April Awesomeness: Inara Scott & The Marked.

CONTEST CLOSED.

Today is extremely special to me, because I am featuring my very first blog guest and she happens to be someone who has been and continues to be very instrumental in my writing career.

I met Inara Scott in 2010 at a book fair when I first spotted her YA novel The Candidates (which became The Talents, same book different title and cover) across the room and I knew I needed to read it. We ended up chatting and she suggested that I join RWA and the local chapter Rose City Romance Writers, which I did- the best decision EVER!

She's encouraged and supported me throughout my ups and downs in the pursuit of becoming a published author. Because of her kindness and generosity, I've come this far and haven't given up yet.

This spring I had the pleasure if reading The Marked, which is the squeal to The Talents, before it even came out and boy did she deliver on the second book as well. Loved! Here is a link to my review on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2K0MYVGM9ICOU

So it is with great pleasure to welcome you, Inara. Thank you so much for coming and visiting with the fangs, felines, and fins.


Inara: Thanks for having me on your blog!

MT: So we'll start with a few questions. What inspired you to write The Delcroix Academy series?

Inara: I had always been an avid fantasy/sci-fi reader as a kid, and it occurred to me that all of the books in that genre seemed to pit a perfect good guy against a perfect bad guy. I wanted to explore a situation in which the good and the bad weren't black and white. The story was also inspired by the time when I wrote the book (2005-2006), when the United States was in a war with Iraq, and there was a lot of talk about preemptive strikes and government surveillance.

Originally, the book was titled "Taking Sides," because that's what I wanted my heroine to be forced to do--pick sides in a very complex and grey world of superpowers (with negative consequences) and cute boys (neither of whom were perfect). 

MT: Picking sides in a grey world is challenging no matter the age and you really did bring that out in both books, especially in The Marked. I first read The Candidates before it became The Talents, is there a difference between the two and why the name change?

Inara: No, the books are identical (except, of course, The Talents is paperback and The Candidates is hardcover). My publisher wanted to make the change to communicate a little more about what the book was about--they felt "The Candidates" didn't tell readers that this was a book with a paranormal aspect.    

MT: I personally LOVED  The Candidates cover. It's what drew me to the book and made me want to read it, but I have to agree the new covers do match the story better. So did you listen to music when writing The Marked? If yes, what songs/artists fueled the creative juices?

Inara: Actually, I'm sorry to say that I really can't listen to music when I write. I guess I'm just too distractable! If I listen to music with words, I end up singing along, and then I don't get anything done. :-) I do occasionally listen to Indian or French pop tunes when I'm writing, because then I have no idea what they are singing. But even that's a challenge for me.

MT: *laughs* That's funny, cause I'm completely the opposite. I HAVE to have good tunes to power through a scene especially if there's major action. Speaking of which, if you could have any super power or "talent" which would you choose?

Inara: I would really like to be able to breathe under water. My name means "mermaid" in Latvian, and I'm a huge swimmer. As a kid, I really thought maybe someday I'd be able to hang out with the fishes. I still kinda hope that's true... 

MT: Oh my, I'm going to have to steal your name for my mermaid series. Let it be known I have claimed it first. Last but not least, when is book 3 coming out? *nervously taps foot*

Inara: Gah! I don't know! I have made a pledge to myself and my readers that I will write book 3, but it's been a really crazy year and I haven't done it yet. But I will. Promise. :-) 

You heard her folks. She promised to write it and we're going to hold her to it. Thanks again, Inara, for stopping by. 

ALRIGHT!!!! Now comes the fun part. Yup, I have a set of The Talents and The Marked  to give away. Here are the rules:

1. Follow this blog. You will need to follow the blog in order to do the next step. 
2. Leave a comment below with an email address or where I can find you on the internet such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.
3. Share: tweet, facebook, blog, email, knock on your neighbors door, and you could even tell your dog or cat. What four-legged friend doesn't like an action-packed YA thriller?

I'm keeping it plain and simple.  CONTEST ENDS SUNDAY APRIL 22 AT NOON & IS FOR USA/CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY. I will announce the winner soon thereafter. Now go forth and spread the word.

Good Luck!