I've probably said it a thousand times in the past year, and I'll say it again:
Emma Meade is awesome! Not only do the two of us have a wild amount of favorite movies and bands in common, but the Irish author renewed my love in vampires (the kind that bite, not sparkle) with her growing list of intriguing novellas, her latest release being my new favorite. Although this story follows up on the life of Erin Harris, a character from her earlier novella,
Under the Desert Moon, I read
Beneath Manhattan Skies first, and can tell you with confidence it could be considered a standalone. In celebration of her new release, Emma agreed to sit down to answer a few questions. Be sure to check out the stunning cover and synopsis below!
Beneath Manhattan Skies takes place in the city it's named after. Have you ever been to the United States? Do you have plans to visit anytime soon?
Yes, I spent some time in Delaware years ago with a lot of Irish people sharing a house. The days I strolled the boardwalk eating a hotdog and chilling on the beach still make me smile fondly. I've also been to New York and couldn't seem to take in the fact I was actually all the way across the Atlantic in the Big Apple. At the time I was only 21, so I'd like to go back now that I'm a tad more grown up :) and do some more exploration.
Have you put any thought into who you'd like to see play the Hollywood version of Erin, James and Tommy?
I loved Amber Tamblyn in Joan of Arcadia and pictured her as Erin at one stage. I think I answered this question last year for another blogger and I'm trying to remember who I picked for James and Nick. I'm not one hundred percent sure, but it could be Will Estes from Blue Bloods I chose for James. I'm drawing a blank for Nick. I just picture him as a really sweet, wholesome looking, handsome dude.
Will there be another book on the life of Erin Harris?
I'd like to do a short novella that wraps up Erin's story with James. I'm thinking I'd have to go five or six years into the future. If enough readers are curious, I'll get on it.
You're obviously a big fan of vampires. Are there other paranormal creatures you're into as well?
I write a lot about vampires, but if I had to be a supernatural creature, I'd choose to be a witch. A life filled with spells, potions, conjuring and magic would be right up my alley.
Have you ever written outside of the supernatural genre? Do you have any desire to?
I tried writing a contemporary romance years ago at college after a breakup. My sister printed out the few chapters I wrote and passed them around the office she worked in, and though the response was favourable, my heart wasn't in it. No witches or ghosts or a sexy vampire? Nope, I couldn't finish.
Favorite vampire movie?
The Lost Boys would be near the top.
Favorite vampire of all time?
Probably Spike.
November in New York is cold but full of possibility for college freshman Erin Harris.
When her twin brother, Nick, shows up on her doorstep for a surprise visit, Erin is delighted. Unfortunately, Nick’s arrival coincides with the discovery of a body outside her apartment
building, a body drained of blood. Right away, Nick assumes vampires are involved. He’s not exactly their biggest fan since Erin dated one in high school.
Juggling nosy roommates, a first date with a gorgeous guy from college and a
brother on a Van Helsing kick is enough to keep any nineteen year old girl
busy – And then Erin’s old flame walks back into her life.
Is Erin destined to be caught up in supernatural shenanigans,
or will she choose a different path?
WHERE TO BUY BENEATH MANHATTAN SKIES:
WAYS TO FOLLOW EMMA:
Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop.
Without giving too much away, the stories with the Teflon crew (one of many Mean Girls references) were what kept me the most interested, making a person think twice about revenge. The sub-plot towards the end dealing with Edith and her father felt a little forced, and I felt Edith’s “wishes” really weren’t well thought out from beginning to end considering how smart she is pimped out as being. I loved the occasional glimpses of horror and wish there had been more of that instead of an occasional scattering.
Sadly, releasing a book has become less of a "thing", and more of just a part of life. With the first few, I would insist my family go out to celebrate, or make my husband take me to the bar for a couple drinks. Now, as our lives have become crazy with two kids in middle school, I've been forced to celebrate the release of book #7 during working hours, alone. Kind of sounds pathetic, like throwing yourself a birthday party, but ask any indie author how much work goes into writing and publishing a book, and you'll understand.
So today I'm getting my hair cut/colored, and indulging in a facial (that I won in a drawing). May not seem a very glamorous thing for an author to do, but as big as my hair is, this will be an all-afternoon event. I'm hoping, at the very least, to relax my mind enough to come up with more ideas for the sequel to Shymers that I'm working on.
ONE and TWO by LeighAnn Kopans: When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak. It makes you a One.
INTO THE DEEP and HIDEN BENEATH by Lauryn April: Ivy Daniels is a high school junior still learning who she is. After almost drowning, Ivy finds herself with an ability she doesn’t want, an ability to uncover secrets which quickly begins to redefine what she thinks about the people around her as well as herself. Because of this ability, Ivy becomes the one thing that stands between an angry teen and the death of every student on campus. The only problem is she doesn’t know who wants everyone dead. Will she figure out whose secret is that they’re planning to blow up her school, or will she fail to find him in time? Through her search to do the right thing, Ivy discovers that knowing the thoughts and secrets of those around her may just tear her apart.
THE AWAKENING & OTHER STORIES and BENEATH MANHATTAN SKIES by Emma Meade: Put on the kettle, close the curtains and curl up by the fire. Dive into 8 short tales, each with a slice of the paranormal.
THE DAY ZOMBIES RUINED MY PERFECTLY BORING LIFE and THE TIME ZOMBIES BECAME THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES by Jen Naumann: Emma Ferdig has heard the term “life sucks, then you die”, but she never knew she was supposed to take it quite so literally.
HEART WAVES, BREAKING WAVES, and WAVES OF LOVE by Danielle Sibarium: Jenna Kingsley has a gift. She knows things. With a simple touch she can pick up personal information from jewelry or objects. While at a neighbor's party, a voice mesmerizes her. Jenna is momentarily frozen as a ring is placed in her hand. White electricity surges through her and a dire prediction is made. "It's like Romeo and Juliet. You're going to break my heart." From the moment they meet, Jenna is enchanted and entranced with Reece Walton. She's thrilled to learn he's spending the summer two houses away from hers. Every moment they spend together is magical. But she can't get the prediction out of her mind. As the summer draws to a close and secrets are revealed, can Jenna get past the fear of being left with a broken heart to live in the moment with Reece or will her fear of being hurt fulfill the prophecy?
I've probably said it a thousand times in the past year, and I'll say it again: Emma Meade is awesome! Not only do the two of us have a wild amount of favorite movies and bands in common, but the Irish author renewed my love in vampires (the kind that bite, not sparkle) with her growing list of intriguing novellas, her latest release being my new favorite. Although this story follows up on the life of Erin Harris, a character from her earlier novella, Under the Desert Moon, I read Beneath Manhattan Skies first, and can tell you with confidence it could be considered a standalone. In celebration of her new release, Emma agreed to sit down to answer a few questions. Be sure to check out the stunning cover and synopsis below!
When not writing or reading, Jessa Russo is out and about making memories with some seriously awesome people - for an introvert, she's pretty extroverted. You can bet that she's also ALWAYS secretly planning her next trip to New Orleans. (If her eyes glaze over, she's in one of her stories, or NOLA.) Southern California will always be her home, but she's open to suggestions. An unashamed super fan of all things paranormal romance, Jessa reads, writes and breathes paranormal YA, rarely straying from her comfort zone.
I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely ladies Jenny & Malisa over at J&M's Book Diaries. Click the link below to check out their review of my book Cheating Death, and also find out fun things like which book so far has been my favorite to write, what things I would like to do differently, and a little info on the very first book I wrote in junior high. It also includes a very special message to my fans!
