Interview with Cyndi Tefft (Author of Between)

Ambur: Hi Cyndi! Thanks so much for stopping by! :D
Cyndi: Hi, Ambur! *waves*


Why don’t we start off with you telling us a bit about yourself, and about your book, Between?
I live in the Pacific Northwest, where the weather is as rainy and overcast as the Scottish Highlands. So I have a nice tan, as you can imagine. XD

Between is a love story set in the afterlife between a modern American girl who dies in a car accident and the 18th century Scottish Highlander who comes to take her to heaven. It's geared towards older teens (and adults who are young at heart). It's my first book and launched on June 1st!


Between was an amazing story, I absolutely loved the chemistry between Lindsey and Aiden. How did you come up with the remarkable love story between them?
Thanks! I am so glad you enjoyed it! *grin*

I wanted to write a good-versus-evil story but felt that angels and demons had already been done quite a bit, so I decided to come up with my own version. Aiden is a Transporter (a sort of grim reaper) and he has a counterpart (the Hell Transporter) who is featured in the sequel. The sequel is about one-third written right now, so I don't have a set release date for it yet.

I am a sucker for a good love story, so anything I write will have a romantic component to it. ♥


Some of my favourite parts of Between were when Lindsey and Aiden were casting, where did you come up with that idea?
The characters are able to “cast” the scene while they are in the realm in between, and there are two ways to do it. They can either cast a memory which plays out before them (not allowing them to interact with people), or they can cast an environment that is fully malleable, but they can’t include any people. It’s a cross between A Christmas Carol and the Star Trek Halodeck.

I can’t really say how I came up with it. I just wanted to provide them with an interactive environment where they could get to know one other and learn about each other’s lives. I really enjoy time travel novels, so blending history with the present was one of my motivations.


In your author blurb you said that you loved Scotland, what makes you love it so much?
I fell in love with Scotland while reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Her writing was so engaging and vivid that the characters and setting captivated me in a way nothing else ever had. It was like a key fitting into a lock, and the love of Scotland just clicked into place within me.

You’d have to go back about 400 years to find a drop of Scottish blood in my ancestry. I know because I signed up for Ancestry.com specifically to research that! LOL One of my prized possessions is a dirk with a glass hilt that I bought at our local Scottish Highland games. Yep, a definite Scot-freak!


Any books that you’d like to recommend now that I’m desperate to read about more highlanders?
I haven't come across other YA novels with highlanders, but it is a pretty common theme in adult romance titles. Some of them are downright awful cheese-fests, but some are really good. If you haven't read it yet, I'd definitely start with Gabaldon's Outlander series. It is most definitely an adult title, but it's also the best love story I've ever read.


Do you have any advice to share with other prospective authors out there?
My advice to writers would be that no matter where you are in your writing process (haven't started, just finished a draft, ready to go with a polished manuscript), start social networking now if you haven't already done so. Create a blog and get followers. Set up an author page on Facebook. Play and connect with other writers (and readers) on Twitter. Join communities on Goodreads, LinkedIn, AbsoluteWrite, Authonomy and others. Marketing is about getting your book in front of people, so the more eyes you have access to, the more successful you will be when the time comes. Above all, be friendly and supportive!


Anything else you’d like to share?
Writing is hard work. There are a million other things that you could be doing instead of writing. If, after you finish a manuscript, edit it, and get feedback on it, you are able to land an agent and a publisher quickly, then some would say you’re lucky, that you were in the right place at the right time. That may well be so. Still, you wouldn’t have been there at all if it weren’t for the time and effort you put into the writing in the first place.

Certainly, some writers get lucky, while others are stuck waiting in the wings. It’s not always about the quality of the book. That moment of opportunity may be the self-publishing revolution that allows authors to bypass publishers and take their stories directly to readers. It may be something else entirely. The important thing is to not give up. Being ready when the opportunity comes along is what will ultimately result in your success.

Thanks so much for having me on the blog. I had a great time!

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Between is available in both print and ebook format from a variety of online retailers:
Ebook only: Smashwords, Apple
Print only: Createspace, My website (signed copy)
Print and ebook: Amazon, Barnes and Noble


There are a variety of ways to connect with me online: My blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing.

I hope you all enjoyed Cyndi's answers as much as I did, and I definitely recommend that you check out her book, Between, I thought it was an amazing story. :D

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Interview with Erin Jamison!

Ambur:  Hey Erin! Thanks for stopping by! :) Let’s start with an introduction. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Erin:  I am a self published author that writes erotic romance stories of strong female characters who doubt themselves initially but then find their inner strength. I work full time and write part time. I’m a mother of one 11 year old boy. I was born and raised in Virginia

What was it that got you into writing?

In high school, English was my best subject and the one I was always advanced in. I had an assignment to write a short story. I didn’t put a whole lot of effort into the story but when I sat down to do it, it just poured out. I thought for sure I was just rambling. I read it back and it seemed ok. Then I was unsure. I wanted to pick it apart but thankfully, I had a deadline so it kept me from being too picky. I got back an A+. 

I remember the feeling. I thought, “Wow….I did that.” Despite that euphoria, I let self doubt deter me. I didn’t write another story until 3 years ago. When I started however, the flood gates opened and the ideas, pieces of dialogue, and concepts became a geyser that is not likely to be shut off anytime soon.

Any advice for other aspiring authors out there?

Well yeah. I’ve written about some of these on my blog (http://erinjamison.wordpress.com). There is a lot of advice out there and everybody has an opinion. The best writers are readers. If you’re not reading, you don’t take time out to read, or you don’t get back into reading after your project, you lose something. 

Take for instance my book, Better Than 8 Fantasy. I wrote what I like to read. I am the reader I want to attract. I read for pleasure but I also read for tone, technique, pacing, sensuality, build up, etc. Basically, I studied book by book. I took workshops from Savvy Authors and local workshops by RWA chapters to learn the craft from other authors. Who better to teach that the people who have been through the fire and come out the other side.

Don’t be afraid to fail. If you don’t start you can’t fail but you also never take a chance. You think you got a great story to tell? Try it out on friends. God knows my dear friends probably feel like pin cushions because I was always trying out stuff on them whether they or I knew it or not. I didn’t have a critique group; I used my friends. Wow it sounds so awful to say because I didn’t even ask them.  The same funny story that you might take 10 minutes to tell to a group of friends, take that same story and write it out. Give the story as much description and feeling so your reader can pick up on the emotion you’re trying to convey. Send it out to friends and then follow up with them. Ask them what they thought, did they think it was funny, would they like to hear more stuff. If your material is more of a serious nature, still do the same thing. Think of it as sending them excerpts. Most friends will tell that its either good or it’s a good start.

I know you like to write, and on your website it says you’re an avid reader, so what are some of your favourite books?

Are there any fellow Cellies about there ‘cause I am a JR Ward fan. I absolutely love her. I aspire one day to be able to write all those POV’s and keep track of them the way she does. The way she weaves those plot lines together is definite skill and I’m a student.

I also love Kallysten, Shiloh Walker, Rhyannon Byrd, and Larissa Ione.

What do you hope people take away from your writing?

I hope people enjoy the sense of camaraderie among the women, humor, and finding the strength to go after what you want. Nothing is out of your league until you allow it to be. Don’t’ second guess yourself. 

Any other comments that you’d like to share?

You can find me:

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/httpwwwgoodreadscomerinjamison

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/erinjamison_

Facebook http://tinyurl.com/erin-jamison-author

Website http://erinjamison.com

Thanks again for letting me interview you Erin, it’s been great! :D

I hope you all enjoyed Erin's interview as much as I did! 

Don't forget to leave her some comments. :)

 Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Interview with Lori Brighton & Giveaway!

I have an awesome guest on my blog today! Lori Brighton the author of The Mind Readers, which I reviewed a couple weeks ago HERE.Now, without further ado, here is our interview:

Ambur: Hi Lori! Thanks for stopping by my blog for this interview, I’m so glad to have you here. :)

Lori: Thank you for having me!

I’m curious, what gave you the idea for The Mind Readers?

It was in one of those moments when I wondered, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to know what he/she was thinking?’ And I paused and realized, actually, maybe it wouldn’t be so great. You’d know when people thought you looked like crap, or if you looked fat in your jeans. It would be horrible for your self-confidence!

How did you come up with your different characters? Are they based on people you know, or did they reveal themselves to you while you wrote their story? And just so you know, I absolutely loved Cam’s character, she’s a fantastic heroine!

As for my characters, no, none are based on anyone in particular, although I do take bits and pieces from reality. In the beginning of the book you have a bunch of teens who want to be popular. Let’s face, that’s completely true. Deep down we all want to be liked. Even adults. I also touch on the subject of older men seducing young girls, which, unfortunately, happens way too often in society.

First of all, I’m so glad you liked Cam! People seem to either get her or not. I’ve read reviews in which people have complained that she wasn’t strong enough. The thing is I try to give my characters some sort of weakness. A lot of readers, especially in the paranormal genre, want characters to be these strong, kick-butt heroines. And that’s great, but not exactly realistic. I try to give my characters a touch of realism; I like to see them grow. I’ve had readers write to me and say they loved how realistic my heroine, Cameron, is. They loved the fact that she grew in the story. Other’s didn’t care for her and wanted her to be kick-butt right from the beginning. As I said, I like to have a little realism.

I’ve already asked you this, but I’ll ask again so everyone can know the answer. :)

Do you have any plans for a sequel to The Mind Readers?

Yes! There will be three books in all. I’m working on the second one now, although I’m not positive when it will be out.

This is definitely a favourite question among interviews with authors, but I figured it’s always worth hearing the answer to, sorry if you get it a lot. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

No, I haven’t. lol. I’ve always had a huge imagination and I’ve always made up stories, but my grades in English weren’t great. I wasn’t flunking (had about a B average in High School), but I wasn’t at the top of my class either. The rules that went along with English class bored me and took the fun out of writing. Because I wasn’t some advanced student in English class, I figured it wasn’t in me to be a writer. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I decided to give it a try.

Being an author, I’m guessing that you love to read. So, do you have any suggestions?

                                                   

Actually, I don’t read nearly as much as I used to before I started writing. I’m so busy now, that I rarely have time. But… when I was young my favorite YA stories were The Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables and Cynthia Voigt books.

I love the Harry Potter books! Just recently I read the Ally Carter Spy books and loved them!

I know authors aren’t supposed to play favourites with their characters, but do you have one? Or even one that you just relate better to than the others?

Well, I also write romances, but those are a little more… more intimacy, more cursing…  so for 18 years and up. But as for characters from my adult books or YA, I really don’t have a favorite. My favorite is usually the character I’m writing at the moment. I’m a little shallow like that, lol.

Did you have a playlist or a certain song that you listened to while writing The Mind Readers? I’m a big fan of author and book playlists. :)

I wish I did! But honestly, I am addicted to T.V. so if I have something on, it’s the television. I try to write in my office, where it’s quiet so I can concentrate. When I do listen to music, it’s mostly Indie bands.

Now onto a couple of random questions:

Paperback or Hardcover? Paperbacks are easier to handle. But actually, I just recently got an Ereader and that’s my new love!

Reptile or Rodent?  Both. Neither bothers me. I was a natural science interpreter and we had to handle mice and snakes.

Plane or Train? Car. When my husband drives, I can spend the trip writing on my laptopJ If I a long trip, then Plane, although they do make me a little nervous.

Slushie or Iced Coffee? Slushie. I’m not a big coffee drinker. If I drink coffee, it has to have a lot of milk and sugar. 

Cash or Cheque?  Cash or credit card.

Online or In-Store Shopping? In store! Because I work at home, when I go to the store it’s often the only time I can interact with people. Plus, with clothing, I have to try it on first.

Mind Reading or Teleporting? Or would you rather have something else?

Definitely teleporting! I love to travel. Mind reading would suck! To know when someone thought you looked fat. And even if you were able to hear the thoughts of some criminal, what could you possibly do about it? If you went to the police they wouldn’t believe you! They’d probably put you in a mental ward.

Thank you so much for this interview Lori, and thanks for sharing your amazing story with us. :)

Thanks so much for having me! 

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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!! :D

Lori has generously offered to giveaway 3 ebook copies of her book, The Mind Readers!
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and it will run from January 24th until February 1st (ends @ midnight MST).
There are no requirements for entry, just make sure that you have written down the correct email and that you check my blog to see if you're a winner.
One entry per person, and the three winners will be chosen using random.org. They will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize.


To enter this giveaway all you have to do is fill out this FORM.

****This giveaway is now closed****

Please do not leave your entries in the comments, only entries in the form will be counted. You don't have to be a follower to enter this giveaway, and there will be 3 winners! :D

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I loved having Lori on my blog! I hope you all enjoyed our interview and that you plan on entering this awesome giveaway! This story was amazing, and it's definitely one to add to your to-read lists! I'd love to here your comments on the interview, and if anyone wants to answer my random questions, I'd love to hear them! ;)

Happy Reading!!!