To Have or Have Not - Book Tour and Giveaway

2HVØRHVNØT: To Have or Have Not
by Jared K. Chapman
Genre: Dystopian Superhero Fantasy, Horror 

Welcome to Fellowship City, where the Haves are super-powered, and the Have-Nots are just like you.

The Mighty have all the wealth, fame, power, and superpowers, but even they are subject to the monastery’s control. To maintain peace, telepathic monks see into the past, present, and future to police the other Mighty and the minority of powerless Citizens, who have nothing but their identity tags tattooed on their wrists.

Twenty-year-old Mario lives with his kid sister in one of the many camphouses on the island south of the city. Unlike the other citizens he stands in line with every morning waiting to be bussed to work, he actually likes his downtown job and the Mighty restaurateur who employs him. 

At least, he did.
​
This morning, the grisly, undetected murder of his boss changes everything. In a flash, Mario becomes the primary suspect and must race against time to prove his innocence in a world that oppresses the powerless.
​
Part READY PLAYER ONE. Part DIVERGENT. Part MINORITY REPORT. Totally Superpowered! 2HVØRHVNØT has fast-paced action, suspense, horror, and mature themes that are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

**Kindle Countdown Sale Nov 3rd - 8th!!**
.99 cents Nov 3rd- 5th
1.99 Nov 6th
2.99 Nov 7th 
3.99 Nov 8th

Add to Goodreads
Amazon * Website ​

​

​But I’m fast for a man in a black suit, he chortles at the thought. All these other workers, leaving their camphouses now and taking their sweet ass time as they stroll toward the bus stop, are probably looking at me and thinking, glad I’m not that guy.
Ahead of him, he glimpses an older woman with salt and pepper brown hair tied up in a bun with white lace, walking at a steady pace. As he closes in on her, he recognizes the stereotypical black and white uniform of a French maid she’s wearing. 
She must work for some richy-rich Mighties up in Emerald Hills, he thinks, a little jealous. They love dressing up their workers in crazy shit like that. I’m surprised she’s living in the WPC and not in the Normal slums with all the other preferred workers. I bet it’s a new gig, and she’ll be moving on up real soon.
He often ponders what life might be like if he lived outside of the WPC, wondering if a place in the Normal slums (or what the Mighty call southside ghetto) would truly afford more freedom at all. 
Having to wear a ridiculous outfit just to land a cushy job up there might not be worth it though, he thinks, loosening his collar and adjusting his necktie, as his short-lived jealousy fades away.
He hurtles by, startling her. 
She jerks out her earbuds and yells, “Watch out!”
He waves his hand in the air without looking back or slowing his gait. At the next block, he jumps up and high-fives the Luxuria Street sign.
TWWWIIIIIINNNNGGG
“Stupid kid,” barks the lady.
He laughs, picking up his pace, trying to cut ahead of the many people leaving their homes for their 7 a.m. shifts.
Come on. Come on, he thinks, racing forward, trying to ignore the soft rumbling of a crowd.
The noise builds, rising into a voluminous cacophony of chatter, as he crosses Tristia Street. He can no longer ignore the sound of the gathered mass of people waiting in the bus line, not moving an inch. 
“Son of a bitch!” he exclaims, zipping by people of all shapes and sizes, costumed and uncostumed.
In the distance, he spots a lone bus exiting Olum Bridge toward Citizen Way. He bolts toward the front of the line, passing a myriad of glowering faces. The weight of their judgment does nothing to slow him down.
“No cutting!” a woman’s voice shouts, but he disregards her and runs faster. The crowd’s murmurs merge into some foreign-sounding condemnation where the words are unintelligible, but the tone is clear. 
“I’m sorry,” he apologizes, galloping past the gawking onlookers. “I need to get to work. I can’t be late!” 
No one is fooled by his lip-service apology, but they do understand his dilemma. Not that his boss will. He’s not the most forgiving about tardiness, and the recent promotion from the kitchen to the dining room floor would likely be the first thing on the chopping block. 
I don’t want to be back in the kitchen all the time, he thinks. Or worse. It could be a lot worse.
His eyes lock onto the bus, as it creeps toward the bus stop. He rounds the front of the line, maneuvering through the crowds of other workers to inch closer to the door of the bus before it burps to a halt. He grins ear to ear. 
Mere steps away from the doorway, his smile rips from his face in a sudden jolt of panic, as a massive reptilian tail drops in front of him like a boom barrier at a railroad crossing. 
“Where do you think you’re going?” the guard inhumanly snarls. 

Jared K. Chapman is an author, filmmaker, and educator. He is a native Californian who spent his formative years at school in frigid Alberta, Canada with his father and summer vacation in arid central California with his mother. He holds degrees in psychology & religious studies and is currently a doctoral candidate studying the social psychology of extreme groups. He lives in a little oasis just east of Los Angeles with his wife and three sons. 2HVØRHVNØT is his debut novel.


Website * Facebook * FB Group * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads ​

​

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
First, I want to introduce myself. I’m Jared K Chapman, not Jared Chapman the children’s author/illustrator. He does great stuff. I love reading about veggies in underwear. My three-year-old thinks that's hilarious. But that's not me.

I write genre-bending fiction generally dealing with dystopias and superpowers, so call me SciFi/fantasy, probably more on the fantasy side, but not really magic and fairies or vampires (yet...but not the kind that sparkle). My influences include Huxley, Orwell, Bradbury, Vonnegut, Dick, and King. Most recently, I really liked Ready Player One and Armada for nostalgic reasons. They just make me feel like a kid again, playing video games, reading comics, and watching movies like the Last Star Fighter. Anyway, I had an interesting childhood that rendered me anxiety-ridden in full of panic. I probably have some PTSD from it... so I work that out through writing. I've been writing and telling stories as far back as I can remember. In 3rd or 4th grade, we published a book of collected stories for our class and I thought that was the best thing ever. Seeing my work in print that everyone can see... I was sold.

I wrote my first novel, some SciFi conglomeration of Star Wars and Star Trek, when I was in 6th grade, and I bet it was bloody, freaking awful. I have no way of knowing. I think I let a classmate read it and never got it back. It probably wasn't even a novel. Back then, writing 10 pages felt like 100, am I right? So, I wrote stuff here and there, and I even got an award for a poem I wrote in HS. "Best Paradoxical Love Poem." For a kid who flew back and forth between Mom and Dad and two countries every summer and school year from the age of 10 to 14, I can tell you that was a big deal. I never really had much stability in my life. After 14, I was passed around from family member to family member, living with aunt and uncle, mother, older sister, and grandfather. Hell, my first semester in junior college I was living out of my car.

It took me five years to get through JC, majoring in English, film, philosophy/RS, psychology, and finally graduating with an AA in Liberal Arts. After a few years of being married and not liking the real world, I went back to school, but this time I had focused. You see, it took me five years before because I barely graduated HS and JC wasn't much different. I didn't know how to do it. I didn't know how I needed to learn. I actually got kicked out of JC for dropping too many classes. I had to beg to go back, and I ended up graduating on Dean's list and cum laude. When I went to University, I knew what I needed to do to learn and I did it. I graduated with a double major in psychology and religious studies, earning awards from both my departments. I went on to get a master's in psychology (research side, not therapy). I'm not that kind of psychologist.

Currently, I'm a doctoral candidate studying the social psychology of extreme groups. I'm dissertating right now, but you know what I found out during my last course of my Ph.D.? I have an anxiety disorder that acts like ADD, which makes school and test-taking and reading and everything I was doing difficult. I overcame that to do what I needed to get to where I was. I struggled and worked hard. Harder than others who didn't have those handicaps to deal with. It was like I was playing golf and I'm hitting my ball 300 ft further back from everyone else. The point to all of this is not to feel bad for me or anything but to know we are amazing creatures who adapt and can do anything when we figure out how.

Sorry for rambling on. I didn't even tell you why I write what I write. I write what I want to read. I love to create worlds and the colorful, assorted people who live in those worlds. I love to tell stories about things that happen in those worlds. I love making readers feel what I try to make them feel.

I hope this gives you a good idea of who I am and where I come from. 

What is something unique/quirky about you?
Well, I don’t really like being submerged in water, especially dark water. I had a panic attack snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef and had to use those tube floaties to keep me afloat and take the panic away. I had a harrowing experience very young when I was swept away in the undercurrent at a southern California beach. Ever since then, I’ve had this issue. I don’t even really like going in pools, although I don’t suffer any kind of panic around pools… and I don’t really like taking baths at all. However, I love showers.

In High School, I was practically narcoleptic and would fall asleep for hours at a time while in the shower. I found I did my best thinking in the shower. Perhaps there’s some sensation deprivation going on that allows me to focus better. I continue to take showers often, sometimes two to three times a day just to think. I work through my psychological research and develop stories in the worlds I create.

Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you!
Back in the 90s, I was a huge Everclear fan. Art Alexakis’ songs really hit close to home, especially Father of Mine. I’m the first of two children from my father’s third marriage. I have siblings from his first and fourth marriage, as well as stepsiblings from his current marriage. I never really had a close relationship with my father, except for 4 years when I lived with him from 10-14 years old. When I went through my own divorce, Art’s music helped me a lot. I made sure I was in my children’s lives. I spoke with them nearly every day and my boys moved in with me when they were 8 and 10 years old. However, before they moved in with me, I went to Coachella in 2012, and on that road trip, I listened to an Everclear playlist.

As I listened, I began to formulate a story where the lyrics were speaking for the characters. When I returned home, I wrote a musical. It was basically fanfiction with lyrics and music of Everclear to tell the story. I friended Art on Facebook and messaged him about the musical. To my surprise, he was willing to read it… and he liked it. I got to meet him in person and one of his Summerland shows in Bakersfield, California. I said, “Hi. I’m Jared. I wrote the musical.” He responded excitedly, saying, “Jared. Jared Chapman. Hey guys, he wrote a musical with my songs. And it’s good too.” That memory is seared unto my head forever.

What kind of world ruler would you be?
I always joked about being a benevolent tyrant. I’d show love to my people and try to build them up to be the best they could be, giving them what they need for security and stability. But they’d have to do things my way and if they refused, then they could leave. I’d probably send them to an island or rocket them to the moon. BTW, Jared is Hebrew for ruler, as well as descent, and he who comes from heaven, so…

What do you do to unwind and relax?
I have an extremely hard time unwinding and relaxing. My brain is always running and running like the Energizer bunny. Interestingly enough, I find showers to help me focus these thoughts, but also, they allow me to relax… sometimes. Other times, watching something on TV with my wife and kids is the best thing to just chill out.

How to find time to write as a parent?
That’s the question, isn’t it? It’s extremely hard, especially in the time of COVID. My three-year-old is home all the time and needing attention, so I try to write when he has quiet time or has gone to bed, or if my wife isn’t working and can watch him. I also have two older sons (16 and 18 now). The 16-year-old is taking virtual classes right now and the 18-year-old is looking for work, so he spends a lot of his time in his room playing videogames… sometimes I get their help with their baby brother. So, I try to take advantage of any time I can have alone and spend it on writing. It requires a lot of support from my family right now.

When it isn’t COVID and the family are out during the days, I write as much as possible while I have the house to myself. I often go to coffee shops to write. It seems counterintuitive, but I find being around people stimulating… just not when they’re constantly asking me for something or begging for my attention  Most of the time, I write after everyone else has gone to bed.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I began writing a novel in 1996… something I’m still working on. I think the moment I allowed someone to read that was the moment I thought of myself as a writer. That’s when I believed I was going to become a writer. Unfortunately, life got in the way, but I’m finding my way back now.

Do you have a favorite movie?
I do. I have an all-time favorite movie, but I don’t tell anyone, or they’d use it to hack my accounts. However, there is a movie or series of movies I have seen more than any others. It all started when my parents took me to the drive-in when I was a month old to see Star Wars. Now, of course, I don’t remember that first viewing, but Star Wars has been so ingrained into my DNA that it has passed down to my children. We love it all.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I write what I want to read and what I would like to see as a movie. That being said, I only have the one novel currently, but I absolutely could imagine it as a film or TV series.

What inspired you to write this book?
I had a thought in my head about to be or not to be but applying it to the situation of haves and have-nots, which resulted in the title to have or not to have. I thought that was too presumptuous and cumbersome, so I kept thinking and though To Have or Have Not sounded much better, and I am a Hemingway fan, so there’s a little homage there. I kept thinking and thinking about this title and one day while driving home the numeronym popped into my head 2HVORHVNOT. I thought that would be a cool title for a book, so I began to think what a book with that title would be about.

I immediately thought about a tattooed identity code on someone’s arm. I thought about how it could be scanned and used in the future like credit cards, but I thought that was too obvious and really wasn’t sure what the story would be. Poor people are Have Nots and can’t even use their codes while the reach people can… it seemed like something I’ve seen many times before. So, my mind went somewhere darker. What if only the Have Nots have these identity codes and they’re forced on them? I began to think about the Holocaust and poor lives lost in the camps. I began to think about Nietzche’s idea of the Ubermensch inspiring the Nazis. I began to think about Japanese internment camps and signs that said No Jews Allowed or Colored Only Section. I began thinking about the X-Men stories where normal people wanted to round up the mutants and put them into camps. Then, I thought what if that was flipped. What if the people in power, the majority, were the ones with superpowers.

I started to think about what kind of world that would be. I drew upon a lot of the social psychological theories I had learned through the course of my collegiate life. I found myself really drawn to Sherif, Asch, Milgram, and Zimbardo’s famous experiments. Ultimately, I wanted to delve into conflict resolution between two completely different groups. I also drew upon my religious studies and my interest in science-fiction/fantasy, post-apocalyptic/dystopia speculative fiction, particularly 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, The Dark Tower Series, Running Man, Demolition Man, Minority Report, and Ready Player One. All of these inspired me to create the world of Fellowship City.

In Fellowship City, there is a caste system with the highest, most powerful Mighty being the telepathic seers, monks of Sol & Luna, who police the other Mighty. This creates a world without heroes or villains, because the monks stop any crime or wrongdoing, even wrong-thinking before it happens. They eliminate the bad elements to create a utopian world for them, but in doing so, life is mundane. Their superpowers are meaningless. In this world, a pyrokinetic has a job as a barista reheating coffee in the ceramic mugs of old customers. But in nearly every utopia we find some dystopian element, and for those without powers, this world is a nightmare. They are forced to serve the Mighty, live in camps or slums, and must be tattooed with their scannable identity codes.


What can we expect from you in the future?
This book is launching a world. I am currently working on a prequel trilogy describing the rise of the Mighty. I’m editing the first book, writing the second, and have the third outlined and ready to go. I’m also working on a short story that doesn’t fit in the prequel books or in any sequel books, and I have plans to write more of these short stories to complete the world. I set up 2HVØRHVNØT to have a sequel, which I am currently outlining and expect to release next year. After that, I plan to write a third book in the series, making it a trilogy. I also plan to write three shorter books focusing on three of the character’s origin stories.
Once I have published all the Fellowship City books, I would like to complete the epic novel I started in 1996.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in 2HVØRHVNØT: To Have or Have Not?
There are tons of colorful and interesting characters in my book. The two primary protagonists are Mario and his sister, Zelda. They live in a camphouse on the island south of Fellowship City. Mario works downtown at a trendy restaurant where he has recently been promoted from dish-boy to server. Zelda is still under 18, so she doesn’t have to do “real work,” although she volunteers her time in the orphan house when she’s not the story-keeper for a role playing game called SOFA that she plays with her friends.

My book has three episodes, and Mario is the main protagonist of the first episode. He likes working at the restaurant, because the Mighty who employs him is a good guy compared to some of the other horror stories he’s heard. He and his sister lost their parents seven years ago and lived in the orphan house until Mario was able to get his own camphouse and take Zelda in as her guardian. He’s always felt responsible for her and even now fears that he may not have prepared her for the world she will soon enter, because he’s treated her like a princess ever since. Mario has an eidetic memory, which serves him well as a server, but it’s not always entirely perfect. He’s filled with internal conflict as he blames the Mighty for the loss of his parents but needs to work for the Mighty to survive.

Zelda becomes prominent in episode two. Her brother is the most important thing to her in the world and when things look bleak, she feels that she needs to do something. Usually, she seems rather level-headed and the leader among her friends, but her brother is her kryptonite. She gets tunnel vision and will stop at nothing to protect her protector. She’s smart, funny, and athletic… a butt-kicking princess.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?
Mario and Zelda are obvious, I think. Their father loved the retro games of yesteryear and named his children after his favorites. Jakandy is actually named after Jack Handey from Deep Thoughts on Saturday Night Live. DerMööve is a telekinetic of German ancestry, so I was going for something that could get that across. The Arcane Sawyer just came to me out of nowhere as a blend of Paul Bunyan and Thor. There are many more names with backstories, but I don’t want to give too much away 

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I wrote this book as a graphic novel in 2012, but the artist couldn’t work on it because he got busy as a touring musician. So, I decided to work it into a novel. What I enjoyed was taking the graphic novel as an outline and really fleshing out the world. I had been sitting on these ideas for years before and they all swelled within me ready to just rush to the pages. The first draft of this novel was completed within three months at around 100,000 words. After the second draft, I increased it over 20,000 words. What I enjoyed most about writing 2HVØRHVNØT was laying the foundations for this world.

Who designed your book covers?
Derek Smith is the artist who designed the cover. He does amazing work and is who was going to do the art for the graphic novel. He’s also an amazing drummer, so he’s been busy performing in shows all around the world. You can find him at https://www.facebook.com/kickitlikebonham and https://www.instagram.com/dereksmithart/.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
For the most part, the characters are from my imagination, but there are definitely elements of real people borrowed to help flesh them out. Additionally, I pay homage to several established characters and real people throughout the book, similar to Ready Player One.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
There are times when I’m writing and I kind of know what I’m trying to get to but the character has other ideas and takes me on some meandering path that circumnavigates the actual point, but I get there eventually because I ultimately do have the control.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must-read.
My book is a fast-paced, action-packed, genre-bending murder mystery set in a dystopian future where the superpowered Haves oppress the powerless Have Nots. This book has it all. I’ve packed it tight with things you’ll need to read two or three times through to uncover all the easter eggs and tidbits. I’ve created a world that is different from our own but feels like our own in many ways and the differences are off-putting at times. Ultimately though, this story could be told at any time and place because it is important. It’s about humanity and class struggle and conflict, and how if we work together we can overcome any odds.

Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes!

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Whiskey and cedar with a hint a rose petal.

What did you edit out of this book?
I had a lot more exposition about how Fellowship City came to be and where the Mighty came from. I took that out or minimized, leaving it half-answered in many ways, as I decided to write a prequel trilogy to tell that story.

Is there a writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
Yes, Stephen King. I’ve been a fan since I was 10. My stepmother had a library filled with his books and I would read them voraciously. He’s such a prolific writer. I wish I could write half as much as he does. I’d really like advice on how to write and publish more, and how to get my book made into a movie or tv series. One day, I’d like people to put me into the same category as Mr. King.

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
The Gunslinger, Fahrenheit 451, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Slapstick, A Clockwork Orange, 1984, Brave New World, Ready Player One, Cat’s Cradle, Trainspotting

What book do you think everyone should read?
A book that really inspired me and changed my life and thought processes was Daniel C. Matt’s God and the Big Bang. This is a nonfiction work that connects science with Jewish mysticism. The fact that rabbinical scholars described how lightning works more than a thousand years before we could confirm it using photographic equipment in our modern age is amazing. What else is in their texts that describes our reality?
For fiction, I think everyone should read Fahrenheit 451. Whether you like dystopian books or not, this is a must-read for anyone who cares at all about books and our future.

How long have you been writing?
I remember writing and illustrating a short little story in 3rd or 4th grade that was published in a collection for my classroom. Seeing what I wrote in print was surreal and fantastic. I continued to write from then on. Whenever we had school projects and could choose between writing or something else, I always chose the writing project. In 6th grade, I wrote some SciFi Star Wars/Star Trek mishmash of a novel, and in 8th grade, I wrote a novel that ended up being too provocative and taken from me. The principal expressed disappointment in me while my English teacher said it was impressive but not appropriate in school. All that is to say, I’ve been writing for a very long time. I only wish I would have published a lot sooner in life.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
I generally think about an idea for a long time and develop an outline of how the story will go in my head and what characters are needed to move that story along. Then, I have these bursts of creation (usually in the shower) when I flesh out the characters more before I really ever start writing them down. In that way, I am an outliner… but I’m also a pantser. I’m a hybrid. While I’m writing with an idea of what I want to do and where to go, I let the story and the characters take me there. Sometimes characters are created out of necessity to move the story to its proper place.

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I guess it really depends on the topic. For 2HVØRHVNØT, I didn’t really do much research on anything beforehand. But I did do plenty of research as I was writing. I’d come up with some outlandish idea and have to research to figure out how exactly it should be presented. I don’t want to say much more than that as to not spoil any of the book.

Do you see writing as a career?
Yes. I’ve decided that this is the career I’ve always wanted to do and now I must make it happen. I’ve waited too long and have so many stories to tell. But the only way to make it a career is to have readers who want to read what I write. I hope that will be the case because I absolutely love to build worlds and create stories within those worlds.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I read a lot. Unfortunately, it’s not always for fun. I read a lot of research articles as I work on my dissertation. When I read fiction though, I really want to escape. I tend to gravitate toward science fiction, science fantasy books. But I’ll read practically any genre if the story is good.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
I cannot work in silence, but I find an even harder time when there’s a lot of noise. My happy medium is listening to the Vitamin String Quartet while I write. The music is familiar, but there aren’t any lyrics to distract me from writing. Worst case scenario, I just run fans for white noise. I really can’t work in silence… my mind just goes all over. No focus at all.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I’m usually reading a few books on my kindle, a paperback, and something else on audiobook.

Pen or typewriter or computer?
Primarily, I work on my computer. But sometimes I scribble things on paper.

Advice they would give new authors?
I waited too long to publish because I didn't have confidence in my work. Don't do that. You are the only person who can tell your story the way you want it to be told. So, write it and don't be afraid to show it to people. Also, don't have a big head about it. Be open to others' critiques, challenges, and changes they may introduce. Those ideas may help you more than you know. It's never too late to start. I'm 43 and this is my debut novel. I wish I had begun 20 years ago, but here I am now, and wishing only gets you so far. If you need help, there are people and companies out there who can help. I needed my confidence boosted and help on how to get published, so I found a program. Message me if you want to know about it. Otherwise, keep writing. Write every day. Only stop to send pages to the editor. Publish!

Describe your writing style.
Varied. Sometimes I outline. Sometimes I fly by the seat of my pants. Sometimes it’s a little of both. Sometimes I write in first person and other times in third. Sometimes I write in present tense and other times in past tense. Whatever I do, however, I try to be as consistent as possible. But it all depends on the story I’m trying to tell.

What makes a good story?
For me, I want something familiar and relatable but different enough. I like when ordinary people are thrust into extraordinary situations. I want to be engaged and feel like the author is speaking directly to me. Sometimes I want to be challenged, and other times I want to be handheld through the story. Most importantly, I want to be told something that I already knew but in a completely different way. If led there by surprise, even better.

What are they currently reading?
H.P. Lovecraft’s Necronomicon because I really got into Lovecraft Country on HBO. Kurt Vonnegut’s 2BR02B just because. We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor, which was recommended to me by my older brother.

What is your writing Kryptonite?
My wife and kids. I love them, but they can stop the flow of my writing with just a whimper.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I’m not really sure what readers want. I know what I want to read, so I try to write that. I hope what I like others will like. I think originality is important, but something doesn’t have to be 100% original to be good. It’s okay to build off the backs of others and present something familiar in an original way. That’s what I like to see and what I try to do.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Have confidence in yourself and what you have written. Just publish. You can do it. Get it out there into the world. They can’t decide if they like it or not until you allow yourself to give it up. Stop with the perfectionism. You’ll never achieve perfect, and not everyone will like what you have done. Rejection and criticism are okay. Ultimately, they will make you a better writer.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
The most difficult thing about writing women is falling into stereotypes. I really try to avoid those unless they’re necessary for that particular character.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It all depends. I started this book in 2012 and published this year. But I wrote the graphic novel in a few days and the first draft of the novel in a few months. I wrote the first draft of the first prequel book in one month, but the second one I’ve been working on for about five months. It just depends on what else is going on in my life that keeps me from completing the project. I could probably knock out 120k words every 3 months if I was able to work full-time on my writing. There’s just so much more that goes along with being a writer and selling a book than just writing.

Do you believe in writer’s block?
Yes. So, I try to have multiple projects going on at a time. If I block on one, I try to work on another. This really only works if I have just a few projects.

How do you deal with writer’s block?
I've learned that I get some of my best ideas while taking a shower. So, if I'm having difficulty writing, I take a shower and think about my story. Usually, I'll have some kind of epiphany or breakthrough that guides me to my next roadblock.

What’s the best thing about being a writer?
My mind is constantly full of ideas. When I write, I exhaust my mind. Nights I completely exhaust my mind, I sleep very well.
I'll need to update this at some point as I've only been a professional writer for a week, but things are looking good so far.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Oct 27
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Bedazzled By Books

Oct 28
My Plans Are Booked
Scrupulous Dreams

Oct 29
Sadie's Spotlight
The Book Dragon

Oct 30
A Pinch of Bookdust
The Bookshelf Fairy

Oct 31
Interesting Authors | Eclectic Readers!

Nov 2
Trailer Trash Diva Reads
Twisted Book Ramblings

Nov 3
Craving Lovely Books
Luv Saving Money

Nov 4
Insane Books

Nov 5
The Avid Reader - REVIEW
Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Nov 6
Musings From An Addicted Reader

Nov 7
A Wonderful World of Words - GUEST POST

Nov 9
My Crazy Life
Inside the Insanity - GUEST POST

Nov 10
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

Nov 11
IndiePowerd by No Sweat Graphics
Bayou Queen Book Fanatics

Nov 12
Nina Soden #TheRedheadedAuthor - GUEST POST
Girl with Pen

Nov 13
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee
Drako's Den

Nov 16
Books, Authors, Blogs
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'

Nov 17
Literary Gold
Readeropolis - GUEST POST

Nov 18
Airin' My Dirty Laundry
Books all things paranormal and romance

Nov 19
I Smell Sheep - GUEST POST
T's Stuff

Nov 20
Midnight Book Reader
Why I Can't Stop Reading

Nov 21
A Dragon's Fated Heart
The Sexy Nerd 'Revue'

Nov 23
Sapphyria's Book Reviews
Book Corner News and Reviews

Nov 24
4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ - GUEST POST
Sylv.net

Nov 25
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author
❧Defining Ways❧

Nov 26
Anna del C. Dye official page
ⒾⓃⓉⓇⓄⓈⓅⒺⒸⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓅⓇⒺⓈⓈ

Nov 27
Teatime and Books
The Faerie Review

a Rafflecopter giveaway