I am a blogger and my blog is called After The Book

I'm turning the tables around to find out more about 

our fabulous bloggers! 

You all spend so much time promoting Authors

that I thought it would be nice to get to know all 

of you a little better :) 

Where do you call home?

Currently I call Alaska home.

How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging for roughly 4 months off and on.

What is the name of the book that you most recently blogged about?

My last review was for The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson and my last interview was with author Collette Scott who wrote Forever Sunshine and Hannah's Blessing.

What did you think about the cover?

I loved the cover of TSE!  I thought is was brilliant.  I was fascinated with the cover for FS because I learned through my interview that it was actually a picture that Collette took herself.   (-:

If you could ask the author 3 questions what would they be?

I already asked Collette everything possible, but for Jandy, I think I would ask how closely the story of Lennie is connected to real life events.

I would ask How did you turn in a manuscript that wasn't drenched in tears.  I would also ask When will you release another novel for me to suffer through.

Can you name one of your favorite chapters?

I really couldn't, the entire thing was so lyrical and beautifully written that it would almost be an insult to just pick one chapter.

What was your most favorite character and why?

In TSE I loved Lennie.  She is a beautiful character who begins her story struggling to deal with the loss of her sister whom she was extremely close to.

On her journey to overcome grief, we see her blossom into an amazing young woman who makes choices that we wouldn't necessarily agree with but that we can relate to. It is how whe chooses to deal with her choices that makes me love her and the story that she has to tell.

.

Was this a book you were asked to review of did you buy it?

I purchased this book because of what other bloggers had to say about it. (:

Have you written a book yourself or are you planning to in the future?

I am not a writer, I am a reader.  :)

What genre is your favorite and why?

I love Dystopian stories and well as Healing stories.

Dystopian is great because there is always a protagonist that has an enourmous feat to overcome. Whether it be physical or emotional, I love to follow characters whose triumphs over these feats create a sense of accomplishment and empowerment.

Stories of Healing are important for two reasons, one, I love to be encouraged by the characters ability to overcome the feeling of helplessness, and two, I love to cry.  :-)

What are 3 of your all-time favorite books and why?

A Bridge to Teribithia by Katherine Paterson--This is the book showed me how to cope with everything. Elementary school.

Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews--This is the first book that I ever read where I locked myself in my room to finish it in one sitting.  High school.

The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer--These books reminded that reading was enjoyable.--Adult

*There are of course an infinite number of books out there that I love, many of them more than those listed, but these 3 selections helped to form the reader that I am today so they will always have a special place on my bookshelf of Best Loved Books.

Is there an author that you would really like to meet?

I am dying to meet Maggie Steifvater!  She is all things wondrous and strange both through her writing and her Vlogs.  I admire her.  (-:

Do you prefer eBooks, paperbacks or hardcover?

Hardcover definitely. While ebooks are enviornmentally friendly, nothing can replace the feeling of opening your book to that first page and taking in the sound of the spine giving just a little and the feeling of participating in the story by turning to the next page.

Where do you prefer to buy you books?

Wherever they can be purchased either the cheapest or the quickest, depending on how long I have been waiting for it's release. Usually though I just go down to my B&N.

Have you ever read a book more than once?

Yes and no.  I read all of the books that I purchase.  If I truly loved it, I will go down to the library and borrow it on audio book if it is available and listen to it a couple of more times.

Is there a particular movie or TV series that you preferred over the book version?

Absolutely not!  There has yet to be a visual version of a book that has outdone the written version.  (-:

What book do you know that you will never read? 

I can't say that there is one for sure that I will never read, but there are many that I will not go out of my way to come by.

Are there any new Authors that have grabbed your attention recently and why?

Veronica Roth, Lauren Oliver, and Ally Condie.  They each have written a dystopian story that left me panting for more.

What are your thoughts on book trailers?

I love them. I think that they are insturmental in connecting the visual reader to a book.

Do you ever blog in your PJ's?

Definitely

Cats or dogs?

2 Fish

Favorite Food?

Fried Rice

Vanilla or Chocolate icream?

There is only Tillamook Vanilla Bean.  All other flavors are non-existent!

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?

That is tough, I don't really watch TV at all and movies, I love going to them.  I can't say that I really haven't enjoyed any of the movies that I've seen recently.

Where can your readers follow you?

My blog:  http://afterthebook.blogspot.com/

My Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/After-The-Book/187207258012484

My Goodreads Page:  http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4242810-lenmeo

Twitter:  @Lenmeo

Author interview with Julia Crane by Guest Blogger Lenmeo, After The Book.

Interview With Julia Crane Author of Keegan's Chronicles

Please welcome Julia Crane author of Coexist-Keegan's Chronicles Book 1

Thank you for being here with us today. I know that you have a new book coming soon and that you are very busy. We do appreciate the visit.
Thank you for inviting me!

When did you realize that becoming a published writer is what you wanted to do?
I think most people dream of someday publishing a novel. I know as a teen I used to send off short stories to magazines all the time. That still makes me smile. I’m sure they were horrible. It was just within this last year after reading so much about how ebooks have flung the doors opens to authors that I started considering it. We had recently moved to Dubai, and suddenly I had a lot of free time on my hands. Writing sounded like a good idea.

Who or what has been the most instrumental person/thing to you as far as getting published? There are so many people involved it’s hard to pick just one. It’s a combined effort. Of course I have to write the book, but editors, and designers get a lot of credit.

As an author, is there any one author or book out there that inspired you write a specific genre? I would not say there is an author or a book that inspired me to write young adult. I would say having a teen daughter gave me a lot of inspiration. And my Irish grandmother inspired me to write about elves.


Do you have a favorite and non-favorite genre to write and read?
I have always loved to read. I can pretty much read and enjoy anything. There are so many amazing authors out there. I do tend to read mostly fiction I love to get lost in a book. As far as writing, I really enjoy the paranormal young adult. When there is magic anything can happen.

Would you say that being a reader is important to being a writer? It is important to me. I learn a lot through reading other author’s works.

I know that many authors today utilize other authors while they are writing their books as critique partners. How do you edit your books?
I just recently got two amazing critique partners. Fellow authors Talia Jager and Heather Adkins. I also hire two editors.

Are you a part of a critique group? I belong to critiquecircle.com however, I don’t utilize it as much as I should. There are some amazing helpful people on that site.

If so...Would they or yourself be interested in being contacted about critiquing other authors? I’m really not the best as far as critiques go. Which is why I require two editors. I do love to beta read. I just can’t help someone clean up their story, but I can tell them what I enjoyed as a reader.

Do you have a favorite place to write that helps bring inspiration to your stories? I really like to be alone and in a quite place when I write. However, with three children that doesn’t happen very often. So I tend to write late at night or when the youngest is napping. When I am lucky, my husband takes the baby out so I can write.

Do you listen to music when writing? No, it’s too distracting for me.
Would you say that writing has gotten easier for you now that you are published? No, if anything it might be harder. I feel the pressure to make the next book better than the first. I have learned a lot so certain steps are easier. My revision time has been cut in half for the second book.

How long does it generally take you to write a book? Three to four months for the rough draft.

What was your inspiration to write Coexist? When I sat down to think about what I wanted to write,the idea of elves was pretty automatic. My mother is 100% Irish. My grandmother loved telling Irish tales, and my family all have pointy ears which we get teased for having elf ears. When I first started dating my husband, he told me he had a strange dream about an elf battle. I actually forgot about that until I almost finished the book. I think that was probably always in the back of my subconscious.

Is there a book trailer for Coexist?
Yes, I was fortunate enough to find parajunkeedesigns.com she made and amazing trailer for Coexist. http://youtube/I9S5rXgjlok

How much research if any did you put into writing Coexist?
I’m almost embarrassed to say very little. I just sat down and started writing. The story came to me fairly quick. I did research dark elves because I didn’t really have a firm grasp on how I wanted to portray them.

Would you say that the setting of your book was vital in the telling of your story?
Yes, because it was set in modern times. However, the elves were still drawn to nature so they liked to live near the woods. Of course, the battle had to take place in Ireland where it all began.

Without giving away any spoilers, what would you say was the most challenging part of Coexist to write?
Hmm, it really wasn’t a challenge to write it. It was a challenge to revise after editing. That took me longer than writing the book. 

What was your favorite part of Coexist?

My favorite part of the book would have to be the family dynamics among the elves.

  

What is your favorite part of writing? My favorite part of writing was seeing the word count go up so quickly. I started writing it on a whim, not confident I could finish it.

Which character do you identify with the most? Emerald, even though I tried not to she turned out a lot like me.

Which was your favorite to write? I really enjoyed writing the character Thaddeus. However, Rourk was the easiest to write. He came naturally to me.

Are any of the characters in Coexist a direct reflection of yourself or someone you know? Yes, I took characteristics from people I know for most of the characters in the book. They say write what you know.

Where and or how did you come up with the names for your characters? Keegan, I have just always loved that name for a girl. Rourk, was the name of one of my favorite characters in a novel. Emerald, I just made that up out of the blue. Thaddeus, Brigid, and Katrina are my actual siblings names. Warrick is my youngest son’s name. The rest, no real reason behind them.


How much input do you have in the cover art of your books? I was lucky to find an amazing cover artist, Kadri Umbleja. She is on DeviantArt. We went back and forth several times during the process. However, the vision is all hers. I told her about the story and in minutes she had an idea it was pretty amazing. The girl on the covers is actually my daughter. 

I know that you have a second book coming out soon. Would you like to share any news with our readers about the release date or story itself?
Tentative release is September 15th. However, things don’t aways go as planned so that is a fingers crossed date.

Which of your two most recent books would you say was your favorite to write?
I think Coexist even though I believe my writing improved in Conflicted. I loved bringing life to Keegan and Rourk.

How many more books do you plan on writing in the Coexist series?
As of right now, only three. However, I do plan on writing some spin off books to shed light on some of the smaller characters that have a story to tell.

I know that Coexist is set to come out in paperback soon. Is this as an exciting time for you as when it came out in eBook format? It is exciting, but also slightly frustrating. Since I live in Dubai the mail takes forever to get here. My sister has already seen a preview copy and I want to hold it in my hands.

Do you have any bookmarks or signed bookplates that readers can inquire about?
Not yet, but those are great ideas I will have to look into.

Aside from writing, what are your other hobbies and interest?
Before we moved to Dubai my husband and I owned a small gym, so fitness has always been important. I enjoy reading although it’s harder to find the time now. I don’t really have any hobbies. I spend my free time with husband and children. We do travel a lot so maybe that’s a hobby?

Do you have a favorite book that you would like to give a shout out to?
Well, it’s actually not released yet. I was lucky enough to beta read for Talia Jager and she as great vampire book soon to be released called Secret Bloodline. 

Is there an author out there that our readers may not have heard of yet or been exposed to that you believe could use a little bit of extra recognition? Heather Adkins. She’s a wonderful person and amazing writer.

Where can readers purchase a copy of Coexist and your other books? http://www.amazon.com/Coexist-Keegans-Ch...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coexist-...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66...


Where can readers get in touch with or follow you? Blog: http://coexistjuliacrane.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coexist-Ke...
Twitter: juliacrane2
Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/480...
email: juliacrane@zoho.com

Will you accept inquiries from other bloggers to host giveaways on their blogs?
Yes, I love giveaways.


Would you mind other bloggers contacting you about interviews or Guest Posts? I’m always open for interviews. I rarely do guest post, they stress me out too much. I’m sadly not a very good blogger.

Do you review books? Well, I post reviews on Amazon etc. However, I write short and sweet. I have a lot of respect for book bloggers that write long reviews. I’m also very grateful for them.

Is there a link somewhere that will take readers to a "frequently asked questions" page?
No, I guess that is something I should add to my list of things to do. This interview has given me a lot of ideas.

Aside from marriage proposals, are there any types of questions that you will not answer for readers?
I cannot think of anything off the top of my head. I love having readers send me emails to ask questions.

And lastly, a question for fun.

What is the airspace velocity of an unladen swallow?
My sister is a huge Monty Python fan. She will get a kick out of this. I just finished a 6 mile run and I can guarantee it’s a lot faster than I am!

With all that having been asked, do you as an author have any questions for our readers? Rourk or Donald?

Amazing interview. Thank you again for being here and for answering all of our questions. We would love to have you back again. Just say when :)

If you liked this interview and are interested in reading Julia's first book Coexist, please leave a creative comment below and tell her why.  She might just giveaway a couple of eBooks to the most creative reasons.  Go ahead, tell Julia why you want to read Coexist!

More on Lenmeo's blog here