Come Selahway With Me…

It’s a double blog tour week! I wish I had a drumroll sound effect that would make sense in a context like this…

Title:  Twists in Time

Authors:  Various

Published:  June 16th, 2015

Publisher:  Clean Teen & Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre:  Science Fiction, Time Travel

Content Warning:  Some stories may include mild violence and language.

Synopsis:  What would happen if time, the fragile thread that both leads and binds us, could be unwound as simply as untying a knot? Would we go back, charging through our own history, changing and tweaking, plucking at that fragile thread until time itself unraveled all around us? Would we create countless universes through which we could live our fantasies—or would we become our own nightmares? Would we blaze ahead, reckless and wild, into our own futures? Would we become our own heroes, or would we become villains?

Join us for a series of stories that explore time, through the eyes of those bold enough to conquer it, and foolish enough to try to control it. From the award-winning team of authors at Clean Teen Publishing, Twists in Time will both entertain and challenge the way you see the world around you. Because when one finds a way to break the barrier of time, endless worlds of possibilities emerge.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

I’ve hijacked asked one of the authors to join me here today to talk about the book and writing, so give a big bloggy hand for Amanda Strong!

SJ: Every writer has some sort of process.  Give us a glimpse into yours.  Do you meticulously outline?  Do you write depending on what calls are out there?

AS: I wish I outlined more, to tell you the truth! Probably would keep me from getting into trouble.  Sigh… Unfortunately, my process is a bit more unorganized.  Depending on if it’s a first book in a series for me, or a follow up novel, also determines how I approach it.  If it’s a first, brand new concept, I tend to let myself just go with it. (For about 50 pages.  Then I have to regroup and figure out what the heck I’m doing with the hair brained idea I just came up with 😀 ).  If it’s a second or third book in a series, I start out the gate with a vague outline of where I want to go with it.  Usually after 50 pages or so, I will firm that outline up quite a bit, getting the general idea of where the story is heading.  I really like to leave some things open, right up to the ending scenes.  I love when I can throw some unexpected twists at the readers because my characters threw some unexpected stuff at me.

SJ: Bonus question- Do you put on a cape and do a chant before hunkering down to work? Sacrifice anything?  Along with your process, what’s your quirkiest writing habit?

AS: Well, much to my husband’s chagrin and my children’s delight, I do wear a cape while writing.   I feel it really clears the mind, frees the hands, and warms my back 🙂  Okay, maybe I don’t sport a cape, I’m afraid I’m much more boring than that.  I usually make sure I have all my things handy before I begin a block of writing:  lots of water, chocolate of some sort, cell phone (on silent if I’m being really good), paper, pens, extra snack, empty bladder, and if it’s just one of them days, a big diet Dr. Pepper.

SJ: Are you a meticulous planner or do you believe in the muse?  Where do your ideas come from?  Do they filter in through your dreams?  Do they show up at inopportune times and whap you upside the head?  Do they result in a shady deal with a dark power?

AS: Ahh…such great questions!  Where to start?  First off, you probably already can tell from my first answer, I’m not a meticulous planner.  I’m not sure if I’d call it a muse, but all my stories have come from different sources of inspiration.  Music plays a HUGE role in my writing.  I have literally reworked an entire characters, scenes, and even a few plot twists from songs I’ve heard.  I wish there was a way I could insert the songs titles after each chapter in my books!  With The Watchers of Men series, the beginning premise began with a dream.  I followed that up with tons and tons of research!  With Hidden Monster, I had a few of those wham-hit-me-in-the-head experiences 🙂

SJ: Bonus question- If your muse had a physical manifestation, what would he or she look like and how would she or he act? Is it a sexy superhero version of Callisto?  A sharp-tongued rogue?  A reptilian alien?  Do they have a catch phrase?

I had to answer this one with pictures.  Here are a couple of my muses 🙂

   

SJ Note to Self: Campaign for Amanda to let me hang out with her muses…

SJ: What’s the book/story that’s closest to your heart? Is there a piece that you clearly feel is a piece of you?  Do you play favorites?

AS: That’s such a tough question.  I recently did a radio interview where I was asked which of my books was my favorite. I only have three, so that made answering a little easier. (A little.)  Truth is, I love each of my books for different reasons. The more I thought about it, though, I told the interviewer Watchers of Men series will always be special to me.  Book one, The Awakener, will probably always be closest to my heart.  The main character, Eden, is so me in High School.  (Minus the amazing, supernatural abilities of course!).  I was extremely shy, terrified of boys, and socially awkward. If my few close friends didn’t show up that day, guess who ate her lunch in the library with a book (which these days doesn’t sound half bad 😀 )

SJ: If you could only write one genre ever again upon pain of being sacrificed to Cthulhu, what would it be and why?

AS: I would say Young Adult Paranormal.    I love all things fantasy, Sci-Fi, super natural, etc…  YA is all about firsts, and it’s so enjoyable to relive and recreate those moments through writing.

SJ: What’s your biggest frustration as a writer?  What do you consider the downside, or is there one?  Is there any cliché that makes you want to wring people’s necks?

AS: I’d say finding the time to actually write books!  Being a writer/author is lot more involved than just typing ideas out on the keyboard.  Finding a balance between marketing and writing is tough, plus throw real, everyday life into the mix, and you’ve got yourself running in circles at times!  I think as a writer, I need to refocus my energy now on just that, writing 🙂

Note from SJ:  THIS. SO THIS. Amanda, we need to form a support group together. 

SJ: What do you want people to instantly think of when they hear your name or work mentioned?

AS: I hope they think of books which excite and surprise them, characters they can relate to and empathize with, and plots that keep them turning pages way past their bedtime.

SJ: Please tell us about your latest/favorite work, or a little bit about what you are working on right now. It’s plug time, so go for it!

AS:  I’m super excited about this Twists in Time Anthology!  I’m grateful I had the opportunity to collaborate with eight other amazing authors!  My own short story, Kiss of Time, was such a new concept for me to play around with.  Now I want to make it into its own series J  Right now, I’m working on Inner Demons, book two in Monsters Among Us series.  I can’t wait to get it out to my readers who have waited so patiently for the return of Sam and Blake.

Thanks for stopping by, Amanda! It was super fun to hear your answers, and your stories sound way interesting! Be sure to check out her tale in the book, folks!

  Featured Authors and Stories:

“After Time” by Sandy Goldsworthy

“The Fall” by Holly Kelly

“The Kiss of Time” by Amanda Strong

“With a Grain of Sand” by Kathy-Lynn Cross

“The Before Sky” by Sherry D. Ficklin

“What You Wish For” by Kelly Risser

“Tides of Time” by Julie Wetzel

“It’s The Little Things” by Jon Messenger

“Romeo and Juliet Times Infinity” by Kasi Blake

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• A bookmark swag pack, winner’s choice of any Clean Teen Publishing eBook, and a $15 Amazon gift card.

Giveaway is International.

Enter Here!