My Pick For NaNoWriMo 2015

So NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow and I have decided to pick the second idea to work on I have done lots of research over the last month and I have plenty of ideas for my story :D

I hope everyone is ready to start theirs tomorrow.

In My Mailbox October 2015

Kindle:

1. The Agent's Daughter - Ron Corriveau
2. Crash - Michael Robertson
3. Keeper vs Reaper - Jennifer Malone Wright
4. Bound By Duty - Stormy Smith
5. Destined Fate - Dale Mayer, Kristen Middleton, Chrissy Pebbles and W. J. May
6. The Red Wolf's Prize - Regan Walker
7. Princess of Park Avenue - Daniella Brodsky
8. Daring Damsels: The Regency Collection - Beverley Eikli
9. Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Complete Collection - Selena Kitt
10. Twins of Aurora - Magen McMinimy
11. Married for Christmas - Noelle Adams

Books:

1. Not Afraid of Life: My Story So Far - Bristol Palin
2. A Soul For Attonement - Crista McHugh
3. Wild Horse Summer - Neva Andrews
4. Is Praise What You Do? - L. L. White
5. Under the Coconut Tree - Marissa De Luna
6. Sequela - Cleland Smith
7. Shielded Past - Patti Morelli

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday topic is 10 Wishes I'd Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me (a new book from a certain author,  a reading superpower, a library that is your absolutely #librarygoals, a character to come to life, to met a certain author etc. etc.) YOU DREAM IT AND THE BOOKISH GENIE CAN DO IT.

1. A New Wintercraft book by Jenna Burtenshaw
2. More books for the Immortal Series by Alyson Noel
3. A Unremembered Spin-off
4. To be able to read faster
5. To have a library full of books that I want to read
6. To have the patients to read a whole series in one go and not between other books
7. To be able to meet Jenna Burtenshaw, Amy Plum, Ally Cater, Alyson Noel and Jessica Brody to interview them in person
8. To have a character written after me in a fantasy book
9. To have Damon from the Immortal series to come to life
10. A film-to-movie version of Revenants, Wintercraft, Unremembered, Immortal series and Heist Society.

NaNoWriMo 2015

So I am currently in the planning process to help me write one of the two stories I have been working on so that I can take part in next months NaNoWriMo, I am not going to officially join the NaNoWriMo website as I will need to just focus on the writing and on my assignment due in November.

I was going to do this last year and the year before but with being in full-time university I got really busy and I couldn't think about anything to write but I have been working on two things:

One is 4700 words long already and I was just writing what comes to mind but now I am stuck and have decided to do more planning on what I want to happen in each chapter before I start writing any more, I may continue working on this for NaNoWriMo if I am happy with my notes.

The second one doesn't have any words but it has little notes that need developing on what I want to happen in each chapter, this is the one I'm thinking would be best to work on for NaNoWriMo as I haven't started writing it yet.

Does anyone else who takes part in NaNoWriMo plan their story before they start it in November?

Top 10 Tuesday

Top 10 Tuesdays topic of the week is Top 10 Author Duos You'd LOVE To See Write A Book

1. Alyson Noel and Jessica Brody
2. Ally Carter and Amy Plum
3. Jenna Burtenshaw and Amanda Hocking
4. Jessica Sorensen and Kendare Blake
5. Keira Cass and Allison Van Diepen
6. Jennifer Lynne Barnes and Cassandra Clare
7. Ashley Salazar and Catelynn Lowell
8. Claudia Gray and Rachel Caine
9. Giovanna Fletcher and Carrie Fletcher
10. Brodi Ashton and Ruth Warburton

Annual Just For Fun Questionnair

The best book you read last year:
Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

A book you've read more than 3 times:
Facing upto Fatherhood

Your favourite series of the year:
Unremembered by Jessica Brody

A guilty pleasure book:
The Dinosaur That Pooped The Past

A book that made you laugh:
All the Heist Society Books by Ally Carter

A book that made you cry:
Bittersweet Blessings

A book you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving:
Doll Bones

Favourite classic book:
Not really read any classics

A book you hated:
The Ambrose Beacon

A book you used to love but don’t any more:
Can't think of any

Your favourite author:
Too many to mention

Favourite male character:
Damon (Evermore Series)
Silas (Wintercraft Series)
Zen (Unremembered Series)

Favourite female character:
Seraphina Unremembered Series)
Ever (Evermore Series)
Kate Winters (Wintercraft Series)

Your biggest fictional crush:
Damon (Evermore Series)

A good quick read:
Doll Bones by Holly Black

A book that disappointed you:
Lost by Ron Vitale

Favourite book-to-movie conversion:
Hunger Games

Favourite romance:
Ever and Damon, Zen and Seraphina

Favourite book from your childhood:
Sleepover Club books

A book you can't wait for:
A Week of Mondays

A book you've been meaning to read for ages:
Twilight

A book that you wish more people would read:
Wintercraft Series

Most surprising plot twist or ending:
Unchanged by Jessica Brody

Favourite book title:
Cinderella Wore Combat Boots

Your favourite book OF ALL TIME:
Still Good Night Mr. Tom and Charlotte's Web

If you're interested copy, paste, fill in in the comments or post on your blog and link the post in comments! :D

This is Totally Me

Yeah, this is something I do when I'm reading.

In My Mailbox September 2015

I have bought one book this month from a shop the rest are some of the kindle books that I have bought during September.

1. Throne of Glass - Sara J. Maas
2. Winter in Sweetwater County - Ciara Knight and Cora Artz
3. The Wedding Favor - Caroline Mickelson
4. Feyland: The Dark Realm - Anthea Sharp
5. Shattered Dreams - H H Fowler and Karen Rogers
6. Shattered Dreams - Brenda Kennedy
7. End of Eternity - Loretta Lost
8. Anais Of Brightshire - Jamie Wilson and Amber Bungo
9. Wolf Lake part 1 - Mac Flynn
10. A Vampire Maiden - Caelia Sky
11. Island of Fog - Keith Robinson
12. Just one Song - Stacey Lynn
13. Hope(less) - Melissa Haag and Allisyn Ma
14. The Mystic Series - B.C. Burgess
15. Rae of Hope - WJ May and Chelsa Jillard
16. Forever a Bridesmaid - Courtney Hunt
17. Chased by Fire - DK Holmberg
18. Dark Promise - Julia Crane Talia Jager
19. The Shopping Swap - Erin Brady
20. Fledgling - Natasha Brown
21. The Dream Keeper - Mikey Brooks and Cas Peace

Why do authors do this to us? lol

Happy First Day of Fall

A Week of Monday's cover reveal

Here is the awesome cover for Jessica Brodys upcoming novel A Week of Monday's in stores early 2016

Reach for a Book

In My Mailbox August 2015

Another busy month for kindle book buying but not as busy as last month.

1. Murder Turned In #2 - Leslie Leigh
2. Murder At Crawford House #3 - Leslie Leigh
3. Murder On the Rocks #4 - Leslie Leigh
4. The Girl in Between #1 - Laekan Zea Kemp
5. The Boy in her Dreams #2 - Laekan Zea Kemp
6. Falling for my Best Friend - Hazel Kelly
7. Wanted - Demelza Watts
8. Moon Chosen #1 - Mac Flynn
9. Teaching the Boss - Mallory Crowe
10. The Almost Wives Club: Kate - Nancy Warren
11. Imperfect Chemistry - Mary Frame
12. Nellie - Cynthia Woolf
13. Forbidden - Rebecca Lee
14. Grumpy Old Wizard #1 - John O'Riley
15. Corruption #2 - John O'Riley

Summer Crush Feature

Summer Crush: A wonderfully romantic boxed set of Upper YA short stories by today's hottest authors.

Summer is the time for lazy days at the beach, sun-kissed hair, flip-flops, and sizzling nights with a new crush. Those stolen glances and first kisses can quickly spark a flame. However, the road to love isn’t always a smooth ride. 

Every Summer has a story, whether it’s a second chance on love, seeing a friend in a different light, or taking a step in a new direction with someone special. Love and long days create endless possibilities, but can a summer crush really last?

Pre-Order today for it's UK release on Friday.

In My Mailbox July 2015

So I spoiled myself this month and bought a lot of books for my kindle to cheer myself up this also means I have a lot of new books to read lol.

1. Beautiful Oblivion - Addison Moore
2. Shade - Marilyn Peake
3. From Italy With Love - Jules Wakes
4. Finding Love Again - Jessica Matthews
5. Escorted - Claire Kent
6. Bought and Paid For - Lara Hunter
7. All Over the Place - Serena Clarke
8. Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer - Demelza Carlton
9. Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse - Sherri Bryan
10. No One to Trust - Katie Reus
11. Fated - Tasha Gwartney
12. Murder and Moonflowers #1 - Leslie Leigh
13. Murder in Wonderland #1 - Leslie Leigh
14. Sweet Magic Song - Olivia Hardin and Mickey Reed
15. Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter - Nikki Jefford
16. Convicted Witch - Willow Monroe
17. Bound to the Bachelor - Sarah Mayberry
18. No Knight Needed - Stephanie Rowe
19. Awaken at Twilight Anthology - Kristen Middleton, C.M Owens, Chrissy Pebbles, W.J. May, C.J. Pinard, J. Wells and L. Wells
20. Gracie - Ellie Keaton
21. The Opening Act - Taryn Elliott and Cari Quinn
22. Secrets of the Sisterhood - Kay Cassidy
23. Cowboy Down Under - Ruth Bailey
24. Field of Schemes - Jennifer Coburn
25. Love, Sex, Work, Murder - Neal Bircher
26. Depraved - Lucia Jordan
27. Love, Forgiveness and Horseshoes - Julie Allen
28. Celtic, Folktales from Wales - Michael Harvey
29. Beyond The Veil - Pippa DaCosta

Update...

I am just posting an update of things that will be posted by the end of July as I am almost done reading Lost by Ron Vitale and once I am done I will start working on all the book reviews for this years books (there's about 10 including Lost).

Reviews
- Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
- Until I Die by Amy Plum
- Die For Her by Amy Plum
- Mystic by Alyson Noel
- Unchanged by Jessica Brody
- Cindi by Lisa Scott
- The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald
- Cinderella Wore Combat Boots by D. L. Jackson
- Cinderella Book of The Film by Elizabeth Rudnick
- Lost by Ron Virtale
* The reviews will be posted all throughout the week and will be posted on the day I write them not on the day I read them

In My Mailbox
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
* The IMM's will be posted during the week and will be set to go up for the last day of the month that it is for like they would normally.

Features
- I have a feature lined up not sure when I will post it as I am still waiting for details.

Author Interviews
- I don't have any currently lined up I plan on concentrating on reading during the Summer and in September start again with the interviews which means that I will start lining authors up in August so I can start posting in September on wards

Guest Reviewers
- I am looking for some guest reviewers to post book reviews or to take part in an interview and to even promote their own blog

Suggestions and Contacting Me
- You can email me or send me a message on Facebook (links at the bottom of the post)  to suggest books for me to read or to take part in anything on my blog or you can even suggest a weekly or monthly thing for me to do on my blog (if you go to the looking for page then it will tell you what else I am looking for)

book_girl@live.co.uk
www.facebook.com/EscapeToANewWorld

In My Mailbox June 2015

Slow book buying month this month there all kindle books

1. The Sanctuary Series - Robert J. Crane
2. Maids of Misfortune: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery - M. Louisa Locke
3. The Key - Jennifer Anne Davis
4. Alice Isn't Well - Amy Cross
5. First Verse - Emily Snow
6. Lady and the Lawman - Joyce Brandon

In My Mailbox May 2015

May was a busy month for book buying haha.

Books

1. Cinderella (Book of the Film) - Elizabeth Rudnick
2. Dorethy Must Die - Danielle Paige
3. Conquering Chaos - Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra
4. Bought and Sold - Megan Stephens
5. Tressa: The 12 Year Old Mum: My Story - Tressa Middleton

Kindle

1. Found #3 - Ron Vitale
2. The Heir - Kiera Cass
3. Celtic Viking - Lexy Timms
4. Second Nature - Marie Lavender
5. French Twist - Glynis Astle
6. Murder on the Page - Kennedy Chase
7. The Arrow - Maureen O'Leary
8. Ugly Sleeping Beauty #4 - Jamie Campbell
9. I Love Little Red #5 - Jamie Campbell
10. The Beast with no Beauty #6 - Jamie Campbell

Cinderella

So I bought this today because I really loved the film (I've seen it four times and I cried the first two times). I am hoping that the film lives up to the book.

I usually don't like to read the book after watching the film because the films are always different from the book and I'm always thinking 'Oh that didn't happen in the film' but if I read the book and then watch the film I usually say 'What that didn't happen in the book' so either way I normally complain but because I loved the film I have to read the book.

I plan on reading this next week once my assignments are all done and I will tell you how it went.

In My Mailbox April 2015

Lots of books this month and plenty I am really looking forward to reading.

Books

1. The 100 Day 21 - Kass Morgan
2. The Boleyn Bride - Emily Purdy

Review

1. The Unexpected Occurrence of Thaddeus Hobble - Gareth Wiles
2. Trespassers - Todd and Tim Wynn

Kindle

1. Lost #1 - Ron Vitale
2. Stolen #2 - Ron Vitale
3. Ravenous - Erica Stevens
4. Cinderella is Evil #1 - Jamie Campbell
5. Saving Rapunzel #2 - Jamie Campbell
6. Killing Snow White #3 - Jamie Campbell

Wales Comin Con

So today I went to Wales Comic Con I met my Childhood Idol, S Club 7's Hannah Spearritt who played Abby in Primeval and Andrew Lee Potts who played Connor in Primeval, I also met authors Sam Stone, Raven Dane and Gareth Wiles.

Sam asked me to have a look on goodreads at hers and Raven's books and she will see if she can get me the ones I want to review for this blog.

When I saw Gareth he gave me a copy of The Unexpected Occurrence of Thaddeus Hobble to review. It's not something that I would normally read its a crazy crime, sci-fi, horror and I normally read YA sci-fi, fantasy books but I am looking forward to reading something new.

Thanks for the book Gareth and I am looking forward to having a look at Raven and Sam's books.

My Interview with James Vernon

     

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I first started writing back in 2011. My first story was going to be a sci-fi soldier story but I couldn’t get a solid story going, so I scrapped it and started fresh. About half way through the year I began building the world and lore behind my first novel, Bound to the Abyss, and getting the general plot together. About two years later, after dozens of rewrites and plot fixes I finally had a story that I was happy to release. I just had to find the funds for all the extras like a professional editor and cover artist first. That took a little longer.

When writing about something you don’t know very much about where does your information come from?

That’s the nice thing about writing fantasy, especially where I’ve completely created the world and the lore. Anything I’m not too sure about I can make adjustments to and fiddle around with. That way when I write about it, I can make it seem believable and new while at the same time similar enough to something the audience can recognize.

When it comes to something I can’t really mess with because I’m taking it directly from our world, like the best the environment for beans to grow or the average lifespan of a horse, I Google it. Haha.

What advice would you give someone who had “ran out of creativity” while writing?

Two things:

First, start something new! I always have at least two projects going on at the same time. While I wrote my first story, I was also writing a set of short stories set in the same world. It helped me improve as a writer and was a fun way to continue to world-build.
Second, read a whole lot. Not just in the genre you are writing for either. Poll your friends for good books outside of what you usually read. You might find a way to not only reignite your creativity, but also to improve your writing by learning from other with a different writing style then your own.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

THANK YOU.

Seriously thank you. I have had more success then I expected an unknown author like myself to achieve. I’m not breaking the top 100 on Amazon, getting on a best seller’s list, and haven’t won a single award, but still people are finding my book and enjoying it. All that I’ve accomplished has come from people that gave an unknown author a chance.

Oh, and I WILL keep writing. I have big plans for my main characters Ean, Zin, and Azalea that will span multiple books alone, and like I mentioned earlier I always have other things in the works. I’ve spent too much time building this world to just leave it behind after a few books. I’m here for the long haul.

If you could invite three authors and/or poets to dinner who would you invite?
That’s a tough one. I don’t want to repeat myself with the authors I already mentioned above so I’ll go with three new ones in no particular order.
1) George R. R. Martin – Two reasons. One because he is another amazing world builder. The history of Westeros and the political intrigue he creates draws readers in and I love that kind of stuff. The second reason is I want to learn his secret for not getting attached to his own characters. The man is ruthless!
2) Lindsay Buroker – A great indie fantasy author. Her stories flow seamlessly and have the perfect combination of humour, action, and suspense. She also seems to really have down the art of building her brand and getting herself out there. Her books always seem to be at the top of the Amazon charts and I would love to get as much advice from her as possible on top of all that she gives through her website.
3) Terry Brooks – My love of fantasy started with his Magic Kingdom of Landover series and then matured with The Sword of Shannara and the rest of the Shannara books. Certainly one of the many people that have influenced my work and are the reason why I started writing in the first place

What is your all-time favourite book?
I can’t say I have one particular book that is my favourite, but my favourite series is still the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. I have spent an untold amount of days pouring through those books. Every time a new book was coming out, I would reread the entire series again from the beginning before getting to the next book in the series. There are other series that come close, Shannara, The Night Angel Trilogy, The Emperor’s Edge, Earthsea, Harry Potter, The Kingkiller Chronicles, The Belgariad, and a few dozen more that I reread every now and then. The Wheel of Time though is still at the top of the list.

Which one of your books would you recommend to someone who is looking for a quick easy read?
All of them? I promise I’m not being egotistical!
Bound to the Abyss and Descent into Darkness are one story broken into two parts and I’ve been told by people that don’t usually read fantasy that they moved through them fairly fast. The two short story collections are fun and you don’t have to know anything about the world to follow along with them. My third book, Hunt for Justice, is separate from the Bound to the Abyss series and a little shorter then either of my first two books so it would be easy as well.

When naming your characters to you give thought about the meaning of the name?
Sometimes. Some names are a play on letters for friends and relatives that I’ve pulled character traits from, others have deeper meanings that some might eventually figure out or they might just end up being fun little Easter eggs for myself. Others I’ve just heard and end up liking or come from wanting my characters names to not all start with the same couple of letters. As long as I feel that the name fits the character, I go with it.

Do you use real life facts based on true stories?
Ha, I hope not! Portals from other worlds opening up randomly in ours would cause a lot of problems.

What is your favourite part of a book to write?
Surprisingly I enjoy the chapters where my characters are just being themselves, sitting around and joking with each other. No grave threats or intense battles, just my characters showing a little more about themselves, their motives, and the relationships they form with each other. Those are the scenes I love to explore because I rarely ever have them planned out. I just let the characters be themselves and see what they end up writing for me.

Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten ALL TIME Favourite Authors (in no particular order)

1. A. A Milne
2. Roald Dahl
3. Enid Blyton
4. Alyson Noel
5. Jessica Brody
6. Amy Plum
7. Jenna Burtenshaw
8. Jodi Picoult
9. Virginia Andrews
10. Ally Carter

Get to Know Me With James Vernon

Where do you live?

I live in a small town an hour or so outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It’s the type of quaint town that still has a main street with little shops and a couple of parades each year. It’s also close enough to more developed areas that I don’t feel like I’m out in the country.

Can you tell me about yourself?
Just a simple guy with a teaching degree and a love for fantasy. I’ve always been a fan of fantasy and sci-fi and love getting lost in worlds. At this point in my life I’m in a comfortable enough position to have a little fun outside of work and try new things. Writing and creating worlds has become a lot of fun, and I would love it if it could become my main profession. If not, I’ll still enjoy the time I spend writing and reaching new people.

Why and when did you begin to write?
Around 5 years ago. I’ve always been a huge reader of fantasy stories and had thought about writing one for a long time. When I was moved around for my job and ended up with over an hour commute each day, I found myself with a lot of time in my car to build worlds and create characters to live in them. Eventually I started putting down what I came up with on paper and went from there.

How long each day/week do you dedicate to writing?
Unfortunately I’m not a very organized writer. Having a full time job and a three-year old running around makes planning a set time to write each day a pointless endeavour. During the week I try to write for a few hours after everyone has gone to bed (which can be difficult as there are quite a few shows on at the moment that are distractions). On the weekend I find whatever time I can. If I had to guesstimate, I would say on average I get a solid nine hours of serious writing time in each week.

If you were shipwrecked on a desert island what book and author would you take?
For book I would have to go with The Name of the Wind. For years I’ve had a dozen other favourite books, but most recently Patrick Rothfuss has made me into a huge fan. The way he tells the story, which if you pay attention is really one characters biography, keeps me hooked for hours at a time.
For author, even though he has passed, I would have to go with Robert Jordan. The world and its history that he created for the Wheel of Time series just blows me away. I would love to pick his brain while stuck on a deserted island and learn how he did it all.

When reading yourself do you prefer to read eBooks, paperbacks or hardbacks?
I have a bit of OCD when it comes to physical copies of books. I would much rather read from a good paperback or hardback, but part of my brain doesn’t want to mess up the binding or the cover. So for convenience and my own sanity, I would have to say I stick to eBooks for the majority of my reading. If I really like a story after I’m done reading, more likely than not I’ll buy a physical copy as well.

Friday's Feature Melissa Hosack

Vampires vs Zombies follows a global pandemic thought to be restricted to the world of fiction as it takes out nearly the entire population within the span of a few days. The survivors are confused and disoriented. Those who die don’t stay dead.

Aurora Mathews —along with Damian Deshea, a man who aggravates her more than the walking dead—somehow manages to survive the first onslaught of violence and destruction only to be taken captive by something possibly more terrifying than zombies —vampires.

Each passing night reveals new horrors to the duo. Most alarming of all is the presence of Kieran, a vampire whose newest goal in his afterlife is to see Aurora dead.

Kieran has a history of violence, and women tend to disappear once he takes an interest in them, and he sees Aurora as his last chance of showing off his skills. To top it off, Damian is hiding secrets nearly as dark as those kept by their captors.

Between looking for other survivors, desperately searching for her family, and fighting off attempts on her life, Aurora must learn to adapt to this new world or perish. This is the battle of human survival that she fears can only end in death.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Whimsical Publications

Excerpt:

“Oh shit,” he said under his breath. “Aurora?”

“Yeah?” My voice trembled as I slowly backed away.

“Run.” With that, he dropped the chair, pushed me in front of him, and did as he instructed me to do. He ran.

I went as fast as I could, but with his six-foot-two frame, it didn’t take him long to catch up to me. We both turned simultaneously down the hallway, sprinting for our lives.

“Is there a window in the women’s bathroom?” he hollered.

“What?” I yelled back breathlessly, having a hard time hearing over the pounding of my heart and the pursuing monsters.

“Fast! Is there a window in the women’s bathroom?”

I scanned my mind, trying to remember the layout of the restrooms, a hard thing to do when being chased by a psychotic monster that wants to eat you alive. “Yes,” I said uncertainly, my answer sounding more like a question.

“You better be damn sure, or we’re both dead,” Damian came back gruffly.

At his somber statement, I really concentrated, picturing the arrangement of the bathroom interior. “Yes! Yes, there’s a window.”

“Good.”

Before I had a chance to take another step, I was thrown to the side. I went barreling into the women’s room, forcing the door open with my body as I went.

Damian was a step behind me. He lurched into the room, his tall frame slamming into mine and knocking me off balance.

As the door swung shut behind him of its own momentum, we both collapsed to the floor in a pile of tangled arms and legs. The air rushed out of my lungs as his full weight was thrown on top of me. One of my knees slid dangerously between his, and I accidentally caught him in the ribs with an elbow. “Damian,” I groaned, pushing against his chest with my free hand. “You’re squishing me.”

With a grunt of discomfort, he rolled to sit next to me, breathing hard. His hands ran through his dark hair, and his fingers trembled with shock and adrenaline. While I struggled to a sitting position, he touched a hand to his jaw and winced in pain.

With his weight no longer on me, I was able to convince my lungs to start working again. I sucked in deep gulps of air, my throat feeling raw.

As we both tried to collect ourselves, the door flew open, and three mutilated faces stared in at us.

I stopped complaining. Scrambling to my feet, I threw myself against the door. It closed for a moment before being smashed into from the other side, forcing me backwards.

It opened enough for one of the men to get his arm into the room. I spun around, pressing my back against the door, trying to dig my feet into the floor to give me extra leverage.

Damian was on his feet in an instant. He hit the door hard, his hands on either side of my head, the front of his body slamming into the front of mine. He was jammed up tightly against me with my nose practically in his chest. His head was lowered toward me, and I could see his jaw clench with effort.

The door slammed shut on the thing’s arm, and it gave an inhuman screech.

I glanced to the side to see the arm dangling limply next to my head. Blood poured down torn skin and dripped to the floor.

I opened my mouth to scream when Damian pulled back and slammed into the door again, knocking the air, and the scream, out of me. There was a sickening wet noise as the arm detached, landing with a thud at my feet. Without the arm blocking the door, it closed.

Damian reached above my head and clicked the lock into place. With a shaky sigh, he leaned his head against the door just above my shoulder, his body still pressed flat to mine. His breath was hot against the side of my neck, and his body covered me completely. I could feel him all the way down to my toes. He was just a little too close for a casual acquaintance, especially for one I didn't like all that much.

I brought my hands up and pushed on his shoulders. “You can get off me now.”

He pulled his head back and looked down at me through his hair, his eyes glinting with amusement. “If I must.” He lingered a second too long for my taste before moving away from me.

My Interview With Gareth Wiles

     

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I first started writing properly in high school, and I finished my first book I AM DEAD in 2009 after working on it for about five years. I'd written a lot of short stories and plays before then. 

Can you tell us about your upcoming book? And how you come up with the idea?

My latest book, which is a prequel to I AM DEAD, is called THE UNEXPECTED OCCURRENCE OF THADDEUS HOBBLE and is officially out in April. I have also finished my 6th book, which will be out later in the year. I am currently editing all 5 of my current books into one omnibus edition for a hardback release in the near future. I generally use everyday life to come up with ideas, giving seemingly mundane things a sinister twist.

When writing about something you don’t know very much about where does your information come from?

In my latest book I covered quite a bit of history, such as Charles Darwin on The Beagle and Adolf Hitler in his bunker, so I did some research by reading around the subjects.

What is the easiest and the hardest part to write?

The hardest part is making the plot last. I tend to write smaller stories then interweave them together to make a larger book. The easiest is character, as I know a wealth of weird and wonderful people to draw from.

Do you ever experience writers block? If so how do you find best to cure it?

No. If I feel like writing it comes very easily to me. I get 'in the zone' and it flows.

Have you written a book that you love but cannot get published?

I've written a few books that aren't out yet, but I hope to have them out in the near future.

Are there certain characters from any of your books that you would like to back to and create a book based on them maybe set in the past or future?

I've done that with the 6th book I've just finished, which includes several minor characters from my previous books who are being featured centre-stage.

What does your current protagonist think about you would they want to hang out with you the author, their creator?

My main protagonist Peter Smith is a bit of a misanthrope, so I doubt he'd enjoy hanging out with anyone let alone me!

How long does it usually take to write a whole book?

My first book took five years to write, but each one since has taken about a year. My 6th book is shorter and only took about six months. Once I've finished writing I leave the book for a month or two them come back to it fresh and edit.

How you ever created a character for a book that you were working on and then realised that they don’t work in that book and then used them in something else?

I've done this all the time. Characters tend to write themselves, and you can't really force them to do things they don't want to.

Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Inspiring Quotes from Books (anything that inspires you, challenges you, makes you think, encourages you, etc.) 

I can only think of five of the top of my head so this week is a top 5

1. The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places – Charlie and the chocolate factory by Roald Dahl
2. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live – Harry Potter by J.K Rowling
3. You have been my friend that in itself is a tremendous thing – Charlotte’s Web by E.B White
4. Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light – Harry Potter J.K Rowling
5. Dumb as a doorknob, in fact - Mystic by Alyson Noel

Get to know me with Gareth Wiles

Where do you live?

In sunny North Wales

Can you tell me about yourself?

I'm 29 and work as a gardener as well as writing books and doing copywriting and editing work.

Why and when did you begin to write?

The first story I ever wrote was when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I had an elderly Aunty who encouraged my fantasy and make-believe lifestyle!

How long each day/week do you dedicate to writing?

I can't really pin down a specific time I set aside to work on my writing as I tend to do it when I'm inspired. I can write for hours on end day after day and then not write anything for a month afterwards.

While writing do you prefer a quiet room or do you like background noise such as music or the TV?

I like writing whilst The Beach Boys are playing in the background.

When you’re not writing what can we find you doing?

Gardening and generally pottering about with a myriad of eccentric people and animals.