Interview: Author of Starcrush Justine Erler & #Giveaway

 

Add to Goodreads

 

Close encounters of the crush-worthy kind. In the first novel of the Starcrush series, author Justine Erler introduces Genna Savoy, a psychically-gifted high school senior who finds herself torn between rival aliens who look … spectacularly human.

 

 Excerpt:

I drifted into silence as my eyes fell over him, the way he leaned over the desk, chilled to the extreme. Yet there was something overpowering about him. That “easy does it, rule-the-world” attitude felt good to be around but just now I couldn’t decide whether this made him the most incredible guy I ever met — or the most obnoxious. 

I was relatively sure that the answer was not somewhere in between.

 

Website * Amazon

 

 

Facebook:  Starcrush Story             Twitter:  @StarcrushStory

 

 

Interview with author Justine Erler

 

Sum up Starcrush in one sentence?

 

Strikingly stylized, intensely paced young adult fantasy with a realistic edge.

 

How did the idea for Starcrush come about?

 

 

I was looking for a new type of supernatural being, a vampire-alternative to place in the context of a young adult romance novel. I was certain on one point: I wouldn’t allow the paranormal / sci-fi elements to override the romance objective … they had to function in the background to provide the necessary conflict without diminishing the human relationships or the aura of realism.  

 

Years ago, I had heard of an extraterrestrial encounter that was quite unusual. The individual who alleged involvement in the incident reported information that was dependent on an expert fund of knowledge, rooted in advanced astronomy and high-tech physics.  I thought that this was remarkable given the fact that there was no conceivable way this person could have access to this information, much less discuss it so thoroughly. With growing interest, I investigated the story a little closer and eventually decided that the report was the most straight-up, unembellished alleged encounter I had every heard.  Suffice it to say (without revealing too much), I proceeded to develop the two male characters for Starcrush based on one particular reference mentioned in the report.

 

 

Describe the following character in 140 characters or less.

 

Genna:             Narcissistic, emotionally conflicted high school senior, reeling from the traumatic aftermath of her parents’ divorce. 

 

Byron:             Deliciously aloof and rock-god cool, everything about Byron is uncertain as he drifts in and out of Genna’s life.

 

Elon:                Extroverted Princeton graduate student who is relentlessly bold and flirty, with an unrestrained exuberance that screams “FUN.”

 

If you had to tell someone one reason why they should read Starcrush what would that reason be?

 

 The book is a unique entertainment experience, which is exactly what I tell people when they ask about it. Despite the paranormal context, the story is relatable with a writing style that is evocative, designed to convey the rush of pure emotion behind the words. Often these emotions are conflicted, varying between states of raw frustration to flat-out bliss.  Readers will be gratified to recognize their high school selves in the book … against the intrigue of a believable and realistic extraterrestrial encounter that never feels too sci-fi or space drama-ish. 

 

Author Bio:

Justine Erler is a consultant with a background in health care management. She lives in central New Jersey with her husband and daughter. Starcrush is her first novel of the series, combining Parts I and II, and was written while in search of the perfect vampire-alternative story.

Giveaway

 

To win an ebook of Starcrush by Justine Erler leave me a comment below on your thoughts on the book and your twitter or email so I can contact you if you win.

 

Giveaway Ends: 5th September 2014