Please join my stop on the blog tour for an interview with Jen McConnel, author of Gods of Chaos. Read through for a giveaway.
ABOUT
GODS OF CHAOS
Title:
Gods of Chaos (Red Magic #2)
Publication
date: March 31, 2015
Publisher:
Month9Books, LLC.
Author:
Jen McConnel
The
gods of chaos cannot be trusted.
Since
battling her best friend, Darlena’s grip on Red Magic has been shaky. She heads
to Scotland after the Winter Solstice in search of another Red Witch.
On
a sightseeing excursion with girls from her hostel, Darlena arrives at The
Vaults, a mysterious underground city beneath Edinburgh. But there is something
there that make Darlena’s instincts go haywire, as she lets loose a defensive
burst of Red Magic, putting everyone around her in danger.
If
there was ever a time when Darlena needed the help of another Red witch, it was
now. But beware the witch who wields Red Magic.
Link
to Goodreads:
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Links:
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1. Where/how did you come up
with the idea for your story? Did it suddenly pop into your head or were you
brainstorming?
I used to teach middle school, and my students and I were using story
starters one day. The sentence that sparked what became the Red Magic series?
“She was a funny looking old woman, but…” I just started writing like crazy
during the first period, and by the end of the day, I realized I’d stumbled
into a really fun idea!
2. Did you start with the main
character, the world or the overarching concept?
From the first, I knew this story was going to be in first person, and
within seconds of starting that story starter, Darlena had introduced herself
to me and taken the reins. She’s a really fun character to write!
3. Panster or Plotter? Or in
between?
Total pantser on the first draft, but I’ve got pretty methodical
approaches to subsequent revisions, where I plan and analyze. But for that
first draft, I’m all about Anne Lamott’s advice in BIRD BY BIRD, and I embrace
the “shitty first draft”.
4. Are you a fan of writing
contests?
I’ve entered a few. I really love the SCBWI Carolinas Art and Writing
Contest; it’s a great
way to get feedback whether you win or not (and it was also a really big thrill
to place second a few years ago with the first pages of another one of my YA
manuscripts!)
5. How did you find your
agent? How many query letters did you send?
Currently, I’m working without an agent. I had one briefly at the start
of my writing career, but she left the business before selling any of my
titles, so all the books I’ve got out I’ve queried on my own, directly to the
publishers. I’ve lost track of how many agent and publisher queries I’ve sent
over the years, but I can tell you that I actively started pursuing publication
in 2011, and I’m sure I must have sent hundreds of queries and submissions by
now. Persistence is key!
6. What's the best marketing
tool you've found so far?
I love participating in book festivals and giving talks at schools,
libraries, and conferences. Social media is a ton of fun, but I’m first and
foremost a face-to-face person, and there’s nothing quite like meeting readers
in person!
7. What do you like best about
your mc?
I love that she’s stubborn, and I actually love her tendency to make bad
choices…Darlena’s certainly never boring to write!
8. What do you like best about
your main antagonist?
The antagonist of the series shifts between the different books, but the
goddess Hecate remains the primary force Darlena is up against. I like playing
with mythology to create a character who’s insanely powerful and yet, at the
same time, limited by the choices of mortals. That’s true of all the gods and
goddesses in the Red Magic series, and I’ve loved writing each and every one of
them.
Thanks so much for hosting
me!!
About
the Author:
Jen McConnel first began writing
poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the
beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University,
she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of
Pennsylvania. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches
college writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school
teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another
time. Her fiction titles include YA and
NA, and she also writes nonfiction. Visit http://www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.
Connect
With Jen
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Thank you so much for hosting me! :)
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