Guest Author & Giveaway with Amanda Arista!

Amanda Arista's debut novel, Diaries of an Urban Panther which is being released by Avon on July 5. Diaries of an Urban Panther is a Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy. Please give Amanda a big Book Junkie Welcome and congrats on her new book! Enjoy the Q&A and also, don't forget to enter the contest!

First off, thank you for graciously hosting me here at Book Junkie. And now down to business.

Here are 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Amanda Arista, author of Diaries of an Urban Panther.

1. I’m adopted- When my parents found out they could not build a family normally, they just went about it in a different way. Both my brother and I are adopted (from different birthmothers) but you can’t tell it now. I call it genetics by osmosis because we all look alike. I have met my birthmother and she’s great. I won’t lie and say that it hasn’t changed the way I look at the world. It’s changed the way I define family. Most people would say that your family is your blood, but to me, family is who’d you fight for, who you would wake up at 3 am for and who’d you tell stories to get them to sleep. I think this is the strongest part of me that is in my novel Diaries of an Urban Panther. The main character, Violet Jordan, is an orphan and fights for the family that she has pieced together in Dallas.

2. On a lighter note, I’m madly in love with Jensen Ackles. He’s the star of the CW’s Supernatural. Okay, maybe not madly in love with him, but don’t read too closely to the description of my romantic lead, Chaz Garrett. I’m sure that I am only of a legion of fans that claim loyalty to JRA, but I’d like to think that we have something special. And luckily, my husband understands.

3. I’m not originally from Texas. I was born in Illinois, and despite having lived in Texas for 17 years, I still sound like a northerner. I do say y’all, and when I’m tired, a southern drawl appears. I’m a huge Mavs fan and love living in Dallas. That’s probably one of the reasons that I set my book in Dallas. It’s got everything that a girl needs, great shopping, good food, easy winters, and wildlife within a 30 minute drive. Need I mention a good pair of Wranglers?

4. I love Neil Gaiman- It’s a different kind of love than I have for Jensen. Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series was very influential on my story writing and world building. The man is amazing. There is a method to his madness that is divinely inspired. Even if Coralline creeped you out, you have to admit that you learned the moral of the story very quickly. The intricate research and details he works into his craft reminds me that you have to be passionate about what you write because it takes time and planning and can’t be slap-dashed together.

5. On that note, I’m a pantser. The characters take me where they need to go to complete their journey. For my writing process, this usually means writing out a few scenes with the characters, find out who they are, and then I’m on my way. My main character Violet was just a chubby writer in the first few scenes but the more time we spent together, the more she fleshed out. When her emotional arc was complete, I went back through and punched up the action, researching gun ranges and antique shops in Dallas which all added a sense of authenticity to the work, but ultimately it was the character and the message that I wanted to get across that drove this story.

6. In other world building influences, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favorite TV show of all time. The series taught me how to build a bad guy. No, you don’t just have to give then a wrinkly forehead or paint them red. Like any other obstacle, villains need to be tailored to your hero. Buffy went through 7 seasons facing off bad guys who were ultimately perfectly crafted to be an obstacle that matched what she was going through emotionally. And you thought they were just Vampires?

7. Caffeine addict. I’m a writer, a wife, a grad school student, a dog owner, an aunt, and medical secretary. Note how time bender is not on that list. I do a lot, like most of us do, and my mother showed me a secret of how to keep it all together: coffee. I’ve been drinking it since high school and no, it didn’t stunt my growth. Now the relaxing warm beverage comes with me everywhere. At work, when I’m writing, and just on lazy Sunday mornings. It’s a comfort thing, mostly. There is something relaxing about preparing a good cup of coffee that lets the mind ease, take a moment of serenity, before the crazy mixed up zigzag of my everyday life.

8. I love to bowl and I’m really good at croquet. Two of the most random physical activities. Bowling is one of the few things that I do gracefully. The list of things that I don't gracefully is much longer and includes walking, playing basketball, and dancing, but I still enjoy doing them. And the croquet thing, well, ask my writing group. I'm a croquet phenom.

9. I love cheesy horror films. When I found out that my cable provider had the Chiller channel, I did a happy dance. There is something wonderfully exploratory about cheap horror movies. The red syrup tossing, the prosthetic limb throwing: I'll watch it all. I suppose that we all have our mind numbing addictions. For some it's reality shows; for me it's horror movies. And no, I don't have problems sleeping at night. My debut novel had to have an homage to that addiction, and thus was born Violet's career of choice.

10. Lastly and probably the most irrelevant: I wear old fashion bifocals. At my eye doctors, I’m known as the girl with the line. While everyone else has moved on to progressive lenses, I stick to my lined bifocals. Why? Outside of the fact that I’ve been wearing them since second grade, I like the line. People have said that it's distracting, but I like it.

There you have 10 Random facts about Amanda Arista that may or may not shed a little light on my life, my writing and my debut novel Diaries of an Urban Panther, out July 5th at all major ebook retailers. Make sure to comment for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from the book retailer of your choice. Thank you guys for having me and happy reading!

Violet Jordan thought the fairy tales her mother wove were just a way to get Violet to sleep, not a way to prepare her for the apocalypse she is the key to preventing. When she becomes a midnight snack for werepanther Spencer Haverty, his infectious bite invokes the first element of her destiny. When Violet's budding instincts allow her to save a boy’s life, she realizes this new gig may come with perks: a slimmer figure, the attention of a handsome Guardian, and insights into her future embedded in her mother's stories. But as push comes to claws, can Violet make the fatal strike against the men threatening her new family, her new home and her first boyfriend in ages?

EXCERPT

“In the beginning, it was gray. Among those who wandered among the world, Guardians protected us. Not that there was anything to protect us from. We minded our own business, married our loves, had children, and lived peacefully.

“And then there were these new creatures called humans who lived among those who wandered among the world. They were small and frail and couldn’t weave water, or see into trees, or change shapes. But they were passionate and artistic and curious. They were kind and cruel and humorous and sullen all in little mortal packages.

“As the humans evolved, so did those who wandered. Once gray, there were then light ones and dark ones, those who protected humanity and those who believed they were above it.

“A war raged in the dark silence around the fragile humans. Both sides had their soldiers. Once watching over us like angels, the Guardians now protected wanderers and humans from their darker counterparts, the Grifters. Guardians had speed and strength and inner fortitude to save those who needed to be saved. And hearts like lions and …”

“Mom, they didn’t really have lion hearts, did they?”

Mom smoothed out my hair and whispered. “Some do, kitten. Just like lions.”

Coming soon: Book Two of the Diaries of an Urban Panther, Dec 2011

Author Bio:


Amanda was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel! The summer of second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, so she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped.

She has a husband who fights crime, one dog who thinks he’s a real boy, and another who might be a fruit bat in disguise. When not writing, Amanda often dreams of co-opening an evil bakery and sell despicable desserts. Her particularly favorites are larvaceous lemon bars and sinful cinnamon streusel.

She spends her weekends writing at coffee shops, practicing for the day that caffeine intake becomes an Olympic sport, and plotting character demises with fellow writers Wolvarez, Killer Cupcake and Keith (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent).

GET IN TOUCH WITH AMANDA:

http://www.amandaarista.com/

Facebook- Amanda Arista, Author

Twitter: @pantherista

***GIVEAWAY***

Amanda will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter.

Contest ends July 18th