Spawn of Medusa by Mary Bernsen

Title: Spawn of Medusa

Author: Mary Bernsen

Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance 

Publication Date: June 29, 2014 

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

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Today's Stop: Author Interview with Mary Bernsen who is currently on tour for her novel: Spawn of Medusa! A few special teasers and a giveaway!

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1. Was this title the title you've always had in mind, or did you have another title in mind? If so, what was it?

The Spawn Of Medusa was always the title I had selected.  It actually came to me right after waking up one morning while I was still in the planning stage.

2. What was your favorite scene to write about in your novel?

The very first chapter was/is absolutely my favorite. I think it really shows the main character's spirit.

3. Could you relate to your main protagonist? If not, can you relate to any of your characters?

Yes!  I actually wrote her personality directly after mine, and her love interest's after my husband. Their relationship is passionately dysfunctional, sort of like my own :-)

4. When and why did you begin writing?

It sounds cliche but I've always written.  I used to only write poems and short stories, but I started writing full books a couple of years ago.

5. What inspires you to write?

The shows on the History Channel.  I'm so glad they hardly play any shows about HISTORY anymore haha.  Their speculative angle has done wonders for my imagination.

6. Are the names in your novel important to you, or did you just choose it randomly?

I chose them based on the time period.  The main character's name is Ambrosia.  I came up with it when I was researching the foods that were eaten in Ancient Greece, and I saw it meant "nectar of the Gods"...which of course made a very appropriate line to start the story off with.

7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years my youngest child will be 15...so I see myself pulling my hair out.  Other than that, I haven't a clue.  I'm more of a go-with-life kind of person.

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Passion doesn’t always follow the rules of fate…

Raised by the Fates, Ambrosia, the daughter of Medusa, has spent her life preparing for the day when she would fulfill her destiny and avenge her mother’s murder. But when a man comes forward claiming to be the spawn of Medusa, Ambrosia’s plan becomes a lot more complicated.

Working as a prostitute, she finds Perseus, the man who took her mother’s head. Not realizing who she is, he tells Ambrosia that Medusa is still alive and that he’s on a quest to finish what he started twenty-three years ago. Needing to find the mother she’s never met, Ambrosia convinces Perseus to let her help, and together they discover the secrets that will unseal the cave that has kept her mother captive. But Perseus proves to be different than the monster Ambrosia has always envisioned him to be, and she finds herself needing him, craving his touch. But how can the daughter of Medusa love the man who made her an orphan for twenty-three years, and who kept her from the mother she never met?

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Mary Bernsen is a southwest Florida native currently living in Punta Gorda with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child that she affectionately calls husband. She is a stay-at-home mother and spends her days creating characters on the good side of twenty-five because she is in serious denial about the fact that she is now on the bad side of it. She has a passion for fantasy of any kind and she reviews every book she reads on her blog Read It Write. If she isn't having conversations with the friends in her head, you can usually find her clipping coupons or out on the boat enjoying the muddy waters of Peace River (as long as it isn't below 80 degrees).

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/marybernsen1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marybernsen

Author Website: www.mbernsen.blogspot.com

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Amazon: http://amzn.to/1lFWTVh

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1t6YNYM

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1pP5Kfy

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Across Worlds: Collide by S.A. Snow

Title: Across Worlds: Collision

Author: S. A. Snow

Genre: mixed gender sci-fi erotica adventure

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

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Today's Stop: Author Interview with Katheryn Kiden who is currently on tour for her novel: Across Worlds: Collision! A giveaway and a few special teasers!

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Did you do any research for your novel?

I did a little bit of research for this one. I mean, did you know the UN does have a division for Outer Space Affairs? No? Neither did I until I started writing this! Other than that, given the genre and content, there wasn't much research to be done. Most of it was written by the seat of my pants, just as I thought it up. That's how I tend to write.

What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?

I’m not sure I have a favorite. I like to write blended genres. That means there’s a good dose of at least two genres in the story/novel itself. Across Worlds: Collision is equally science fiction and erotica. I’m also planning on writing an urban fantasy/erotica novel for my next novel.

While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?

I wished I was the character! I’m not sure I ever felt completely being one of them, but I certain wish I was Jane or Usnavi. Jane is hot, kick ass, and amazing. She’s not really scared of much. Usnavi is a lot quieter and mellow about life. Zhe goes throughout the world as if zhe knows all the outcomes, and I suppose in a way zhe does because zhe has lived far longer than a human could ever imagine.

Have you ever hated something you wrote?

Yes. Absolutely. I don’t know a writer who doesn’t. Rarely is it an entire piece I’ve written, although that has happened. Usually it’s just scenes or sentences that I hate. When that happens, it’s easy to take it out, rework it and then love it.

Do you ever experience writer's block?

I don't know if I really, truly believe in writer's block. Certainly an individual piece can get blocked and that has happened to me. When it does, I take a break. I read a book(or ten), I read or write some fan-fiction, binge watch a TV show. Something will kickstart the creative process and then I'll be going again. For me, most of the time it's not that I can't write at all, it's that I don't want to write what I'm working on either because I don't like what I'm about to have to write, or because I just need a break from it. If it's the former, I'll just procrastinate until I talk myself into doing it. If the latter, I take a break.

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

I do, absolutely think that. The cover is the first impression that you get of the novel. If, for example, in Across Worlds: Collision, the cover had on it two trains coming at each other, you might think that the book was about trains. The cover should represent something about the book and give the reader a sense of it, whether it's tone, plot, character, whatever, but the cover should tell a story, too.

Do you think that giving books away free works and why?

I believe it does. I think giving away books has to be done with the right expectations in mind and the right way in order to increase sales (if that’s the goal) or to get notices (if that’s the goal). If the goal is to increase sales, it’s often seen and proven that giving away the book in question for free for a day or two will still increase sales after. If there’s a series, it’s proven that making the first book free will increase sales on the books that follow (can also do reduced pricing). Likewise, giving away book during cover reveals, blog tours, etc also has its benefits. Those benefits aren’t necessarily sales, but if it gets someone to like my Facebook page, then they can keep up with me after the cover reveal and might perhaps buy the book later.

Anything done with marketing has to be done smartly. Just giving books away randomly without a plan and without a reason doesn’t help the author at all. The author must look at the reasons why they’re giving the books away and what benefits for them they can see coming from it. If it doesn’t work out, then try it again in a new way. Marketing is all about trial and error.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

Ugh, this is a hard one, but I'm going to go with Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was just so creative and his world is so well thought out that it's hard to beat. He has whole languages and worlds developed and there's no limit to what you can do with what he created. I wish my mind was as open and creative as his.

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Jane expected six months undercover to be hard; she expected it to be lonely and bleak. She didn’t expect to find love.

Jane Butler, a CIA operative, is assigned the task of infiltrating the Xanthians and determining if they’re a threat to humanity. Going undercover as a Xanthian mate, she boards the transport ship and meets Usnavi—her new mate. After spending six days traveling through space, Jane is ecstatic to explore the Xanthian station and soon sets out to complete her mission. The only problem? Usnavi—and the feelings she is quickly developing.

Fumbling their way through varying sexual expectations, cooking catastrophes, and cultural differences, they soon discover life together is never boring. As Jane and Usnavi careen into a relationship neither of them expected, Jane uncovers dark secrets about the Xanthians and realizes she may no longer be safe. When it becomes clear she’s on her own, Jane is forced to trust and rely on Usnavi. Simultaneously struggling with her mission, her feelings for Usnavi, and homesickness, Jane faces questions she never imagined she would have to answer.

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https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435337

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After chasing around puppies and corralling kittens, S.A. Snow flips open her BSG replicated console and enters her mysterious world of imagination. Seeking to escape the rigors of her day jobs, she enters flight mode and powers her engines full-speed ahead.

A prolific writer of non-traditional erotica, S.A. Snow grew up on a small alpaca farm high in the Andes Mountains. A lover of yoga and meditation, she spends her free time constructing alien space stations, organizing werewolf governments, and cataloging all episodes of Star Trek in order of technical soundness. A firm believer that one need not choose between Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas, she also has closely examines all Star Wars movies in order to determine which episode is more factually based.

S.A. Snow writes truth and only truth, factoring in all evidences she can find. She writes only about parallel universes she has personally visited, and believes if something about her books isn’t shocking, she’s not effectively telling the story.

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/booksbysnow

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Hate Me Today Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway!

Title: Hate Me Today (#3 Save Me Series)

Author: Katheryn Kiden

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: June 18th

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

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Today's Stop: Author Interview with Katheryn Kiden who is currently on tour for her novel: Hate Me Today! A few special teasers and a giveaway!

Hi Katheryn Kiden and thanks for stopping by! :)

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Where did you get your inspiration from for your novel, Hate Me Today?

At some point during Freeing Tuesday, Jason and Vanessa pushed themselves forward and started to fight. Originally, Vanessa wasn’t even supposed to come past Where Words Fail, but she was stubborn and fought to be in the lime light. I loved the chemistry between the two so much that I knew I needed to write this hate to love story.

What do you think makes a great story?

Reality and drama. Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, people die, hearts get broken and not everyone is always nice.

Which part of your book was your favorite part to write? Why?

Easy. The strip club scene through the hammock scene. It’s such a hot part in the book, but drunk Vanessa is funny too, so it made it a blast to write.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you SO, SO much. From the bottom of my heart. Each person that picks up and reads one of my books, and loves it, makes my heart swell.

What are you currently reading? What do you think of it so far?

I’m actually in the middle of moving so my kindle is sad and lonely, BUT, I did pick up Take by Ella Frank the night it came out and can’t to have enough time to get past the third page. I loved Try, so I can almost guarantee that Take is going to be just as hot.

Do you have a favorite author? If so, who is it and why?

I’m in love with so many that it’s hard to choose but here’s my list. Tara Sivec, Kendall Grey, Ella Frank, Penelope Douglas, Cat Mason, Nicole Edwards, Hilary Storm and Julie Bailes. I know there are more, but my brain is fried lately.

What was your favorite subject in school and why?

Honestly, I didn’t like school. Like, at all. In fact, I disliked it so much, the summer after my sophomore year I pushed myself through everything and graduated at 15. If I HAD to choose, I would pick anything to do with writing.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m 25. Born and raised in Maine, but am moving to VA. I have two older brothers and two younger. The two older ones have passed away. Vanessa’s disease is actually part of the reason my oldest brother died. All the doctor’s stuff in this book, is actually stuff I sat with him through. Other than that, I love tattoos, both mine and other peoples, music is the way to my heart and will always tell you how I am feeling, my family will always come first. I sing (please plug your ears), I love art, I own a Great Dane who is the laziest thing in the world. Camo is my favorite color and I love to shoot. My two younger brothers are my two of my favorite people in the world. I do photography in my spare time and I hope to be writing for a very, very long time. 

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I hate her but I’d rather make her life a living hell than not play for a crowd anymore. Hate is a four letter word. So is life. So is love. Each one requires passion to make it worth it. Jason Jackson has lived his whole life fueled with hate. Hate for himself. Hate for his family. Hate for the one person he despises but is stuck on tour with. All he wants to do is rock the crowd and keep his head down, but it seems like every time he turns around, she’s doing something else to piss him off. What happens when everything he thought he knew turns out to be wrong? For the first time in my entire life, I’m taking control and not even Jason can get in my way. Vanessa Knox knows all about life being too short. She refuses to let anyone stand in the way of what she wants. That is, until what she wants is something she knows she shouldn’t have. It could break her worse than being sick ever had a chance to. Nothing she ever does seems to be right. However, that doesn’t stop her from doing it. Sometimes the best things are the one you thought would be the worst. Hate leaves you wondering why, love leaves you wanting more and life leaves you waiting.

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Katheryn Kiden was born in Boothbay Harbor Maine in 1989 and raised in Newcastle. She was raised with four brothers. Katheryn graduated when she was sixteen and has been writing since she was young. When she isn’t attached to a keyboard you can usually find her with her two younger brothers, friends, or with a camera in her hand.

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katheryn-Kiden-Author/397861730346941

Twitter: @katherynkiden

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Amazon: http://amzn.to/1iLDc3E

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1jSs5Rj

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1rFda22

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Collision Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway!

Title: Collision

Author: Kate L. Mary

Genre: New Adult Romantic Mystery

Publication Date: May 2, 2014

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

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Today's Stop: Author Interview with Kate L. Mary who is currently on tour for her novel: Collision! A few teasers and a giveaway!

Hello Kate L. Mary, and thanks for stopping by! :)

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When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote on and off during junior high and high school, but kind of put it aside during college and after my kids were born. It was always something I wanted to do, but I guess I just needed to wait until I got really motivated. I would come up with an idea here and there, but nothing really stuck until we moved to California in 2011. I think being there helped even though I hated it, because I didn't really have much going on. I didn't have many close friends and my husband was hardly ever home, so I found myself alone a lot. It gave me time to finally get some of those stories out.

I write because I am constantly coming up with stories and ideas, and I want to share them with people. It's fun to create new people and new worlds. Maybe it's because I'm a control freak that I'm so drawn to it. Lol.

Do you see writing as a career?

That would be amazing! But right now I'm just focusing on the moment, which is hard for me because I'm a planner and like to know what's going to happen down the road. Eventually it would be nice if I could make a decent living off writing, only because my husband has been in the Air Force for the past 10 years and has been away a lot. It would be nice if he didn't have to work so much after he got out. For the most part, my goal is just to share what I've written with other people.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Time. There's never enough time in the day. I'm a bit OCD, so when I get busy writing a story I have a tough time stepping away from it. I can sit for hours and do nothing else. Unfortunately, my life isn't very conducive to that. I have four kids and housework and laundry. When I'm writing for days I tend to get behind on all the cleaning, which kills me because I'm a neat freak. I just wish I didn't need sleep, then I could write after the kids went to bed and still keep up on everything. If anyone can figure out a way to make that happen, please let me know ASAP!

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Creating the characters and world. I really enjoy putting myself in someone else's shoes for a while and seeing where the story takes them.

What in general, inspires you to write?

Everything! I've come up with an idea from something as small as sweeping the house or going for a run. Other books, movies, interacting with people, going on vacation. You can find inspiration anywhere.

What do you like to read in your free time?

I love dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories. Light sci-fi too. I want a story to have a little bit of romance, but I typically don't read just contemporary romance. Right now I've been reading a lot of zombie novels. My own new adult post-apocalyptic/zombie novel comes out soon, so I've been on a big zombie kick.

What are your pet peeves? 

I like everything to be neat and orderly, so I hate it when things are up in the air and I can't plan. When people wait until the last minute to make plans or tell me what's going on it's stressful for me.

And judgmental people. We're all different and we all like different things, so I hate it when people can't look past themselves to accept others the way they are.

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When eighteen-year-old Kara Jones gets into a car accident on the way home from college, she’s left with more than a few bruised ribs, a busted cell phone, and a totaled car. After a slip-up at the hospital, she’s shaken to discover that her family isn’t all it seems. And now her mother’s strange behavior and willingness to do anything to protect her secrets—including pulling Kara out of school—have Kara floundering in the dark.

Enter Derek Miller, a former classmate who’s dealing with family issues of his own. His nerdy charm is too much for Kara to resist, and she’s even more amazed when he agrees to help her dig into her mother’s past. Together they investigate her mother’s old friends and boyfriends, hoping to discover who Kara really is. Instead, they find disturbing connections to the dark history of Kent State University, and an ever expanding maze of mystery surrounding Kara’s birth.

As Kara and Derek chase secrets, she realizes he’s the only person she can trust. But as they get closer to the truth, the disturbing answers reveal a web of evil far darker and further reaching then they’d imagined, leaving Kara to wish she’d never asked the questions in the first place, and to wonder if some secrets are better left untold...

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Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She spent most of her life in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California.

Kate’s love of books and writing has helped her survive countless husbandless nights. She enjoys any post-apocalyptic story – especially if zombies are involved – as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes who can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.

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1. I’ve been married for 12 years.

2. I met my husband in my church youth group when we were 12 years old, but we didn’t start dating until nine years later.

3. I’m a stay-at-home mom of four kids, two boys and two girls.

4. My boys are Carter and Chase, and the names were inspired by doctors from television shows we liked at the time. Carter from ER and Chase from House. Girls are Christa and Corinne, and those names came from people we knew.

5. I can probably quote most episodes of Friends by heart, and my husband and I are a lot like Chandler and Monica. I’m an obsessive-compulsive neat freak, and he can never be serious. Plus, we were friends for years before we started dating.

6. My husband is a C-17 pilot in the Air Force.

7. Since we’ve been married, we’ve lived in 6 states (Ohio, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, California and Oklahoma) and moved 7 times.

8. My all-time favorite move is Aliens. I love it so much that sometimes I just put it on for background noise when I write.

9. I love The Walking Dead. LOVE IT. I even have some of the graphic novels and a few Daryl Dixon shirts. When it’s on things get serious in my house. We are not allowed to talk during the show and I do not answer texts, emails or calls.

10. I’m a huge nerd and I love that about myself.

11. When I was in high school I read classic novels almost exclusively. Jane Austen’s books are some of my favorites, but I also love Gone with the Wind.

12. I set my stories in cities I’ve actually lived in or visited, and love having my characters visit real places. Collision is set in the Dayton, Ohio area, where I grew up, and my characters go to a pizza place that is a popular Dayton chain. (And the pizza is amazing.)

13. I’m a wino. Okay, not really a wino, but I love red wine.

14. And chocolate...

15. And coffee.

16. I think every book should have a little bit of romance in it, but I have a hard time reading a romance novel. I always want more plot than that, and I’m particularly into dystopian or post- apocalyptic stories.

17. My favorite city is Charleston, SC. We were stationed there for almost four years and I had the best friends imaginable.

18. I wrote a zombie series with an awesome female main character that will be available from Etopia Press this year!

19. I have a huge girl crush on Jennifer Lawrence. I’m pretty sure I’d leave my husband for her if she asked...

20. My husband is my best friend and I have more fun with him than I’ve ever had with another person.

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ KateLMaryauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kmary0622

Author Website: http://katelmary.com/

Author GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8185415.Kate_L_Mary</ a>

Amazon Author Page: http:/ /www.amazon.com/Kate-L.-Mary/e/B00K48N5EQ

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Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mNwfwf

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1sfaqHn

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/collision-kate-l-mary/ 1119382524?ean=2940149204366

Kobo: http:// store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/collision-14

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-collision-1497625-149.html

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The Beautiful Dead Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway!

Title: The Beautiful Dead

Genre: Post- Apocalyptic

Publication Date: August 2013

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

Author: Daryl Banner






Today's Stop: Author Interview with Daryl Banner, who is currently on tour for his novel: The Beautiful Dead! An excerpt from his book and a giveaway!

Hello Daryl Banner, and thanks for stopping by my blog!

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What inspired you to write The Beautiful Dead?

This may sound funny, but I actually never approached this story as a zombie story. When I first started writing it, I hadn't seen a lot of zombie movies, I didn't know Warm Bodies existed, and hadn't watched a single episode of The Walking Dead.
I was inspired by the idea of unexplainable "dark magics" somehow bringing bits of the world back to life; a sort of necromancy, instead of the popular bitten-style zombies, or virus-borne zombies. I liked the idea of an undead with intelligence ... an "organized" and--dare I say--"civilized" undead society.

Is there a message in your novel you want readers to grasp?

I don't aim to push 'messages' at readers. I like to present a situation and a story as honest and unbiased as I can (despite the narrator's obvious bias) and let the reader decide what to take from it. I will go ahead and say that, if the reader picks up on a 'theme' of the book, it will likely be redemption, second chances, letting go the past ... Forgiveness, mostly of yourself. I know these seem like heavy themes, but despite them, the book has more the feel of a dark comedy.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read the book, so I'll give a hopefully-spoiler-free answer. There is a chapter in the book that breaks away from the narrative entirely -- a very necessary-to-the-plot break -- in which you (and the main character) suddenly learn a LOT of information all at once, and very quickly. The chapter is meant to be overwhelming to the reader, and yeah, it was also overwhelming for me to write. And very, very thrilling. But hard. I'll admit, I avoided that chapter for a good while. In fact, I went past it and finished writing the rest of the book ... then came back, a cocktail of fluttery dread and terror and sadness and sick joy in my belly, and finally wrote the chapter.

What books have most influenced your life most?

I read a lot of fantasy throughout high school, namely Piers Anthony, Lloyd Alexander (ahh... The Black Cauldron) ... then Harry Potter found me in college, and when going to Psychology and Theater classes, I pretended I was going to Potions and Divinations. True story. I also really enjoy the dry and hilarious voice of Chuck Palahniuk and the way he builds plot (I wrote him a fan mail once and he replied back with a box full of glitter that exploded in my laundry room -- another true story.) I also read about half of the Song Of Ice And Fire series, which is really amazing, but also a bit confusing when you watch the show Game of Thrones at the same time. Confusing in a good way, I think (I love a puzzle of television versus paper...) Speaking of, Charlaine Harris really inspired me with the Sookie Stackhouse series (not so much the show) ... Her "southern ease" of the books made me realize that really good plot and atmosphere can build slow-and-unassumingly ... and only a handful of chapters in, it's won your heart without you realizing it.

How did you come up with the title?

There were a number of very questionable titles before it (as is the case with every book I've written so far, I guess) ... but in brainstorming, I was considering how ugly and grotesque I found corpses and death and decay (and unfairly/fairly skewing how my main character views those same things) ... then realized that what this macabre subject matter needed wasn't more disgust and scorn; it was a hug. So I hugged the Dead with the word Beautiful and there you go.

When did you decide to become a writer?

When I was a lil' kid mashing thumbs into Nintendo controllers, I also taught myself how to program games on the computer (think 1990's text-based role-playing games, not nowadays games/computers) and also basic music theory. Yeah, they went hand-in-hand to me. I kinda joke that I come at writing a story more like a programmer; almost everything I introduce in a story (even small things, details, seemingly minor characters, an odd way I write a sentence) gets a payoff somewhere later in the story. I don't even mind if the payoffs go unnoticed; I like the idea of easter eggs hidden throughout my books (especially my time-travel book, Super Psycho Future Killers .... There's still a gigantic bucket-full of things that *no one* has yet to point out to me or ask about. Someday someone might, and that thought makes me smile)  It's things like these that made me want to start telling stories. I wrote plays throughout high school and college, where I studied under the great (and late) Pulitzer-prize-winning Lanford Wilson, whose advice takes permanent and welcome residence between my ears. After graduating, I took my experiences and released my first novel Psychology of Want. That first novel beget the second one, and then The Beautiful Dead. Like code to a program, to a game with a plot and lovable and hate-able characters ... I love writing.

What book are you writing now?

I'm working on the first book to a new "epic" urban fantasy / dystopian series I plan to release in the summer. Here's a brief word on the story: It's set in an unknown future where people no longer need to sleep, and each person is born with a unique and special ability. The story unfolds through *several* main characters, some who live in luxury, the rest who live in the crime-riddled slums below. There's violence, sexuality, explosions, betrayal ... I'm so, so, SO excited to share this book (and all the crazy characters in it) with the world.

There is a charity anthology released on May 16th called Moments In Time, and among lots of awesome authors, the anthology includes a story of mine called "The Slum Queen", which is actually a companion short story / kinda-prequel to my new series. The anthology is for a good cause, and if you want a little taste of my new book, you'll find it in there :) :) :)

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She’s dead.

In fact, the whole world’s dead. Every single person, apparently. Unburied and reimagined into a beautiful living-dead woman called Winter, she is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in a quaint, peaceful city with no hunger, no sickness and no bills to pay. Her Second Life is perfect in every way possible.

So why is she so bent on destroying it all?

After angering the mayor, befriending rebel headless teenagers and igniting romance with a dark and brooding neighbor, she finds herself wrestling madly with a First Life she cannot remember and this Second Life she cannot accept. Not to mention the maniacal army of rotting corpses who want her dead. Again.

But none of that matters in comparison to an even worse problem. There’s a guest in her house. A rude, good-looking man on the run ... a man with a heartbeat.

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Daryl Banner is a writer and composer who graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Theatre and Psychology.

He does not write in any single genre, as his stories tend to span several. He is most inspired by the smart and unlikely hero, but urges you (the reader) not to fall in love with them; they may deceive you with their innocence. He is thrilled by putting his characters in terrible situations where they must face choices and challenges that seem impossible to overcome.

Daryl Banner writes contemporary fiction, sci-fi/fantasy (both in medieval and futuristic senses), unique takes on the apocalypse and paranormal romance genre, as well as magic realism. He cannot wait to hear what you think about his stories and welcomes (and responds to!) all feedback.

1. I was born and raised on video games, from Nintendo classics to Final Fantasy. I even have a scar on my right eyebrow from a fight I had with my brother over a game when I was four years old.

2. I'm miserably single and enjoying every miserable minute of it. Anyone who says they're happily single, y'er a liar! Just kidding, everything's amazing.

3. I have an unhealthy obsession with Lego, ever since I was a kid. I even still have five Lego castles that I've rebuilt from my childhood (ah, what calming therapy that was) that my nephew destroys every weekend.

4. When I'm having a particularly stressful night and cannot calm myself to sleep, I watch an episode of Bob Ross's The Joy Of Painting. Really feeds the soul, too. (Look at all that burnt umber and magic white in the sky!)

5. I have spent hundreds (maybe thousands) more hours than I will admit on such time-draining life-consuming games like World Of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, and RollerCoaster Tycoon. I maybe still do.

6. For my acting resumes, I round up and say I'm 5'5 because I count the thick-soled shoes I'm wearing and no, I don't have a shortie complex. What, you think I'm short? You calling me short? You better not be calling me short.

7. I double-majored in Theater and Psychology at the University of Houston, and at my time of graduation, I was exactly one hour short of being able to proudly say that I earned a "double degree" ... Whatever that is.

8. I was the first person in Katy High School history to be invited onto the Yearbook staff without having taken the prerequisite Journalism class.

9. I have not spent a single dollar on movie tickets or popcorn in the last nine years, as I've been (and currently am) a senior manager at a movie theater since 2005.

10. My brother is kinda named after the hulk by accident. Don't piss him off.

11. Though I was born and raised in the south (Texas) both my parents are from the north (Canada & New York)

12. I've been a suburban cat my whole life, born and raised in the burbs, dangerously close to the farms and countryside of my small-yet-growing hometown of Katy (which rests just outside the smoggy clutches of Houston)

13. While initially writing "The Beautiful Dead", I typed with black background and glowing green letters in my word processor to "set the mood" of the story.

14. My fanboy letter written to Chuck Palahniuk resulted in him sending me back a box full of glitter, toys, and a homemade necklace, as well as a letter of encouragement. He says sometimes even he gets sick of words, but felt it necessary to write me. I couldn't stop smiling for weeks.

15. I taught myself to play piano when I was still a little Nintendo-playing kid, learning all my favorite video game tunes by ear. There are two full-size upright pianos in my house that I sometimes refer to as my two goddesses. Seriously. They were both passed on to me, one from a dear friend, the other from my mom's ex-husband's ex-friend's ex.

16. I tour in a trilogy of comedy musicals with two opera divas in which I act, play piano and keyboards, and beatbox. We will be touring the Houston area this summer!

17. I had a black cat named Stormy ever since I was five. She developed diabetes and sadly passed away six years ago. I sometimes see her in the shadows of my house.

18. My late-night cravings are Chinese food, crispy tacos, and freeze-n-squeeze margarita pouches.

19. For fun, I do digital covers of popular songs and TV show themes (and a lot of 80's-and-90's-born radio hits) in an old-school Nintendo 8-bit music style. Because I bend some of the strict four-track-only rules of 8-bit (and sometimes include real drums instead of the obligatory noise track), I call my remixes "Hyper 8-bit" and release them on my YouTube page. "http://www.youtube.com/darylbanner"

20. Though I primarily write novels now, my main focus throughout highschool and college was playwrighting. At 16, my first play "Seeing Slowly" won a contest, earning it a production at a regional theater in Houston (Alley Theater, HYPE 2001) and at 18, I directed my second play "Fake Love" at my high-school as one of two senior-directed shows. In college, my play "Permanent Daylight" was selected from hundreds to be produced as part of the Edward Albee Playwrighting Workshop, mentored by the great (and late) Lanford Wilson, who taught me more about writing and people than I could ever express in mere words. I owe him so, so much, and sometimes when I'm writing, I hear his voice in my head telling me "No!" and "Ugh!" and "!??" and then "There you go, Daryl ... That's better."


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