Interview & Giveaway with Heather Beck

Hey guys! I recently was able to interview screenwriter and author Heather Beck. Hope you enjoy it! At the end I'll explain the rules for the giveaway.

1. Tell me a bit about your work and your new book, Whispers In the Shadows.

I’m probably best known for my work in The Horror Diaries. It’s a series of scary stories for kids that include Haunted, Journeys Through The Unknown and Creatures Of The Night as well as the forthcoming titles, Supernatural, The Sands Of Time, Shivers and When Darkness Falls. These are suspenseful but fun tales filled with creepy characters and fantastical plots. I also write mainstream young adult books such as Vocations and Girl In Crisis (both titles are currently being prepared for a second edition release) as well as literary romances for teens like the forthcoming Assorted Candies. As for my adult books, they include What Legends Are Made Of and my latest release, Whispers In The Shadows. Both books are part of the Legends Unleashed series. This paranormal romance anthology series features strong female characters who lead ordinary lives until they meet some very extraordinary men. Like The Horror Diaries, Legends Unleashed is suspenseful and filled with fantastical plots, but it’s also very sexy and seductive. Finally, I write screenplays and teleplays in all the above mentioned genres. My films include Young Eyes, The Rarity and Too Sensible For Love, with several more projects in development. Returning to my latest release, I’d like to share descriptions of the stories found in Whispers In The Shadows.

 

Where Feelings Go To Die

While on a working vacation at Black Heart Lake, journalist Ashleigh uncovers a century-old story about a love triangle that turned deadly. Upon coming face-to-face with the vengeful ghosts, she learns the hard way that some feelings just won’t rest in peace. Adding to the danger is the return of Ashleigh’s recently deceased, cheating ex-boyfriend who wants more than just her love. Trapped in a haven for ghosts, her only defence is to find their weakness.

Hot Egyptian Nights

While on vacation, Hailey falls in love with Egypt’s awe-inspiring beauty, fascinating history and Zade, her sexy tour guide. Hailey’s new relationship is magical until Zade tries to sacrifice her in a hidden pyramid that’s filled with bubbling oil. Hailey’s intense encounter with him the next day reveals that her kidnapper is actually Said, Zade’s twin brother. Since entering an ancient tomb, Said has been cursed by a king who won’t rest until Zade, and everyone Zade loves, is dead. Hailey will do anything to destroy the curse, even if it means betraying Zade.

Rival To Survival

There’s something special about the Dark Forest, and its secret can be found in the magical mushrooms which forever sustain life. Two hundred-year-old Harv will do anything to ensure that his mushroom supply is abundant, even if it means betraying an old friend. Harv’s passion to live forever is intensified when he meets Scarlet – a woman whose passion matches her great beauty. All he has to do now is convince the skeptical Scarlet to embrace his mysterious, dangerous world and, of course, survive in it.

The Truth About Fairy Tales

Lila would do anything to find her prince charming, even if it means using a cheesy internet dating service. Matched with the handsome and courteous Phillip, Lila thinks she’s found a man who is the epitome of perfection. When Phillip is ambushed and taken away by a secret government agency, Lila fights back. What she uncovers is an advanced technological prototype that proves Phillip really is too good to be true.

Lure Of The Merman

A sudden storm strands Bree on the beach, forcing her to take shelter in an old cave. When she falls into a watery hole, she is rescued by the mysterious Sandy who appears from the ocean. Through romantic letters and unusual gifts, Sandy slowly wins Bree’s heart from afar. When she finally sees him at the beach, she boldly kisses him. That’s a big mistake because Sandy is a manipulative merman and Bree’s kiss transferred her legs for his fishtail. As a mermaid, she must navigate a new and dangerous world while preparing for the ultimate showdown with Sandy.

2. You write MG, adult and YA titles. What's different when you write for a YA audience?

I’m definitely aware of my audience while writing. For young adults, the main characters are always in their teens, and I usually write about universal themes that face this age group. I’m particularly interested in exploring young love, such as all the things that can go right as well as wrong in a relationship. I also like to explore the unique bonds of friendship and the events which can either strengthen or destroy these special relationships. All my young adult titles feature coming-of-age elements since this is such a transitional time in one’s life, and my writing is always filled with honesty, compassion and relatable characters.

3. How did you first get published? Is there any kind of story?

I actually began writing my first novel for a writer’s craft course I was taking in high school. Although I’d always wanted to be a writer, I wasn’t planning on having this school project turn into my first novel; I just loved the idea and kept working on it even after the class was finished. While writing, I did thorough research on the publishing industry by going to related events, networking and reading books on the subject. I then sent out query letters and was extremely fortunate to land a contract with a small, but traditional, publishing company on my third query. Since then I’ve worked with eleven different publishers and have been lucky to learn every aspect necessary to successfully run a small publishing company.

4. What's the best thing about being an author? What's the best about being a screenwriter?

The absolute best thing about being an author and screenwriter is seeing the final product. There’s not much that can rival the feeling of holding your new book or seeing your story come to life. Even though I’ve been in this industry for over a decade, the excitement I feel when receiving the final product is as strong as ever. Other perks to being a writer includes getting to share my stories, receiving letters and e-mails from readers and being interviewed for newspapers, magazines and blogs. Unfortunately, there are a couple of downsides to being an author and screenwriter. For starters, when I first meet people and they ask me what I do, they sometimes don’t believe me when I say I’m an author of ten books and that I also write movies and TV shows. Perhaps their disbelief stems from the fact that I’m only 27. Nevertheless, I find that very irritating. Another downside is the constant hard work and perseverance that this industry requires. For the most part, writers aren’t fairly compensated for their work, and this is especially true with the rise of e-book piracy.

5. You're Canadian! I am too! What's your favourite Canadian thing? It can be anything at all- favourite food, place, event, etc. 

I love Canadian nature. From the forests and the lakes, to the prairies and the rockies, our landscapes are varied and vast. It’s all so beautiful and there are a lot of activities, such as hiking, fishing, climbing, etc., we can enjoy because of our surroundings. Canada also has a great wildlife population; my favourite animal is the wolf. Additionally, most of Canada gets to experience all four seasons.

 6. Are you into specific genres of books? 

I enjoy a variety of genres but my two favourites have always been scary stories and paranormal romances. I love suspenseful, creepy tales but I hate gore and excessive violence, so it’s hard to find a horror story that appeals to me. That’s why I wrote The Horror Diaries series. I wanted to create a new subgenre of horror which is fun rather than gross. As for paranormal romances, I think it’s such a great genre because the possibilities are endless. I’ve always been interested in mythical creatures, such as vampires, werewolves, mermaids, etc., and I am intrigued by the mythologies of supernatural species.

7. What do you do when you're not writing new books or screenplays? 

As I mentioned before, I love nature, so most of my favourite activities include being outdoors. I enjoy hiking, fishing, swimming and just generally being in the forest, at the beach or near water. Volunteering with non-profit organizations is another one of my passions which I’ve pursued since a young age. Additionally, school and then work has taken up a lot of my time. 

Just for fun 

Skittles or M&Ms? Peanut M&Ms.

Hockey or Baseball? I prefer badminton and soccer.

Coca Cola or Pepsi? Neither. Water and milk are my liquid staples.

Sweet or salty? Salty.

Twilight or The Hunger Games? Twilight. Go Team Jacob!

You can also visit Heather's websites for more information. 

http://heatherbeck.tripod.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4146953/

Giveaway 

One lucky reader will get PDF formats of 

- Sir Tristan's Estate

- Blue Water

- Where Feelings Go To Die

- Hot Egyptian Nights

All you need to do is leave a comment with your email. (ex: tantalizingillusions(at)gmail(dot)com)

This giveaway is international and for ages 13+ (make sure you have your parents' permission)

For extra entries, tweet about the giveaway (make sure to include @AshesTantalize) and leave a link of your tweet in the comments below. One tweet a day = an entry a day. 

Giveaway ends October 5th. 

Enjoy it guys! 

I'm Thankful For... Wicked Lovely

The ever awesome Beth Revis is having a lovely contest where she'll be giving away a TON of books. You can enter by posting about the books that you're most thankful for.  Visit here for more information!

I picked the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr because these books have had the greatest impact on my life. Seriously, I'd be a very different person without having read this series.

It all starts two years ago when I was in grade eight. I had recently seen Wicked Lovely on a shelf in my library and I thought it had an absolutely gorgeous and striking cover. I love pretty covers (hence features like Cover Wars) so I instantly wanted to read the book and checked it out.

I loved it. I loved everything about the world, the characters, the choices. This book made me see the world in more than black and white terms. It made me realize that I always had a choice in how I acted. From then, my love for the series only expanded with Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity.

I read Fragile Eternity while on vacation in November about 8 times every night before I went to sleep. It struck me so much that I needed to know more about the series and one day, while Googling Wicked Lovely (*ahem*obsession*ahem*) I found an absolutely incredible site, WickedLovely.com and an even greater forum called The Rath and Ruins.


Two years later I'm still on this forum and now a Summer Court Co-Head. Because of Wicked Lovely I joined a site that really made me think and where I met people from all over the world. It made me a more open and accepting person in general. I now know there's always another side to a story and no one is ever 100% evil. I know to always think situations through and I'm more empathetic. I can discuss better, I can relate to people better, and I'm a generally happier person after joining this community.

This is where I've learned about ARCs and blogging and everything about books. Without them, I'd never be here. The Rath and Wicked Lovely has made me a better person and I still log on every day.

So I'm thankful for Melissa Marr having written Wicked Lovely. She's written a series that changed my life for the better and I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't read that brilliantly enchanting story of dangerous fey, a curse, and sacrifice.

Far From the War Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Katherine for winning the Far From the War by Jeffrey David Payne giveaway! Thanks to all you who entered and have a fantastic day! ☺

Giveaway and Interview- Far From the War by Jeffrey David Payne

Today I have author of Far From the War, Jeffrey David Payne here to answer some questions plus a giveaway.


Hi, welcome to Tantalizing Illusions! It's great to have you. To start off, there will be four fun, random-ish questions. Then there will be some questions about the book itself. 


1. You can't live without... 


Music. I prepare special playlists for each project to help me tap into the mood of the book when I sit down to write. And I'm a big music lover in general, from classical to reggae to bluegrass to techno.


2. What are your top five books?


This is a tough one. I tried to use the criteria of books you continue to think about long after you've read them. The Jungle, Upton Sinclair The Master and Commander Series, Patrick O'Brian The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthyCharlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl


3. The world's best food is...


Clam Chowder from Duke's. Sourdough bread is a close second.



4. What was on your playlist for Far From the War?


Here's the list...

Girl In The War - Josh Ritter  (One of my favorite versions of this one is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb5Ax6eT8aA)
Bells For Her - Tori Amos
Dazzle - Siouxsie and the Banshees
Time to Pretend - MGMT
Lucretia My Reflection - Sisters of Mercy
The Fallen - Franz Ferdinand
Masters of War - Bob Dylan
The Funeral - Band Of Horses
Lorelei - Cocteau Twins
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez
Resistance - Muse
Teardrop - Massive Attack
The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore - The Smiths
Homeward - The Sundays
Apres Moi - Regina Spektor
Yes, Anastasia - Tori Amos
Running to a Stand Still - U2Universal Soldier - Donovan


Where did the idea for Far From the War come from?



It started with a fascination with the San Juan Islands.  I've been all over the Carribbean, but I've never seen anything there half as beautiful as the view from Mount Constitution on Orcas Island.  My wife and I rented a waterfront cottage there one weekend to celebrate the completion of my first novel (not Far From The War, this one hasn't been published yet).  I fell love with the isolation and started to wonder what it would be like to be totally cut off from the mainland.  The idea for a book started cooking there in that cottage and as we toured the island I talked with locals about life on the island, how they'd handle it if the ferry stopped coming, if communications and power were cut off, etc.  I knew there would have to be some big calamity on the mainland to explain that loss contact.  This was around the time of the mid term congressional elections in the United States and some of the candidates were hinting about using violence if Republicans didn't retake the house.  One candidate in particular started talking about "second amendment remedies".  This sparked the idea of a modern day civil war and my original idea was to alternate between the POV of the island and some family member off on the mainland caught up in the war.  I quickly realized this would make for a long book (and I think forcing readers to read long books is kind of impolite), so I broke the alternating storylines into separate books.  The choice of Esther as a protagonist came through a process of elimination.  We're used to seeing war stories told from the perspective of a spy, of soldiers, of politicians.  I wanted a unique point of view for the story and one that wouldn't put the reader in a position of taking sides, because in this case who wins the war is beside the point.  I thought a seventeen year girl was an unusual perspective for a war story, but then the problem became how to explain why a seventeen year old girl would be so far from home and in a position to see some of the inside baseball before the war.  When a friend reminded me about the page program, I had my answer.


Esther is a clever, capable woman. How did you think of her?


I have a theater background and wrote a lot of plays before I switched to novels.  My friends in that world (most of whom were women) often complained about a lack of good roles for women.  This put me in a mindset of trying to depict women as something other than the protagonist's companion whenever possible.  For Esther in particular, I tried to draw on my memories of high school debate.  Debaters are a different breed and when you're on the debate team you spend a lot of time in cafeterias and libraries talking about things most high school kids never talk about.  I remember a host of quirky, smart, funny, ambitious, and often tough girls from those days.  I'd say Esther is an amalgam of those girls with a little of my wife's hipness and my mother's stoicism thrown in.


Esther's journey was long and full of hardship. Was it based on a real story?


Not really.  I think it was influenced by some real war atrocities throughout history, but I did so much reading and research that I'm not sure if I can connect the specifics of my book to any real historical events.  A little unintended similarity may have crept in by osmosis, though.


There were some disturbing, terrifying scenes in Far From the War. Did you have a hard time 
writing them?


Yes.  I once saw an interview with Salmon Rushdie where he said "if you don't cry writing it, they won't cry reading it."  Perhaps the image of a grown man crying in front of his iMac might strike your readers as creepy, but the honest answer is I did get a little swept up at certain points, particularly the Chicago sequence, the road agent sequence and the end of the book.  The Chicago sequence was tough because Esther was just beginning to let go of enough ambition to have some real friendships, the road agent scene for obvious reasons and the finale at the ferry landing because I'm a father now and I tried to imagine how I'd react if I were in the same position as Esther's father.



Is there a message you want your readers to take from Far From the War?

I think there are two messages, one as a corollary to the other.  The first is that family has to come first.  The only lasting happiness in this life comes from loving and being loved.  Unfortunately the family you're born into can't always provide this happiness, this sense of safety.  Only a family that provides real love is worthy of your loyalty.  If you're not born into it, you have to go out there and find the right partner that can provide it. I think all the misery in this world comes from people who don't understand that.  They were born into predatory and unloving families and have rejected the notion of emotional attachments to others or they've given up completely.  For that reason, I feel sorry for them, but we also have to be on our guard, because those people run the world and they'll march a whole generation to their deaths or take the whole world back to feudalism if we're not vigilant.

So the corollary message is that some level of political awareness, if not activism, is necessary to provide a safe environment for your family once you've found it.  Shelby Foote once said that what really caused the first civil war in America was a failure to compromise.  Our sense of political identity needs to morph into something less divisive and more cooperative.  Whatever your political stripe, you can't honestly expect your side to win all the time, but you can work with your opposition to prevent a problem or crisis from festering into something that can only be settled with violence.  The people of the world have walked off the field and left politics to the bitter and unloved, people who don't really have anything to loose.  This does not bode well for the future of the world, much less America.


What can you say about your next book, The Mail Still Runs?


The Mail Still Runs is told from the perspective of Esther's younger sister Charlotte.  Through her eyes we see how the war impacts life back home and how Esther's absence impacts the family.  We also see what happens after Esther gets home and follow the reunited family through later stages of the war.  I'd also add that Chad's father, who's briefly mentioned in Far From The War, is a major figure in The Mail Still Runs and if you remember what Esther's family tells her about Matthew, it would follow that he makes an appearance in the second book.  Since you're Canadian, I'll also mention that much of the second book takes place on Vancouver Island: Port Hardy, Tofino, etc.  I'll be exploring what happens in Canada when millions of American war refugees start pouring over the border.

The final book in the series, The Flag We Sleep Under, is told from Matthew's perspective.  It will give us a soldier's perspective on the war, his take on meeting Esther and eventually his attempt to find her and resume the relationship that started on the battlefields of Kansas.


Links!
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook


Those were some great answers. I have some new titles to add to my TBR for one. I can't wait for The Mail Still Runs! Till then, you can all read Far From the War. 


Giveaway Rules and Policy:  
- 13 and older, and please have your parent's permission
- international
- to enter, just fill out the form below
- ends on October 31st 2011 at 11:59 PM EST 
- if there are 100+ entries, I'll also be giving away my personal copy of Far From the War so there will be two winners (so spread the word!)

Darkest Mercy ARC Giveaway from the Vampire Book Club!

Wicked Lovely is one of my all tome favorite series out there. The last book, Darkest Mercy is coming out in February 2011, but some wonderful people at the Vampire Book Club are having a giveaway! Sign up and get more information here:
Click here for more info and to sign up!