"I am ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared to meet me is another matter."
-Winston Churchill

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Bewitching Book Tours Release Day Blitz - Shattered Circle by Linda Robertson (Interview & #Giveaway)



Today we celebrate the Release Day Blitz for Shattered Circle by Linda Robertson, touring with Bewitching Book Tours. Linda will be sharing an interview, so please, without further ado...

Welcome Linda!


When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Very young. My mother was an avid reader, and I tried to write books for her. Then as I got a little older and wanted sci-fi/fantasy with heroines I could root for--and couldn't find such stories--I wrote them for myself.
Please share with us a little about your current release...
SHATTERED CIRCLE is the sixth book in the Persephone Alcmedi series, the tale of a girl-next-door witch finding out she is the prophesied Lustrata, and how all the threads of her life--and her waerewolf boyfriend Johnny's life, and the ancient vampire Menessos's "life"--are all inextricably woven together. The story is unfolding over a few weeks of the heroine's life, with one book starting where the last left off.
I think of the series in threes. The first three books are like one unit, my Star Wars, if you will. The second three books are therefore my The Empire Strikes Back. And yes, if seeing Lando in Han's clothes leaving on the Millennium Falcon, if knowing Han had admitted he loved Leia as he was put into carbonite, and learning that that foul dreadful Darth Vader was Luke's father made you hate that ending but want the rest of the story just the same...then prepare yourself. 'SHATTERED' doesn't imply nice-and-tidy, does it? Mwahahahaha!
Do you let your characters tell the story, or do you often fight with them on the direction it will take?
It's their story, so of course they have input. I tell them where they are going. Sometimes I let them pick the route. Mostly, they just beg me to stop for french fries.
How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?
Most UF has an open world or a closed world, meaning either everyone in that fictional world knows that there are vampires, waerewolves, and whatever, or only a very privileged few know it. I split the difference in my world-building. I made it so the 'non-humans' came out to everyone twenty years prior to the start of the story, so the world at large is still dealing with this wonderful and horrifying change.
Also, my main character is a witch, but unlike most witch characters who have inherent power by some inborn birthright, her power is growing only as she is growing in her spiritual progress. The craft is her religion, not just her light-show.
Which character was your favorite to write ? Why?
Nana. She's like my mom, my aunts, and all my mom's friends rolled into one chain-smoking, sassy granny. What's not to love about a character like that.
Tell us about the one scene you had the most fun writing…
There is a series of scenes that go from argument, to foot chase, to a sexy encounter, and then leads to a car chase. Heated, conflicting emotions are interesting anyway. Add to that the idea that I get to research some really awesome high-dollar modern cars, and put them in cornfields. Yeah. I loved those scenes.

If you were stranded on an island, which character in your books would you most want to be stranded with and why, and what is one thing that would be a must-have?
It would have to be Johnny. And I have only picked him over Menessos in this case because Menessos, being a vampire, would have limited time to interact with, being dead all day. Also, if we were to get rescued during the day, it would be difficult to convince seafarers to bring the corpse along.
Now for a little fun, tell us a bit about what your office looks like. Do you need silence to write?
My office consists of a three-level desk beside my bed. I have a tower computer with a 19 inch screen on the top level. A laptop, a netbook, AND my iphone are generally cluttering up the main level. The keyboard and mouse are housed on the roll-out lower level. I have the standard lamp, but my pencil/pen holder is a large plastic CRUZAN bucket from DragonCon that was once filled with a drink called VOODOO JUICE. It said 'serves four.' I can tell you, that is a lie. :)
On the wall is various black frames with the most important writing keys in those frames. I can look up at any time and see a reminder of how to improve my work. There are also many fleur-de-lis and peacock feathers.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I like the Ancient Aliens tv show on the History channel. I play guitar in a rock-n-roll band, bartend two nights a week, and then there's all those boys who call me mom. They still let me hang out with them sometimes. And they do love it when I cook them food.
What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?
My IQ is two standard deviations above average, my college GPA was 3.59, and I hate sappy chick-flicks.

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever wanted to write, or have written, even if it never reached public eyes?
When I was eight, I wrote a 'Harlequin' romance for my mom. It was about a princess who hated skirts and dresses, who was getting married to a prince. Someone shot him at the wedding so she and all her friends went off on a spaceship to catch the bad guy, and had some pizza at a space station.
There was no mention of the prince dying, nor was an ambulance called. I think he survived, but I cannot prove it.
What is one piece of advice you can give to aspiring writers/authors?
It's more work than you know. If your skin isnt thick, if your ego bruises easily, or if you are trying to get into writing for any reason other than the passion you have for telling a good, compelling story, then might want to look into being a gas pump attendant or cashier. (I've done both of those as well. Neither was hard on the ego or required extra-thick skin.) However, if hard work and critical thinking isn't the complete starter-set for a whine-fest to you, if you can take criticism, and if you're going to write those darn stories no matter what anybody says or thinks, then challenge yourself and master those skills.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I'm working on a completely other novel and a collaboration novel at the moment. Then I have another novel not in this series that is on the roster...then maybe I can find a way back to Persephone.
Where can readers connect with you?
WEDNESDAYS I post at: www.word-whores.blogspot.com
twitter: @authorlinda
My books can be purchased many, many ways! Available both as mass market paperbacks and as ebooks, you can find them via your local bookstore both the big ones and the indie ones, via my publisher’s website: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Linda-Robertson/63492742 or the various on-line booksellers.


About the Author

Linda Robertson is the mother of four wonderful boys, owns three electric guitars, and is followed around by a big dog named after Bela Lugosi. Once upon a time she was a lead guitarist in a heavy metal cover band and has worked as a graphic artist. She still composes and creates art, when time permits. Linda currently writes and rocks in northeast Ohio. 

Visit her at AuthorLindaRobertson.com and @authorLinda





Shattered Circle
Persephone Alcmedi
Linda Robertson

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books

ISBN-10: 1451648936
ISBN-13: 978-1451648935

JUST YOUR AVERAGE MEGA-WITCH. . . .

It’s tough being a modern woman, but Persephone Alcmedi has it worse than most. Being the prophesied Lustrata has kicked her career as a witch into high gear, and juggling a wærewolf boyfriend who is about to become king of his kind and a seductive vampire who bears her magical Mark isn’t easy either.

Still, Seph’s beloved foster daughter, Beverley, is causing more trouble than these two men put together. The young girl’s been playing with a magical artifact that’s far more dangerous than she realizes. Now Seph must summon help from a mystical being so potent that even vampires fear him . . . and the cost of his aid may be more than she’s willing to pay. Seph, Johnny, and Menessos face threats from all sides—and a few from within. Will the forces of destiny cement their tenuous supernatural union, or shatter it forever?








5 comments:

Unknown said...

I just love the cover! The colors are beautiful and eye-catching. Happy Release Day! :)

Unknown said...

Shared :)

How does it feel to have your book out there for everyone to read?

Michelle Cornwell-Jordan said...

Awesome interview! I loved the advice given to aspiring writers, and its a reminder to those who have also worked in the field for a while, developing that thick skin:)

Would love to read the Harlequin for your mom, sure it was awesome:O) Wishing you the best on your tour!

Michelle

Unknown said...

"Mostly, they just beg me to stop for french fries." I LOVED THAT! XD

Teddy Rose said...

Wow a writer, bartender, band member, and a mom. Your plate is full!

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