Raif and Me: Part 4

It's back around to me again.

I've been working with my two friends, Kelly Martin and Wendy Knight, on a pass-around writing experiment. And this story has definitely taken some surprising turns already.

Need to catch up?
Read Part One here.
Part Two here.
Part Three here.

And without further ado, Part Four:

I knew I couldn’t. No matter what the Cooperation said. Not with him this close. Not with the memory fresh in my mind.

“They want you back, Raif.” I whispered it, but I knew they were listening. “They aren’t too particular about how they get you.”

His eyes betrayed no emotion.

“Why now?” It came out a growl that reverberated deep in my own soul. “Six years, Tabitha. That’s how long you’ve been watching me. Why now?”

“I-I-I don’t know.”

He stepped closer.

I couldn’t breathe. I could only stare into his eyes and hope he heard the things I couldn’t say. Not with the Cooperation listening. And shouting. So much shouting.

I knew they were sending back up. I had failed in my task. But I didn't care. I was under Raif's spell. Exactly where I'd wanted to be since the last time he'd held me.

His breath was warm on my forehead. He lifted his hand slowly to my face. I closed my eyes in anticipation of the familiar touch.

The touch I had craved for the last six years.

But it wasn’t familiar.

Instead of the velvet warmth I remembered, the cold distant texture of a black leather glove caressed my cheek. Raif gingerly pushed my hair behind my ear. My eyes shot open the moment I knew, but it was too late. He ripped out the earpiece by its roots before I could react, sending me spiraling into darkness.

I heard a blood curdling scream, then just as I fell into the thick haze of black silence, a whisper that sent a jolt down my spine.

“I’m sorry, my love, but justice will be served.”

Stay tuned for Part Five, coming next week from Wendy Knight.

Raif and Me: Part 1 — a Pass-Around Writing Experiment

Just for fun, two of my friends (Kelly Martin and Wendy Knight) and I have decided to do a pass-around story. I'm starting it off with the section below, and each of them will take a turn picking up where the person before them left off and just take the story where it leads them.

Without further ado, I offer you the first installment of Raif and Me — a Pass-Around Writing Experiment.

Raif Michaelson's routine never changed. On Mondays, he left the house at 8:07 and walked three blocks to the bus stop on the corner of Elm and 17th. He sat with his backpack hugged tightly to his chest and waited exactly six minutes for Bus #12 to arrive. When he boarded the bus, he sat close to the window in the third seat back on the left hand side. Then he read twelve pages in Plato's Republic.

The same twelve pages every Monday.

At the bust stop at 35th and Longfellow, Raif disembarked and walked 132 steps to the Walker Building, entered through the middle doors, stopped and sanitized his hands at Sanitizing Station 4, then disappeared around the corner to the right.

He reappeared at precisely 4:12 in the afternoon, repeated his hand sanitization at Station 4, opened Plato's Republic, and left the building through the single door on the left, walked 137 steps to the bus stop at 35th and Longfellow without looking up from his book once.

Bus #71 arrived nine minutes later. He read fifteen pages in his book — the same fifteen pages every Monday — and was dropped off three blocks from his house at 5:03 P.M.

That's just Monday, but I can tell you that the only thing that changed from day to day, Mondays through Fridays was the pages that Raif Michaelson read in Plato's Republic.

On Saturdays and Sundays he never emerges from his house.

How do I know? That's your next question.

I'm Tabitha Charles. Some might call me a stalker. I prefer to think  of myself as a Raif-ologist.

For the last six years, I have lived and breathed Raif Michaelson. Call it an obsession if you'd like. I've studied him intently. Every move he makes. And what I've found is unwavering predictability.

That's why when Raif Michaelson, dressed all in black, emerged from his house at 7:07 P.M. on Friday, October 31st, I was completely taken by surprise.

I can't wait to see what the next installment holds!

Some time in the next week, Wendy Knight will add her part, continuing the saga. Please look for it on her blog at www.wendyknightauthor.blogspot.com.

The Mythology Files: Aphrodite

I am Aphrodite.

I see you staring. Go ahead. Stare. You’ll never see anything this hot again as long as you live. That’s a fact. Carve it into stone, baby.

Oh wait! Been done.

Venus de Milo ring any bells?

Speaking of ringing bells… Alexandros of Antioch, the sculptor… well, I’m not really a girl who kisses and tells… What am I saying? I totally posed for that statue. He was never very good at carving hands.

You wonder why I can do that. Don’t you? Be unfaithful to the husband I was given to? Hephaestus. The god of fire and metalcraft. One of the strongest of the gods, if you ask me. He is also the kindest. I don’t deserve him.

And he doesn’t deserve me.

I have a reputation to maintain. Love and beauty.

You think I’m vain.

It’s okay. I know what the other goddesses say about me. That I’m vain and I have a one track mind. The gods, on the other hand, say… other things.

The truth is I’m lost.

I don’t know where I came from or how I got here.

The others — they all have a history, a lineage. They can trace their ancestry back to Gaea, the Great Mother.

What’s my story?

I floated up on the shores of Olympus on the foam of the sea. That’s it.

No mother or father. Nothing.

So why did they accept me as one of them?

Because I’m beautiful.

It’s all I’ve got. It’s all they see. I lose that one thing, and I will shrink back into oblivion, return to wherever it was that I came from.

Hephaestus doesn’t deserve the kind of baggage I bring. He is a gentle, sweet, giving soul. All I know how to do is take. I know it sounds heartless, but if I stop now, I will lose everything.

So to concede the apple to any other goddess? Yes, even to the queen… I can’t risk it.

NEW RELEASE: from Wendy Knight ~ Warrior Everlasting

Fighting alongside the boy you shouldn't love is hard enough. Doing it while riding a unicorn who would gleefully fly to her death with you on her back is worse. What makes it insane?

Doing it in hell.

Scout and her unicorn, Ashra, risked everything just to make it into Aptavaras. Their plan is to free Scout’s family and the stolen souls, and seek vengeance on the man who took everything Ashra had once lived for. What they hadn’t counted on was Trey and his unicorn, Torz, following them.

It might be the only thing that will save them.

Because in Aptavaras, the soul stealers are many and the chances of survival are slim. Even if they can get past the demons, trick the demon master, rescue the souls and escape with their lives, there’s only one person who can open the gate, and he’s on the outside defending the world. But Scout, Trey, Ashra and Torz have one thing the soul stealers don’t—

A reason to live.

NEW RELEASE: from Kelly Martin ~ Hindsight: Out of the Blue

Hindsight #1: Out of the Blue

Kelly Martin

This novella is the first in a three part series.

Start at the beginning...
You want to know how it all began.
How I fell for her? How I started to love...?
You want to know how I met Oliver Weston. How I grew to hate him? Why I did what I did?
You want to know how it all began?
Because every story has a beginning, doesn't it?
Even mine.
Especially mine.
I loved her. I still do.
And I hated him. Still do.
So this is it. The start. My 'in the beginning'.
This is how an average guy from Oklahoma ended up here... talking to you.
It all started innocently enough. I needed a place to live. Jordan needed a roommate.
It hit me out of the blue.
I only wish it had ended differently.
But we will get to that later.
Start at the beginning... are you sure you are ready?

Excerpt

I should have followed my gut instincts. We would have all been happier. I know I would have been. I would probably be with her right now. Not talking to you…

No offense. You are great and it’s helping… I’m going to get back to the story now before I put my foot in my mouth some more.

Okay, so I walked up the stairs, well, limped if you want the correct word. Limped because my knee was killing me from all the walking on campus and the God-forsaken stairs.

God-forsaken. Let’s go off on that tangent for a second. See, Sheriff Rivers asked me if I believed in God. If I was a church-going man. And I answered him yes. Yes, I was… actually I said my father was a preacher which basically means the same thing. I went to church. I believed in God. I was saved at a very young age. You need to know all of that before we go on with this story. You need to know that I prayed and I had every faith that everything would turn out okay.

Here’s the sixty-four thousand dollar question… do I believe in God now? Three months later? I guess we’ll have to get to that part, won’t we?

I didn’t have any of these thoughts as I climbed up the stairs. I did, however, remember just as I got to the landing on J’s floor that she had been mad at me. And I wondered, for a split second, if she still was. I didn’t have to wait long.

A shoe.

A SHOE.

A red shoe.

A red high heeled shoe.

Flew past my head.

I had to do this really cool Matrix move to keep the stiletto from impaling my eyeball.

Yep. Still mad.

I had a choice. Go up the stairs and sulk or go talk to the girl. Maybe apologize. I wish I could say it was an easy decision. A deadly object had been thrown at my head after all, but I decided I’d take the high road for once in my life and go apologize to her.

Didn’t mean that I went in all confident, though. I have to say, I kept my hands up and sort of shuffled into the room. I mean, I knew enough to know that shoes came in pairs. Only one had zipped by my head. She had another one in there somewhere.

Author Bio

Kelly Martin is the author of epic reads that you, your teen, and your Grandma Fannie can all enjoy together. She has been on several Amazon best seller lists... has won awards... and occasionally sleep (if she can ever get past that one level of Candy Crush... sigh)

She loves God, chocolate, Sleepy Hollow, and useless trivia.

Believes in Sherlock Holmes. (Seriously, a total fan girl!!!)

A list of her books

Crossing the Deep

Saint Sloan

Big is Beautiful: A Love Story

The Deception of Devin Miller

The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe

Saving Sloan (Saint Sloan Sequel)

Hindsight: Out of the Blue (Part 1)

Coming in June: Hindsight: The Black Heart (2)

In progress: Betraying Ever After: A Shattered Fairy Tale

Buy links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hindsight-Out-Blue-Kelly-Martin-ebook/dp/B00JMSPVBE/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398532431&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=hindight+out+of+the+blue

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hindsight-kelly-martin/1119209535?ean=2940149546688

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432099

The Mythology Files: Athena

I am Athena.

Goddess of wisdom, that’s my official title — though there are a plethora of other subjects that fall under the umbrella of my authority.

War strategy.

Arts and crafts.

Justice.

The list goes on.

I know you’re wondering why I’m here. It’s a fair question. One I have asked myself many times. Ordinarily, I don’t go in for this whole thing. Beauty, drama… the thought alone repulses me. So I understand your confusion. You would think my wisdom should have precluded me from getting involved.

I had a momentary lapse in judgment. That is all. And now I can’t seem to undo it.

I’m sure you’ll find this hard to believe, but I occasionally have fits of temper. I’m not proud of it. In fact, pride is actually my pet peeve, hence the rage.

You’ve heard of spiders? That is an example of my handiwork. True, they are amazing creatures, capable of intricate and beautiful weaving (one of my fortes), but the fact is spiders are a product of my temper… Of course, in that particular case, it was righteous indignation. Most of my fits of temper fall into that category.

Medusa? Yeah, another victim of my indignation. Well, I say victim, but really she brought it on herself. She and Arachne both. Two peas in a hubris-infected pod.

My mother is a Titaness, Metis, the goddess of prudence. She had a momentary lapse in judgment at one point which led to my birth taking place inside my father’s head.

Yes.

You heard me correctly.

In. Side. Zeus’s. Head.

Of course, it hurt him more than it hurt me. I can’t imagine having my head split open by Hephaestus’s axe. But when all was said and done, I emerged from my father’s skull the fully grown goddess you see now.

Zeus has momentary lapses in judgment all the time. None of us are immune. It’s just that with wisdom being my strong suit, you would think I would be a somewhat less susceptible. Discernment is my first nature after all.

Case in point, I’m a virgin.

Before you start jumping to conclusions, understand. That’s by choice.

No matter what anyone tells you, casual sex is an entanglement that offers only trouble and heartache. You can trust me on this one. But in case you need proof, just look at the problems Aphrodite has. And Zeus. It honestly gives me a headache just thinking about it.

It’s not that I’m against love, mind you. I just happen to believe that I deserve a god (or man) who doesn’t make me share him with any other goddess or woman he takes a fancy to.

Until that one comes along, abstinence is the wise choice.

So why do I care who wins the golden apple?

It’s obviously not for the sex appeal. But there is a logical explanation.

I don’t like pride.

You can look at my track record for evidence of that. And when I find it in mortals, I punish them. Severely.

In immortals, pride comes in epic proportions. Unfortunately, I can’t just turn them into insects. If I could, Aphrodite would have been morphed into one of those nasty lovebugs long, long ago. She’s worse than Narcissus. And that is saying something.

Pride makes people, mortal and immortal alike, stupid. And as the goddess of wisdom, stupidity is something I simply cannot abide.

Aphrodite is getting far too big for her britches, to coin a modern phrase. And Hera, well, I know she means well, but this whole I’m the queen prima donna attitude has reached critical mass.

This is why I must win the golden apple. I’m the only one who can absorb the compliment and not have it go straight to my head. I’m doing this for the good of everyone.

The Mythology Files: Eris

I am Eris.

The Spirit of Strife.

Not a goddess, as some of you may have thought. Just a spirit. And as the title implies, my whole goal in life — my entire reason for existing — is to stir up dissension. I would say it makes me happy — a room full of fussing people — but that would be a lie. After all, I am the Spirit of Strife. By definition, I don’t cause happiness for anyone. Including myself.

My main companions are Pain and Panic, also spirits in their own right. You can probably tell just by hearing the names that they aren’t the best company. You would think that our commonalities would make us like peas and carrots. But how can it? I am strife.

The gods and goddesses can’t stand to have my trio around most of the time, though on occasion they’ll tolerate us if it suits their purposes. Except for Ares. He has a soft spot for all three of us. Mostly because his purposes involve starting war where there used to be peace.

Funny how you never hear about the Spirit of Peace. I know I’ve never met her. Whoever she is. I think she likes to keep to herself. I know I would, if I were her.

Regardless if she actually exists, you know she ain’t gonna be beating down the door to meet me. We’d be arch-rivals. And Peace doesn’t want any part of this, let me tell you.

I would win. Plain and simple.

I fight dirty.

And let’s face it. The irony here is if Peace fights with me, I’ve already won.

I know I sound bitter. And probably irritable. You may as well know now, it’s like perma-PMS up in here. A real joy to be me.

You gotta understand how it is.

It’s a nasty job. But somebody has to do it.

But sometimes?

Sometimes…

I wish it could just be somebody else.

~from DISCORD, the Mythology Files (in progress)~

Spotlight: Wendy Knight

Astraea Press is celebrating their first cover reveal; Wendy Knight's Fate on Fire novella, Feudlings in Sight! Available Thursday on Astraea Press, Amazon, and all other major ebook retailers!

Blurb:
Boys of war suck at romance.

Charity Delyle has lived in the shadow of her Prodigy cousin and his powerful Guard since the day she was born. And she doesn’t mind—really. Except that being in Hunter’s shadow means that he can’t see her. And she’d like that to change.

Hunter has one purpose in life: Protect the Prodigy, or die trying. That means a social life, school, and even Charity come last until the war is over. For the most part, he’s okay with that—he can lose everything if he has to…except his seer.

Starting at a new school should be much safer than living in a war-ravaged Carules headquarters. But this new school is different than the others. Friendships are forged and destinies are questioned, and Hunter’s decision could cost them all everything they’ve been hoping for.


Excerpt:
“Okay, do you want to practice the ones we learned last week or just start new ones?” She had carefully color-coded the spell book with sticky tabs — spells they had mastered, spells they had practiced, spells that would come in handy one day — she was very organized. And if the Council ever found out she put sticky tabs in a book that was over three hundred years old, they would kill her completely dead.

“Learn as much as you can, Shane. Gonna be hard to find a place to practice in the mountains of Utah, surrounded by Normals.” Hunter idly traced spells in the air, letting them fizzle and die without igniting them.

“Well, alright.” Charity flipped to the red section — spells that would come in handy one day. She started at the top. “This one is called an Al-able.” The odd word rolled awkwardly off her tongue. “It’s like… it looks like it’s sort of a flat triangle of flames.”

Friday Favorite: Feudlings

Feudlings

by Wendy Knight

This is the first book in the series. I believe the next one is due to come out on August 1st. I so can't wait! Of all the books I've read so far this summer, I LOVE this one the most. And I don't typically go in for this genre, so yeah, that's saying something. Definitely a HUGE recommend on this one!

Here's the blurb:

Nothing makes a new school suck worse than discovering the guy you’re in love with is your prophesied nemesis.

Ari is the most powerful flame-throwing sorceress ever, and her people’s last hope in an ancient war. But she’s also a seventeen-year-old girl, and in her free, not-hunting-nemesis times, she jumps from school to school, trying to figure out regular people her own age and pretending she’ll get the chance to graduate.

Shane lives a double life. He goes to school and masters the art of popularity, hiding the fact that he has a fate with a slim chance of his survival. He’s destined to end a 300 year-old war by killing or being killed. He knows he’s hunted by a powerful enemy who’s not afraid to die. Only problem? He has no idea who that enemy is.

When Ari shows up at Shane’s school, angry and sullen and determined to keep him at arm’s reach, neither of them realize they are supposed to be killing each other, not falling in love. Until Ari does realize it, and she almost dies – by Shane’s hand.

Here's where you can get it:

Amazon                      Barnes & Noble                    Astraea Press

Also available pretty much anywhere ebooks are sold, so if you don't see your preferred retailer above, you're still not out of luck. :) Plus, you can get it in paperback too!

If you're intrigued and want to know more about the Feudlings series or get updates about the new releases, check out the Wendy Knight's Facebook page.

Spotlight: Welcome Bestselling Author Kelly Martin!

Excited Nervousness—AKA my First Book Signing

There are a lot of firsts in life: Your first kiss, first day at work, first child…

But there is one ‘first’ that has my attention at this moment.

My first book signing!

Dun… Dun… Dun…

I figured if I wrote about my nervousness then it might help. It couldn’t hurt, right? No matter your location on the writer timeline, there are events that scare you.

•             First draft written

•             First time querying an agent

•             First rejection

•             First contract

•             First review

•             First bad review ;)

I’ve been through all of those — safely behind my computer screen. (You guys haven’t been able to see my tears, right?)

But in public is different. Public people have eyes trained on you.

‘What if’ no one shows up?

‘What if’ lots of people do and I don’t have enough books?

‘What if’ I say something stupid?

‘What if’ I sit there and look like an idiot for two hours?

‘What if’ more people come than I think?

‘What if’ I’m not ‘professional’ enough (aka have enough ‘swag’ to giveaway or a not nice enough table covering. What? You don’t think like that?)

‘What if’

Two words I should ban from my vocabulary

Just like my first kiss, my first day on the job, and my first child (whose birthday is Friday, btw. She’ll be eight! I’m not sure when that happened.), this first will come and go as well.

I’ll learn from it.

I’ll take pictures.

I’ll smile.

And hopefully…  hopefully, I don’t drag as many books out as I’m dragging in.

Plus, it’s at a restaurant. Maybe I’ll get some food out of it as well (one can always hope)

Is something scaring you? Are you freaking out over whatever step you are at in your writing life? I’m right there with you. Not only am I having my first book signing, but I’m self publishing my first book (my third book released, first I’m self publishing). It’s scary. But it’s a good scary.

This writing thing is supposed to be fun. Remember the first words you wrote? They were fun. The first draft of your first book… Fun. Don’t let the worry take your fun away. Writing is creative. It’s exciting. And never boring (and if it is, just throw a serial killer in your story and keep right on going ;) )

SO, in conclusion, wherever you are in your writing life, enjoy it. Don’t let the ‘what if’s keep you down. It’s an exiting process. Enjoy it…

Says the girl who having her first book signing Sunday. (Okay, that is pretty cool)

Kelly Martin a southern girl who writes... a lot. She is the author of SAINT SLOAN and Grace Award winning, CROSSING THE DEEP. By day, she is a special education preschool teacher. By night, she has her hair in a bun and her fingers on a keyboard. She loves God, is addicted to chocolate, and would rather write than sleep. Kelly loves a good mystery and believes in Sherlock Holmes.

You can find her at kellymartinbooks.blogspot.com

She's also on twitter: twitter.com/martieKay

And on facebook: Kelly Martin, Author

UP NEXT:

THE DECEPTION OF DEVIN MILLER (July 23rd, 2013)

Amnesia took her memories. He took her heart. Who would you trust if you didn't know anyone, but they all knew you?

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...

FROM THE COVER: 

Gryff’s orders lay unopened on the table.

The silent tension caused Gem to bite her lip. She tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear and shifted uneasily in the chair. Wide-eyed, Gryff sat stiffly beside her, regarding the envelope. He was like a statue—hands on his knees—staring interminably at the table.

Finally, Gem cleared her throat. Gryff jolted as if in a daze and turned to look at her. A look of uncertainty hung in his eyes. She swallowed the dry, sticky taste in her mouth and reached for his hand. It felt cold…clammy. Gem could feel the faint tremor of his fear radiating through his fingers. She took Gryff's hand between her own and squeezed, trying to infuse heat and reassurance at the same time.

"Sometimes they come back," Gem's voice was barely a whisper. It was a feeble attempt, but she was grasping at straws here.

Everyone knows.

They don't come back. Never whole, anyway.

Merry Christmas to Tracy H., the recipient of the Fifth Day of Christmas giveaway!

****

Interested in this giveaway? Leave me a comment below, and I will draw the winner at midnight. I'll post the winner's name with tomorrow's giveaway. Be sure to come back for more chances to win during the 12 days of Christmas!

Spotlight: Samantha Combs

Welcome, Samantha Combs, author of the new release Waterdancer! Thanks for joining me today, so honored to be helping you celebrate your newest release!

What inspired you to write this book?

It was actually an idea from one of my kids.  The best ideas I get come from them going, “Hey, Mom, what if... (fill in the blank)…”  My daughter asked me wouldn’t it be cool if she could breathe underwater.  I told her she would need to be a fish.  She asked, “Like a mermaid?”  My son busted in with, “No, a sea creature.  That’s way cooler than a stupid mermaid.”  That’s all it took.

Kids really do have good imaginations. Mine are constantly offering ideas for stories too!

How did you come up with the title?

Same conversation with my kids.  Daughter: If I was a mermaid I would dance in the water all day long and twirl my pretty green tail around.

I love the title! She did well on that one!

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

I don’t usually do “message” books on purpose, but if this one has one, it’s that love can help you move mountains if it’s true and real.

What are your current projects?

I’m writing a YA contemporary and also a new YA paranormal, on the dystopian side.  I am also shopping my newest book, a dark YA paranormal called The Deadlies.  A group of Southern girls at an antebellum prep academy become possessed by the demons of the seven deadly sins.  And only one girl can save them.  Only she doesn’t know it yet.

That is an intriguing premise—sounds really creepy!

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The business of writing is challenging.  Writing is awesome.  Marketing, production, pimping… not so much.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

It may seem cliché, but I have always loved Stephen King.  He has a way of introducing you to the paranormal, the supernatural and extraordinary in such an ordinary way.  He takes you by the hand and leads you into the weird and odd casually, and long before you realize where you are going.  By then, it’s too late to leave.

From the Back Cover:

As if high school isn’t hard enough, try being Bailey Wasserman.  Try being the new girl in town, navigating a touchy relationship with your flighty mom’s rich new husband in a brand new town he’s just moved you to.  Add to that finding out that your father, a semi-pro surfer who’s just mysteriously re-entered your life after nearly fifteen years of silence, is half sea-creature and you’re about to inherit that particular gene on your sixteenth birthday which is only a few days away, all after you just met the cutest surfer boy you’ve ever seen in your life.

Bailey feels she and her mom have always met life’s challenges as a team of two, more like best friends than mother and daughter.  But her mom’s recent marriage has changed all that.  Having her little brother Landry is all Bailey can find good about that union.  The move to wealthy Del Mar from their humble beginnings has turned Bailey sour, until a chance meeting of surf hottie Jack West changes all that.  Then, when her father reenters her life, with his annoying Zen-surfer lingo and a talking turtle he claims is her spirit guardian, no less, he threatens the only relationship Bailey thinks is working in her world. She soon finds out that’s not all his arrival will do.  His presence and their shared family trait could ultimately force Bailey to make a decision that will alter the course of her own life and those she loves… forever.

Waterdancer is available from these booksellers:

Amazon                              Barnes & Noble                              Musa Publishing

Want more information about Samantha Combs’s available titles? Check out her website!

Spotlight: J. Andersen

J. Andersen

author of At What Cost

It is my pleasure to host J. Andersen today. I've been reading her recently released book, At What Cost, and started to think I'd like to know a little more about the author and her inspiration for the story. For those of you who haven't read it yet, I'm a little ways into it and am loving it. J. Andersen is a talented writer, and she graciously consented to answer a few of my questions.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Abortion has always been an issue on my heart, so when I started praying about a topic for a book I felt compelled to write, abortion came to mind. At first, I resisted. I didn’t think I was qualified enough to write something of that nature, but I was given a lot of resources along the way.

As for writing a book itself, I was reading a ton of what my students were reading. I fell in love with YA and kept thinking that I could write something like what I was reading…so I did. J

One of the fringe benefits of being a secondary English teacher! Love it!

How did you come up with the title?
I didn’t.  I’m great with chapter titles, but I couldn’t think of a title to save my life. It had a bunch of different names, none of which worked until one of my former students, Rachael, gave me “At What Cost.” The funny thing is, she doesn’t remember this. J

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

That there’s always another option. I think people tend to jump into decisions based on which one would cause the less pain or which one would be the easiest in the long run, but that’s not always the best choice. Sometimes, going through the hard stuff makes us better people.

That is a very important lesson to learn. Your character had to make a grown up decision but only had the experience of her youth. But I totally agree with you, adversity builds character.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I always think so when I’m not looking at the manuscript, but every time I was given the chance to change stuff during the editing process, I’d look at it, expecting to change all sorts of stuff, but I’d end up not changing a thing. Maybe some wording here or there, but I think the story is really where I want it to be.

That's a great feeling as a writer. And what you ended up with is amazing!

What are your current projects?

I’m working on one called THE UNVIABLES. Actually, I’m working on the second in a series of THE UNVIABLES, but the second doesn’t have a title yet. It’s a YA dystopian. In the first story, Kate—who’s studying to be a creation specialist—discovers that The Institute where she lives and works is breeding humans with unapproved DNA, which means the biological parents have no idea they have children. If something doesn’t go quite right, the fetuses are disposed of. Add in a sexy lab partner and a bunch of rebels from the hidden community trying to take down The Institute and you have the ingredients for chaos.

These sound awesome. So much could happen in a plot like that.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Plotting the rough draft. I’m working on a book right now and I find myself procrastinating all the time. When I do write, I’ll write a sentence or a paragraph before I’m distracted. Once I have my rough draft, I’m golden. I excel at tweaking, editing and revising.

You sound a lot like me. Maybe it's another fringe benefit of being an English teacher. We do tend to spend a lot of time tweaking and editing and revising... occupational hazard. ;)

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I think Laurie Halse Anderson would be among my favorites. Her work is so real and she doesn’t shy away from tough topics. She presents them in a way that is approachable for the average teenager and gives those who’ve been through similar experiences something/someone to identify with.

Thanks for hanging out with me today, J. Andersen! I enjoyed getting to know more about the author behind the book. Want to find out more? You can check out J. Andersen's website, like her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

Now here's a little more about At What Cost:

During her junior year, sixteen-year-old Maggie Reynolds expected to shop for prom dresses not maternity clothes. Now, instead of studying for the SATs, she’s reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Maggie’s ‘Mother Dearest’ lives in fear that Maggie will somehow taint the family name, so Maggie can’t turn to her for help. Meanwhile, her father is oblivious to anything but his 9-9 job. And her boyfriend, Justin?  She’s pretty sure he’ll stay by her side.

While Maggie wrestles with her options, Justin offers a solution: abortion. It would solve all her problems quickly, easily, and effectively. And her parents would never know, which means they won’t throw her out and cut her off like they’d always threatened if she got herself knocked up. But an easy decision becomes difficult when Maggie’s aunt discovers her secret and sets out on a mission to stop the abortion, putting a kink in Maggie’s plan. Now Maggie must decide which choice she can live with: abortion or teenage motherhood. Either way, it’ll be a tough road to travel.

Interested? You can pick up your copy from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or Astraea Press for only $2.99. Check it out!

As another special treat, here is an extended excerpt from the book (Thanks, J. Andersen!):

“You’re pregnant?” It was a harsh half statement, half question punctuated with clenched teeth.

“Wha—?” Maggie was too shocked to realize what had happened, but when she looked back to where she stood, she spotted a sheepish looking Lauren mouthing the words, “I’m sorry.”

“Ugh.”

“Well, are you?” His grip on her tightened.

“Justin, you’re hurting my arm.”

He let go and motioned for her to sit with a quick thrust of his hand toward the table, but his eyes revealed his anger. He was furious, but then she saw a hint of fear hidden behind his golden irises. In those moments, she was five years old again, the day she’d broken her mother’s favorite vase. Her mother had loomed over her, drilling her for information. Pointed and yelled. This time, it was Justin.

“Are you, or aren’t you?” His eyes crinkled, his brow furrowed, and a deep crease appeared on his forehead. Trying to control his reactions proved to be impossible, and soon, his leg bounced under the table, and he wiped the nervous sweat on his palms off on his jeans.

This still wasn’t the place to talk. The cement walls of the school were beginning to feel like a jail cell; anywhere she went, Maggie felt trapped.

“Can we talk about this after school?” Maggie said, trying to be assertive.

His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. “No, we can’t. If you’re pregnant, I need to know.”

This wasn’t how she had pictured it. She was supposed to plan the conversation and the place. Definitely not in the corner of the cafeteria with people walking by who might hear her secret, a secret she hadn’t decided how to handle. Thank you so much, Lauren!

Justin grabbed her wrists from across the table. “Maggie, it’s a simple yes or no question. Are. You. Pregnant?”

She could feel the rage rolling off him in waves, and she knew stalling was not an option.

“Yes.”

The silence grew louder, and Justin didn’t move. He stared at her, his eyes shifting across her eyes in a quick staccato. She didn’t know she could feel so uncomfortable, so she tried to ease that discomfort by looking away. When she met his gaze again, he glared at her, not saying a word. He never spoke. Not when he let go of her wrists, not when he got up from the seat across from her, not when he left the room.

Not a single word.