Today, Never Too Old for YA Books and I would like to welcome author Christina Smith. As part of our Indie celebration, Christina has agreed to answer a few of our most intriguing questions!
You may know Christina's work:
Title: Fated Dreams (Book One in the Affinity Series)
Publication Date: March 1, 2012
Blurb from Goodreads:
Do you believe in true love? Sarah Samson didn’t until she met hers. But for Sarah, meeting the guy of her dreams came with a price. On the outside Sarah looks like she has it all, friends, a loving family, and a hobby she's really good at. But if you look closer, Sarah's keeping secrets, from everyone in her life, even... Lucas. A boy she hardly knows, but still feels a connection with.
Life would be perfect, if it wasn't for the constant feeling that someone is following her. She feels a presence everywhere she goes, work, home, even...in her dreams.
She suddenly finds herself wrapped up in a dangerous mystery that started eighty years ago involving two tragic deaths. After several attempts on her life, she and Lucas realize they must solve it before history repeats itself
Title: Delusions (Book Two in The Affinity Series)
Publication Date: June 15, 2012
Blurb from Goodreads:
Can Fate be wrong? When all signs point to a certain someone, do you just blindly follow? What if that person turns out to be someone you hate? Could Destiny be so cruel? Lisa Miller is busy with family, work, friends and…revenge. Her last summer in high school should be spent, having fun. But ever since Logan Tate played a prank on her, she spends all of her free time trying to get even
And a little about our author:
I grew up in Kingston Ontario, Canada, and after getting married, moved to a small rural town in the country. I live here with my husband Brad, two kids Josh and Megan, and our dog Bailey. Even though our house is peaceful, surrounded by nature and the occasional deer, I'm still a city girl at heart. I miss civilization, and visits with my mother and two sisters.
As a teen, when all my friends were out having fun, I was inside reading, and have been found at school with novels hidden behind my text books. I've always loved to read, but didn't realize I could write until a few years ago. I have told stories my whole life, but never thought to write them down.Once I put pen to paper and realized that it wasn't half bad, I took a novel writing course at Winghill Writing School, and since then have written four books. Two are finished, the others are being edited.
I spend a lot of my free time writing, and have numerous ideas for future novels, for both Young Adult, and Adult fiction.
My book Fated Dreams was named Semi-finalist in the 2011 Text-novel writing contest.
You can find Christina on the following sites:
And now for Christina to answer our questions!
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
About three years ago, I had no idea I had the ability. I was watching Stephanie Myers on Oprah the year New Moon was coming out, and Stephanie said that she didn't know that it wasn't normal to make up stories in your mind; she thought every one did it. Oprah told her that no, it's not normal. When I heard that, I glanced at my husband and said, "It's not?"
Like Stephanie, I had told myself stories all my life, and thought everyone else did too. And when I heard this, I started to think about all the stories I had created. Only two stood out. Fated Dreams was one of them.
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
All together, I would guess six months. But I haven't worked on one solely yet. I wrote the first draft of Fated Dreams in a few weeks, and it was terrible. Then I took a novel writing course at Winghill Writing School, polished it up and thought it was done. It wasn't. I don't know how many revisions I've made on it, but it's been at least twenty over the last three years. But since then, I am able to write a book with a lot less. Delusions, was the fourth book I wrote, and I think I did four revisions and I estimate it took about four months all together.
3. What do you think makes a great story?
Personally I love a story in the first person; I feel the reader connects more to the main character.
Mystery, and suspense, you have to keep the reader interested.
And of course romance. I'm married and have been with my husband for sixteen years. I will never feel the joy of falling in love for the first time again…unless I pick up a book.
4. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
When I first realized I could write, I wrote all the time. Finding my passion was new to me and I couldn't stop myself. But I've mellowed a bit since then. I still I don’t really have a schedule. I wish I did, but I'm a really good procrastinator, so I write when inspiration hits.
5. How do you balance family and writing?
I haven't really figured that out yet. If I had more of a set schedule I could write during the day while the kids are at school and my husband is at work, but it hasn't quite worked out that way.
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Different places. The first (Fated Dreams) was from another book by LJ Smith. It was the first time I read about soul mates, and fell in love with the concept.
Delusions came about because I couldn't get Logan out of my head. There wasn't meant to be a sequel to Fated Dreams.
The others I really don't remember; they just popped into my head. I have one idea that I have on the back burner that I dreamed of. At first I thought nothing of it. The plot is something I never thought I would write about, but then I remembered that Twilight started from a dream, so I wrote the idea down.
7. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I could actually write. I have always loved to read but didn't know I could write, actually I never thought to try.
8. How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
I have written four books but I have separated one into a prequel, so I guess five.
And it's hard to pick a favorite. When I try, I feel guilty about the other ones. Just like with my children, and in some ways I guess they are. I did create them.
9. Are your characters based on anyone you know?
Yes and no. The girl on the cover of Fated Dreams is my niece Courtney, but I asked her because she was handy and had brown hair. I wrote Sarah during my obsession with the TV series, The Vampire Diaries, so I guess Sarah is based on Nina Dobrev.
The main character in the book I'm working on now is named Megan after my daughter. But they only share the same hair color, that’s where the similarities end.
The only character based on someone I know, is Lisa's sister Olivia, in Delusions. I developed her from my two year old niece Summer.
10. Do you have a favourite place you love to write?
Yes, in my room on my bed. My husband calls it my cave.
11. How hard is it to get published?
Extremely, since I'm not. I self-published.
I sent in most of my books to many agents in Canada and the US, and no one was interested. I think I sent them before they were ready, but since they don't want the same books sent twice, I'll never know. I won't give up though; I have one more to send out.
12. What do your family and friends think about your books?
They were surprised as I was when I wrote them, but they love my novels. Most of my family has read them all, but now that I self published, my mother is re-reading them.
13. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Read, spend time with my family.
14. Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they?
Write when inspiration hits, keep a notebook. Read lots of books on the genre of their choice. And if it's young adult books their interested in writing, watch teen shows and movies. It's difficult to write about a teen when your not one, so study them.
I took an online course at WingHill writing school, and that really helped me.
15. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Doesn't every little girl want to be a princess? But as I grew up I figured that wouldn't work out, so I decided on an Architect, even though I'm horrible at math. And then I remember I wanted to sell houses.
But I really didn't know what I wanted to be. I took a semester in college for early childhood education just because my friend was taking it. It didn't work out. I hated that I didn't have something I was passionate about. I was really thankful when I found it.
16. What are your favourite books and which authors inspire you?
I have so many, but the ones that have lasted are Anne of Green Gables, and Pride and Prejudice.
Young Adult books would have to be, The Twilight Series, If I Stay, Where She Went, and The Iron Fey Series, and so many others that I can't choose.
Stephanie Myers, Gale Forman, Julie Kagawa
17. What's it like to be self published?? How did you do it??
I've only been self-published for about a few months and so far, I find it challenging to get the word out about my books. Thankfully I found goodreads, it's been so helpful.
I really didn't know that you could self-publish until I read about Amanda Hocking, and then it took awhile to find out how to do it. But cruising through other self-published books gave me the information. I started at Smashwords.com and they are great, they send out your book to lots of ebook stores, and now I just recently published on amazon as well.
18. What are you working on now?
A new series called A Moon's Glow. I'm just touching up the prequel, called Riley's Curse, and the first in the series called Riley's Secret. They will be out in the next week or two.
About three years ago, I had no idea I had the ability. I was watching Stephanie Myers on Oprah the year New Moon was coming out, and Stephanie said that she didn't know that it wasn't normal to make up stories in your mind; she thought every one did it. Oprah told her that no, it's not normal. When I heard that, I glanced at my husband and said, "It's not?"
Like Stephanie, I had told myself stories all my life, and thought everyone else did too. And when I heard this, I started to think about all the stories I had created. Only two stood out. Fated Dreams was one of them.
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
All together, I would guess six months. But I haven't worked on one solely yet. I wrote the first draft of Fated Dreams in a few weeks, and it was terrible. Then I took a novel writing course at Winghill Writing School, polished it up and thought it was done. It wasn't. I don't know how many revisions I've made on it, but it's been at least twenty over the last three years. But since then, I am able to write a book with a lot less. Delusions, was the fourth book I wrote, and I think I did four revisions and I estimate it took about four months all together.
3. What do you think makes a great story?
Personally I love a story in the first person; I feel the reader connects more to the main character.
Mystery, and suspense, you have to keep the reader interested.
And of course romance. I'm married and have been with my husband for sixteen years. I will never feel the joy of falling in love for the first time again…unless I pick up a book.
4. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
When I first realized I could write, I wrote all the time. Finding my passion was new to me and I couldn't stop myself. But I've mellowed a bit since then. I still I don’t really have a schedule. I wish I did, but I'm a really good procrastinator, so I write when inspiration hits.
5. How do you balance family and writing?
I haven't really figured that out yet. If I had more of a set schedule I could write during the day while the kids are at school and my husband is at work, but it hasn't quite worked out that way.
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Different places. The first (Fated Dreams) was from another book by LJ Smith. It was the first time I read about soul mates, and fell in love with the concept.
Delusions came about because I couldn't get Logan out of my head. There wasn't meant to be a sequel to Fated Dreams.
The others I really don't remember; they just popped into my head. I have one idea that I have on the back burner that I dreamed of. At first I thought nothing of it. The plot is something I never thought I would write about, but then I remembered that Twilight started from a dream, so I wrote the idea down.
7. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I could actually write. I have always loved to read but didn't know I could write, actually I never thought to try.
8. How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
I have written four books but I have separated one into a prequel, so I guess five.
And it's hard to pick a favorite. When I try, I feel guilty about the other ones. Just like with my children, and in some ways I guess they are. I did create them.
9. Are your characters based on anyone you know?
Yes and no. The girl on the cover of Fated Dreams is my niece Courtney, but I asked her because she was handy and had brown hair. I wrote Sarah during my obsession with the TV series, The Vampire Diaries, so I guess Sarah is based on Nina Dobrev.
The main character in the book I'm working on now is named Megan after my daughter. But they only share the same hair color, that’s where the similarities end.
The only character based on someone I know, is Lisa's sister Olivia, in Delusions. I developed her from my two year old niece Summer.
10. Do you have a favourite place you love to write?
Yes, in my room on my bed. My husband calls it my cave.
11. How hard is it to get published?
Extremely, since I'm not. I self-published.
I sent in most of my books to many agents in Canada and the US, and no one was interested. I think I sent them before they were ready, but since they don't want the same books sent twice, I'll never know. I won't give up though; I have one more to send out.
12. What do your family and friends think about your books?
They were surprised as I was when I wrote them, but they love my novels. Most of my family has read them all, but now that I self published, my mother is re-reading them.
13. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Read, spend time with my family.
14. Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they?
Write when inspiration hits, keep a notebook. Read lots of books on the genre of their choice. And if it's young adult books their interested in writing, watch teen shows and movies. It's difficult to write about a teen when your not one, so study them.
I took an online course at WingHill writing school, and that really helped me.
15. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Doesn't every little girl want to be a princess? But as I grew up I figured that wouldn't work out, so I decided on an Architect, even though I'm horrible at math. And then I remember I wanted to sell houses.
But I really didn't know what I wanted to be. I took a semester in college for early childhood education just because my friend was taking it. It didn't work out. I hated that I didn't have something I was passionate about. I was really thankful when I found it.
16. What are your favourite books and which authors inspire you?
I have so many, but the ones that have lasted are Anne of Green Gables, and Pride and Prejudice.
Young Adult books would have to be, The Twilight Series, If I Stay, Where She Went, and The Iron Fey Series, and so many others that I can't choose.
Stephanie Myers, Gale Forman, Julie Kagawa
17. What's it like to be self published?? How did you do it??
I've only been self-published for about a few months and so far, I find it challenging to get the word out about my books. Thankfully I found goodreads, it's been so helpful.
I really didn't know that you could self-publish until I read about Amanda Hocking, and then it took awhile to find out how to do it. But cruising through other self-published books gave me the information. I started at Smashwords.com and they are great, they send out your book to lots of ebook stores, and now I just recently published on amazon as well.
18. What are you working on now?
A new series called A Moon's Glow. I'm just touching up the prequel, called Riley's Curse, and the first in the series called Riley's Secret. They will be out in the next week or two.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Christina! It was great having you here!
You can purchase Christina's books here:
Fated Dreams on Amazon; Barnes and Noble; Smashwords
Delusions on Amazon; Barnes and Noble; Smashwords
And as an added bonus, Christina has generously offered one ecopy of each of her books! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below and a winner will be chosen by Random.org!
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