Book Blast: Masters of the Veil by Daniel Cohen + Giveaway

Masters of the Veil by Daniel A. Cohen

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Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot. As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.

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Can you tell us a little about yourself? I graduated with a degree in business management but I’m trying my best not to use it. Obviously I love writing, but really I just love books in general.

What inspired you to write about magic and sorcerers? Harry Potter. And others. But mostly Harry Potter. Like most everyone else, I am obsessed with Rowling’s work. Growing up, I was always the same age as Harry’s crew and I felt a special bond to him and his world. I knew I could never create something as world shattering at J.K. did, but I knew in the very least that I wanted my work to be in the same genre. I’ve also found out by trial and error that choosing to write about magic and sorcery is choosing to be free and chained at the same time. You can create anything you want, but you have to follow your own rules or the story doesn’t work. This genre can be unbelievably liberating and mind-bogglingly frustrating at the same time.

What do you do when you’re not writing? Rock saxophone. I’ve been playing tenor saxophone for about fifteen years now, but I still have a lot to learn. I actually just moved to Austin, TX (the live music capital of the world) to try my hand at the music scene. Turns out that everyone here is amazing so it’s going to be rough.
 
Who is your favorite character from your book and why? My favorite character is a young sorcerer named Glissandro Thicket. He’s a lanky, curly-haired sorcerer on the brink of adulthood. He was born without the ability to talk, but he somehow found a way to speak through playing music on his horn.

He’s based on a type of person that I feel like happens all too often. He’s talented, has a kind heart, plenty of wisdom, but because of certain life circumstances, he’s shy and lacks the self-esteem to shine as bright as he could.

Do you work with an outline or just write? I have an outline, but in the heat of writing things seem to always change. However the bones of the story tend to stay pretty close to what I have planned out.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? I know this is going to sound pretentious (and I apologize for it) but I have found that there is a huge difference between writing and being an author. I started as a writer, but I find myself slowly drifting to the other side. Writing is fun. Being an author can be horrible. If you’re serious about becoming an author, be prepared to sacrifice for your craft. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic, but real writing will consume you. The best advice I can give is be careful, and make sure to find time for friends, family, and real life. 

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What’s been the best compliment? People tended to complain about the romance in, “The Ancillary’s Mark”. And they were right to. But it was a good thing. Since I was aware of my problem with romance, I concentrated on making it better in my next book, and even better in the next book (Children of the Veil).

Was there any scene or part in your book that was difficult to write? I was battling some pretty nasty demons while writing the first book, and some of them came out in the reenactment scene. I was actually climbing a mountain alone when I put that scene together. There were a lot of things in this book that hit very close to home with me, but it felt good to breath some of my own issues into the characters. For solidarity I guess.

If you were to go live on an island and could only choose 5 books to take with you, what would you choose?

• The Name of the Wind
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
• The Giver
• The Alchemist
• How to Build A Boat Using Nothing But Island Materials

If Masters of the Veil were made into a movie, who do you picture starring in it? It’s funny that you should ask. I did a [guest post] over at Fiktshun where I cast the main characters. There’s even photos!

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Debut Author Interview: Kristen Simmons, Article 5

It is an absolute honor to be hosting Kristen Simmons on the blog today with an interview! Her debut dystopian novel is a 2012 release, Article 5, and it is a phenomenal read! A great read for anyone who is a fan of the genre!

Kristen Simmons is the author of young adult fiction. Her debut novel, ARTICLE 5, the first installment of a dystopian trilogy, was published by Tor Teen in January 2012. Words cannot describe how happy this makes her. Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She lives with her husband Jason and their precious greyhound Rudy in Tampa, Florida.

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1. Can you sum up your book in 5 words or less? Oh boy, I'm notoriously bad at summing things up, but how about this: Teens hunted by moral regime! (That sounds sort of newspaper headline-ish, doesn't it?)

2. Article 5 has a setting in Kentucky and surrounding areas. As a Lexingtonian, I flailed and squeed as I don't get to experience knowing the setting like that often. Of all the places, what was it about Lousiville and Lexington that landed a special place in your book? I LOVE that area. We lived there for about 6 years - during that time I wrote ARTICLE 5 and the sequel BREAKING POINT. It's this great, community-driven place - a clash of new, progressive ideals and traditional values. The people are friendly and welcoming, and yet there is such diversity of opinion in everything. It the was perfect place to stage a story about a girl who is learning what is really important to her.

3. Can you build up any expectations for us to live us desperate for Breaking Point? Well...I can tell you that the resistance is becoming more active, there's a daring rescue scene, and things are heating up between Chase and Ember.

4. Do you find your characters can upset you at times with their decisions or outlooks? Absolutely. Sometimes they drive me crazy. There were times I wanted to scream at them just to talk to each other! Communicate! It's not that hard! But it was for them. In ARTICLE 5, Chase and Ember struggle with things that have happened in their pasts. This doesn't make it easy to always make the right decisions. But, they live and learn, like we all do I hope!

5. How does it feel having your debut finally released? It feels like, ahhhhhh....at last.

6. People usually share the best advice they have ever been given about life, writing, etc. Have you ever been given terrible advice? Someone several years (yes, years) into the querying process told me to forget about it. If it (publication) hadn't happened yet, it probably wasn't going to. A couple years after that I wrote ARTICLE 5 and hey, it DID happen. So here's my advice to anyone working toward a goal: NEVER GIVE UP. It may take a long time, it may be painful, but in the end it will be that much sweeter when you get it.

7. What is your favorite book to movie adaptation? I think Hunger Games did a pretty good job! That and Harry Potter 3. For some reason, that movie stands out as a really nice adaptation of the book.

Debut Author Interview: Meredith Zeitlin

I am so thrilled to be hosting Meredith Zeitlin on the blog today. Her debut, Freshman Year and Other Natural Disasters, recently released featuring the wonderfully frustrating life of Kelsey Finkelstein. I'd like to thank her for stopping by and being so awesome to answer my questions!

Meredith Zeitlin is a writer and voice-over artist who lives in Brooklyn with two adorable feline roommates. She also writes a column for Ladygunn Magazine, changes her hair color every few months, and has many fancy pairs of spectacles.

In case you're wondering whether any of Kelsey's experiences are based on Meredith's own, the answer is NO WAY. When she was fourteen, Meredith looked and behaved perfectly at all times, was never in a single embarrassing situation, and always rode to school on her very own unicorn.

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1. Can you sum your book up in 5 words or less?  Oooh, that's hard! "Best book ever; buy now?" Okay, okay - lemme try that again. "Kelsey Finkelstein's high school misadventures!"

2. Was your freshman year of high school on the same level of disastrous as Kelsey's? Yes and no. I certainly had my share of missteps - many of the ones in the book, in fact - but since it was real life, there were lots of regular old boring things in between the disasters, whereas the book is much more concentrated. On the other hand, almost everything seemed like the end of the world when I was fourteen, so at the time it felt like it was definitely a non-stop disaster zone. Hm. I have no idea if I actually answered this question. Ah, well - moving on!

3. How does it feel having your debut finally released? It's pretty amazing. The process took so much longer than I had anticipated, so for a while it seemed like the book would never come out. There were times when I was so frustrated that I honestly didn't care anymore if it ever did. But now that it's finally happened, and people seem to really like Kelsey and her story, I feel happy and proud and excited and eager to write something new. All I wanted, really, was to write something that would make a fourteen-year-old girl somewhere laugh and feel like she wasn't the only imperfect person in the world and that that was totally okay. I think maybe I've actually done that, and I'm thrilled about it.

4. Can you share the experience of what it is like to get back into the mindset of a fourteen year old girl? You know, I never tried to do that. I just wrote down the voice I had in my head that I knew was Kelsey. I've had the same inner voice since I was a little girl, and still do - I never want to dumb down a character because kids are "supposed to be" less mature (or more reckless or slangy or whatever) than adults. So I didn't think about writing "younger," but more about what a girl Kelsey's age would be focused on and how it would affect her - what choices she'd make based on her experiences so far.

5. What does your writing space look like? A mess! I don't even have a desk; I usually write from a purple chaise lounge in my living room with my computer on my lap. Next to me is a white lacquer and glass coffee table that most likely has candy on it. There is at least one orange cat sitting on me, probably. My TV (which is a pink flat-screen, and rules) is probably on. Lots of natural light all around, which I love. And plants. I am a big plant-person.

6. What is your favorite book to movie adaptation? Fried Green Tomatoes. Oh - or The Shawshank Redemption... A tie! I'm usually not a big fan of book-to-movie adaptations... at best, they're sort of fun add-ons if you've read the book, and at worst they ruin my entire life by not being true to the book. But those two are truly wonderful examples of nuanced, stand-alone pieces that I think are even better than the originals.

7. What is your favorite movie quote? Oh, man. How to possibly answer that!? Um... the first thing I thought of: “It's not that bad. What? I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely.” (The Princess Bride) Or... anything from Auntie Mame. (BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME.) Example: "Child, how can you see with all that light!?"

Author Interview: Mary Pauline Lowry, Author of The Earthquake Machine

I am extremely pleased to host author Mary Pauline Lowry, author of The Earthquake Machine, here on the blog. Her book is a strong representation of Diversity in YA and she has been so great getting to know! 

Mary Pauline Lowry has worked as a forest firefighter, screenwriter, open water lifeguard, construction worker, and advocate in the movement to end violence against women. Due to no fault of her sweet parents, at 15 she ran away from home and made it all the way to Matamoros, Mexico. She believes girls should make art, have adventures, and read books that show them the way.

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1. Can you sum your book up in 5 words or less?

Girl goes on an adventure.

2. What was it like to write such a culturally diverse book?

I first traveled to interior Mexico when I was a little girl. When I was in my early 20s, I took a bus from Austin to Oaxaca; and I’ve spent a lot of time on the border between Texas and Mexico. So I had a lot of experience to draw from when it came to writing a book about an American girl traveling alone through Mexico.

3. What makes this book, "The book every girl should read, and every girl’s
parents hope she’ll never read"?

I think every girl should read this book because: it’s a magical adventure story about a girl who leaves behind the world that she knows to go on a wild adventure all on her own.

It’s also a book that is very honest and straightforward about a 14 year-old girl’s sexual coming-of-age.

And I think every girl (and many women) could learn a lot from this novel about how to leave behind the expectations that are placed on women and girls because of their gender.

I think many parents would NOT want their daughters to read this book because it has explicit sexual content and some drug use. It also has a girl trying to understand her own spiritual beliefs and questioning the patriarchal Christian church she was brought up in. It’s also a story about a girl running away to interior Mexico by herself; and I think a lot of parents would shudder at that.

4. Anything out of the ordinary that you always have in your writing space when
you sit down to work?

I usually sit cross-legged on my couch with my laptop in my lap. If it’s daytime, I almost always have coffee in my writing space as I work. (Though I’m not sure that’s unusual?) I live in a tiny studio (it’s only 300 square feet, including closets and bathroom) so my bed, laundry, etc are also in my writing space .

5. What has been the biggest obstacle you have faced in your path as an author?

One obstacle was the need to support myself financially while I was also writing books. But I tried to make that fun and an adventure, too. I’ve worked as a forest firefighter, as a construction worker, as an advocate in a domestic violence shelter; I’ve done production work on commercials, anything and everything to pay my bills. I would always wake up to write in the magic hours of the early morning before work.

I also always felt for a long time that I wouldn’t be a “real writer” until I was a published writer. But finally I realized I was a real writer because I was committed to the craft of writing.