A lil' chat with Amy Plum!

If you haven't heard of Amy Plum or her debut novel Die for Me, where have you been? *grin* In any case, Amy has very kindly agreed to a short Q&A with yours truly, and she has a signed bookmark giveaway for y'all! Read on!

drey: Hello Amy! Welcome to drey's library; thank you for taking the time to do this Q&A!

How long have you known you were meant to be a writer?

Amy: I have always written. But I never imagined that I could do it as a career, so I always wrote for myself and for my friends and family. I'm talking EPIC letters with stories of my experiences in the different places I was living (Chicago, Paris, London, New York). I am convinced that one long-distance relationship I had worked out for as long as it did because I entertained the guy the stories that I sent him by fax (no email back then).

But I never thought I that what I wrote could be published until I had been writing a blog for a few years, and my blog readers insisted that my writing was good enough to try. I only had the confidence to send my first book out to agents because a big group of people who I respected were cheering me on.

drey: I am jealous of all the different places you've lived--all those sights, all the architecture, all the different food! *grin*

What was your first story about? What happened to it?

Amy: The first story I remember writing was a poem about a turkey who didn't want to be eaten for Thanksgiving. It was published in my school newspaper. I was six.

drey: Six! Wow! I'd say that's an early start...

How did you celebrate getting published?

Amy: There were a few celebrations. The night I got my book deal, my husband popped open a bottle of champagne. I was too broke to buy anything until I got my advance (several months later), but once I did I had my “I Heart Revenants” Chuck Taylor Converses made. And my husband and I took a trip to Brazil for a friend's wedding, something we would not have been able to do if it weren't for DIE FOR ME!

But I think the biggest celebration was when my husband and I were sitting in bed with our laptops (we're total nerds that way), and I noticed that the book advance had showed up in my bank account. I immediately began doing online payments for all of my debts and loans, which were considerable (credit cards, students loans, medical bills). And after about ten minutes, I turned to Laurent and said, “Hey guess what? We're debt free.” And we both started bouncing around we were so relieved and happy.

drey: Nice (on both the Converses and being debt free)!

What was your inspiration for Die for Me?

Amy: My first book was a memoir, and although it got me my agent, it didn't sell. So I wanted to try a different genre. Since I had just read TWILIGHT, and had had so much fun immersing myself in Stephenie Meyer's stories, I figured it would be an interesting exercise to try to write my own paranormal romance. (Never thinking that it would actually sell.) As for the inspiration behind the story of DIE FOR ME itself, a lot of it is taken from my own experience of living in Paris in my early twenties. Except for the dead guys, of course.

drey: Of course... I doubt there are very many of them wandering around. At least, I hope that's true!

How much is Kate like you, or not?

Amy: Kate is so much like me, it's ridiculous. The big difference between us is that she is much more confident and independent than I was at her age. I wish I had possessed more of her wisdom and insight as a teenager.

drey: Who are some of your favorite authors, and how have their work influenced your Revenants trilogy?

Amy: Mark Helprin is a favorite. What I admire in his writing is the way he seamlessly weaves in a magical world with the everyday world that we all live in. That was something I tried to achieve in DIE FOR ME and its sequels. I love Edward Gorey for his dark gothic humor, and feel that a bit of his morbid comedy has rubbed off on me and my writing. And I admire Madeleine l'Engle for her creative imagination and her delight in words and in learning. Since she was a pillar of my early reading, I like to think that some of her ethos has been infused into my own writing.

drey: There we go--more authors to add to my list to check out... I need more hours in a day!

There are some who say Die for Me is just another take on Meyers' Twilight. What do you say to them?

Amy: I say look a little deeper. If you try to find similarities between our books, you will succeed, as you will if you attempt the same exercise with half of the other paranormal romances out there. (There is a reason the words “paranormal” and “romance” are used to describe them - they are all bound together by similar elements that are necessarily included if you take those two themes and work with them.) But try the same exercise in reverse - what is different about our stories - and I think you will find that the list is longer and more profound.

drey: I agree. And I liked Kate way more than Bella (who's much too angsty for me)...

What are you reading now? What new releases are you anticipating?

Amy: I just read Kelley Armstrong's THE SUMMONING, which I really enjoyed. I'm reading Pablo Neruda's TWENTY LOVE POEMS AND A SONG OF DESPAIR to get me in the mood as I write Book 3 of the DIE FOR ME trilogy. And I am eagerly awaiting Marie Lu's LEGEND and Beth Revis's A MILLION SUNS.

drey: MORE books to check out... Where's that magic gimme-more-time-fairy when you need one? *grin* Thank you for taking the time to do this Q&A, Amy!

Y'all, find Amy online at her website www.amyplumbooks.com, on facebook, and on twitter. And lucky you, Amy has a signed bookmark for two of you! This one's open internationally. To enter, fill out the form below before October 15. Good luck!

October's FEATURED AUTHOR: Meet Kevin Hearne!

It's October already! Time for pumpkins, Halloween, and our Featured Author for the month, Kevin Hearne!

Kevin is the author of the popular Iron Druid Chronicles, featuring two-thousand-year-old druid Atticus O'Sullivan, and his Irish Wolfhound Oberon.

drey: Hello Kevin! Welcome to drey’s library, and thank you for taking the time to visit us this month as our Author!

Kevin: 'Tis a pleasure.

drey: Please introduce yourself to our readers, in 10 sentences or thereabouts…

Kevin: I'm a mild-mannered high school English teacher by day, and an even milder writer by night. I kind of wish I had a batcave or something to write in, because that would make my life sound exciting—especially if there was a secret entrance behind a bookcase—but the reality is I write at my kitchen table after dinner. I have a wife, a daughter who likes to draw, and two cute little dogs—a pug and a Boston terrier. In theory, there may be cats in the house, but as they completely ignore me, I'm going to ignore them right back. I imagine they will howl most piteously when they discover I have dissed them on your blog.

drey: Oooh, you are one brave soul, to put up with howling cats... 

How long have you been a writer? When did you realize that this is what you’re meant to do?

Kevin: I started writing in college, after reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Ken Kesey was brilliant. My books aren't in his league, but hopefully people are entertained.

drey: Tell us a little bit about the Iron Druid Chronicles… Why a centuries-old druid (as opposed to anything/anyone else)?

Kevin: Part of it was simply because I'm Irish and interested in Celtic mythology. But another part of it was finding a magic user who could communicate with animals—not as a familiar, but as a true companion—because this was always going to be a series about a man and his dog. Making the man a Druid made more sense than making him a demon or a foul-tempered short-order cook.

drey: True, true... And I love the interactions between Atticus and Oberon--they make me laugh!

Can you share your road to publication? How did you celebrate getting published?

Kevin: It took me nineteen years, so my advice to any aspiring authors out there is to keep writing and don't give up. I wrote several books before I wrote HOUNDED. The story of Atticus and Oberon was actually something to keep me busy and entertained while I was waiting to hear back on another book. That book never got published, but once my agent submitted HOUNDED, four different publishers bid on it in just two weeks. After years of rejection, it was overwhelming to see a reaction like that from editors. But it came about partially through some market analysis: write what you want, by all means—I definitely wanted to write about an ancient Druid living in the modern world—but also keep an eye out for niches on the shelves that you can fill. I celebrated filling the Druid niche by drinking a lot with my friends and family at an Irish pub. :)

drey: Who are some of your favorite urban fantasy authors? What impact have they had on your own work?

Kevin: I like many of the same ones most folks do: Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn, Patricia Briggs. Nicole Peeler is brilliant—she always makes me laugh. Every book of hers has a really loud "Bwah hah hah!" in there somewhere for me. Mostly the impact has been an attempt on my part to explore new territory. When you look at Carrie and Patricia's work, they've done werewolves so well that it's difficult to think of how to offer something fresh there. To be different, you almost have to go in the opposite direction, and for me that meant werewolves wouldn't be dominant in my series (heh!) and they'd be lawyers instead of blue-collar types.

drey: Oooh, a new author to stalk--I haven't read Nicole Peeler (yet!), and "bwah hah hah"s are a good thing!

We know that Atticus can slay gods… But let’s play Smackdown: The Urban Fantasy edition. Throw Atticus in the ring against the protagonist of another urban fantasy series. Who’s his opponent, who wins, and why?

Kevin: Regardless of the opponent, it depends on the setting. If you fight Atticus the city, where he's cut off from the power of the earth, you have a shot at winning. If you're outside, he's probably going to take you out, because he's a very skilled martial artist who will never tire so long as he can draw on the earth—and he's immune to most magic.

drey: Dang. I wouldn't want to be on his bad side... Or if I am, I'll have to make sure he's not anywhere near the earth...

What do you do to recharge your batteries?

Kevin: I hug trees. I get out of town and go walking in the forest, watching birds and squirrels and reminding myself that there is much more to life on this planet than whatever's trending on Twitter.

drey: Heh. I tweet when I'm not working, which means I have tweet-spurts followed by a whole lotta nothing...

I haven’t read Hexed or Hammered yet, so don’t know if Hammered is the end of the series. If it is, what’s up next for you? If it isn’t, what can we expect next for Atticus?

Kevin: The series will go on for a while, happily. I'm currently under contract for six books. Book four, TRICKED, will be out April 24, and you can expect some problems with trickster gods in that one. :)

drey: Six books? YAY!! I love it when I can get more of the characters I like... You'll have to visit us again in April!

And last but not least, the quickie-5 (Halloween edition):

1. The Nightmare before Christmas or The Nightmare on Elm Street?
   Tim Burton for the win! 
2. Trick or treat?
   Treats are cool. 
3. Haunted houses or haunted hayrides?
   I prefer houses. 
4. Costumes: Hand-made or Purchased?
   It's all good. It's just fun. 
5. Pumpkin pie or pumpkin seeds?
   PIE!

Thanks for doing this Q&A, Kevin!

Everyone, you can find Kevin online at his website www.kevinhearne.com, on facebook and twitter. And check out his books--I'll have a showcase up next week, but feel free to pick 'em up anyway. *grin*

A Q&A with Trevor Shane, author of (128.) Children of Paranoia...

I'm thrilled to have author Trevor Shane visiting today! He graciously submitted to a Q&A, and I've got a review of his debut novel, Children of Paranoia...

About the author:
Children of Paranoia is Trevor Shane’s first novel. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.

Find Trevor online at his website, on facebook, and on twitter.

Trevor has very graciously taken the time to do a short Q&A for us. Read on!

drey: Hi Trevor! Welcome to drey's library, and thank you for taking the time to do this short Q&A...

What should we know about Trevor Shane, in (about) 10 sentences?

Trevor: Nothing. I don’t mean to be snide but I really hope that my work stands alone. I’m a big believer in the idea that, once you’ve put your work out there, you don’t own it any more. It belongs to your readers. But, to not come off as a total ass, I live in Brooklyn with my wife and son. I’m from New Jersey originally. I believe that loyalty and decency are the most important traits a person can have. I love books and movies and I’m a big fan of the drink Calimocho which is a mixture of red wine and coke. That should cover it for now.

drey: Who are your literary heroes/heroines? Why?

Trevor: I’ve been trying to figure out if my answer is supposed to consist of authors or characters. I have to go with authors, though, because the list of characters would go on for way too long (generally, I’m attracted to flawed, romantic characters who can’t help but question the world around them like Rudy from The Book Thief and Daniel from Shadow of the Wind). As far as authors are concerned, I always thought that what Phillip Pullman did with the His Dark Materials trilogy was really brave. The fact that he wrote what is essentially a response to one of the most beloved series of all time (The Chronicles of Narnia) in that way that he did still amazes me. There a section of those books where a twelve-year old girl goes down to meet all the souls of the dead as they wait for the next life and Pullman puts her in the position of convincing those souls that it is better to simply let go and become part of the universe than it is to wait. It’s really an extraordinary passage. I don’t know if I agree with what he’s saying but I really admire his use of popular literature to get across a really complicated idea.

Then there’s Kurt Vonnegut who remains, to me, the greatest truth-teller of all writers. All of his books are hugely entertaining but they all also say something. It’s a trait that I’d like to emulate in my career.

drey: What inspired you to write Children of Paranoia?

Trevor: I wanted to write a really thrilling action/adventure style story that eschewed the standard good guy/bad buy dichotomy. I love thrillers and action/adventure novels (like The Hunger Games and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy). What I wanted to do was create a story in that vein but where there wasn’t a snarling figure as a bad guy and where it was even sometimes difficult to tell who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. I think that, throughout history, there have been very few villains who thought of themselves as villains. Most of the time everybody thinks that they’re the righteous ones. So, the novel opens with the protagonist following a woman down a dark street and strangling her in front of her home simply because she’s on the other side of a centuries old, secret war. So, right off the bat, there’s your hero committing this deplorable act and where do you go from there?

drey: Will there be a sequel?

Trevor: Children of Paranoia is the first book in a trilogy. It was envisioned and sold to Dutton as a trilogy. My goal is to have each book stand alone as a unique narrative but also to create a really interesting overarching story with the entire trilogy where each new book actually enhances the ones before it. Each book will be written from a different perspective and will, hopefully, pull in different aspects from different genres.

Right now, my editor and I are in the later stages of finalizing book II which should come out some time next fall with the hopes that book III will come out the fall after that.

drey: How did you celebrate getting published?

Trevor: Dutton and BookCourt (the world’s greatest book store) threw me a really amazing book release party the day that Children of Paranoia came out. I’ve got some great pictures from the event on my website (here). I had a lot of friends and family come and my son helped me to autograph books after the I did a reading and a Q&A (my son is the more handsome of the two guys in this picture). It turned out to be a much more emotional night for me than I expected. I knew that it would be fun but I was really touched to see so many people that I love essential there to help me celebrate my own dream coming true. Hopefully I’ll get to return the favor for each of them some day. Also, we sold out of books, which was great for BookCourt and hopefully a good sign. Since then, it’s just been really fun to go into bookstores and see Children of Paranoia on the tables and shelves.

My friends have been sending me pictures of Children of Paranoia in stores, a few of which I’ve put on my website (here). It has all be tremendously exciting.

drey: What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors?

Trevor: I’d say that the three most important things that anybody needs to make it as a writer are, not necessarily in this order: (1) a great story; (2) luck; and (3) thick skin. There’s not much you can do about the luck part so you have to concentrate on your story first.

To make a great story, you need to have something that’s unique, something that only you could write, but something that is still going so speak to people and that people are going to want to read. I personally don’t make any qualifications between genre fiction and literary fiction or high art and low art (every time people start talking about this stuff, I feel like I’m trapped in a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon). If it’s unique to you and still speaks to people, I think you’re a long way there already.

Even with a great story, however, you need really thick skin in this business. Even the best stories get tons of rejection. No matter how good your work is, people are going to ask you to change it. You are going to get bad reviews. Everybody does. Nobody’s ever written anything that pleased everybody. What helped me was to think of the books that I really love that never found huge success or books that I hate that are gigantic. Once you start thinking of those books, you realize that you can’t judge yourself on your sales or your reviews. You have judge yourself on how proud you are of what you’ve written.

drey: Thank you so much for taking the time, Trevor! 

About the book:

ISBN-13: 9780525952374
ARC: 371 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Penguin Group

Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn’t fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides — one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.

Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he’s one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he’s sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his single-minded, bloody purpose fades away.

Before Maria, Joseph’s only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world. As Children of Paranoia reaches its heart-in-throat climax, Joseph will learn that only one rule remains immutable: the only thing more dangerous than fighting the war. . .is leaving it. 

drey's thoughts:
Trevor Shane's Children of Paranoia could be set in this very world we live in. But I hope it's not, because all those people killing or being killed, would be just depressing. In the first part of the book, we meet Joseph and find out about this world, the war, and the recruiting. We learn the rules of engagement, and the penalties for breaking those rules. A lot of setting-the-background stuff.

Then we follow Joseph as he goes on his assignments, and watch as he gets his cover blown. We witness his escape and recovery, the dressing-down he receives, and are there when he meets Maria. The question is, who else was? Because in this war, you never know where your enemies will show up... Or who's watching you...

As Joseph tries to get his "career" back on track, we notice his doubts surfacing. Not very handy things, those doubts. If Joseph isn't careful, they'll get him killed--and not just by the other side. And if all of this isn't enough, Joseph and Maria unknowingly break another rule--one that puts both of them on notice, and that lets both sides know they're fair game.

Joseph is not a sympathetic character--after all he does kill people for a living. And he doesn't make any excuses for it either. In his world it's them or him, or someone he loves. He's just a Joe doing his job. Until Maria. Until they're on the wrong side of the line. That's when his character really starts showing some balls, for lack of a better word. And that's when the story really started getting good. What do you do when your side decides you're expendable? Will Joseph and Maria outrun the war or succumb to their fates? You'll have to read it to find out.

drey's rating: Pick it up!

Have you read Children of Paranoia? What did you think?

Check out the book trailer!

September's FEATURED AUTHOR: Hello, Cathy Holton!

Oh, gee, is it really September already? How did summer fly by so quickly? I still have tons of reading to do!

But it is, and with it we have a new Featured Author. Come and meet Cathy Holton!

drey: Welcome to drey’s library, Cathy! I’m happy to have you here, and I hope you enjoy your visit. :-)

How about an introduction? What should we know about Cathy Holton?

Cathy: Growing up, I wanted to be a boy. I came from a generation where girls were supposed to be bad at sports, wear dresses and petticoats, be of average intelligence in school, and always, always let the boys win. I could do none of those things. I didn’t fit the ideal of Southern femininity at all. So I figured, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. It wasn’t until I read Gone With the Wind and met Scarlett O’Hara that I realized there were other Southern women out there just like me.

It was a revelation.

drey: I wanted to be a boy, too. I was too gangly for a girl, and as far from graceful as you could get... We would've been great pals! *grin*

When did you first realize that you were meant to be a writer?

Cathy: As a child I was a born story-teller. Or born liar, depending on your point of view. I learned that no matter how big the whopper, if I told it as if I believed it, my listening audience believed it, too. It was a natural move from being a child who told fantastic but believable whoppers, to fiction writing.

drey: Why Southern fiction (as opposed to any other genre)? If not this, which other genre would you want to write in, and why?

Cathy: I’m really not a fan of “genres.” I think publishing nowadays is too quick to pigeon-hole writers in one particular genre, and I think it’s dangerous to the creative spark to insist on this. Having said that, most of my novels take place in the South because that’s where I’ve spent most of my life. I’ve lived out West and up North, but my family history is tied to the South.

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction and I suppose that’s the direction I’m moving in as a writer.

drey: What’s your writing space? How do you get “in the zone” to write?

Cathy: I have a corner of my bedroom in front of a fireplace and a wall of built-in bookshelves where I like to write. There’s a big comfortable chair and long windows that overlook a massive, one-hundred-fifty-year-old oak tree in my back yard.

The “zone” involves massive amounts of caffeine, procrastination, and a wrenching determination to leave the real world behind in favor of my imaginary world.

drey: What are the top 10 recently-played songs on your iPod/music player?

Cathy: Statesboro Blues, One Way Out, Passionate Kisses, Born to Be Wild, Pride and Joy, Better Man, Found Out About You, Follow You Down, White Wedding, And We Danced

drey: What’s your favorite movie this year?

Cathy: Jane Eyre

drey: I haven't seen it yet, I spend too much of my time reading...

Smackdown: Your favorite characters face off in the ring. Who are they, who wins, and why?

Cathy: Jane Eyre and Scarlett O’Hara. Scarlett wins of course, because she’s closer to being a modern woman, which means anything goes.

drey: Tell us a bit about Summer in the South...

Cathy: Twenty-five years ago I went with a friend to visit her Great-Aunt Fanny in Franklin, Tennessee. Fanny lived in an imposing house filled with treasures; a large sterling silver collection, oil portraits of dead ancestors, a framed letter from Thomas Jefferson to Fanny’s great-great-great-grandfather. I was immediately entranced by Randal’s illustrious family history and their quietly understated, old-money wealth.

Fanny was a lovely woman, intelligent and funny and filled with a buoyant spirit. There were photographs of her and her deceased husband everywhere; standing in front of a sea plane, crouching beside a water buffalo, having cocktails in a Paris café. On the second day of our visit, we went with Fanny to the cemetery to visit the dead. Watching as she knelt to put flowers on a grave set apart from the others, I asked Randal, “Who’s buried there?”

“Her husband.”

“The one in all the photographs?”

“No, that’s the second husband. The one over there is her first husband, Charlie.”

“What happened to him?”

“He died. We don’t speak of him.”

I couldn’t get anything else out of her. And I couldn’t stop thinking about Fanny and Charlie either. Twenty-five years later I wrote Summer in the South, the story of a Chicago writer who finds love, redemption, and a sixty year old murder mystery in a small Southern town.

drey: What are you working on next?

Cathy: The story of a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks, Stella Nightingale, who takes a job working as a caregiver for wealthy Edith Montclair Whittington. Edith, a ninety-four-year-old grande dame with a dry sense of humor and a wicked tongue, has already run off a long line of caregivers. She’s a woman whose whole existence has been one of privilege and ease, and Stella, a former runaway from a broken home who’s only recently begun to put her life back together, couldn’t be more different.

But history and destiny can bind in inexplicable ways, as each woman will soon discover. As a blossoming friendship develops between the unlikely pair, Edith begins to reveal a long-ago tale of love, menace, and secrecy that ended tragically for her mysterious sister, Laura. And Stella begins to slowly unburden herself of her own tragic story; an abusive childhood, a string of unfortunate love affairs, a life lived on the fringes of respectability.

As their friendship deepens, each woman’s story becomes a catalyst for change as these two flawed, yet remarkable women struggle to come to terms with their past, their present, and their hopes for the future.

The novel is tentatively entitled, The Sisters Montclair. I describe it as Girl Interrupted Meets Driving Miss Daisy.

drey: It sounds fabulous! 

Last (but not least!), the quickie-5: 

1. Vampires: True Blood or Twilight? Definitely True Blood.

2. Dessert: Chocolate-y or cheesy? (Cheesecake is cheesy, chocolate cheesecake is both!) Oh my. I’m going to go with both.

3. Scent: Fruity or Flowery? Fruity

4. Music: Swing or Jazz? Swing

5. Big-box stores: Walmart or Target? Target

Thank you so much for visiting us this month, Cathy!

Everyone, find Cathy online at her website, www.cathyholton.com.

Giveaway!
Cathy has one copy of Summer in the South for y'all, if you live in the US. To enter, fill out the form below before September 28th. Good luck!

August's FEATURED AUTHOR: Ann Wertz Garvin says hello!

It's a new month (already!) and with it we have a new author to introduce to you. Say "hello!" to Ann Wertz Garvin!

drey: Welcome to drey's library, Ann! Thank you for taking the time to stop by as my Featured Author this month.

Let's do a quick intro: Tell us about yourself in 10 sentences or so...

Ann: I always say, if you want to know who I am just check out my hair. I have a full head of unruly, unorganized, happy hair that has a lot of trouble with authority. That's me. I'm interested in so many things that I tend to take too much on. I like to be productive but only I get to judge what that productivity can be. I think everything is funny and is so inappropriate at times that my friends have to be hard to offend. I don't have much of a temper or a memory. If I blow it's fast and furious but dissipates just as quickly. I'm tenacious and impatient and a total sap where kids and dogs are concerned and if I could eradicate something it would be human trafficking in all forms.

drey: When did you find out you wanted to be a writer? What was your first story?

Ann: I always wanted to write but couldn't get out of my own way to write anything down. My first story was called Daydream Believer about a 16-year-old girl working in a drive in theater with dreams for a bigger life and had to tell her boyfriend she was leaving for college without him in 24hours.

drey: What did you do with that story?

Ann: I wrote that story as a submission for the Wisconsin Book Festival contest in 2004 and won. It was my first story and when I won, no one was more surprised than I was.

drey: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Ann: In characters that I meet and funny phrases I read. Sometimes in dreams I have for the future or difficulties I see my friends struggling with.

drey: Tell us a bit about On Maggie's Watch...

Ann: Maggie in On Maggie's Watch is your best friend who's gone a little nutty. She is the "us" that wants so badly to take control and then, against all better judgment, goes for it. She's vulnerable, funny, quirky, and sad. She is all of us. She wants her neighborhood to be perfect for her family and unborn child and when she discovers a less than perfect thing she goes to clean it up. She gets side-tracked but has people who love her and get her back on track.

drey: Where were you when you found out On Maggie's Watch was getting published? How did you celebrate?

Ann: It was on my birthday. I was in my bedroom looking out the window when the phone rang. I spoke to Jackie Cantor from Penguin and she told me. I celebrated by having dinner with my friend Terri Osgood. She brought dinner to my house and a gift and my kids and I sat and basked in the news. Then, I replayed that call 1001 times.

drey: Smackdown: Your number one literary hero faces off in the ring--who's the opponent, who wins, and why?

Ann: Olive Kitterage faces off with the killer in No Country For Old Men. Olive wins because she is the ultimate no nonsense survivor. She probably strangles him with her bare hands because he was coming after her son. Go Olive!

drey: What (if any) TV shows are you hooked on?

Ann: Mad Men and Damages (Glenn Close as prosecutor Patty Hewes). Can't turn away from either.

drey: How do you recharge your batteries?

Ann: Shopping at GoodWill. Watching movies. Working out. Sleeping.

drey: And last (but not least!), the quickie-5:
1. Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte? Austen
2. Banana splits or strawberry sundae? (can you tell it's HOT here?) Banana Splits
3. Madonna or Lady Gaga? Lady Gaga
4. Broadway musical or movie theater? Broadway musical
5. Your favorite swear word is? I hate to admit it but it's fuck

Thank you so much for visiting us this month, Ann!

Everyone--you can find Ann online at her website www.annwertzgarvin.com, on facebook, and twitter.

Giveaway!
Ann has a copy of On Maggie's Watch for you, if you live in the US! To enter, fill out the form below before 6pm CST August 30th. Good luck!

July's FEATURED AUTHOR: Say "Hello!" to Kelly Meding!

Well lookee here, it's July already.  Did anyone else feel like they blinked, and June was gone?  o.O   But, it's July, and today we meet July's Featured Author, Kelly Meding!  Kelly's Dreg City series is awesome, and Another Kind of Dead comes out this month.   Say Hello!

drey:  Welcome to drey’s library, Kelly! I love your Dreg City books, and am so excited for the release of Another Kind of Dead this month!

Kelly:  Thanks so much for inviting me! I’m very happy to be here!

drey:  Tell us about yourself in 10 sentences (or thereabouts)...

Kelly:  I don’t know if there’s that much to tell about myself (although I suppose that counts as a first sentence, so only nine to go!).  I’m a self-professed geek who loves all things science fiction, fantasy and horror.  I’m also a coffee junkie, a home-body (although most people who know me don’t believe that I’m generally a shy person), and a cat lover.  I’ve been an avid reader and storyteller since I was very young, but I didn’t get serious about writing until college, where I actually focused on screenplays, rather than prose.   I live fairly close the majority of my family, here on the Eastern Shore.  Since I grew up in a beach resort area, you’ll find me spending my vacations inland, somewhere in the mountains (even better if there’s local white water rafting).  Okay, so it isn’t ten sentences, but those seem like the most interesting things about me right now.

drey:  How long have you know that you were meant to be a writer?

Kelly:  I didn’t really consider myself a writer until college, when I started writing in earnest and considering the idea of making money from it.  But I never thought I was “meant to be” because I was never honestly sure I could do it.   I don’t think it ever felt possible until that phone call when my agent told me we had an offer and I knew I was about to sell my first novel.  At that moment, it was finally real.

drey:  What was your first story about?  What did you do with/to it?

Kelly:  Oh boy.  The first real story I remember writing was when I was in seventh grade.  It was bad.  It was like awful “Sweet Valley High”/Beverly Hills, 90210 fan-fiction, only with original characters.  I thought it was amazing, of course.  So amazing that I gave the notebook I’d handwritten it in to my then-best friend  so she could experience it.  A few weeks later we had a huge (and stupid) fight. She tore it up and flushed it.  Which is all well and good, in hindsight, since it was crap anyway.   *grin*

drey:  I cannot believe SVH fan-fic was flushed!!  o.O 

What’s your writing space?

Kelly:  I have my own office in my apartment, with a decent sized desk and lots of bookshelves.  I use a laptop with an optical mouse.  The wall above my desk is covered with Post-Its and little notes written to myself--story ideas, character ideas, plot points, inspirational sayings, etc...  It’s kind of a collage now.  I also have a coffee mug warmer, so I never have to worry about cold coffee.

drey:  What are the top 10 songs on your iPod/other music player?

Kelly:  Mostly I listen to music on my laptop, through a program called Rhapsody.  But I think my Most Played songs right now are (in no particular order): “Little Lion Man” by Mumford & Sons, “Raise Your Glass” by The Warblers, “Broken” by Seether (with Amy Lee), “Losing Your Memory” by Ryan Star, “It Ends Tonight” by All-American Rejects, “Hate Me” by Blue October, “Seasons of Love” by Jonathan Larson, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood, and “Ambition” by Doves.  Eclectic, I know.

drey:  Nothing wrong with eclectic at all, you should see my playlists... *grin* 

What inspired Evangeline Stone’s story?

Kelly:  Partly, it was a desire to write a full-on urban fantasy novel. I’d dabbled in novels with supernatural elements in the past, but had only just recently discovered the UF genre, and I wanted to give it a go.  The rest of the inspiration was a scene I’d had stuck in my head for a while, of a woman in Purgatory asked to go back to Earth and “do something” in order to atone for her own sins.  I took the idea of the heroine coming back to life and ran with it, and as the world of Dreg City began to coalesce in my mind, Evy began to grow out of it.  Why did she die?  Why was she brought back?  Why her specifically, and not someone else?  Who did it?  What’s their agenda?

I had so many questions to answer, and a lot of fun figuring them out.  Everything just sort of grew together.

drey:  Smackdown: Evy’s in the ring.  Who’s the opponent, who wins, and why?

Kelly:  Any opponent?  (drey: yup, any opponent)  The really evil side of me would love to see Evy and Wyatt go at it in the ring.  Boxing, maybe, just for some tension release.  Plus Wyatt taught Evy everything she knows, so seeing them fight would be so much fun.  But I think the fight would end in a draw, because they compliment each other so well.   One person’s weakness is countered by the other’s strength.

drey:  What’s your favorite non-writing activity?

Kelly:  Crafts. I don’t do many, but I do have a lot of beads and items for jewelry making, so I like to create earrings.  I also like to put together art projects for my apartment, especially when I’m in the mood to redecorate.  It’s another creative outlet, but it let’s me use a different side of my creativity than writing does.

drey:  What’s up next for you (besides more Evy Stone)?

Kelly:  The fourth Dreg City book comes out January 31, 2012.  (drey: yay!!)  I hope there will be more after that, but sales will tell.  In October, I have a new series coming out with Pocket.  TRANCE is the first in the MetaWars series, which follows a group of original superheroes as they deal with a world that hates and fears them.  The second book in that series releases in 2012.   I have a few other balls in the air with additional projects, but nothing I can report on yet.

drey:  And last (but not least!), the quickie-5:

1. Twilight or The Hunger Games?
   Hunger Games by a mile (drey: I knew I liked you...)
2. Fondue dip: Cheese or Chocolate?
   Chocolate
3. Scent: Fruity or Flowery?
   Fruity
4. Plane, Train, Bus, or Car?
   Car
5. Chocolate mousse or chocolate truffles?
   Mousse

Thank you so much for visiting us this month, Kelly!  I am sooooooooooooo looking forward to Another Kind of Dead, it's not even funny.  I just hope July slows down enough for me to get all my reading in!

Everyone, find Kelly online at her website, her blog, facebook, twitter, and goodreads!

More goodies:  Kelly is giving away a copy of Another Kind of Dead to one of you lucky ducks (US only, please)!!  To enter, fill out the form below, and ask Kelly a question (or more) in the comments!  Do it before 6pm CST July 29th.  Good luck!

June's FEATURED AUTHOR: Please welcome Dianne Greenlay!

It's a new month, and with that we have a new Featured Author. This month's guest is Dianne Greenlay, who likes community theater and pirates. Without further ado, come check out what she has to say...

drey: Welcome to drey’s library, Dianne! I appreciate your taking the time to visit us this month. Shall we get you introduced to the readers?

Tell us about yourself.

Dianne: By day I save lives (physiotherapist and EMT), and by night I invent lies (writer/author and playwright/director of community theatre). When not traveling in search of adventures in exotic locales (we often take the whole family), I live with my husband on the Canadian prairies where we share our home with a consortium of pets, mostly cats. In our 1928 storey-and-a-half house, we raised a family of 6 kids (2 bathrooms but only 1 TV) and everyone made it out alive ...

drey: Oh my. 6 kids and 2 bathrooms? I shudder to imagine what mornings were like... *grin*

What was the very first story you wrote? What happened to it?

Dianne: When I was 12 years old, I held my first part-time job as a Saturday morning telephone receptionist for a small real estate company. There was a typewriter on my desk and in between answering the infrequent phone calls, I typed out a story about two teenage girls--best friends--who were both from dysfunctional families. I still have that manuscript.

drey: What is the ONE reason that you would never give up writing?

Dianne: I love capturing my imagination on paper. And getting positive feedback from others who have read what I've written is a real adrenaline rush. Writing is, initially, a very private creative outlet, where you are allowed to go back and edit, edit, edit, until you are ready for public feedback on your creativity. What an opportunity!

drey: Tell us about Quintspinner: A Pirate's Quest...

Dianne: Liar! Thief!

In the year 1717, sixteen year old Tess Willoughby is accused of being both by her father upon her return from a simple trip through a London marketplace. When the trip takes a bizarre twist and Tess witnesses a murder, she comes into possession of an ancient spinner ring, and becomes the target of her father's rage. Even so, she never imagines that she will find herself to be a unwilling passenger on a merchant ship bound for the pirate-infested waters of the West Indies and forcibly betrothed to the murderer, who covets her ring. His belief in, and desire for control of its supposed power of prophesy frightens her, as evidence mounts around her, suggesting that the power might just exist.

Wounds. Sicknesses. Starvation. In a sailor's world of casual violence and powerful superstitions, there are many ways to die on such a journey yet more than any of these, Tess fears a future--a life sentence, in her opinion--with her dangerous fiance and his plans for her. Her growing attraction to William, a press-ganged sailor complicates things, and threatens to endanger both of their lives. When their ship is attacked by pirates, she is faced with the realization that only her fiance can secure her safety, and he will do so, but at a horrific price. As a powerful hurricane overtakes the ship, Tess is forced to accept her Quintspinner legacy while making the most chilling decision of her life.

Quintspinner: A Pirate's Quest is a tale of pirates, secrets, betrayal, and danger on the seas of the West Indies, all bound together by a dash of ancient magic.

drey: What occupies your free time?

Dianne: Other than writing? I am heavily involved in our community theater group as a director, actress, and playwright and my evenings for three months are taken up with that on an annual basis. I love gardening and landscaping and I am so fortunate to live where my yard has 30 trees, 1500 feet of perennial flowerbeds, a tuscany patio, a hot tub, a small waterfall and a pond, all of which we have installed ourselves. Last spring I built a stone staircase and raised stone patio on the front of my house. (My husband was away for the week--it was quite a surprise for him when he got back home.)

drey: Wow! Whenever you're looking for something more to do, I have a little yard you could come putter around in... *grin*

Smackdown: Pick a favorite character to face off against Captain Jack Sparrow in a cage match. Who is it, who wins, and why?

Dianne: Favorite character would be Tess, because she is impetuous and headstrong. She would win, as Captain Jack would succumb to her seductive charms before the first dagger was drawn. He's a ladies' man and can't help himself. The REAL fight would be whether he found Tess or her bejewelled spinner rings more attractive ...

drey: True, that... That boy's flightier than a feather.

What's up next for you?

Dianne: I am at work on Book Two (as of yet untitled) in the Quintspinner series. A Pirate's Quest has won several awards (Best Historical and Honorable Mention Best YA - ReaderViews; Honorable Mention Best Book - Sask Book Awards; Honorable Mention Best Commercial Fiction - Eric Hoffer Awards; Honorable Mention Best Fiction - Creative Arts Award; Shortlist Best YA and Book of the Year - ForeWord Reviews) and I have had several readers contact me asking for more of Tess's adventures, so that is wonderful motivation to carry on.

And last, but not least, the quickie five:

1. Bananarama or The Bangles?
   Oh. Two great girl bands. Hmm. Tough choice but I'd pick The Bangles. They sing and play instruments.
2. What book would you grab if you could only have one ( stuck-on-an-island scenario)?
   Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Besides being a favorite, it's pretty hefty and would keep me reading for quite a long time. It has enough details and action in it that it's a re-read, for sure.
3. The Sea Hawk (1940) or Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)?
   The Sea Hawk, because I haven't seen it, although I am aware of the story that it is based on. I did see The Curse of The Black Pearl and loved it - fantastic sets, incredible special effects, non-stop action and bits of humor thrown in at just the right moments - although I'm totally smitten with Captain Jack Sparrow and would watch that film again just to see him.
4. Appetizer or dessert?
   If the appy is salty or has cream cheese in it, it gets the gold medal from me! Wait! - I just realized that desserts can have cream cheese in them too ... it's a tie! (Muahahahahaha! That was a trick question... *wink*)
5. Best ice-cream flavor ever?
   Maple walnut beats chocolate out but only just by a single lick ...

Thank you so much for visiting us this month, Dianne! Everyone, find Dianne online at her website, http://diannegreenlay.com/, and on twitter at http://twitter.com/DianneGreenlay.

Giveaway!
Dianne has an e-copy of Quintspinner: A Pirate's Quest for one of you, as well as a Spinner ring for another lucky duck. To enter, fill out the form below before 6pm CST June 28th. Good luck!

May's FEATURED AUTHOR: Say Hello to Sarah Jio!

Wow. I blinked, and it's May. Where did the first four months of the year go? o.O Anyway, it's May, and it's time to introduce our Featured Author of the month to you--please welcome the lovely Sarah Jio! Sarah took the time to answer a few questions, and there's a giveaway at the end!

drey: Hello Sarah! Welcome to drey’s library! I appreciate your taking the time to visit us this month.

Sarah: Thank you so much for having me, Drey!

drey: Tell us about yourself...

Sarah: I’m a Seattle-based magazine writer-turned-novelist. I’ve written for Glamour, Redbook, O, The Oprah Magazine, Cooking Light, Self, Health and many other magazines, and for the last three years, I’ve been the health and fitness blogger for Glamour.com. I’m incredibly excited about a new direction in my career, too, as a novelist. My first novel, The Violets of March, is out this month from Penguin (Plume), and I recently sold my second, The Bungalow, again to Penguin, and it will release in April 2012. I’m also hard at work on a third book. Oh, and last but not least, I’m also the mom to three little boys--Carson (4), Russell (2), and Colby, our newest addition, born in January.

drey: Congratulations on your newest addition! I have no idea how you manage to write, with three under 4 in your house!! I am in awe! *grin* Oh, and congrats on the books, too--I can't wait to read The Bungalow. 

How old were you when you started writing? What made you decide to continue?

Sarah: I wrote my first “book” when I was in first grade, and I’ll embarrass the heck out of myself and tell you the name of it, “A Tug Boat’s Dream.” (I had a little fascination with tug boats back then.) So, yes, I was obsessed with writing books from an early age. The dream has stayed with me since.

drey: Tugboats are cool! My son loved 'em for all of two weeks or so... 

What is the ONE reason you’d never give up writing?

Sarah: Because I would be incredibly unhappy without it. I write every day, and I can’t imagine a day, or a life, without it. I always tell people that I feel so lucky that when I sit down to work, it oftentimes feels like play.

drey: Describe The Violets of March. Where did you find the inspiration for it?

Sarah: The Violets of March takes place in two time periods, present day and 1943 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, a small and storied island just a ferry’s ride away from Seattle, where violets bloom out of season and secrets drift in the salt-drenched air. It is here where a recent divorcee finds an old red velvet diary tucked into the guest bedroom of her great aunt Bee’s home. It is only when she reads this diary, written by an anonymous woman, and unlocks its secrets (long-kept since 1943), that she’s able to heal the wounds in her own life and find love again.

I have always loved Bainbridge Island, where the book is set. In fact, I grew up just a few miles from its shores and spent many happy hours there as a child. So, the book is partially inspired by the island, and also inspired the most beautiful jazz song by the late Susannah McCorkle called “The Waters of March.” I head the song years ago and began to think about what type of story I could create that would fit the song. (You should download the song on iTunes—you will love it)

drey: I will definitely have to check out that song--especially if it inspired the very lovely story in The Violets of March!

What do you do for fun?

Sarah: I love to cook, especially for friends and family, and I adore gardening. I’m also crazy about running, and have been slowly starting getting into races. I have my eye on a 10K later this summer. (I recently had a baby, so we’ll see how that goes!)

drey: Good luck with the races if you're doing them this summer. I'm tired just thinking about it! :P

Smackdown: Pick two favorite characters to face off in a cage match. Who are they, who wins, and why?

Sarah: Oh this is so funny to think about! Hmmm. I’d pick Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables and maybe Nellie Olson from the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Anne would win of course. Her wit and red hair give her the advantage.

drey: I never liked Nellie much anyway, so go Anne!! 

What’s up next for you?

Sarah: I recently sold my second novel, The Bungalow, to Penguin, and I’ll be gearing up for its release in April of 2012. I’m also hard at work on book #3, which I’m so very excited about and can’t wait to share more about!

drey: Ooooh! Yet another book!! Hurrah for us readers! *grin*

And, last but not least, the quickie 5:

1. If you had to pick one, which 80’s fad would you resurrect?
   Crimped hair. Don’t laugh.
2. What single thing should every aspiring author have in their arsenal?
   A good coffee maker.
3. Board, video, or card game?
   Cards, all the way!
4. Jazz or alternative rock?
   Jazz!
5. Best ice-cream topping?
   Lately I’ve been putting cocoa nibs on vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Thank you so much for stopping in for a visit, Sarah. I really appreciate the time you're taking to do this!

Everyone, find Sarah online at her website, http://www.sarahjio.com/, on facebook, and on twitter.

Giveaway!
Sarah & her publisher have a lovely giveaway for you, if you live in the US. One lucky duck will win a copy of Violets of March, and trust me--it's a lovely lovely story indeed! To enter, fill out this form before 6pm CST May 25th! One entry per person, multiples will be disqualified (you may want to comment after filling out the form so you know you've already entered)...

April's FEATURED AUTHOR: Meet Tony Bertauski!

Hello everyone! Can you believe it's April already? o.O And with a brand new month, we have a brand new author to introduce. Please welcome Tony Bertauski, who'll be hanging around here this month. *grin*

drey: Hello and welcome to drey’s library, Tony! Thank you for taking the time to visit us this month.

I'll start off easy. Who is Tony Bertauski?

Tony: I’ve been asking the same question since I was a kid. Who am I and why am I here and what happens when I die? Unfortunately, these profound questions didn’t make me any smarter or life any easier.

Right now, I’m a husband, a father, a college teacher, and a part-time writer. I enjoy walks on the beach and a cozy warm fire. Actually, no I don’t. I live near the beach but don’t dig it. Sand gets in everything. I’d rather watch a good movie with my wife or drink a good beer. And I’m still interested in knowing what this is all about.

drey: Well, when you figure that out, let me know. I could use all the help I can get!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Tony: I suppose it was high school, although you wouldn’t know it from my grades. One of my friends had this natural ability to write. He’d pass notes in class that were hilarious or write a paper the night before it was due and get an A. It was ridiculous. I wanted to do that.

I had to work long and hard to write coherently. It took me forever to finish a Masters’ thesis. Most of my early efforts were technical, such as trade magazines and textbooks. I wrote fiction in my spare time but in hindsight it was abysmal. I read and studied the craft for years before I got recognition with a short story in the South Carolina Fiction Project (2008).

Much of my writing is seen in a bi-weekly gardening column (Post and Courier, Charleston, SC). The past six years I’ve worked personal anecdotes into an otherwise technical column about gardening that has gained regional popularity.

drey: Tell us about Socket Greeny and his books.

Tony: This sounds cliché, but it’s true. Swear to God.

I started writing a story for my son when he was young because he hates reading. My daughter started reading before she could read. I’m not kidding. She’d sit there with a book propped on her knees and make up words as she turned the pages. But my son, he hated it. So I figured maybe I could write something he’d get into.

I failed. Miserably.

But then I got hooked on the character, Socket Greeny. Don’t even remember how I came up with the name. All I had was this character, this teenager that was struggling with the meaning of his life. I can’t say the story was easy to write – I must have written dozens of drafts – but I thoroughly enjoyed the writing experience. There was frustration when I got stuck, but then the story would unfold in my head while I was in the shower or lying in bed and I’d rush to a pen and paper to jot down the details.

In the end, it was a three-book journey of self discovery in kickass fashion.

drey: Kickass is always good! *grin*

Where do you find inspiration for Socket Greeny?

Tony: I suppose the inspiration really came from my own life. By the time I hit my 20s, I was struggling with daily life. Call it depression. I worked through it in counseling, but it was Zen practice that really allowed me to make some sense out things.

My first efforts at the Socket Greeny story were preachy. Disgustingly so. Blech. I wanted readers, especially males, to relate to the struggle and perhaps find some inspiration to seek meaning in their own lives. But without the preaching. Besides, I’m no Zen master.

The story eventually transformed into something entertaining and fun and exciting while holding a trace of Zen and the Search without bashing the reader over the head with it. In the end, it makes you ponder what life is really about. Are we just a collection of thoughts and memories? Are we something more? What?

drey: What do you do to recharge your batteries?

Tony: Daily meditation. An absolute must. And a good cappuccino doesn’t hurt.

drey: Smackdown: Your favorite character faces off against a Marvel superhero. Who’s the character, which superhero, who wins, and why?

Tony: I liked superheroes before they became movie stars. I was a big fan of Frank Miller’s Batman because it was gritty and all too human. But in the movie, Batman just seemed to be a strange dude wearing a costume that wouldn’t kill anyone but wasn’t opposed to breaking every bone in their body.

But if I got to pick a superhero, it’s Spawn. He’s a superhero, right? I mean, he works for Satan, sort of, but doesn’t seem to like it. But the cape and the chains are just badass.

Socket wins.
Every. Single. Time.

Why?

He has the ability to stop time through accelerated metabolism. How can you fight that?

drey: What’s up next for you?

Tony: Lately, I’ve been writing columns and posting on my blog. As far as fiction, I’m focused on marketing the Socket Greeny trilogy. One of these days I’ll get to Socket prequels. I’d love to flesh out how some of the characters in Socket’s life came to be.

drey: And, last but not least, the quickie 5:

1. Favorite movie? Blade Runner
2. What should you never forget to take to the beach? Reclining beach chair. Best place for napping.
3. Yoga or tai chi? Any but yoga!
4. Jazz or alternative rock? Old school alt rock. Jane’s Addition. Pixies.
5. Chocolate: Solo or paired (& if paired, with what)? Chocolate, peanut butter and cold milk.

Thank you so much for swinging by! I hope you enjoy your visit with us this April, Tony. :)


Everyone, find Tony online at his website, http://bertauski.com/, and on his blog In the Self-Centered Dream.

Giveaway!
Tony has one hard copy and one e-copy of The Discovery of Socket Greeny for you, if you live in the US or Canada. To enter, fill out the form below before 6pm CST April 28th. Good luck!