Monday, October 20, 2014

Lycaon Monday: Dark of the Moon


Welcome once more to Lycaon Monday! Today we have the lovely Samantha Allard sharing her writing tips and secret quirks...

1. I write because… I can’t picture doing anything else with my life. Well, I wouldn’t mind being a baker but writing will always be my first love. The thing I enjoy doing the most.
2. If I were your favorite cookie, what would I be? Rich tea. I know that they can be rather plain but sweet and I do love a good cup of tea.
3. Plotter or pantster? It depends on the situation and the story. A short story I usually put in the hands of the characters. A longer story needs more planning, especially to keep the story on track.
4. What is your favorite type of character to write about and why? I’ve always enjoyed writing witty female leads. A girl or woman thrown into an impossible situation. When I was growing up I enjoyed watching Buffy, Alias and She Wolf in London (a very short-lived werewolf series) and I like writing characters like that.
5. Hamburgers or sushi? Hamburger, preferably with cheese.
6. Name three things on your desk. I don’t have a desk but I usually have a coffee, my phone and a writing pad close by,
7. What books have influenced your writing style? Christopher Pike’s ‘The Last Vampire’ series. Rachel Caine’s ‘Weather Warden’ series and Jim Butcher’s ‘Harry Dresden’ series.
8. Tell us a little about your book. The Dark of the Moon was originally published under the name Ella Grey as an eshort series ‘A Difficult Decision’. This edition has been heavily revised and reedited making it a much stronger story. It tells the story of Rachel Valentine, who isn’t your typical sixteen year old. Her older brother is missing, presumed dead. Her father works for the government and Rachel has a few tricks up her sleeves. Lessons she learnt from her father. Thrown into a battle between warring werewolves. Rachel has secrets that she doesn’t even know she possesses.
9. What advice do you have for new and aspiring authors? Read and write every day.
10. What is next on your writerly horizon? A sequel to The Dark of the Moon. I really want to tie up some plot ideas that I introduced in this story. This will probably be my NANO project. I also plan on writing a sequel for Runaways, my telekinetic assassin story.

Top 5 favorite (pick one) desserts, movies, things to eat, ice cream flavors, books.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Storm Front by Jim Butcher



Blurb:
Rachel Valentine isn't your average girl.
Three years ago her brother disappeared, and Rachel went off the rails quite spectacularly. Now she is trapped in a nunnery because she accidently blew up half the science department at her old school. One night she sees her long-lost brother in the crowd behind a reporter on television. There's no mistaking who he is, but getting her parents to believe her is a different matter. It leaves her one option: break out of the nunnery and travel to London to track him down.
She's about to find out that things are never that simple and there are some secrets that are impossible to believe.
Excerpt:
I drop the box at my feet, then rummage through it. The book I need is wedged in deep.
Thank God the nuns hadn't searched through any of the books I brought. I specifically chose the Stephen King, figuring it was the safest one. It took me ages to hollow it out. There's enough money in here that no one would notice the slight difference in weight. I flick through the wad of money, stopping when I catch sight of the fake ID, which adds a few years to my age. I use the blue rucksack stuffed into the box. I add the things I need inside. First the book, the money and ID still hidden away. A few items of clothes follow them, a skirt, a dress, T-shirts, and jeans. I'm looking forward to getting out of this stupid uniform. Hell, I'd burn it if I had time.
Just leaving the cupboard, I notice a name on one of the boxes. Susan Towers. What had she told me about herself? Pausing at the door, I think.
Come on, Rachel, think. She said something about makeup. She's a makeup student. There might be something I can use in her box.
I slide the box down. One quick search through it and then I'll go. I nearly jump when I brush my hand against something soft and brown.
What the hell is that?
A smile unfolds on my face when I realize what it is, hair. A wig. I fight against the urge to break out in a dance.
This is perfect. I can definitely use this.


About the author:

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far away, passed the farthest star in the sky and where the horizon meets for its kiss with the land, Samantha battled evil drones. The drones were six feet tall, had three sets of hands, and it was best If you didn't mention the third eye. (They don't like it when you bring it up.) She wields words like a sword in her hand and cuts down her foes with the skill of a ballerina wearing flip-flops and juggling chainsaws. (She knows how to multitask.)
Take a trip into her worlds (yep, plural) as she writes young adult with a touch of wolves and anything else that takes her fancy.






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