Blog Tour: On the Fringe - Courtney King Walker - Multi-character Interview

Courtney King Walker is here today with a multi-character interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her soon to be released, On the Fringe. Thank you for being here today, Courtney! You can follow along with the tour here. Enjoy! 

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Answered by Claire James.

What is one of your favourite memories?

When Daniel found my silver ring in the stream.

If you could read one book, what would it be and why that book?

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. It gets me every time – a story about giving all that you have and all that you are for no other reason than just pure, abiding love.

If you knew you had only 1 day left to live, what would you do with that time?

This is a difficult question because it makes me think of Daniel. I saw him on his last day, and it makes me wonder what he would’ve done differently, had he known. If I knew my final hours, I think I’d be surrounded by my family and best friends, be eating a lot of food (especially Chocolate Malted Crunch ice cream) and giving hugs all day long.

What song describes you?

“Breakable,” by Ingrid Michaelson. That’s how vulnerable as human beings we are – a breath away from the other side. It’s how, emotionally, I felt every day after Daniel died. Fragile. Breakable.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why?

My eyes. Don’t get me wrong; I love choosing out all sorts of fun, funky, unique pairs of glasses. But glasses do get annoying some times. Maybe some day I’ll get eye surgery, but the idea of a laser slicing into my eyes scares me to death.

Thank you for being here today Claire and Courtney! 

Courtney King Walker can be found on her website. 

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Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping.

Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination.

As Claire and Daniel try to grasp a possible reconnection, other grudge-holding beings have plans of their own. Now, the two of them have to decide if their fleeting relationship is worth the possibility of Claire being trapped on the fringe forever.

Beautifully told, On the Fringe intertwines fresh ideas about devotion, revenge, and the consequences that come with life and death.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Unwelcome - Michael Griffo - Multi-character Interview

Michael Griffo is here today with a multi-character interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for his new releast, Unwelcome. Thank you for being here today, Michael! You can follow along with the tour here. Enjoy!

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If you could live in any time period in history, which would you prefer and why?

BRANIA: The future. I’ve lived for over three hundred years, I have absolutely no desire to relive the hell I’ve already been through. And when I say ‘the future’ I mean a future where women rule and men are our subjects.

RONAN: I’d love to go back to Victorian England and live during Oscar Wilde’s time. I’m just fascinated with that time period and would love to experience it firsthand. I know it would be difficult being a gay man during that time, but hell, I’m a vampire so I can take care of myself.

EDWIGE: I’d want to go back to the 1960s in England. I’d be a mad success and all those Carnaby Street clothes would look absolutely gorgeous on me!

MICHAEL: That’s a tough one. Without sounding like a broken record, you know that wherever I go, Ronan would have to go with me. Part of me would love to live during medieval times. I know it was barbaric and bloody and there was no indoor plumbing, so I might hate it after a while, but it was also majestic and bold and as a vampire I think I could hold my own in a battle. Plus, living in a castle with Ronan would be amazing!

SOAIRSE: I would love to go back to the 1970s and live in New York. I’ve always wanted to go to the old Studio 54 disco and dance the night away. That would be gobs of fun!

CIARAN: I’d like to live in late 1800s and be part of the scientific revolution. I’d love to know if I could match wits with Einstein and Edison and all the other great inventors. It would be an exciting challenge.

PHAEDRA: If I could live right now as a teenage girl that would be perfect. But it’s just not in the cards for me.

What one song defines the world as you see it?

MICHAEL and RONAN: “Here Comes The Sun”

MICHAEL: Or maybe “Born This Way!”

FRITZ: “I’m The Greatest Star” - Some old bird who my mum loves sings it. I don’t like the song that much, but the title speaks for itself!

SOAIRSE: ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!”

NAKANO: Can I pick the same one as Saoirse?

BRANIA: “Misunderstood” by Pink

CIARAN: “She Blinded Me With Science”

EDWIGE: “Leave me Alone” by some human named Helen Reddy

PHAEDRA: “Misty”

What is your favourite memory at the Academy?

MICHAEL: The day I arrived and walked through the front gate. It changed my life forever. That and seeing Ronan in the rain, thinking about it still takes my breath away.

RONAN: Right you are love, that was the most perfect moment in my life.

FRITZ: Will you two stuff it! The best day ever was the relaunch of Tales of the Double A! People are still talking about it.

PHAEDRA: The first time Fritz and I kissed.

MICHAEL GRIFFO: The Archangel Festival was one of my favorite memories and one of my favorite scenes to write. All the characters were involved so it was a challenge to incorporate them all and make it move seamlessly from one group to the next.

There are two doors before you. One opens to Narnia, the other to Hogwarts. Which do you go through?

FRITZ: Narnia! Why would I want to go to another bloody school? I don’t care if Hogwarts is magical, Double A is brill!

MICHAEL: I have to agree with Fritz and go with Narnia too. From what I’ve read it sounds like not only a magical place, but beautiful too.

SAOIRSE: I’m going with Hogwarts people! That Ron Weasley is a cutie! And he’s straight so I’d actually stand a chance with him.

MICHAEL: But isn’t he in love with Hermoine?

SAOIRSE: He hasn’t met me yet boyo!

If Murphy's Law applied to you, what law would you most likely encounter?

MICHAEL GRIFFO: I wouldn’t be able to meet any of my writing deadlines! Luckily, I’m super organized and love what I do so that will never happen ;-)

RONAN: There would be a fire in our dorm room and nothing would be harmed except my entire book collection!

MICHAEL: My UK birth certificate would be lost and I would be kicked out of the country and have to go back to Weeping Water! Oh my God I can’t even think about that, that would be beyond horrible.

CIARAN: Some jealous bloke would trash my lab and destroy all my research.

SOAIRSE: My hair would fall out. Face it people I have beautiful hair!

BRANIA: There would be a cave-in and Imogene and I would be forced to live with my father. On second thought, I’d rather live in the bowels of The Forest before doing that.

FRITZ: I would meet the love of my life and then she would up and disappear. Oh wait, that bloody happened already!

If you could do one thing without repercussions, what would it be, and why?

MICHAEL GRIFFO: After writing this series I would love to be a vampire for a few days and see if I captured all the feelings and changes that you go through once you find out that you are immortal and have to drink blood to survive. When you think about it, when you think about actually doing what Michael, Ronan, and all the other vampires have to do and how their lives are changed for all eternity, it plays with your mind. I’d love to spend a day in their shoes so to speak to see if my writing came close to the actual experiences.

NAKANO: I’d like to go far away from Double A and walk in the sun. Having the freedom to open my eyes in America or Egypt or anywhere except here and feel the sun on my face would be amazing!

FRITZ: Without repercussions? That’s easy, I’d turn into a zombie and kill the entire student body! Or better yet, become a vampire and start feeding on all my professors. But you know, vampires aren’t bloody real, so that’s never going to happen.

PHAEDRA: Stay on earth forever!

MICHAEL HOWARD: I’d like to go back to Two W and show everybody at that school that I’m stronger than I’ve ever been in my entire life. After all those years of being bullied and ridiculed, I’d like to show them that they didn’t win! And just like the slogan says, my life’s gotten MUCH better!

RONAN: There’s nothing I can’t already do.

Thank you for being here today, everyone! I loved all of your answers! =)

Michael Griffo can be found on his website and on twitter.

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Archangel Academy is more than a school to Michael Howard. Within its majestic buildings and serene English grounds, he's found friends, new love, and a place that feels more like home than Nebraska ever did. But the most important gift of Archangel Academy is immortality. . .

Life as a just-made vampire is challenging for Michael, even with Ronan, an experienced vamp, to guide him. Michael's abilities are still raw and unpredictable. To add to the turmoil, the ancient feud between rival vampire species is sending ripples of discord through the school. And beneath the new headmaster's charismatic front lies a powerful and very personal agenda.

Yet the mysteries lurking around the Academy pale in comparison to the secrets emerging from Michael's past. And choosing the wrong person to trust—or to love—could lead to an eternity of regret. . .

Michael Griffo is an award-winning writer and one of six playwrights whose career will be tracked by WritersInsight.com until 2010. He is a graduate of New York University, has studied at Playwrights Horizons and Gotham Writers Workshop, and has written several screenplays.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Progeny - R.T. Kaelin - Multi-Character Interview

R.T. Kaelin is here today with a multi-character interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for his debut novel, Progeny (The Children of the White Lions #1). Thank you for being here today, R.T.! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy! 

If you could work only three strands, what three Strands would you choose to be proficient in, and why?

(Answering as me):

I have been asked this question before and for the life of me, I cannot remember my original answer. So, I suppose I will think through this one from scratch.

Most likely, I would choose Will, Air, and Void. Air and Void are the two types of Strands necessary to create a port to move instantly between two locations and, as I like to travel, it only makes sense to touch those two. I would, of course, need to have already visited the location (a rule for creating the Weave for a port), but that is a single airfare ticket, right? Then, if I wanted to hop back to Firenze for dinner of mozzarella caprese, cappellini pomodoro, and a glass of chianti one evening…poof!

Strands of Will would be great simply for being able to convince others to do what you wanted them to do. I would be a good boy with the power—I promise—but imagine never having to argue with someone again. A few golden Strands of Will, and you would always hear, “Oh, I completely agree!”

What one food would you want to eat for the rest of your life?

(Answering as Nundle—too easy):

Gods! Only one food for the rest of my life? How awful! Why would anyone ever be so cruel as to force me to do something like that? You are a horrible, horrible person for even asking such a question…

What? I must provide an answer? Truly?

Very well.

Hmm… Well, I do love a good roast. Any type of roast will do. With potatoes and carrots and—what? Only one food? Gods, you are making this difficult.

Well, those spiced cakes from Lakeborough were fantastic! Of course, after a few, I started to feel ill…so, no. Not those.

Gods, if this isn’t a terribly hard question to answer.

Well, as I have been away from home for a long period of time, nothing sounds better to me than a nice plate of spiced turnips. Gracious, my mouth is watering just thinking of them. A properly spiced turnip, melting in your mouth…mmm…

If you could live in only one territory, which would you live in and why?

(Answering as Broedi):

I have seen much of Terrene in my time spent wandering the world after the scourging of the Carinius coast. I am familiar with most of the duchies, have seen the wilds of the Primal Provinces, visited the sprawling river cities in Cartu and the dry, dusty deserts and plains of Yut. The island nation of the Tang Dynasty is a unique place, unlike any other in Terrene. And of course, the great cities of the Celystiela are mesmerizing.

However, if I could chose one place to live out the remained of my life—if peace ever seems to find me—I would choose my home, among the mountains of the Red Peaks in the northwestern duchies.

However, that is not possible for…no. No, I will not speak of that.

I am destined to wander. I will live my life where Greya’s will takes me.

Given the choice of one person, who would you trust the most to stand at your side in battle? Why them?

(Answering as Nikalys):

As my experience with true ‘battle’ is quite limited, I must answer this with who has been by my side throughout my life: Kenders and Jak.

I know you asked for one person, but I refuse to separate the two. My brother and sister have been with me through everything and I would never let anything keep me from them.

Nothing.

If you had the ability to change the past, would you? What one thing would you change?

(Answering as a new character who makes first appearance in book two):

Ah…well. You pose a very interesting question.

Much of my life has been the result of a singular event that happened ages ago. I have often thought of what might have become of me had one particular day at the rock quarry gone differently. If I had just checked the supports…

Bah! The past is the past. It is impossible to unravel what has been woven.

I refuse to answer your question.

(This question is quite, quite prescient. Really. The past is a prominent theme in book two.)

What is one thing you want to change about yourself?

(Answering as Kenders):

Well, that’s easy. As my brothers will surely tell you—and most everyone else who has known me for more than a few days—I have a tendency to act before I think. More often than not, things work out, but I will admit that I have gotten myself into some trouble in the past.

If there was anything I would like to change about myself, I would definitely try to put my thoughts a bit before my actions. Truly.

What is one thing you can see yourself doing right now?

(Answering as me):

Like Kenders said: that’s easy.

I can see myself writing for a living. I can see the stories coming out like water gushing from a mountain spring. I have no shortage of ideas and characters in my head, and I believe that my writing gets stronger and stronger with each line I write.

I am an indie author for the time being, but I don’t think that will be the case forever. Sooner or later, the big break I need will come.

Thank you for being here today, R.T. and to everyone for answering my questions! 

R.T. Kaelin can be found on his website, his blog, and on twitter. 

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Nikalys and his sister Kenders grew up living a peaceful life in the quiet farming village of Yellow Mud... until the blistering hot day when they go to the nearby lake for a swim. When they reach the lake, they spy an unknown mage conjure a massive water creature hundreds of feet tall. They watch in horror as the water creature plunges toward their home, apparently drowning all in its path, including their parents and older brother, Jak.

As the only survivors, brother and sister strike out on their own, hoping to discover the reason their home and family was destroyed. They must make their way through a countryside where magic is outlawed, punishable by imprisonment or even death while struggling with the revelation that Kenders has magical abilities herself.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Misfit - Jon Skovron - Multi-Character Interview

Jon Skovron is here today with several of his characters doing a multi-character interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for his new release, Misfit. Thank you for being here today, Jon! You can follow along with the tour here. Enjoy!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Jael: Oh god, I suck at this kind of stuff... Um, college, I guess? Unless my dad decides to lock me up in a tower in Alaska doing telemarketing.

Rob: I'm going to be somewhere I never could have imagined. It will be awesome. Probably insane, too.

Britt: Going to the same college that Jack goes to. I think we'll do a lot of traveling to cool places like Italy and Greece.

How do you balance school and your new reality?

Jael: Uh, I don't really. I think that's part of the problem.

Rob: I think a lot of people when they're trying to balance, think they need to be perfectly still. Like that's the way to keep from fall too far to one side or the other. But you know what? I think that might work if you're totally isolated with no external factors. But that isn't life. Life is constantly throwing things at you and if you get that stiff, that rigid? It just means you'll get pushed over with the first breeze. I think instead, you have to breathe, stay loose, flexible. It's like riding a skateboard, really. You have to constantly adjust to the terrain beneath your feet and you can't do that if your knees are locked.

Does that make any sense? Maybe it doesn't. Works for me, though.

Britt: Oh, you mean dating Jack? LOL, yeah, it totally feels like a new reality. Can you even believe I was interested in those other losers?

You are caught in an embarrassing or nightmarish situation. What is the situation and how do you talk your way out of it?

Jael: Being a student in my dad's Church History class. Still working on a way out of it. I have ten months to figure it out... Maybe I could fake a sudden aversion to the phrase "papal edict" or something? "Ah! It burns!" No? Hmmm...maybe get back to me on that one...

Rob: Are you kidding? I talk my way in to embarrassing situations. If you aren't putting yourself in weird places, you're totally missing out on amazing experiences.

Britt: I always say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I think Ben Franklin said that. Or Thomas Jefferson. One of those guys. ANYWAY, the key is to anticipate so you never get yourself into those situations in the first place. Or at least so you have an escape plan already in place before you get into it.

You are walking down the street when you end up in the middle of a street brawl. Who would you call for back-up?

Jael: My uncle. Because he's a big scary fish monster.

Rob: I'm not really big on fighting, you know? But if I didn't have a choice to avoid it, I would totally call Jael. She kicks ass.

Britt: Back-up? Please. Just give me some room and let me take my earrings out.

If you could be any superhero for a day, who would you be and why?

Jael: The Invisible Woman. Because honestly, there's lots of times I wish I was.

Rob: That is tough! I'd kind of like to be Professor X, just because he pretty much understands everyone and everything in the world. Or maybe Dr. Strange because he's totally plugged into all the magic. Or how about the Silver Surfer because he's totally connected to the cosmos and I'd get to zoom around on a flying board.

Oh, wait, I know! I'd want to be Rogue. Because then I could just walk around touching all the other super heroes and I could get all their powers all at once. That would be awesome.

Britt: Mystique from the X-men movies. Because then I could look like anybody, even famous actresses or whatever. Could you imagine?

I mean, not that I don't like looking like me. I'm totally fine with the way I look. Really.

Thank you for answering my questions everyone! So glad you could all be here today with Jon! 

Jon Skovron can be found on his website, and on twitter.

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Jael has always felt like a freak. She’s never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad’s always been superstrict—but that’s probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family’s dangerous history and Jael’s untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths.

Author Jon Skovron takes on the dark side of human nature with his signature funny, heartfelt prose.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.