Promises by: Amber Garr Author Interview

Description: 


Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.

When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.

A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those who she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life that she had so adamantly tried to escape.


Promises is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of growing up in a discrete world that inherently threatens human society.

Tags

urban fantasy, paranormal romance, young adult, mermaid

Author Bio:

Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.

(bio provided by author)

Here are the links to where you can find her book:

Smashwords

Goodreads

Check out the other stops on this tour!

• Tour Dates - March 2 - 28, 2012:

• March 2 - Carly Chambers - Blurb
• March 7 - Jessica Porter - Interview
• March 9 - Fry - Review
• March 12 - Heahter M. White - Review
• March 14 - Suzanne van Rooyen - Interview
• March 19 - Jaime Morris - Review
• March 21 - Latoya - Interview
• March 23 - Anya Massie - Review
• March 26 - Latoya - Review
• March 28 - Suzanne van Rooyen - Review

**Also note: The second book in The Syrenka Series, Betrayal, was released on February 20^th!!

 From A Book-a-licious Story Book Blog

Can you tell me about yourself, say, in 5 words

A girl with a plan

 What do you like to do when you're not being an author and crafting the very exciting life of Eviana and her two boyfriends?

Well, when Eviana and the crew aren’t screaming in my brain, I spend my days working as a marine biologist (just recently earned my Ph.D.!!).  So I conduct experiments, write proposals, manuscripts…things like that.  I also teach dance at a local studio, so sometimes I get to tell stories through movement instead of words.

What are both of your dreams? Has your dream always been to be an author, Amber? What about being a marine biologist? Which one came first? Which one comes first now?

Well, originally I was going to be a ballerina.  And then I met some scientists when I was ten and I decided that I was going to be a marine biologist.  I ended up going to school for both.  I’ve always loved creative writing and thought it would be awesome to have something published…but my focus had consistently been on the science side of writing.  So, I would say that I’ve really focused on fiction writing in the last few years and now I’m totally obsessed!  When I’m not at work, I’m writing!!!

What were your previous dreams?
Amber: Oops, I think I kind of answered this one.  But to add to the mix…I wanted to invent gills for humans so that we could breathe underwater without wearing a tank!  I should probably start working on that….

What was the hardest part in your path to becoming an author?
Getting over the fear of rejection (although I’ll never really be over it!). I don’t have a problem making the time to write all of my stories, but asking someone to critique them for me has really been my biggest obstacle.  Accepting that not everyone will enjoy your story is a part of this process, and it’s still a work in progress for me!

What age did you start penning down all those crazy ideas of yours, Amber?
You know?  I’m not really sure.  We had a lot of artists in the family, so I remember telling stories through drawings or putting on plays.  Of course I also danced a lot and made up a ton of stories that way.  I did have a journal when I was a kid, so that would have probably been where all of my written ideas were stored.  

Is PROMISES the first novel you ever wrote? Any that didn't get published?
No, it was actually the second novel.  I have an adult urban fantasy under review right now that I’m thinking about publishing later this year.  After I finished that, I took a short story (pretty much the first chapter of Promises) and just kept on writing.  It quickly turned into a trilogy! I’ve written three complete books so far, and a bunch of random short stories.

What is the inspiration behind PROMISES? Eviana the mermaid with a big destiny, Kain the man with a big heart and Brendan the selkie loverboy?
Well, of course I always wished that I could be a mermaid so I often wondered what that life would be like.  Would I live in the ocean or walk amongst the humans?  And what kind of responsibility would that entail.  So the story kind of developed from there…a secret society of mermaids and a girl who feels like the she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.  Because, who hasn’t felt that way at least once in their life?  Kain’s character is a combination of all of us who have ever loved unconditionally or without it being returned.  It is tragic!  Kain represents the good in people.  And the selkie…well, I was just really fascinated with their mythology and wanted to incorporate that into my mermaid world.  I mean, why would there only be one water creature out there?  Brendan really loves Eviana, and he would have been a good match for her…if only he had been a merman.  I think Brendan represents those “if only” type moments. 

Did you base any of your characters on real life people/experiences? Which ones?
Ha!  It’s funny you ask this because the first thing my mom asked me was if I based Marisol on my own sister.  And the short answer is YES!  She’s not so bratty anymore, but we didn’t always get along well as teenagers and you can tell that it stuck with me! (Love ya, Aimee!) 

Why a love triangle? Haha. And why YA? Why not adult fiction? Thinking of it, I've never seen an adult fiction novel about mermaids before...hmm..
You know, that’s a good point.  An adult mermaid story…sounds like the next project!  And the dreaded love triangle…I think I needed to include that because I remember having feelings all over the place as a YA (be it with boyfriends, friends, or family) and I thought that it is a very real situation.  Having to choose and knowing you may hurt someone’s feelings in the process is not an easy thing to do.  Even as an adult (sigh, yes I’m no longer a YA).  I also have parts of those inner struggles in my adult novels too.  One is an urban fantasy dealing with grief and the other one tests the boundaries of choosing right and wrong. 

Anyway, what do you plan to do now? Sequel to PROMISES, more diving, more experimenting?
All of the above!  Betrayal, the sequel to Promises will be out in February and I am a third of the way done with the final book of the trilogy.  I also want to finish my adult books and hope to see those on the shelves within the next year.  I always love diving, so that’s on the table, plus I’m gearing up to finish my doctoral studies in May!  So that means more experimenting, more writing….

Where can readers buy PROMISES?
Both paperback and ebook formats are available and readers can buy them at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. 

From Candice A. Coghill’s Blog

At what age did you first realize you wanted to write books and how/when did you first share this ambition with “the world”?

I honestly hadn’t seriously thought about publishing a book until a couple of years ago when I really started to make the time to write.  I had always created “stories” through dance and shows (like in the forest with my sister), but when that creative outlet was subdued due to an injury, I turned to writing.  It was short stories at first, but a few of those turned into first chapters and it just grew from there.  I published my first novel in December 2011.

Who in your life and what authors you read had the most influence over your decision to write?

My close friends and family, who I initially shared my writing with, were encouraging enough to give me the drive to continue.  I am a huge fan of the urban fantasy genre – where the supernatural may be right next to you and you’d never know – so authors like Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Richelle Mead, Charlaine Harris have certainly inspired me.  I read every day, and all of the authors who have created worlds of their own are amazing and make me want to be able to capture that same magic.

What influence has your career choice had on your choice of writing subjects?

Well, I am a marine biologist who has always wanted to be a mermaid, so my first published series centers around a mermaid and other water creatures.  All of the underwater scenes have to be accurate!  My second career choice would have been a medical examiner, so I made sure to write a forensics component into my adult urban fantasy book (not been released yet).  I have also been a high school teacher, and I am currently working on a non-fantasy book that explores slightly darker themes with a protagonist who teaches by day but is an assassin by night (no, I never did that!).

You are writing for a Young Adult audience. Are there other YA authors you admire and what is it about their writing that you like?

Absolutely!  I didn’t write the YA series first…but once I started including YA books in my reading list, I was hooked.  It brings me back to all of the immature, overwhelming, and erratic feelings we all have as teenagers.  Where we think we know it all, but really have no clue.  I am a sucker for the Richelle Mead, Kelley Armstrong, and Rachel Caine type series.  They do a great job capturing the YA voice and I think that’s what’s most intriguing to me.

What about adult fiction authors? Same question.

Some of the authors are the same.  I admire how they can have successful adult series and are still great YA authors.  But for adult books, I respect those authors who can make me sit down and read the entire book in one day or one weekend, and then a few weeks later I want to read it again.  I suppose it’s the story telling that gets me emotionally attached and I strive to be able to do the same with my characters.

Is there another genre you’d like to try and what attracts you about that genre?

I kind of hinted to this above…probably some type of dark fiction or detective/mystery type novel.  I’m looking forward to exploring characters that are not like anyone I know (or would want to know), and seeing how that develops.

If you could pick another’s character and use him or her as a character in a novel, who would that be and in what type of setting would you write about him or her?

Ooh, good question!  I think that I would have to say Eric Northman, an old and powerful vampire from Charlaine Harris’s novels.  I like his detached persona created to hide years of memories, so I think that I would write him into a comedic scene to try and loosen him up a bit.

You poll your readers and ask them to list five words that best describe your novels. What top five words do they list?

I hope they would say something like – intriguing, suspenseful, emotional, addicting, different.

Your book covers are beautiful! Did you know all along what you wanted your covers to look like and how did you go about finding a cover artist who could fulfill your wishes?

Thank you!  I didn’t necessarily have a cover in mind aside from knowing I wanted my protagonist only, and that an attractive cover was important.  I actually found my cover artist for the mermaid series through reading other self-published books and researching who did their work.  I knew the minute I saw Claudia’s designs (phatpuppyart.com) on her website that she would be able to create something wonderful.  And thankfully, she was excited to work with me on a mermaid cover.  It amazes me what she can do and for both jobs, she had my covers complete within two days.  Her business is really taking off, so I hope that I can still snag her for the final book in the series!

Often, it takes a lot of encouragement for young readers to pick up a book and read. Do you think that e-publishing will be a good way to break down youth’s resistance to reading?

Absolutely.  In fact, I know a teenage girl who got an iPad for Christmas and the first thing she did was download my book (which was nice).  She said she never used to read for fun, but now she has this tool that she can use, and I believe she is reading other books now.  It’s quick, convenient, and cheap…so I definitely think this will be a great revolution for young readers.

Are you a dog person or cat person and what kind of canine or feline assistance with your writing do you receive, if any?

Both!  I’ve had dogs and cats my whole life and currently have one hound dog (Noodles), a cranky Calico (Screamie), and my new muse (Bitsy).  Every time I sit down to write, Bitsy is in my lap or right next to the computer.  (I think she likes the heat, but I’ll pretend she’s really bringing me ideas!)

You’re admitted to heaven and you decide to throw a dinner party to celebrate your arrival.  What five people are on your guest list?

Assuming they have to be in the same state as myself, I’d invite a wide range of people representing all of my interests in life. Jacques Cousteau, Bram Stoker, Gregory Hines, Mary Leakey, and Trond Stegen (a family member that I haven’t seen for a long time).

From Twi-mom Book Blog:

1. guilty pleasure?  

I am a fan of sugar. So something sweet like chocolate or gum drops. They can’t be in the house!

2. 1 book you could read over and over?

There are actually several books/series that I’ve read more than once. But I think the ones I devoured over and over were Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series. All of them!

3. you could meet someone dead or alive, who would it be?

It would have to be Jacques Cousteau. I’m a marine biologist so I think meeting someone as inspirational and successful as he was, would help remind me of how far the field has come and what I can do to continue his ocean conservation legacy.

 4. one thing you cannot leave the house without?

My iPod - I simply cannot function without music in my ears! My Kindle would be a close second.

5. fav song/singer?

There are so many - but I’d say that right now I’m on a Tori Amos kick and have been listening to her newest album over and over.

6. hobby?

If not writing, it would be dancing and choreographing. Since I spend my day surrounded by science and fact-finding, I need to do something creative for my brain at night.

7. fave movie/actor and /or actress?

This is a hard one. I confess that I will watch Braveheart whenever it’s on so that probably puts it in the favorite category. As far as actresses, I’d go with Emma Stone or Bryce Dallas Howard. And Russell Crowe or Tom Hanks would be my actors.

8. one place you would love to visit?

Antarctica. Seriously. I think it would be so beautiful and unspoiled. But I also think I’d need to go in the summer!

9. fav food?

Cheese ravioli’s with no sauce please (just butter and garlic!). It’s about one of the only things I can/will cook myself!

10. fav author/book?

I don’t know if I can pick just one.  There are four authors that I really love and try to read everything that they publish: Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Richelle Mead, and Charlaine Harris.

Amber Garr, Author Biography:

Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good.

Take a look at Book 2!  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/134695

Extended description

Life as a mermaid can be suffocating.

Eviana Dumahl has returned home as a clan leader, an orphan, and a heartbroken teenage girl. Her parents are dead and her boyfriend, Brendan, has decided that he needs some time away. While battling her inner turmoil, Eviana is forced into the war that Lucian Sutherland has incited amongst her own kind. With the help of Kain, her friend and formally betrothed, the two work together to prove that they deserve their birthrights as young merfolk leaders.

When the Council requests a demonstration of Eviana’s mermaid powers, she finds herself with an opportunity to win back Brendan’s heart. But her orders to train with a repulsive merman and the presence of an attractive new suitor challenges Eviana to embrace her leadership and resist temptation. Lucian is after her, and no one seems to understand why. Loyalties are tested as the casualties increase, showing Eviana that sometimes it is impossible to delineate between friends and enemies.







Giveaway Information:

• We will only be holding one big giveaway. The giveaway will begin on March 2nd and end on March 28th. There will be a grand prize(signed copy of Promise and Betrayal[U.S. and Canada] OR e-book of Promise and Betrayal[International], $10 Amazon giftcard, signed postcards, magnet), and two e-book copies of Promises will be given away for second and third place, too. The Rafflecopter form will be found on the members' posts, and down below(links will guide you to where you need to comment to gain an entry).
• Don't forget to check back for updates!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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