Author Interview: Christina Farley

I (Sarah) am a featured blogger for Coastal Magic Convention, so today I'm featuring one of the CMC authors for an interview spotlight! If you're interested in paranormal bookish con in Florida in February, make sure to read more about the Con at the bottom of this post!

Also, stay tuned to the end of this post for a super cool giveaway!

Christina Farley is the author of the Gilded series and was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea that became the setting of Gilded and Silvern. Currently she lives in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown. For more details, check out her website at www.christinafarley.com. Christina holds a master’s degree in education and has taught for eighteen years. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of Jennifer Lyons Literary.


Sarah: What is your favorite thing about going to events like Coastal Magic Convention?

CF: I love attending events like Coastal Magic because they're my chance to connect with my readers. I also have a blast meeting other authors and hearing out their books and worlds that they have created. Coastal Magic is a smaller convention so it has a great friendly atmosphere for attendees to learn and connect with the books that they love.

Sarah: Do you have any weird writing habits?

CF: Other than eating lots of chocolate and coffee? Not really. But last year I was working two jobs plus writing so I had to write whenever I had a free moment. I was always writing in the car either during my kids’ soccer practice or on our way to an event or vacation. I also have been known to write in my closet when I am in need a quiet place to write.

Sarah: Which one of your characters has the most of you in him/her?

CF: I would say I’m most like my main character Jae Hwa Lee. She’s got a lot of spunk and has a strong personality. But there are also aspects about her that I wish I had. Like to speak out about what I think as she does. To not be afraid to take risks, even if they are the wrong choice. And of course, I definitely wish I was as good in tae kwon do as she is.

Sarah: If you could only give aspiring writers one piece of advice, what would it be?

CF: I believe that in some capacity we are all writers with a story to tell and characters to share with others. The crux of being a successful writer is to never lose sight of the love for the story.

For me, it’s so rewarding to put the story from my imagination onto paper and then sharing it with others. I recommend for those writers who wish to get published is to learn the craft, read as much as possible, and listen to advice you are given from those established in the field.

But the most important advice would be to write because you love it.

Sarah: What's next for you? What are you working on now?

CF: I have a couple of projects underway, but nothing set in stone. Book #3 of the Gilded Series is now with my agent as well as another proposal. And I’ve started writing another YA series that fans of the Gilded series would enjoy. So lots of exciting possibilities along with crossing fingers and toes!


About Gilded

A Korean god. An ancient curse. Can she escape becoming GILDED?

A girl with a black belt and a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows discovers an ancient Korean god has been kidnapping the first-born daughters of her family for generations. And she’s next.

Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indiebound | Book Depository

Check out the sequel, Silvern, due out September 23: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indiebound | Book Depository


About Coastal Magic Convention

 
Coastal Magic is a super casual, urban fantasy and paranormal romance focused convention in Daytona Beach, FL. With panels designed to start interesting discussion, and meet & greets with fun themes, we’ve got something for every fan. Join us for reader, blogger, and author shenanigans, and lots of “supernatural” inspired activities. Saturday’s charity book sale and signing is open to convention attendees, and FREE to the public. Come take a bite out of the beach with us!! Feb 5-8, 2015

Website | Facebook Page | Facebook Event | Twitter | Pinterest


Giveaway

US Only

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A Real Writer

Last month, I posted on feeling like a Big Fat Phony, a not uncommon emotion writers/artists face. Our work is such a personal endeavor and when it comes to putting it out there, it can feel like we're sitting under a giant magnifying glass perched to study our enlarging pores and deepening wrinkles.

On May 31, I went to BEA (Book Expo of America) in NYC. It was the first convention I've ever attended and probably wouldn't have gone except my fab publisher, Spencer Hill Press invited me to do an ARC signing of ZODIAC COLLECTOR. (Eeeep!)

When I first arrived, I had to stare like a tourist at the enormity of it all. The Javits Center was HUGE. The number of people milling about in crisscrossing paths was astounding. And I felt like the newest newbie ever. Thankfully, people were really friendly and I was able to find my way to registration and then to Spencer Hill's booth.

It was easy to get caught up in the excitement of meeting the folks at Spencer Hill. They were genuine and fun and engaging. Extend that to the thousands of attendees sharing their love of books and reading. Soon, I found myself unable to stop smiling.

Here's my editor, Jennifer Carson and me. Kell Andrews is in the background. Check out Jennifer's MG, Hapenny Magick. ;)

While I admit I didn't initially feel like I belonged there (I'm a country girl loving the quiet life, LOL!), the crowd and Spencer Hill team made me feel at ease pretty quickly. (I lost count at the number of hugs I received and gave.)

Then it was my turn to sign with another author. (Kell Andrews is a FABulous lady and her middle grade book (coming late June 2014), DEADWOOD, sounds AMAZING!!!) I readied my pens, set out bookmarks and chocolate (a BIG hit, by the way), and reviewed my signature blurb as the line of more than SIXTY convention attendees formed to get a signed copy of MY BOOK. WOW.

ARC of ZODIAC COLLECTOR

Once I started signing, it was pretty easy. Smiling faces, excitement for books, and small chit chat about Renaissance Faires (a prominent setting in ZODIAC), and the universal love of chocolate carried me through the signing with ease.

And you know what thought I had while signing? I'M A REAL WRITER.

Why?

BECAUSE I'M CONNECTING WITH READERS.

And isn't that what it's all about?

Can't wait to do it again!

Kell and me signing at BEA 2014!

* * * * * 

Laura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist and author of all things young adult paranormal, dystopian, and horror. She’s a lucid dreamer, meaning she can direct her dreams while they’re happening. When she’s awake, she pens stories from her dreams and shares them with her readers. Laura has many published titles including the Pride Series (New Pride, Shifting Pride, and Tsavo Pride), the Endure Series (Endure and Evoke), The Zodiac Collector, a novella Sunset Moon in the Lore anthology, and several shorts stories. When she’s not writing, she is working at the hospital, blogging at Author Laura Diamond--Lucid Dreamer, and renovating her 225+ year old fixer-upper mansion.

If you’re interested in reading more about me, or interacting with me on the web check out the following links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondLB

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraDiamond

Author Laura Diamond: www.authorlauradiamond.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815639.Laura_Diamond

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Diamond/e/B009Y7L432/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1377733776&sr=8-1

Blog: http://lbdiamond.wordpress.com/

Hope to “see” you soon!