so, who and why?

I wasn’t trying to emulate anyone really. I respect and admire a lot of writers. When it comes to horror, Stephen King takes the cake in my opinion. But he also captures a human element that makes the story he’s telling that much richer.

What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research? 

Most of my research revolved around historical details of the time period and place. The best research was the superstitions of the sailors at that time. I especially love the eerie folklore of Fiddler’s Green, the afterlife for sailors where there is endless mirth, a fiddle always playing, dancers—and all of it happening nine miles from the gates of Hell.

What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them? 

I think crafting a character with depth is the most difficult task for me. I’m very plot driven as a
writer. For characters worth caring about, I like giving them flaws, wants, dreams, regrets, and secrets they want to keep hidden.  It’s hard, because a character someone loves will be a character someone else couldn’t understand or “get.”

If you could have a supernatural power or gift what would it be?  

I would love to be able to “see” into the past…like if I was in an old house or near an ancient object and touched it, I’d love to be able to see the history of the place or object as if I was right there.

For more information about Angie Frazier, check out her website: http://angiefrazier.com

To follow her on Twitter:  @angie_frazier

The talented Vania of VLC Productions created the book trailer for Everlasting.  So lovely.

The Crossroads Tour: Day 14 Rosemary Clement-Moore

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's feature for the Crossroads Tour is author Rosemary Clement-Moore.  Her novel The Splendor Falls was released in 2009. In addition to The Splendor Falls, Clement-Moore is the author of the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series.  Her newest book Texas Gothic will be out in 2011.  To read a teaser from her upcoming book, click here.

Description from GoodReads:
Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.


Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand.


Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well? 

For more information about Rosemary Clement-Moore and her books, check out her website here.

To find her on twitter: @rclementmoore

When the world gets crazy...reviews must wait.

I had intended to get my review of The Ghost & The Goth up for this evening...but unfortunately real life got in the way.  Real life included working out details on a Halloween Costume...oh, I am still so not ready, and meeting some work deadlines.  But I promise it will be up tomorrow. 

The Crossroads Tour: Day 13 Stacey Kade

 

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Stacey Kade.  Her debut YA novel The Ghost & The Goth was released in June of 2010. 

 What was your favorite paranormal/horror/fantasy story as a child/teen? And why did you like it so much?

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts.  It was, if I remember correctly, about a girl who gained telekinetic powers because her mother took a medicine with side effects when she was pregnant.
What I recall liking about the story was the girl felt kind of like a freak until she realized there were others like her.

Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it?

You know, I don’t know where ideas come from. They just sort of show up! And I like it that way—it’s fun to be surprised. That being said, the stories of ghosts and mediums (and popular girls and outcast boys) have been around forever. I just combined the two.

Especially in Y.A., there seems to be a big emphasis on paranormal romance? Do you consider the romance part when you are writing your story or do you consider writing your story and see where the romance fits in?

That’s a good question. I’m guilty of thinking too much about the main story and not enough about the romance. I figured that out in the first draft of the second book (Queen of the Dead, June 2011) and needed to rewrite it! The funny thing is, as a reader, I’m far more interested in the romance angle of the story.  I just have trouble remembering that when I’m the one behind the wheel, so to speak!

What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them?

I try to be honest in reflecting who the characters are. I don’t set out to make them either likeable or unlikeable. I just try to get them on the page as close as I can to how they appear/sound in my head.

What characteristics were critical to you in creating your characters?

I knew Alona was a snob, but I also knew that she had her own world-view in which her perspective made sense (skewed though it may seem to the rest of us). I wanted to make sure that snobbery came across but also her humanity. With Will, I thought it was very important to get across the struggle he has
within himself over this gift he has, which he does not want, and the obligation he feels to use it to help others and the guilt he feels when he doesn’t.

What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research?

I’ve been reading about ghosts practically my whole life, so I didn’t have to do a great deal of research on that topic. However, I did research specific haunted locations and also how mediums describe seeing spirits. Nothing weird happened, but I also refuse to visit most haunted places! : )

If you could have a supernatural power or gift what would it be?

Oh, see, this is dangerous. Because I believe in a writing principle we call the price of magic. Which means the ability to do something amazing comes with a cost. If I could have a supernatural power or gift, I’d like to be able to heal people (ala Max on Roswell) but the price of that magic seems like it would probably be pretty high. So, I think I’m pretty happy being non-supernatural!

For information about Stacey Kade and her books, check out her website: www.staceykade.com

You can find her on Twitter: @staceykade



My review of The Ghost & The Goth will be up later today and there will even be a chance to win a signed copy of Stacey's debut novel. 

Congratulations the Crossroads Mid-Tour Swag Contest has a Winner!

Congratulations to Heather (Buried in Books) for winning the Mid-Tour Swag Contest Pack #1.  Heather has been an amazing follower of the Crossroads Blog Tour.  Thanks for checking out every post and making comments. 

Note:  Heather has already claimed her prize.

The Familiars Halloween Blog Tour & Interview

As part of The Familiars Halloween Blog Tour, Andrew stops by to answer a few questions.  Let's see if he tells any of Adam's secrets.

What was your scariest/funniest/weirdest Halloween experience?

(Andrew) Every year I trick-or-treated with my older brother, who was a die hard Halloween guy. In my suburban home town of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, we always had trick-or-treating on the Sunday afternoon of Halloween week from 1-4 pm. And my big bro's game plan was always to hit houses after 4 o'clock, say we lost track of time, and hope that we could clean people out of all their left-over candy. Well, one year, on a typically cool late October afternoon, we trick-or-treated well past dark, in a neighborhood far, far away from our house on Cumberland Blvd. We were lost and we really didn't know what time it was. This being a long time before cell phones, we ultimately had to ask to use someone's telephone to call home, and our parents had to come pick us up. Luckily my mom and dad knew my brother well enough not to panic and call the police. The next year I trick-or-treated with some friends around my block. My brother didn't get home until after six o'clock.

Did you have a book that you read either in Middle School or High School that scared you the most? What was it and what about it scared you?

(Andrew) Back in middle school, I remember the Stephen King book It was turned into a miniseries on TV. After watching some of it I read the book and it was terrifying. Mostly because there was a clown in it!

What writing rituals do you have?

We meet every day at 9:30 and write until 5 pm. Andrew is the typist (because he's a much faster typer) and Adam sits across from him in a big comfy chair, usually with a bowl of snacks at his side. Then we talk. And talk. And talk some more.

I am always fascinated by authors who co-write a book. What was that process like for both of you? And did it come naturally or did it evolve over time?

We talked a little about our process in the previous question. Our partnership did evolve over time. We met about ten years ago and began writing screenplays together. Over time, what started out as a somewhat inefficient back and forth, became more and more well-oiled, to the point where we can now finish each other's sentences (in real life and on the page). The two of us sit in the same room, writing every word, sentence, and paragraph together.

What advice would you give children who are interested in becoming writers?

Write! And read as much as you can. The hardest part of writing sometimes is just sitting down and writing. There are so many distractions nowadays, it's most important to be disciplined about doing the work. Also to remember not to be discouraged by rejection. You have to always believe that the impossible is possible.

How did you come up with the idea for the Familiars?

When Adam was growing up, he didn't have a pet of his own, so on walks home from school he would pretend that he had a fire-breathing dragon on his shoulder. He always dreamed of having a familiar. So one day Adam asked Andrew, do you know what a familiar is? And from that question, the two of us were off and running, creating a fantastical world filled with our shared love of magic and animals.


You probably get a lot of questions about what animal familiar you would be so let me put a small twist on it - What special powers or abilities would you like to have?


(Andrew) I would love to have the special power of superstrength. If you saw my arms, you would know why.

In an age where everyone seems to be wanting to write for YA, how did you decide on writing for a Middle Grade audience (those of us working with this age group express our appreciation for your decision)?


The funny thing is, the two of us didn't even know there was such a thing as Middle Grade. We knew we were writing a book targeting the same readers who loved Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia, and it was only later that our publisher educated us about the category of Middle Readers. Having visited a dozen elementary schools around the country, we have so enjoyed meeting the enthusiastic young audience for our story.

Familiars-themed Halloween Scavenger Hunt! 

Directions:
After you fill in your answer, the letter that falls in the place of the * can be placed in the corresponding number of the larger puzzle. So for example, since this is question number 7, the letter that lands in the space where the * is can be filled in where the 7 is in the larger puzzle. The larger puzzle will form yet another clue, and anyone who answers it correctly will be entered into a drawing for an autographed book as well as a few other Halloween treats!

Be sure to visit The Familiars blog at thefamiliars.blogspot.com to find links to all other blog stops and find out where to send in your answers! All entries must be entered by November 15.

7. Telekinesis is the ability to _*_ ___ ___ ___ things with your mind.

Hint: Chapter Five, Page 80

11 5 18 8 15 1 9 7 19 14 23 2 25 16 10 12 20
__ __ __ __ __ __ ' __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __


17 3 22 6 21 4 24 13
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The Crossroads Tour: Day 12 Jackie Morse Kessler

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Jackie Morse Kessler.  Her debut YA novel HUNGER was released this month. To read a great interview between Death and Lisa (the main character in HUNGER), click here.

Did you have a book that you read either in Middle School or High School that scared you the most? What was it and what about it scared you?

Stephen King’s The Stand. Fabulous, brilliant, utterly terrifying End Of The World And What Happens After novel. Spiritual and scientific, and completely human—especially its evil characters. (Sure, Randall Flagg was the boogyman. But Trashy? Lloyd? Very, very bad men.) Years later, the unabridged version scared me even more…and the graphic novel adaptation is utterly astounding.  Best ever adaptation from novel to comic book that I’ve ever read. And even more terrifying.

Did you have a paranormal experience that prompted you in writing the story that you did?

Nope. No Horsemen visits for me. Which is undeniably a good thing!

Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it?

I’ve had the idea for HUNGER for about 10 years; I had convinced myself that no one would want to read it, so I hadn’t written it. I used to be bulimic, and to this day I get so angry by the Thin Culture all around us (This Celebrity Is Anorexic—Here’s How She Does It!!!), and I still have self-image/body issues.  When I finally sat down to write HUNGER, it was very easy to slip into the eating disorder mindset to channel the characters. (I have to wonder if that voice ever really leaves.) Writing the book was extremely cathartic.

Did you have a favorite paranormal/horror storywriter as a child/teen that you wanted to emulate? If so, who and why?

Oh, Stephen King was my favorite horror writer, with Robert McCammon a very close second. (Swan Song? Stinger? Usher’s Passing? BRILLIANT books.) I loved how they both focused on the characters; this made the horror (whether happening to the characters or committed by those characters) all the more powerful.

What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research?

Along with my own experiences with eating disorders, I read some accounts of anorexia and read about current global famines. (Dirt cookies? Very real.) I also read the appropriate passages in the Book of Revelations about the Four Horsemen. The only weird thing that happened was when the character of
Death sprung fully formed; he looks and sounds exactly like Kurt Cobain, down to the singing and guitar playing. I wasn’t even a Nirvana fan when I wrote the book!

What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them? 

The characters have to be real, even the monsters. There has to be something people can connect with, something that makes readers either root for or actively root against them. I do my best to channel those characters, to get into their heads and understand them as I write about them. (What gets a little disturbing is when they argue with me.)

If you could have a supernatural power or gift what would it be?

As much as I’ d love to fly…probably something like cloning myself, so I’ d finally have time to accomplish everything I want to do!

For more information about Jackie Morse Kessler, check out her website: www.jackiemorsekessler.com

You can find her on Twitter at: @jackiemorsekess

The Crossroads Tour: Day 11 Jeri Smith-Ready

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Jeri Smith-Ready. Though not new to readers of adult Urban Fantasy, Smith-Ready's debut YA novel, Shade was released in May 2010 introduced her to a new audience. 

What was your favorite paranormal/horror/fantasy story as a child/teen? And why did you like it so much?

DOGSBODY by Diana Wynne Jones. It was about the Dog Star Sirius who was framed for murder (the stars are like gods, basically, in this story) and sentenced to live out his life as a dog on earth. It combined my love of animals with my love of astronomy. I recently reread it and was surprised at how rough the dog’s life was. Not sure how I coped with such a sad story when I was a kid. I must have been tougher then.

Especially in Y.A., there seems to be a big emphasis on paranormal romance? Do you consider the romance part when you are writing your story or do you consider writing your story and see where the romance fits in?

Everything I write has a romantic relationship—otherwise I would get bored with it! So for me it’s not something I include to satisfy readers’ expectations or publishers’ guidelines. I just love to write about love. A lot of authors I know dread writing the kissing scenes, but those are my favorite parts.

If you could have a supernatural power or gift what would it be?

Definitely invisibility, but only if I could turn my clothes invisible, too. I wouldn’t want to have to get naked in order for the power to work.

For more information about Jeri Smith-Ready and her books, check out her website:  www.jerismithready.com

To find her on Twitter: @jsmithready

The Crossroads Tour: Day 10 Karen Kincy

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Karen Kincy. Her debut novel, Other, was released in July 2010. 

What was your favorite paranormal/horror/fantasy story as a child/teen? And why did you like it so much?

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. I have frequently sung this book’s praises online, so I’ll just say that the combination of a strong, sexy werewolf girl with deliciously descriptive prose makes me howl with happiness.

Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it?

Other came into being when I wondered what it would be like if paranormal people (Others) existed, and everybody knew it. Surely our culture would be different, from the laws on down to the commercials. And surely many humans wouldn’ t be too happy about Others living among them, so there would be prejudices and hatred. I looked to real-life discrimination for the alternate America in Other. On a lighter note, I had great fun inventing products and ads with Others, like tuna caught in “ mermaid-safe nets” or frost spirits modeling diamond jewelry on TV.

Especially in Y.A., there seems to be a big emphasis on paranormal romance?  Do you consider the romance part when you are writing your story or do you consider writing your story and see where the romance fits in?

I consider all the elements of the story—including romance—at the same time. I don’t consider Other a paranormal romance novel, but rather a murder mystery with romantic elements. Because while Gwen would love to spend more time kissing a sexy guy, she’s got a serial killer on the loose to contend with.

What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them?

I think about all the real people that I’ve passionately liked or disliked, then try to capture the reasons why in fictional form. If I don't care, why should the reader?

What characteristics were critical to you in creating your characters?

My characters have to be capable of doing things that I never would—or could—in real life. Be it that perfect snappy comment, or the amazing stunt, or the endurance to get through terrible times without ruffling a feather. Larger-than-life characters make fiction a delightful escape for both the reader and the writer.

What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research?

Mostly, I pored over encyclopedias of mythological creatures, mining these thick tomes for interesting creatures. I did discover a few oddities, like the belief that Japanese fox-spirits—kitsune—adore tofu, and offerings of tofu are still left at shrines for foxes. And of course the kitsune in Other loves tofu, too.

If you could be a shape-shifter, what animal would you want to shift into?

I know the obvious answer is hawk or falcon, to experience soaring on thermals and diving at insane speeds, but I'd also love to be a fish.  If I’m lazy, a big koi sunbathing in a pond.  If I’m more adventurous, a shark capable of exploring ocean depths.

For more information about Karen and her new book, check out her website:  www.karenkincy.com

To find Karen Kincy on Twitter: @karenkincy

Crossroads Mid-Tour Swag Giveaway

It is just a little over the halfway point in the Crossroads Tour, so I thought it was time for a little giveaway.  Thanks to the participating authors in this incredible Halloween Blog Tour, I have some book swag.  Just enough to make two Swag Packs.  The first one is comprised of goodies from (mostly) the authors that have already guest posted on this blog.  The second will include goodies from authors still to come.

Here is a picture of the first Swag pack:

The rules to entering:
1.  Please fill out the entry form below.
2. You must be 13 or older.
3. You must have left a comment on at least one blog post from Tour Days 1-8.  (Additional points for additional comments.)
4. Tweet the contest (optional)
5. Only one entry per participant.
6. Open Internationally.
7. All entries must be in by Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 11:59 PDT

The Crossroads Tour: Day 9 Amanda Ashby

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Amanda Ashby. Her current book, Zombie Queen of Newbury High..which is the story of what happens when a teenage girl tries to do a love spell, but instead she accidentally turns her entire senior year into zombies and then has to find a cure before she becomes next on their new flesh-only diet. But honestly, it could've happened to anyone...(taken for Ashby's homepage), has met with great reviews.  Her newest book Fairy Bad Day is expected out in June 2011.

Tell us about your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?

Growing up in Australia, we didn’ t really have Halloween but over the years, both Australia and New Zealand are starting to celebrate it a bit more. Not to the extent that adults dress up, but it’ s big enough that my kids insist that I take them out each year to try and see how much chocolate they can convince people to give them.  It can be a bit embarrassing since not every house will even open the door, let alone have any candy. The first time we did it, my daughter was very shy and refused to even go up the paths (despite making me buy her an expensive costume). And so my son, all five years of him, marched up to a house on his own and was given about three chocolate bars. My shy daughter was suddenly overtaken by what can only be described as a sugar frenzy and she then insisted on running up to every door and pounding on it like the devil was on her heels. Oh, and she didn’t stop pounding either until someone opened it up.  Even worse, down in the Southern Hempishere, Halloween is at the end of Spring which means that it is daylight and everyone can quite clearly see not just the pain-in-the-butt kids who are making all the noise, but their parents who are standing at the end of the path as well. Even worse, the kids refuse to share any of their candy with me, which if you ask me is just rude!!!!

For more information about Amanda Ashby, check out her website www.amandaashby.com 

You can find Amanda on twitter: @amandaashby

Check out the Book Trailer for Zombie Queen of Newbury High.

The Crossroads Tour: Day 8 Joy Preble

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Joy Preble. Her second book in the Dreaming Anastasia Series, Haunted, will be out in January 2011.

Tell us about your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?

Well, the funniest was in college when my then boyfriend (and now husband) and I double dated to a Halloween party as hookers and their pimps. The scariest was when I was nine and a friend and I got trapped in an elevator while trick or treating. I grew up in Chicago in a mostly high rise building
neighborhood, so trick or treating was a bit different; you’d gain access (usually by ringing a bunch of bells and hoping someone would buzz you in) to the building, then ride up and down to each floor and knock on all the doors. One building on our block was a 1920’s vintage building about 11 stories high.
It had one of those old fashioned elevators – real tiny and claustrophobic feeling. Somewhere between floors five and six, the thing just creaked to a stop. Nothing. Nada. And then it zoomed up to the top floor, but the door didn’t open. Then it zoomed down (by now we were screaming!) and finally came to stop back at the fifth floor, but when the doors opened we were about half a foot above the floor and we had to jump out! That was seriously the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me on Halloween. At least that’s the scariest thing, I plan on sharing.

Thanks Joy for sharing with us your Halloween story.  

For more information about Joy Preble, check out her website:
http://www.joypreble.com/index.htm

You can find Joy on twitter: @joypreble

The Crossroads Tour: Day 7 Linda Joy Singleton

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Linda Joy Singleton. Her newest book is the final book in the Seer Series, Magician's Muse, was released this month.

Description from GoodReads:
A whisper, too soft to swirl wispy candle smoke, carried across time, beyond life and death—and was heard. "Our bargain is sealed. My secrets will be yours-when the girl dies."

In the thrilling climax to The Seer series, Sabine's psychic abilities, sleuthing skills, and courage are pushed to a dangerous edge as she deals with the mysterious disappearance of her ex-boyfriend Josh, a new threat against her boyfriend Dominic, evil magicians (both living and dead)—and a coldblooded murder.

What is your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?

When I was single and dating, my best friend had a Halloween party at her house and I decided to be creative and dress up as a cannibal. So with my face painted, a grass skirt and bones in my hair, I looked scary wicked. And then a really cute guy in a Superman suit came to the party—and I liked him a lot. But here I was dressed up like a flesh-eater and not at all attractive. I was soooo disappointed and embarrassed. He left without showing any interest in me. And next year I dressed up in something glittery and gorgeous.

Thanks Linda for stopping by and sharing a Halloween experience with us.

For more information about Linda Joy Singleton, check out her website:
http://www.lindajoysingleton.com/

You can find Linda Joy Singleton on twitter: @lindajoysinglet

The Crossroads Tour: Day 6 Kitty Keswick

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Kitty Keswick. Her novel  Freaksville, came out in earlier in 2010.  She writes about a gifted teen girl and a shape-shifting hottie.

Did you have a book that you read either in Middle School or High School that scared you the most? What was it and what about it scared you? 

It wasn’t a book per say, but a movie Exorcist, I still can’t watch the darn thing without having my fingers in front of my eyes. I’d take on werewolves or vamps any day but a preteen spewing pea soup gives me the heebie jeebies.

Did you have a paranormal experience that prompted you in writing the story that you did? 

My family sorta draws ghosts around them. I’ve seen a few in my day, had things move in front of me, seen shadows passing through walls. My least favorite thing is having my name called out when I know nobody is there with me. I’ve had that happen a few times. So it was natural to use ghosts and Kasey’s (my heroine in FREAKSVILLE) ability to see them. I just toss in a hairy twist.

Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it? 

Yes and no. while I don’t write about real people every author draws on their experiences to create believable worlds. I wrote FREAKSVILLE like I talk and Kasey is me in many ways and many ways she’s not. Every character is the author a small snippet of their souls.

Did you have a favorite paranormal/horror story writer as a child/teen that you wanted to emulate? If so, who and why? 

As a Kid: it was Steven King. Now: I like Kelley Armstrong, Charlaine Harris, but they’re not horror, more paranormal.

What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research? 

I research a lot fire, England, the 1940’s. I even traveled to Scotland. It wasn’t weird but cool to see the castle where my heroine’s namesake derives. You’ll learn more about the clan wars as the series progresses.

What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them? 

Keeping them real, giving them faults and quirks. Like Kasey’s list making. Even their words they chose. It makes them more human.

If you could have a supernatural power or gift what would it be? 

I’d like the ability to travel instantly and walk through walls. It would save a fortune on travel expenses.

Thanks Kitty for stopping by and answering some questions.

For more information about Kitty Keswick and her novel, check out her website:
http://kittykeswick.com/ or at http://wolfychicks.blogspot.com/

You can find Kitty on twitter: @kittykeswick

You can check out the book trailer for Freaksville below.

The Crossroads Tour: Day 5 Jordan Deen

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest post is by Jordan Deen author of The Crescent.  I just received a personalized signed copy of Deen's book (thanks Darla for getting it signed for me) and it is sitting on my bedside table staring at me.  It will be my reward once I finish up a big work project.  

 

Description from GoodReads:

Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.   Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused. Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever know.

What was your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?

Hi Aly! Thanks for having me. 

This is a great question. When I was in my twenties, I worked as a make up artist at ‘Knott’s Scary Farm’. My job was to make bruises and blood look as realistic as possible for their Halloween Nights. On my last night working there, I finished up my last seating and headed out—trying not to show everyone how sad I was to be going. I picked up my case and started out before the park was opened.

I headed up a long, dark, remote pathway on the backside of the park. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was on my own. No one came out with me, no one was walking with me to the parking lot and the large baron trees were filled with white haze from the smoke machines and strobes were already illuminating the bottoms. To say it looked like a scene from a horror movie is a serious understatement. Anyone that knows me knows I’m terrified of zombies after my brother’s thought I should watch Night of the Living Dead when I was six. I regress—I stayed toward the middle of the path, folded my arms across my chest and hurried up the walkway trying to get back to civilization. After a few seconds, moaning started coming from what felt like everywhere. Out of the shadows of made by the strobes and the trees, large blackened figures stalked out. Limbs hanging, throats rattling, blood dripping, feet dragging—they were full on zombies. I stopped and started to turn around when I realized they were coming from behind me too. There was no escape. So, I did what every level headed twenty-something would do: I threw my case down, screamed at the top of my lungs, and ran as fast as I could towards the biggest opening between the flesh eaters. Of course, they weren’t real zombies, so the twenty-something boys caught me quickly. Their moans and blood and messed up faces had me shaking so hard I couldn’t think of anything other than I’m too young to die! Immature, I know. The group, knowing I was terrified, only kept up the act for a moment later and started laughing. I’ll never forget my last night at Knott’s Scary Farm. To John, Mark, Matt, Joseph, Louis, Jose, and Amber- you guys are *still* not right. And, for the record, I’m still terrified of zombies. Hope everyone got a good laugh out of this. J Luckily, I’ve never been this scared on Halloween again.

Thanks Jordan for stopping by and sharing your Halloween experience.

For more information about Jordan Deen and her novel, check out her website: 

www.jordandeen.com 

You can find her on twitter: @jordan_deen

The Crossroads Tour: Day 4 Shannon Delany

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Shannon Delany. Her debut novel, Thirteen to Life, was released in June.   Her story has drawn me in and there are some hot wolves that I have developed a pretty big fangirl crush on. To read my review of 13 to Life, click here.  Secrets & Shadows (13 to Life Book #2) will be out in February 2011.  I have enjoyed getting to know Shannon. If you like werewolves you should check out her book, and even if you tend towards vampires, Shannon's wolves may change your minds.

What was your favorite paranormal/horror/fantasy story as a child/teen? And why did you like it so much?

I loved Mary Stewart’s A Walk through Wolf Woods (5th grade, I think) and then I was enthralled with Mercedes Lackey’s work, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey. They all created amazing worlds with intriguing characters. Asa teen I took a hard turn into science fiction.

Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it?

Although my characters are very much based on aspects of different people I’ve known, the story grew out of some odd paranormal and Cold War-related research and my own issues with grief. I like to think I write real-world werewolves because their issues are much bigger than having extreme amounts of hair and a willingness to bite. ;-) Underneath the fur, they’re tragically human, too.

Especially in Y.A., there seems to be a big emphasis on paranormal romance? Do you consider the romance part when you are writing your story or do you consider writing your story and see where the romance fits in?

The characters decide where and when the romance comes in. My job’s to have a clue about where things are going overall and generally follow where the characters lead as they change and grow.

What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them?

I think authors need to be empathic and just generally aware. We know what ticks most people off and what pushes buttons and excites folks. The characters help bridge the gap and connect the things we know deep down with their personal stories. But not everyone will relate to every character (and certainly not in the same way). Where some see a fine example of self-sacrifice, others read it as martyrdom. No matter how you plan your characters, people bring their own interpretations and baggage into the reading.

What characteristics were critical to you in creating your characters?

Connectivity. I wanted characters that people would connect with on some level. Whether you get misty-eyed over Jess’s loss or shout at her about her choices or worry about Pietr or laugh at Max’s flirting...Hopefully there’s enough to each character for readers to connect at some level but not so much to distance readers.

What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research?

I did a bunch of research—some werewolf and wolf-related (pulling at lesser known myths and traits like the saber tattoo and red highlights in the Rusakovas’ hair). I also did paranormal research and found the most beautiful question mark in the world—on a paper that listed Cold War paranormal locations and research done in Russia. Every site except one listed precisely the research they did. But one just had a question mark. Lovely. That’s where werewolves get made, boys and girls. ;-)

If you could be a shape-shifter, what animal would you want to shift

into?

Wolf works for me! They’re quick, bright, cozy in winter and family-oriented.

Thanks Shannon for stopping by and answering some questions.

For more information about Shannon Delany and her books, check out her website: www.shannondelany.com/joomla/

To find her on Twitter: @shannon_delany

The Crossroads Tour: Day 3 Judith Graves

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Judith Graves.  She is actually the organizer behind this really cool author/blogger tourfest. I had a wonderful privilege of reading and reviewing Under My Skin (Skinned, #1) just before it came out.  To read my review, click here.  Her second book in the Skinned series, Second Skin, will be out in 2011.  Not sure I can wait until the next book is out....wonder if I can hack into her computer when she isn't look.  I need some more Alex!  *sigh*

Did you have a book that you read either in Middle School or High School that scared you the most? What was it and what about it scared you?

Stephen King books freaked me out in high school. They still do, that’s why I love his stuff. ;) Ray Bradbury’s stories were favs – not scary, but odd / disturbing tales.

Did you have a paranormal experience that prompted you in writing the story that you did?

I have a phobia – I’m scared of creepy old dolls. Yes, there’s a story behind my fear. Let’s just say dolls so lifelike they seem to be breathing…well, maybe they are! Eryn shares my distrust, which made a lot of Second Skin, Book 2 in the Skinned series, fun to write. She runs into a few devilish dolls I wouldn’t want to mess with. Better her than me.

Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it?

Kind of the opposite. I took an unlikely situation (mythological beasties from different regions fighting over one bit of unclaimed territory) and plunked it down in a small town similar to mine.

Did you have a favorite paranormal/horror story writer as a child/teen that you wanted to emulate? If so, who and why?

Not consciously, but if I thought I’d managed to give my readers the heebie jeebies in a few key scenes, then I’d likely credit Stephan King. I’m forever looking over my shoulder when reading his work.

What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research?

While researching the windigo (a mythological creature of First Nations origins that I mention in UMS, but we actually get to “see” in Second Skin), I discovered the term “Windigo Psychosis.” Even today people swear they have “turned windigo” and crave human flesh. There have been murder cases with this as a defense. Is this a purely a cultural response or something more?

What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them?

I like to read, and write, about characters with flaws. Perfect people are perfectly boring. I endeavor to make my characters multi-leveled, layered like onions…to have hidden depth or unexpected quirks. And you never know if you can trust someone until you’ve battled werewolves together. ;)

Thanks Judith for stopping by and answering a few questions.  And thanks for organizing this great tour.

For more information about Judith Graves and her books, check out her website: http://judithgraves.com

You can find her on twitter: @judithgraves

The Crossroads Tour: Day 2 Tonya Hurley

Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.

Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Tonya Hurley. Her third book in the Ghostgirl Series, Lovesick, came out in July. If you haven't read Tonya's books, go out and get them. They are a fun read and perfect for the Halloween season.

Description from GoodReads:
Before she can rest in peace, Charlotte Usher must return to the tragic site of her death: high school. Once there, her assignment is to help a designated teen solve a personal problem in time for the allimportant prom. But no one explained what happens if you fall in love with your class project. Charlotte would die (again) for love but facing the all-too-familiar feeling of invisibility may be too much for her to swallow.

Thanks Tonya for stopping by and sharing with readers some of your Halloween experiences.

What was your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?

One year my twin sister and I went as Siamese twins. Strange, awkward, but true.

Do you have any Halloween Traditions that you continue to celebrate with or have created for you and your family?

Every year we go on a quest to find the largest pumpkin we can possibly find. We’ll drive anywhere to get it. (Wonder how far she will have to drive this year! =D)

Thanks Tonya for sharing your family Halloween tradition with us.

For more information about Tonya Hurley and her Ghostgirl Series, check out her webite: http://tonyahurley.com

To find her on Twitter: @ghostgirlbooks

For additional fun, check out the book trailer for Ghostgirl: Lovesick.  It is so good.