Interview with Ruth Fox, author of The City of the Silver Light, a YA paranormal novel and International Giveaway!

I'm very excited to introduce this next indie author, Ruth Fox, who wrote the beautiful novella, The City of the Silver Light.

Goodreads Book Description: On a night of frost and ice, she falls from the sky, the beautiful ice-girl Cari, cast out of her world and into ours.

It’s an unusually cold Winter, but 15 year old Jake is more concerned with the ice forming in his dad’s new relationship and the fact that the girl he likes is dating his best friend.

And now his elderly neighbour is acting even weirder than usual. Could things get even more confusing?

Then Jake finds Cari, lost and alone. Who is she? What has she got to do with the sudden frost, and the wondrous silver city that has appeared in the sky? And what does his elderly neighbour, Mrs Henders know about it all?

Jake is determined to find out. But the secrets Cari bears are more dangerous than Jake can ever imagine. And the fate of our entire world – and that of the City of Silver Light – now rest in their hands.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb: Ruth has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. Books and writing are her life-- she lives and breathes stories! She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and Editing in 2006. This was a wonderful way to improve her skills and was invaluable in developing her writing. Her dream has always been to be a published author and she considers The City of Silver Light to be a wonderful accomplishment. She hopes to have many more books published in the future. 

Author Interview
1. How did you come up with the idea behind your book?

I came up with the idea for The City of Silver Light about 8 years ago. A scene appeared in my imagination – I saw a girl lying in the grass, apparently sleeping. I wondered who this girl was. Where did she come from? What was her story? As I started to explore this, I developed the character of Jake Miles, and as I started to write, I developed her story through his experiences.

2. It was an interesting choice to write in male point of view. Was this difficult? Easy? 
It is difficult to write from the point of view of a younger male. To envisage how Jake might think and act, I thought back to my own teen years. I was lucky enough to grow up with a younger brother, and this provided me with some insight – I tried to think what he would have said, or how he would have reacted, under the circumstances when he was that age. However, the more I wrote, the easier it became – Jake was a strong and well-defined character in my mind, and in the end, his thoughts, speech and responses to situations were clear.

3. Tell us about your other characters-- I loved in particular some of your supporting characters, especially the old, creepy neighbor. Did you have any inspiration for coming up with those? Did any of the characters surprise you? Did you have a favorite? 
When I was very young, we had an old woman living next door to us. Though she was quite friendly, she was also a little unusual – she had dozens of cats and an overgrown garden full of plaster gnomes. She was definitely an inspiration for Mrs Henders!

I always find that my characters surprise me as they tend to take on lives of their own as the story is written. I didn’t expect Keira to be as forceful and bossy as she turned out to be. Daniel, also, became a much more prominent character than I originally intended.

4. What is your favorite YA book of all time, and what is your favorite YA year over the past year? 
It is very hard for me to choose an absolute favourite young adult book! But if I was pressed, I would probably say Northern Lights, the first book in His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (I think this was published as The Golden Compass overseas). I fell in love with fantasy and the idea of other worlds existing beside our own while reading this book.

Over the past year, my favourite pick would probably be When I Was Joe by Keren David.

5. For our aspiring writers, what words of advice do you have for them? 
The best advice I can give to any aspiring writer is to look at the world around you and examine and remember what you see. Everything you experience can become part of the story world. I would also advise you to read as much as you can, because you’re putting yourself in the perspective of the person who will read (and hopefully enjoy) your work. You can learn a lot about your own writing by reading the work of others. 

If you truly enjoy writing, you should do a little bit every day if you can – my favourite part of the day is when I sit down with my laptop and just let my imagination run wild.

6. Can you tell us a little about the sequel? Do you have anything else on the horizon? 
The sequel will show more of the wonderful City of Silver Light – Shar – and how it links to our world. I’m excited to explore the city further and to delve more deeply into the lives of the characters of Jake, Cari, Daniel and Keira. 

As for other works, I certainly have plenty of ideas! I hope to publish many more books in the future. 

Thanks so much for joining us, Ruth! Now sign up to win a copy of her terrific book!

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Review of The City of Silver Light by Ruth Fox and International Giveaway

Goodreads Book Description: On a night of frost and ice, she falls from the sky, the beautiful ice-girl Cari, cast out of her world and into ours.

It’s an unusually cold Winter, but 15 year old Jake is more concerned with the ice forming in his dad’s new relationship and the fact that the girl he likes is dating his best friend.

And now his elderly neighbour is acting even weirder than usual. Could things get even more confusing?

Then Jake finds Cari, lost and alone. Who is she? What has she got to do with the sudden frost, and the wondrous silver city that has appeared in the sky? And what does his elderly neighbour, Mrs Henders know about it all?

Jake is determined to find out. But the secrets Cari bears are more dangerous than Jake can ever imagine. And the fate of our entire world – and that of the City of Silver Light – now rest in their hands.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:  I was sent this novel by Hague Publishing in return for an honest review.

The City of Silver Light is a beautifully written novella about Luke, a teenager, who is dealing with all of the usual teenager angst including a best friend who is now dating the girl he has been in love with his whole life, a dad who is absent all of the time, an almost step-mother, an annoying little brother, and school on top of all of that. One night he sees what seems to be a star falling from the sky, and then a strange girl who appears out of thin air. Mix that with a strange old neighbor who seems to know more than she is telling, and you get this fantastical and quirky story.

I loved the beautiful prose, and the wonderful descriptions of everything. Luke is a great character-- flawed, but also likeable, which is a necessary requirement for a young adult story. I loved that characters you wouldn't think would become more third dimensional do, including Nina, and the old neighbor, who were my favorites. I really loved the story line overall.

My biggest beef with this story (and I know this is the first book-- more accurately, first novella), is that it seems incomplete and the ending a little abrupt. I almost wonder if it would have been better just to make it longer (it still has broad potential to become a trilogy even with more) and more in depth.

Overall, beautifully written, and although the ending was a little abrupt, I'm definitely keeping my eye out for the next installment!

Now, sign up to win this terrific book or a similar genre book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor! Tune in tomorrow for a interview with the author! 
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UPDATES (more entries to Requiem/$15 Amazon GC Giveaway) and Insider Tips for Bloggers: How to host a terrific giveaway and gain followers

Just a couple of updates:

The Stereotypical Freaks, the graphic novel, that I loved so much is up for the Next Read in The Graphic Novel Reading Group this month! So, if you could join the group and then vote in the book of the month poll for "Freaks" that would be AWESOME! 

To sweeten the deal, you get +5 entries in the current Requiem/$15 Amazon GC giveaway if you do this... this option is only open until April 14th so get your extra entries!!!

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So here are the links:

1) )  The Graphic Novel Reading Group - http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/53316-graphic-novel-reading-group

2)  Please Vote for "The Stereotypical Freaks" in their group read discussion:   http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/82227-which-of-these-books-would-you-like-to-be-our-next-group-read-discussion?auto_login_attempted=true

OK on to our topic of discussion...
I'll be blunt. Hosting a giveaway is the best way to earn followers. If you have a blog that has something to say on top of that, you can gain loyal followers.

So how do you host the perfect giveaway that gets everyone jumping through every hoop you present just to get a chance to win?

I. The one most important thing is to have a great prize. So how do you do that? Easy.

1. It has to be something that people want.
-A signed copy of a book (especially books that are more popularly known)
-Signed swag (such as bookplates or bookmarks)
-Amazon gift cards (of any denomination because people can use this to buy a variety of things)

For indie writers, it's that much more important to give out physical signed books (many people still don't have e-readers).  In addition I suggest either:
-Amazon gift card (obviously the higher the monetary amount, the better. $10 is usually the lowest I would go)
-Another popular book in the same genre. For example, if your book is a YA contemporary, giving away a bestselling book in that genre at the same time increases interest. If it's SIGNED, that always ups the ante.

2. What about e-books?
Sure. But just remember people will go for physical copies more than e-books so you will always get a lower response.

II. Shipping. Always go international if you can. There are a lot of people who can't get books abroad, but they want to read your book. So give them a way they can. If shipping is too much, there are other ways to make your giveaway international without adding too much cost.
- Give away a physical signed copy only US, and e-copies INT
- Give away signed swag international (usually can mail in just an envelope)
- Give away a book you can send via Book Depository, which ships internationally for free.

III. Use Rafflecopter or some other mechanism to easily get people to enter. If it's too difficult, people won't jump through your hoops.

IV. Join a giveaway blog hop! I Am A Reader, Not a Writer hosts multiple ones every month and they are heavily publicized. You'll get a great response usually if your prize is good.

V. What hoops?
-You want to utilize this giveaway to do two things successfully:
1. Promote an author.
2. Promote yourself.

It's always in this order. You want to please the person you are helping out, but also reap some benefits yourself. Add your twitter, facebook, blog, Amazon reviews, etc. For the author, I always include their twitter, blog, facebook, goodreads Fan page, and adding their book to your Goodreads TBR list.

VI. Promote, promote, promote. If no one knows about your giveaway, no one will enter it. Promote it on facebook, twitter, Goodreads, Librarything, Got Great Giveaways on I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, any place with an open forum.

Now put up a great giveaway and have fun!

Giveaway of Signed copy of Requiem by Lauren Oliver (US) OR Amazon GC $15 (INT)

So welcome to my giveaway of this book SIGNED by the amazing Lauren Oliver.

Goodreads Book Description: They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.
***************

Full disclosure, guys, because I love you all so much. This wasn't my favorite book, but I know other people really loved it and it's signed for heaven's sake, so I'm sure you guys want it!!! Plus, Lauren Oliver is an amazing writer, and I do think these books will be freakin' valuable one day.

But if you are curious as to what I thought, you can take a look at my review:
Requiem Review 

So, enter up, peoples! Thanks for all of your support! My one required entry is to follow me via bloglovin with the downfall of Google RSS and possibly GFC. So that way you'll still be following me once that happens July 1!

As for INT or not... I have had some big battles with the post office, so sorry to my INT friends who want their hands on this book. But to make it international, I'll give you a $15 Amazon GC if you are selected as the winner and international. :-)

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Titanic Giveaway Blog Hop, Featuring Emily Murdoch, author of If You Find Me and INT Giveaway!

Titanic Giveaway Hop

April 8th to 14th

Featuring Books with 
Tragic Disasters & Epic Love Stories

Co-hosted by My Devotional Thoughts

Welcome back to another great blog hop! I wanted to host a really tragic story, which to me was If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. I cried so hard when reading this!

Goodreads Book Description: A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb: EMILY MURDOCH lives in the Arizona desert with her husband and adopted dogs, spending her days operating a sanctuary for slaughter-rescued horses and burros. At night, she writes furiously by candlelight, capturing the ideas inspired by the day. This is Emily's first published novel.

Author Interview

1. Can you tell us a little about your journey to becoming a writer?

I've always been a writer. Actually, it's something I look back upon with wonder, standing here today as author: how at five-years-old, I already knew.

That doesn't mean writing came easy or that I didn't need to learn craft or practice voice. But there's always been a drive inside me for story, and a burning need to perfect a method for communicating those stories.

2. How did you get the inspiration to write If You Find Me? Tell us a little bit about developing your plot.
I had the idea of "parentally kidnapped girl returns to society after years of isolation" and sat down on November 1st, 2011, for my fourth National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and began to write. (I won! : )

I don't plot or outline. I write 2000 words a day, and let each day take care of itself. I love being done for the day and thinking over what I've written as I go about my house and horse chores. I love the thinking-about as much as the actual writing.

3. Your characters are well thought out, meaningful and three dimensional. Can you talk about Carey and her sister and some of the supporting cast?

Carey worked her way to the surface from rooty, subterranean places. I didn't realize it when I was writing her character, but she resonated so deeply because I, too, was an abused child. I wish I could better explain why it didn't stand out to me at first. Best as I can explain it, when you have brown hair, you have brown hair. You don't think of it especially. You don't notice it, after awhile. It just is.

And in a way, it needed to be that way. The book needed to find a way around my fear or self-consciousness in order to make it's way into the world.As for the other characters, they just showed up. I don't know how to explain that, either. When I write, it's like I see a movie in my head. I write down what happens. The other characters are part of Carey's story, like puzzle pieces fitting together to form the big picture.

You write the picture that's most glorious. You can see it, if you look.

4. Tell us about your other passions other than writing-- in particular, tell us about the great work you do with horses.

Thank you! The truth is, the horses give me much more than I give them; they're just such amazing, intelligent animals.

In an earlier manuscript, I'd decided to make my main character a horse rescuer. I'd just moved to Arizona from the east coast and, although I'd always loved horses, I didn't know a whole lot about them or their history.

As I researched, I stumbled across horse slaughter, and was horrified. I think I'm typical of many east coast, unhorsey people, in that I had no idea horse slaughter existed, let alone the plight of the wild mustangs of the south and west.

Old horses, stolen horses, buyers who lied about why they bought your horse, horses that end up at auction, Girl Scout camp horses, riding camp horses, thoroughbreds (only a handful of those bred for racing actually are good enough, the rest are throwaways) Quarter horses (not all show horses win blue ribbons) to the majestic wild mustangs of the west: rounded up from the wilds, stuffed in trailers and sent off to slaughter.

You'll be hearing more from me on this issue in the future. America's wild horses used to run free in the millions. Now there are a calculated 30,000 or less left on the land, with more than that number already rounded up and warehoused in corrals by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In sum, my character and my writing inspired me to take real action. Here at our ranch, I operate a small sanctuary for horses and donkeys saved from abuse, neglect, starvation and slaughter.

My ranch is heart-shaped. : )

5. What is your favorite YA book of all time, and what was your favorite read in the past year?

Wow. That's not easy to answer on a few levels.

Favorite YA book of all time would be ... The Diary of Anne Frank. But I also wouldn't want to live in a world without Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, or Merlin's Keep -- all of which I still read from time to time.
As for favorite YA read of the past year, I plead the fifth! I've read many, and I'm constantly delighted to discover so many fertile minds and talented voices, both amongst established authors and debuts.

6. What do you have on the horizon?

I have three more manuscripts I hope to share with all of you, and there will be a second book. I haven't announced it officially yet, or decided which story is the best follow-up to If You Find Me. I am leaning heavily toward one, though. I'm also pondering a sequel to If You Find Me.

However, if there were a sequel, it would be my third book, not my second.
Thank you so much for your insightful questions and for helping me share my novel with the world. I enjoyed chatting with you! And I especially appreciate your asking about my horses!

 Now enter to win this great book SIGNED!!!

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