K. C. Neal interview and giveaway!

We have a wonderful guest author with us today for the release of her e-book debut Pyxis!

Welcome K. C. Neal

and congratulations on the big day!

Tell us something about your book that we wouldn’t know just by reading the blurb:

Have you every wished you could read people’s thoughts or move objects with the power of your mind? Well, the Pyxis series has a fun mix of paranormal powers—ESP, pyrokinesis, and other similar powers. When I was a kid, I loved reading stories with these kinds of elements. The series also a strong element of magic that’s drawn from nature.

What’s your favorite non-essential item on your desk?

My plants! I love the way living plants influence the feel of a room, and how your eye is naturally drawn to them. I’d love to have fresh flowers on my desk, but I have terrible allergies!

What was the most challenging aspect of writing a novel?

I did a major revision of Pyxis over the summer, and it was tough. I'd never done such an extensive rewrite before, and it took me a while just to figure out where to start and what to do next. I spent a month just thinking and making notes on the things I wanted to change, before I even started doing the actual revision. I made major changes to over half of the book, but it's a much stronger story now, so I think it was worth it.

What's a typical day like for you?

During the week, I work as a Medical Writer. My company allows dogs in the office, so Oscar, my maltipoo, often comes with me. I write medical content for consumers—regular people who don’t have any medical degree or clinical background—on topics like quitting smoking, eating healthy, asthma, diabetes, just about any health topic you can think of. After work I go to the gym—I’m really into spinning right now. My husband and I eat dinner together, then it’s time to work on my books. My husband writes, records, and mixes music, so while I’m writing novels, he’s in his studio. Then I try to read for an hour or so before I go to sleep.

Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

Spring through fall, I spend a lot of time outside in the yard. I love plants, and I even kinda like yard work. This past summer I planted my first veggie garden and grew over 30 different vegetables and herbs. I read every day, and I spend a lot of time online connecting with my friends, many of whom are writers or book bloggers. I’m really into Twitter, and I tweet throughout the day. I love to surf—I’m a longboarder—but I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like. I’m slowly learning to play the drums, but I don’t practice enough to get really good at it. Every once in a while my husband and I jam in his practice room—I play drums while he sings and plays guitar—which is a lot of fun.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned when creating your book?

I discovered—painfully, at times—that I really needed to come up with my own methods for writing and revising, and some of those methods are a little… unconventional. For example, the revision process was giving me fits as I tried to do it on my laptop. I finally started printing out chapters, cutting them up with scissors, and physically rearranging them and making notes on them. It went so much easier after that! It made me realize I just had to do what worked for me, even if I was the only one doing it that way.

Thank you for joining us and again, congrats on the big day!

If you enjoyed the interview and would like to find out more about KCNeal and her work she has a blog here:

You can find and order her debut here:

Two worlds... one 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both. 

The nightmares haunting Corinne and her friend Mason hint at a universe that exists beyond the one they know. Her destiny is to protect a weakness between the two worlds, but the person who was supposed to teach her everything is dead. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but can't deny she feels safe only when he's nearby. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

I decided to surprise K. C. with.... 

A GIVEAWAY!

I will be giving away a copy of Pyxis 

to one lucky commenter! 

 

All you have to do is leave a comment with a way to contact you. 

E-mail, twitter user name or your blog where I can find the info. <3

No other requirements needed! 

You do not have to be a follower, help us conquer the literary world or sell us your second child.

Next Friday (11/11/11)  TWV will be hosting Wendy Delsol for an interview and giveaway where the winner will get to pick any one of her novels as their prize so we are keeping the Pyxis giveaway up for two weeks to make sure everyone has a chance to enter!