Dark Genesis Blog Tour: Q&A + Giveaway

As part of the blog tour for Dark Genesis, I got the lucky opportunity to interview the author and bring you guys a super awesome giveaway!

Hi David, and thanks for making time for this interview! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My pleasure, Joie!  I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English and creative writing from St. Cloud State University.  I moved to the Milwaukee area about seven years ago, and that’s where I am currently, where I’m surrounded by books for my day job!

Where did you get the idea for your book, Dark Genesis?

I grew up reading hundreds of YA books, and there’s such a variety of forms of magic in novels and in movies, that I thought it would be cool to have a world where witches are separated into covens by the magic they use (astral projection, runes, pyrokinesis, etc). And years ago, my boyfriend and I talked about creating a comic book where a group of people travel to a world populated by monsters, so I sort of merged the two ideas into this one cool story.

(J: So. Dang. Cool.)

Did you learn anything from writing your book? If so, what is it?

To just have fun with my writing and not get too bogged down with particulars.  I did a massive rewrite after the first draft just because I got stuck on the idea of an arbitrary number of villains I came up with before I started writing.  I cut a lot out of the story and reworked it to focus more on the characters and the important aspects of the story that I wanted to tell.

If Dark Genesis were made into a movie, what would your dream cast be?

Naya Rivera (Santana on Glee) for Alyssa, Ian Somerhalder (Vampire Diaries) for Parker, Emma Roberts (Scream 4) as Vessa, Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) for Eric, and Angelina Jolie as The Ice Queen.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I’m a huge film buff, so I watch lots of movies, especially horror movies, and I’m an avid reader of YA as well as graphic novels.  I also enjoy jogging and getting sucked into some Real Housewives drama from time to time.

Which books/authors have influenced you the most?

I grew up with great admiration for L.J. Smith and Christopher Pike, so they are definitely the two key authors that have inspired me in my writing.  “The Vampire Diaries” and “Night World” in particular pushed me down the road to loving the paranormal.

Think fast! If you had to describe Dark Genesis in just three words, what would they be?

What makes identity.

Lightning round!

Ebook or paper book? 

Ebook.  I find myself reading at night most often, and it’s just easier to have an ereader in bed.

Early bird or night owl?  

Definitely a night owl.  I barely get any writing done while it’s still light out.

Tea or coffee?  

Tea.  My drink of choice is a London Fog, which is a mixture of Earl Grey Tea, milk and vanilla flavor.

Music when you write or no?  

Definitely.  Music probably inspires me more than anything.

Favorite genre to read?  

Probably horror.  I like being scared, and I think that being in horrible circumstances forces a character’s true colors to surface, and interesting things can happen.

Thanks so much for taking the time for this interview! Don't forget to check out Dark Genesis and add it on goodreads, and keep reading for a giveaway!

Dark Genesis
Publication date: March 18, 2013

B&N l Amazon l Smashwords

Alyssa opened her eyes to darkness. And in the first flash of light provided by a gathering storm, she could make out a ring of bodies surrounding her.

With no memory of who she is, Alyssa stumbles into a dark world populated by witches. The witches are powerful, and demonstrate frightening powers, but even more terrifying are the monsters who rule over the land. Vampires, werewolves and other awful creatures of the night have taken over, forcing the witches behind stone walls, afraid to venture outdoors. But Alyssa finds that as she kills certain monsters, memories return to her, memories of a life on Earth, and the boy she left behind.

The quest to collect her memories and piece together the puzzle of what has happened to her is a daunting one, with betrayals and sacrifices every step of the way. But Alyssa is determined to fight for a world that is not her own, destroying powerful monsters along the way, so that she can return home to the boy she is coming to love through the memories she recollects.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Nightmare Affair Blog Tour- Q&A with Mindee Arnett

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for creating a Nightmare?

The first time I ever came across a Nightmare as a creature was in a short story by one of my favorite fantasy authors, Jennifer Roberson. In her story, the “Nightmare” appears in the shape of a hellacious rodeo horse. Years later, as I was sitting down to do some brainstorming about potential monsters, I started to think about that story. A couple of Wikipedia searches later and I came across a picture of The Nightmare by John Henry Fuseli.  The moment I saw it, I asked myself what it would be like if the demon and woman were reversed.  And presto-change, the idea for Dusty was born.

The Nightmare by John Henry Fuseli

Q: Who was your favorite character to write about, and why?

Dusty is definitely my favorite character to write about. She sort of has to be because she’s the MC, and the story is in her voice. But my favorite non-MC character to write about is Dusty’s best friend and roommate Selene Rivers. Selene is a siren. Like all sirens, she’s utterly beautiful, but she dresses like a tomboy and spends a lot of her time campaigning against the sexual objectification of sirens in the magickind world. I love writing about her, because she’s cool and mysterious, but very smart, funny, and loyal to Dusty.

Q: If The Nightmare Affair were made into a movie, who would your dream cast be?

My dream Dusty has always been Molly Quinn. I think she’s so adorable and charming, but she can totally be a BAMF if she wants to. Also, her eyes are exactly how I imagine Dusty’s to be:

I’m going to cheat when it comes to Eli, because I’m just too damn old to lust after any actors of appropriate age to play him. I’ll leave that lusting up to the readers. And I can’t wait to see who they come up with!

Meanwhile, I’m going to pretend we can go back in time and snag a young Timothy Olyphant. This is what I imagine Eli might look like. Oh, and his character is a bit like a teenaged Raylan Givens from Justified—the kind of guy who might grow up to be a lawman with an outlaw side.

For Dusty’s best friend, Selene, I would pick Teresa Palmer only she would have to dye her hair black. Teresa’s mannerisms just remind me of Selene, the way she carries herself, her poise. It’s a nice fit

For Paul, I’m going to cheat again and go with a teenage Charlie Hunnam. Now, just who is Paul, you say? Well, all I’m going to tell you is that he’s an Arkwell student. You’ll have to wait for the book to find out more. It’s like River Song keeps saying to The Doctor: “Spoilers.” 

Q: Do you listen to music when you right? If so, what was your playlist for writing The Nightmare Affair?

I listen to music off and on when I write, but it’s primarily soundtracks. If I put in anything with lyrics, I tend to start singing along. But some of my favorite soundtracks to listen to when writing The Nightmare Affair are Sherlock (BBC) and Harry Potter. Really, even more than music, I tended to listen to Veronica Mars episodes a lot when writing. Sounds weird, I know, and I couldn’t do it all the time, but occasionally, listening to episodes really helped me get into the voice of the story.

But if you’re interested in a playlist about The Nightmare Affair, you can find it here. 

Q: Describe your book in three words.

Mystery, magic, and mayhem.

Thanks for such awesome questions! I had a blast.

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview! I especially enjoyed seeing your casting picks! :)
Don't forget to check out Mindee's debut novel, The Nightmare Affair. 

One Question Q&A with Gennifer Albin, author of Crewel

Hi and welcome to the One Question Q&A with author Gennifer Albin! We're here to celebrate the release of Gennifer's novel, Crewel, which was released October 16. Congrats Gennifer! 

A bunch of us from the Crewel Street Team are participating in this one question blog tour where Gennifer will be answering one question a day.

My Question:

Who would be your fictional nemesis?

Gennifer: Dolores Umbridge, both because she's evil and because she puts too much sugar in her tea. 

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Add it on goodreads!

Author bio:

I like coffee. A lot. Writing gives me time to go get a cup without my kids. I like books as much as I like coffee, but it is easier to read with children hanging on you than drink coffee due to the threat of third degree burns. That's why coffee gets top billing in my intro: its unnattainability.

I hold a Masters in English with specialization in 18th century women's studies. While this is a highly marketable area of expertise, I stay home with my kids, which means my 3 year-old son uses correct grammar and doesn't burn down the house.

I have a ridiculously supportive husband who dreams of being included on a book jacket: "The author lives in Kansas with her husband, two children, and a Tuesday cat."

Author website l Twitter l Facebook

Purchase: Amazon l Barnes and Noble l Book Depository