Featured Book: Wicked Hunger

I'm happy to spotlight DelSheree Gladden's YA urban fantasy, Wicked Hunger, with an interview with one of her main characters, Alexander Roth. (But you can call him Zander.) Tess is here once again to sit down with Zander for a one-on-one talk. And check back on September 17, when Tess will talk to Wicked Hunger's Vanessa Roth.

About the book:

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious.

Vanessa’s instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy’s appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy’s secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories.

One of them is right about Ivy … but if they lose control of their hunger, it won’t matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they’ll all be dead.

About the character:

On the outside, Zander Roth is the model of self-control and polite existence. No one else can see the daily struggle to control his hunger, the devastating secrets he hides, or the desires he fights to deny.

Praise for Wicked Hunger

Delsheree Gladden's first book in her new YA series SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes is a riveting story of uncontrollable bloodlust that turns dealing with family, friendships, trust, devotion and love into a Wicked Hunger -- Susan Stec, author of Dead Girls Never Shut Up and The Grateful Undead series

Love, love, love Wicked Hunger. It is deliciously consuming from beginning to end. My mouth is already watering for the next installment! --Elizabeth Hathenbruck, author of When the Apple Falls

Tess Talks with Zander Roth

Zander, how did you first meet DelSheree?

After all the news coverage my family received last year, it wasn’t surprising when DelSheree showed up at one of my football practices wanting to talk. The story of my parents deaths was what drew her to my family, but she ended up with a different story entirely. 

Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

I never wanted it to be, but no, it’s not surprising. It seems like no matter how hard I try to pretend everything is fine and normal, it’s impossible to hide all the cracks in that fantasy.

Tell us about your favorite scene in Wicked Hunger.

My sister, Van, would kill me for admitting this, but my favorite scene is the first night I sneak into Ivy’s room. Being near her without wanting to kill her every second was intoxicating. It was a moment that changed me. Whether for good or bad depends on who you talk to.

Did you have a hard time convincing DelSheree to write any particular scenes for you?

There were times DelSheree wanted me to make different choices, smarter choices. It wasn’t that I wanted to argue with her. I knew what I should do. Ivy was too strong of a pull, though. Denying her anything was simply beyond me.

What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

Get away from the world. There are fewer chances for me to hurt people if I just stay away from everyone and keep to myself. That’s not always possible, but I’ve learned to keep my distance…from everyone.

If you could rewrite anything in this book, what would it be?

That’s a hard question. The right answer would be to have walked away from Ivy that first day and never looked back. The real answer, though, would be to have seen through the lies earlier and seen the truth before people got hurt.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?

My sister Van is the most important person in my life. I underestimate her all too often, but she is one of the strongest and smartest people I know. I have a lot of respect for my grandma, but she doesn’t understand as much as she thinks she does. Explaining what I think and feel about Ivy is impossible. There is so much conflict inside of me when I think of her that I don’t even know where to begin.

Do have any secret aspirations that DelSheree doesn’t know about?

For all the times I have criticized Van for trying to live a normal life, that is what I really want more than anything. I know being happy, really happy, isn’t something I will ever truly experience, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still want it.

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

I really don’t know. I’ve been living this life of careful restraint for so long, I’m not sure I would even know what to do if I was actually free. 



What impression do you make on people when they first meet you?

Everyone who meets me thinks I am polite, calm, restrained, boring even. It’s a mask I’ve tried very hard to create.

How about after they've known you for a while?

No one really gets to know me. I won’t let them. Ivy was the only one who got close enough to see through my mask, and I never should have let that happen. 



What's the worst thing that's happened in your life? What did you learn from it?

Losing my parents left scars that will never heal. They weren’t the only people I lost, and each new loss only makes the wounds go deeper, harder to recover from. I’ve learned to stop opening myself to the possibility of being hurt. 



Tell us about your best friend.

I’ll have to apply that term a bit loosely. Friends aren’t really my thing, but the closest I have to a real friend is Sam, one of my teammates on the football team. It wasn’t really my choice to become friends with Sam, he just always seemed to be at my side. He keeps my mind off darker thoughts, though, so I don’t mind him hanging around. Maybe one day he’ll actually become a real friend, but he’d probably be better off walking away. 



What are you most afraid of?

Hurting someone. Van thinks I have so much control, but keeping my hunger in check is more of a struggle than she will ever understand.

What’s the best trait DelSheree has given you? What’s the worst?

DelSheree and I would probably disagree on whether this would be the best or worst trait, but I see my determination as a good thing. It has kept me out of trouble, kept me focused. She would argue it kept me from backing off from Ivy and call it my biggest fault. 



Oh, my. This is a coincidence. In my book, we have a "Pickle." I see you have a "Ketchup." Maybe they should meet. What do you like best about Ketchup?

Ketchup is persistent. I’m not sure if that’s what I like most or least about him, but I can appreciate his refusal to never give up. I know he loves my sister, and despite the fact that I find him rather annoying 90% of the time, I’m glad he hasn’t walked away from Van yet.

How do you feel about your life right now?

My life has never been more uncertain. I thought I had the basics figured out. I can’t even begin to explain how wrong I was.

What would you like to change?

If I could, I would have tried harder to find out what I suspected my grandma was hiding.

What aspect of DelSheree’s writing style do you like best?

It’s honest. She doesn’t let me skate by when I make mistakes. She forces me to face them and deal with the consequences, no matter how unpleasant.

If your story were a movie, who would play you?

I’d have to go with either Channing Tatum or Kellan Lutz, although I’m not sure how either of them would look as a blonde.

Describe an average day in your life.

An average day in my life is hardly average. Controlling my hunger all day in place that is teeming with physical and emotional pain that teases my hunger relentlessly is not an easy thing. Football and other sports help me get through the days, but sometimes I have to turn to something less…socially acceptable.

Will you encourage DelSheree to write a sequel?

Encourage might not be the right word. Do I want to have any more of my failures displayed for everyone to see? Not particularly. But do I want people to know the truth? Absolutely. 

About the author:

DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually teaching yoga, coaching gymnastics, reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, and The Destroyer Trilogy. DelSheree's newest series, the SomeOne Wicked This Way Come series, follows Vanessa and Zander Roth, siblings with an uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering that will either gain them limitless power or lead them to their deaths.

Connect with DelSheree:
website | blog | Facebook: DelSheree | Facebook: The Destroyer Trilogy |
Facebook: Twin Souls Saga | Twitter | Goodreads: author | Goodreads: book | Wattpad


Buy the book:
Amazon Kindle US | Amazon paperback US | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon paperback UK |
Barnes & Noble Nook | Kobo

Featured Author: Robin Leigh Morgan

Robin Leigh Morgan is here today to talk about her book, I Kissed a Ghost, a MG/YA paranormal/time travel/first kiss romance.

About the book: 

Special day. Special time. Another kiss. It sounds as if these three things are all related to each other. But how are they related?

Interview with Robin Leigh Morgan

What do you like best about writing? What’s your least favorite thing?

Without any hesitation my favorite part of writing is typing that elusive final period of my manuscript and actually being able to get my book into the hands of people who I hope will enjoy reading.

Now on the other hand my least favorite part is the on-going, almost constant, editing, and re-reads I need to do.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

Selecting a title for a book had been a very challenging experience for me; but after racking my brain over it, I decided to merely summarize the premise for the entire story in as few words as possible until I had something which could be used as the title for my book. Hence, since the story is about a girl (Mary) and her kissing the ghost (George) she had living in her house; the story had to be called, I Kissed a Ghost.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

If you’re asking me whether I’m a plotter or a pantser; I’d probably say a little of both. I make a skeleton of an outline, writing down the basic plot points I’d like to hit as the story unfolded; and as a sculptor starting with a wire base of what they’d like to have, I add material, then take some away. I keep on repeating this process until I have the finished product I had in mind.

How did you come up with your cover art?

I used CreateSpace to design my cover. I told them what my book is about as well as the elements I’d like to see in my cover. The first go around for some reason they missed the age group my book is intended for, and on the second go around they gave me the cover I have now and a cover which would have been appropriate for a slightly older audience. All in all I feel did a superb job on the book’s cover.

What do you do to market your book?

I do what all authors do, whether they’re traditionally published or self-published. I use the same social media networks as everyone else. I tried to have reviews done by individuals who I feel will fair in what they have to say. And I do interviews so my potential readers will be able to learn more about me, my writing, and of course, my book.

Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you?

I wouldn’t say I’ve got any imaginary friends that I interact with as I write. However, I do read my dialogue out loud so I can “hear” how it sounds. Reading out loud is also a great way to find errors in what you’ve written simply because you’re using a different way to find them. If you just read what you’ve written after a while you become too familiar with what come next that you’ll pass over the errors. (This is true even if you have put the manuscript aside for a few weeks.)
                                                                                           
When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

I believe I’d be like most authors. I knew who my main two or three characters would be, and depending on which way I decide to take the storyline will determine who my additional characters will be and how many I will have. When I typed that elusive final period for I Kissed a Ghost, I had eliminated about four characters; four nice characters who unfortunately didn’t do anything to help move the story along.

How do you name your characters?

I wanted my characters to have names which most readers would be able to relate to, which would mean the most popular names for people. Since the intended age group for my book is around 14 – 15, I’d need to know what these names were in the year they would have been born in; and the same would apply for all the other characters in the book.

Soon after I began writing this book I did a post on my web site where I discussed this matter. You can read it here.

How do you handle criticism of your work? 
                                                         
When it comes from a fellow author/writer, I never take criticism as criticism. I take it as a form of guidance and support from one author to another. Otherwise, I listen and then take whatever has been said with a grain of salt.


Do you have a routine for writing?
                                                                                    
Being retired has finally allowed me to really start a second career as an author. In addition to having published my first novel, market and promote it. I now have time to relax, socialize in the nearby community center at lunch, go shopping, etc. I’m set my own flexible schedule which includes time for writing my second novel, a yet untitled contemporary romance with a paranormal element running through the storyline. I don’t like having a rigid schedule now, I had enough of one for the 33+ years I worked nonstop; a schedule which did not really allow me time to pursue my writing career.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

In the second bedroom we have in our apartment, while some soft easy listening type music is playing. I use AOL radio because of the limited interruptions I get. The music acts like a white noise, blocking out most of the additional noises I might have still hear.

Where’s home for you? 

NYC Metropolitan area.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?"

It used to be allowing my mind to clear itself of almost everything related to my writing. Right now I’ve found participating in the several Flash Fiction prompts helps me get the creative juices flowing in those little grey cells I’ve got inside my head. You can read my endeavors in any of my blogs sites.

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

One of the things I really love doing is watching on NetFlix the TV shows I used to love growing up, and right now it’s the last four episodes of The Wild Wild West. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Bermuda.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Hawaii

What are you working on now?
 
As I’ve stated above, I had started to write a contemporary romance but never completed writing it. Now with my debut YA novel self-published, I’ve returned to writing the romance manuscript I had started many years ago and approaching it anew with the knowledge I’ve gained along the way in writing I Kissed a Ghost. The reason I’ve returned to writing it is relatively simple, I’ve always felt somewhat incomplete not having completed something I once had started out to do, and I now want to fill the void it has created in my life.

Do you have any advice to an aspiring author?
                                                       
I’d tell them never give up living your dream of becoming a writer, as you can tell from reading about me, I never did. Before you start looking for a publisher, or even an agent, you MUST have your manuscript edited--granted the editor you select might miss a few minor points, but at least it’s now in a much more presentable condition. Publishers want manuscripts that can be easily edited by their own editing staff, without them having to correct countless misspellings and grammatical errors.

About the author:                                        

Robin Leigh Morgan is a retired NYC civil servant who’s been married for nineteen years but has no children. They have two cats. Her writing experience started with writing commentary type items for a community newspaper for almost eleven years.


If you would like to read several unedited snippets from the book, you can do so under the category of “GHOSTLY WHISPERS” on any of the author's blog sites:
My Pen Name Only |  Robin Leigh Morgan | Becoming An Author


Facebook | Goodreads |  Twitter | Amazon 

Eight with Kate

Kate Evangelista is my guest today. Kate is the author of Taste, a YA paranormal romance. Kate is giving away an ecopy of the book. If you'd like a chance to win it, leave a comment at the bottom of the interview.

About the book:

At Barinkoff Academy, there’s only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

What would your main character say about you?
That I need more hands and a second body because I’m too busy to devote all my time to typing up his or her story. Basically, to all my characters, I’m a glorified typist and their personal slave. *laughs*

I can relate. If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?
I think I would want to be RC, from my fourth YA novel entitled IMPULSE. She drives my dream car, a Shelby GT500KR, and she’s the most kick-ass character I’ve ever encountered so far.

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?That would be Luka from Taste. I’m half in love with him already. I believe he can take care of me and make me laugh all at the same time. A deserted island would be fun with him there.

Who are your favorite authors?When it comes to romance, my favorite author is Lisa Kleypas. Every time she has something new out, I drop everything to grab a copy, and no matter what I’m reading at that moment I stop to prioritize hers.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?
I’m currently reading Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas on my Kindle Fire. I’ve recently switched from “real” books to ebooks, and so far I’m totally enjoying myself.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?I have this little nook on my balcony. The makeshift table made of a marble countertop and a white vase is the right height for writing. The iron chair is surprisingly comfortable to sit in. I call this place my writing cave, and I usually enter it after lunch.

Where’s home for you? I’m from the Philippines. I live up in the mountains smack dab in the middle of a mango grove where the chirping of birds serve as my alarm clock in the morning and the songs of frogs are my lullaby at night. Add to that a cobalt kingfisher that uses the pool more than I do, and I’ve just described my home.  

Sounds wonderful. Do you like houseguests? Just kidding. If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? (Don’t worry about the money. Your publisher is paying.
I want to go to Ireland. In fact, I have this dream of renting a cottage there for a month and just write. Oh my gosh! I have the exact same dream! Wouldn’t that be so cool?

Maybe I might meet a handsome pub owner who will sweep me off my feet. If this sounds like a Nora Roberts plot to you, it is. *giggles*

One can dream…thank you for chatting with us today, Kate. 
 
About Kate:
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master’s courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

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