Intreview with Caz from The Gypsy Pearl, by Lia London

The Gypsy Pearl is the latest in Lia London's creations. How fortunate we are that she was able to provide us with this exclusive interview with  Caz Artemus, none other than the future....well, wait. I won't give it all away just yet. You'll just have to read on!

Q: Hello, everyone.  I am here to introduce Caz Artemus, the future queen of the Granbo System.  Caz, welcome.  Can you tell us about your childhood?

Caz: My childhood was exactly the same as everyone else’s who grew up on an Interplanetary City-Station.  Mine was the Arxon, the biggest ICS in the Granbo System, but that didn’t make it any more fun.  We still had all the same strict rules that try to squash creativity and curiosity.  You can’t have a real life when you live in a big metal box flying through space.

Q: Don’t you live there with your family?

Caz: My mom left us to go down to the Surface when I was four.  My dad is the Arxon’s chief physician, so he’s always busy.  My big sister, Felly, is the ICS ideal: clean, obedient, and totally boring.  But, in fairness, she is loyal and kind, too.

Q: Why and how did you leave the Arxon?

Caz: That was actually a lucky accident.  I got in a little fight with Jeroby and did more damage than I meant to.  Mr. Lew, the Station Master, gave me the option of going into Solitary again, or serving a rotation in a reformatory on the planet Caren.  I jumped at the chance to come to the Surface.   The Ferry got me down here, and that’s where I met the gypsies, during the ride.

Q: What do you think of the Surface?

Caz: It’s amazing.  Overwhelming at times, but amazing.  I’m still getting used to the air because it changes temps and velocity, but I love the way it smells.  It’s like nothing in space.  It is really dirty—I hate mud—but the colors are so vibrant, and everything is so big.  I love that nothing stays the same.  Even the trees move, and the sky changes shades throughout the day.

Q: What about the gravity?  Most ICS dwellers struggle with being able to stand up or walk around for the first few weeks.

Caz: Well, I can definitely feel a greater pull than the artificial gravity on the Arxon, but it doesn’t seem to affect me like it does the other inmates.

Q: And why is that?

Caz: I’m guessing it’s because I have a gypsy pearl is inside of me, and it rejuvenates my cells so I’m stronger and heal faster.

Q: How did you get the gypsy pearl?

Caz: I’d rather not talk about it.

Q: Did you steal it?

Caz: No, I did not steal it.  Why does everyone assume the worst from me?  But, I’ll admit I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, and a fanep gave it to me.

Author Lia London. Yup, she has that much energy.

Q: What’s a fanep?

Caz: They’re those little humanoid creatures with retractable claws and big teeth that travel with gypsies.

Q: Are they dangerous?

Caz: This one can be, but he also has become my friend.

Q: Speaking of friends, did you leave any on the Arxon that you miss?

Caz: Not really.  Felly was the only one who stuck by me.  But I made a few friends at the Reformatory.  Alf, in particular.

Q: What’s Alf like?

Caz: Dangerous and gorgeous.  But I’m not afraid of him.  Even if he they started the cheek tattoo.

Q: Cheek tattoo?

Caz: Killers are marked with tattoos on their cheeks.  The guy Alf attacked pulled through at the last minute, but they had already started the tattoo.  Maddy has one, too, but he was acquitted after serving four years in the Craggy facility.

Q: Who’s Maddy?

Caz: He’s another friend.  A gypsy man.  It was his pearl that the fanep gave me.  And by “gave”, I mean he sliced open my arm and shoved it into the wound.

Q: And why would he do such a thing?

Caz: The pearl must be given or it won’t work.

Q: What does that mean?

Caz: The faneps have a belief that a cycled pearl—a pearl that has been to all three planets in the Granbo System—brings a body great power.  Power enough to unite the entire system under one reign.

Q: Is that what you’re trying to do, rule the system?

Caz: Yes, though I’m still not too sure about the whole queen thing.  It’s ironic that I, who hate rules, would ever be a ruler of any kind.  Right now I just know I have to go to the three worlds, receive three gifts, and obtain three powers.  When I get that far, we’ll talk about my plans for interplanetary domination.  I think I’d rather just go exploring with Alf.

Q: What’s next?

Caz: I have no idea.  No day has gone the way I thought it would since the fanep gave me the gypsy pearl.  But I think it’s safe to say it’ll be an adventure, and I’ll be glad I came in the end.

If you want to know more about Lia and the amazing group/blog/collection of authors called "Clean Indie Reads" she has created, then stop by here: http://amethysteyesauthor.blogspot.ca/2013/07/cir-place-to-be.html

She is an amazing person, and you will just love what she has done!

Back on Track

Good Morning!

OK, baby Savannah is now 2 months old,

Savannah and big sister, Zoey

and my brief political career has come to an end. Military responsibilities are all up to date and I am wrapping up the sequel to Amethyst Eyes. Oh, and GMTA Publishing has picked up Amethyst Eyes. Here is a sneak peek at the new cover.

All good things, don't you agree?

But this is what I wanted to share with you in this brief post...
Do you remember Lia London from Clean Indie Reads? Well, we will be hosting authors from the group. What a great thing to be able to share with you, and I am truly excited to do so.

Love that picture of Lia, and she looks excited too!

So, just a heads up, we will be beginning shortly....
Have a great day, all. Be seeing you shortly with some great new authors, books and interviews.

CIR, THE place to be!

I have made a comment in the past about feeling uneasy hosting books or authors that have content not quite appropriate for YA readers. In my own writing I stay away from these elements as well, and that creates somewhat of a conflict in my quest to help promote fellow authors. 
I do want to share an exciting discovery with all of you...
It's called CIR, or Clean Indie Reads. I cannot tell you how ecstatic I was when I saw Lia's post saying, "I want to interview you." THIS was the place (and the kind of place) I wanted my books to be found at. 

SO, just WHO is Lia? Let me share what I can...
Here is an excerpt from her site: 

Hello.  I’m Lia, and I’m a writer.

I’ve tried to stop–especially when my fingers cramp up and my elbow locks–but I can’t.  Someone said, “I write so that I can turn the movies in my head off and get some sleep at night.”  Yep.  That’s me, too.  Except I sleep with a pad of paper nearby in case the ideas wake me up again.

When I’m not home schooling my tweens, singing jazz, practicing Tae Kwon Do, or coaxing my cat to read with me, I’m writing or advocating for writers.  Right now I juggle a few writing things, and I hope you’ll join me with at least one of them.

Collaborative Fiction HQ–That’s where I write stories with my readers, so that they can learn a little more about the process of writing a novel (at least one way to do it) and have the thrill of bossing me around.

London Books–That’s where I publish both the final products from Collaborative HQ and stories of my own creation.  I hope you’ll browse them and find something you  might enjoy reading.

Writing Coach–That’s where the teacher in me lives on, and I share tips every Wednesday that I’ve gleaned along the way to help writers at all levels.  It’s also where I play cheerleader to anyone with the dream of writing something that matters.  To that end, I have been asked to be a regular contributor for Emblazoners, a site dedicated to promoting tween fiction.

Author Advocate–That’s where I strive to support other independent (“indie”) authors in getting the word out about their projects.  These efforts include creating the Clean Indie Reads site and Facebook group.

Read more here; http://lialondon.net/

I had the chance to ask Lia some questions about her blog CIR, so go on ahead and read. I'll catch you at the bottom.

How did CIR come to be?

It was a bit of a whim, actually.  I'd been reading a lot of books by independent authors, and several of them were really very good.  As I got to know a few of the authors through social media, I found many kindred spirits.  In particular, I found authors who were discouraged to find that their books did not receive the hype of popular media and/or whose books had been rejected by agents or publishers because they did not contain enough sex or violence!  That had been my own experience with my first novel.  And yet I knew hundreds of people personally who were looking for clean reads.  There was supply.  There was demand.  They just needed to find each other.  I built the blog figuring I'd plug a few good books as I read them, and WHOOOSH!  It took off!

How did it develop?

 I started by asking a few of the author friends I had if I could feature their books.  One of them suggested we start a Facebook group so that we could coordinate how to promote the books.  "Clean Indie Reads" is a closed group for authors.  They come in by invitation or approved request (once I've seen their work).  Shortly after creating the FB group, we decided on a Twitter hashtag #CR4U (clean reads for you) and began pumping each other's pages in a tweet exchange.  Word spread quickly, and submissions have been coming in by the handful every day.

How does it work?

Authors submit their books with a picture, a teaser (like what you'd read on the dust jacket), and sales links.  I glean reviews from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, etc., and then the author can do an "interview".  I actually have a list of several questions they can choose from, and they answer up to 5.  With all of that, I create a glorified product page where potential readers can come see all about the book on one page and buy straight from the link.  The authors get publicity through the group, and the readers get a database of great "flinch-free" reads.

How are people responding?

It has been amazing.  In just 8 weeks, we've had well over 43K hits.  We now average over 1000 visitors a day coming to see these books!  People send emails and leave comments about how grateful they are to find a safe place to browse for books, and authors are grateful for a venue that connects them with others who stick to their guns and don't bring in the smut just to sell a book.

--

Lia London

Author & Writing Coach

Collaborative Fiction HQ

http://lialondon.net/

http://cleanindiereads.blogspot.ca/

So...if you take a few moments to look around her blog, you will find posts for all three of my novels. But I won't post the link, go and look. Of course if you DO want the direct links, let me know and I will post them in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by :o)