Interview with Author Jodi Meadows - plus Query Critique!

Today I have the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jodi Meadows, author of Incarnate, which releases next week!

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut.
*A Kippy is a cat.

See the bottom of this post to read more about Incarnate and to learn how to win a query critique from Jodi!

You're very active in the blogging/tweeting world. Any tips for other authors out there?
Sure! Best tip: only do it if it's fun for you. Social media can take a lot of time, and if you're not having fun with it . . . no one else will either. (But don't let it be TOO fun. Remember: your job is to write books.)

Pantser or plotter?
Both. Sort of in the middle. I used to write organically all the way. With INCARNATE, I tried plotting beforehand. This was incredibly useful and I've embraced it for all my projects since. But I still leave room for new and unplanned things, because sometimes they turn out to be everyone's favorite parts. (See: masquerade scene.)


You're represented by Lauren MacLeod; can you tell us how that came about?
I got Lauren the old fashioned way. I admired her agentness on Twitter, queried her, and then sent her manuscripts until she said yes.

What's the first thing you did when you found out (ERIN) INCARNATE was going to be published?
Stunned silence. I have not spoken a word since. (Kidding.)

You used to read submissions for a literary agency; how do you think this has affected your writing and path to publication?
It definitely gave me a perspective few authors get. I understand a lot better why agents and editors say no, even to good projects. (No love.) I understand why they may take on flawed projects. (Intense love.) It also gave me a good idea of just how many people out there are writing books (a surprisingly large number!) and how many of those books are similar to the latest big hit (ditto).

If you had a past life, what do you think you would have been?
When I was a kid, my sister and I used to pretend we were princesses in past lives. These, of course, were princesses that never existed. As children, we weren't so into the idea of research.

What would you like to be incarnated as?
A unicorn! Or a ferret! Or a cat. Or -- no, definitely not a book character. Never mind.

You collected unicorns as a child, right? Any plans to include them in a story?
I did! I was easy to shop for on Christmas and birthdays. And one day they'll make it into a story of mine.

You've said you wanted to be an astronaut (like on Star Trek) when you were little. If you did serve on the Enterprise, where would you like to go first?
If I actually served on the Enterprise, I'm afraid I'd be a red shirt. You know, the character who comes on for that episode and everyone seems to like . . . and dies by act three.

Rapid Fire:
Favorite color? Blue.
Favorite mythological creature? Unicorn.
Vanilla or Chocolate? Chocolate.
Kirk or Picard? Picard -- he's who I grew up with.

I just wanted to say thanks to Jodi for stopping by YAtopia! Read more about Incarnate below and find out how you can win a query critique from Jodi!

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

--

As a former literary agency submissions-reader, Jodi knows a lot about what works in a query. Though she no longer does her fantastic "Query Project" posts on her blog, she is giving away one (private) query critique (up to 400 words) to one lucky commenter!

How to enter: This one's easy. Just make sure you follow YAtopia via GFC or email and leave a comment below saying what you would want to be reincarnated as before 11:59 PM Eastern January 30th. The winner will be chosen by random.org. Make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win!

Spreading the word is not required, but greatly appreciated. You know how it is... Karma :-)