Monday, June 4, 2012

Collaboration with Authors by Suzan Battah

Collaboration with Authors by Suzan Battah

Thank you for having me on your blog, Michelle. You've certainly brought me an interesting question to explore in this Guest Post.

If you could collaborate with one author, who would it be?  What characters of yours would you want to interact with what characters of the other author?

I have to be very honest when it comes to writing novels, I wouldn't want to collaborate with another author. This is a personal choice because I have so many ideas that sit with me and I have definite and clear goals of how these ideas should be developed to create the novel journey.

However, I admire many authors, there is such great talent out there and I inspire to be as good if not better at my craft by continuing to learn and grow as I write.  I will name some of the authors that I find compelling in the work and would love to meet. Both self-published and traditionally published, for me there is no distinction between the two. A published author is a published author regardless of how it came about.

Emlyn Chand - Farsighted, fantastic writer would love to meet her one day.
Richelle Mead- Vampire Academy Series - what a talented writer, creative, inspiring and unique storylines.
Amanda Hocking - Blood Approves - This series was interesting for me and to be honest I didn't like every book but the creative ideas and unique voice were definitely compelling.
JK Rowling - Harry Potter Series, This author is amazing in that she has managed to create a whole world of characters that have been embraced by readers worldwide, I loved the series except for the last book and would love to sit down with Rowling to talk about books.

Every writer has a point where a series storyline will sometimes get repetitive or stale, even the greatest writers experience this in their writing.

Characters are really fun to play with, in development and as they evolve and become more real it's even more exciting to see how their journey evolves in a story.

The three main characters from my book -  Armani, Karhl and Rafael are each individual and unique in their own purpose. Armani is a bit painful, justifiably because her guilt and conscious struggles with her situation. Karhl is an arrogant Guardian still learning but more advanced in his own ability despite his youth. Rafael also struggles with his true feelings and being able to support Armani his soul mate.

The characters from other books I would love Armani, Karhl and Rafael to meet would be Rose, Dimitri and Adrian from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

Armani could learn from Rose a great deal about strength, courage and physical ability, letting go of denial.

Adrian could learn from Rafael to be more restrained and in control of his own life rather than letting circumstance define his choices.

Karhl could learn a lot from Dimitri on being less controlling and more compassionate.

These three characters would have a riot of a time, would love to see each of them test each other physically and emotionally.

Interestingly, I had never read Richelle Mead's work until after I completed the BaSatai: Outside In. I bought her books as a reward for completing the novel.

Though collaboration as a writer is not in the cards for me, I still believe that every writer has their own unique voice and brings forth their own creative story from concept to plot, to development and manuscript.

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Suzan's latest book is BaSatai: Outside In.

Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani's blood is spilled in attack and she dies.

S'teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.

Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evovle and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn't believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.

The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet...

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Suzan Battah is a proud Australian born author who has loved to write since her teenage years. In 2011 she published her first novel a contemporary multicultural romance - Mad About the Boy. In her spare time she weaves magical tales to entertain. Suzan writes YA Fiction - Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, Regency Romance and Contemporary Romance. Other fun things you can find her doing is training at the gym and Latin/Ballroom dancing. Suzan is afraid of heights, loves most things that are sweet, has no clue about fashion and one day hopes to speak Spanish fluently.
www.suzanbattah.com

Friday, June 1, 2012

Casting "Finding Felicity" by Monica Marlowe

I just love to think about Finding Felicity being turned into a movie! Casting actors would be so much fun, and here’s who I would cast in the main roles …

Anthony: Sigh. Antonio Banderas or George Clooney.  I just can’t decide!
 








Madeline: Scarlett Johansson or Julianne Moore.  It would depend on who was cast as Anthony.  If it was George, then it’s easy to imagine Julianne Moore opposite him.  Scarlet and Antonio seem like they would be fabulous together, too!




 







Tyler:  No doubt about it.  I had Aaron Eckhart in mind when I created Tyler – he’s perfect!  Did you see him in Possession?  My knees get weak!



Father Marco:  Strange as it seems, I can picture Woody Harrelson in this role.  There’s something about him that whispers “old soul”.



Carrie:  Wouldn’t Judy Greer be great?!  I always love her in anything she does.



Jonathan:  I can picture Josh Hutcherson playing Jonathan beautifully.  Young. Innocent. Vulnerable. And just a tad grown-up.









Now it’s your turn to play casting director.  Who would you choose?


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Thank you, Monica, for a fun guest post!  I love the cast you have chosen and hope that someone decides this movie MUST be made!!!
 
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Author Bio:
Monica Marlowe was born in Toronto and later moved to Los Angeles. While in LA, Monica studied the craft of novel writing and participated in the Noel Hynd Workshop. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Spiritual Psychology. Now, Monica makes her home in North Carolina and divides her time between the East and West Coasts. Monica is currently writing a memoir, The Gift Horse, about acquiring her first horse and finding herself on a most unexpected path. Monica writes stories about heroes and heroines who follow their heart, wherever the path may lead, knowing that the heart has reasons of its own. 

Connect With Monica!
www.twitter.com/authormonica

Review: Finding Felicity by Monica Marlowe

Finding Felicity tells the story of Madeline O’Connor, whose life is turned upside down when she learns that her estranged sister is ill, leaving Manhattan to care for her sister in Italy.  Although she is consumed by work and her relationship with her sister is strained by a past betrayal, Madeline makes the journey to Europe and stays in a monastery that accommodates travelers.  There, she meets Brother Anthony Lamberti, a man unlike any that she knows in New York.  Anthony and Madeline share an overwhelming love and Madeline lets down her guard to the sincerity, dignity, and strength of Anthony.  From him, she learns many spiritual and emotional lessons and undergoes a complete transformation.  Along the way, she also meets Tyler Reed, who adds the excitement of a love triangle to the many twists and turns along Madeline's journey to Finding Felicity.

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 Oh, how Monica Marlowe knows how to load up a novel with an emotional punch!  "Finding Felicity" was so hard to put down because I just had to know what was going to happen, yet at the same time I didn't want the story to end.  Madeline is hurt by past betrayal by her sister and instead chooses to bury herself in her work, making her company her life.  Learning that her sister is terminally ill and being urged by her nephew to come to Carrie's side, Madeline finds herself in Italy and intrigued by a man that is quite unattainable.  The story of Madeline and Anthony is so touching and beauitful as they struggle with their places in this world.  Throw in Tyler Reed, who seems to know what Madeline needs in life, and the triangle is off and running. 

I love the vivid description of the scenery and the people that pass through Madeline's life.  There is a side story, that while I knew immediately where it was going, was touching and bittersweet.  I cried...there is no denying it.  As wonderful as both men were in their own right, you knew that one was going to win and the other would be left behind.  And it did break my heart.  Kudos to Monica Marlowe...if I cry, it is always a good book!

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Author Bio:
Monica Marlowe was born in Toronto and later moved to Los Angeles. While in LA, Monica studied the craft of novel writing and participated in the Noel Hynd Workshop. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Spiritual Psychology. Now, Monica makes her home in North Carolina and divides her time between the East and West Coasts. Monica is currently writing a memoir, The Gift Horse, about acquiring her first horse and finding herself on a most unexpected path. Monica writes stories about heroes and heroines who follow their heart, wherever the path may lead, knowing that the heart has reasons of its own. 

Connect With Monica!
www.twitter.com/authormonica