Loading ...Author Alma Katsu Guest Blog and Contest
PLEASE NOTE: The contest portion of the Alma Katsu event is now closed. The winner will be chosen at a later date and notified via email.
What kind of book is The Taker? It’s been called “an epic supernatural love story” and compared to Interview With the Vampire, Twilight and The Historian, but I think The Taker is mainstream fiction. I don’t think it fits neatly into a genre, like paranormal romance or horror or historical fiction, although it has elements of all these types of books. And perhaps I shouldn’t say this in a blog for vampirists, but there are no vampires in The Taker! It is definitely has all the earmarks of a gothic tale: suspense, desire, longing, betrayal. And the villain is the ultimate bad boy: dark, seductive and very dangerous to know.
Simply put, The Taker is the story of a young woman who falls in love with a man she cannot have, and in order to win him, she makes a deal with a man who seems to have extraordinary powers. It’s not until after the deal is made that she find out that she’s made a very bad deal with a very bad man, and she must figure out how to save both her beloved and herself from an eternity of torment. On another level, it’s a story about redemption: we all do things we regret, and we have to figure out how to make amends. This is the story of how both Lanny and Jonathan find their way to redemption.
How The Taker came about: Like many writers, I was one of those introverted kids who loved to read. From there, it’s the most natural thing in the world to try to write a story of your own. By the time I graduated from college, I was freelancing as a newspaper reporter and writing short stories, but I’d also started a career with the government and ended up taking a 15-year hiatus from writing fiction. At age 40, I developed a mysterious neurological problem. While battling through this health issue, I got back into writing fiction and the story that I wanted to write was a continuation of one I’d written 15 years earlier, the germ of the story that would become The Taker. Even after all this time, I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters, Lanny and Jonathan.
I wish I could say I dashed the book off in a few months and sold it within a week but my path to publication was long and difficult (more the rule than the exception in the publishing world, I think). When I returned to writing, I decided to get serious. I went to graduate school, took additional courses and went to conferences. And I rewrote a lot. From the storytelling point of view, The Taker is a bit complex, and it took many attempts over ten years to get it all to work together. It wasn’t the only book I worked out during this time, either: each time I reached an impasse, I put The Taker aside to write a new novel. With each novel, I learned more about how to tell a story.
International release before US release: Sometimes it just happens: the UK publisher, Century Books, decided on an earlier pub date than the US publisher. So far, the process has been similar but I’m learning that the markets and approaches to promotion are different. The publisher has done a wonderful job keeping me informed of all the terrific things they’re doing for The Taker but it has felt like I’ve been pacing in the waiting room while my baby is being born down the hall! My editor very kindly sent me a photo of a copy sitting on a shelf at Waterstone’s, and that’s helped make it seem more real. Still, I can’t wait for the first time I walk into a bookstore and see my book there with my own eyes.
CONTEST INFO: The contest portion of the event runs until 11:59 pm Central on 4/26/11 and is open to readers WORLDWIDE.
Prize: One copy of the UK edition of The Taker
The Contest Entry rules have changed so read them carefully
This contest lasts for TWO DAYS Ending on 11:59 pm Central on 4/26/11
These are the ways you can enter to gain points towards winning the prize offered here today. The only one that is mandatory is #1. The rest are optional. The more you do, the more points you gain, the better your odds at winning the prize. Prizes are chosen using the random.org number generator. Making a purchase is NOT mandatory, it is only one way to gain additional points. There are free ways to get points. Remember to add in your RSVP points if you RSVP’d.
1. LEAVE YOUR FIRST NAME AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME AND YOUR COUNTRY in your comment/post so we can give you the proper credit for your entries. Mandatory, if you don’t leave this, your entries will NOT count. It is NOT mandatory to make a purchase to be entered into the contest.
2. Ask the author some questions. Please make sure they are NOT duplicates. Good for 5 + points per question. (Max 4 good towards 20 points)
3. Tweet this event: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/?p=41009 + 10 Points (max 5 times a day please not all at the same time) include @bittenbybooks in your tweet.
4. Tally Your own points total 1 + Point
Hi Alma!
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us at BBB today. I am so excited to have you here on our site.
How much longer do US readers have to wait to get a copy of The Taker? Unless of course they are lucky enough to win one today.
Thanks so much for having me at BBB! I’m excited to connect with paranormal fans AND vampire lit fans because even though the TAKER isn’t about vampires, I am a fan of vampire stories from long ago, and I think readers will find a lot of similar elements in the TAKER. (If you like bad boys, there are some very smoldering bad boys in this book.)
The TAKER pubs in the US on 6 September. The delay between the UK pub, which was last week, and the US is due to a very happy thing: the US publisher, Simon & Schuster has decided to make it one of their lead titles!!! So the pub date was pushed back so there’d be extra time to get people excited about the book. It was just announced today that it’s one of the “Big Books” for Book Expo America. All very thrilling.
That is very exciting. You have gotten a lot of magazine type press in the UK if memory serves. Is that typical for Europe? I don’t really see much, or at least don’t hear about it as much here in the US. Do you know if that is a different marketing strategy there than in the US?
Is the Taker going to be a stand alone or will it be a series?
The difference between the UK and US publishers approaches has been interesting. For instance, the UK publisher put a big push behind the book trailer to get it widely viewed (almost 90,000 views — here’s the link for those who haven’t seen it yet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om9qxvZqJeQ ) We’ve gotten a lot of mention in book blogs, too, and were lucky enough to get great reviews in Marie Claire UK and Cosmo UK. My fingers are crossed that we’ll get some mainstream reviews, too.
Gallery/S&S has all kinds of amazing plans, too. I’ll be going to a lot of book industry trade shows and meeting booksellers (and hopefully librarians). I went to Book Blogger Con last year and had the opportunity to meet a lot of great book bloggers and so I hope to be able to do some special events with them, too. I’ll be at BBC this year, too, for any readers who may be attending; please make sure to meet me.
The only thing that apparently isn’t popular for debut authors is in-store book signings. It seems it’s almost impossible to get people to come out for an unknown author. I’m hoping to set up a few events in the Washington DC area (where I live) as well as Boston and Maine, where the book is set.
Hello Alma,
Do you have any pets?
What do you like to watch on TV?
What is your favorite color?
What is your favorite comfort food?
Ruth T USA
+20 #2
+1 #4
+25 RSVP
=
46 you’re in deep.
Do you think that not having your book fit neatly into a genre will make it harder to market it in the US?
rsvp’d
total = 31
It worries me a little. The publisher sees it as mainstream fiction, the kind that sits on the tables at the front of the store (let’s hope!). In that respect, it’s not too different from The Time-Traveler’s Wife (not that I would compare my book to that one, which I adore) in that it probably ended up in more than one bookstore’s sci-fi section.
If you go to the website, you’ll see the US cover. Tell me what you think–what does it say to you? In which section would you expect to find it?
The cover doesn’t really give me any idea of what the book is about. I’d probably wind up in mainstream fiction unless the publisher markets it to book stores as something else.
Hi Ruth,
I have two whippets, Beau and Abby. They are like my children. What about you? Any pets?
True Blood (of course!), Justified, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter… I watch Sons of Anarchy with my husband. And started watching Game of Thrones. And hockey games! It’s playoff season and the games are so intense.
My favorite color would probably be black, though I’m also particular to crimson, ochre and teal. What about you?
I like just about ALL food, so it’s hard to choose a favorite comfort food… lately, it would probably be french fries.
Hi Alma!
I love what you wrote above, and I can’t wait till the U.S. release to read it
some questions I have are:
1. What are you currently working on, any projects?
2. What was the last book that you read?
3. Who are some of your favorite authors?
4. Will there be any book tour planned for the book?
Van P., U.S. resident
+25 rsvped for this event
+10 tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/vanpham88/status/62576261213593600
+20 asked 4 questions
+1 tally = 56
Thank you, Van.
Right now, the manuscript for the second book is with the editor and I’m waiting for the l-o-n-g list of revisions to come back. In the meantime I’ve started work on book three, but lately have been working on some short stories. I rarely write short stories so it’s been a lot of fun. Makes you think about storytelling differently (well, it makes me think differently.)
I can’t quite remember which was the last book I finished, but I’m currently reading “A Visit From the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan and “Touch” by Alexi Zentner. I just got a couple books from Swapna Krishna, a book blogger, that I’m looking forward to reading: “The Countess” by Rebecca Johns, and “The Oracle of Stamboul” by Michael David Lukas. What about you???
Favorite authors–that’s a tough question because there are so many. Let’s see; I get every book written by Tana French, David Mitchell, Jess Walter, Keith Donohue (right away, you can see that I read all types of books.) Audrey Niffenegger, John Irving (I studied with him ages ago)… gosh, I have to stop because I know I’ll forget someone and then I’m be embarrassed.
So far, no plans for an extensive book tour, but I hope to get to the Boston area and on the West Coast. And I’ll have signed bookplates (and temporary tattoos) available, too. If you want to stay up on the latest news for The TAKER, please go over to my website and join the mailing list. It would be much appreciated.
Will definitely join the mailing list (will do that right after i write this haha). Yes! Come to the west coast
I love author’s signing, it so fun to hearing the author talk about their books and just the overall experience. I’m Currently reading Faefever by Karen Marie Moning, verry good so far, it’s the third book in the Fever series.
Is The Taker, an adult or young adult novel? Has the cover for the U.S. edition been made yet?
sorry, ignore the last question haha…I just saw the cover on your site!
Thanks for the tip–I’ve heard good things about Moning’s work.
The TAKER is adult. It’s got its dark moments.
+25 rsvped for this event
+1 tally
26
Minna P Finland
Hi Minna from Finland! We have a Finnish metal fan below in the comments!
Thanks so much for this giveaway.
My questions:
1) Any writing quirks?
2) What about writer’s block (my mortal enemy)?
Karen Wapinski @Parakiss25 (tweeted)
+1tally
+8 questions
+10 tweet
19
Thanks for the tweet, Karen.
Writing quirks? Not really. I tend to write the first draft of everything in long hand, but even that is not a hard-and-fast rule.
What do you think is the cause of your problem with writer’s block? Do you write every day? If not, you’ve probably seen that advice already but it’s good. I think writing is like exercise, you have to exercise the writing muscles, and to write a publishable book is comparable to competing at the Olympic level: you have to train hard and take it very seriously.
Of course, writers do that and still have problems with writer’s block. So far I’ve been lucky (knock on wood.)
Hi Alma,
I hadn’t heard of your novel until recently and it quickly got my attention. As asked above I too wonder when it will be released in the US. Does it bother authors when their work is released at different dates around the world? Or is it better as you can tour the book easier? Does Lanny make this deal all on her own without any other influences? +10
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/Jovial_1/status/62580632726945792 +10
RSVP’d +25
Talley +1
Viki S. USA
Total = 46
Viki, thanks, too, for the tweet.
I would’ve preferred that the pub dates were closer together, but heck, I am grateful for any and all pub dates. Both publishers have been hugely supportive of the book. It has made it a bit frustrating for my family & friends who want to read a copy right now.
You’ll see when you read the TAKER that Lanny is being forced into making this “deal with the devil” but there’s still a bit of a question as to whether this was something she wanted as well. The reader gets to ask herself what choice she’d make if she was in the same situation. Most people wouldn’t, I don’t think, but we all know people who will make selfish choices if there’s an excuse that gives them a fig leaf to hide behind.
Wow, September 6? That’s the day before my birthday.
Rachel Flesher / Raonaid Luckwell – US
RSVP 25
http://twitter.com/#!/RaonaidLuckwell 10
Tallying 1
What is your favorite music genre? (Mine is gothy, or Finnish metal along with Metal)
If you could find a song to be your book’s “Theme” what song would that be?
Thanks foe the tweet–and for having the auspicious birthday!
Funny thing — I used to be a music critic a long time ago, and have since married a musician. And now I scarcely listen to music! When I do it’s usually pop. Like Muse, love Muse.
I used to be a goth. This is undoubtedly before your time, but I was into Sisters of Mercy, the Cult, the Cure (still love the Cure!), Bauhaus, Ministry, the Damned.
If you like metal, this next answer is going to make you gag, but if there were a theme for The TAKER it would be Goo-Goo Doll’s “Iris.” I listened to it about 20,000 times while writing the book. I liked the bittersweet quality, the way it really jerks on the heartstrings. I know. Try not to be ill.
Lisa R small town, USA
If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?
In your wildest dreams, which author would you love to co-author a book with?
If you were stranded on an island with only three of your favorite books what would they be?
Please tell us in three sentences, why we should read your book?
Can you see yourself in any of your characters?
+25 RSVP #24
+20 Questions
+10 http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/62590127293202432
+1 total= 56
Tough questions to answer!
Five people to have to dinner: Can they all be attractive men, haha? Johnny Depp (I hear he’s quite witty) and Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, Steven King and Michio Kaku, the physicist.
Co-author: tough tough. Either Jamie Ford because besides being a great writer he is the nicest person, or David Mitchell, because his linked story books are amazing. Or Neal Stephenson.
Desert island books: “Life Among the Savages” by Shirley Jackson because I have a baby boomer’s attachment to it. “Mason & Dixon” by Thomas Pynchon because it’s long (haha). “A Reliable Wife” by Robert Goolrick because it’s quite sexy and set in the frozen north, good for tropical climates.
Read my book because:
–If you like big, sweeping stories with big characters and big emotions, you will like The TAKER.
–If you like a haunting story that you will not be able to forget for days after you’ve closed the book, you’ll like The TAKER.
–If you like super hot bad boys who do bad things but get their comeuppance, you’ll like The TAKER.
And lastly, do I see myself in any of the characters: unfortunately, yes. I have some of Lanny’s unfortunate tendencies, namely to fall for the handsome bad boy. Luckily, I married the last one and he turned over a new leaf. You can hear me talk about this a little at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4CtvSYHjvg
Great answers, thanks for taking the time to chat with us.
I’m looking forward to reading The Taker.
+10 http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/62926608654286848
+10 http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/62938132152205312
total=76
+10 http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/62947201114062848
+10 http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/62974775366131712
total=96
Hi, Alma, your book sounds really interesting!
Who’s your favorite actor? Favorite actress? What’s your favorite movie?
What’s next to be released?
RSVP’d = + 25 points
Asked the author some questions = +20 points
Tally Your own points total = +1 point
Total = 46 points
Thanks,
Robin D
USA
I’m glad the book sounds interesting–I hope you’ll give it a read when it’s out.
There are so many great actors… The aforementioned Mr. Depp… Edward Norton, Alan Rickman, Geoffrey Rush, Brad Pitt, Jonathan Rhys Meyers. My favorite actress is probably Tilda Swinton, though I also like Cate Blanchett and Scarlet Johansen. Obviously my taste is a bit dated. My lit agent makes fun of me because I do’t know any of the younger actors!
My favorite movie is “Orlando,” which came out in the late 1990s. It is sumptuous both visually and as a story. Highly recommended.
What about you? What actors and actresses do you recommend?
Hi Alma,
The Taker sounds like an intrigueing read!
1. You mentioned that the story was a continuation of one you had written 15 years earlier – did you have the ending in mind when you originally came up with the characters?
2. If your book were to be made into a film, who would you like to play the main characters Lanny and Jonathan?
3. Could you tell us a bit more about the other books you have written and are working on?
RSVP’d = + 25 points
Asked the author some questions = +15 points
Tally Your own points total = +1 point
Total = 41 points
Thanks
Jen N
UK
Hi Jen!
I didn’t envision where that short story would take me. It was a variation on a classic ghost story: couple on vacation, driving through a terrible storm, smashes into a stone icehouse. Injured, they wander up to the nearest house, a rotting old mansion, and find a woman there waiting on her lover who was sealed up in the icehouse 200 years earlier… so the story has changed quite a bit, but the emotions are the same: eternal longing and love.
For Lanny, my agent favors Kristen Bell. For Jonathan, the jury is still out. Someone recommended Ben Barnes, an actor I didn’t know, but now that I’ve seen him, I think he would work out fine I believe Zac Efron was mentioned at one point, too. Any suggestions? Tall, dark and outrageously handsome?
The next two books continue the series. Aside from those, I’ve nearly finished the first draft of a book in a similar vein but with a different supernatural element and different characters. The reaction to it so far has been good, and it’s been a lot of fun to write.
Hi Jen!
I didn’t envision where that short story would take me. It was a variation on a classic ghost story: couple on vacation, driving through a terrible storm, smashes into a stone icehouse. Injured, they wander up to the nearest house, a rotting old mansion, and find a woman there waiting on her lover who was sealed up in the icehouse 200 years earlier… so the story has changed quite a bit, but the emotions are the same: eternal longing and love.
For Lanny, my agent favors Kristen Bell. For Jonathan, the jury is still out. Someone recommended Ben Barnes, an actor I didn’t know, but now that I’ve seen him, I think he would work out fine
I believe Zac Efron was mentioned at one point, too. Any suggestions? Tall, dark and outrageously handsome?
The next two books continue the series. Aside from those, I’ve nearly finished the first draft of a book in a similar vein but with a different supernatural element and different characters. The reaction to it so far has been good, and it’s been a lot of fun to write.
Hey Alma,
I do love when we get foreign authors on BBB!! I see you have written some short stories, but do you have other ideas for series? Who is your favorite vampire played by an actor/actress? Have you found an answer for your neurological problem (if it is not too personal).
Christy M
USA
rsvp=25
?=15
tally=1
total=31
Hi Christi,
Thanks for the questions. I hope you’re not disappointed but I’m from the US! I agree, it is very confusing with the book coming out in the UK first…
As for series, I’m currently thinking that the book that comes after the trilogy, which is slightly related, will spin off as its own series. But it’s too early to know for sure.
As for favorite vampire actor/actress… that’s a tough one. The Eric Northman character in True Blood–hard to beat. I prefer brunettes to blonds, though. From an acting standpoint, I really liked Sadie Frost in the Coppola version of Dracula (1992) and Gary Oldham, for that matter.
Any suggestions for the hottest brunette male vampire?
The neurological problem turned out to be a rare form of migraine, known as vestibular migraines. I have a condition called daily chronic headache (yup, headaches every day for ten years) for which I take medication.
Hi Alma! thanks for chatting with us. This book sounds interesting.
1) Who is your favorite fictional couple (outside your own creations, of course) and why?
2) You mentioned regret in your post – what’s one regret you’ve tried to learn from (that you feel comfortable sharing)?
Thanks again!
**
Mare S, USA
RSVP’d ahead + 25
questions (2) +10
tally points + 1
total = 36
Hi Mare! Tristan and Isolde is probably among my favorite romantic stories: a wonderful star-crossed love that cannot be denied by duty or honor, but is doomed to end badly. The Time-Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is also a terrific love story, how someone persists in loving someone even though they know it’s not going to end happily ever after.
I don’t have a specific regret to share. I do think that most people do things when they’re young –whether a child or young adult — that they wish they could do over as an adult. We’re brash and independently minded and so sure of ourselves when we’re young; it’s not until we’ve had to manage responsibilities on our own that we see how little we knew.
MARY P
AUSTRALIA
Do you tour/promote by traveling around the country or just via the internet?
What makes a perfect story for you – as a reader?
Questions 10+
RSVP 25+
TOTAL: 36
Hi Mary! The TAKER is coming to Australia in a couple months, I think. As for touring, I have no plans to tour outside the US right now but if the book does well, it might be in my future as the next two books in the series have been sold and I think the publishers are keen on promoting it. The US publisher is sending me on an extensive tour but primarily to book festivals and publishing trade shows. They tell me bookstores aren’t interested in debut authors as it’s hard to draw a crowd for an unknown. I hope to drop in on bookstores and libraries while I’m at the festivals, so if you (or anyone) wants me to come to their town, please mention the book to your local bookseller or librarian!
A perfect story for me as a reader is a little dark, at least a little sexy, and has something unique about it. I like when the author plays with narrative form, too, such as with David Mitchell’s linked stories. And the author should stretch themselves in telling the story; it shouldn’t be overly familiar. What about you? What’s your perfect story?
Hi there! The book does sound good. I put it in my wish list at amazon so I’ll be able to keep an eye on it for the future release. what are your thoughts on audiobooks? Do you listen to them at all? Do you want yours available in audio? And do you prefer snow or heat? thanks for being here and congrats on the book!
Joani S from USA
rsvp’d
tally points=46
Great! I think you’ll be hearing a lot about The TAKER between now and publication in September, too.
I love audiobooks though I generally don’t get a chance to listen to them except for long car trips. They make the hours fly. Both the US and UK publishers are doing audiobook versions of The TAKER. I have the UK recording, narrated by Laurel Lefkow, the actress who narrated THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Let me tell you, it’s a funny thing listening to someone tell a story that you’ve written and rewritten and heard countless times in your head.
I prefer the cold to heat. I was born in Alaska and spent most of the childhood in New England, so I’m used to snow. Maybe that’s why half the book is set in the northernmost reaches of Maine.
Thank you for the interest and I hope you enjoy The TAKER.
Hi Alma,
I put the US rlease date on the calender.
Do you generally set one large or many small goals?
What do you do to reward yourself when you reach your goals
Do you keep track of random plot bunnies as they pop up or do you let them run free and grow until you need them?
Do you have a favorite story world other than your own?
1.Koren C USA
2.asked 4 +20
4.tally own points +1
I RSVP’d +25
total 46
Hi Koren, sorry for the delay in responding.
Setting goals: I like having big goals. In my day job I’m an analyst, and have been trained to look at problems and try to figure out how to solve them, so I tend to break down big goals into smaller steps. So the answer is both! Hmm, I don’t tend to reward myself though–the feeling of accomplishment is usually reward enough. (I am pretty dull in that respect.)
The plot bunnies don’t worry me as much as the emotional arc of the characters. In grad school, the professors were of the mind that you let the characters have free rein and to grow the story organically, but that does tend to lead you down a lot of blind alleys. I try to strike a balance between the two. I’ve also found that if I’m not surprised somewhere in the story, the reader won’t be either.
I haven’t read a series in a while so I’m going to have to fall back on Neal Stephenson’s Baroque cycle for a favorite story world.
1. USA
2. What other books have you wrote?
3. What made you decide to be a writer?
4. Any suggestions for someone who wants to write a book?
5. I am a follower and email subscriber.
Please enter me in contest. I really want to your book. Sounds really good. Tore923@aol.com
Hi Victoria, and sorry for the delay.
During the ten years it took to write The TAKER, I tried my hand at writing more straightforward thrillers. I don’t regret doing it — I learned alot about pacing and plotting — but these books are very different from the TAKER and I doubt I’ll ever try to get them published.
Writing interested me because it took me away to another world but one of my own making. Secondly, I liked the challenge.
Which leads me to your next question: advice for someone who wants to become a writer. There’s lots of online resources these days–advice from editors, agents and writers, online courses, social networking sites like Backspace. The only things I can add are a bit old-fashioned, which is to write every day, because it seems to be like a muscle and gets better the more you exercise it. And to take a writing course or go to a writing conference, somewhere you get to meet and talk to other writers in person, because it’s tremendously nourishing for the soul. Also, when you’re close to publication, you need to have a network of writers you can turn to for support.
Good luck writing!
1. Elaine R, USA
2. Ask the author some questions. Please make sure they are NOT duplicates. Good for 5 + points per question. (Max 4 good towards 20 points)
- Have you ever written yourself as one of your book characters?
3. Tweet this event: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/?p=41009 + 10 Points (max 5 times a day please not all at the same time) include @bittenbybooks in your tweet. – DONE
RSVP’d – 25
4. Tally Your own points total = 41
Hi Elaine and sorry for the delay.
I try not to write myself as one of my characters and if you read The TAKER, you’ll see why. The main characters are all atoning for some terrible thing they did in the past and come to not-very-pleasant ends. I suppose there’s a little bit of my experiences in each of them, though.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds really good. Thanks for taking the time to be here and share with us.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before you tried to get published? What to you is the best part of being a writer and what is the part you wouldnt mind giving up?
Vampires, Shifters, Zombies, Angels – who wins the final ultimate battle?
If you could witness any historical event past, present or future what would it be and why?
Thanks!
Contest stuff:
+25 RSVP’d
+20 questions above
+10 tweet – http://twitter.com/#!/DonnaS1/status/62728466134609920
+1 total – 57
Thanks!
Donna S
USA
Hi Donna and sorry for the delay in responding.
Writing: I’ve been writing most of my life, but it wasn’t until I came back to it at age 40 and had been working for a long time that I realized how incredibly hard you had to work at it to write something publishable. It wasn’t just about what I wanted to write, but being able to tell a story that other people would find satisfying.
The part I like is when I nail a particularly challenging aspect of writing, like being able to show a character’s really complex emotional response. The part I hate, and most writers hate, I think, is how much waiting there is. You wait, wait, wait to hear back from editors and agents, for the book to be published, to see if you’re going to get reviews. So much waiting!
Battle: do they HAVE to fight each other? See, in my day job I’ve also worked in diplomacy. If the US can sit across the table and negotiate with China, believe me, someone is going to get all these groups to the negotiating table.
Hmm, can’t think of a profound historical event I’d like to witness. That’s partially because I value every minute; I think every minute is important in some way, and no one particular minute is more important than any other. Just as no one person is particularly more important than any other person.
Thanks for dropping in! Hope you enjoy The TAKER
Sharli M – Costa Rica
Hi Alma! The Taker sounds great! I’ll add it to my wishlist
Here are my questions:
- If you could trade places with one of your characters, would you? And if so, Which one?
- Would you like to see your book made into film?
+10 Questions
+10 Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/Entre_Libros/status/62734204370288640
+1 Total= 21
Thank you for the post and the giveaway!
Hi Sharli! First, I definitely would like to see The TAKER made into a film. That’s one thing that editors have said universally about the novel — it’s very cinematic. So please keep your fingers crossed for me that it will sell.
If I could be one character… well, it’s going to sound odd but it would have to be the villain, Adair, but that’s because I know how the story ends. Trust me, Adair is a VERY interesting character.
Hope you enjoy the TAKER and thanks for your interest.
Michelle M./US
Do you have a number one favorite book or is it more like a top 5 (or 10) of favorites?
+25 RSVPed
+5 asked question
+10 tweeted: http://twitter.com/?status=Author%20Alma%20Katsu%20Guest%20Blog%20and%20Contest%20LIVE%20Here%21%20-%20http%3A%2F%2Fgoo%2Egl%2Frb4fv%20via%20%40Shareaholic#!/truebookaddict/status/62570242987147264
+1 tally
Total = +41
Hi Michelle, thanks for your interest in The TAKER.
Definitely, there are too many “favorite” books to count. It depends on the mood I’m in — is that the same for you?
Ann G USA
RSVP
If you could go back in time, and spend a day or two with a favorite author, whom would you choose..and why?
If you had unlimited sources of money, which book conferences would you choose to attend?
25+
two questions + 10
Tally + 1
= 36
Hi Ann!
Let’s see–I wouldn’t mind spending a day with Oscar Wilde or Dorothy Parker, just for the witty conversation. Vladimir Nabokov is another favorite… or Shirley Jackson. I love her non-fiction “Life Among the Savages,” a compilation of humorous essays she wrote about family life in the 50s.
I’ve been to Squaw Valley Conference of Writers and will be going back as an alum this year. I absolutely love it. They have a rigorous program where you write & are critiqued every day, plus an opportunity for consultations with editors, agents and top writers. Plus you can’t beat the location — Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe!
Ooooh, sounds like a classic gothic tale. I’m curious to see how they’ll shelve it, too — but I hope if they do the mainstream thing, it finds its audience! Were you always a fan of gothic novels? You’re a little cagey in your synopsis about whether or not their are actual supernatural elements involved — is that a spoiler, or can I ask?
Best wishes on your UK release — and the US release this fall!
Prize Goddess:
RSVP’d: 25
Questions: 10
Tweeted!: 10 (@alanajoli)
Tally: 1
Total: 46
Hi Alana, Yes I was being cagey. There is a supernatural element, but it’s not a supernatural type of character, like a ghost or fairy or angel. The strong really is at the confluence of magic, religion and science but it’s not as though it hits you over the head. I hope you’ll give it a try — most people say they’re sucked in by the story right away and can’t put it down.
A little late to the party, couldn’t get BBB up on my laptop yesterday for some reason, dagnabbit.
Looks like all of the good questions have been asked. ah well….
I definitely added your book to the WWBL (Wanton Wantin’ Book List). It looks superb and can’t wait til it’s released here.
Do you have a favorite slang term when things go awry or funky or just happy?
Like mine is ‘I could give a shiny rat’s a$$’ or ‘popcorn f@rt’
+5
I did RSVP +25
Tally +1 + 30 = 31
Hi Vickie! I worked in the Defense Dept for a long time and was around some world-class swearers, so I’ve tried to cut back on my cursing. I like yours — creative! I’ve been known to say ‘mother of pearl’ instead of, well, you know. My favorites come from a novel by Jess Walter, I can’t recall which one, where the little brother of the main character is prone to saying Midwestern-ism, like “Christ on a bike!” Very innocently, slightly profane. Having barely been in the midwest, I find these amusing.
Hi,
it’s interesting to know that Taker doesn’t fit into just one genre, I always find such books the most interesting.
And it might be a good thing that it winds up in the mainstream section, I think it might get more readers this way.
Which cover do you personally like better, the UK or the US version?
What is your favorite childhood book?
Thanks!
Dovile P., Lithuania
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+25 RSVPed for this event
+10 for questi9ons
+1 tallying
Total: 31
Hi Dovile, thanks for stopping by!
I love the UK cover. The actual book is amazing to look at. They did a perfect job on the embossing. And the black edges–ooh! Whoever wins it is going to be very happy.
Wrinkle in Time as a big childhood favorite, along with Half Magic and Octagon Magic, which was about a magic dollhouse. Also all the Marguerite Henry horse stories, and fairy tales.
Hope you enjoy the TAKER! Please help spread the word.