Blue Book Weekend: Interview with Angie Frazier + Swag Giveaway (signed)

Hi guys, a few days ago, me and my friend Kirthi from Pages noticed that there are lots of Blue Books. And I thought of featuring them at our blogs in a feature called Blue Book Weekend. This week, I'm going to be interviewing the author of upcoming Everlasting, Angie Frazier!

Let's start with the favorites. Favorite book?  ETHAN FROME by Edith Wharton

Favorite author? Jane Austen

Favorite movie?

It’s a tie! “Far and Away” with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman and “The Last of the Mohicans” with Daniel Day Lewis.

Favorite among the characters of Everlasting and why?

I’d have to say Ira Beam is my favorite character. He’s the Australian conman who befriends Camille and Oscar, and he was so much fun to create. He’s handsome and funny and such a rogue…I have a soft spot for Ira!

Favorite scene in Everlasting?

Oh, that’s a tough one to talk about without giving some spoilers away! But it involves Camille and Oscar and lots of romantic tension.

Okay, now to the more serious part. When did you start writing?

I was writing stories as soon as I knew how to sound out words and write. My mother recently gave me one of my earlier works: folded construction paper booklets, stapled together with crayon drawings and voice bubbles…in one bubble, I was saying how there were “stories were in my head.”

How long did it take for you to finish the draft of Everlasting?

Well, the first draft of Everlasting took only a few months to write, but that version of the book is gone now. Over the next 6 years I changed pretty much everything, except the characters and the setting. The entire plot is different than the first draft—and that is definitely for the best!

What inspired you to start writing Everlasting?

Mostly, it was just the need to write something fictional after spending four years in college as a journalism major and writing news stories for the campus paper. I knew I didn’t want to write for magazines the rest of my life. I wanted to be a novelist, and so I used the vintage travel posters on the ceiling of a cottage I was renting as inspiration. They were for exotic locations all over the world, including Australia, and I went from there.

Was there a part of the novel that was hard to write?

Overall, the romance was the toughest part to write. Initially, I wasn’t comfortable—writing romance was way out of my comfort zone. But I’m really happy I did it, and am kind of addicted to romance now.

How does your mood affect your writing?

It doesn’t really. When I sit down to write, I leave everything in my life behind and fully submerge myself in my characters’ worlds. It’s a little magical to have that escape. The only time writing is impossible for me is when I’m truly exhausted or sick.

Is it important that you are in an ambience that you like when you write? If yes, why?

Absolutely! I need total silence and I need to be alone. Writing in coffee shops and libraries doesn’t usually work for me because I usually find myself “people watching” instead of writing. During the summer I love sitting outside and writing. I feel much more creative outdoors for some reason.

Do you listen to music when you write or not? Do you have a specific song in mind?

Nope, I can’t listen to music at all when I’m writing. The lyrics distract me. Though, classical music is great for “pre-writing” when I’m percolating a story idea. Individual scenes have their own feel and can often be matched up with a classical piece.

Do you write continuously or do you take breaks?

I definitely take breaks! I give myself writing goals for each time I sit down to write, either to make it to 1,000 words or write until a certain hour. I can’t force myself to write, but I do force myself to show up to write.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m finishing up revisions for my first middle grade novel, Suzanna Snow and the Mystery of the Midnight Tunnel, due to release in 2011. Then, I’ll begin revisions on the second Everlasting book, due to release in summer 2011. At the same time, I’ll be writing the second Suzanna Snow book (2012). It’s going to be one busy summer!

What tips can you give to aspiring writers (like me)?

It’s been said time and again, but just don’t give up. Explore the craft of writing, learn from the mistakes you make, and don’t be afraid to share your work for critique. Mostly, just be stubborn.

What would you like to say to the people who have read Everlasting or have included your novel in their wishlists and/or to-be-read piles?

There is nothing I love more than to hear that someone is looking forward to reading my first novel! I hope that when readers open up the book they allow themselves to be transported. I want them to know it’s an adventure, a love story, and a chance to escape to a different time and a different world. Mostly, just have fun!

Thank you Angie!
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Everlasting will be available in bookstores on June 1, 2010.

Book Description:

Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty. On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous - and alluring - magic. The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who - and what - matters most.

Swag Giveaway: Angie kindly offered to send signed bookmarks + Everlasting buttons to three winners! So, if you want them just leave a comment below with your email. (So I can contact you if you win.) And yeah, anyone can enter. :)

I got this from Angie's blog, just thought of showing it to you guys - the bookmarks. Pretty.