♥.•*¨Maggie: Character Interview ¨*•.♥

Please don't forget to sign up for the MC Blogfest and win Jeannie Campbell's Writer's Guide to Creating Rich Backstories!

Interview with Maggie Cooper from the They Walk Trilogy by Amy Lunderman.

Hi, Maggie! Thanks for this chance to interview you—I won’t take long since the dead seem to have a knack for finding us. I’ll be quick, promise.

 Hi, Elizabeth. Thank you for having me!

Tell us a bit about yourself. What are your weaknesses? Your strengths?

I used to like what every other girl my age does, you know. With friends, a boyfriend, an annoying twin brother, and a crush on a guy that drove me crazy. I used to enjoy going shopping, painting my nails, laying out in the sun, and even going for an evening run. Now though, these things are all considered weaknesses, especially since you can't walk outside without one of the dead trying to get to you. My only strength is my will to live and to keep pushing forward no matter the cost. 

Describe your hometown. Do you have a favorite thinking spot?

The only thing that drives me crazy about Maine in the summer, used to be the black flies, but now it's the dead. Lately I can't really find a safe place to think, since I can't go anywhere alone without being attacked. I find myself lost in my own thoughts all the time though, no matter where I am.

Were there any leading events to the zombie’s appearances that you can remember?

In the weeks leading up to the outbreak I remember hearing in the news about a cold vaccine being administered without going through trials. It was even going to be given out at the same day and time. I never really thought anything about it, not until much later after everything went down. The night of Austin's party, I do remember it being oddly quiet out though. No birds, dogs, and even the traffic was quiet, that is until the accident.

In what way have the zombies changed your perspective on life?

I pretty much live life to the fullest now, whatever that means. I treasure the little things now, like running water, a place to sleep, and a sturdy locked door. I value the closeness of my friends and family more now too, because who knows who is going to die next. 

Do you think the government is trying to cover something—an experiment accident of sorts, maybe?

I'm not really the theorizing type, but if you were to ask my brother that, he would say there is definitely a cover up. It does seem odd to me though, that this all happened so fast. But with the armed forces dying just as fast as the rest of us, I'm kind of leaning towards no cover up. Unless they have a sick sense of humor, which could be the case.  

Do you have an idea how any of this happened? Where is the dead coming from? How has this changed the health warnings in your community?

In the beginning, all I remember is seeing a moving dead body crawl out of a car and attack a friend of mine. At that time, I didn't really think about anything other than not letting the dead get to me. The zombies are like a fast spreading disease, and the once alive party I was at, quickly became a mob of the dead. The only health warning now, is to not get bit and to not trust those that do.

What happens if one of them touches you?

The dead are surprisingly fast, but thankfully, their not very smart. So their movements are pretty much sloppy, but they use all the strength they do have so they can bite into you. After having survived an attack recently, I know that nothing can change you except for the bite of one of them. I also know first hand at what can happen to someone once they are bit. And let me tell you, it's not pretty.

The first time you wielded an ax, what went through your mind?

To be honest, I was numb at the time and very afraid I suppose. I certainly wasn't expecting having to fight for my life at that moment, and lucky for me I ran into someplace where I found an ax to use. Now afterwards, that's a totally different story.

Do you feel safer with military involvement?

This is a very loaded question if there is one, mostly because I'm not sure. In a way, yes, we are safe, but I don't know how long that will last. They're rules and ways of things aren't exactly up to standard with what we are all used to. For one thing they don't tolerate anyone that is bitten, and have a very unique way with dealing with them.

Do you feel that falling in love in such a perilous time is wise or foolish?

At first I thought it was very foolish, only because I didn't want to lose anyone else I cared for. But when it came down do it, I figured life was too short not too. And even now, I'm very grateful for having someone I love, it gives me strength to keep moving if I were to stumble.

What kind of future do you hope to have?

Right now, I'm just trying to get by to the next day alive. If I had to picture what I want for the future, I would have to say that I can be reuinited with people I lost along the way. And for the zombies to be eliminated, that would be nice too.

Is there something you’d like to share with your readers?

Be careful where you walk and always be aware of your surroundings. If you come across someone that doesn't respond the usual way, I would run if I were you. Not all zombies look like they are dead. So. Don't. Get. Bit.

Oh no! Looks like our time is through here. Ready your ax, it looks like they’ve finally found us! Thank you, Maggie, for sparing a few precious moments of your time to help others realize that life isn’t as it appears to be—there could be a zombie lurking in the most unlikely places!

 AAAhhhhh! Gotta run, see ya later? Maybe . . .

Thank you for sharing Maggie with us, Amy! Find Maggie's story at Nook, or Kindle, or Smashwords!

Next Monday:  Grimoire by Marcy Hatch, Arlen Devlin Howard's Interview.

♥.•*¨Scrabbling Crazy¨*•.♥

Please don't forget to sign up for the MC Blogfest and win Jeannie Campbell's Writer's Guide to Creating Rich Backstories!

I interrupt this regular MC program for some important crazy time . . .

Ever since my book has been picked up by TreasureLine, I've been scrabbling crazy!

I started my blog June 20, 2009 and Facebook much later than that. I've recently taken on Twitter and LinkedIn. My Goodreads has been something I've been doing since my blog started. My website is fairly new thing as well. On top of that, I have about 8 other blogs I'm working on, but have slowed down on a few. Me thinks it's time to cut back.

But here's this:

I've been taking on some grand things that I haven't taken on before. For the month of July,

I've been setting up interviews like crazy for writers' characters. The 24th is a blogfest for Main Characters, hosting a few giveaways for the blogfest as well as an MC interview.

I've also been working on a pre-book launch party for Darkspell this coming July. This basically consists of about 17 bloggers who are interviewing me or holding me as their guest. I'm still reviewing the questions I've answered to make sure I make sense--I'm not sure if I do anymore!

Then I need to keep up my appearances on all my social networks as well.

I'm going stir crazy! But I feel that this is my fate, this is what I need to do to get my name out there.

I'm keeping myself busy during the wait. The wait. You know, when the publisher's editor is making all the wrongs in the book into rights?

I know there are lots of blogs out there for aspiring authors--rightly so.
But I would love to hear how it is for a bumbling, scrabbling debut author. Any volunteers? Please?

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥

Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?

YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!

♥.•*¨ Jalmari ta Korento, Character Interview ¨*•.♥

Please don't forget to sign up for the MC Blogfest and win Jeannie Campbell's Writer's Guide to Creating Rich Backstories!

Interview of Jalmari ta Korento from Dark Heirloom by J.D. Brown.

Thank you, Jalmari, for this interview with you tonight. I won’t stay long since you—er—are very busy. *Palms sweaty* I’m here in a vampire’s castle for crying out loud!

Jalmari grins just enough to flash his fangs as he leans against the leather armchair behind a solid mahogany desk polished to shine even in the dim lighting. He ponders her choice of perfume for a moment and decides she's very brave for choosing to be in his presence. "The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Mueller."

I understand that you are ruler over a Scandinavian clan of vampires and it’s your duty to keep peace between your kind as well as human. How do you keep the peace between other clans, yours, and the humans altogether?

"We have branches of government just as your kind does. We use a sort of Democratic Monarchy broken up into 'councils'. Each clan has a council led by a king or queen, or in my case, a prince. We also have the High Blood Council, which you can think of as like the United Nations for vampires. Of course, no body of politics is ever completely at peace. As for the humans, the clans that matter have all agreed our kind should be as non-existent as possible from their knowledge. It was bloody chaos when we all used to hunt each other and we grew tired of it. But of course, two intelligent species inhabiting the same earth will eventually bump heads, so I, along with King Erik XIV of Sweden, created a secret fraternity of humans who were delegated to help keep us a secret. The fraternity failed the first few times. Humans die too easily and vampires live far too long. Each new king had to be re-convinced of the necessity of the fraternity. Eventually, the idea was perfected and took root. Today, the fraternity undertakes many tasks such as keeping us connected to blood banks and finding third-shift jobs for the locals." 

Your history shows that your heritage is part human, and part nephilim. According to unwritten history, the nephilim were a nocturnal, carnivorous cousin to man. The nephilim’s aggression led to their extinction. Do you bemoan their fate to any extent? What would it mean to vampirekind if the nephilim were suddenly brought back into existence through DNA discoveries?

Jalmari scoffs. "Bringing back the nephilim would be like bringing back a tyrannosaurus rex. Should it happen, we would hunt the creature and would have no qualms in doing so."

Subtract yourself from this question, but what does it mean to be Romani? Don’t worry, I’ll address your concern for them next.

He grins, sits straighter, and steeples his fingers. The silver rings clink gently against each other. "You have done your homework, Mrs. Mueller, but not all of it. 'Romani' is a human term. It's the politically correct term for a gypsy. Sometimes it is spelled as Romany with a Y, and other times they are called Roma. But what you also don't know is that gypsies carry a small trace of nephilim DNA. Not enough to be vampires, but enough that we consider it a threat."

So there is no love between yourself and the Romani race. Could you explain why?

"The old laws dictate that we exterminate them; keep the human blood pure. Can you imagine giving birth to a vampire, Mrs. Mueller?" he winces. "It's something we try to avoid. As for 'love', I have learned to distance myself from that which I must hunt. It's nothing personal."

What is a typical night like for you?

"Work," he grins. "My job is never finished."

When were you born? How have the human’s attitudes changed over the centuries toward your kind? Do they try to get along with you as well?

"Let's just say I am old enough to have met Jesus Christ. Humans were fully aware of us back then, though their attitudes differed a little depending on were you lived and if you've had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting my father during his reign. The Sumerians, Egyptians, and Greeks thought we were gods and sacrificed their cattle and virgins to us. Most humans feared us and were easy prey until shortly after the Dark Ages when they started fighting back. Now the majority of them think we do not exist."

What is the most memorable moment of your life? The worst?

Jalmari glances at the floor and nibbles on his lower lip. "The most memorable moment of my life, without a doubt, was the first time I laid eyes on my mate, Leena. She was still a human," he grins and wets his lips. "I was sort of spying on the females in a bathing house in Athens. She was so beautiful..." His brow tightens at the center as he frowns. "The worst moment was her death."

If you found out you were nothing more than a character within the fabulous imagination of an author, what would you do?  *ducking*

"I am very well aware that I live in J.D.'s imagination," he laughs. "She will tell you how I keep her up at all hours of the night. I chose her specifically to write my biography."

One more question, if you please! What inspiring words would you like to share with your readers?

Jalmari glances at his hands, his voice low. "Take pride in what you do and who you are. Fight for it."

*Trembling as I curtsy* Thank you for your time, Prince Jalmari. You gave me a lot to ponder. I shall leave you to your musings now. *Rushes out of the castle, glad to still be alive*

Dark Heirloom releases March 2012 from Muse It Up Publishing Inc.

Check it out over at J.D. Brown's website at http://authorjdbrown.com

and her blog http://authorjdbrown.blogspot.com

You can also find her Twitter @AuthorJDBrown, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-JD-Brown/100734053354525.

She is currently writing book 2, Dark Liaison, and would love to hear from readers and vampire fans! Authors of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, please check out my new website/blog, Urban Stars, where she highlight authors and their works each week. http://haUrbanStars.com

Thursday:  They Walk Trilogy by Amy Lunderman, Maggie Cooper's Interview.

♥.•*¨ Ivory: Character Interview ¨*•.♥

Melissa penned her first novel at the age of thirteen and has been writing consistently for fifteen years. She has completed ten young adult novels and several short stories. Her preferred genre is young adult but she writes non-fiction and children’s books as well. Her calling is to connect with others and give hope through writing. Melissa's debut YA science fiction novel, MY BEGINNING, will be published by Lucky Press, LLC on July 1st, 2011. Learn more about Melissa and her books at www.melissaklineauthor.com

 I've had the wonderful opportunity to interview the brave Ivory from Melissa Kline's My Beginning.

Are you guys ready? Here we

GOOooo

So I chanced Ivory on her way out, but we had to be sneaky or we would've been caught! Whew!

MY BEGINNING is a young adult science fiction novel about sixteen-year-old Ivory, a girl who has spent her entire life sealed in an institution. A devastating plague wiped out scores of people and animals, polluting the earth and requiring that children never venture outside. Or is that all a lie? Ivory and Aidan decide to find out. They escape the institution and find a world unlike anything they had ever known.


Ivory's Interview - Institution Living:

E: What do you remember from your early childhood? 

IVORY:

I remember feeling happy and optimistic about life. The mother nurses who raised us were patient and compassionate. The plague and outside troubles were kept secret until we were transferred into the main building. 

E: Do you know anything about your biological parents? Did they survive the plague?

IVORY:

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about my biological parents other than the fact that they died from the plague. I think of them often and fantasize of their existence.

E: Tell me what a typical day is like at the institute?

IVORY:

Dull and monotonous. Every day is filled with the same daunting schedules
and routines. Boys and girls are separated into west and east wings and during the day everyone gathers toward the center where floors of classrooms, gyms, kitchens, dining rooms, a spacious auditorium and huge greenhouse occupy all of our time. We are forbidden to question authority, look at the opposite sex or misbehave in any way.

E: What do you do to stay true to yourself?

IVORY:

I detach as much as I can from the cold, uncompromising atmosphere and escape through dreams and stolen moments of silence. I hold onto the faith that there is more to the world than institution living. 

E: What makes you feel so “different”? Does this give you strength or fear?

IVORY:

I have never been well-liked amongst my peers and get teased for the way that I look. Since I have never seen a reflection of myself, I don't know what I look like, other than glancing down at myself. My skin is very fair, almost white - unlike anyone else. This makes me feel strange and insecure. 

E: When you are alone, what thoughts dominate your mind?

IVORY:

A world free from the plague where healthy people and animals roam the lands. I imagine what it would feel like to walk barefoot in nature - what smells, and sights I might encounter. I fantasize about breaking free from the institution. Sometimes I analyze and question the technicalities of institution existence, which is forbidden.

E: What is your fondest dream? What is your worst fear?

IVORY:

Freedom is what I dream of most. My worst fear is total extinction of the human race. 

E: What do you want to do with your life when you “grow up”?

 IVORY:

Unfortunately, I do not have a choice. My life has been mapped out for me. When I am old enough and have completed my studies, I will be transferred to another institution where I will be of service to other children as a mother nurse. There are no other options.  

E: Is there some part of you that wants to start a new life and share it with the children you love?

IVORY:

Yes! I'd love to break free from the institution walls and create my own existence. How fun it would be to explore and see what the world outside looks like. I fantasize of this often. 

E: How possible do you see yourself changing life as you know it?

IVORY:

I don't think that it is impossible, but I'm not sure I'd be able to have the courage to actually go through with rebelling. Children who misbehave are punished and sent away. If the opportunity presented itself, possibly with the help of another, I might take the risk. 

E: What kind of what-if questions run through your head on a daily basis?

IVORY:

What if...

There had been no plague

My parents survived

I could fly

They are lying to us

I could escape

E: Do you feel that there is more to life than this?

IVORY:

Yes! I believe it with all of my heart. I am not sure how or why, but there has to be more!

E: Do you have any words of wisdom to share with your readers?

IVORY:

Be true to yourself, follow your heart and never stop dreaming.

How can people find out more about your book?

Lucky Press Website: www.luckypress.com/melissakline.html

My Beginning Book Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=52y52Bu9cMc

Melissa Kline's Website: www.melissaklineauthor.com

Lucky Press Blog: http://luckypress.blogspot.com/

Reflections on Writing Blog: http://melissakline.blogspot.com/

Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com

Amazon: www.amazon.com

Ivory, that was one wild interview, I would've lost all my nails by now from biting them if I wasn't holding this pad of paper and pen. Thanks for your time!


Tuesday:   Dark Heirloom by J.D. Brown, Jalmari ta Korento's Interview.

♥.•*¨ Agatha, Character Interview ¨*•.♥

We are about to embark on a chilling journey with Agatha, S.B. Niccum's Veiled. Visit the author's website here if you dare!



Thank you for the chance to interview you, Agatha. Some of these questions are soul-searching, I hope not to cause you too much discomfort. Are you ready?





The Second One has the driving desire to deny everyone their freedom. Please explain your relationship with him.

-He chose me as his mate of-course, there were others…vying for his attention. But he chose me, I didn’t seek him out like the others, he found me. *smirk* I was amusing myself with some lesser intelligences. He thought I had…promise. Now, I’m his queen and we will reign for ever as the rulers of Earth.



Do you have an ulterior motive for such loyalty? Why or why not?

-*dark looks your way* Spirits follow us simply because they need a ruler. All human spirits have…kingly tendencies. They crave to be ruled over; they want someone stronger and more powerful than them to tell them what to do. It gives them a sense of …complacency…comfort…ease.



Everyone was given the opportunity to choose which leader to follow. You hesitated, and your choice took you by surprise just as much as it did everyone else. Could you please tell us what went through your mind as you chose?

-I have no idea what you’re talking about.


 (Denial, classic . . .)



After the separation in Heaven from the Second One, did you feel as if you were losing your identity as his mate? If so, in what way?

-*venomous look* No. Never. I have a plan. I always have a plan.



Your choice probably made the Second One lose all faith in you. How do you propose to prove yourself to him?

-I don’t have to explain myself to you, you insolent little…. What I did, I did for a reason. The Second One needs me on the other side. I will be of better use for him on Earth.

As far as proving myself to him…I can show you myself ... come, follow me to this alcove…you won’t feel a thing…I promise.



Do you believe that living on Earth will change you in any way?

-I will never change. I will prove to him, *smug look* and because I will have a body, I will be greater than the Second One ever was!


Does it frighten you that you will forget all you know—especially your status as Queen—once you’re sent to Earth? Do you think you’re choice will strengthen or weaken you after the test? Do you believe your followers will wait for you?

-Nothing frightens me!

I am confident that I will remember who I was, if not fully, at least partially. I will rise again as Queen, if not in title, I will in power.



What do you think of the saying, “It is better to be the Devil’s right hand than in his path”? Is that why you’re so loyal to the Second One?

*Daggers at you*

-I’m not afraid of anyone, if that’s what you’re implying. The Second One will aid me, you wait and see. He chose me as his mate, he’ll choose me again.



Please be extremely honest—I promise you that the Second One will not hear of this: Was there ever a time in your entire existence that you truly wanted what the Eternals promised?

-You are an infuriating little creature, and if I had a body, I would have my hands tightly clasped around your neck right now.

Have you ever had a taste, even I its slightest, of peace, love and happiness?

-The minute I get my hands on you, I will.



Are you aware that misery is a choice? Are you content to remain as such for eternity?

-What you consider misery I don’t. I thrive on the misery of others, I relish anguish and discord. If I ever feel those things for myself…then I consider myself content.



What words of wisdom do you have for your readers?

-There’s a song I heard just as I was infiltrating a mortal’s…club, is it? “…don’t hang on, all we are is dust in the wind…” Just remember that, *coiling* we are nothing but dust…nothing…nothing.



*Shivers* Ooh, I feel faint! It feels like dark shadows are rushing through me, I’ll take this as my sign to leave. Thank you for your time here in your lovely cave, Agatha. I wish you the best with your upcoming challenges. By the way, Celeste isn’t as bad as you think! :P

The trailer ROCKS!




This Monday: My Beginning by Melissa Kline, Ivory's Interview.