Monday, April 30, 2012

Author Interview: Jacqueline Gardner ~ HUGE Giveaway!

Welcome to The Wormhole!
It is with great pleasure that I feature an interview with Jacqueline Gardner, author of ThoughtlessMutiny, and Jade.

 When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve been telling stories since I was little. I kept an idea journal by my bed and still do. I often wake up in the middle of the night, turn on a light, and write things down. When I read those entries in the morning sometimes they make sense. Sometimes they don’t! I think for me writing a book was always in the cards. It was just a matter of finding the time to sit down and do it.

 How long does it take you to write a book?
The first book I wrote took me about 9 months to write. That manuscript taught me a whole lot about myself and my preferred writing style. Sadly though, it will never see the light of day!

 What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I can’t write in absolute silence.

 Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
I draw a lot from personal experience. Though I never use names of people I know! At least I try not to. But all my main characters are a little like me, and I don’t intentionally do that. I just write what I know.

 How do you decide what you want to write about?
My book ideas usually start with a question. And not all my ideas work out. I have a few manuscripts that I started but never finished because I wasn’t in LOVE with the characters. If you’re going to devote months of uninterrupted time to something, you should probably be in LOVE with it. Love-hate relationships work too.

 What are you reading right now?
Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series

 What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I like to hike, camp, and decorate cupcakes.

 What is your favorite comfort food?
A lot of people are probably expecting me to say cupcakes, but I actually prefer salty over sweet. I have a weakness for tortilla chips.

 What do you think makes a good story?
A lot of things, but something that I think makes a story stand out is honesty. Books with a lot of raw emotion are ones I connect with. Putting your feelings out there for the world to see isn’t easy, so I admire authors who do that.

 Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
I admire a lot of authors, but there is one in particular that made me fall in love with books. Roald Dahl.

 What book, if any, do you read over and over again?
The Harry Potter series.

Fun random questions:
• dogs or cats?
Dogs.

• Coffee or tea?
Tea.

• Dark or milk chocolate?
Dark chocolate.

• Rocks or flowers?
What kind of ‘rocks’ are we talking about here? If a diamond counts, I would definitely take that over flowers.

• Night or day?
Night.

• Favorite color?
Green.

• Crayons or markers?
Colored pencils.

• Pens or pencils?
Whatever I can find! I’m always losing both.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
...and now...the books!!!
Her website is HERE.
You can buy her books HERE or HERE
...and now for the Giveaway...
***you can choose either Thoughtless or Mutiny  FREE by COMMENTING on this post!

When Bridget finds a dead cheerleader in the janitor’s closet, she becomes the killer’s next target. High school just got worse. It’s bad enough that she can hear the shocking truths that pass through her classmate’s heads. Now she has to worry about staying alive, and all clues point to the one person whose thoughts she can’t read - her boyfriend Terrence. Someone is taunting her, threatening to expose her secret. And when Bridget tries to single out her blackmailer, she’s nearly beaten to death by a mind controlled minion with fiery eyes.


But when Bridget finally comes face-to-face with the killer, suddenly a horde of brainwashed students programmed to destroy her life doesn't seem so bad.


Eric's life aboard a top secret stealth submarine as a member of the government’s M.E.R. program has been about discipline, cunning and survival. As both a soldier and a natural born regenerator, he can heal from any wound, but to stay alive he must accept a vein-burning serum that prevents his DNA from over-mutating. In exchange Eric must follow his Chief Commander’s every order. And never ask questions, no matter the assignment.


When he goes ashore on his first solo mission he runs into a complication he didn't expect; Mariella, the target’s daughter. She’s about to change everything.

Informant, M.E.R. book 2 (coming fall 2012)


It was only a game – a contest of wits. But the night Crystal snuck out to meet her competitor was the night she didn’t return.


Now her younger sister Jade has returned to Silver Hills, the place Crystal disappeared, only to find hostile townspeople and a creepy admirer. Silver Hills isn’t what it seems, and Crystal’s ghostly image has made a reappearance. Jade’s suspicions only lead to trouble as she slowly starts to realize that history is about to repeat itself.

No wonder grandma slept with a gun under her pillow.  
(Release: April 2012)

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.
Happy Reading.

Blog Tour: The Guardian by S.B. Rodgers


This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.
I am pleased to feature this guest post from S.B. Rodgers.
Why Paranormal and Fantasy make the YA world go ‘round


I don’t know about you, but I have always read books to get away from reality. Let’s face

it--reality sometimes sucks!! What better way to get away than to immerse oneself in someone else’s head? Their life, their adventures, their romances are all a welcome change from the everyday drudgery, and sometimes you learn a little something about yourself along the way, which is always a cool bonus.

There’s a reason why fantasy and paranormal YA novels are hot right now--they’re a total change from the norm! The world can be the same, or completely different; a post-apocalyptic nightmare, a flawed utopian society, a magical fantasy land or an alien dreamscape. With paranormal, the different and uncanny becomes, if not commonplace, then at least feasible! Life suddenly brims with magic and romance and wonder, everything felt in extremes through the characters’ eyes--you can be anything at any moment, and you can meet anyone while you’re at it.

I mean, why settle for the boring, average guys in your school when you could have the

sexy new transfer student who just happens to have fangs, feathers or claws? You say he has a brother?! Excellent.

The romantic heroes are a huge draw of YA for a lot of people, and no wonder! Romance

is always a welcome distraction, and the love triangle, tale old as time as it may be, refuses to be played off. Two boys vying for your affections? Yeah, I think you can handle that, especially since they aren’t quite like the dudes you grew up with. There’s something a little different about them--not bad different! Good different, you think…well, you hope.

The sense of mystery that surrounds these boys only adds to the intrigue; they’re definitely not the kind of people you meet every day on the street! They’re suave, protective, instinctive, more than a little bit dangerous, and they’re waiting to take you on out-of-this-world adventures.

It doesn’t really get much better than that.



What and who is S.B. Rodgers?
S.B. Rodgers is a pen name that stands for Sara & Becky Rodgers. Becky argued extensively


that in the name of humour, the letters should be listed alphabetically, but lost out to her arch

nemesis common sense. Sara and Becky met at the young ages of twenty-two months and zero

days, thrust into each other’s lives by fate and situations beyond either of their control. They

are sisters, frenemies and most importantly co-authors. It’s theorised that they were identical

twin in a past life…not really but it’d be pretty cool. Their parents taught them that a person’s

imagination is a precious gift and stories should be cherished. As a team the siblings bring very

different skills to the table, each one’s strength perfectly complimenting the others weakness.

They try not to take themselves very seriously and strive to look for the humour in life. Their

partnership is one of extreme love and respect for each other, both as family and literary artists.

Sara is the younger of the two. She lives with one cat, five dolls and her potato head man

collection in an orange room. Regrettably she is not Spiderman or Batman, but she is a card

holding Pokémon master and that’s good enough for now. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts

from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She collects graphic novels and manga

as well as all things written by the fantastic Neil Gaiman. When she is not reading or writing she

is needle felting and posting her work on her popu-lish tumblr account: The Land of Fluff and

Needles.

Becky is the classic girly-girl. Her blond hair and pink nails served as the perfect camouflage

during school years were teachers undoubtedly took her day dreaming for air-headedness. To

the contrary, she spent that time drifting in and out of imaginary worlds filled with fantastical

creatures and memorable characters. Today she divides her time between working with animals

as a certified pet stylist and typing away at new manuscripts. Among other things she describes

herself as a Gleek, sci-fi nerd, smustle expert extraordinaire and above all she just “wants to

believe.” She lives with her two German Shepherds-Abby and Odin-and is driven by delusionsLinks:
Blog: sbrodgers.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SB-Rodgers/260803420636830
You tube: http://youtu.be/DBMOkpw1vtI
Twitter: SBRodgers1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5517745.S_B_Rodgers



Guardian: The first book in the trilogy (Guardian, Thief, Human)
By S.B. Rogers


Paranormal YA


Blurb:
It’s been almost a year since Abby Shepard’s once-perfect life crumbled into little more than a nightmare. Dumped, bullied and abused, the seventeen-year-old has all but given up hope. Little does she know that her father died protecting a family secret; a secret that has the forces of good and evil battling to claim the power lurking just beneath her skin.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.
Happy Reading.