Author Interview

Author Interview with Cole Gibsen

 in Author Interview / Books by

I got the incredible honor of interview a fantastic, amazing, and totally cool author, Cole Gibsen, who wrote the Katana series; the reviews of which can be found here and here.

She was one of the nicest and easiest authors to interview so far and I absolutely loved all of her answers: most of them made me laugh.

I really hope that you like her answers as well!

Click here to check out her awesome website and contact her as she loves to hear from her readers and is sooooooo nice!

I would like to send my thanks to Cole Gibsen for taking the time to answer my questions. It was such an honor to interview you. Now without further adieu, here is the interview.

1. Why did you start writing? What inspired you to do so?

I grew up in a house with a stepdad who was fond of smashing my self esteem. I always wanted to be a writer, it was what I enjoyed doing, but I never tried because I thought I was too stupid to ever get published. It wasn’t until after I met and married my husband, a man who encouraged me to follow my dreams, that I decided to write my first book.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for the Katana series?

I was actually in a taekwondo class when the idea came to me. I’d just gotten my ass handed to me on a plate by a brown belt. I was nursing a black eye with an icepack when I wondered, What if I was super awesome at martial arts without ever taking a class? That would be sweet. I thought in order for that to be a possibility, I would probably have to be a reincarnated ninja or something. From there the idea for KATANA was born.

3. Why were you so interested in the topic of Samurai’s?

I love martial arts and became very interested in the history of things like aikido and jujitsu early on.

4.  What was involved in writing a series like this? Was there research involved for the weapons and fighting styles?

I literally read a stack of books at tall as me on everything from samurai weapons, history, and lifestyle. I even consulted with several martial arts experts and had them help choreograph tricky fight scenes. A video on this can be seen here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NjszcnCZPM

5.  Do you know how many books are going to be in the Katana series yet?

Three! The third and final book comes out March, 2014!

 6. As your book is about Samurai, have you ever been to Japan, want to go there, or plan to go some time?

I am currently in the midst of planning a trip. It’s been my dream to go, but holy wow is it expensive! Of course, I want to do everything when I get there, from observing a tea ceremony to watching artisans craft katanas. I can’t wait!

7.  Do you have any specific ‘rituals’ that you have to do before you can write? I.e. a lit candle, have a packet of mints, special pen, etc.

It’s kind of silly, but I can’t write in absolute silence, and I can’t write with music, either. I either need to write in a coffees shop, or fake one at home with www.coffitivity.com

8. On the weekend what can you be found doing?

Either practicing or competing in dog agility with my Australian Shepherd.

9. What are your top 5 favorite books and movies?

Anything comic related! I adore comic books and comic book movies. I’m really looking forward to the next Avengers and X-Men movie. And I’m obsessed with the new All New X-Men and X-Men comic series.

10. Do you have any pet’s and if so what are they?

Aside from writing, I’ve been a professional dog trainer for over twelve years, so my pack is quite large. *grin* I have Sniper, the moody border collie, Jack the goofy lab, and Tag my athletic, princess Australian shepherd. Ruling over them all is Pickles, my grumpy grey tabby cat.

11. If you were stranded on an island and you could chose five things to be dropped off to you (not including a cell phone, or transportation) and you had shelter and food – what would they be and why?

Hmm….My family, definitely, because they’re super awesome and even bad situations are fun when they’re around. This includes my brother, because someone needs to swim out into the water and see if there are sharks. (Just kidding, Tim!) I also need Krunchers Dill Potato chips because I can’t live without them, an endless stack of books, sun screen because I burn like a mother, and my iPad so I don’t fall too far behind in Candy Crush.

12. If you could meet one author, who would it be and why?

Peter S. Beagle because he wrote THE LAST UNICORN, one of my favorite books as a child, as well as my inspiration for wanting to become an author.

13. What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?

Okay, I know this is gross, but when I was pregnant I ate Twizzlers dipped in hot wing sauce. Don’t judge. 😉

Interview With My YA Librarian!!

 in At the Library / Author Interview / Fun / Library / Young Adult by

Well, following on with my occasional series of interviews with really interesting people, here we have another amazing interview. But this time it is not with a blogger or an author. It’s with the one, the only, Omar the YA Librarian at my local library. Doesn’t everyone wish for that amazing YA librarian that you can talk to, joke with, learn about books, and just have an overall good time with? Well this is Omar. He has all of the jokes down pat. He knows his books inside and out, and he is just in general a great person.

How many librarians do you know, who know your book preferences so well, know books that you may enjoy, so that when you arrive at your library, you already have a book on hold for you, hand picked, by your librarian? Well, I only know one. And that one is none other than (drum roll please) Omar. Now without further adieu, I would like to introduce you to my amazing librarian.

Well thanks to this lovely YA librarian, my library card is about to wear out – the poor thing is about to snap in half.

What made you want to become a librarian?

I always loved books and movies and stuff, and I always liked being around other people who loved books and movies and stuff.  I love talking about stories and introducing people to new stories they may not have heard about. What better place offers all those things more than a library?  My first job when I was a teenager was working as a page at a local library and I did that until the first year of college.  During college, I was a student librarian at my school’s library and I really enjoyed it, but dummy me didn’t realize I could make a career out of it until I graduated.  After a few years of doing small jobs, I went to grad school for library science.  And after that, I lucked out and found an opening for a YA librarian.  And here we are.

What were your friends’ reactions when they heard you were going to be a librarian?

They were all really happy.  For a lot of them, they knew me since I started working at my college and public libraries, so they always associated me with libraries.  They figured that I was finally able to find doing something I loved to do, and now they wouldn’t have to listen to me complain about fielding customer service calls during Christmas and New Years.  That’s a whole other story, by the way.

What is the best thing about your job?

Far too many.  If I could narrow it to just one thing, I would say the people.  The people I work with are intelligent, unique, and quite experienced, be it in the library world or just in general.  I always learn from them, and they’ve always helped me out.  And let’s not forget about the patrons.  The library takes all walks of life with their own wants and ticks, and I love helping them out.  There is nothing better than seeing someone walk out of a library happy.

What is the worst thing about your job?

Not having enough time to read everything!  The young adult scene is filled with all types of genres and unique perspectives from a wide assortment of writers.  There’s always something interesting in this field, but there’s never enough time to read it all.

What are you currently reading?

Right now, I’m reading “A Storm of Swords” by George R.R. Martin, the third in his “Song of Ice and Fire” series, as well as Kim Newman’s “Anno Dracula.”  I also have a book on writing I’m picking through, and a few pre-release copies of YA books (I’m gonna keep those a secret, come to the library to find out!).

And there’s also a ton of graphic novels and manga that I’m addicted to — seriously, I gotta stop buying those — but those I can finish in a snap, so no harm right?….Right?

What new YA book would you recommend?

There are a lot of good/new books out there, so I’m bound to either forget a couple or wind up mentioning too much.  So I’m just gonna throw out a few quick recommendations:

“When a Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness is really good, especially if you
want something that’s a mix of creepy and sad.  For fans of romance and drama, there’s “The Future of Us” by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, and “Stay With Me” by Paul Griffin.  The relationships in those books are realistic but they also have room to play around with interesting fictional ideas.  For excitement I recommend “The Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater if you’re in a fantasy-mood, and “Legend” by Marie Lu if you’re feeling science fiction-y.  Finally, for a mix of science-fiction, adventure, and romance, there’s “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer.

What are your top 5 favorite books?

Off the top of my head, “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy; “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexander Dumas; “Dune” by Frank Herbert; “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain; and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams.  I read all of those at different points in my life and culled different meanings out of them.  Also, they were pretty entertaining too, that helps.

What are your top 5 favorite movies?

Off the top of my head, I’d say “The Seven Samurai,” “The Godfather,” “Casablanca,” “Brazil,” and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”  Those are movies I’ve watched numerous times, and can watch several more times.  I also have books on these movies and their film makers, as well as numerous other books on film.  What can I say?  I’m a film junkie.

What, in your opinion, are some of the best books to movies ever?

It’s funny, some of the best movies that were based on books were based on books very few people ever HEARD OF, let alone READ!  Everyone remembers “Psycho” and “Jaws,” but few people remember the books!  Guess it’s kinda hard to replicate a sinister-sounding violin in a book.  Other movies I can think of are “Dr. Strangelove,” “The Godfather,” “First Blood,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” (Really!), “Rashomon,” “The Thing,” (I liked John Carpenter’s version more than Howard Hawks’) “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Planet of the Apes,” and — of all things — “Die Hard,” which was loosely based off a book called “Nothing Lasts Forever.”  And all of those are movies that I love.

What is your favorite soundtrack(s)?

I’m probably gonna get laughed at for these, but I love, LOVE Basil Poloudoris’ soundtracks for “Robocop” and the original “Conan the Barbarian.”  I love anything that sounds “epic” and Poloudoris’ music was the definition of epic…at least in terms of cinema. I also have a soft spot for Joe Hisaishi’s music.  If you’ve ever seen movies like “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” or “Howl’s Moving Castle” you would have heard his music.  Most of his compositions can flux between whimsical and grand, but they’re always fantastic.

Describe your favorite reading spot.

I have this old arm chair in the corner of my bedroom.  My desk is on one side, my book shelf is on the other, and behind me is my window.  I like sitting their and reading with my feet resting on my desk chair, usually with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

If you could meet any book character who would it be and why?

Can I say Winnie the Pooh?  He was just such a silly ol’ bear; always found something interesting in the world around him.  I admire that.  Even if he was such a dummy. Tarzan is another one.  The idea of someone living in the jungle and making friends with animals has been a boyhood dream of mine.  Same with Conan, but he might be a bit too intense. I guess Sherlock Holmes and Jay Gatsby would be cool, but I have a feeling that they’d be too infatuated with other stuff.

If you would be transported into one of your favorite books, which would it be and why?

Oh no!  You’re not gonna trick me that easily!  I’ve seen/read “The Pagemaster,” and getting transported into a book can kill you! Any place I’d love to visit in a book, I can only imagine horrible things happening.  “The Lord of the Rings?” I don’t wanna get caught in a bloody war with medieval-era weaponry flying around.  Same with “The Hunger Games.”  “Dune?”  A desert planet?  I can’t even stand going to beach, let alone an ENTIRE planet made of sand.  “Neuromancer?”  Okay, cool computers everywhere, but the crime rate is terrifying. I guess if I could think of ONE place to go, it would probably be Dave Barry’s “Big Trouble.”  Everyone in that book were funny/insane, but it took place in Florida, so at least the weather would be nice.

Do you have any pets, and if so what are they and what are there names?

Unfortunately, I am without pets.  I’ve always wanted a dog ever since I was young, but it was never in the cards.  My fiance and I do want to get a dog or two at some point.  Probably something like a King Charles cavalier spaniel or Irish setter.  And I’d probably call them Mr. Cabadoo and Son Goku.  This is all speculation, of course.

 

So, what a great interview with such interesting answers! Who knew? Thanks Omar!!!!

    

Interview with Parenthetical

 in Author Interview / Blog Events / Fun / Interesting by

I got a lovely chance to interview Sam @ Parenthetical. I will be returning the favor soon and doing an interview for her but she was very thoughtful enough to answer these questions with some very interesting answers.

I hope that you like the interview and please check out her amazing blog some time.

Thank you Sam for taking the time to answer these questions.

What are your top 5 favorite books of this year?

These didn’t all come out this year, I don’t think, but that’s when I read them:

Do you have any pets and if so what are they and what are their names?

I don’t! I grew up with cats and dogs, but at this point I’m too allergic to the former and not home enough for the latter. I’m looking for the magical pet that basically takes care of itself, cuddles with me, and doesn’t make me sneeze. I’m pretty sure “stuffed animal” is the answer.

What is your favorite type of food to eat at the beach?

Ooh. It used to be cheese and crackers, because I love how the cheese half-melts in the heat. But I can’t eat cheese anymore. So this summer it was corn chips and guacamole, which is also delicious.

If you were stranded on an island and you could chose five thing to be dropped off to you (not including a cell phone, or transportation) and you had shelter and food – what would it be?

I would choose any way of communicating with the outside world. Even if it doesn’t help me get off the island, I’d want my laptop and a satellite hookup. And a battery crank. If I were stranded on the island with a group of people I liked, then I would chill a little about the communication and ask for: sunscreen, really good cookies, a copy of Rise Up Singing for entertaining ourselves around the campfire, notebooks, and pens.

If you could meet one author, who would it be and why?

I’ve been fortunate enough to get to meet most of my favorite authors! Being a YA blogger and librarian in a major city is a pretty great gig, author-meeting-wise. So I’ll have to pick H. M. Hoover, with whose children’s sci-fi novels I was obsessed when I was a kid. I read her books over and over and used to dream about meeting her. Wikipedia says she’s still alive, at 76, so it could still happen!

If you had the option to be teleported into one of your favorite books, what would it be and why?

Most of my favorite books are not at all places I’d want to live. I mean, who wants to live in Panem? But Green Gables sounds nice, as does Mary Russell‘s turn-of-the-century England.

What are your top 5 favorite movies?

Heavenly Creatures
Office Space
I Capture the Castle
all 7 seasons of Buffy (does that count as a movie?)
all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights (ditto)I am much more a TV person than a movie person.

What is the most interesting title of a book you have seen?

Fun question! My friend, who is an editor, posts her favorites on Facebook regularly, but I’m drawing a blank. I’ll admit to being a sucker for Ally Carter’s punny Gallagher Girls titles: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover, etc. Louise Rennison also wins at titles: Startled by His Furry Shorts, Love Is a Many Trousered Thing, etc.

What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?

Reindeer. Or alligator. Both were made into sausage (in Alaska and New Orleans, respectively), so they pretty much just tasted like sausage. I’m also pretty sure I’ve eaten all kinds of odd things at dim sum, but I didn’t know what I was eating, so who knows?

If you could do 5 really expensive things or own 5 really expensive items what would they be?

A house in my (urban, very pricey) hometown of Somerville, MA — a couple of bedrooms, a nice big kitchen, walking distance to the subway, but with enough sunny yard space for a mini-farm. That’s so expensive it probably eats up my other 4 expensive things, but while we’re dreaming I’d like: to endow a college scholarship for students at the GED school where I tutor, a New Zealand vacation, a nice big gift certificate to one of my favorite fancy restaurants, and… it’s boring, but I’d want to finish paying for the expensive thing I already did: grad school.

If you could live your entire life on a beach by the ocean in the Caribbean being served food or live in a mansion with tons of books, which one would you choose?

The mansion. I’m all set with just spending a few days a year at the beach, really. And in the mansion I could probably cook my own food, which would make me a lot happier!

What is currently on your iPod?

Lots of episodes of This American Life that I need to catch up on.

Author Interview with Colleen Houck

 in Author Interview / Books / Fantasy / Fun / Interesting / Young Adult by

I got the unimaginable honor to interview Colleen Houck, the author of my two favorite books, Tiger’s Curse and Tiger’s Quest. I asked her a lot of questions and I have to thank her for taking the time to ask my questions. Her answers were very interesting.

I would like to thank Collen Houck for doing an interview with me. It was such an honor and I cannot wait to read her next book Tiger’s Voyage. Thank you for taking the time.

Now let us get to the fun part. Reading my annoying questions and reading her amazing answers.

Enjoy!!!!!

What inspired you to write The Tiger Series?

I loved the story of Beauty and the Beast and knew I wanted to do a play on that. After I chose a white tiger for my beast, research led me to India and the tiger myths of that culture.  I plotted out the entire series shortly after that.

Where did you get the character ideas from – did something fuel the idea for the characters, or was it pure imagination?

I put a lot of myself in my main character Kelsey though she has much more courage than I do.  Mr. Kadam is half Mr. Spock and half Mr. Roark from Fantasy Island.  I name secondary characters after my nieces and nephews and loaned Kelsey my grandmother.  So I’d say that parts of my characters are based on real people and the other parts are imagination.

What made you want to start writing?

I was inspired to write after reading the Twilight Series.  I loved the romance and the epic quality of the books and when I found out that Stephenie Meyer was a stay-at-home mom who just got up one day and started to write a book, I thought, “Why not me?”  It was knowing her story and J.K. Rowling’s that gave me the courage to give writing a try.

Have you written any other book or are you thinking of writing any more books?

I’ve written a few children’s books featuring my poodle but I never tried to get them published.  I’ve also written a few short stories that I think are fun but the Tiger Series is my first major attempt at writing.  I have a long list of story ideas that I hope to turn into books someday.

Do you have a favorite type of genre of book which you like to read?

I’m a sucker for romance but I prefer it to be more on the mild side so YA is a perfect fit for me.  I love Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance, and just added Steampunk to my list as well.

Are you currently reading anything, and if so what is it?

One of my favorite series is the FIRELIGHT series by Sophie Jordan and the book I am reading next is Amy Plum’s zombie romance (interesting isn’t it) called DIE FOR ME.  I also like recommending Beth Revis.  Her series is ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.

When you saw how popular your books were and the reviews that they were getting, what was your initial reaction?

Excitement!  My favorite thing is talking to people about my books and seeing other people get just as excited as I am is incredible.

What is the hardest part about writing?

I really struggle with the battle scenes.  Romance comes easily for me and I love writing it but I sometimes slog through battle and pick my brother’s brain to get everything set up just right.

What do you think helped get your book so popular (besides it being such a great story?)

I’m a good self promoter. I work really hard at marketing myself and try to stay open to the fans as much as possible.  I want to give them a great experience with my books so I hold a lot of contests and respond to fans as much as possible.  Also I think there are a lot of multi-cultural elements in my series that appeal to a worldwide audience.

Do you have any regrets or any things that you wish you could change about the books which you have published?

I feel very satisfied with how the books are coming out.  If I would change anything it would be to add more.  There are so many little side stories I’d like to tell and pieces of the world there that I’d like to explore but that will have to be saved for later books.

Out of the entire set of characters which you have created, who is your favorite (if you have one?)

My favorite character is Mr. Kadam.  He is someone I really admire and wish was real.  I’d love to be able to meet him and talk with him.

Do you own any pets and if so what are they?

I did own a little toy poodle.  She passed away a year ago after living with us for fourteen long years. I haven’t felt ready yet to get a new pet.

If you could choose any animal to be your pet, what would it be?

Probably another poodle.

Do you ever wish you could be transported into your book, so you could live, experience, and see the world which Ren, Kishan, and Kelsey experienced?

Everyday.

When you are not writing, what could you be found doing?

Watching movies, reading, catching up with my family, and going shopping with friends.

What are your top 5 favorite books (not including your own?)

GONE WITH THE WIND, ECLIPSE, A WRINKLE IN TIME, OF MICE AND MEN, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA.  (These are just a few but I have many more)

If you were sent to a desert island, which five things would you take with you(you don’t have to be realistic)?

A net, a knife, seeds, rope, my husband

What is your writing ritual?

I write in the afternoons.  I always light a scented candle and have a fridge full of drinks and snacks. I keep my plush tigers nearby for inspiration.