FREEBIE FRIDAY - Kelly Parra

Happy Friday! I can't believe the week has gone so quickly!

As promised, today I bring you the GCC tour interview with Kelly Parra, author of INVISIBLE TOUCH. Freebie at the end of the post!

If you've been under a rock the last month and didn't get in on the Secret Fates Extravaganza, let me just tell you, this is one intriguing book. Teens Read Too gave it the gold star of excellence, and the reviews have been fabulous. Check out the book trailer here.

Do you believe in fate?

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

And now, on to the interview!

What inspired you to write INVISIBLE TOUCH?
I've always believed in intuitive vibes and repetitive signs and thought wouldn't it be cool to have a girl who really saw visions and have to piece the signs together to help others? But the catch was not only would the signs be a gift but also a curse. And from there Kara's story started to enfold as I wrote her story.

Are any of your characters based on real people that you know?
Haha! No. I try not to write about people I know, but characteristics sometimes slip in and I realize it later. :)

What excites you?
Like many authors, weird things like good reviews, book stores, and office supplies. :)

What turns you off?
Negative people.

In DEATH BY LATTE, my character Aphra starts her adventure with a lie. What's the biggest lie you ever told, and what happened as a result of the telling?
Ugh, I can't think of one big one right now because I try not to lie, but I know I give little white ones all the time in order not to hurt feelings.

All stories are built on suspense. What's the most suspenseful thing that's happened to you in real life?
I know I've felt many moments of excitement and suspense in my life. But I'll name some positive suspensful moments: the day of my high school graduation, my wedding day, the birth of my children, my first book sale. All moments built up with suspense!

If you could invite anyone you wanted - living or dead - to hang out with you at a weekend retreat, who would you invite and why?
It would definitely be my father who passed away in my early twenties. I've never felt I was able to say goodbye. :)

What's one thing most people don't know about you?
That I'm a big procrastinator! haha.

What's your favorite quote?
I have many faves. Here are a couple of good ones:

"We write in order to live life twice."
— Anaïs Nin

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
— Maya Angelou

Milk Chocolate or Dark?
Milk Chocolate.

For this week's Freebie Friday, I'm giving away a $10 Borders gift card. For your chance to win, either comment on Kelly's book, Kelly's answers, or answer one of the interview questions above as yourself.

This contest will remain open until Monday, so be sure to check back! Have a great weekend!!!