Meet Some UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) : PM Hernandez

Please welcome my next guest in my Meet Some UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) series. 

I met PM early on, and she was a brand new face to me. Her beautiful hair (you’ll see in the picture below) drew my attention. Then, we started talking, and I knew we were going to be fast friends. After all, we both understand the perils of DC traffic. Whenever I saw her, I made a point to strike up a conversation. She’s magnetic.

Thanks for hanging out on my blog today.

PH: No problem. I feel like a rock star. I’ll make sure to have a list of demands next time. Spoiler alert: I only eat blue and green M&Ms.

Too funny. I've never met an M&M I won't eat. So, how did you hear about UtopYA, and what made you decide to attend?

PH: I’m always looking to improve my craft, meet more authors, and learn about the publishing industry. A fellow author suggested I attend BEA. I researched going, but quickly decided it was too much conference for me at this stage in my career. I figured there had to be a smaller conference geared more for my genre (YA/NA paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi). Google did the rest. What struck me most were the great reviews UtopYA got from past participants and the enthusiasm of the UtopYA community.

It is an amazing community. I felt at home the minute I stepped into the hotel. When did you know you wanted to write?

PH: I’ve been writing since I can remember, definitely since elementary school. I did fan-fiction before it had a name! I’ve been doing what I call serious writing - stories I’d actually want to see in print - for the last five years but only in the last year pursued it in earnest. I have a day job and it’s wonderful, but writing is what I love to do…full time if I can swing it.

I noticed a post on your blog talking about Dark and Bright, a manuscript you were writing during last summer’s CampNaNoWriMo. Is this what you are currently working on? If so, can you describe the story? If not, what are you working on?

PH: Dark and Bright was inspired by Frankenstein. I love the horror classics and wondered what if Frankenstein’s monster was a young woman? What if she didn’t know she was a monster? I wanted to explore the idea of a sheltered girl having the rug pulled out from under her, her life completely upended, and how that transforms her, inside and out. The story follows Caroline as she discovers the truth about her father and his experiments, and what she does with this discovery. She’s joined by Ethan, a young scientist who is part of an undercover operation to expose and put an end to her father’s horrifying work. While I’m querying Dark and Bright, I’m working on something unrelated involving aliens. The hot kind. Not the green kind. Not that there’s anything wrong with green aliens.

Hot aliens. I'm in! I can't wait to hear more about it. And Dark and Bright sounds fascinating. As an author, what would you like to accomplish by this time next year?

PH: UtopYA definitely got me thinking about goals and staying accountable to those goals. (I made a list and everything!) I’ve been querying, but the more I make friends with indie authors, the more attractive that path becomes. My goal is to either have a publishing deal by this time next year or join my indie friends. Who knows? Maybe I’ll have a book ready for Utopia 2016!

I know you can do it. I'm planning on buying your book in 2016! What was your first favorite book? Why was it so special?

PH: That’s so hard! As a young girl, it was Anne of Green Gables. I could totally relate to her rich interior life and her dissatisfaction with her looks. As a young adult, I got hooked on Emma and it’s still my all-time favorite. When you think about it, Emma is kind of annoying with a weird case of noblesse oblige. She means well, but she’s stuck-up. Watching her transform from a privileged know-it-all into a mature young woman is a great ride. I reread it about once a year. Keep your Mr. Darcy. I’m all about Mr. Knightley. (“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” Swoon!)

Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorites. I knew we clicked for a reason. One question I'm asking all my Lovelies... What is your favorite inspirational quote? Why?

PH: There you go again with the hard questions! I’m a reader so all my favorite quotes come from books. One of my favorites is something Dumbledore says when he confronts Harry about his nightly visits to the Mirror of Erised: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” I have a tendency to get caught up in shoulda, woulda, coulda. The quote is a good reminder to be present and mindful of where I am and what I have. It’s even engraved on the back of my iPad!

PM with her "book boyfriend" from the After Light premiere

Finally, what do you think makes UtopYA, renamed Utopia for its fifth year in 2016, so special?

PH: It’s obvious that what sets UtopYA apart is the community. Everyone is supportive and awesome and downright cool. Something Janet Wallace (UtopYA/Utopia founder) said this year really stuck with me: “The only person you should compete against is yourself.” Utopia is filled with people looking to lift each other up. There is a sense from the whole community that as individuals succeed, they need to bring others along with them. Pay it forward, if you will. So many people got home this year and immediately clicked ‘buy’ for their 2016 tickets, myself included. That’s a powerful testament to the value of UtopYA. I love the ‘fight for your write’ theme for next year. It’s such an exciting time to be in the publishing industry. Authors have an unprecedented amount of creative control and choice. That means more wonderful books are on the market. My TBR pile is insane, but more creativity in the world is a beautiful thing.

✮✮✮✮✮ Quick Answers ✮✮✮✮✮

Last Movie you Saw: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Comedy, Romance, Drama, or Horror? The best things in life have all four elements.

Last Book you Read: Sea of Stars by Amy A. Bartol! Still getting over it.

First job: Babysitter, of course!

Gift cards or Cash? Gift cards, especially to places that sell books and/or coffee.

Favorite Vacation Spot: Outer Banks, North Carolina, or my home state of California.

More About PM

Paulette (PM) Hernandez is a young adult/new adult paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy author. Her day job involves writing, but it's a completely different style, sadly lacking in discussions of superpowers, werewolves, fairies, mad scientists, or steam-powered inventions. She is a self-proclaimed nerd. She wears a lot of black, not because she's cool but because she's fashion-challenged. She regularly has reading hangovers and tends to fangirl. You’ve been warned.

Please visit often for more UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) interviews, 

and check out the announcement post to see

the schedule and links to past interviews.

Generations of Lovely

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone is doing well. 

Summer is almost over, and I have packed in some pretty cool stuff. My husband and I enjoyed a getaway to New Orleans (pictures to come soon), and now I'm on the east coast hanging out with family.

My baby sister just had her third kid, Hudson Edward--the first boy grandchild in my family (and he's #9). We have generations of lovely, that's for sure.

Speaking of Lovelies, don't forget to check out my interview series, featuring the lovely people I met at this year's UtopYA (now known as Utopia). Check out the announcement post here. 

Meet Some UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) : Ethan Gregory

Please welcome my next guest in the Meet Some UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) series. After getting to know Christina Marie (who will be featured September 4), I knew I had to find and hug her cohort, Ethan, at UtopYA. I’m so glad I did. He’s vivacious and a great hugger. Such a sweetie!

Thanks for hanging out with me on the blog today.

EG: Thanks so much for having me Mrs. Tia, it’s such an honor! It’s not often I get to be on this side of the table! 

You are the brain and heart behind One Guy’s Guide to Good Reads. I love the tagline: Just one guy: reading, reviewing, living the dream. What inspired you to start this blog?

EG: Oh man, it’s a bit of a long story, so I’ll try to condense it.

I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. Everything from the phone book to cereal boxes. If it had words, I was in. As I grew up, reading became such an important part of my life. The novels I read really shaped who I am today. After high school, my life got so ridiculously crazy. I jumped right into the ‘adult’ life with two jobs and trying to make it as a full time student. As you can imagine, my passion for literature took a huge backseat. If it wasn’t for class, I didn’t have time for it. About six months shy of my college graduation, I realized that I wasn’t happy and that something was missing from my life. Something huge. Literature. I decided that day that I needed to make time for what makes me happy, so I did. I went out and purchased a Nook (via Craigslist, but that’s a whole other story) and haven’t looked back since.

Starting the blog was something I never intended upon doing. I came across a college-aged novel written by a popular NA author online one day and, even though it was well out of my ‘norm,’ I took a chance and read it. I fell in love. How crazy to know there was a genre out there directed towards people my own age. Characters with real problems that I could relate to? After devouring that novel, I reached out to the author via social media, and later email, where we bonded over our mutual love of the written word. When that author started a Street Team, I jumped at the opportunity, having no idea what such a thing was. I was astounded to be selected, but even more surprised to see I was the only guy. Being a male reader never stood out to me as a shocking thing. Reading is a big deal in my family. My father is a big reader, as is my brother. I guess it never occurred to me that males reading isn’t a common thing.

From that first interaction with the Street Team, readers, bloggers, and even authors began reaching out to me about ‘what it’s like to be a male reader.’ Authors were looking for male-written reviews, and I was approached by a handful when I finally decided to take the plunge and start the blog. I realized that if I was some sort of rarity in the book world, I wanted to make my voice heard. Through One Guy’s Guide to Good Reads I have met several male authors and male readers that have shown me that we really aren’t as uncommon as you’d think. We’re just quieter. Imagine that.

It was a love-hate relationship for a while, starting the blog, but once I got comfortable and settled, I can honestly say I’ve never done anything more fulfilling in my entire. This is my passion, and I’m so glad I found it once more. I have no intention of letting it go this time. Get used to seeing me book world, I don’t plan on going anywhere!

That WAS the shortened version. Geez…

And I have to share with everyone about your upcoming Book World: Behind the Scenes series where you are interviewing industry professionals who talk about all the work it takes to get from word document to bookstores. Check out the first post here. 

Of course I have to ask you ... What was your first favorite book?

EG: I know most people say something cliché like Harry Potter or Twilight, but as long as I had been reading, it really took quite some time for one novel to root itself in as a favorite. The first time I ever read a novel and said ‘this is it, my favorite novel’ was Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I read it for the first time when I was 13 (entirely too young). I didn’t understand ¾ of what I read, but the idea was just beyond intriguing. Since that time, I have read Wicked more times than I can count. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve probably read it at least 50 times. To this day it remains my all-time favorite novel. Seriously. It’s that amazing.

If you were to ask my mother, she’d tell you that Jamberry by Bruce Degen was my ‘first favorite’ story, but this isn’t her interview, is it? J Seriously though, I have to give a lot of credit to my mom who spent a lot of time reading to me when I was little. She instilled a love of literature in me very early on, and for that I am greatly appreciative.

I love that answer, although I must admit I'm a bigger fan of Gregory Maguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister! But I'm the same way... books need to brew sometimes. I noticed you refer to Christina Marie of LuLo Fangirl on your blog in the comments section as your “bookish wife.” She’s amazing. How long have you been friends, and how did you know she was the one?

EG: Oh boy… Well… We do make quite the power couple, don’t we? You are right, Christina is amazing, and she truly is my bookish-better-half. Christina and I have been friends for about 15 months now. We only met last April for the first time. We only live about 3 hours apart, but I didn’t get to know her until I became part of the bookish world. Christina and I met for the first time at a book event in Des Moines, Iowa (random, right?) in the middle of one of the craziest weather days ever. Tornadoes, hail, you name it. I’ll never forget that day. We were both there to meet a couple favorite authors of ours. Funny enough, we really didn’t ‘hit it off’ right off the bat. I was actually terrified of her when I first met her. She’s feisty! In all seriousness though, from that first encounter Christina and I built our friendship and we’ve both been through so much together. She has been the single biggest supporter of me and the blog. Together we hosted the Halloween Author Invasion on Facebook this past October to HUGE acclaim (we’ll be doing it again in the Fall), even farther building our relationship. We’re about so much more than books. Christina has turned into one of my best friends--she’s my people. She ‘gets me’ more than most people I know. I’m truly fortunate to have her on my side.  How did I know she was the one? Have you met Christina? End of story! LOL.

So true. Meeting her is loving her. Same with you, so you guys fit together! Your bio said you were still looking for a career, but then you mentioned it needed updating. Have you found your calling?

EG: *sigh* Well, yes and no. I have found my calling. THIS is my calling. While I haven’t found a way to make it pay the bills quite yet, I know with more hard work and the right connections that could change any day. I am currently working an internship with the Corvisiero Literary Agency, but have many other bookish options on my plate. I’m trying to dabble a little in all sides of the industry to see where I best fit in! Publicity and Publishing are both huge on my list, so we will see what happens! As for now, I am content working my 9-5 then coming home and spending my evenings following my passion! Who could ask for more?

Right? It'll happen. You have the passion it takes to make sure it does. And I must know… you wore a crown at UtopYA. What’s its significance?

EG: Ah yes. I feel like I should have made an announcement at the keynote explaining this as everyone was curious! The crown started out as an inside joke between my good friend, and bestselling author, Sherry D. Ficklin and I. I have been promoting Sherry out since day one, as she is one of my all-time favorite authors. Sherry and I made some jokes one night about me pimping out her books and she started referring to me as ‘Tyrone’ (because that’s a Pimp name apparently?).

The night before UtopYA, Christina and I arrived in Nashville well after midnight. We figured everyone would be in bed, alas a message from Sherry and her gang beckoned us to the lobby (I was meeting them for the first time). After hugs and a few flails, Sherry mentioned she had a gift for me. To my surprise (and the confusion of everyone in the hotel lobby), Sherry presented me with the crown, dubbing me ‘King Tyrone: The One True King of Literary Pimping.’ After placing the crown on my head, the entire group bowed at my feet. It was pretty hilarious actually, but extremely touching. Sherry is hilarious and such a fun lady. It was after being crowned that we decided the crown would not leave my head all weekend long.

It may not have been Sherry’s goal to make me stand out, but I had SO many people approaching me because of the crown and thanks to it, I made so many new bookish friends. It’s been discussed that my alter-ego ‘Tyrone’ may have to come out for every book event from now on! It’s was such a fun idea of Sherry’s and I’m so honored she thought to get it for me. Probably one of the highlights of my UtopYA experience!

OMG! I love that story. Sherry is clearly a sweetheart. So... I love to talk books. What qualities do your most loved books share?

EG: I’m a stickler for a few things. 1) Beautiful covers 2) Intriguing settings and 3) Captivating characters. Setting and character development are two of the heaviest things I consider when reviewing a novel. Any book I’m raving about will fit all three of those categories for the most part! I used to pretty much just read paranormal or historic fiction, but my interests have expanded exponentially so my list of favorite qualities has as well!

Spot on. I'm all about characters. So, there's a question I'm asking most of my participants because I love to be inspired. What is your favorite inspirational quote? Why?

EG: Definitely not a fair question since I have SO MANY favorite quotes. Dr. Seuss is usually my go-to, but when it comes to inspiration, this quote from Gregory Maguire usually comes to mind:

“Remember this: Nothing is written in the stars. Not these stars, nor any others. No one controls your destiny.” 

I’ll never forget the first time that quote really spoke to me. It was at a time when I really needed to hear those words and they still guide me on a daily basis. Maguire was right; we are the masters of our own fate. Only we can take control and accomplish our dreams. The man is a genius.

Okay, I'm definitely going to be re-reading that one all the time. What do you think makes UtopYA, renamed Utopia for its fifth year in 2016, so special?

EG: SO many things make UtopYA special, but my favorite part is the inclusion of my Indie and traditionally published authors. Anyone who follows my blog knows that I have a massive amount of respect for indie authors. While all authors are my rockstars, they hold a special place in my heart. Publishing is hard. It’s even harder to do it alone. I have mad respect for UtopYA for including these authors in their panels and exhibiting. It’s a great opportunity for the little guys to get their names out there. These past two years I have met some of my all time favorite authors just by chance. Who were just chilling at their tables. If UtopYA didn’t support indie authors the way they do, I would have never been introduced to their works!

✮✮✮✮✮ Quick Answers ✮✮✮✮✮

Last Movie you saw: Poltergeist (the 2015 remake)

Comedy, Romance, Drama, or Horror? Hmm… I love disaster films so drama?

Last book you read: The Pledge by Laura Ward and Christine Manzari (SO GOOD!)

First job: Shop Hand/Truck Washer/Mechanic Assistant/Get-in-the-way-er (It was an interesting 3 years…)

Gift cards or cash? Oh… Uhm… Gift cards.

Favorite Vacation Spot: Gah. Hard choice. Uhm… Seattle. Went for the first time last summer and had the best week ever!

More About Ethan

A recent college graduate, Ethan hails from the Missouri Bootheel, though don't ask where, you'd miss it anyway! Ethan used his small town wit and charm to push his way through four years at Missouri State University where he graduated with a double bachelors degree in history and anthropology in the Spring of 2014. After working a long list of boring jobs, Ethan finds himself now on the search for a "career" while working a plethora of interesting jobs. When he isn't studying or working, Ethan can usually be found attached to his Nook reading the latest and greatest. His love of literature can be attributed to his amazing family and a few select instructors who have taught him that the best way to find himself is through a good book. An avid fan of the entertainment industry, Ethan is always up to date on the film and TV scene, but is a huge fan of all things Broadway (random, he knows).

As of Summer 2015, Ethan is also an agency intern with the Corvisiero Literary Agency under the direction of Sarah Negovetich.

His hobbies include sleep, looking for a prospective wife, and speaking in the third person. 

LINKS:

Instagram: @egrgry

Twitter: @egrgry

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OneGuysGuidetoGoodReads

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/OneGuysGuidetoGoodReads

Blog: http://oneguysguidetogoodreads.blogspot.com/

Please visit often for more UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) interviews, 

and check out the announcement post to see

the schedule and links to past interviews.

Sin : Indie News & Highlights

On Mondays I usually share Indie highlights. So, this week it'll be a Tuesday feature. 

There's an awesome deal on Casey Bond's award-winning Sin series. Until August 15, the entire series (five episodes) is available for 99 cents! Don't miss your chance.

Links

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Nook

Kobo

iBooks

Scribd

Goodreads

Oh, and today's my birthday. So wouldn't it be fun to buy yourself the gift of a good series to celebrate. *smiles*