1. How did you come up with the plot for Silver Smoke?
I came up with the concept first (the idea of a mother’s death being an introduction into the supernatural world) and the story unraveled from there. I think the book is somewhat character driven–at the end, I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen, but once I started writing the ideas started flowing. I know what happens at the end of the series, but in each book the characters surprise me with where the plot goes. So I don’t have all the books completely planned, I just have an idea of what happens in each.
2. What is your favorite social media site?
I don’t spend a ton of time on social media, which is funny, because I used to spend a lot of time on social media and wrote a book about it called Social Pollination. But now, I don’t do much tweeting or Facebooking or anything. My favorite social media site then, is probably
my blog. I’m a writer, not a social media enthusiast, I guess.
3. Who is your favorite character in Silver Smoke?
Hmm… probably Rykken. He’s handsome, strong, and the most likable of all the characters. He has his priorities straight most of the time and is often the voice of reason. His major flaw, though, is Brie–he pretty much sacrifices everything for her at times, and it’s a bit sweet while also a bit unsettling.
4. Please tell us, in one sentence, why we should read your book?
The book is challenging and fun and difficult to put down–most people tell me they read it in just a few days.
5. Who are your favorite authors of all time?
I have many! Classic authors include Jane Austen and CS. Lewis. For modern authors, I love JKR, Stephenie Meyer, and Suzanne Collins, to start. I also love Cassandra Clare and Holly Black. I will always support them and their YA novels, no matter where their writing takes them. Maggie Stiefvater is another one I enjoy. I don’t get as addicted to her books, but her blog is just plain witty and smart. She seems like such a genuine person, you can’t help but want to support her in all her creative endeavors, even the non-writing ones.
6. How do you come up with the names of your characters?
Well, I just thought about how celebrities always give their kids dumb names like Apple and then copied that idea. Pilot’s name just came to me out of thin air (no pun intended). Then came Breeze, which was later changed to Brie because Pilot and Breeze is just too comical. So then I decided that Brie is short for Gabriella and that her mother named her after one of the archangels, Gabrielle. And Rykken is derived from the word reich, which is German for rich empire or kingdom. I gave him a different spelling that I thought seemed a little more appropriate for his heritage.
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I have to agree with Monica…I love Rykken.
I cannot wait for the second book in this series. You know a book is really good when you have finished reading it, yet you cannot stop thinking about the characters.
I hope that you get a chance to read this book. It is wonderful!
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An Exclusive Excerpt:
Brie woke up dazed and aching from passing out on the cold, unforgiving floor. What had she done? She was losing Rykken and she was losing Pilot, and she was maybe losing herself. At the least, she was losing a sense of what was right and wrong, true and real.
Brie stared at a chip of glass on the floor, trying to process the information Sirena had given her. A minute passed, maybe two.
“When you put your hands over his wounds,” Sirena finally said, “weren’t you trying to perform a Cronus ritual?”
“No.” Brie flicked the glass across the room. “I don’t even know what that is.”
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