Damned When I I Didn't by Cherie Coyler

Welcome, Cherie. Tell us about what you write.

I write paranormal and fantasy stories grounded in the real world. My published novels are young adult paranormal romances. I have a middle-grade ghost story coming out later this year, and a couple adult paranormal romances in the works.

When did your writing journey begin? What drew you to writing?

Chicago Botanical Gardens.

I was in my thirties when I penned my first novel. My husband and I like to go for long walks. The photo is from the Chicago Botanical Gardens, one of our favorite places to go. During our walks, I’d talk about different story ideas I had. He’d chime in with his thoughts, and before we knew it, we’d have created a mini world hidden within our own. One day he asked me why I don’t write the story I talked about the most. So I did. And I enjoyed it so much I kept going until I honed my craft and found homes for some of my books. 

 What was your inspiration for Damned When I Didn’t?

The premise for this book blossomed from my desire to write something that hasn’t been done before, which isn’t easy when there are so many authors writing paranormal and supernatural stories. Well, you don’t find many YA succubus books. And then I thought, wouldn’t it be ironic if the succubus in my book is a virgin? How would that work? And how did she end up a succubus? Could she survive? Would she want to? I sure hoped so! So I put pen to paper and Avery Williams was born. She’s thrown into a life she didn’t ask for and she’s determined not to lose her human side or her morals.

Death isn’t the end for eighteen-year-old Avery Williams, and her final resting place isn’t beyond the Golden Gates. No, the Queen of the Damned has plans for her and, unbeknownst to Avery, fought hard to gain possession of her soul. As Hell’s newest succubus, Avery is expected to siphon life from the living. It only takes a long, meaningful kiss, but for a virgin like Avery, kissing guys she barely knows isn’t something she’s comfortable doing. Avery focuses on the upside of her fate—she’ll be returning home, or so she thinks. When the Queen of the Damned cuts her off from her old life, Avery is determined to find a way back to her family and friends, even if it means facing Hell’s fury if she’s caught.

 Any new projects on the horizon?

I’m thrilled to have my first middle grade ghost story Friends to the End coming out later this year with The Wild Rose Press. Between edits for that novel, I’ve been playing around with a sequel to Damned When I Didn’t and a couple adult paranormal romances.

Words of advice for fellow writers in the trenches:

About Cherie

Cherie Colyer is best known for her young adult, paranormal romance thrillers, including the Embrace series (featuring witchcraft) and Challenging Destiny (a story about outsmarting heaven and hell.) She usually has several book projects in the works. She enjoys helping budding writers improve their craft and learn more about the publishing industry. Cherie lives in Illinois with her family. She happily visits schools and libraries and is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators).

This sounds cliché, but read as much as you can, and read a little of everything. You can learn a lot about flow, characterization, plot, etc. by reading different books. And don’t give up. Writing is hard at times. First drafts often (maybe even always) suck. But that’s why we revise. So keep going, finish the first draft, and remember to have fun.

 What was the most interesting part of the story to write/research?

I like to learn as much as I can about the supernatural elements in my stories, put a unique twist on what I learn, and weave these elements into my stories. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about ghosts, angel and demon hierarchy, witchcraft, vampires, werewolves, and many more things that go bump in the night. I’ve also discovered some interesting locations, many of which are in my series.

Keep in Touch

Website ~  Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub

Excerpt:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Apple ~ Google Play ~ Kobo

I scurried to the bathroom, figuring I didn’t want to waste one second checking to see if there really were clothes for me in the closet. I took a speed-shower. I’d just finished wrapping a plush black towel around my body when the door opened. He wasn’t kidding about pushing me aside.

“Not bad, for a girl.” His hands went to the drawstring on his pajamas pants.

“At least let me get out of here.” I turned sideways to squeeze past him, accidently bumping into his hand as I stepped into the hallway. The contact managed to move the towel enough to show the smooth skin of my hip and get my heart pounding a little quicker. Sure the sudden increase of my pulse was due to nerves—it had been a weird twenty-four hours—I hurried to the bedroom.

His laughter bellowed out of the small bathroom. “You’re going to have to loosen up if we’re going to be living together.”

“Do not!” I called back.

The shower started, but he’d left the door open. “Succubi are supposed to be promiscuous. Not shriek at the sight of a naked man.”

“Well, I’m not most succubi and you’re not a man,” I retorted.

My jaw dropped when I opened the closet and found it stuffed with clothes. The things on the right were obviously Cole’s. A hint of his cologne wafted off of them. The left side, however, was crammed with juniors’ jeans, skirts, tops, sweaters—everything I could possibly want and not department store knock-offs. Designer brands that I used to dream of owning.

I fanned through the various items, wishing I had time to try them all on. If Megan knew the road to Hell was stocked with the best clothes, she’d purchase a first-class ticket.

“So I’m not a man?” Cole asked from behind me.

He leaned against the doorframe, wearing a towel that conveniently hung low enough to emphasize his six-pack abs and the muscles leading to, you know. He didn’t bother to dry off either. His chest glistened with water droplets.

“I have parts that beg to differ,” he added

 

 

 

Windmills by Lyndi Alexander

Welcome, Lyndi!

Let’s talk about your book and its relevance to today and tomorrow…

Authors often agonize over whether their books will remain relevant, especially those who write young adult stories and others that use a particular setting or set of jargon to make their points. Even as I wrote the Color of Fear series, critique mates would point out the use of SoCal cadence in Valery Paz’s “Valley Girl speak,” and pop culture references in the banter of electrogeek Eddie Garrick. (It’s true, though–you can’t stop the signal.)

The series tells the story of a world hit by terrorism, and the apocalyptic plague that has wiped out most of the Caucasian population of the world. Mixed blood has saved some whites, but the majority of the survivors, especially in the hard-hit United States, are people of color. Blacks. Native Americans. Asians. Hispanics.

While those people are trying to recover and pull together the remains of the shattered nation, from out of a concrete bunker in the northwest comes Bernard Ellison, the self-styled Gabriel, a ideological brother-son of the Posse Comitatus, the American Vanguard and other white nationalists. Gabriel commandeers an abandoned radio station and broadcasts to the faithful:

A trip to the wild west for inspiration.

“How long, my friends, have those terrorists been watching and listening to our communications, so that they knew precisely when to strike? Bin Laden and his people clearly read our country’s weakness. The Universal Jihad Front that launched the Second Holocaust, they, too, understood how far our leaders had left us vulnerable. Listen to this.”  He played the government spokesman’s clip Eddie had played on his show a few days before. “Does that sound like a government that can protect you, my friends? I think not!

   “Without a strong, healthy government to keep those foreign devils off American ground, do you believe they just stayed home and played in the sand? How do we know they didn’t take advantage of the apocalypse to begin landing ships on our unprotected shores, spilling thousands of them out to take your wives and daughters? Will they recruit those of color who survived in this land? They are banding together, taking aim at the real Americans who are left.”

   The propaganda-filled diatribe paused for a moment, then continued, “My friends discovered a nest of potential murderers right here in our heartland just last night. We’d tried to contact these rebels, to show them the truth, but instead, they returned threats and violence. They ruined a major highway!”

   A note of stricken sadness came into his voice. “Now crossing our great land will be so much more difficult. Why do these people insist on destroying the world?”

At about the same time in the story, a small band of people trying to get to St. Louis, where the new capital is forming, have this conversation with a ham radio operator who’s keeping them informed of the state of the nation:

Inspiration for Kwan.

  “KC-five-NXS, KC-five-NXS, this is K-two-JJB. Hang, are you there? What’s going on?”

   “KC-five-NXS, yes, I’m here.” Hang settled onto the floor in front of the radio as the others gathered around. “Thanks for getting back to me. I wanted to let you know we’re going to be delayed—”

   “What? I don’t think you can wait any longer, son. Word came down this morning that Gabriel’s on the move. His people set off explosives all along the stretch of I-80 between Omaha and Lincoln, knocking out the road. It’s impassable.”

   “Cabron,” Valery hissed.

   San eyed Charlie, his worst fears coming to life. “We need a map,” he said.

   “I got one in the truck,” Terry said, and he hurried out.

   “Why would he do that?” Hang asked. “Don’t his people need to get around, too?”

   “Word has it that some groups in the two cities planned to set up a blockade, aiming to take Gabriel out. Apparently he just got the jump on them. He’s celebrating on his damned station, claiming the other side was the attacker. I’m not sure how much of what he says you can believe, but we’ve got confirmation from our men on the ground that there are plenty of dead, and they aren’t Gabe’s people.”

   “Whoa.” Deflated, Hang leaned back against the bookshelf where the radio sat.

   “How many dead?” Marie asked.

   “Reports range from just a few to hundreds, depending on who’s telling the story.”

   Terry came back with the map, and they spread it out on the table. Mere inches separated Lincoln from their intended route on Interstate 70, inches that translated into only one hundred and seventy miles. And they still had three states to cross moving east.

Sound familiar? Does it sound like “Many sides” are at fault? How much more relevant can you get?

Bio-terrorists release a plague in the United States that spreads to kill most of the world’s Caucasian population. As the deadly virus mutates, Tzu Shin, a renowned medical doctor and biologist, defects from China to help develop a cure. His only daughter, Lin Kwan, is left behind in Hong Kong with her aunt.

Then Kwan’s father summons her from across the sea to bring him Chinese medicinal herbs he needs to develop a cure. Lonely and missing her parents, she accepts the challenge, traveling with her sensei Li Zhong to the New World.

But a Chinese assassin is on her trail, determined to kill her and Li Zhong, and when Kwan discovers her father has disappeared, she sets out on a journey to find him and deliver her precious cargo, a quest that she may not survive.

Find it on: Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

Find it online:

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

Any new projects on the horizon?

DESTINATIONS, the second book in the series, is already out, and ADVERSARIES, the final book, is just finishing up at the publisher and should be out later this year. It’s been a long journey, but this is the book (series) of my heart, and I have worked hard to share it with the world.

Check out the Book series trailer:

In the aftermath of a terrorist bio-attack that has wiped out most Caucasians in America, and around the world, survivors struggle to work together to establ...

Lyndi Alexander always dreamed of faraway worlds and interesting alien contacts. She lives as a post-modern hippie in Asheville, North Carolina, a single mother of her last child of seven, a daughter on the autism spectrum, finding that every day feels a lot like first contact with a new species.

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page

 

 

Curse of the Blacknoc Witch by Tori V. Rainn

Digging into Characters…

Hi Jean. Thank you so much for having me. I’m happy to talk a little about my characters. I hope readers will gain some insight about the book from them.

Curse of the Blacknoc Witch is filled with a few characters but the main characters are Samuel and Layla.

Samuel Fawcett is a teenage boy who’s found himself in one heck of a predicament. He used to be a normal boy at one point, that is until the Blacknoc Curse took him from his bed, tossed him in a forest realm where he was eaten by monsters, and then transformed into one. What I love most about Samuel, and what I think readers will like, is how protective he is. He’s caring and hopeful. When he’s given a second chance he uses that chance to save the kids who are being hunted by the very beasts who devoured him. He knows he is quite the sight, with fangs and needles for fur, but that doesn’t stop him from engaging with the kids. Nope, he uses what he has to fight the other monsters from harming the cursed kids.

Layla Marlowe is another favorite of mine. Like Samuel, she’s a teenager. She’s doomed to transfer into a monster like Samuel. But Samuel won’t allow it. Each time he saves her from the other monsters from eating her, he’s delaying the transformation. This gives Layla a fighting chance to look for a solution outside of the forest realm to break the curse. Layla is smart and crafty. She uses her resources to hunt for answers. She’s also fierce and will not let snarling monsters scare her.

Amazon ~ Apple Books ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Book Depository

Tell us about your experience with the publishing process.

I am traditionally published with The Wild Rose Press. I’m also self-published with five other authors, an anthology book titled Encircled.

Any new projects on the horizon?

Oh, yes. I have quite a few. There’s one YA fantasy that I am trying to finish up so I can start pitching. It’s about two siblings who are chosen for an ancient challenge. They must use their powers to fight and capture the magical animals roaming the forest. But the siblings couldn’t be more different. As they struggle to get along, they must also battle ailiarants from stopping them to read their mission.

Find Tori online:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~ Amazon Author Page

Another fantasy I’m trying to finish up is about a girl who’s lost her memory. Set in the medieval time, she’s imprisoned in a dungeon by a scary man who claims to be a friend. Not knowing if he speaks the truth, she does everything within her power to escape him and find out the truth of who she really is.

I also have an adult horror novel and a YA urban paranormal novel that is still in the works. It’s hard to say when these will ever be finished but I’m hoping soon. You can read more about those on my website under ‘books I’m writing.’

Any words of advice for fellow writers in the trenches?

I’m still trying to find the key to this myself, but I would say when discouraged or struggling with writer’s block, allow yourself some rest and reset your mind. Step away from the project. Not too much time though because, hey, you have a book to finish.

What was the hardest/most unusual/interesting part of the story to write/research?

One of my characters doesn’t have a hand. For some reason, I kept forgetting this so I had to constantly go back and rewrite scenes to fit according to their disability.

Now for an excerpt:

Inspiration for Curse of the Blacknoc Witch

I crouch down next to the girl, careful not to touch her. “Look. You’ll be okay as long as you stay with me.”

She sniffles and cups her face. “This can’t be happening.” She wipes a tear off her cheek. “The legend of the curse is really like what my great-aunt said.”

I stand and pace. My monster self cannot be still when on constant alert. “It’s all true. A real cesspool of teeth.”

“When I woke back in my room, the scratches on my skin from last night were still there. Grandfather thought I’d done it to myself. I told him what happened, and he didn’t believe me.”

“He won’t be able to help anyway.”

She moans, and I stifle a grunt. There I go again with my optimism. As long as I am cursed to this flesh, there just isn’t any room for the stuff. But I can’t avoid the truth of her fate.

I kneel to her level. “What’s your name?”

“Layla Marlowe.”

I smile. A fitting name for a gorgeous girl. “Layla,” I repeat, as if the name carries me back to a reality where humans live in harmony away from monsters. I hurriedly add, “Nice to meet you.” Then I remember our situation. My comment is inappropriate. There’s nothing nice about the forest. Social etiquette must have died along with my soul.

“And you?” She looks up at me with a curious gaze. “Do you have a name?”

It’s been so long since I’ve heard my name. Who said it last? Josh? Pa calling me to supper? I stop to think for a second and then allow it to roll off my tongue.

“Samuel Fawcett.”

She hugs her knees, leaning forward, dangerously near my barbed hands. “What a keen name for a monster.”

An odd musk from between the trees reaches me. The stench of fear grows potent as low branches snap. Someone small and clumsy runs toward us.

I leap up. “We need to go now.”

Project Dream by CJ Zahner: Inspired by life events...

Welcome CJ!

Inspired by life events.

Why this title to a blog post? Read on…

People say I have a wild imagination. I thought so, too—until I had a premonition of 9/11. (Hear about my 9/11 forewarning at Book Circle Online interview.) That premonition, a vacation, and other life experiences influenced my novel, Project Dream, as much as my sometimes-off-the-wall imagination.

Project Dream delves into prophetic dreaming, but its story is more coming-of-age than paranormal. It follows the lives of three teenagers thrust into unusual circumstances. And as crazy as this world is today, I believe its subject is not far-fetched.

We all know someone who has exceptional perception or unfounded intuition. This book is simply a “what-if” tale. What if the government identified young teens who had a sixth sense, tapped into the unused portion of their brains, and taught them to be more perceptive?

Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Barnes and Noble

I once interviewed a renown psychic, Anne Gehman, for a freelance article. She said clairvoyance was like playing the piano. Some people sat down and played proficiently, some no matter how much they practiced would only be able to play Mary had a Little Lamb, and others who practiced hard became proficient over time.

With her words in the back of my mind, I wondered. What if young teens were taken away from their homes, enrolled in a dedicated school, and trained intensely? How proficient might they become? Crazy? Or just a twist in an older, real, twentieth-century adult project, the Stargate Program.

I turned the idea over in my head. Where would the government hide a covert program like that?

That’s when a vacation trip came into play. I had traveled from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Death Valley, California, and watched a barrage of endless, barren, roads slip by. Along the way, we passed the desolate terrain that bordered Area 51—and Project Dream’s site was claimed.  

Project Dream is the prequel to my novel, Dream Wide Awake, which tells the story of adults who learned remote viewing as teenagers, so they could protect the country after 9/11. I originally began writing the sequel to Dream Wide Awake but readers began asking what happened before Dream Wide Awake. When the characters were kids in the desert. Hence, my YA novel, Project Dream.

Do you believe it could happen? I never say never. And…some of my beta readers who have read this novel are asking: is this fiction?

Or another one of my crazy premonitions?

What happened to the kids in the desert?

In 2002, the CIA forced several teenagers out of detention centers and into a National Security Test Program called Project Dream. Teens selected had two characteristics: physical superiority and a sixth sense. 
When the awkward, unpopular, and destitute Izzy Jimenez is caught stealing clothes, authorities enroll her in the program for two reasons: Izzy swims like a fish—and she sees angels.
There she studies and works hard to perfect her clairvoyance hoping authorities will allow her to go home. But when she and the other students master remote viewing and produce results that stun White House officials, additional children—good kids from normal American families—are recruited. Izzy’s hope of going home dwindles.
Not until the striking, charismatic Rachel Callahan arrives and befriends Izzy does her life become bearable.
Project Dream is a coming-of-age story of teenagers thrown into the most unusual circumstances. Each struggle to survive their time in the desert with the goal of getting out and going home, but—can any of them really go home? 

Now for a SPEED ROUND with CJ:

CJ Zahner

Top: Reading in an LA library.

Bottom: On the road to Death Valley.

 FIND CJ:

Website/blog:

CJ Zahner

Social Media links:

Instagram ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn ~ Book Circle Online interview ~ Goodreads ~  BookBub ~  Book Gorilla

Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Barnes and Noble

The wait is over! L. Ryan Storms's new release!

A Thousand Years to Wait…

Prophecies are meant to unfold on their own—they can’t be forced into fruition. Or can they? When a war-torn kingdom is on the cusp of falling to a usurping general, a young healer who doesn't believe in magic is called upon to help a prophecy transpire. She must embrace the magic...or lose everything.

 Welcome, L. Ryan Storms! Your bio is pretty diverse. How did you end up writing?

I guess it took me longer than most to realize storytelling was my true calling. While I’ve always loved it, it never seemed like a viable path for me. As someone who has so many interests, it always made sense to follow a more “solid” career path, like science. As a result, I worked in pharmaceutical microbiology for years. I loved it! (I am a huge science nerd.) But I found I still needed to fill that creative void and writing was the perfect outlet.

In fact, I have to give some credit to the pharmaceutical industry for steering me towards writing. At one point, I left the laboratory and started as a technical writer in the R&D department. It was the first time I really learned how to piece together large documents on a regular basis and realize that I could jump around to fill in pieces as I gathered them. It didn’t quite feed the creative in me (Boy, is technical writing dry!), but it gave me a basic understanding of how I could delve into my own writing and not just start, but also finish novels. (Which is kind of important if you’re going to be an author.) As the years went on, I started to feel more at home with my writing and finally decided to take the plunge into indie-authorhood this year.

What’s your favorite kind of character to write?

That’s a tough one. One of the best parts about being an author is bringing to life so many different kinds of characters. I love the diversity of it. All in all, I’d have to say intelligent characters with just a little bit of attitude rank high on my list. I really enjoy the challenge of writing a character who has the brains to figure out how to take on the problems around them. That said, one of the most difficult things to write is a character who is a whole lot smarter than you are. I wrote a story about a time-traveling prodigy once and I had the most difficult time writing it because I just couldn’t process how someone that smart would think.

Quinn was probably one of my favorite characters in A Thousand Years to Wait because of the way his mind works. Because the story is told from Reina’s point-of-view, we don’t really get to see how Quinn thinks up front, which makes for a lot of speculation. It was lots of fun. If things go right, you might see more of Quinn’s thoughts in the future.

A Thousand Years to Wait is labeled as being Book 1 of The Tarrowburn Prophecies. Does this mean there’s more to come?

Maaaaaaybe. It was always my intention to make A Thousand Years to Wait the first of a trilogy. In fact, early versions of the book alluded to more prophecies and additional troubles. I am a huge fan of trilogies, but I love a first book that can stand alone. That’s what I aimed for with A Thousand Years to Wait.

I hope to write the second book this year. I’m in the middle of another project, though, and need to wrap that one up first. I’m not the kind of writer who can work on multiple books at once. I get too muddled and lose my way. Authors who can hop back and forth between projects with no problem are my heroes.

Speaking of A Thousand Years to Wait…let’s learn a bit more about it:

At eighteen, Moreina di Bianco is a young healer who believes in medicine, not magic, even while possessing a second sight she can’t fully explain. So when the Faranzine Talisman chooses Reina to reawaken an ancient magic and end a war, she must reconcile her beliefs, unlock the talisman’s secrets, and harness the magic within.

Reluctant to accept help, Reina agrees to allow two determined escorts to accompany her on her journey for truth, but each comes with a mysterious past of his own. Her estranged childhood friend, Quinn D’Arturio, left their village years ago and only recently returned, harboring dark secrets behind a solemn exterior. And despite his status as a perfect stranger, a dashing captain by the name of Niles Ingram is quick to fight by Reina’s side at whatever the cost. That someone she’s only just met would give his life for hers is a sobering realization of the ever-present danger Reina has jumped into.

There’s just one problem with Reina’s two companions. They, too, are featured in the talisman’s prophecy—as potential suitors. But what woman wants a suitor, let alone two, when she’s tasked with defeating a usurping general, ending a war, finding the true king, and rightfully seating him on the throne?

Where can we get our hands on A Thousand Years to Wait?

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Book Depository

My goal is to have the second book of The Tarrowburn Prophecies released sometime in late 2020.

Why did you go the self-published route?

I think there comes a point in your life where you have to be comfortable in your own skin and with your own skills. Publishing is extremely competitive and a lot of writers call it quits long before getting to publication. After all, it’s really difficult to keep going when you’re faced with 90% or higher rate of rejection. (Seriously, 90% is being generous.) You can’t rely on others to reassure you of the worth of your work. You have to know, deep down, that what you’re writing is worth putting out there.

That said, beta-readers and critique partners are gold, and I would never, ever, ever publish without having multiple eyes and edits on my work. Self-publishing has a bad reputation because “anyone can do it.” This is true. It’s also why there’s a lot of sub-par writing when it comes to self-publishing.

On the flip side, there are a ton of self-published authors whose work is better than many traditionally published authors. I read Andy Weir’s The Martian not too long ago and it had me laughing out loud so often that my husband actually began to side-eye me from across the room. The Martian was self-published. Still Alice by Lisa Genova is another self-published success story that made it not only onto the NYT bestseller list, but also onto the big screen. There’s a lot to be said for self-publishing and it’s as legitimate a publishing path as any other.

There was a time when I pursued traditional publishing methods and queried a whole lot of agents. (I’ll leave the number to your imagination.) It was actually the responses of several agents that ultimately made me comfortable with the prospect of self-publishing. When agents compliment your world-building, your writing, and the story, and tell you to touch base with them for future projects? It’s eye-opening in a way that a friend’s “This is great!” isn’t. (Not that my friends aren’t positively amazing and cherished for their encouragement. They are. But when an agent compliments your writing? It’s a. Big. Deal.) That encouragement gave me the courage to take the leap.

How did you get into writing Young Adult Fantasy? And why Young Adult over Adult?

I love the young adult age category. I have always loved it. I wish it had existed when I was in middle school and high school, but back then there was a giant void between middle grade and adult fiction. I’ve really enjoyed seeing book stores labeling entire shelves as young adult over the last few years because, whether it’s contemporary young adult or young adult fantasy, it’s really important for teenagers to see themselves represented in stories as more than just a sullen side character with raging hormones.

Teens face a lot of unique problems that really only happen at that time in our lives. The “newness” of adulthood, the first love that you go through in your teen years, and the learning how to interact with others on a deeper, more personal level than “What’s your favorite food?” or “What’s your favorite animal?” is what makes writing young adult really interesting for me. (Don’t get me wrong. It’s still important that you know I love pizza, chocolate, and horses but who doesn’t?) Teens are in a really unique place in life where they can act like kids or act like adults, where they can process information in a way adults might not, see solutions adults might miss, and embrace change in a way adults might vehemently refuse to do.

Young adults deserve to see themselves as heroes, as strong characters who are capable of changing the world because that’s just who they are. The sooner they learn and accept that, the sooner they can get on with being amazing individuals and making an impact in the world.

Where can we get our hands on A Thousand Years to Wait?

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Book Depository

SPEED ROUND TIME!

Oxford comma, yes or no?  Always (Seriously, say it in a Snape voice. *Always.*)

Coffee or tea or wine? Peach tea. Or water. Lots and lots of water.

What does your desk look like? What desk? My lap is my desk. Sometimes the dining room table if I’m feeling fancy.

What is your writing vice or must-haves? My laptop. Sounds silly, but I can’t write by hand. My handwriting is atrocious and my brain works far faster than my hands can keep up. Typing is the only way I can write.

Describe a perfect writing day. Wait. There’s a perfect writing day?

What are some of your go-to methods for writing? It’s like Nike always said. Just do it. I like to outline, but I don’t always *follow* the outline. One way or another, I sit my butt in the chair and write the words.

In an alternate reality, what would be your dream job (besides author)? Outdoor photographer

PSSST! She is an amazing photographer!! Check out some of her work here: http://www.thisartisticearth.com/ or here: https://www.facebook.com/artisticearthphotography/ and a few below:

Where is your favorite place you've visited (or wish to visit)? Bryce Canyon is high on my list. It’s magical in a way I can’t even begin to explain.

Beach, lake, or mountains? This is tough. Mountains and lakes are synonymous for me and they’re relaxing in a cozy, wear-your-sweater-and-drink-hot-tea kind of way. Beaches are relaxing in a let-your-muscles-unclench-and-sip-a-tropical-drink kind of way. So…both? All?

Morning rooster, night owl, or midday lark? Night owl, possibly midday lark at times. Definitely, definitely not a morning rooster.

What comes first, character or plot (or other)? Character and setting.

Find her: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

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L. Ryan Storms is a writer, photographer, traveler, and dreamer. She's a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania chapter of SCBWI who enjoys working PR & Marketing for her local library. She has written articles featured on the front page of local newspapers, but mostly she writes novels near and dear to her heart. She holds a B.S. in Marine Science from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and a Master's in Business Administration from Marist College, but writing young adult fantasy has always been her true passion.

Storms lives in Pennsylvania with her cancer-survivor husband, two children, and a "rescue zoo" featuring two dogs, two cats, and an ex-racehorse. When she's not writing, reading, or keeping her kids in line, she enjoys hiking, photography, and planning the next big adventure.

Find out what L. Ryan Storms is working on & visit her blog at www.lryanstorms.com. You can also find her frequently tweeting about writing (and parenting) on Twitter (@LRyan_Storms).