Author Interview and giveaway with DC Grace!!!

Happy Saturday, Kristina's Books & More fans! This is the first post since last night's blog renovation! I hope you like the changes as much as I do! Today on the blog I have author DC Grace! You may remember that I just reviewed one of her books,http://kristinasbooksandmore.blogspot.com/2012/01/synopsis-fiction-is-about-to-have-new.html,which was beyond awesome!Enjoy the interview and stay tuned for an awesome giveaway at the end!

 First off, can you tell everyone a little bit more about yourself?

Well, aside from being an author, I'm the mother of three beautiful girls, ages 18, 15 & 10. My oldest is going to college to become an editor, and my youngest aspires to be a YA author, so two of the three are keeping literature in the family, hahaha! My middle daughter wants to become a genetic researcher. I also have a Chihuahua and a couple of cats - I'm hoping not to become a crazy cat lady in my old age...! ;)

What age did you start writing? What inspired you to start?

I actually started writing when I was young - in 2nd grade I wrote poems all the time and gave them to my teacher for fun. She was the one that inspired me to stick with it: at the end of the school year she gave me a bound book with all the stories and poems I'd given her inside. The title page had a note from her that read, "I fully expect to hear from you when you've written your first novel." So Mrs. Gardner, whereever you are, I did it!            

How many books have you written? Which book was the easiest/ most fun to write?

I've got three books in print, the first two in the Guardians series, and book one of the Amethyst Dragon. Two more should be released by year's end. The easiest one to write was Season of Destruction (book 2 of Guardians) - it pretty much wrote itself after the solid foundation of The Sacred Oath. The most fun was Dragon Wings. The characters are so different from the Guardians, and so fantastical, I had a ball!

Tell my fans that have not yet read Dragon Wings a little bit about the book.

Dragon Wings is kind of a modern day faery tale, and it's the story of two worlds coming together. Shelby Mercy, the heroine, is part of the in crowd at Shelby High in modern day Shelbyville, KY. Dade Blue-Therror, our hero, is the Crown Prince of the Seelie Court in Avalon, sent to the earthly realm as a sentinel of Gaia. When they meet and the two worlds collide, the real drama begins. Shelby is forced to choose between her world and Dade's, and the stakes are high no matter what she decides. I've always been in love with all things medieval, and I wanted to marry the beliefs and ideals of the Old World and New World. Its a tale of chivalry and romance.     

Do you do a lot of research for The Amethyst Dragon series?

Oh yes, there was a lot of research involved to make the worlds believable, and to know what I was talking about when I "twisted things" to my own advantage. I had to brush up on my knowledge of Irish Faery myths and legends, Gaelic, King Arthur, Morgan le Fay, etc. etc....   Are your characters based on people you know or yourself? A couple of characters in Dragon Wings are based on people I know, yes. The three best friends, Shelby, Diane and Cotsy are the culmination of several teenage girls that I've observed being the mom of two teenage girls. I won't say who, though, they know who they are, lol! Dade, however, is more my "ideal" - he represents everything I imagine a true romantic hero to be.     

Explain your characters in three words?

Oh my Lord! Okay, how about strong, ageless & timeless. Twenty years from now, these characters will still be relevant. :)

Do you listen to music while you write? Do you have playlists for your books?

Oh, yes! And you don't want to be nearby when I've got my headphones on - I may break into song, and that could be detremental to your hearing! And yes, I feature my Playlists in the back of each and every book.

What are you currently working on?

I'm currently writing book two of Amethyst Dragon, Pixie Dust, and book three of The Guardians, Last Shadow Cast. I started working on a third series that features a favorite character from the Guardians, Jake. It's called Myths, Magick & Mechanics, but I've had to shelf it for a few months.

Are there any specific things you have to have while you write?

Hahaha, I might sound like an overindulgant rock star, but yes! I need an endless supply of coffee until noon, then I switch to Coke! I also have to have Doritos, taquitos with sour cream (for the late night crunches!), and my cherry flavored cigars. Yes, cigars, and I know it's bad, but that's my chocolate! Oh yeah, and my headphones so I can jam!

Do you have a certain place/time you write?

Pretty much whenever the mood hits me. I do my best writing in the middle of the night when everyone's asleep, there's no distractions and I'm caffienated to the hilt, lol! I tend to pull all-nighters quite a bit, but it works for me. Some of the most amazing scenes I've written were between 3:00am and 5:00am!

What do you do when you're not writing?

I think about writing! Lol, kidding! I like to read, go shopping, and I'm addicted Real Housewives of Beverly HIlls. I'm also driving the kids around a lot so they can maintain their social lives, lol!   Do you read all the reviews about your books?  I try to!       

What's the best and worst thing about being an author?

The best part is having a reader tell me how much they related to one of my characters, or how my work inspired them, or just made them smile. It makes what I do so worthwhile to know someone was touched by my words. The worst thing is the long hours trapped in front of a computer screen when it's crunch time for a deadline.

 Tell us about your journey to get published?

Wow! Well, if I'm honest, I don't like following traditional ways of being seen. I'm a firm believer in standing apart, so I didn't exactly follow the guideline of submit to one publisher at a time, wait, go to the next one. That's too much waiting for me. So I'll admit I went through a lot of backdoors, but in the end, it paid off! I don't know if I'd suggest following my example, however, lol! It's a fine line to walk without getting a bad reputation in the community.

Do you read? Who is your favorite author?

I've always been an avid reader. The works that inspired me to write came from some of the greats: Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Bronte sisters and Steinbeck. But I read a lot of current works as well. My favorite author of the moment is my girl Julie Kagawa.

 Do you have any advice for aspiring authors like myself?

Write often, write what you know, and most important, write what you love. If you're not inspired, no one else will be either. And don't take no for an answer! Today's no is tomorrow's yes.

Favorite band?

Oh, man, what day is it? Lol, I have a few, but Aerosmith and Fleetwood Mac are the top two. I also love Foster the People and Cage the Elephant.

Movie? Steel Magnolias!

Color? Purple

Food? Sushi

What''s the one question that haven't been asked yet, but you'd like to be asked?

Hmmm, I'm not sure! I don't think I've been asked why I write each chapter from a different character's perspective yet, believe it or not. I do that because sometimes when I'm reading, I want to know what other characters are thinking, so I decided I'd make sure no one would ever have to wonder with my work. I think it adds a lot of dimension to a story, and it sure is fun to switch voices!

Where can fans find you?

They can find me on Twitter, @authorDCGrace, and on the Facebook pages for Amethyst Dragon and The Guardians.

Anything else you like to tell everyone?

I hope you enjoy the tales I've woven for your entertainment! Come say hi if you see me at one of the FaerieCon eveents or signings this spring/summer!


 **Giveaway** 

DC has graciously agreed to giveaway some really cool prizes!

Runner up: Ecopy of Dragon Wings

First Place: Ecopy of Dragon Wings and signed paperback copy of Dragon Wings when released 

***Rules*** 

1.) You must be a follower of this blog

2.) You must be a fan of The Amethyst Dragon Series on Facebook. http://m.facebook.com/?_rdr#!/profile.php?id=246503588713777&ref=m_notif&__user=1509079967

3.) Find or draw a dragon picture DC will pick the winners on Monday night! Good luck!!

Happy Reading! 
Kristina