Author Interview with Ray East

I am very excited to share with you, an author interview with Ray East, the co-author of Voluspa: A Magical World.

1. When you aren't writing, what do you like to do with your time?
When I am not writing, I like to spend time with my 5 yr old and take my dog for long walks.

2. Have you always wanted to be an author?
As far as I can remember, I've always wanted to be an author. My mother tells me that at six, I wrote a story about my pet turtle.

3. Who was your favorite character to write and why?
My favorite character in the book is the main protagonist of the book - Amy. She is a remarkable girl, with a core of steel. She faces whatever life throws at her with courage and spirit. She is no paragon of virtue; like every human being she has her foibles. The admirable part is, she does not let her own shortcomings, difficult circumstances or even evil adversaries defeat her without putting up a fight.

4. How did you come up with the animals Drake, Jacek, and Sonja can turn into? And why did you pick that particular animal for that particular character?
I borrowed from nature and then embellished to create the animals. The animals I chose for Drake, Jacek and Sonja are indicative of their personalities. For instance, Drake is fiercely loyal, protective, brave; qualities that a dog has. Sonja is free spirited and wild like a bird while Jacek can be moody, stealthy, and volatile - qualities I associated with a snake.

5. Are there any authors who have influenced you in your writing?
I love Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Rowling. I think they are exceptional writers of the fantasy genre. I am inspired by their work and I imagine they have influenced my writing.

6. Is there a specific food or drink you like to have handy while you are writing?
Green tea and a bag of pita chips.

7. Can you describe your book in 5 words or less?
Inspiring, Interesting, New, Gripping and Page-turning.

8. Why Young Adult?
I think it is so much more satisfying to be able to capture the fancy of our younger generation or to write something which would inspire them. Also I feel, young adults have a more open mind and they are more receptive to fantastical worlds and characters.

9. Coffee or Tea?
Tea

10. Dog or Cat?
Dog

Please be sure to check out Ray's book Voluspa: A Magical World. You can find my review on her book HERE, and add to your Goodreads' shelf HERE.

More about Voluspa: A Magical World: 

Amy, a forlorn fifteen year old girl from NYC, never thought that she would attend school on a magical mountain with wild animals as her classmates and that she would go to a prom on a flying carpet. Its love at first sight when Drake - a shape shifter rescues her from a pre-historic beast and befriends her. Little does she know that Drake's father is the tyrannical leader who has always wanted Amy and her kind dead. In her struggle to challenge the supremacy in the magical world, she realizes her powers, confronts aspects about herself that she may not be comfortable with, makes lasting friends while excelling in her school - something which she has not been able to do in her human world. All hell breaks loose, as Drake goes missing and Voluspan mercenaries try to hunt Amy down. Amy and her friends use strategic warfare, pit adversaries among themselves and use every last drop of strength, skill and courage as they take on warriors far more ruthless and skilled than themselves. But Amy is in for a rude shock when she finally finds Drake. 


Published June 8, 2012

Enter the magical world of Voluspa online.

Dante Walker

Dante Walker, from Victoria Scott's upcoming book The Collector, now has his own website! The website actually goes live on August 8th.... but.... I have a password for you! :)  This password will allow you to access Dante's website starting today (August 3rd). 

All you need to do is visit Dante HERE. You can view the teaser right away, but if you want to do anything else, you will need this one, little, tiny, password.... Charlie. 

While your at it, be sure to check out Victoria Scott's blog HERE.

I guess I should probably tell you more about The Collector....

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin' awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell's best - a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets teh fun ones. Bag-and-tag. 

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante's an equal opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he'll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper's soul within 10 days. 

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that's a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he's come to collect - he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried. 

Publication Date: March 2013

Add to your Goodreads shelf.

Voluspa: A Magical World Review

**3 Stars**

SPOILER ALERT

MY OVERVIEW: I started this book excited to be reading a stand alone book for a change… but about two chapters before the end I realized that this is going to be the first book in a series. 

PROS: Amy! I love Amy. She is full of energy and spunk. I also actually liked Jacek better than I liked Drake. I thought his character was a little more developed than Drake. [*SPOILER* I also liked how Amy sought out her father, even though she was warned against it. It gave her happiness and something to look forward to every day. This was something that her character really needed. *end spoiler*] Oh, and I really want my own Typhons. They sound so cute! (And flying around would be so much easier that driving.) :)

CONS: Parts of the book feel a little rough; like they need more editing. There are a few mistakes (Jo/Joe), but not a lot. The first chapter was a little hard to get through, and I feel like it should have been spread out a little more so you aren’t getting so much history all at once. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Good book. One that takes good things from different stories and merges it together into one. I will be reading the next in the series.

Waiting on Wednesdays - Scarlet

Waiting on Wednesdays is a weekly book meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This is where I get to show off a book that I can't wait for its release.

This week's WoW is Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison-even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own. 

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner. 

I enjoyed Cinder, the first in the Series, and can't wait for this one to come out. Especially, since it reinvents Red Riding Hood (a story I really enjoy). 

Add to your Goodreads shelf.