ROGUE'S ANGELS PRESENT: THE KEEPER'S VOW BY Francina Simone

Please welcome Francina Simone author of The Keeper's Vow.


Francina will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

The Keeper’s Vow

by Francina Simone

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GENRE: YA Epic Urban Fantasy

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

One day in my AP American History class, because I didn’t want to write an essay on the Gettysburg address, I started my first novel. That was the beginning of it all, but what sparked the start of The Keeper’s Vow was not finding the YA Urban Fantasy book I wanted to read. I wanted something real and something I could fall in love with without love triangles and insta-love.
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?

Well I think Urban Fantasy definitely needs paranormal elements along with an overall plot that isn’t tied directly to romance. For example the Guardians series has romance (because swoon) but the overall plot is about the characters trying not to get crushed as the world falls apart around them.
3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

Remember that book I was writing in AP American History? Well that book is fantasy and it’s such a big project, I was overwhelmed and I just wanted to work on something smaller to really get a grasp on how to write a book. So I sat flipped through a few writing exercises I’d previously done, and this one girl named Katie just stuck with me. After that…it was a year of asking myself “who are these characters and why now?”
4. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

I’m all about Authenticity. There are a million ways to write a story, but only a hand full of concepts and character “tropes.” So what makes a book amazing? It’s authenticity. I’m very hard on myself as a writer when it comes to writing authentic stories. Not the story we wish would have happened, but the one that did, because of character actions and consequences.
5. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I spend so much of my time making Hamilton references that my husband (who is not a fan of the musical but still a history buff) often says, “talk less….smile more.” That’s his way of saying, “shut up already.”
6. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

Well obviously The Keeper’s Vow is coming out this September (AHHH) Darkness Comes at Dawn (book 2) will be out this Christmas (I am so freaking out about this because I have a month to get this to my copy editor) and next year I will be working to get two books out in the summer and winter From the Ashes (book 3) and the origin story of Guardians (that book I was working on in AP American History—it has completely transformed into something mind blowing). The coming days will be busy.
7. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

Um. Oh my god…none of them. Bad things happen to my characters and I don’t know if I could handle the stress. Maybe—nope…nope. Besides if they ever found out I was actually me (the author) they’d probably kill me in my sleep….so…
8. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

Of course!! Found just the thing. I call this the “Honey Pot” scene because this is one of the moments Katie and Tristan really connect:

She rolled over in her bed. There wasn’t anything wrong with thinking about him. They spent all their time together. Like earlier today, they laughed more than they worked. Everything was funny—when she accidentally slapped his forehead, or when he’d take on Russian personas and say, ‘I’m going to kill you,’.

But there were awkward times too. The worst she played over and over in her mind, humiliated by what she’d done, but secretly glad she’d done it.

She’d pinned him on the leaf covered ground.

“This is a weak hold,” he’d said.

“I’ll drool on you then,” she’d said, making him laugh. His laugh always made her laugh, it was contagious and spread like wildfire.

“You’ll have to do better than that.” He’d started to worm his way out of her hold. “As soon as I’m out, I’m going to kill you.”

She felt herself losing her grip, and so—she bit him. On his stomach. And he laughed, frantically trying to get her off. Then she laughed, astonished that of all places to be ticklish—he was nearly in tears.

“I got you,” she’d said in a terrible Russian accent—and then it happened. That feeling of unease when an imaginary line is crossed. He threw her off with strength he had never allowed her to feel before.

“That just got weird,” he’d said. There were tears on his face, and his eyes gleamed. “You sounded like a hooker, or a really bad honeypot.” He laughed harder.

“It’s not my fault. It was the accent.” Her face burned, but watching him fall back laughing made her grin.

“Next time leave out the accent, honeypot.” He smiled up at her before shaking the world with his laugh.

What if it wasn’t her imagination? She hadn’t imagined the way they brushed their arms against each other whenever she ate dinner at Lucinda’s. He sat next to her there too, like during lunch at school, and every class they had. He’d pick food off her plate when Lucinda wasn’t looking and scrunch up his nose. Sometimes she knew he liked it.

She turned over in her bed again and closed her eyes. Pitch blackness, like his hair. She wondered what it would be like to touch his hair. She’d smelled it the other day as a joke—said she bet it smelled like girl shampoo, but it didn’t. It smelled fresh. Like bar soap.

9. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

No. I really don’t work well this way because I don’t like to share my work until it is in its nearly perfect form. I will send it out to beta readers and my developmental editor right before I send it to the copy editor, that way I get input on my best possible effort. Critique groups, for me, just feel like too much pressure to “produce” versus “create.”
10. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

Well, I was a nobody. I had just written a book, gotten a ton of great feedback and I realized I needed to actually put my work out there if I was going to go from writer to author.
11. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

Write everyday. I can’t it’s against my nature.
12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I mentally outline scenes based on my emotional connection with music and the story. Then I try and write down an outline or write—whatever I feel like. I do eventually outline at some point during the first draft, but the beginning is all about getting words on the page. Whether those words make sense or not is future Francina’s problem.
13. How do you maintain your creativity?

Music. For me to write I have to be transported to another world, and the more I write the easier it is to pick up and go no matter where I am. BUT in the beginning I need a lot of help and music is the bridge for me.
14. Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?

In this book I’d have to say—it’s a tie between Mercedes and Tristan. Mercedes is so badass and she doesn’t even try. She’s effortless with it. Tristan was such a tough nut to crack that I can’t help but love all the time it took to be able to write him honestly.
15. Are your plotting bunnies angels or demons?

Hahaha I’ve never heard of a plotting bunny but they are definitely demons because they like to put my characters through the worse situations possible. I can’t even imagine going through what Katie does in Book 2.
16. Anything else you might want to add?

For anyone wanting to write. Do it. Get down your story, practice telling it better and better with each revision and don’t be afraid of what it looks like each step of the way. Good luck.

Thanks the Angels
Nah, thank YOU really this was a fun interview to write and I’m happy to be on your blog come Monday!! WOOT!! —Francina

BLURB:

All Katie Watts wants is to pass her junior-year, at Hamilton Private, with as little effort as possible—devoting time to knitting hats, breeding gerbils, becoming a movie critic, or even just sleeping. No wonder she isn’t ready for a world with vampires, werewolves, and nightmares.

Her life is shattered to pieces when Tristan gets stabbed in her front yard. She has no idea where he came from and worse, he hears her thoughts—and when she can’t take anymore, she starts to hear his. No one is who she thought they were. Her father is keeping secrets and when she searches for the truth, she ends up homeless.

As the truth claws its way to the surface, Katie and Tristan grow closer together and they find themselves connected in more ways than she can believe. But is honesty worth more than the peace blissful, ignorance brings? Especially if it sparks a chain of events that will end the lives of millions? Can she live with the truth that begins with her dead mother and ends with The Keeper’s Vow?

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EXCERPT:

A Mother’s Gift

Could he really read her mind, or was it just a coincidence?

His eyes flashed in her direction.

Not a coincidence.

“Do Will and Lucy know you can read their minds?” she said as he slowed down enough for her to drink and walk at the same time.

“I can’t read their minds,” he said.

“But you can read mine?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Anyone else’s?”

“Nope,” he said.

“How is that possible? Why is that possible?” she said.

His face was still expressionless. “Gift from your mom.” He stared straight ahead.

Katie knew that wasn’t possible. Her mom died giving birth to her. Not exactly enough time to send gifts—let alone some jacked up ability to read her only daughter’s mind.

“You still believe everything your dad told you? Nothing about yesterday made you question a few things?” he said, making an abrupt left turn.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What do you know about my mom?” It was strange saying that word. Mom. It was something she didn’t have but had always wanted—like a cat, E-Z Bake Oven, a sixty-piece oil pastel set. Something she’d grown out of and would never have. A mom.

Tristan held her gaze for a few steps, then stared ahead for a whole block before making another left turn. He didn’t say anything else.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Francina Simone is a writer of Epic Urban Fantasies brimming with Magic and Moral Ambiguity.

From the time Francina Simone entered kindergarten, she loved to read and share words with her friends. When she was in the fifth-grade, she was scared to read aloud and so the teacher concluded she wasn’t very good at reading—Francina read anyway.

Francina left her middle school book club behind for the daunting and exciting life as a high school freshmen. She was quickly told Young Adult books were childish and she should concern herself with finer literature—Francina read them anyway. 

Francina waved good-bye to her high school life and strutted into University with her YA books and graphic paper to take notes. She witnessed the birth of a YA trend where publishers flocked to sell their stories to teens…stories that were underdeveloped and glaring with structural issues. The message she heard as a consumer was simple—common belief is YA readers aren’t good enough readers to discern quality stories or they are too childish to tell the difference. 

Francina dropped her degree in chemistry and decided enough was enough—and set out to write the quality* stories her fellow readers deserved. 

After her formative years she moved to Japan, with her best-friend and husband, land of some of the worlds best story-tellers and creators of unique manga. There she worked on her stories and the quest to understand what authenticity* in story means. 

Now she lives in Boise with her husband, son, cat, and Catahoula. She spends most of her time battling the terrible-twos and puppy-dom. But when things are quiet—you can hear frantically typing away; her mind far away with her characters in their quest to make the right decisions in a world brimming with magic and moral ambiguity.

Links:

Website : www.FrancinaSimone.com

Twitter @FrancinaSimone : http://bit.ly/25QiQur

Youtube Francina Simone : http://bit.ly/1Xdklkp

Facebook Francina Simone :http://bit.ly/1WHwH4z

Mailing List ChitChat’s With Francina Simone :http://eepurl.com/bWnGZj

Amazon

The Keeper’s Vow : http://amzn.to/1Uqcwlr

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Francina will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1835