Five years ago ...

... I met several wonderful authors who helped me self-publish my first book, Dream Smashers. The authors of Darkside Publishing accepted me under their label and we took a voyage together into the new world of the Amazon and the sea of possibilities awaiting us in the scary unknown.

Times have changed since then. More than a handful of self-published authors have made best selling lists. Many are earning a decent living publishing their writing. And thousands more are still treading water. Every day hundreds of new authors emerge into the self-publishing world with a story to tell.

I'm happy with the decision I made five years ago. It's been a fun and challenging adventure with many more to come. New friends, stories, and feats to remember from the past five years and others to arrive for the next!

To celebrate, let's give away signed paper books from some of the authors who have supported and guided me in the beginning and even now. You do remember what paper books are, don't you?

 Attach on Phoenix: Forsaken Stars Saga #1 

by USA Today Bestselling Author 

Megg Jensen

Two hundred years ago, an interplanetary expedition crashed on a deserted planet. Their ship was destroyed. Their technology lost.

They built a new society while they waited for rescue. It never came.

Instead they caught the attention of the dragzhi, an aggressive alien species, and found themselves in the midst of a war they were doomed to lose.

Torsten Vikker, a soldier who’d rather read than fight, is on a mission to recover an artifact rumored to have the power to defeat the dragzhi. Rell, a woman raised in a cult, will stop at nothing to keep him away from what she holds sacred.

Yet, only together can they hope to save humanity from utter annihilation.

 Found: Penny Black Trilogy #1 

by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her.

Wyatt Adams is excited and intrigued when his sister Melody assigns him to be Penny’s Lookout. Being the youngest, and hopelessly ordinary in the family that created the New Society, has left Wyatt feeling like he has a lot to prove — and Penny is a big deal. She’s got abilities that surpass any he’s seen before … and pretty much every quality he looks for in a girlfriend, but no one needs to know about that, especially Penny.

*The Penny Black trilogy is a companion to the Zellie Wells trilogy and not a continuation of the series.

*Due to language and sexuality, FOUND is recommended for older teens.

 Bloody Little Secrets 

by Karly Kirkpatrick

17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life. If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her.

 Grounded: The Grounded Trilogy #1 

by GP Ching

Faith kept her plain. Science made her complicated.

In the near future, an amish girl discovers she's the product of a government experiment gone awry.

In Hemlock Hollow, life isn't easy, but it is simple.  Things in my community haven’t changed much in over three hundred years, since the time my Amish ancestors came to what is now the Green Republic. I milk my cow by hand, make fresh bread every morning, and hope to be courted by Jeremiah, a boy I’ve known since childhood.

When my father falls ill, the English doctor says a hospital outside the wall can heal him. Jeremiah convinces me to go on rumspringa, to experience the outside world as an Englisher in order to be closer to my father during his recovery. Others have gone before me. They claim it’s an adventure. But adventure turns to horror as an ordinary light switch thrusts me into a new world, and revelations about my personal history make me question everything I believe. 

All my life I’ve worked to be simple. I can’t pretend anymore. Nothing about me is simple.

The McCall Initiative, Episodes 1.1 - 1.3 

by Lisa Nowak

What if the Pacific Northwest seceded from the United States? In 2063, it has.

The climate crisis that’s devastated all but the Northwest corner of the U.S. is the only reality Piper Hall has ever known. She doesn’t waste a thought on that, the secession that created Cascadia, or the closed border, erected to keep out climate refugees. With her family impoverished by her father’s death, she’s driven by just one goal—winning a scholarship to college and later med school.

When Piper’s little brother starts talking about poor people vanishing, she’s convinced the stories are just rumors. Then she comes home to an empty house. Branded a criminal and forced into hiding, Piper must fight for her freedom, her family, and her future. But those responsible for the disappearances will stop at nothing to protect their secrets, and the only person who can help might be the very boy whose family has displaced her own.

The McCall Initiative is a story told in serial form. If you’re a fan of edge-of-your-seat dystopian thrillers with a twist of romance, you’ll love Lisa Nowak’s glimpse at a future that’s all too plausible. Great for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Legend.

A first edition copy of Dream Smashers 

by yours truly -- typos and all!

My name is Autumn Spring Winters. Right? What sane person names their kid after not only one season of the year, but three? Well, the last name was inherited, but still. Nobody ever said my mom was in her right mind, though. I often wonder what life would be like if she wasn’t a tweaker. But, you know, that’s just a daydream. Reality is she’s a meth addict. She’s been an addict for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I like to believe her when she says she’s clean. Sometimes, when she’s high, we get along great. Sometimes we even talk. When she’s coming down, though, it’s best to just hide.

My name is Autumn Spring Winters and Dream Smashers is my story. It’s a love story, but most of all, it’s about letting go.

_________________________________

To enter, you have to apparently visit my Facebook page. You don't have to "like" it or anything. I'm cheap and in order to use Rafflecopter for free (Because, let's face it, I'm a starving author--well, not starving because I eat a lot, but you know what I mean), I had to pick the least time consuming step for you to do in order to enter. I could have purchased a membership to give you more options, but we've covered why that isn't happening. So, please use the Rafflecopter below to enter.

I will email the winners in order to allow the choice of book preference.

The giveaway begins on March 18th and ends on April 1st. Winners will be notified the first week of April via email and a mailing address will need to be furnished to mail the book. *US residents only, please*

Thank you, readers! I appreciate you. Good luck! I hope you win the book of your choice. These are some amazing stories by some wonderful authors.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did someone say WEEKEND???

NA (New Adult) Romance type books are all the rage these days. I've only read a small handful, but here are a few that I either found super awesome or that were highly recommended to me that I haven't gotten to yet. Check 'em. They all look sexy to the max, some have age warnings, so beware.

Some awesome reads for your weekend enjoyment:

CROSSING

By Stacey Wallace Benefiel

He stole her lipstick…and her heart.
Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he ends up in her bed. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands. Still, she lets go of her insecurities and falls for Liam, despite feeling like he’s holding something back from her.
When Dani finally discovers Liam’s secret, she must learn the true meaning of accepting the ones we love for who they are, or risk losing the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

****

The Only Exception

Magan Vernon

Fiercely liberal Monica Remy prefers to blend in. Despite her tattoos, piercings, and outspoken personality, she transferred to Central to escape—before she finds out that her next door neighbor is the uber conservative governor’s son, Trey Chapman.

No matter how hard she tries to avoid Trey, he still finds a way to get under her skin. Monica can’t stand his crisp white shirts or his staunch views on women. But she can’t help counting every freckle on his face and wondering what it would feel like to have him stop talking politics and kiss her.

A class debate project forces the unlikely pair to work together, and the political lines are blurred in late-night make out sessions. But despite their fiery chemistry, Trey’s politics threatens to smother their relationship for good.

*****

 

No Attachments

Tiffany King

No Attachments

Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she's not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn't count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.

Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He's done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored--his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.

Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?

*****

 

Enemy Within (Vampire Born Trilogy #2)

Angeline Kace

Two guys who’ve stolen her heart.
Three races and only one of them worthy.
Countless enemies with insatiable bloodlust for power.
Will one girl's curse ultimately save her?

Half-vampire Brooke Keller barely survived the slaying of her worst enemy, only to learn that Zladislov—the world's most powerful vampire, leader of the vampire world, and her father—wants her dead. However, this time, she's not only fighting vampires but a raging monster within her that endangers what's left of her humanity. And when a deadly disease threatens to take her best friend's life, Brooke tries to convince Kaitlynn to accept a monster of her own: becoming a Zao Duh.

As a former slave to the Pijawikas, Mirko is driven to protect the innocent at all costs, but he has never faced a foe more formidable than Zladislov. And when the Commission bears down on Brooke, Mirko finds the stream of enemies runs deeper than he ever imagined.

Five awesome authors. Five books to read.

I'm a little late on these, but I'm super excited to share with you these new books written by talented authors. I've read most of them and loved 'em. The other two are waiting on my Kindle to be read. You should check them ALL out!

Shucked 

by Megg Jensen

Fifteen-year-old Tabitha has had the kind of life that would impress even the greatest adventurers. She's escaped a croc attack in the Amazon, walked the length of the Great Wall of China, and earned a black belt in taekwondo in Korea. She owes her worldly experience to her mother's career in archaeology, but when her mother takes on a dangerous new assignment, Tabitha is devastated to learn she can't tag along.

Instead, she's forced to live on a midwestern farm with her grandparents where she'll have to attend a full year of public school. It's Tabitha's greatest nightmare, because despite all her adventures, she has no practical experience with the one thing that frightens her the most - other teenagers.

Her math teacher is her mom's old high school boyfriend, she can't tell the friendly girls from the mean ones, and she develops a major crush on a boy she knows she can't trust. And just when she thinks she'll never get the hang of this normal teenager thing, an attack brings the danger of her previous life right up to her midwestern porch. Who could have ever guessed that getting totally shucked would bring her face-to-face with her most exciting adventure yet?

Red Line

Book 4 in the Full Throttle Series

by Lisa Nowak

Now that Jess DeLand has escaped her alcoholic mother’s grip, all she wants is a chance to be normal. To hang out with her wisecracking-but-intuitive boyfriend Cody, learn as much she can about restoring cars from her mentor Kasey, and fill in as substitute big sister to Rhett when her friend Teri Sue goes off to college. But when her past crashes headlong into her present, all hopes of normal go spinning off into the weeds. Jess’s attempts to spare her friends—and herself—from the things she’d rather keep hidden, threaten to destroy the new life she’s built. Maybe normal is too much to ask for.

Found

Penny Black Series #1

by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her.

Wyatt Adams is excited and intrigued when his sister Melody assigns him to be Penny’s Lookout. Being the youngest, and hopelessly ordinary in the family that created the New Society, has left Wyatt feeling like he has a lot to prove -- and Penny is a big deal. She’s got abilities that surpass any he’s seen before…and pretty much every quality he looks for in a girlfriend, but no one needs to know about that, especially Penny.

Soul Catcher

The Soulkeeper Series Book 4

by GP Ching

Dane Michaels has been to Hell and back and isn't interested in repeating the experience. But as a human caught up in the Soulkeeper's world, his life isn't exactly his own. No one can explain why Dane was allowed through the gates of Eden, but it's changed everything. Now, the only one who can make him feel safe is Ethan, the telekinetic Soulkeeper with a dark past and a heart of gold.

When Malini asks Dane to be part of a mission to find the last Soulkeeper, Cheveyo, more than one team member thinks she's tempting Fate. But Malini suspects Fate has had a hand in Dane's life for some time and that he could be the key to unraveling Lucifer's latest plan of attack.

Still Nights

A Novella (adults only)

by Jasmine Davis

Being in control of her anger was always an issue for Sam. Violent outbursts followed by amnesia were business as usual, until she was caught dealing drugs and bounced off the force. After that, she sets out to become a new woman—seeks counseling, stops drinking, and becomes a useless piece of crap that sits on the couch all day long. One night, she receives a worrisome call from her ex-lover and mother of her adopted son. She rushes out into a raging storm to locate her. What she finds would scare the shit out of any man or woman, and it lands her in a life threatening predicament.

Fans of American Horror Story will enjoy STILL NIGHTS

FOUND - by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

 

From Stacey Wallace Benefiel, the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, comes a New Adult trilogy set in the Society world.

Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her. *The Penny Black trilogy is a companion to the Zellie Wells trilogy and not a continuation of the series. (It's set 18 years in the future with a new cast of characters.) *Due to language and sexuality, FOUND is recommended for older teens. (Most of the characters are out of high school and preparing for college.) Purchase links: Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo Smashwords Coming soon to the Apple iBook store and in paperback! Haven't read the Zellie Wells trilogy yet? Pick up all three novels together for $6.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and iTunes. Or get the first novel, Glimpse, for FREE at all ebook retailers.  

The Next Big Thing

My friend and fabulous author, Megg Jensen, tagged me in this post last week. I was supposed to post this back then, but time is not my friend. I'm surprised I found some now. :) Since being tagged, I feel the responsibility to pass this along. First, I answer some questions. Second, I suggest five other authors I hope haven't been tagged already.

Here we go!

What is the title of your next book?

Blood Pyre, A Lords of Shifters Novella

Where did the idea come from for the book?

This next book is a continuation of the Lords of Shifters series. I began this series with Loramendi's Story several years ago. It's been changed and rewritten so many times that there really is no single point of origination for the series. For example, Loramendi's Story is no longer the first book in the series, Spider Wars is. It has evolved from thinking, brainstorming, and massaging people. Most of my book ideas come while I'm at work as a massage therapist. Strange, huh?

What genre does your book fall under?

Upper young adult.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

To be honest, I dream big, but I'm not good at planning. Sure, I'd adore it if someday my books are created into beautiful films and all. That would be totally rad! I haven't given much thought as to who would play the characters, though. I'd probably wish for unknown actors, teens just out of or still in high school looking for a break into the industry. Once upon a time, I wanted to be an actor. An opportunity to work in a major film would have been a dream come true.

Will your books be self-published or represented by an agent?

Thus far, my books are all self-published.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I wouldn't. ;)

What or who inspired you to write this book?

This will be the fourth book in the series. It has evolved to this point in the story. Music inspires me. Movies inspire me. Life inspires me.

What else about your book might pique the readers' interest?

I'm doing something different this time around. I usually write the blurb before I write the book. Since the book is in a constant state of change while I'm writing it, the blurb usually ends up having to be changed by the time the book is complete. The blurb for Blood Pyre will be released once it is finished and going through edits. Until then, I have the cover to share with you.

Book cover by Robin Ludwig


And now, five totally awesome authors I think you will enjoy... They may or may not choose to participate. Either way, they rock and you should check them out!

Lisa Nowak
Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Laura A.H. Elliot
Cidney Swanson
Cheri Lasota
Emily Ann Ward
Angeline Kace
Mindi Scott
Craig Hansen
G.P. Ching

I was never good at math. Oh well.

Day of Sacrifice Series: Unfavorable, by S.W. Benefiel

Stacey Wallace Benefiel is pleased to announce the publication of Unfavorable, the sixth and final installment in the Day of Sacrifice series, and the Day of Sacrifice Omnibus, all six stories bundled together in one volume.  Unfavorable and the Day of Sacrifice Omnibus:

 

Each member of the rebellion plays their part in Alexander's plan to kill the Gods. The first step: trusting Alexander.

If you're already familiar with the Day of Sacrifice series and have been waiting for the final installment, here are the buy links: Amazon, Smashwords (BN and Apple coming soon.)

If you're new to the series, you can get the first story, Day of Sacrifice, for free at Amazon, BN, Smashwords, Apple OR get all six Day of Sacrifice stories in one volume!

 

Born to die, a group of Sacrifices and their Guardian Angels band together to kill the Gods and free the world.

You can buy the Day of Sacrifice Omnibus at Amazon and Smashwords. (BN and Apple coming soon.)

Lazy Saturday Mornings Rock

It's raining. It's Saturday. I have the house to myself. And I don't have to work. Can you feel it?

To not cut into any writing time, I'll make this brief by giving you answers to the most heated did-you-knows-?. Click on the covers for more information.

Did you know Land of Corn Chips is FREE on Amazon Kindle? I'm not sure how long this will last (hopefully not too long so I can buy some groceries this month--j/k) so go snatch up your copy today!

Did you know you could win a copy of the much anticipated third book in the Cloud Prophet Trilogy, Severed, by Megg Jensen, simply by asking her a question on her blog before November 10th? Go do it now and get it over with. It's super easy. You'll help her as well as yourself all at once!

Did you know you can get yet another book for free today? Stacey Wallace Benefiel's YA novel, Glimpse, is also FREE on Amazon Kindle. Dudes and dudettes, your weekend entertainment is given to you this week. Awesome!

Now, get a cup of hot chocolate, cozy up to a blanket next to a fire, and enjoy a great story or two.

Cover to Cover

We did it!

I had my first official "author event" this last Saturday at Cover to Cover Books. It was tough for me to speak in front of a group of strangers, but when it was all over, it felt great! It helped that my fellow Rain Boots Required friends were with me. I'm looking forward to the next event this Friday at the West Linn Library. I hope to see some of you there!

From left to right: Rebecca Knight (author of Legacy of the Empress), me!, Stacey Wallace Benefiel (author of the Zellie Wells Trilogy), and Lisa Nowak (author of Running Wide Open).

Forks and Other Stuff Happening

When you hear the word "Forks" what do you think of? The utensil. Choices in life's journey. The town in Washington where vampires and werewolves reside. I want to mention two of those conjured thoughts now.

I recently tested into a nursing school. Apparently my scores were in the top percentile, which surprised me. Well, even though the test said I can go to that school, I'm unable to because of financial reasons. I mean, if we scraped and stressed for the next two years, maybe, a very slight maybe, there would be a chance we could come up with the money. But realistically, I'd get halfway through the program, and I wouldn't be able to pay for the rest. So, it's probably best to go to community college. Sure, it will take triple the time to finish, and it's severely competitive to get into the program once the prerequisites are done, but that's a chance we'll have to take. I'm excited to begin my first class in September. Chemistry. Ooooh. Aaaah. Wish me luck!


And now for the town in Washington where vampires and werewolves reside. Did you know it rains there, like all the time? Ha! Not all the time, but it did rain when we stopped by last Monday. I'm told it was sunny and 70 degrees the day prior and the day following our visit. Figures, eh?

We also visited a beautiful rainforest on our journey north. Of course, it rained there, too.

Now to the other stuff. October is going to be an exciting month. It's always full of awesomeness, but this year will be even greater because I'll be going on tour with three other YA authors, Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Lisa Nowak, and Rebecca Knight. We are in the scheduling venues and thinking up really cool tour name stage, but it's going to be rad! Here are a few of the stops already confirmed:

Cover to Cover Books

WordStock 2011

Beaverton Library

A Children's Place Bookstore

Interzone, Inc.

We are working on finalizing a few other locations, so check back for a list of dates in the near future.


One more thing -- Starting Monday, I'm going on a juice fast. I will most likely be grumpy and irritable the first few days, so if my presence seems sparser than normal on the social networking sites, this is why. The fast will only last about two weeks, and I'll be adding cooked and raw fruits and veggies on the third day, so it won't be so bad.


Another one more thing -- Don't forget that Loramendi's Story went on sale this month! It's still only 99 cents for the ebook on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. The paperback will probably be available on Amazon in the next week or two, too.


Peace out for now! Be safe and healthy!

I should feel busy,

but I don't. There have been some happenings in the works. Yep, happenings. Things that are going to happen.

First happening: I've been asked to participate in an event this weekend called "Art in the Heart." I'll set up my little table to display a stack of books and then sit my bottom in a chair. If you are in the Vancouver area, please come see me! I'll be sitting with some other awesome authors in front of the Angst Gallery.

Second happening: Loramendi's Story will be available for purchase this coming weekend. August 7th to be exact. It has received some lovely reviews thus far.

Third happening: Dream Smashers will be on a blog tour the week of August 8th! The Teen Book Scene has put together this awesome tour. I'll announce the stops this coming weekend.

Fourth happening: I received a letter in the mail last weekend informing me that I've been accepted into nursing school. Woo hoo! I begin this fall.

Fifth happening: Wordstock is just around the corner. I'm sure you read my whine in the previous blog about not being able to participate. That has changed! Although I won't be speaking, I'll be there with a few other fantastic local authors, ready to sign books. More information to come. (I'm really, super elated and hope I get to meet Maggie Stiefvater and Ellen Hopkins.)

Sixth happening: After Wordstock, I'm going on a regional tour with a group of authors including Stacey Wallace Benefiel and Lisa Nowak. I'll share the complete list of authors and dates closer to October.

A lot of happenings right there. How does all this make me feel? Happy, elated, stoked, nervous, scared...


I hope you'll stay with me for the ride! It should be pretty wild. :)

(Someday) Famous YA Author -- Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Last month I read GLIMPSE, a super-cool YA novel by Stacey Wallace Benefiel--the first novel in the Zellie Wells Trilogy. A definite great read. Today, we have Stacey on the blog to participate in the (Someday) Famous YA Author series. Yay us!

Here we go--Q and A style!

Question: I loved reading "Glimpse" and I'm just about ready to read the second book in the Zellie Wells Trilogy "Glimmer." I better hurry because book three will be out this summer. How exciting! Tell us a little about the series and what inspired you to write it.

Answer:  The Zellie Wells Trilogy is about a pastor's daughter with psychic powers. That's the core of it. My sister and the show Roswell are what inspired me to write Glimpse. We were both big Roswell fans and when the show ended, my sister encouraged me to try to write something like it. I didn't want to write about aliens and I was afraid of messing up the lore of vampires or faeries or anything like that. So, I made up my own powers and applied them to a girl who was very much how I was when I was young.

Question: Zellie comes from a Christian family and goes to church. Have you had much criticism for bringing religion into the stories?

Answer:  I grew up in a religious household and went to church three times a week. Many of my friends went to my church and it was a large part of my social life. What I wanted to convey in the books was that someone, even a pastor's daughter, could both be a regular teenager and a Christian. And then I threw in some powers that seriously messed with both of those sides of Zellie. I haven't had any criticism for bringing religion into the stories. Most of the criticism I get is about the sexuality in the books and I think this is moreso because Zellie is a pastor's daughter. Again, my aim is to make her a regular, well-rounded teenager and it's been my experience that crushing on boys in Youth Group is just the same as crushing on a boy in your English class.

Question:  What are your plans after Zellie's story is finished? Will you continue writing YA?

Answer:  I actually never set out to write YA. When I wrote the first draft of Glimpse in 2005, I didn't really know what YA was. Glimpse started out as a Family Saga, but through many editing suggestions from prospective agents and publisher's, it became YA. I think a better term for what I write is Crossover. My books are for older teens and beyond. I do have more plans to write within the Zellie world - Ben, a character introduced in Glimmer is getting his own spin-off. I don't, however, know if I will write what other people consider to be YA. I think I maybe broke a few too many YA rules. :)

Question:  How long have you lived in the Pacific NW and what do you love best about living here?

Answer:  I moved to the Pacific NW in 1993 to attend U of O in Eugene. I lived there for four years and then moved up to Portland for a little less than a year. I did a four year stint in Los Angeles and then moved back up to the Portland area in 2002. I love a lot of things about living here. I like rain. No. I really do. I'm one of those people that gets sunburnt from being outside for five minutes. I love being able to go to the beach, the mountains, the desert or the city all within less than a day's drive. What I enjoy most about the Pacific NW is that I feel like I belong here more than I ever felt like I belonged in Missouri. I was a weirdo in Missouri. Here, I'm pretty normal. :)

I interrupt this wonderful Q and A dialogue (are you surprised?) to say that OMG! I ♥ this answer! Rain is AWESOME and I'm so happy we have the same outlook on this subject. As many know, I love similarities and we are totally similar now! The Pacific NW Rocks. There is no such thing as weird here. Have you watched Portlandia? Exactly. Okay, I'm done. Back to the Q and A. 

Question:  Why is your house orange on purpose if your favorite color is green?

Answer: An excellent question with an easy answer. Our neighbors painted their house green about two weeks before we were going to paint ours. Orange is my second favorite color. Now, the neighbors house is painted this weird eggplant brown color and totally clashes with ours. The orange paint job still looks good, though, and it was really hard work painting a whole house, so it's gonna have to clash for a few more years.

Thanks for the interview! Fun questions! 

ORANGE and GREEN are totally cool. You should invite me over and we can paint green and orange rainbows on the sidewalks. :) I'm going to crack open my Kindle to read Glimmer now to find out more about this Ben character. Is he that one guy who did that one thing during that one part in Glimpse? Do we ever get to see that guy again?

Thank you, Stacey, for participating in the interview. And thank you, the readers, for checking us out.

For links to Stacey's Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook and to purchase her books, please visit her website: http://staceywallacebenefiel.com/