Interview with author Chelsea Cameron

Interview with author Chelsea Cameron

Today I have the pleasure of working with the awesome Heather at Supagurl Book Tours. This is my first tour with Supagurl. Due to personal difficulties, I was not able to post this interview during the tour, but thankfully, I was allowed to proceed with it now. Thanks again for that, Heather! I read and enjoy YA novels, but I am extremely picky about what I choose to read. I suppose a lot of this is due to the act that I prefer to read romance (all genres of romance) over any genre so I tend to be very careful about reading outside the romance genre. But when I saw this tour invite, the book description caught my attention. And you now what that means … Yep! You all benefit because I then get to share it with you. I hope you enjoy your time spent today … Please allow me to introduce to you:

**CHELSEA  CAMERON**

**BIO**

Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA writer from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

She has two books out now, Nocturnal and Nightmare, the first and second books in the Noctalis Chronicles about a girl with a dying mother who meets an immortal boy. The third book, Numb will be out this August, and the fourth in the winter. Her other book, Whisper, about a girl who is alive, a boy who isn't and the complications that go along with their relationship, released June 16 and is the first in a trilogy.

You can find out more about Ms. Cameron at the following places:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

**INTERVIEW**

How has your life changed since becoming published?

It hasn't changed all that much, since I'm still working my day job. I think when I'm able to pay the bills as a full-time writer, then my life will really change. Other than that, I'm a lot more busy that I used to be. A lot more emails, lol.

LOL! What is your typical day like?

I work my day job at a bank Monday through Friday from 7:45 to 4:15, so all my writing gets done at night. I'm naturally a night owl, so this works for me. Weekends I'll sometimes do marathons and write all day.

Marathons? Not me. But that is great for you. I admire those that can do something like that. Especially with all you have going on. Tell us a little about your current release Nocturnal.

NOCTURNAL is the first book in a four-book series. It's about a girl with a mother dying of cancer who meets a strange guy one night in a cemetery. Here's the full synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Ava-Claire Sullivan isn't one for doing the expected. Especially when she finds out her mother's cancer is terminal. After a crying session in the local cemetery where she's attacked by one strange guy and saved by another, she doesn't call the cops. Because those guys definitely weren't your average hooligans. 

And the one who sort-of saved her? Well, he's odd. He doesn't seem to breathe or smile or have anything better to do than wait in the cemetery for Ava to come back, which she does. Morbid curiosity? Even after he warns her that he's dangerous, she can't stop wanting to see him, talk to him, be with him.

There's just something about Peter that provides a much-needed escape from her mother's diagnosis and her tenuous relationship with her father. Her best friends, Jamie and Texas, don't know what it's like to face death. Peter does; he already has. But a promise he made a long time ago could destroy both of them.

When everything in your life is falling apart, what are you willing to give up to hold onto the one thing that could last forever?

Seriously. I know may that would take that plunge to keep everything from ending. Any upcoming projects you would like to tell us about?

I'm working on the third book in the series, NUMB. It will be out on August 31, and a New Adult Contemporary, MY FFAVORITE MISTAKE, which will be out on September 29.

Great to know! How do you keep in contact with your readers?

I'm a HUGE Twitter person. You can almost always find me on there, and if you don't see me, I'm probably lurking. I also have a Facebook, Blog and Pinterest. I love social networking :) Hearing from people who liked my work absolutely makes my day.

I bet it does. Nothing better than getting positive feedback about your hard work. What is your favorite thing about this book?

I wanted to write my version of a vampire book. I had the idea for this story three years before I wrote it. Back then, I was pursuing traditional publication and knew that no one would touch a vampire book, however unique, with a ten-foot pole. So I didn't write it for years. Then the idea wouldn't leave me alone so I wrote it. It turned out very different than I planned, which happens with all my books. The thing I love the most is Ava's relationship with her mother. I didn't want the story to just be about the romance.

Say what? No one would touch a vampire book? Pfft! Inconceivable! What’s next for Ava?

NIGHTMARE, the second book in the series, ends on a cliffhanger. The only thing I can say is that there will be a new character that's going to change things up in a big way :)

Cliffhangers – have a love and despise relationship with those. *nods* When did you begin your journey as an author and what pulled you in the direction of writing?

I've loved books ever since I knew what they were. My parents read to me every night, up until I was nearly a teenager. I'm an only child, and we lived in a rural area, so books were always my escape. The crazy thing is that I hated writing. Hated it. Whenever I'd get an essay assigned in school, I'd kick and scream and drag my feet before I did it. For some reason I thought that authors were some sort of mystical magical creatures that lived on a different planet than normal people. Like unicorns. I grew up and had a few teachers that encouraged my writing. When it was time to chose a major for college, I picked journalism because it seemed more reputable than English. I wrote for the school paper, but had an idea for a young adult book one night that wouldn't leave me alone. I wrote a few notes and over the next four years I wrote and re-wrote it. During that time, I discovered that I liked writing about fictional people better than real ones, and abandoned my ambition to work for a newspaper. Since then I discovered indie publishing, wrote six more books and haven't looked back!

For me, writing is a way to express myself, silly as that sounds. My mother is an artist, and I grew up surrounded by creative people. I don't have any talent for painting or drawing or any of that, so I use words instead. I feel like I have all this stuff in my brain and I have to get it out somehow. The stories come to me and bug me until I deal with them. Once I made the decision to be a fiction writer, all these stories came to me, as if I'd opened the floodgates.

Interesting! I always loved writing. Not novel kind of writing, but writing came very easy for me. My boys hate writing. Maybe they will be authors! That would be fantastic! Any special quirks or habits when writing?

I have to be sitting or lying down. I can't sit at a desk. Partially because I have back issues, and partially because I have to be comfortable. I also tend to mouth the words as I'm writing them. I wasn't aware that I did this until someone told me.

Love those quirks you never knew you had, right? LOL Lying down seems difficult. But whatever works, right? Nd I can relate to back problems. No bueno! How do you celebrate when you finish a novel?

This is going to sound silly, but I never really feel like I've 'finished' something until it's uploaded and for sale on Amazon. I do celebrate finishing drafts, and finishing edits from my editor. Usually I do something non-book related, like going out with friends for drinks or working out, or going shopping.

No way! Drinks and friends with shopping is awesome! And not feeling like the book is complete until it can be bought makes perfect sense; especially with all that is involved in the entire process! Any advice you’d like to share for aspiring writers?

I'll steal Stephen King's advice and say read a lot, write a lot. Pretty basic, but you have to do both of those things. I'd also add to that meet other writers, whether that is in person or online. You need to interact with others that understand what it's like, and respect it. I'd also suggest that they give NaNoWriMo a try. For those who don't know what NaNoWriMo is, it's National Novel Writing Month and takes place in November, and basically you try to write a 50,000 word novel in that month. I did it for the first time last year and it was crazy and stressful, but so much fun. It's a really good motivator if you need one.

NaNoWri Mo rocks! Until last year, I had no idea what it was. Then I did a huge segment on it and now I get it. I plan to revisit it again this year. Tell us one thing that readers wouldn’t know about you.

I'm really, really short. Only 5'0. I hit that height in seventh grade and never got any taller. I also look much younger than I am. This is going to be great when I'm older, but right now it's still annoying. Last summer a girl asked me if I was over 17 when I went to a rated-R movie. I was almost 25.

I have a friend with the same problem. She HATES being carded even though she is 25, but she looks about 15. On the bright side, you will probably age better than ANY of us. *grins* What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing?

That it's okay to suck. It's okay to write a crappy first draft. You can always fix it later. Also that I can write whatever I want. Let the ideas take me where they want to, and stop worrying about conforming to rules of a genre that really don't exist.

Great advice! Do you have any other hobbies or interests besides writing?

I always did sports in high school, and I did dance before that, but when I hit college, I started writing more and moving less. One of my co-workers is a workout teacher and I started kickboxing about 7 months ago and I love it! I'm in much better shape, and I'm actually happier now. Healthier, too. I'm also a sporadic crafter, but since joining Pinterest, I've got a ton of projects I want to do.

Ah! The marathon thing makes better sense now. Me? Soooooo NOT sport-talented. *shakes head furiously* … So … Salty or Sweet?

Depends on my mood. Sometimes both :)

Exactly! Alcoholic or Non-alcoholic?

I'll go with non-alcoholic, unless I'm out with friends. I'm a lightweight, being so short, so one drink is usually all I need.

Not a big fan of much of anything alcoholic here. What is your favorite drink?

I'm a huge tea drinker, so I always have a ton of that in my house. Lately I've gotten addicted to McDonald's McCafe caramel Frappes. Those things are  heaven.

Those are great! And their sweet tea! Love tea! I drink wayyyyyyy too much of it! Favorite place you have ever visited?

DisneyWorld! I went there last year with two of my best friends and it's true what they say. It is the happiest place on earth.

*snort* I was there forever ago – I’m talking like 1989. It was great and I still remember eating in Morocco. Is Figment still there? I fell in love with him! E left three days before MGM Studios opened. And Typhoon Lagoon was still under construction. So sad. Opposites: 1 thing that never fails to make you happy and one thing that never fails to make you see red.

Videos of babies laughing are the greatest thing ever. When I have a bad day, those never fail to give me a smile. Something that never fails to make me mad are people who hate other people for a completely ridiculous reason. Like the color of their skin, or their religion, or their sexual preferences. That gets my blood boiling.

That type of hate is just uncalled for and ridiculous. People need to evolve!!!!! E-reader or Paperback?

Both! I love the smell of books. I mean, really, who doesn't? I love the weight of them, the feel of holding them and how they look on my bookshelf. But then I love having my Kindle in my purse for when I'm waiting at the doctor's office. I also love being able to go nuts on Amazon and download 20 books in one day without having to find a place to put them.

I think I just fell in love with you a little. I get the Amazon thing because that is fun … who doesn’t like buying books after all … but there is nothing, NOTHING, like holding and smelling that book. Do you have any hidden talents?

I am an absolute trivia freak, so I know the most random facts ever. I watch Jeopardy every single night, and I swear I'm going to try out one of these days. I collect weird facts and bits of history like a squirrel collects nuts.

You totally should. We’d all be cheering you on! Can you imagine the tweets while you were on! How fun! Favorite midnight snack?

Nutella and Marshmello Fluff on graham crackers. Instant s'mores!

OMG! I am an idiot! I can’t believe that I haven’t put Nutella with marshmallow cream before! Doh!  Did you know Jif makes something like Nutella now too? They have a cappuccino one too. Not as good as Nutella, but not bad either. Flowers or chocolate?

Chocolate! That's not even a question. Chocolate releases endorphins in your brain. Flowers make me sneeze.

I’m greedy. I say one MUST accompany the other. LOL Do you have any phobias or fears?

I loathe spiders. Hate them. Whenever I see one, I have a freak out. I can't kill them because that's mean, so I have to find someone who's willing to put it outside. I don't know where this fear came from, because when I was a kid I used to carry spiders around in a jar and I absolutely loved Charlotte's Web.

Charlotte’s Web is a frickin cartoon. There is no point in trying to classify them together. I love it too. Spiders – Hell to the NOES! I wake my kids up even if it is in the middle of the night or I won’t sleep. I’m not willing to let them live though because I’ll freak out about them getting back in the house. *shudders* No idea where my fear came from wither. Although it may have been that dang Arachnophobia movie! ARGH! Why did I ever watch that thing? Are you a night person or morning person?

Night all the way! I think most writers are insomniacs because our brains are always thinking and plotting and imagining. I've been an insomniac my entire life, so writing really works well with that. I'm only a morning person because I have to get up for work.

SUPA fun interview courtesy of Supagurl! *wink* I know, I know … but I crack myself up. Anyway, I want to thank Ms. Cameron for taking the time to answer my questions and for being here with us today. I hope that you all enjoyed getting to know a bit about Ms. Cameron. How about I tell you a little more about the books?

**NOCTURNAL**

**BLURB**

Seventeen-year-old Ava-Claire Sullivan's mother is dying. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that her greatest solace comes from someone who's already dead.

Peter Hart saves her one night in a graveyard from an attacker just as strange as he is, and now Ava can't stop thinking about him. She wants to see him again - even after he warns her he's dangerous, and she begins to realize what he is. Her best friends don't know anything about death, but Peter does, intimately. He's waiting for her the next night she comes to the cemetery, and the next...

But their growing bond comes up against a promise Peter made a long time ago, a promise that could destroy them both. Now Ava has to decide just what she's willing to give up to hold onto the one thing that could last forever.

**NIGHTMARE**

**BLURB**

Ava-Claire Sullivan's first mistake was becoming vampire Peter Mackintire's personal blood bank. Her second mistake was falling in love with him.

Now it's Ava's job to make sure he never loves her in return. A pact Peter made nearly a hundred years ago means loving someone will kill him. If she can figure out how to free him from his promise, it might kill her, make her immortal, or lead to the love she wants so badly.

But if she doesn't, at best her heart will break...and at worst, Peter will die.

**NIGHTMARE  EXCERPT**

“What's your name?” It's my attempt to talk him off the proverbial ledge. All the cops do it on TV.

“Peter.”

“Peter, what?”

“Hart.”

“It's nice to meet you, Peter. I'm Ava.” I stick my hand out, like this is some sort of meet-and-greet. He stares at my hand. I yank it back. I must have come on too strong. Go me.

“So, what, have you just been camping out here, waiting for unsuspecting girls to wander near your mausoleum?” I sound like a lunatic. 

“No.”

“Where's your brother?”

“You mean Ivan. He is not here.” Glory halleluiah. I should throw a party. With confetti.

“You're not very good at conversation, are you?” He turns his head to the side. I like it when he does that. Wait, what? I pull my eyes away from him.

“No, I am not. But you continue to try.”

“Call me Saint Jude,” I say with a sigh. It comes out kind of trembly, since I'm so cold. I hope he doesn't notice, but I'm sure he does. 

“Do you consider me a lost or hopeless cause?” That catches me off guard. Only Tex or Jamie or my mother or someone familiar with saints would understand that little quip. 

“Well I don't know you, so I couldn't say. What would you consider yourself as?” I look up at him, trying to be as confident as I sound. Clearly, he's something. I just don't know what that is. I move the beam back up to his eyes, hidden behind that hair. They sparkle like gems under water. 

“I am nothing.” His voice goes quiet. The first change in volume, which tells me something. I just don't know what that is. I'm still shaking and I can't feel any of my extremities.

“You're... something.” I can't say what I'm thinking, that I don't think he's a normal guy. I try not to look at his eyes again, but now that I've done it once, they're all I can see when I close my eyes. My heart kicks into high gear. Why are my palms sweating?

“I just can't figure you out.” He's still standing. “You don't want me to, though.” I meet his eyes for a second.

“I would prefer it.” I'm shivering so bad I can barely talk. 

“Well, thank you anyway. For not letting Ivan do, whatever it was he wanted to do. And for not killing yourself.” I cringe inwardly at how ungrateful of a thanks it is.

He studies at me a second before answering.

“You are welcome, Ava.” It's the first time he says my name. 

“So, um, goodbye.” As much as I'd like to stay and chat with him, my nose is going to freeze and fall off if I don't leave. He is unaffected by the cold. Come to think of it, I haven't seen his breath in the air. I haven't seen him breathe. I should probably just stop thinking.

“Goodnight, Ava.” I stare at his chest, looking for some kind of breathing movement. Of course, it's really hard to see in the dark. I drag my eyes back up to his face, which is calm as ever.

Of course I have to stop and say, “will you be here tomorrow?” in a hopeful, pleading kind of voice. He answers my question with one of his own.

“Will you?” I bite my lip before I answer, considering if I should lie or tell the truth.

“Probably.” I go with the truth. Even with the fact that I've just embarrassed myself irreparably, I know I'll be back. Sometimes you just know things. My mother would scoff at my certainty and say something about fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice... I don't remember the rest. 

I give a lame little wave as I turn around. 

“Will you?” I ask again.

“Perhaps.” Neither of us wants to make a commitment. That would have made this something more, and I'm still not sure if it's anything or nothing. I want it to be nothing. But it's probably something.

**BONUS**

I was searching around for some information I needed for this post and discovered that both NOCTURNAL and NIGHTMARE are currently available as a FREE download via Amazon for Prime Members! I have no idea how long this is happening, so if you are a Prime Member, jump on it quick!

A special thanks to everyone who visited today! Thanks for spending some time with us and feel free to leave any comments. I love to hear feedback about your thoughts on the posts! Have a wonderful day … and until next time …

HAPPY READING!!!