On the iPod: Explain by Faunts
The author:
Today I'm proud to welcome GCC sister Carrie Jones to the blog. Carrie is one of my favorite authors not only because I love her writing, but because she cracks me up. Here are nine fun facts about Carrie:1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.
Forget that. She’d still probably come.
The book:
CAPTIVATE just debuted at #7 on the NYT hardcover list! (Read about this and Carrie's other great news here.)Here's the official blurb:
In this NYT-Bestselling sequel to NEED, Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.
A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.
Publisher's Weekly says "Genre fans will enjoy the sizzle between Nick and Zara" and teenreads.com calls it an "exciting venture filled with nasty, evil creatures, nail biting action and heart-pounding romance." About Carrie, VOYA says she "masterfully blends paranormal fantasy, suspense, and romance to craft a new supernatural tale that is certain to appeal to fans of dark urban fantasy like Marr's Wicked Lovely and paranormal romances like Meyer's Twilight books."
You can read more about Carrie on her website, from the official Need website (This is where sneak peaks and contests are. You can win a computer. Seriously!), on her facebook page, or on the facebook fan page.
The Interview:What inspired you to write CAPTIVATE?
It’s a sequel. I wanted to see what would happen next. I am curious that way.
Have you ever done any of the things Zara does in the book?
Yes, I have:
a. eaten food
b. kissed a hot guy
c. driven off the road because it was icy
d. written letters for Amnesty International
But I have not:
a. met a werewolf
b. or a pixie (that I know of)
c. hung out in a hotel room with a guy I barely know
Have you ever had a premonition? What happened?
All the time. It is usually about airplane crashes, people dying, people cheating, people getting hurt, natural catastrophes.
If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose and why?
Wilde's The Canterville Ghost or Ron Weasley’s owl. I’m into owls.
Have you ever had your numbers done? Did they reveal anything about you?
They said I was special. Thank you numbers! Honestly, I think my mother put them up to it.
Are you superstitious?
I am very superstitious about talking about superstitions. * lowers voice * However, I do believe if a cat sits on your book it will sell. This is why I put cat nip on all my prepublished pages.
Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?
Mostly I just beg.
What songs would make the playlist for CAPTIVATE?
There are soooo many, but here are a couple:
Mad Girl's Love Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb8ZadWhHKs&feature=related
Vindicated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf5qrVdD9E0&feature=related
Uninvited: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvgi7P97lu0
Nobody's Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtL8FcO6lAQ&feature=related
Who Knows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX518lEPis8&feature=fvw
Feels Like Tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8fYZbjJEkM&feature=channel
What's one thing most people don't know about you?
I like men in uniform and I sleep with strudel every night.
What's your favorite quote?
There are so many.
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway” – John Wayne
What are you working on now?
The third book in the NEED series. There will be updates and stuff here: www.needpixies.com. Also, my publisher is having a win-a-computer contest there.
I’m also working on two picture books and a horror novel with Steve Wedel.
What is an interesting writing quirk of yours?
Strudel. That’s all I can say. My mom might read this.
If CAPTIVATE were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the role of Zara?
That is so hard because no actress is perfectly Zara, you know? I’m currently going to say Lea Michelle because of how she looks, plus I’d like her to see her acting chops outside of GLEE.
What kind of chocolate best describes you?
An XOX Caramel Truffle.
The Freebie:
Carrie is generously offering a signed copy of CAPTIVATE to this week's lucky winner. To be entered to win, leave a message below, telling us what kind of strudel you like best! This drawing will remain open until Wednesday, January 27.
