Release Day: August 3, 2015
Release Promo: $0.99 from 8/3-8/10; regularly priced $2.99
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25480101-pangalax
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Pangalax-Veya-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00X4D5DNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437577606&sr=8-1&keywords=pangalax
Trailer: https://pangalax.shutterfly.com/pictures
Synopsis:
Aveyana’s world will never be the same.
After an unexpected attack claims her mom, seventeen-year-old Veya is forced to abandon the only home she's ever known and the only boy she’s ever loved to make a new life on Pangalax, a US space station.
Heartbroken, angry, and homesick, she resents her dad’s decision to move and his demand to hide her unique abilities. As she suspected, appearing normal proves to be nearly impossible, especially around Kye, a way-too-handsome officer who is determined to break through her walls.
But can he be trusted?
Can anyone be trusted?
As Veya uncovers the deep, dark secrets of Pangalax, her very existence becomes threatened. Only one person can save her.
Is she willing to forget the past and trust him with her life?
Pangalax Excerpts
Excerpt 1:
“Recruits, when you turn around, you’ll find a person who has extensive military experience. This person has been assigned to help you in your transition and as you navigate the complex decisions that lie ahead of you. Please turn around now to meet your sponsor.”
I rotate and gulp when I see the person standing there.
“You don’t look happy,” Kye says with a smirk.
“You’re my sponsor?” I ask in a whisper.
“Don’t look so appalled,” he replies, the smirk fading. He leans in closer and whispers, “You intrigue me. I have a feeling I’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your natural abilities.”
And there it is. That’s about as bad as it could get after only two days here. Despite my conclusions yesterday, he is suspicious. I should have known. My dad and Randi were right. I can’t join the military. I must figure out a way to handle the job in the morgue.
“Well, you’re mistaken,” I say. “I’ve decided I’m not strong enough for the military. I belong in the … medical unit. Helping with autopsies.” It’s harder to get those words out than it should be. I don’t belong there. But I don’t belong here either. The truth is I don’t belong anywhere in Pangalax. If my dad had just left me at home, everything would be fine right now.
“Really? You’d rather mop up bloody floors than learn how to fire a weapon or defuse a bomb?”
“What kind of weapon?” The words escape my mouth before I can stop them. Damn him—he knows the right thing to say to totally distract me from what I need to do.
His smirk returns. “All kinds. And that’s only the beginning. Here, this is our gift to you for passing,” he says in a mock authoritative tone, handing me a small black and silver pistol.
“Umm … I don’t feel comfortable with this quite yet,” I say pushing it back to him.
“It’s not loaded. It’s more of a symbolic gesture at this point,” he says, handing it back to me. “You’ll get bullets after you finish boot camp.”
I hold it awkwardly in my hand, which causes him to shake his head like he did so many times during the assessment. Rotating his torso, he raises his jacket and shows me how he has a similar but larger gun sitting against the small of his back, tucked into the waistband of his pants. I look around the room and see other new recruits sliding their guns into the same position without any instruction from their sponsors. I take a deep breath and then place the gun at my back. I assume this is my symbolic gesture of agreeing to join. Of course, I forgot one very important thing.
My dad.
And he’s quickly approaching us from the stairs with a less than cordial look on his face.
“You must have misunderstood,” he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and turning me toward the end of the stage. He reaches behind me and pulls the gun from my pants. Without another word, he hands it to Kye.
Excerpt 2:
“Omigod, are you okay? I’m so sorry, Veya.”
“It’s not your fault, Ashlyn. It was slippery, I was dizzy.”
“The party’s over. It’s time for you all to go home,” Kye says. He pulls me to my feet and leads me to the door. I wave to my friends as he jerks me around the corner.
His yanking causes me to stumble over my own feet, but he tightens his grip and prevents me from falling to the ground.
“Do I need to carry you?” he asks.
“No, it’s these damn shoes.” I tug my arm from his hold and then lean over to remove the stilettos, but the dizziness returns. As my hand lands on the wall to steady myself, I wonder if I’m getting sick. Maybe I have the flu or some exotic dizziness-inducing bug endemic to Pangalax. It could be called Vertigalax, I think with a giggle.
“You’re not even walking and you’re swaying all over the place,” he points out.
I pull off one shoe and then the other and take a deep breath while I stand, hoping that will counteract the spinning hallway.
He grabs the shoes from my hand and then puts his arm around my back, guiding me down the corridor again. I pull the sweatshirt tighter around my cut arm, thankful it’s soaking up all the blood.
Suddenly, I feel sleepy. I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes as he guides me.
“You smell nice,” I say, as I breathe in a clean fresh scent mixed with citrus. It makes me crave a glass of orange juice.
“You’re drunk.”
“Don’t be silly—I was drinking lemonade. But it may be the Vertigalax.”
“Lemonade? Is that what the kids are calling margaritas these days?”
“What’s a margarita?”
“If Larry’s mixing, mostly tequila. And you downed three of them pretty quickly.”
“Hmmm … Larry seems nice. I think he likes Courtney.”
When we round another corner, Kye stops abruptly. “Let me see your arm.”
I’m vaguely aware that I should hide it from him, but I don’t have the energy to fight. He runs his fingers along my skin, sending a chill through my body. I haven’t felt anything like that in weeks. I smile and lean against his chest. “That’s nice.”
“You don’t need stitches. But you do need to sleep this off, Aveyana.”
He tries to push me forward, but I hold my ground. “It’s always Aveyana with you.”
“What?”
“My name is Veya,” I say, poking him in the chest.
“You need to go home.”
I yawn and curl my right arm around his shoulder. “That’s a really bad idea.”
He tries to push me forward again, but I don’t budge. Sighing, he picks me up and cradles me against his body. “It’s home or the medical pod. Take your pick.”
“How about military pod?”
“Why would you go there?”
“I need to pee.”
“You can do that when you get home.”
“I can’t go home.”
“Why not?”
“David won’t understand Vertigalax.”
“Your dad won’t understand that you’re drunk?”
I giggle again. “I’m not drunk!”
He makes another turn, and I relax in his arms. This is much easier than trying to walk. A few minutes later, he opens a door and lays me on a couch.
Excerpt 3:
My body jerks upright.
I feel like the air has been knocked out of my lungs. I gasp, sucking in as much oxygen as possible as I survey my surroundings. I’m sitting on and being bombarded by snow. By the accumulation on my arm, I must have been here a while.
Taking a deep breath, I try to ease my light-headedness, but once realization of what’s happened hits, I start to panic. I must have passed out and McAllister threw me outside into the toxic environment.
No, no, no, I think as my breathing becomes more labored. I won’t last long out here. I need to come up with a plan. I glance behind me and see a door. It must be how they deposited me outside. With a sigh of relief, I crawl to the door and drag myself up. I look into the black security box and wait for the telltale swoosh. Nothing happens. I slam my hand against the door, hoping someone inside will hear me, but again, nothing happens.
There’s a small dark window so I peer inside. What I find is some sort of mechanics bay with absolutely no one inside and no lights on. There’s no one there to help me. My panic becomes even worse.
I continue pounding on the door as my breathing turns more haggard and my strength diminishes with each passing second. In no time, my muscles give out and I crumple to the ground, assuming the worst is in store for me—I will pass out within seconds and someone will find my body tomorrow morning. I hope they break the news to my dad gently. We’ve had our ups and downs but he does love me and this will crush him. I wish I had a pen, so I could write him a note, just to tell him how much I love him.
Excerpt 4:
He’s the most handsome human I’ve ever seen.
The way he’s looking at me instantly makes me think of Tasher, but it’s ridiculous that I would see Tash in this man—they are nothing alike. This man has lost the lankiness of teenage years and is probably in his mid-twenties. Plus, he has broad shoulders, thick muscles that flex against his shirtsleeves, and skin reminiscent of the dark chocolate my dad always gave me on special occasions. His hair is short, practically nonexistent, and his eyes are obsidian, but sparkle under the fluorescent lights. He is tall. I suppose that’s one similarity he has to Tash.
“Aveyana Brendall?” he asks with a warm smile.
I nod.
“I’m Kye, and I’ll be your assessor today. This is the women’s locker room,” he says, pointing to a door. “You should find suitable clothes in your size in there. Make sure you select something that allows you to move comfortably. When you’re done, come back out and we’ll begin your assessment.”
After changing into work-out clothes and throwing my hair into a ponytail, I exit the locker room to find Kye casually leaning against the wall, looking at a clear piece of glass in his hand. He straightens as soon as he sees me. “Ready?” he asks.
I nod. He opens the door and we enter an enormous gymnasium complete with an elevated track, weight machines, and various courts sectioned off by moveable walls.
“You’re going to go through a number of activities designed to assess your physical fitness and combat skills …”
Combat skills? No one mentioned anything about that, but it makes sense. If you’re in the military, then you’d have to know how to defend yourself. Suddenly I’m wondering if there is something even more valuable I could get from this than just avoiding a job in the medical division. Maybe I could learn something during my time in Pangalax that I could take home and use to make a difference. If we had known how to fight a few days ago, my mom might still be with me.
“Once we finish those,” he continues, “I’ll ask you a few questions and then you’ll be done. Are you ready?”
I nod my head.
“Great. We’ll start with a timed run,” he says, leading me upstairs to the track.
“How far?”
“One mile.”
I laugh at his answer before I can catch myself. I cover my mouth and try to pretend it was a cough, but, by the way he raises his eyebrows, I know he doesn’t fall for it.
“What time do most people get?” I ask.
“It varies considerably. If you need to rest, please do so. We don’t want you hurting yourself during this assessment,” he says, as though he’s reading a script.
“Do most people rest?”
He shrugs. “Some do, some don’t. There’s no shame in stopping,” he says, meeting my gaze. “It just means you’re not quite ready for the military. Maybe next time.”
That doesn’t tell me much. I know I can’t stop, but how fast should I run? It needs to be fast enough to pass, but not so fast that he becomes suspicious.
“Ready?” asks Kye before I’ve decided.
“Um, sure.”
“It’s sixteen laps. I’ll start the timer when you begin running.”
With that, I take off at a leisurely pace, watching Kye for any reaction that might indicate how I’m doing. After two laps, he scribbles something on that piece of glass. When I get back around to where he stands, I ask, “What’d you write?” as I jog past him.
“That’s privileged information.”
How can it be privileged information? It’s about me, I should be able to know what it says.
When I finish another lap, I ask, “Are you commenting on how fast I am?”
The corner of his mouth twitches, but he remains silent. That makes me worried I’m right so I slow down a little.
When I round the corner again, I ask, “What’s your best time for this?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
Another lap.
“Am I better or worse than average?”
“Too early to tell.”
Lap number seven.
“What’s my pace?”
“Less talking, more running!”
I keep quiet the next three laps, but then I see him check the stopwatch and scribble something on the damn glass again. “Seriously! What are you writing?!”
“Aveyana, you’re supposed to be pushing yourself, not having a casual conversation with me every time you pass by!”
Well, that’s not good. Apparently I don’t look like I’m trying very hard. On the next lap, I make a concerted effort to take in ragged breaths with my mouth hanging open.
“Can I get some water?” I pant, wiping non-existent sweat from my forehead.
He shakes his head. “You have three laps left; I think you’ll make it.”
When I round the corner for the last time, he grabs a bottle of water from a nearby table and tosses it to me. I’m not even remotely thirsty, but I take a few small sips in order to continue the charade. “What was my time?” I ask.
“Six twenty-eight.”
That’s slow for me, but I have no idea if it’s within the realm of what Kye expected to see.
“Is that good or bad?” I ask.
He shoots me a weird expression. “You have to ask?”
I shrug and bring the bottle back to my lips, so I have an excuse not to speak.
“It’s good, Aveyana. Remarkably good. Especially considering you weren’t even trying.”
Excerpt 5:
“Veya, that’s not—” His words are cut off by a second, much larger explosion in the center of the room. It sends my body flying ten feet into a wall. My left side is in pain and I wonder if I broke a rib. I roll onto my belly to try and determine the cause of the explosion. A network unit blocks most of my view. All I see is a red glow flickering above the stacks like a sunset on the horizon. The noise and heat make it clear that damage is significant and getting worse by the second.
I look behind me at Kye, but he motions for me to go the other way, back towards the center aisle. “Reconvene at the south entrance.”
“I can’t leave my dad!”
“You have to!”
I move back towards him, wincing against the pain, but Kye stops me and pushes me in the other direction. “Go to the south entrance. That’s an order from your Captain!”
I feel the unusual prickle of impeding tears and look back and forth between my dad and the central isle. The fire is growing louder and I know Kye’s right. If I don’t move, we’ll both die here.
He pushes me again and I hear him yell into his microphone, “Emergency sprinklers! We need water!”
I reluctantly crawl towards the middle of the room to find my team. I need to focus on them. When I get to the central aisle, I see the damage increases the closer I get to the blast zone. The network stacks are now piles of rubble. I turn left and immediately jam my knee into something. Or rather someone. Courtney lies on the floor, unconscious, but breathing. A large pool of blood collects on the floor, dripping from a deep gash to her forehead. I grab under her arm and pull her with me, igniting the pain in my side with each step. When we get to the next row of debris, I peer each way, but can’t see far due to the smoke that now fills the room. I go right and then moments later, deposit her outside the door.
As I turn around, making my way back into the room, Kye exits and drops my dad next to Courtney. Derek is right behind us, dragging an unconscious guard. Kye, Derek, and I reenter the inferno to find the rest of our team. We split in different directions at the first junction. In no time, I stumble across Connor who is kneeling on the floor, under a metal desk, frantically pushing keys on the laptop.
“What are you doing?!” I shout.
“Trying to salvage the data!”
“Forget the data! South door, now!” I point him in the direction and after a brief pause, he stands, cradling the computer under his arm, and runs for the door.
I continue down the aisle until my face is met with the best feeling in the world—a drop of water. I breathe a small sigh of relief. Alan, from who knows where, is extinguishing the flames for us. I cover my mouth and nose with my shirt to try and filter out some of the smoke, which is worse now that the flames are dying. After only a minute, I’m coughing so badly it makes the pain in my side almost unbearable. I have to lower myself to my knees and crawl. I work my way up and down the aisle until I’m at what used to be the central conference area, but is now completely void of anything, the blast having moved all furniture against the rubble of the network stacks. Derek is also in the clearing, on his knees like me.
“Ashlyn?” he asks between coughs. I immediately understand; he wants to know if I’ve rescued her.
I shake my head. He nods and the muscles of his neck tighten. His whole world is falling apart right now. And it’s all because of me. I try to come up with encouraging words, but I have none. It doesn’t matter, he wouldn’t believe them anyway. He turns around without further comment to continue searching for her.
I change direction, moving back to the edge of the room when Connor passes by me without his computer. He must have dropped it off outside and is now looking for survivors with us. A moment later, my knee collides with a body. I instinctively reach for it, but recoil when the skin crinkles under my skin. The smoke makes it difficult to see, so I work my way up the torso, feeling for a heartbeat, any sign of life, but there’s nothing. I can’t tell who this was or even if it was a guy or girl. I choke back the bile rising in my throat and continue moving along the floor. My lungs now burn and my head is light. I must lose my sense of direction because I end up back at the south door. I take a moment to fill my lungs with clean air and then turn around to re-enter when Kye and Derek come crawling out.
“Where are you going?” Kye asks.
“Back in.”
“No. It’s too dangerous. The smoke is too thick.”
“Our team!” I say, pushing past his broad shoulders.
Derek slides to the ground, his head in his hands.
“Veya, if they’re still in there, they’re gone.” He lays his arm across my shoulders, turning me around, and then rests his head on top of mine. “I’m sorry. We need to regroup and get out of here before they send guards to investigate the fire.”
“No!” I yell, pushing past him.
“Veya!”
I ignore him and head straight into the smoke-filled room, with zero concern for myself. I can’t handle the thought of anyone else dying because of me. I need to make sure everyone is out.
I reach the cleared center area without passing anyone, but my head grows foggier and foggier the farther into the room I go. I pass through the area, intent on searching the other side, but become confused. I’m not sure where I’ve already been. I try taking a deep breath to clear my mind, but all I inhale is smoke. It causes me to cough and choke, and then the room around me begins to dim.
Author Bio
SM Koz was born in Michigan, but moved to North Carolina for college and never left.
She enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, photography, reading, spending time with foster kids who temporarily call her house home, and learning new things. When she’s not creating online training for pharmaceutical companies (her day job) or writing, Koz can be found at the local community college taking courses on various topics ranging from digital art to HTML to desktop publishing. Next in line are auto mechanics and cake decorating.
Being trained as a veterinarian, it’s not surprising that Koz and her husband were recently told they have a mini-zoo with their two dogs, fish, cockatiels, and foster cats. In the past, they have also had parakeets and a snake. Other than the fish, all the animals were acquired through rescue organizations, something Koz wholeheartedly supports.
Koz has written five novels, but only two are currently published. Breaking Free is a YA contemporary romance/realism story about a teenage girl who struggles with cutting, while Pangalax is a YA romance/light sci-fi story about a girl forced to abandon her homeland and make a new life on a US space station. Koz has also written Hunger Games fanfiction, which can be found online.
Koz loves interacting with readers and other authors, so check her out on FB, Twitter, or Goodreads.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SM-Koz/789240311086153?ref=hl
Twitter Handle: @SM_KOZ
Goodreads Author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8188377.S_M_Koz
Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/SM-KOZ/e/B00M5LIIR4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Author Interview
Q: What has been favorite part about writing and publishing books?
My favorite part has been interacting with readers, bloggers, and other authors. Everyone has been so nice and supportive. Even when my novel isn’t someone’s preferred type of book, they still provide me with encouraging words and helpful feedback. It’s been absolutely wonderful, and I’m so happy I’ve been able to share my work with others!
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors?
As far as mainstream authors, I’m a huge fan of Janet Evanovich, Stephenie Meyer, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Suzanne Collins, Nicholas Sparks, Robin Cook, Richelle Mead, and Patricia Cornwell.
As far as indie authors, I enjoy Cassie Mae, Sara Mack, Penny Reid, and Jennifer Lane.
Q: When you’re not writing, what do you like to do for fun?
I like to be outside with my husband, our foster kids, and our pets. That can be hiking, camping, taking nature photos, jogging, or going to the dog park. I also like to travel. Visiting every continent is on my bucket list and something I hope to someday accomplish, although I still have a long way to go.
Q: In 10 words or less can you tell readers why they should read your books?
You’ll cry, laugh, smile, be heartbroken, and inspired!
Q: Where are you from?
North Carolina
Q: Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a veterinarian/consultant/writer who has been happily married for 10 years to a wonderfully supportive husband. We’re foster parents and also have a small zoo with two dogs, cockatiels, and a few goldfish. I grew up in Michigan, but moved to North Carolina for college over 20 years ago and never left. My parents instilled a love of reading in me from a very early age, so they played a huge, if not the greatest, role in me becoming a writer.
Q: When and why did you begin writing?
Technically, I first started writing about nine years ago. The story was a murder mystery that took place on a cruise ship and one of the main characters had an English bulldog named Penelope. I wrote two pages, realized it was too hard, and then never looked at it again for five years. After my husband and I moved to a sleepy little village, I found myself with a lot of free time. One day while I was cleaning up computer files, I ran across my story with Penelope and was somewhat impressed by what I read. Having lots of time on my hands, I decided to write a full-length YA novel. That one was about a girl who moves to the beach to live with her older sister for the summer and falls in love with a boy as they help a stranded dolphin, named Maurice, recover from a mysterious disease. That one will never be published, but it’s kind of fun to go back and see what my first attempt at a novel was like! Since then, I’ve been writing about one book a year, some fanfiction and some original.
Q: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I posted Breaking Free, my debut, on Goodreads. I’ve had a number of actual and virtual friends read my stories in the past; however, I was still nervous about publishing. But, ultimately, I knew I had to do it with Breaking Free because it’s a story I believe in. I felt like it may help others. With the positive reception Breaking Free received, I was much more comfortable publishing Pangalax.
Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
I think I’m still developing that. I like fast-paced, action-filled stories with romance, but the emotional component of Breaking Free came surprisingly easy to me as I was writing. I feel like I may have found my niche and will be exploring this more in upcoming projects. One thing is for sure, though—my writing is fairly bare bones. I write to get the story across more than as an artistic expression of words. So, if you’re looking for something literary and poetic, you won’t find it in my works . If you’re looking for a suspense-filled story with plot twists, then check out my novels.
Q: How do you come up with titles?
I really struggle with titles. Titles may actually be my least favorite part of writing. I always want something short, snappy, and interesting that helps set the tone of the story while tying into an integral plot point. Breaking Free came loosely from one of my favorite songs. Whenever I listen to it I think of Kelsie, so I made sure to work those words into the story when she’s at her lowest point and feels that breaking free from her life may be the only answer. For Pangalax, it’s the title of the space station where Veya ends up—not very creative, but it does set the sci-fi mood.
Q: What books have most influenced your life most?
I’d have to say Gorillas in the Mist by Dr. Dian Fossey because I wrote about that book for my Duke University entrance application. Luckily, I got in and my four years at Duke really shaped who I am. Being an alumna also led to meeting my husband .
Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I haven’t really had an individual author serve as a mentor. I am part of Authonomy, a website for writers to gather, critique works, and share stories. That has been incredibly valuable in finding plot inconsistencies, identifying when I’m telling rather than showing, and finding faults with my characterizations. My books are always much better after a few months on Authonomy.
Q: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Author Sara Mack. She’s been a close friend for over 30 years and started writing three years ago. She took the plunge first and self-published her Guardian Trilogy last year. She is one of the main reasons I decided to self-publish my first book and has been a huge help, not only while I’m writing, but also while navigating the crazy world of indie authors.
Q: Do you see writing as a career?
No, writing is definitely a hobby for me. It would be great if I could someday make enough money to consider it a career, but that day is not here yet. Until then, I’ll continue to hold down a day job and write in my spare time.
Q: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your books?
I find little things to tweak every time I read through them, but, overall, I’m happy with the major plot points and characters.
Q: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I’ve always been an avid reader and daydreamer. I used to make up stories in my head, but it wasn’t until I was suffering from complete boredom one day that I decided to write the story down. It was much harder than I expected, and I didn’t end up trying again for another five years!
Q: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Characterization can be difficult for me. I want authentic characters, but it’s hard to be authentic when you’re creating characters who have vastly different values, backgrounds, and cultures than yourself. For this reason, all of my stories so far have been told in first person from a teenage girl’s POV. That helps me feel somewhat grounded since I was there. Even if her life or personality is much different than mine, at least I have some insight into the teenage female mind. I’m always impressed when authors are able to write from the opposite gender’s POV in a believable way. I don’t think I’m there yet.
Q: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I love Stephenie Meyer for what she was able to accomplish: a stay-at-home mom who wrote four books that billions of people worldwide fell in love with. Although she had an English background, she had no experience writing. Furthermore, her stories have been torn apart by critics, world-renowned authors, and millions of anti-fans. People can tear apart her writing style, but it worked. Isn’t the ultimate goal of writing to have readers fall in love with your story? It seems to me like she succeeded even if she didn’t follow the typical writing standards of the day. I like that. She went outside the box and it worked. I think it’s a good example of how literature, like everything, is constantly evolving.
Q: Who designs your covers?
Me. Since this is just a hobby, I don’t have much of a budget to hire someone to do it for me.
Q: Do you have any advice for other writers?
For aspiring writers, I say just keep writing. And keep everything you write, even if it’s just a page or two. Eventually, you’ll write something that when you look back at it, you’ll be impressed by yourself. Pair that with a really good writing buddy and that will be all the motivation you’ll need to finish a full-length book.
Q: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
First, thanks for reading! Second, please write reviews of whatever you read. Authors depend on them! Whether you love or hate the book, telling us your feelings and the reasons behind those feelings is very helpful to our growth as writers.
Q: Do you remember the first book you read?
The first chapter book I read was Bobbsey Twins. I fell in love with the series immediately and devoured all the books, often reading under my covers with a flashlight. The first adult book I read was Watchers by Dean Koontz when I was in seventh grade. I’m still a huge Dean Koontz fan to this day.
Q: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I love to spend time outside hiking, camping, taking photos, or just playing with our foster kids.
Q: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
I know I’m weird, but I don’t watch much television. Evenings tend to be my time for hobbies so I’m usually writing, reading, or editing photographs. Once a month, I might take a night to veg out in front of the TV. When I do, I usually turn on something from HGTV or TLC. I love movies, but we’ve had a toddler in foster care for the past year so we haven’t had many opportunities to watch those either. In general, I love chick flicks, mysteries, and action-adventure films, though.
Q: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
I love ice cream and dark chocolate. If the two are combined, even better! My favorite colors tend to change with the seasons, but right now I’m on a blue kick. My favorite bands are Muse and The Killers. I could listen to them all day, every day!
Q: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
Well, writing is just a hobby for me so I spend most of my time working as a consultant who creates online training for pharmaceutical companies. I was actually trained as an aquatic veterinarian, though. My plan was to rehabilitate marine mammals or work in fish farming. That got a bit side-tracked with my husband’s career, but ideally, I’ll get back to that at some point. Writing will always remain a hobby, though, no matter what my day job is. It’s my escape from the stress and routine of everyday life.
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