Winner - Amber Eyes

The winner of the Kindle copy of 

Amber Eyes by Jolyn Palliata is........

Jamie L. 

I have emailed you ~ 

the author will be contacting you. 

Congratulations! 

Guest post: Jolyn Palliata, Her Voices and a Giveaway!

Yesterday was my stop on the CLP Blog Tour for Amber Eyes by Joyln Palliata. Loved the book! And I am so glad it is a series - there is more wonderfulness to come! You can read the synopsis and my thoughts here.

Today I have Jolyn here @ The Book Bag talking about the 'voices in her head'. (Seems like most writers have them - must be a good sign, if you do, and you want to be a writer)

Joyln has a question for you ~ check it out below and leave her a comment, please. 

Jolyn is also giving a Kindle copy of Amber Eyes (!!!!!) to one of you lucky people reading of The Book Bag! Look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post.  

Jolyn, I have heard other authors say that they 'hear voices in their head' and that is how they write their books: the characters are telling their stories. Not being a writer myself, that concept has always intrigued me.

When some people hear voices, we get them medical attention, others end up becoming writers. Does this happen to you? How do you come up with your stories?

~~~~~

Hi, Susan! Thank you for having me! I have to say, I love your questions.

I’ll tackle the “voices in your head” one first…

Although it’s absolutely true, it’s not as creepy as it sounds. At least not for those of us that have learned to keep the voices to ourselves. The trick is to not have full-on conversations with your characters out loud. If you do that, you might as well say your goodbyes now, because the crazy train will haul you away. Actually, if that happened to someone, I’d surprisingly be okay with it. After all, having those “writers” (we’ll continue to humor the crazies) taken out of the picture might be what gave me the edge, and paved the way for me, myself and I. ;)

In all honesty (and at the risk of sounding certifiable), the characters do end up having their own story to tell. I always start off with one final destination in mind, but I remain flexible in that. As I write, my characters personalities start shining through, as well as how they would react to various situations. Eventually, I get to the point where my destination is no longer conceivable because my characters would never “go there”. That’s when they start talking and driving the story. It’s best to just let them lead at that point for a more natural flow, and in the end, I end up with a storyline I didn’t even see coming. And believe me when I say, my characters are brilliant brain surgeons in comparison to what I originally envisioned. (It’s a miracle they put up with me at all!)

Now for your question of how I come up with my stories…

They’re usually born from an errant thought: What’s the deepest connection you could possible forge with someone? (Amber Eyes), What would it be like to have an out of body experience? (Shaolin—not yet published), What’s the most turbulent emotional roller coaster ride that I can create for a reader? (Impending Reprisals—expected publication March 2012), What would a story from Fate’s point-of-view be like? (Twisted—expected publication Fall 2012) and What would it be like if the person you’re with could actually feel your emotions and know what you’re thinking? (Connected). I even wrote one book after listening to a song in my car, and then thinking, ‘Why would a guy be with one woman (a toxic one at that) when he’s really in love with another, and wants to be with her instead?’ (A Modern Love Story).

When these thoughts pop into my head, they ruthlessly take root, festering and growing until I can think of nothing else and am forced to write them. (This is where my characters are holding me at gunpoint, threatening to blow holes in my sanity if I don’t start listening to them.) Er…but really, I’m not crazy. :D

I’d like to ask your readers this:

Have any of you had a thought pop into your head, and you thought ‘Hey…that’s a great idea!’? Or how about for all you writers out there—do your characters talk to you, too? I’d love to hear your thoughts, or rather, the voices in your head.

~ Author Bio ~

Jolyn’s writing career began in 2009 when she looked across the sea of cubicles at work, and thought, “I was meant for something more than this.” That thought was immediately followed by, “I wonder if I can write a novel.” Four novels and one novella later, that question has been answered. She started with Amber Eyes (Entwined Souls Trilogy – Book One), a young adult paranormal romance. They always say, with the first book, you write about what you know. And she certainly did! Drawing off her teenage years in Oshkosh, WI, Jolyn incorporated her high school and favorite haunts. She even pulled out her favorite music from back then to help recapture the teenager within.

Jolyn has absolutely no qualifications whatsoever to be a writer, other than a knack and a passion. The knack she worked hard for through betas, critique partners, writer sites, editors, etc, but the passion she’s had since she was in middle school.

Being married, and mother to one very precocious six-year-old, doesn’t leave her with a whole heckofalot of time to write – not to mention working full-time – but that is where lack of sleep comes in very handy. Jolyn has a gift of functioning on minimal sleep when totally absorbed by a writing project…although she crashes like dead weight when it’s fully completed/edited (usually 2-3 months later).

Her current listing of published books includes ~~

· Amber Eyes (Entwined Souls Trilogy – Book One) – young adult paranormal romance

· Connected (Twists of Fate #1) – paranormal romance

· A Modern Love Story – contemporary / romantic suspense

Random information and quirks about Jolyn (because everyone has them):

· She likes to listen to loud music. Period. But especially when she has a headache (helps to drown it out).

· When she's overtired, she gets slaphappy. (Heaven help those around her.)

· She titles a book before she writes it, because she's anal enough to where that would bother her.

· She can't walk into a Barnes and Noble without buying a book. Even if she has a pile of unread books at home (which she does), it just doesn't feel right to leave empty-handed.

Links to Jolyn’s world ~~

Website

Amazon (full store listing)

Twitter

Facebook

FB – Entwined Souls Trilogy

FB – Twists of Fate series

Goodreads

If you don't see the Rafflecopter, click Read more ~~

On Tour: Amber Eyes by Jolyn Palliata and Giveaway!

~ Eyes are the window to the soul, in a time when souls are ancient. ~

After an accident, one she shouldn’t have walked away from, Lexi’s life finally begins. She meets Dez, a new student with the most beautiful eyes she’s ever seen. And since gazing into them, Lexi has had vivid waking dreams that pull her back through time, and into the warm embrace of a mysterious stranger—a stranger who becomes all too familiar. When offering an explanation for her detailed visions, Dez changes her world forever with two simple words: Soul mates.

For the first time in her life, Lexi feels safe and complete. But lingering in the shadows is the embodiment of evil, coveting the light within her. He’s a threat to Lexi’s very existence, and to a love that has transcended time. ~~synopsis from Goodreads 

My thoughts on Amber Eyes ~~

Once again, I have to admit, I was first drawn to this book by the awesome cover. Somebody out there in the book world knows what they are doing when they design covers.

And then I also have to admit that I loved this book! I have stated before that I am rather new to this whole YA/Paranormal book world ~ and I am lovin' it, BTW! Well, Amber Eyes took me into a world that I have not visited yet - the world of entwined souls. Jolyn did a wonderful job of explaining the way this world works and what can happen/should happen to entwined souls. It's very interesting to think about that topic, hmmm, soul mates through the ages. 

I got very wrapped up in Lexi's world and her confusion to get it all figured out. The reader is introduced to other characters in Lexi's life - more entwined souls? This is a series, so it could happen.We do get a little glimpse of what is to come in Book 2 and I can hardly wait to read it.

Love this part ~~ 'Souls are forever; they travel from life to life, over and over again. The soul encompasses the core of a person. It's like a vessel encapsulating a person's identity - who they truly are. In each life, a soul can be altered by passions and fears. When that happens they imprint on the soul, and will always be a part of it. These are then carried from life to life as well.'

Loved this book and look forward to more!!

Come back tomorrow when Jolyn talks about the 'voices in her head'! 

Also, Jolyn is giving away a Kindle copy of Amber Eyes, 

right here, to one lucky person! 

How awesome is that??!!

 Check out the Rafflecopter below.

 Visit the other stops on the Amber Eyes tour 
@ CLP Blog Tours

 Jolyn Palliata

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

If you don't see the Rafflecopter, click on Read More

WWW Wednesdays March 14

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading 

To play along, just answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next? 

What are you currently reading?

I am still plugging away on this one ~ The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner. Don't get me wrong, I really like it but it is a long book and I am reading it in between the books that I 'have' to get read. 

I am also reading The Murderer's Daughters 

by Randy Susan Meyers. 

I already read this one and loved it. I am rereading it for my book group discussion this month. I don't mind reading it again. 

What did you recently finish reading?

 Amber Eyes (Entwined Souls Trilogy - Book One)

by Joylyn Palliata

My thoughts on the book will be posted tomorrow, March 15 
with an author guest post on March 16.

Come back and check out my stop on the tour ~ the author is giving one lucky reader of The Book Bag their very own Kindle copy of Amber Eyes!

What do you think you will read next?

Next up is Letters in Cardboard Boxes by Abby Slovin. 

I love this cover and I am so excited to read it.

Happy reading everyone!!

WWW Wednesdays March 7

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading 

To play along, just answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next? 

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading The Big Rock Candy Mountain 
by Wallace Stegner. 

What did you recently finish reading?

This Beautiful Life by Helen Schulman

My post for the book's blog tour is today.  

Being Lara by Lola Jaye

My post for the book's blog tour will be March 14.  

What do you think you will read next?

Amber Eyes (Entwined Souls Trilogy - Book One)
by Joylyn Palliata

My post for the book's blog tour will be March 15 
with an author guest post on March 16.

UPDATE:
AMBER EYES (Entwinted Souls Trilogy – Book One) is available for a FREE download on Amazon from 3/7/12 – 3/9/12.
 

Thanks Joylyn!! (visit her website)
 

Enjoy!!

Happy reading everyone!!