Author Interview and Book Giveaway: Patricia Lynne: Being Human

Hi everyone. Welcome to Thursday Author Interviews. I have moved the interviews to Thursday so that they don't clash or get overshadowed by Perfect Picture Book Fridays. Today I would like to introduce you all to Patricia Lynne. Some of you may remember, she was one of the winners of the New Author Blog Hop held last year. So without further ado.... Here is Patricia Lynne, and her debut novel, Being Human.

Summary:

For Tommy, there is only one thing he needs to do: survive.

Only surviving isn't that easy. The hunt for blood can be tricky when humans know to fear the night. Desire sits on the edge of his mind, urging him to become the monster humans think he is. Vampire Forces, a special branch of police, is determined to turn every vampire to ash. Tommy included.

The only human Tommy can trust is his twin brother. A bond connects them, and with Danny's help, Tommy starts to understand the human world he struggles to survive in. He'll learn what friendships means and feel the sting of betrayal, find that sometimes the worst monsters are very human, and come to understand that family means more than blood. 

Thank you for joining us today! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your book, "Being Human"?

I can tell you I never thought I'd be an author. When I was in school, I was all about art. English wasn't even my favorite subject. When I was in college, my English prof. assigned us to write a story and I got a D! Managed to bring it up to a B, but yeah, I thought writing wasn't for me. So when I started writing down some of the ideas in my head, it was just for fun. Until I got to Being Human. That one just struck me as one I wanted to share with the world. I started googling and researching writing. Needless to say, I don't think I'd get any more Ds in a college writing course.

Being Human is a story about a young vampire named Tommy who is trying to figure out how to survive in a human world he no longer remembers.

What inspired you to write this story?

Another book inspiring Being Human. I was reading Thirsty by M.T. Anderson and the ending isn't very happily ever after. It kept me thinking what would happen next. Then Tommy pretty much popped in my head and told me he knew what happened next. The kind of vampires got changed up, and neither story really connects anymore, but that was the initial spark that gave birth to Being Human.

Who is your favorite character in your book? Why?

I have to think about that because I love all the characters one way or another. I'd probably say Mackenzie. She was so fun to write when she was a toddler, and when she got older, she was so perky and innocent. I loved some of her lines. Crack me up everytime.

What was your road to publication like?

At first I was going to query agents and traditional publishers. But as I looked into it more and more, I realized going that route didn't look very appealing to me. I would be query a vampire book and those were on the way out. There was little chance I'd get picked up. Plus, I really enjoyed the idea of being in complete control and self publishing gave that.

Is there anything you know know about the publishing industry that wish you had known before starting your journey?

That promotion and marking is the root of all that is evil. LOL Kidding, but it is the toughest part. I knew it would be difficult, but it's way more tricky than I thought. It's caused me to hate my book a few times.

Who do you think influence your writing the most?

Heather Brewer, author of The Vladimir Tod series is a big inspiration to me. Not sure if she influences my writing, but I totally look up to her as one of the reasons I decided to publish my story.

Are you currently working on a project now?

Yes, I am working on the sequel to Being Human. It's called Being Vampire and it follows a boy named Drew, who is a vampire, but doesn't know it. It's not a direct sequel, as in you have to read Being Human, but they are connected and Tommy will appear in it. I also have a short werewolf story that I'm working on editing called Fixing Ben that I think will be my next published story.

When did you feel like you were an author?

When I got my paperback copy of Being Human. I was in awe. I literally was jumping for joy (which hubby did not share my same enthusiasm when I showed him. LOL)

Are there any new authors who have grasped your interest recently? Why?

I have met a bunch of new authors thanks to twitter. A few whose books I know I have to buy are M.R. Merrick, M.B. Mulhall, Vicktor Alexander, and Daniel A. Kaine. I talk to them all, and I just fell head over heels in love w/ the stories they written and constantly bug them to write faster.

Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Relax. Sometimes, as writers, we get so stressed about getting those words down, about getting the book done, that we forget to give ourselves a moment to relax. Write as much as you can, but if you have an off day, don't feel too guilty about setting your story aside and doing something mindless like watch a movie. Your muse needs a break too and when you get back to it, you'll feel nice and refreshed.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us Patricia. But we are not done yet! Fill in the form below for a chance to win a copy of Patricia's first novel, Being Human.