Featured Author: Suzanne Van Rooyen

Suzanne Van Rooyen is an author and peanut-butter addict from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing you can find her teaching dance and music to middle-schoolers or playing in the snow with her shiba inu. She is rep'd by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.

Connect with Suzanne Van Rooyen on Twitter @Suzanne_Writer or visit her website: http://suzannevanrooyen.com.

Q&A with Author Suzanne Van Rooyen:

1. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   My story is set in South Africa and is inspired by some of my own high school experiences. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's based on fact, but there are quite a few little details in the The Other Me that are certainly more than fiction.


2. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?
   
   Spontaneous and continuous regeneration like Claire in Heroes or Wolverine. Without the fear of dying or been permanently injured, I think I'd have a lot more courage to do some of the crazy things I've always wanted to do but been a little afraid of – like bungee jumping or skydiving. Continuous regeneration also means I'd never get old. Now that would be awesome!


3. If you could reenact a scene from any book (not necessarily your own), what would it be? Who would you choose for your scene partner(s)?
   
   Wow, this question is just huge! A million different scenes are running through my head right now. It's hard to pick just one and one I can write about without blushing ...ahem... But there's this scene in Maggie Stiefvater's The Dream Thieves where Ronan and Kavinsky are dreaming together – I can't say more than that else I might give away something about the story – but, suffice it to say, I'd like to be the one spending the day dreaming with Ronan, especially if he was played by Liam Hemsworth because damn, that boy can rock the shaved-head look.


4. What other interests do you have outside of writing?
   
   I'm a music and dance teacher at a middle school, which I suppose is technically my day job, but I love music and dance so they really don't feel too job-like. When not writing, I play piano, flute and guitar, and enjoy wall climbing. I also love to to travel and try my best to go to two places I've never been before every year. Of course I love to read as well, and I'm addicted to several TV shows – most recent addictions include Peaky Blinders and Almost Human.


5. Is there one genre of YA that you would love to write but haven’t?
   
   Fantasy for sure. Fantasy was my first love as a child and it's what I lived on as a teen, devouring fantasy novels by the likes of Juliet Marillier and Caiseal Mor. I've always wanted to write fantasy, but haven't managed to get one of my fantasy ideas down on paper yet. Maybe one day.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   That they're not alone. That no matter how difficult/terrible/complicated life might seem, someone out there has been through what they're going through and not only survived, but thrived. That they should never be afraid to be who they truly are, and that no matter how weird or different they think they might be, there is someone out there just waiting to love them for exactly who they are.

Now Available from Suzanne Van Rooyen:

The Other Me DESCRIPTION GOES HEREFifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she’s an alien. She doesn’t fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he’s perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn’t find out she’s a freak.

As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body.

But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel’s baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.

Obscura Burning The world's going to end in fire...and it's all Kyle's fault.

Kyle Wolfe's world is about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore. Each time Kyle goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...

Featured Author: Jay Jordan Hawke

Jay Jordan Hawke spent way too much time in college and holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in history, as well as a second master’s in Outdoor Education. He loves everything sci-fi, especially Star Trek, and hopes to be on the first starship out of here. In the meantime, he teaches high school full time and anxiously awaits the day when he can write full time. His hobbies include camping, reading, running, writing, and attending powwows. He resides in one of the Great Lakes states near the capital of Tecumseh’s confederacy. Jay Hawke loves to interact with fans through social media.

Connect with Jay Jordan Hawke on Twitter @JayJordanHawke or visit his website: http://jayjordanhawke.com.

Q&A with Author Jay Jordan Hawke:

1. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   Very few books deal with Native Americans, let alone a gay, Native American teen. Even fewer show what Native American life is like, today, on a reservation. I was at a powwow a few years ago, something I've been doing for years, and it hit me what a great story it would be to follow a Native American teen participating in a powwow competition. Nothing like that had been done before. At the same time, I wanted to expose people to the dramatic contrast between Christian views towards gay people and Native American views. You get that dramatic contrast in the character of Joshua. He was raised by a conservative Christian family off the reservation and suddenly finds himself back on the reservation at a time when he is coming to terms with his sexuality. You see through his character the dramatic differences between the two cultures.


2. What part of the story was the most fun to write? The most challenging?
   
   The most challenging turned out to be one of the culminating scenes in the book involving the competition powwow that Joshua participates in. I've been going to powwow's my whole life and have done some dancing myself, but describing it in a way that does justice to how it feels – that proved a monumental task for me as a writer. But it was ultimately a very satisfying one as well. In terms of the most fun to write – I love writing humorous dialogue, and I had the freedom to do plenty of that in this novel. If you find yourself laughing at any of the dialogue, know that I'm right there laughing with you. My favorite scene, for example, involved Joshua pouring out his heart and soul to his best friend, Mokwa. He gets a very unexpected response. That's the way life is sometimes. You think something is the biggest deal in the world, and your friends just want you to lighten up.


3. Do you believe in ghosts?
   
   My story has a lot of supernatural elements in it, as does its sequel. Since the book immerses the readers in Ojibwe life on the reservation, I felt I couldn't do justice to the story without demonstrating how pervasive the supernatural, the mystical, whatever you want to call it, is on the reservation. And some of it, I do believe in—especially the power of dreams, which is a central element in the story. The lead character, Joshua, discovers that through dreams, he can peer into the future and capture brief, often puzzling, fragments of what is to come. I do believe there is a larger reality beyond the one we know about – and that one can access that through dreams. What you access manifests itself partly through your own cultural beliefs. If that makes sense to you, then you get me.


4. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   That's a good one! I actually had an argument about this with someone. I think most writers would say that there is a part of them in every character they write. But I'm told that I'm a lot like the lead gay protagonist, Joshua. My intentions with Joshua, however, was really to create a character that does NOT embody my personal weaknesses. Joshua is courageous, and talented, and confident, which is not to say he doesn't have his self-doubts. But he overcomes everything life throws at him, no matter how terrible. I wish I were like Joshua, and I'm flattered that anyone would think I am. But alas, I created him because he's the person I wish I were, not the person I feel I am. Heck, he is the person pretty much everyone wishes they were like. Now, in the sequel to Pukawiss, entitled A Scout is Brave, I have a character named Robby, who is ruthlessly bullied. That's me basically. And Joshua is the friend I wish I had when that was happening.


5. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?
   
   Oh, this is going to be fun. It would be so easy to say flying like superman, or climbing buildings like spider-man. BUT, one of my all time favorite movies is Beastmaster, which is about a man outcast from his tribe due to his unnatural ability to communicate with animals. What would I do with this ability? Never be alone, I guess.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I would like my readers to understand that the stigma against homosexuality is the only thing that is not natural. It is also not universal. My two young adult novels celebrate a very common Native American tradition that revered gay people. It may seem like the whole world, and all of history, is against you. But that simply is not true. Imagine living in a world where as a gay person you are considered something extra special and that you were in fact touched by God. That's a radically different world from the one most gay teens grow up in today. I want people to see what that is like through the eyes of my protagonist, Joshua.

Now Available from Jay Jordan Hawke:

Pukawiss: The Outcast When family complications take Joshua away from his fundamentalist Christian mother and leave him with his grandfather, he finds himself immersed in a mysterious and magical world. Joshua’s grandfather is a Wisconsin Ojibwe Indian who, along with an array of quirky characters, runs a recreated sixteenth-century village for the tourists who visit the reservation. Joshua’s mother kept him from his Ojibwe heritage, so living on the reservation is liberating for him. The more he learns about Ojibwe traditions, the more he feels at home.

One Ojibwe legend in particular captivates him. Pukawiss was a powerful manitou known for introducing dance to his people, and his nontraditional lifestyle inspires Joshua to embrace both his burgeoning sexuality and his status as an outcast. Ultimately, Joshua summons the courage necessary to reject his strict upbringing and to accept the mysterious path set before him.

Featured Author: Juliann Rich

Minnesota writer Juliann Rich spent her childhood in search of the perfect climbing tree. The taller the better! A branch thirty feet off the ground was a good perch for a young girl to find herself. Seeking truth in nature and finding a unique point of view remain crucial elements in her life as well as her writing.

Juliann is a PFLAG mom who can be found walking Pride parades with her son. She is also the daughter of evangelical Christian parents. As such she has been caught in the crossfire of the most heated topic to challenge our society and our churches today. She is committed to writing stories that shed light on the conflicts that arise when sexual orientation, spirituality, family dynamics and peer relationships collide.

Juliann lives with her husband and their two chronically disobedient dachshunds in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley.

Connect with Juliann Rich on Twitter @JuliannRich1 or visit her website: http://www.juliannrich.com.

Q&A with Author Juliann Rich:

1. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   What a great question! Bold Strokes Books graphic artist, Sheri, did an amazing job with the cover for Caught in the Crossfire. The first thing that struck me when my publisher, Len Barot, sent it to me was Sheri’s choice to feature Ian McGuire, the love interest on the cover rather than Jonathan Cooper, my main character. While I was immediately drawn to the model’s intense gaze, I also felt conflicted because I’ve always thought of this as Jonathan’s story. But then I realized that to look at the cover is to literally step inside Jonathan. It is to feel what he felt when he first laid eyes on Ian. It was a brilliant choice and I was instantly sold on it.
   
   But then Sheri took her cover design much further by superimposing a filter through which Jonathan sees his world. Perfect and startlingly accurate to the storyline, Sheri reveals how Jonathan’s awareness of his attraction to Ian, and thus his sexual identity, is just beginning to break through. The rainbow, perhaps the strongest symbol of the GLBTQ community, is represented in the little patches of color, but it is just emerging and still without true form. And beneath it all is this heart-breaking bleed of blue, this stain of sadness, which tells us that acceptance of his identity comes at a high price for Jonathan.
   
   I don’t have enough words of praise for Sheri and Len. Nor could I love my cover more if I tried!


2. What part of the story was the most fun to write? The most challenging?
   
   Strangely, the answers to both questions are identical.
   
   Getting inside the minds of Jonathan and Ian has been the most fun and rewarding. Through Jonathan I have gotten back in touch with the ideals that fueled me when I was younger: that the world should be fair and kind and gentle. And through Ian I discovered a voice of anger and indignation at a world that frequently falls short of those ideals.
   
   Likewise, living inside the minds of Jonathan and Ian was the most challenging for I am A) not a guy, B) not fifteen and C) not gay. It took tremendous work to remove myself from the story and let their voices come through. But doing just that allowed me to write words like “craptastic” and “snotsicles” and how much fun is that? Loads.


3. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   I am a lot like Simon minus the ability to, you know, sculpt and paint and be an artistic genius! He is also more patient and eloquent than I am when debating matters of religion, but his views are my views, his heart is my heart. Like Simon, I have learned through the difficult times in my life, that what voice and strength I have are not my own. They are given to me in order to speak for and build a better world so it was crucial to me to have Simon in this story, speaking words of affirming love and acceptance.


4. Is there anything from your own teen years that has been placed into your books?
   
   I grew up in an evangelical Christian home with devout parents so yes, certainly many of the scenes involving splashing in lakes and mosquito bites and the sound of cricket songs in the night and the scent of wind through a forest of birch and pine come directly from my memories of bible camp as does my insight into how I structured the world of my book and the characters who populate it. But I was also that kid who cared too much, who spoke too freely, who hurt too deeply and who carried my wounds and my heart’s desires too visibly. I understand being on the outside. In the sequel, Searching for Grace, there is a scene that I plucked directly from my high school years. I had stumbled out of favor with a particularly cruel crowd and they sent a banana over to my table at lunch with the intention to shame me through sexual innuendo. Eventually school counselors put an end to the bullying, but I remember feeling as if the entire school loathed me, not for anything I had done but for who I was.


5. Is there one genre of YA that you would love to write but haven’t?
   
   I am currently stretching my wings with a paranormal story loosely titled Don’t Ever Let Go that is both a ghost story and a murder mystery set in Savannah, GA, with two alternating timelines, 1953 and present day. However, I have not ruled out the possibility that the book might murder me and I will become the ghost! I honestly don’t know if I have the writing chops to venture beyond the contemporary voice, but I am determined to try because there is something about these characters that won’t let go of me.


6. If there is one message you would like readers to get out from your book, what would it be?
   
   I have two distinct messages. The first is for my young adult readers: You are not alone. You’re loved and lovable, just as you are. And for my adult readers who come to my books with the desire to understand the lives of the kids they love, I say this: Choosing to accept and affirm your child is one of the most Christ-like choices you can make.


7. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   Reading is something we do for fun and pleasure so of course I want my readers, both young and young at heart, to take away from my novels the feeling that they have been entertained. I want them to laugh and be surprised and fall a little bit in love with the characters as they live, for a brief while, inside their lives.
   
   That said, Caught in the Crossfire is a coming of age, a coming out and a love story set against the backdrop of the evangelical church so I’d especially like my GLBTQ teen readers who are born into strict religious families to recognize their voices in this story. I’d like them to feel less alone through their connection to Jonathan and Ian, Simon and Dawn. And for those readers who feel they must choose between their spirituality and their sexuality, I’d like them to feel encouraged to seek truth on a personal level.
   
   For all my readers - teen or adult, GLBTQ or straight - I hope that they feel EVERYTHING: the rush as Jonathan falls in love with Ian, his struggle to reconcile seemingly conflicting aspects of himself, and his tremendous strength when he chooses authenticity over acceptance. I firmly believe that one character’s story – told with painstaking honesty – can affect personal and societal change, and I hope that Caught in the Crossfire will spark many healing conversations.

Now Available for Preorder from Juliann Rich:

Caught in the Crossfire Two boys at bible camp. One forbidden love.

That’s the dilemma Jonathan Cooper faces when he goes away to Spirit Lake Bible Camp, situated along Minnesota’s rugged north shore, for a summer of fun. He is expecting mosquito bites, bonfires with S’Mores, and photography classes with Simon, his favorite counselor who always helps him see life in perfect focus.

What he isn’t expecting is Ian McGuire, a new camper who openly argues against phrases like pray the gay away. Ian is certain of many things, including what could happen between them if only Jonathan could surrender to his feelings.

Jonathan, however, tosses in a storm of indecision between his belief in God and his inability to stay away from Ian. When a real storm hits and Ian is lost in it, Jonathan is forced to make a public decision that changes his life.

New Releases for January 2014

Featured New Releases:

Cold Moon by M.J. O'Shea

Published by Harmony Ink

2nd Edition Insolita Luna: Book Three Sequel to Hunter's Moon
Charlie Fitzgerald is sick of being the kid nobody takes seriously. His older brother Colin is fighting vampires and other troublemakers in New York City, and Charlie wants in on the action—but no one will listen. Then he overhears the lycan council is looking for a human emissary to take a message of peace to a werewolf in the forests of Romania, and Charlie decides he's the man for the job. Xan is furious: his best friend, Charlie, one of the Fitzgeralds he's vowed to protect, is walking into danger, and Xan chases him all the way to the freezing Romanian forest to save his stubborn butt. When Charlie is almost killed, Xan realizes he feels much more than friendship for his charge, and emotions that have been bubbling under the surface of his calm façade threaten to boil over and flood them both.

Dear God by John Goode

Published by Harmony Ink

A Lost Chapter from End of the Innocence

Confronted by prejudice and looking for a way to fight those using religion against his friend, Kyle Stilleno goes to a local church in search of understanding. His inquiry leads him to surprising conclusions and forces him to reexamine his own beliefs. In this lost chapter from End of the Innocence, the enemy may not be where Kyle expects to find it..

Freeing Stella: Being True by Zoe Lynne

Published by Harmony Ink

Stella Marshall feels invisible to everyone but her sister Jessica and best friend Jenna. Thanks to their Friday night LGBTQ youth group meetings, she can be true to herself and cast aside the boy she was born as, Steven. The rest of the time, she locks herself away, because if her super conservative, Christian parents ever found out…. When her little sister admits to liking a girl as more than a friend, it becomes ten times harder for Stella to keep up the charade. She wants to stand by Jess and take some of the heat away, and that means coming out of the closet—even if it costs Stella her family and the girl of her dreams, Lillian Nelson. Unfortunately, it’s too frightening to give up the security of hiding behind Steven. But Stella knows she has to be brave, for herself and her sister..

Heavyweight by MB Mulhall

Published by Harmony Ink

Secrets. Their weight can be crushing, but their release can change everything—and not necessarily for the better. Ian is no stranger to secrets. Being a gay teen in a backwater southern town, Ian must keep his orientation under wraps, especially since he spends a lot of time with his hands all over members of the same sex, pinning their sweaty, hard bodies to the wrestling mat. When he’s trying not to stare at teammates in the locker room, he’s busy hiding another secret—that he starves himself so he doesn’t get bumped to the next weight class. Enter Julian Yang, an Adonis with mesmerizing looks and punk rocker style. Befriending the flirtatious artist not only raises suspicion among his classmates, but leaves Ian terrified he’ll give in to the desires he’s fought to ignore. As secrets come to light, Ian’s world crumbles. Disowned, de-friended, and deserted by nearly everyone, Ian’s one-way ticket out of town is revoked, leaving him trapped in a world he hates—and one that hates him back..

Masks: Rise of Heroesby Hayden Thorne

Published by Queerteen Press

Strange things are happening in Vintage City, and sixteen-year-old Eric seems to be right in the middle of them. There’s a new villain in town, one with super powers, and he’s wreaking havoc everywhere and on Eric’s life. The new superhero who springs up to defend Vintage City is almost as bad, making Eric all hot and bothered, enough so that he almost misses the love that’s right under his nose. Peter is Eric’s best friend, and even if he does seem to be hiding something most of the time, he finds a way to show Eric how he feels in between attacks on trains, banks, and malls. The two boys decide to start dating, much to the chagrin of their other best buddy, Althea, who has a terrible crush on Peter and a secret or two of her own to keep. As the fight between the Devil’s Trill and Magnifiman picks up, Eric’s relationship with Peter almost ends before it begins when Eric finds out about Peter’s special talents, which might just rank Peter as a superhero in his own right. When the Trill takes an interest in Eric, Peter and Althea, along with Magnifiman and Eric’s normal, middle-class family, all have to work together to keep Eric and their city safe..

Triane's Son Fighting by Amy Lane

Published by Harmony Ink

Outraged by the destruction of innocent lives and the threat to his family’s safety, Torrant Shadow and Aylan Stealth-Moon ride to Dueance, the capital of Clough, with a desperate plan: Torrant will impersonate Yarri’s dead brother, Ellyot Moon, and infiltrate the Regent’s council to help change to the government’s policy toward the Goddess’s chosen from the inside. But from the very first night, Torrant and Aylan are pressed into service in the shadows of the ghettoes, fighting for the lives of the brutalized people within. It’s a bitter job, made more so by close scrutiny and mockery from Consort Rath, the ruler whose policies have created the discrimination and cruelty wreaking havoc in their country. Torrant’s only bright moments come from Aylan, whose love and loyalty never falter, and the hungry, compassionate minds of the younger regents. Believing that all they need is a worthy song to follow, Torrant sets about leading them to accomplish the salvation of their country. But not even Torrant can be everywhere at once. When faced with one disaster too many, he realizes one man alone cannot right the wrongs of an entire government—not even Triane’s Son. First Edition published as Bitter Moon II: Triane’s Son Reigning by iUniverse, 2009.

The Other Me by Suzanne van Rooyen

Published by Harmony Ink
Fifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she's an alien. She doesn’t fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he’s perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn't find out she's a freak. As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body. But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel’s baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.

Pukawiss: The Outcast by Jay Jordan Hawke

Published by Harmony Ink

When family complications take Joshua away from his fundamentalist Christian mother and leave him with his grandfather, he finds himself immersed in a mysterious and magical world. Joshua’s grandfather is a Wisconsin Ojibwe Indian who, along with an array of quirky characters, runs a recreated sixteenth-century village for the tourists who visit the reservation. Joshua’s mother kept him from his Ojibwe heritage, so living on the reservation is liberating for him. The more he learns about Ojibwe traditions, the more he feels at home. One Ojibwe legend in particular captivates him. Pukawiss was a powerful manitou known for introducing dance to his people, and his nontraditional lifestyle inspires Joshua to embrace both his burgeoning sexuality and his status as an outcast. Ultimately, Joshua summons the courage necessary to reject his strict upbringing and to accept the mysterious path set before him..

An Unstill Life by Kate Larkindale

Published by Musa Publishing

Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves. Things at home are rough for fifteen-year-old Livvie Quinn. Jules, her beloved older sister is sick again after being cancer free for almost ten years. Her mom becomes more frantic and unapproachable every day. School isn’t much better. Just when she needs them most, her closest friends get boyfriends and have little time for Livvie – except to set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates. Livvie seeks refuge in the art room and finds Bianca, the school ‘freak’. Free-spirited and confident, Bianca is everything Livvie isn’t. Shaken by her mom’s desperation, her sister’s deteriorating condition, and abandoned by her friends, Livvie finds comfort and an attraction she never felt before with Bianca. When their relationship is discovered, Livvie and Bianca become victims of persecution and bullying. School authorities won’t help and even forbid the pair to attend the Winter Formal as a couple. If Livvie defies them and goes, she risks expulsion and further ridicule from her classmates. At home, her mother’s behavior escalates to new levels of crazy and Jules is begging for help to end the pain once and for all. While searching for the strength to make her life her own, Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves..

Caught In the Crossfireby Juliann Rich

Published by Boldstrokes Publishing

Minnesota writer Juliann Rich spent her childhood in search of the perfect climbing tree. The taller the better! A branch thirty feet off the ground was a good perch for a young girl to find herself. Seeking truth in nature and finding a unique point of view remain crucial elements in her life as well as her writing. Juliann is a PFLAG mom who can be found walking Pride parades with her son. She is also the daughter of evangelical Christian parents. As such she has been caught in the crossfire of the most heated topic to challenge our society and our churches today. She is committed to writing stories that shed light on the conflicts that arise when sexual orientation, spirituality, family dynamics and peer relationships collide. Juliann lives with her husband and their two chronically disobedient dachshunds in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley.

Featured Author: Michael Chulsky

Michael Chulsky started writing in the fourth grade and hasn’t stopped since. When not writing, he enjoys watching anime or playing video games. He currently lives in the heart of New Jersey with his fiancé of four years and a sassy cat who thinks she runs the place.

Connect with Michael Chulsky on Twitter @MichaelChulsky or visit his website: http://michaelchulskywrites.blogspot.com.

Q&A with Author Michael Chulsky:

1. What are your writing goals for the next five years?
   
   I’m a very goal oriented person. I don’t believe in simply reaching “the bar” I like to shoot higher than the bar and set it. I’m planning on writing five or six novels this year, and then two or three for the following years.


2. Hmm…this is a difficult question. I could go for the naughty answer or the nice answer. I guess I’ll go for the nice answer, seeing as how Christmas is right around the corner! :P
   
   If I could have one superpower, I would want the power of healing. I would love nothing more than going around and healing the sick, curing the blind, etc. I’m a people person (which is odd, considering I have social anxiety and the idea of being in a crowd is like a knife being jammed into my aorta) but I like helping people. I like to do my best to help and make them feel comfortable. It’s just who I am.
   
   If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?


3. Tell us about your cover design for The Descending Darkness. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   Let me just say, the cover was an endeavor. I think making, what I felt was the perfect cover, was more difficult than actually writing the book! Can you believe it?
   
   I wanted the cover to perfectly capture the elements in the story. You have the ocean: calm on the bottom but the farther you look into the distance, the rougher it gets. The sky is light on one side and clear, but when you look to the left it becomes stormy and there’s lighting and it’s starting to become very dark. And then you have the clouds, which give way to the main villain, Maedara, who rests at the top of the cover. She’s faded and gazing out, over the chaos. It fits her personality perfectly.


4. If you could travel back in time and tell the teenage you one thing, what would it be?
   
   I’d tell him to have more fun. I’d tell him that he shouldn’t be so sad all of the time because in a short time things are going to get SO much better. In only two years, he’ll find a wonderful man who will become his fiancé and help him soar. And he’ll get that pesky novel that he’s been working so hard on published. And he’ll become part of the writing community and he’ll make hundreds of brilliant author friends and won’t have to be so lonely anymore.


5. What other interests do you have outside of writing?
   
   I spend a lot of time on Tumblr, so I guess that’s an interest. :P
   
   Otherwise; I love listening to music, reading, playing video games (like World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy, etc) and watching Netflix.

Now Available from Michael Chulsky:

The Descending Darkness After going from demon hunter to babysitter, seventeen-year-old SHADOW has truly hit rock bottom. One week he’s slaughtering demons, and the next he has ten super-powered teenagers in his care. Shadow needs them, because without them he can’t hope to defeat his new foe. But he’s never dealt with other teenagers before. He never had a real childhood. He’s always been a loner. Hell, he’s tried the whole having-a-pet thing. It died.

Shadow’s mission: save the world and ensure his entire team survives the potential apocalypse. If MAEDARA, self-proclaimed fashionista and Queen of Evil, wasn’t trying to rule the world, it’d be cake. Now, not only does Shadow have to deal with teens more concerned with going to the mall than fighting evil, but also a villain, who in his opinion, makes Lady Gaga look like Mother Theresa.