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| Awesome Paperbacks ready for your Keeper Shelves! |
Hey Friends! Today I got to sit down with author Tricia Zoeller, author of one of my very favorite books, an Urban Fantasy, "First Born". I have a signed copy on my keeper shelf annnnd you can get one too!! This week Tricia has signed paperbacks on SALE for just $8.50 to get yours click here or the link below. Now through Aug 24th!!
Now let's talk with Tricia :-)
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| Author, Tricia Zoeller |
What
inspired you to write “First Born”?
Over three years ago, I woke up with the idea of Lily in one
of her shapeshifter forms. I had read the Sookie Stackhouse series and I liked
the shapeshifters in the story line. I also admired how much mystery Charlaine
Harris puts into her paranormal stories. I just started jotting down notes and
funny scenarios and First Born took
root.
Can you
tell us a little bit about your main characters?
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| Lily Moore |
Lily Moore is in her twenties. Her mother is of Chinese
descent. She works as a graphic designer for Cartoon Network in Atlanta and
seems to have control of her life and where it is going. Overall, she’s a good
girl. The daughter of a cop shot in the line of duty, she’s tough, but more
mentally than physically. Her life gets turned on end when a bad date triggers
her first shapeshifting event.
Seth Moore is Lily’s younger brother. He fits more the
“failure to launch” crowd. He keeps trying on different careers, but he doesn’t
stick with anything for too long. He’s still immature and doesn’t always make
the right decisions. He’s a good-looking guy who comes across more laid back to
Lily’s high-strung personality. He's strong, but has a soft heart.
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| Detective Caldwell Simms |
Caldwell Simms is a homicide detective for the Atlanta
Police Department. He is calm, methodical, and smart. He usually is in control,
but Lily’s situation has him thinking and acting outside his comfort zone.
Did you
find any characters more difficult to write about than others?
My forensic expert, Tiny Hunt, was difficult because I
wanted to relay his big personality and humor but make certain I respected his
situation. I don’t want to give away anything, but he has a way of coping with
his situation in life that I wanted to make sure I got right.
Do you
have any favorite characters to write about?
I enjoyed writing from Lily’s point of view. She is more
gutsy than I would be, particularly when she starts to hit her stride in First Born. I also have a series of
shorts coming out soon. The second story, Shadow
Fire, has a character named Bianca. She’s mouthy, honest to a fault, but
manages to be sensitive at the same time.
When
writing, are you more character driven or plot driven?
It truly depends on the story. For a mystery with many
characters and motives, I found the plot at the forefront of my mind. And yet,
I wanted to give enough information that readers connected with the main characters.
For fantasy, I always consider my characters but also place
a heavy emphasis on setting, world building and the “why” behind everything. The
Darkling Chronicles shorts are in first person and have only one person’s point
of view. These are very different from the Lily Moore Series, but the story
line requires it.
I am turned off by stories that leave nothing to the
imagination about a character. I want the reader to have some freedom in
visualizing, particularly physical attributes.
Did you
write the story from the beginning to the end or out of order?
I have a tendency to know the beginning and the end, but not
all the details in the middle. In general, I write in order. Sometimes I
rearrange, as I organize. If the plot is complicated, I may use a timeline and
charting and find myself reorganizing things to help the reader.
Did you
always know how the story would end or did it come to you as you wrote it?
Each story is different, but I usually have some idea of how
I want things to end. Sometimes it changes, but not much.
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| Tricia's partner in crime, Lola taking a reading break |
Did you
have a particular audience in mind when you started writing, or did it just
unfold as you went?
I know that I am gearing it toward paranormal and fantasy
fans. Sometimes I have a general understanding of age range.
What
was your favorite part of the process? What was your least favorite part?
My favorite part is the writing. I love the freedom of
getting down that first draft. The sky’s the limit. When new characters start
talking in my head and I can’t write fast enough, that’s the best feeling in
the world.
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| Tricia's agent, George...hard at work |
My least favorite has been the self-publishing aspect. If I
could learn something the hard way, I did. I don’t regret it, though. I have
learned more in the last three months than I could ever have imagined.
Are
there any books or authors that have influenced you in your writing?
Authors who have influenced me include: Charlaine Harris,
Stephen King, Robin Hobb, Jana Oliver, and J.K. Rowling.
What
are you reading right now?
Cassandra Clare’s City
of Bones.
Do you
have any “must haves” when writing?
My laptop, coffee, music, pens of all shapes and sizes, pictures,
and chocolate.
How
long is your TBR list? Is it hard to make time to fit in a personal read?
I’m a bad person. I stopped adding to my TBR List! The
self-publishing route has taken me away from really enjoying books for a few
months. I’m trying to get back on track. I do keep adding books to my shelves
and Kindle, but I haven’t been as organized with my reading as I am with my
writing.
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| Amazing Book Covers for Shadow Blues & Shadow Fire created by Robin Harper of Wicked By Design |
Do you
have new projects in mind for the future?
I’m working like a crazy person to get The Darkling
Chronicles out. I want to be sure my world building is solid so I’m revisiting
the first shorts. I have the second book in the Lily Moore Series, Red Moon Curse to edit. And, I have a
young adult fantasy called Into the Wind
that raises all the hair on my arm when I think about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12
FAST FUN FACTS
1 – Favorite
TV Show & Movie……….
Game of
thrones/Harry Potter movies
2 – Coffee,
Tea or Soda……….
Soda
3 – eBook or
Paperback……….
Both!
4 – Favorite
Reading Spot……….
Bed.
5 – Most
Loved Genres……….
Paranormal, urban fantasy, mystery, some romance.
6 – Sing
along or listen quietly……….
Sing along
but not in front of anyone.
7 – Pool or
Beach……….
I love to
swim and walk on the beach, but can’t do much of either because I’m sun
sensitive.
8 – Movie
Theatre or Rent at Home……….
Movie
theatre.
9 – Dog or
Cat……….
Both!
10 – Sweet
or Salty……….
Sweet.
11 – Camping
or Hotel……….
Hotel!
12 – BBFs,
Flawed or Perfect……….
Flawed. I
don’t want them to be too pretty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First
Born
Paperback Sale = $8.50!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Synopsis:
When twenty-six-year-old graphic designer Lily Moore shapeshifts
for the first time, Atlanta police detectives consult wildlife experts to sort
through the bizarre forensic evidence she leaves in her wake. Her traumatic
transformation coincides with murder and Lily finds herself the center of a mad
vortex of area crimes.
On the run, Lily turns to her younger brother to help
unravel the secrets surrounding her boyfriend’s death as well as unlock the
mysteries of their Chinese heritage. When a loved one goes missing, Lily finds
herself scrambling to find purchase in this new world where there hasn’t been
balance for a century.
As she learns to master her new preternatural abilities, she
must cut through the lies of those around her. With the police and a killer hot
on her trail, can she solve the mystery of being First Born or will family secrets prove deadly?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author Bio:
Tricia lives in Marietta,
Georgia with her husband, Lou, her little yappy dog, Lola Belle, and her big
orange mutant cat, George. Her two stepsons, Joseph and Robert, make stopovers
as well, making sure to keep life an adventure. Writing has always been a part
of her life–like breathing and chocolate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stalk Tricia here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tricia-Zoeller-Author/439025286173082?ref=hl
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17670526-first-born
Books by Tricia:
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