Tuesday, June 30, 2015

DECEPTIVE CADENCE RELEASE DAY BLITZ



Cadence Anderson has the perfect definition of happily ever after . . .

Until she doesn't. A freak earthquake shatters her life as surely as her home, taking away everything she holds dear. She wakes in a hospital to find that her beloved husband and infant daughter have been killed, crushed by the earthquake's wrath. Disoriented, injured, and alone, Cadence refuses to accept the loss. So when a man claiming to be her guardian angel appears and offers her a chance to go back in time to save her family, she doesn't need to give it a second thought. She accepts.

Thrust back eleven years, she now faces the ordeal of high school all over again. But this time, she's armed with all the knowledge of her adult life and the determined to do everything better, from preventing the loss of her best friend to avoiding her original, drama-inducing boyfriends. She's focused solely on Austin, her future husband, and is content to bide her time until she meets him again.

But then James Gordon crosses her path. Cadence wants to remain single, but James has his sights set. He is determined to win her over, and he's very hard to resist. As Cadence starts to develop unwanted feelings for him, she realizes he threatens to disrupt everything, changing the future and distracting her from her original goal. Now, Cadence must choose: deny the unpredictable and exciting path James offers her, or stay true to the life she had and is trying desperately to resurrect. Second chances are more complicated than they seem.

Deceptive Cadence combines the soaring emotion of a heartfelt romance with the innovative storytelling of magical realism, crafting a uniquely moving, intricate tale about love and loss that asks: what would you do if given the chance to right all your wrongs?




Giveaway Runs from June 30th to July 31st

Link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2d2042a44/

Book Trailer 



Youtube Link: youtu.be/cHbMXBp_Z_A





Author Katie Hamstead:
Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dogs.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as an Acquisitions Editor to help support her family. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.


Find Katie Hamstead on twitterfacebook, and her website.



Monday, June 29, 2015

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: JANE D. EVERLY

1) First off: I read in your interview at Geek Girl Authority (http://www.geekgirlauthority.com/5-questions-with-kick-ass-author-jane-d-everly/) that you would KILL Captain Jack Sparrow. I'm entirely offended. I'm not sure we can be friends. I ADORE that character. What do you have to say to redeem yourself? Hmmmm?

I have no issues with the self-proclaimed captain but you have to give a bit of context. The question from Geek Girl was a Marry, Kill, F**k question :)  In my defence, although I chose to kill wicked Jack, I did offer to have sex with John Constantine in order to resurrect him. I like Jack Sparrow. He just looks a bit on the grimy side. Give him a bath, cut the hair, maybe clean off some of the eye makeup, and we might get along okay :)

That's pretty intense and deep, Sparrow.


2) Since you enjoy comic books, I'm curious if you have created any of your own?
I haven’t though I’d love to. Although I don’t know that my brain is fully wired that way. Writing a novel and scripting a comic are two different things. I have a good friend who recently scripted his first comic and it’s not an easy thing to do. Plus I’d want a well represented kick-ass heroine and they seem to be few and far between in the comic book world.


3) Did HAVELOCK begin as a romance novel which transformed into action and adventure? I'm afraid I agree with you--I can't write a straight up romance, either. The "other stuff" is just more interesting to me.
Funnily enough, it didn’t. Although there was more of a romance slant in an early draft I felt it was weakening Eliana’s character. Not to say people who are in love are weak, but they might have more of a roadblock when it comes to saving the world. I wanted Eliana to have more focus so the romance was diminished somewhat.


4) What do you miss most about the UK?
The curry. I sh** you not. The UK has the most amazing curries. There’s an Indian takeaway on every corner these days. I also liked the countryside. The rolling hills, the chill dampness of the moors . . . I’ve been watching this season of Penny Dreadful and some of the country scenes remind me of home. However, I don’t know that I’d move back there. Canada is a gorgeous country.


5) Since the very first thing that comes to my mind about Canada is Anne of Green Gables, do you have any plans to visit Prince Edward Island? And will you take me with you (as long as I promise not to fight about Captain Jack Sparrow)?
I’m not entirely sure that you and I would be able to move past our Jack Sparrow disagreement.

(***Ann: hahaha***) 



Apparently, I love Anne of Green Gables more than Jack,
because she gets TWO pictures.



But if we could, I’d be happy to take you to Prince Edward Island. I haven’t been there yet. I’m honestly not well travelled in Canada just yet. I’d love to visit Victoria as I hear it’s a nice, clean, safer version of an English city. I’d also like to see the Rockies and maybe go to Toronto someday.


Just For Fun
1) What's your favorite Spiderman movie series?
The new one! I’m quite upset they’re abandoning Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in favour of a new young cast. I thought they were perfect together. Garfield played a great Peter Parker and Emma Stone was a perfect Gwen. I’m probably in the minority but I despise (that’s right, despise) the Raimi/Toby versions. #2 was okay. #3 was terrible, and #1 was laughable. They just didn’t work for me.

2) Is the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band one of your personal favorites? Or do you just like the Mr. Bojangles song (since you named your cat after it).
I actually didn’t name the cat, a girlfriend of mine did. I just liked the name and ended up looking up the song later. I think I liked the Sammy Davis Jr version the best (he had a lovely voice, and was hilarious in the Cannonball Run) :)

3) Please share a picture of Mr. Bojangles.
Attached. He likes pictures but I try not to take too many. I’m really trying hard not to be a crazy cat person.





4) If you're willing to share--what was the worst date you ever endured?
I’m sure most people would pull a blind date or an internet date for this kind of answer but mine was actually with a friend. You know those friends you have where you share similar tastes, similar sense of humour, there might be more, but do you really want to risk the friendship by going out with them? I agreed to go on a date with someone who I was close to and it was 50 shades of awkward. I don’t recommend it. Leave well enough alone. We’re no longer friends. Not only was it a terrible date, we couldn’t even maintain a friendship after that.

5) Please list your top 5 action movies, in no particular order.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Mr and Mrs Smith
Casino Royal
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Avengers


Author Questions
1) What event would you call your breakthrough as an author?
I would say getting published. I had some short stories published in magazines in the UK when I was younger but actually making a go of it, completing a novel and submitting it to get an agent and get published, that really was an event in itself. Having an agent represent you and having a publisher believe in your work so much that they’re willing to stamp their name on it (thank you, Curiosity Quills Press) is quite something.

2) What do you know now that you wish you knew much earlier on as an author?
I wish I’d known what I should have been writing early on. I fiddled around with romance novels and such because it’s what I thought I should be doing. I encourage people to write what they know, write what they’re passionate about. Don’t write something because you think people will want to read it, write something because you love to write it. 

3) What's the best marketing advice you can give other authors?
I’m still learning this myself but I think some solid basic advice is to embrace social media. It’s like a basic foundation step that everyone needs to create and build on. The whole world revolves around it. Ignoring it as an author is a mistake. I’m late to the game and it’s definitely taking me some time to build up a decent social media presence. Although wonderful interviews like this are definitely helping ;)

Obligatory happy puppy picture because:
1) it's my blog, and
2) you just flattered me :)


4) Name 3 books you wish you'd written (and not just for the money and fame).
Moonraker by Ian Fleming (such a wonderfully tense, action packed book!)
The Bourne Books by Robert Ludlum (because the character would be so much fun to write)
50 Shades of Grey (because I would have written it better. In my version, that girl would have tied him up and kicked his abusive ass)

(***Ann again: hehehe***)

5) List 5 books you loved as a child.
The Twits by Roald Dahl
The Famous Five by Enid Blyton
Not Now Bernard by David McKee
The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graheme


AUTHOR BIO
Jane D Everly was born in Nottingham, England where she developed a
depthless love of fiction. While aspiring to be a romance novelist, she
discovered an edge to her work that was quite unexpected. It appeared that
her love of action and adventure stories would forever prevent her from
writing the stories of sappy romantic entanglements she believed she had
always been meant to write. Instead, heavily influenced by the rise of
geek culture, she began to write stories filled with kick-ass heroines and
villains with delusions of attaining world domination.

Jane relocated to Vancouver, BC, Canada in 2013 to pursue her writing

career. She now lives in a beautiful downtown Vancouver apartment with her
cat, Mr Bojangles, and an entire world of espionage and intrigue poised at
her fingertips.

Jane is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.



Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00YLU11XK
Twitter: @janedeverly
FB: https://www.facebook.com/janedeverlyauthor



ABOUT THE BOOK
Eliana Havelock is a female with no past, whose determination to bring down a Karachi arms dealer catches the attention of the British Secret Intelligence Service. 

MI-6 is currently fractured due to political upheaval with many of its covert programs dissolved or disbanded. When Eliana presents the opportunity to divert an international arms disaster, the head of MI-6 partners her with one of it’s best and brightest, the enigmatic, Connor Blackwell. 


But in a world of secrets and hidden agendas, who can Eliana trust? 


And what, or who, is Eliana really after?

CUTEST BOOK REVIEW EVER

So happy to share Chantel Mosher's book review of How to Date Dead Guys with you.
First of all, it's super cute.


What author wouldn't love this?

Second, she loves my book!
To read more, check her WANDERINGWITHC blog HERE.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAISY

It's my sweet Daisy's 11th birthday!
I'm posting a ton of pictures of her because I'm so happy she made it this far with her long list of health issues.


Daisy on the left, Daphne on the right.


She LOVES playing ball, but needs to take it easy.


Resting on the deck.


Smiling.


Tired.


Good night. ZZZZZ

Friday, June 26, 2015

#Pit2Pub Participating publishers and guidelines





#Pit2Pub Participating Publishers


Anaiah Press Apex Publications CleanReads (fna: Astraea Press) Beachwalk Press Blue Moon Publishers BookFish Books Carina Press Clean Teen Pub. Crimson Tree Pub Curiosity Quills Dingbat Publishing Entangled Etopia Press Evernight Publishing and Evernight Teen Fantasy Work Publishing Fey Publishing Henery Press Kensignton Books Limitless Publishing Pandamoon Publishing REUTS Publications Samhain Publishing Solstice Publishing Soul Mate Publishing


Thanks to all these publishers for joining our Twitter Pitch Party!




#Pit2Pub GUIDELINES


#Pit2Pub will start at 8AM July 15, 2015, and end at 8pm (CST or CDT, which is Chicago time)

What is #Pit2Pub?
A Twitter Pitch Party for writers to tweet a 140-character pitch for their completed manuscripts. Have several variations of your Twitter pitch ready. The pitch must include the hashtag #Pit2Pub, the Age Group, and the Genre (see chart below) in the tweet.


Age Groups:
#PB = Picture Book
#MG = Middle Grade
#YA = Young Adult
#NA = New Adult
#A = Adult
#WF = Woman’s Fiction

Genres:
#NF = Non-fiction
#SFF = SciFi & Fantasy
#LF = Literary Fiction
#M = Mystery
#T = Thriller
#CB = Chapter Book
#R = Romance
#Mem = Memoir
#S = Suspense
#RS = Romantic Suspense
#W = Westerns
#E = Erotica
RULES:
Authors of all genres are welcome to pitch their completed and polished manuscripts. You can pitch more than one manuscript. Tweet your pitch throughout the day, but no more than twice per hour per manuscript. Remember to include the hashtag #Pit2Puband your genre/category.

The publishers will tweet their submission preferences and favorite your tweet if they wish to see more. If you get a favorite from an agent or publisher, follow their submission directions on their website or look for them on this blog. Then send them their request as soon as you can. They may have tweeted what they want you to send, so check their twitter feed for that information.

Make sure to put “Pit2Pub Request: TITLE” in the subject line of your email when sending your request.

Don’t tweet agents and publishers directly unless they tweet you first.

Don’t favorite friends’ tweets. You can RT your friends to show your support. Save favoriting for publisher requests to avoid confusion.

Be sure you research each requesting publisher. Don’t submit if you don’t want to work with them. Be nice and courteous to each other and to the industry professionals. If you do see abuse, please report it to Twitter or notify Kristin or myself right away.



@AnnMNoser and @KVanRisseghem


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAPHNE!

Today is my energetic, fun-loving, now 4-year-old pup's birthday.




As you can see, she's an avid fan of my books.
Okay, let's be honest--what she really likes to do is RUN.




In honor of the best running buddy in the world, here are two articles I wrote inspired by her eagerness to join me both trail and road running.

1) From the Post Bulletin newspaper: HERE
2) From RunMinnesota magazine: HERE (This link is a little different. You have to open up the magazine, then flip to pages 8-9 on the magazine which lines up to pages 14-15 on the dial down below. The title of the article is "Running with Your Dog.")

***Just to be clear, when I write or work as a veterinarian, I use my maiden name, Ann M. Anderson, DVM. Didn't want to confuse anyone.***

Monday, June 22, 2015

DEAR TEEN ANN

Today you can find me at DEAR TEEN ME, talking about what really should've mattered back then, and what I wish I'd done then that I could really use now.

I needed someone like this... well, sort of.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

TYROLIN PUXTY: AUTHOR, SINGER, AND CAT THIEF

Here's my interview with Tyrolin Puxty.
First, we'll ask the non-criminal questions:

1) Since you've hugged one, I'll assume you're an expert on koalas (or at least know more than me). Are they as mean as people say they are? Include a picture if you have one. (Koalas are so cute--and you are too, of course) :)

Oh hun, you need to peruse my photos with glasses on!! But I'll still take that lovely compliment :)
Koalas are so high on eucalyptus, that they're only good for cuddles. Truly. They sleep ALL day. Maybe that's why we think they're mean -- we're simply jealous of them! That, and they have no regard for hygiene; invest in a koala diaper before you hug one!

It's the Kangaroos that are mean. They sit on your porch and glare at you. In some instances, they even ring doorbells and punch you in the face.




2) You've had so many interesting jobs: model, author, singer, actress, etc. How does your experience in one affect the others?

It definitely gives you more confidence because they're all intertwined in some way. Like I tell my students; if you want to sing, you HAVE to act, otherwise the audience can't relate. To be a performer, you need to think about what the audience wants, not what you want. I've always been weird, but never shy. I attribute that to a life onstage, multiple state public speaking competitions and overdosing on caffeine. 

I still hate singing live, though. I'd rather teach. I've been traumatised ever since the music skipped while I was singing the National Anthem live on radio. 


3) Do you hope to continue to pursue all your careers and talents, or do you hope to focus on just one or two?

Singing is more of a hobby and outlet, but writing will always be my passion! Now that I've started my own performing arts school, my priority is now the students. In just two years, I've had 150 students pass through, with one selected to perform in LA this year, and several others accepted into major Australian Performing Arts Schools. Their success means I'm doing my job at least half decently, so if I can continue inspiring them to reach for the stars, while pumping out a book a year, then I'm a lucky, lucky girl!


4) You've met lots of famous people. Who are some of the nicest you've met? (note I don't want to ask about the meanest, because that trashy talk, right?)

Haha this will shock you, but Abby Lee was gorgeous. That hard exterior is just a way of dealing with all the flack she gets! Christopher Lloyd, Nathan Fillion and Billy West were equally as lovely and supportive! 

The Hoff was fifty feet tall, Mini-Me was a laugh, I called Rose McGowan a bitch for rocking every hairdo, Tom Felton was a charmer, Felicia Day was INCREDIBLE (I aspire to be like her!), Steven K Amos was cheeky, Maddie Zieglar was sweet and Jared Padalecki knows how to make you smile! 

Talk about name dropping!! :/ 





5) Tell us something we probably don't know about modeling.

It's awful. Haha. It's not glamorous in the slightest. Lights are blinding, make-up is sticky and you feel super pretentious strutting down the catwalk. And you can't eat chocolate if you want to stay skinny. Sooo...bye-bye modelling. 

Just For Fun
1) What's your favorite movie starring Orlando Bloom? (Yes, I totally enjoyed your "date" discussion on your blog--haha)




LOL. Yeah, it didn't go to plan...! Lord of the Rings and Ned Kelley are my all time favourites! 

***Ann's note: read more about the "date" HERE.***

2) Does Orlando Bloom smell good?

Probably! I have a terrible sense of smell and on top of all the tension, I figured sticking my nose in his armpit wouldn't help!

3) Describe the most embarrassing hairdo or hair day you've ever had. Include a picture if you're truly brave. 

I had a brief stint as a redhead that was so brief, I never snapped a photo. It washed out the very first day. I still mourn that $130.00.

4) If you're willing to share--what was the worst date you ever endured?

Hmm...I've gotta say, I've been pretty lucky! OH. Wait, actually, I'd blocked this date from my memory. Yep, so, there was this guy I'd met through work (he was buying a house and I prepared the contract). My boss was obsessed with finding a boyfriend for me, so he CONVINCED THE GUY TO ASK ME OUT. Humiliating! We went to a winery where we had nothing in common. To make matters worse, I still had to see him for 4 weeks while we sorted out the contract. He ended up scheduling appointments after 5pm so he wouldn't have to see me. Awkward. 

OR (you can choose which one to use, or both if you'd like!)

I went on a date with this super cute guy. Funny, intelligent and geeky. The problem? I found out he was the brother of my ex-boyfriend. What's worse? It was the second time it'd happened to me in two years. Evidently, I have a 'type'. 


5) Please share a picture of your favorite shoes.

PIKA-SHOES! 



Author Questions
1) What event would you call your breakthrough as an author?

When Nathan Fillion asked me to sign a copy of my book! Still reeling from that!



2) What do you know now that you wish you knew much earlier on as an author?

"Cut the fluff!" My editor, John, has taught me so much. There's no need to over describe. Or ramble. The latter is evidently difficult for me!


3) What's the best marketing advice you can give other authors?

Network and don't be shy to try something new and/or risky!


4) Name 5 books you wish you'd written (and not just for the money and fame).

The Giver. The movie didn't do it justice!
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend... what a great concept!
The Night Circus, because it was beautifully written.
50 Shades of Grey... so I could write it, think "I could do better", bin it and start over!
Time Storm -- it's about real accounts of people skipping through time. How cool would that be to research?? 


5) List 5 books you loved as a child.

Lemony Snicket
Hazel Green
Talking to Dragons
The Giver
Trixie Belden

Actually, they're still my favourites!

***Ann's note: I LOVED Trixie Belden as a kid. I still own over 30 of them.***


LAST QUESTION. Yes, this is the potentially criminal one:

Me: I've heard you STEAL CATS. Care to explain?



Tyrolin: Haha it's not like it's a hobby (yet), but, yes, I have been prone to mistaking my neighbors' cat for my own and catnapping it. The madness begins...



This interview is just the start.
Discover a lot more fun info about Tyrolin Puxty on her WEBSITE.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

ENTER THE GOODREADS HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS GIVEAWAY



Goodreads Book Giveaway


How To Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser

How To Date Dead Guys

by Ann M. Noser


Giveaway ends June 25, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH MATTHEW COX


1)    What got you into gaming?

I don’t remember if there was any one event that got me into gaming. I was pretty small when the first computer (a Commodore Vic 20) came out. I couldn’t tell you if it was my idea (likely) to get it or my mother came up with it. Anyway, as you can imagine, games on that thing were pretty limited. Eventually at some point, I got a Vectrex for Christmas, which was a self-contained video game system with its own screen and vector graphics. Each game had plastic overlays for the screen to provide color. For a long time, I played games on the Commodore 64. At some point I had various Atari consoles the original NES, and eventually graduated to PC gaming exclusively. I’m still not much for consoles, and I can’t play a FPS to save my life with a controller… I need a mouse/keyboard. It wasn’t so much an “I’m going to get into gaming” moment, as it is something that’s always been around.



2)    Did you HATE it when your mother (or whoever) told you to stop playing and go outside? (because I do this to my son ON A DAILY BASIS)

I don’t remember my mother ever really trying to kick me off the video game and go outside. Probably because I went outside a reasonable amount of time on my own… and of course through the 1980s, video games weren’t what they are now. It might’ve been a different story if the games of my childhood were as involved and immersive as what’s out there now, but who knows.

***Or else your mom was nicer than I am.*** - Ann

3)    How do you write so many books so fast? I mean, REALLY? :)

Heh! This is a combination of having a lot of ideas, a fast typing speed, and having no other obligations on my time other than a day job and the occasional pause to sleep. I used to be addictive/obsessive about video games, and lately, I’ve been channeling that same energy toward writing.

4)    Favorite British TV show.

Between video games (not so much lately) and writing, I haven’t watched much TV of any kind in at least 15 years. (Barring the occasional movie here and there.) I have fond memories of an ancient one called The Tomorrow People, which aired in the late 70s and early 80s that I watched as a kid. I remember some Benny Hill, and Black Adder as well… there was one British sitcom about IT workers that looked really good, but I only caught one episode.

5)    Please share a fun or favorite story about your cats, present or past. :)

The first cat I had, Murray, I got when I was 14. For as long as my friends knew him, whenever it was time to take him to the vet, I could carry him without a leash or carrier and he’d be calm as anything. I forget why I was away… I believe at college… (I’m bad with time stamps in my memory) anyway, I wasn’t there to take the cat to the vet. My mother asked one of my friends who still lived in the area to go to the house, pick up Murray, and take him to the vet. She would leave work later and pick Murray up from the vet.

Well… my friend RC found out the hard way that Murray only trusted me to carry him out of the house. To make matters worse, in an effort to be ‘helpful,’ my mother had leashed Murray to the kitchen table leg. The cat hated leashes. When RC got there, he found the kitchen table dragged all the way across the kitchen and wedged in the doorway, no sign of the cat, and a broken leash.
He spends about 20 minutes hunting around the house for the cat until he finds him and coaxes him out of his hiding spot. Murray is all purrs and smiles… until RC goes for the door out. Then, a declawed (not my idea, that was Mom) cat manages to get such a death grip on the doorjamb, RC (who is not a small guy) could not pry him off. Murray bites him, runs, and another 20 minute chase ensues. The runabout ends with Murray in his “safe warm place” aka, the litterbox.
This, at least, let RC corner him in the bathroom. He dumped out the clothes hamper and stuffed the cat in it before taping it shut and carrying the cat-in-the-hamper outside to his car.

At the vet’s, Murray is all calm and purrs.

He stopped by my mom’s work, walks in all disheveled with the hamper in tow, leaves it at her desk and says “Murray’s at the vet.”




***LOVE this story!*** - Ann, partly because I'm a vet

Just For Fun
1)    What's your favorite Disney movie?

I dunno. Aside from Frozen, I haven’t seen one since I was small. Possibly the Black Cauldron, though I don’t clearly remember it beyond having liked it.

***I totally asked this question because I wondered if you watched Disney or not. I guess I called that one. hehe*** - Ann

2)    What's your favorite Disney song? (do you sense a theme here?)

Again, not sure here. I’ve had some of the songs from Aladdin spontaneously jump into my head and stay there. Also that song from Frozen spent a good long time stuck in my head.

3)    What's your favorite summertime activity?

Enjoying air conditioning.

*** hahahaha *** - Ann

4)    If you're willing to share--what was the worst date you ever endured?

Met someone online, she suggested a movie… we went to a theater, not much chemistry occurred. Parted ways in the parking lot.

5)    Please share a picture of your favorite shoes.

I’m a guy. I don’t have ‘favorite’ shoes. I have “current” shoes and “shoes that can’t be worn anymore.” :)

***Oh, sad. Not even some favorite sneaks?*** - Ann :)

Author Questions
1)    What event would you call your breakthrough as an author?

Depends on what you mean by breakthrough. Getting published? (I met AW Exley on an online chat room set up for people looking for advice on querying. Since my query was getting good feedback, but no agents were going for it, I asked her if she’d read some sample chapters of Division Zero. She did, liked it, and suggested I query her publisher (Curiosity Quills) directly. I did, and they seemed to have liked it. If you mean breakthrough as in being able to live off writing, that hasn’t happened yet.

2)    What do you know now that you wish you knew much earlier on as an author?

All the little minutiae about editing stuff. I’ve learned a lot over the course of a few short years.

***Yeah, no kidding! Good answer.*** - Ann

3)    What's the best marketing advice you can give other authors?

Have famous relatives. Seriously though, I still feel clueless in regards to marketing. I’m not sure I’m qualified to dispense marketing advice yet. If I ever have a title go nuclear, I’ll revisit this question.

4)    Name 5 books you wish you'd written (and not just for the money and fame).

Neuromancer, Ready Player One, We’ll Remember for you Wholesale, James and the Giant Peach, The Andromeda Strain

***My son LOVES James and the Giant Peach*** - Ann

5)    List 5 books you loved as a child.

I didn’t enjoy reading while I was a kid. Strange as that may seem now. I had a lot of resentment at things that were “required” to do, and the whole ‘summer reading list’ for school sucked all the joy out of reading for me. Being told I had to read immediately got the defenses up. If I have to do this, it must be boring or crappy, so I don’t want to. However, I have fond memories of reading Red Storm Rising, by Tom Clancy in 8th grade, as well as The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. James and the Giant Peach is another one I remember liking. I had to read Fahrenheit 451 every damn year from 8th grade through senior year of high school… as if all the English teachers forgot that every other English teacher assigned it. Still, it was a good book. Somewhere in HS, I read Andromeda Strain for fun. But between video games and “school tells me I have to read so reading must = work/unpleasant,” I didn’t read many novels at that age.

***At the risk of sounding braggity-braggity about my son, he is now reading The Hobbit. I've promised to watch the movies with him once he's done. Now, I wish he'd hurry up, but he tends to read about 5 things at a time, so I'm in for a wait. (Plus, he's in third grade.)*** - Ann

More about Matthew Cox



Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.

He is also fond of cats.
Works:
Novels
  • Caller 107
  • Division Zero
  • Division Zero: Lex De Mortuis
  • Division Zero: Thrall
  • Operation Chimera (Co-written with Tony Healey)
  • Prophet of the Badlands – The Awakened I
  • Archon’s Queen – The Awakened II
  • Grey Ronin – The Awakened III
  • Daughter of Ash – The Awakened IV
  • Zero Rogue – The Awakened V
  • Angel Descended – The Awakened VI
  • Virtual Immortality
  • Emma & the Banderwigh
  • The Far Side of Promise (Anthology)
  • The Summer the World Ended
  • The Hand of Raziel
  • Araphel
  • One More Run
Short Stories
  • A Ghost Among Fireflies
  • A Queen’s Lament
  • Innocent Deception
  • Into the Beneath
  • Loose Ends
  • Ouroboros
  • The Far Side of Promise
  • The Roommate
  • The Ruin of Man
  • The Tower
  • One More Run (Precedes the events of the novel)
  • Out of Sight
  • Stolen Orchid (Borderlands Anthology)
Awards:
Prophet of the Badlands (excerpt) – Honorable Mention – Writers of the Future
Media:
Twitter: @mscox_fiction



OUT THIS MONTH!

As far as Riley McCullough is concerned, her best friend getting ‘dragged’ off to Puerto Vallarta for the first two weeks of summer vacation was the end of the world―at least until the bombs fell.
Life in suburban New Jersey with her mother has been comfortable, not to mention boring, to an introverted fourteen year old. As if her friend’s surprise trip wasn’t bad enough, her expectations for the ‘best summer ever’ disintegrate when she gets sent across the country to stay with a father she hasn’t seen in six years. Adjusting to a tiny, desert town where everyone stares at them like they don’t belong proves difficult, and leaves her feeling more isolated than ever. To make matters worse, her secretive father won’t tell the truth about why he left―or what he’s hiding.
Her luck takes an unexpected turn for the better when she meets a boy who shares her interest in video games and contempt for small town boredom. In him, she finds a kindred spirit who might just make the middle of nowhere tolerable.
Happiness is short lived; fleeing nuclear Armageddon, she takes shelter with her dad in an underground bunker he’d spent years preparing. After fourteen days without sun, Riley must overcome the sorrow of losing everything to save the one person she cares about most.