YA Feature: Michelle Pickett author of PODS


This weeks YA Feature author of Michelle Pickett. Michelle releases her debut novel, PODS though Spencer Hill Press in June. Enjoy the interview and leave a comment below for Michelle on your thoughts on PODS!

 
The Author: Michelle Pickett

I've been an avid reader since a young child. I began writing for personal enjoyment in college, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in accounting. Deciding sitting in a cubical all day was my form of cruel and unusual punishment, I finally decided to do what I really wanted to—share my passion for reading and writing with others.
My debut young adult novel, PODs, is a post-apocalyptic, science-fiction romance and is available for Pre-order now in paperback and e-book formats. It is published through Spencer Hill Press and will be released June 4th, 2013—my son's 12th birthday (my good luck charm). You can learn more about it HERE.

My second title through Spencer Hill Press, Milayna, is a paranormal romance and is scheduled for release in paperback and e-book formats in March 2014. You can learn more about it HERE.

I'm addicted to Reese's peanut butter cups and eat way too many while I write. I'm trying to kick the habit. So far I've tried replacing them with Twizzlers, but developed an addiction to Twizzlers and I'm still addicted to peanut butter cups. I have a weird obsession with hoodies and can't write without wearing one. I hate to cook, but love watching cooking shows on television.

I love happy endings. There are too many sad endings in life. I'm an unabashed romantic. I love a swoon-worthy happy ending that will give me butterflies for days.

I was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. I now reside in a small community outside Houston, Texas with my incredibly supportive, not to mention gorgeous, husband, four amazing children, a 125-pound lap dog, and a cat that thinks she's queen.

I write adult and young adult Sci/Fi, urban fantasy and paranormal romances. My current work in process is a young adult contemporary romance. It's my first time writing in this genre. So far I'm enjoying it and I'm nervously optimistic about the outcome.

Writing
 
My grandmother used to take me to the library nearly every weekend when I was a child. We'd check out books and I spend the night with her and we'd read together. In the morning she'd make me blueberry waffles and we'd read some more. I loved the time we spent reading about new worlds and interesting people and the adventures they went on. I knew then I wanted to tell stories like the ones I read.
 
 
The Book- PODS releases June 2013

 
 
PODs is a post-apocalyptic, science fiction romance. It's about a lethal virus killing the population of Earth at an alarming rate. There is no cure or treatment for the virus. In an attempt to keep the human race from extinction, the government opens the PODs, an underground habitat that was put in place in case of a natural disaster or act of war to protect a portion of the population. Certain individuals are selected by "raffle" to live in the PODs while the virus dies out, killing those above. The book follows Eva, one of the chosen POD survivors and her struggles during her stay in the PODs and the surprises the survivors find when the PODs are opened.
 
 
I'd love to say there was a defining moment, like a dream, that inspired me to write PODs, but there really wasn't. I'm not sure where the idea first came from. My daughter helped me with some of the minor points; she acted as my sounding board. But the majority of the story started as all of my books have—a "what if" game. I start with a small idea and ask myself: What if this happened, then this, then this, and then this, and so on until I have a sketch of a story in my head.
 
 
Blurb:

 
 
Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it’s in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it’s a balm for the broken soul.



After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That’s the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.



Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.
 





How does it feel to be releasing your debut novel in summer 2013?

 
 
Oh, I don't even know how to answer this question. Just thinking about it makes my hands shake. It's a surreal feeling. I don't think I'll believe that it's truly happening until I'm actually holding the book in my hands and even then I think I'll be afraid someone will pinch me and I'll wake up and find that it's all been a dream.
 

 
Can you describe your protagonist Eva in less than 140 characters?
 
 
Eva is an intelligent, strong, loving, loyal, survivor.

 

If you could encourage readers to pick up your book in June when it is released, what would you say?

 
 
PODs is a different story than what is currently on the market right now. It touches on a little bit of everything, from personal loss to regrowth. The characters are strong, but not so strong that the reader won't feel their grief and loss. They lose everything they've ever known or loved when they enter the PODs. They're promised a new life when the PODs are opened only to have that ripped from them, too.

 
 
But in the midst of that Eva and David somehow find calm in the turmoil and develop a strong bond. I think when readers meet Eva and David they'll find their relationship is more than the standard boy meets girl and falls in love type relationship. They have a deep connection, due in part to what they've suffered. That's not to say they don't have some hot chemistry going on, too.

 
Some fun book questions:

 

Favourite genre and why?

 
 
Oh, wow, I like almost anything. My family teases me that I'll read anything with words. They're probably right. Lately, though, I've read only young adult. I can't tell you the last adult book I've read. In the last few months I've been reading contemporary romance, but I always gravitate back to urban fantasy and science/fiction, things like PODs

 
Favourite YA author and why?

 
 
Well, me (kidding). This is a very unfair question! I'm published through Spencer Hill Press and if you've ever read any of their authors you know that it is impossible to pick just one favorite. Every single author in my publishing family is awesome. Beyond awesome, they're extraordinary. So I'd have to say my favorite author is Spencer Hill Press as a whole.
 
 
And before anyone thinks I'm sucking up to my publisher, I do have a reason for my answer. Not only are the authors at Spencer Hill great, but they are diverse. The books are varied. You'll find there are a wide range of storylines. You won't be bored reading Spencer Hill's books, because you won't read the same type of story twice. They really have an incredible line-up. Check them out here: Spencer Hill's Books
 
 
Favourite 2012 read and why?
 
 
Okay, so I'll pick a book that isn't a Spencer Hill Press book since I think I've told you how much I absolutely love them all and think you should read every single one. One of my favorite reads during 2012 was Easy by Tammara Webber. It was such a terrific story that touched on an important topic that every woman needs to be aware of. It had beautifully created characters that were flawed, making them believable, while still being likeable. The love story was poignant, but had enough heat that it was brimming with swoon-worthy moments. The male lead was hot, hot, hot (he's my book boyfriend, no you can't have him). It was all around a good story. I highly recommend it, along with all the 2012 releases from Spencer Hill Press (you didn't think I'd let that pass did you?)

 
A book series you love and why?
 
 
I love the Ganzfield series. It really opened my writing boundaries. We all place boundaries on ourselves whether we realize it or not. Reading Kate Kaynak's series showed me that using paranormal elements was a boundary I hadn't allowed myself to cross, things like telekinesis, among other areas, was something I was unsure of using. I wasn't sure how it would fit in a story. After reading her series I dabbled a little and wrote my next novel, Milayna. With her help, along with another very talented editor, Kathryn, I'm fine tuning some of the paranormal elements of the story. Milayna is scheduled for release in March 2014.

 
 
I LOVE to hear from readers and other authors!
 
 



Links and Contact Information:
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/michellepickettauthor
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepickett
 
Pre order Pods on Amazon & Barnes & Noble


 
 
 

 

 

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Book Spotlight: Deadly to Love by Mia Hoddell & Giveaway

 

Title: Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1)

Author: Mia Hoddell 

ASIN: B00BDQ3QGA

ISBN: 9781291319170

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Romance


 
Blurb: 



There is a love that is so dangerous, so powerful, so intoxicating that it embraces your heart and smothers your mind until it leaves you defenceless.

Serena knew that but still, it didn't stop her. His name was Kai. He was the most beautiful, irresistible man she had ever encountered. Their attraction was too compelling to fight and she knew she would go to the end of the world beside him. That is love.

However behind the allure was hidden a deadly secret – a secret that threatened her fragile life... But secrets best left unsaid never remain hidden forever. When Kai reveals his true identity, she is exposed to a frightening world she had no idea existed. Controlled by powerful Elemental forces her life is placed in mortal danger.

Unbeknown to them, their lives have been entwined from the beginning and it leads her to discover an even greater secret about who she really is. As the pieces begin to unravel and death becomes a reality, Serena is forced to decide what is more important...her love or life.

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About the Author

 
Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and her preferred genre is Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Before 2009, Mia wouldn't even pick up a book and was more interested in sports. However she finally found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of both reading and writing. Mia began with poems and after getting two published in separate anthologies she moved on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series The Wanderer Trilogy and from there other ideas have emerged which she hopes to turn into novels as well. Elemental Killers is her second series and book two will be out soon.

Buying links:


Amazon.com



Amazon.co.uk



Paperback (Lulu)


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Blog



Facebook



Twitter
 
 
Giveaway:
 
We have two giveaway for you today! One where you can enter to win an ebook of Deadly to Love though Amazon Kindle (INT) & some Deadly to Love Swag (UK ONLY). Fill out the rafflecopters below to enter!
 
 


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Interview: Brent Hartinger

Today I am exctited to have author Brent Hartinger on Reading Away The Days. Brent Hartinger is the author of Russel Middlebrook Series which is a gay teen YA series. The Geography Club the first book in the series is coming up to its tenth anniversary of release and even more exciting is later this year The Geography Club movie will be released starring Scott Bakula (Star Trek: Enterprise), Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray), Allie Gonino (The Lying Game), Ally Maki (Ten Things I Hate About You), Justin Deeley (90210), and Alex Newell (Glee). To co-inside with the 10th anniversary, Brent Hartinger is releasing a stand-alone sequel in the Russel Middlebrook Series on March 30th. The Elephant of Surprise. Please enjoy the interview and leave a comment below for the author!
 
The Author: Brent Hartinger 

I'm the author of nine published novels, mostly for and about teenagers, but also some upcoming book projects for adults. I'm also a screenwriter; I didn't write the movie version of Geography Club, but I've had a number of projects optioned over the years, and hopefully the first film I wrote will be filming soon and released next year. And I also write plays.

People say the three mediums are completely different -- writing prose, screenwriting, and playwriting. And in many ways, they are. But at the same time, story is story is story. I passionately love specific things about each medium. I honestly can't imagine not doing them all.


Writing

I was kind of a dork as a kid. Okay, actually a total dork. I was always doing "creative" projects with my friends -- making movies, putting on a haunted house, working in the theatre. I had so much fun and loved it so much that when I graduated from college, I thought, "How can I spend my whole life doing stuff like that?"

It turns out being a writer of fiction was the perfect fit because I don't mind being alone -- I actually sort of prefer it. And, um, I'm a bit of a control freak.

That said, I'm sensitive, like all writers, I guess. That's what they pay us for, right? And so the constant criticism and rejection, even when you're more "established," is hard. I understand that it's my job to be criticized -- everyone has to be allowed to have their own reaction to your book, and I certainly criticize plenty of books myself. And the positive feedback is always great, knowing you've touched someone.

But basically, the life of the writer is a real emotional roller-coaster. And I haven't even mentioned the financial insecurity! If I had to do it all over again, I would do it all over again. But it's really nothing like what I thought it would be. Better in some ways -- there is nothing like getting a standing ovation on opening night! -- but it's much harder in other ways too.

The Elephant of Suprise ( Book #4 in the Russel Middlebrook Series)
 
 
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Book 4 in the Lambda Award-winning Russel Middlebrook Series!

People aren't always what they seem to be. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves.

So discovers seventeen-year-old Russel Middlebrook in The Elephant of Surprise, a stand-alone sequel to Brent Hartinger's landmark 2003 gay young adult novel Geography Club (which has now been adapted as a feature film co-starring Scott Bakula and Nikki Blonsky).

In this latest book, Russel and his friends Min and Gunnar are laughing about something they call the Elephant of Surprise -- the tendency for life to never turn out as expected. Sure enough, Russel soon happens upon a hot but mysterious homeless activist named Wade, even as he's drawn back to an old flame named Kevin. Meanwhile, Min is learning surprising things about her girlfriend Leah, and Gunnar just wants to be left alone to pursue his latest technology obsession.

But the elephant is definitely on the move in all three of their lives. Just who is Wade and what are he and his friends planning? What is Leah hiding? And why is Gunnar taking naked pictures of Kevin in the shower?

The Elephant of Surprise includes Hartinger's trademark combination of humor and romance, angst and optimism. Before the story is over, Russel and his friends will learn that the Elephant of Surprise really does appear when you least expect him—and that when he stomps on you, it really, really hurts.
 

How does it feel to be releasing The Elephant of Surprise coming up to ten-year anniversary of the publication of Geography Club?

One on hand, it seems like no time at all has passed since that book was published. But then I think about all the things that have happened to me since then -- more books, movie projects, plays, speaking gigs, sometimes in front of massive audiences. A lot happened specifically because of the initial success of Geography Club. Looking back, it's like I didn't know anything at all before, about publishing or even about writing. I was very naive, but why wouldn't I be? My career hadn't happened yet.

But mostly, it's just a really good feeling knowing that something I wrote has touched so many people and is still in print after all these years.
 
 
Georgraphy Club the movie releases very soon. How does it feel to have you book on the big screen?
 
 
Brent Hartinger Cameron Deane Stewart (who plays Russel in the movie)
 

It's kind of fascinating how legitimizing it is. On one hand, I think, "It's sort of a fluke that this film project got made and none of the others did." It's not that I don't like my book -- I do -- but I like all the movie projects I've pitched. The fact that this is the one that got made first just seems so random.

But then I think, "No, when these people decide  to spend millions of dollars producing something you've written, when literally hundreds of people come together to do it, and then thousands come to watch it, well, that has to mean something. Right?"

So it makes me really happy. And yeah, I guess it does make me feel validated.
 
 


If you could encourage anyone to pick up The Elephant of Surprise what would you say?

　
Well, these days, the genre of gay teen lit is so great and so diverse. There's definitely lots of great stuff to choose from!

But I honestly feel like there's nothing quite like the Russel Middlebrook Series. I tried to make them quirky, and hopefully fun and funny. Lots of people tell me they're page-turners -- people say all the time they read 'em in one sitting -- and that makes me very happy because that's exactly what I wanted them to be. I'm a storyteller! First and foremost, I want to entertain. To make people laugh and cry and feel something.

And they're "gay teen" book, but they're really not about being gay, especially after the first book. With each new book, I've tried to have Russel and his friends have some strange, unique, interesting experience. In The Order of the Poison Oak (book #2), they get jobs working as counselors at a summer camp for burn survivors (and have lots of summer romance!). In Double Feature (book #3), they volunteer to be zombie extras on a low budget horror movie.

And in The Elephant of Surprise, Russel gets involved with a group called the "freegans." The characters are fictional, but freegans are very real. They're a movement of people who've chosen to give up all material possessions and live by foraging for food and everything else they need.

Can you imagine? Eating roadkill and dandelions? When I first read about them, I thought, "This is fascinating! Crazy, but fascinating." And the more I learned about freegans, the more fascinated I became.

Oh, and for the record, you don't need to read the books in order, but it's fine with me if you do.


Bookie Questions:
 

Favourite genre and why?
 

Speculative fiction of all kind. Or humor. I think I'm missing a gene or something, but I just have absolutely no interest in literary fiction. Too often it seems like it takes itself waaaaaay too seriously.

The way I see it, books can invite us to do absolutely anything. They're limited only by the imagination. I get the theory that some of the most fascinating stories are the subtle, quiet ones: a person drinking a cup of tea and thinking about the past. But it takes a really special "quiet" story to hold my attention. Why have your character drink a cup of tea when you can have her fly to the moon?

I might have an undiagnosed form of ADD or something. :-)


Favourite YA author and why?

I'm in awe of Ken Oppel, Libba Bray, Neil Schusterman, Jonathan Stoud, and Jandy Nelson, who was actually a student of mine. As a kid, I loved Jean Craighead George (Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain), Michael Ende (The Neverending Story and Momo), S.E. Hinton (The Outsiders), and C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia). And I still love all those authors!

 
Favourite 2012 read and why?

 
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, a sort-of mystery set in a future cyber world. It's just a fantastic read with a great puzzle to be solved and a wonderful exploration of identity. And I loved Gone Girl until the ending which I thought was just horrible. Such a stupid ending.

Like I said, I criticize books too!

A book series you love and why?

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, although I confess the last couple of books have tried my patience a bit. But I hand out the first book, A Game of Thrones, like candy to everyone I know, and I don't know anyone who, when they finally got around to reading it, hasn't thought it was incredible.

I also loved the Ender's Game series -- the original series of four books (I didn't like the Bean books as much). But Orson Scott Card, the author, is such a horrible person, a real bigot, it's hard for me to recommend those books anymore. Or, frankly, even read them.
 
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Interview: Author of Awoken, Timothy Miller

Today we have author Timothy Miller on the blog. Timothy releases his debut novel Awoken though Spencer Hill Press in August! Enjoy the interview and leave a comment for Timothy below :)



The author: Timothy Miller 

I grew up in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area. I attended the public school system and left school before graduating, later obtaining my high school equivalency diploma. I worked several jobs including a dairy farmhand, a bouncer, a factory worker, and baker before finally landing a position as a repair technician for the telephone company at nineteen. I've worked there ever since, traveling often to storm-damaged parts of the country to restore telephone and internet services to customers.

Writing:

I tinkered with writing in high school before life got in the way. I didn't get back into it until 2005 while I was working hurricane relief in New Orleans after Katrina. I was writing letters home to my children when one day my oldest daughter mentioned she found an old story of mine from high school. It was just the beginning of the story, but she liked it so much I started adding a few more pages to it with every letter I sent home. I developed a severe case of writer's cramp over the next three months, bought a computer, learned to type, and I have been writing ever since.

The Book: Awoken - Releases August 2013

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you think you've woken up, but you really haven't? I had one of those dreams when I was about fourteen; I was napping on the living room couch and when I opened my eyes I saw a small pale creature crouched on the floor. The creature looked at me and smiled a mouthful of fangs. I'll be honest - it scared the crap out of me. When I woke up for real, I decided to write a little story about them. Shazam! Awoken was born.


Blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Michael Stevens has never been ordinary; no orphan who hears music coming from rocks considers himself a typical teenager. But life gets a lot more complicated when two-foot-tall, albino, doll-like men sneak into his room one night, transforming the harmless music into a frightening ability he cannot control.

Soon, strangers in black suits begin to ask unsettling questions while unnatural animals with mismatched eyes haunt the streets. They are hunting, and not just Michael: anyone he cares about is in danger.

With the help of a mysterious drifter, an annoying girl he's accidentally mutated, and one of those creepy doll men, Michael finds himself in the middle of a war that could forever change the world he knows - reconstructing the very definition of humanity
 



Can you describe your protangnist Micheal?

In many ways, Michael is an introvert with many of the same problems any other fourteen-year-old American boy faces every day. He is a dreamer, the boy apart. An orphan, he has developed an acute sense of self-reliance and also sees the world through a child's black-and-white prism of good and evil. Michael was unique before ever the monsters found him. He is what heroes are made of ... and perhaps the better villains. 

If you could encourage readers to pick up your book in August when it is released, what would you say?

If you're interested in secret worlds, unusual monsters, action, and mystery, then pick up a copy of my new book, Awoken. It's a page-turner guaranteed to satisfy your appetite for young adult fantasy!

Bookie Questions:

Favourite genre and why?

I like a wide variety of genres, but I would have to say heroic fantasy. Unlike most genres, heroic fantasy tends to keep the lines between good and evil fairly well separated. I'd say complex characters are great, but as a rule I like my "bad" guys bad and my "good" guys good.

Favourite YA author and why?

I would have to say David Eddings is my favorite young adult author. I would say in part because I experienced his writing at such an early age and also because his Belgariad books were my first introduction to a "series" storyline.

Debut author/ upcoming author we should check out? 
 I finished an ARC for Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway which came out in January, 2013. This is an author who has issues - in a good way. Her characters are emotionally rich and her plot is fast-paced and interesting. I look forward to reading her next book, Stalked by Death, due to come out July, 2013.

Favourite 2012 read and why?

I just got around to reading Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. I have been following this series forever and was as disappointed as everyone in the fantasy community at Robert's passing. Still, Brandon seems to be doing a great job tying up loose ends and moving toward a final conclusion in a series.

A book series you love and why?

As I said before, David Eddings. His first series, The Belgariad, more than his other work, though I did like the The Malloreon and The Elenium. I felt like David fell a little too in love with his characters in his latter books. Sometimes I think we as authors forget that it is okay for a protagonist or beloved side character to take the swan's pass in the interest of the story. I, for one, enjoy a book in which I don't know exactly who is going to come out of it in one piece.

　




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