Friday, March 15, 2013

Book Tour--SAVING CASEY

Goddess Fish Book Tour

SAVING CASEY by Liza O’Connor
A young adult suspense thriller

AN INTERVIEW WITH LIZA
-What book and/or experience made you want to be a writer?

I think I was born with stories in my head. Before I could even write, I would round up my friends and tell them elaborate stories. Unfortunately, I insisted them to all be true, which the kids believed, but when they went home and told their parents about giant spiders and alligators eating my siblings, oddly, the adults came to a very different conclusion. ‘Don’t play with Liza anymore.’

In my teen years, I amused my friends by writing of my interactions with imaginary characters. Sadly, a mother read one email, assumed my characters to be real, told all the other parents, and they all responded the same, ‘Don’t associate with Liza anymore.’ A sad story, right? However, on the upside, it taught me how to make new friends and gave me lots of time to write and be adventurous. It also gave me time to read the classics, which I believe every writer should undertake, even if they plan to write science fiction or comedy.

-What genres do you write?

The list would be shorter if you asked what genre I don’t write. I have written Historicals, Contemporaries, and Futuristics; books for early teen, young adults, new adult and the adult adults. I’ve also written both fantasy and paranormal. However, Saving Casey, my debut publication, is a Young Adult Contemporary Suspense Thriller which will make you laugh, cry, and yell. So don’t read it at work or school. I’m tired of getting my friends in trouble.

-Blurb for Saving Casey.

Eighty-year-old Cass wakes up in the body of a troubled seventeen-year-old girl named Casey, which all believe has survived a suicide attempt. Cass intends to turn the girl’s life around, only it’s harder than she expects. All Casey’s troubles have now become Cass’s and someone wants her dead.

-Spoilers?

The scene where Troy admits he loves Cass.

“Any chance you’d be willing to go to a different doctor to get another treatment on your face?”

“I really like Dr. Grey.”

“I know, but we can’t take the chance. You’d visit a doctor in Montana after office hours.”

“Does he have the equivalent experience and skills as Dr. Grey? Because I already have nightmares where I’m blind and irreparably scarred.”

“He won’t touch your eyes. He’ll just work on the cheeks.”

“And if I’m scarred, causing little children to scream at the sight of me, will you still love me?” She expected him to flounder with his response because it required him to actually admit he loved her, something he’d refused to do. To her shock, he replied at once.

“Absolutely.”

“No hesitation?”

“Nope.”

“So explain why you’ll love me without hesitation if I’m hideously scarred, but won’t even kiss me when I’m just ghoulishly tattooed?”

“Simple. Dan wouldn’t mind if I’m the only man in the world who still thinks you’re beautiful. But as long as millions of better alternatives exist, Dan would never forgive me for stealing your future.”

She hated it when he nailed the truth. If she were really seventeen, she would agree a hundred percent. Sighing heavily, she muttered, “I’ll see the doctor.”

“He’s not going to leave you scarred, Cass.”

“I hope not, but if he does, I’m holding you to your word.”

“You have it.”

She smiled at the turn of this conversation. “So you think I’m beautiful?”

“Inside and out,” he replied. “We need to change the conversation now.”

“Why? I like this conversation.”

-For other aspiring writers, any tips?

Get out and experience life, so you have a base to write from. Then write the story as it wants to be told, even if it breaks some rules. Finally, join a good supportive critique group, then write, rewrite, and write some more.

-What’s your favorite book/genre to read?

That’s like asking me which child I love best. Sci Fi, Historical Mysteries, and Contemporary Suspense are the main contenders, depending upon my mood.

-What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever written?

I think, my critters favorite is Saving Casey, which is why they insisted I stop writing and finally try to publish. (Writing is so much easier and more fun than publishing. Although I must say, I love the editing process where all the imperfections I couldn’t see on my own get banished.)

I cannot choose between my many novels. I love each one, otherwise I wouldn’t have written it to begin with.

ABOUT LIZA

I live in Denville, NJ with my dog, Jess. We hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, I learned to fly small cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. I’m an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through my entire life, my first love has and always will be writing novels. I love to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.

Want to buy Saving Casey? Get it at the Bonobookstore, amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

NOTE: Saving Casey will be reduced from $5.99 to $2.99 for the duration of the tour (March 5th-April 11th) at Amazon, B&N, DP/Bono, ARe, Coffee Time Romance, BookStrand and Smashwords.

Also check out Saving Casey videos—the trailer and the Abridged My Crappy New Life series.

Want more from Liza? Check out her blog and website here. Connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

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Hey readers,

Me personally, I’d be terrified if I woke up in someone else’s body. Thank you, Liza, for the awesome interview!

Don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour for more about Liza and Saving Casey.

And of course, don’t forget to comment for a chance at some awesome prizes!

Liza will award a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Other random commenters at blog stops will receive: $5 Amazon GCs or tattoos like Casey’s/offer to place tattoos like Casey’s on a jpg picture supplied by winner.

18 comments:

  1. Mary, Thanks for having me on your site. I just want to remind your readers to leave an email address when commenting. That’s so I can find you if you win the gift. If you don’t like spambots grabbing your email, just spell out AT and DOT.

    For the duration of this blog tour, the price of SAVING CASEY has dropped to $2.99 at AMAZON. Once the tour is over (April 6th), it goes back to $5.99, so buy it now.


    PRIZE FOR THIS BLOG STOP:
    In addition to the GRAND TOUR PRIZE-$25 Amazon Gift Card, I am offering a special gift for one commenter on this blog stop. $5 Amazon Gift Card or temp facial tats so you can mar your pretty face just like Saving Casey’s. Winner’s choice


    Feel free to ask me questions. I love hearing from you. I’ll be popping in through the day and evening to catch any comments. Hope to hear from you guys. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It would not be a good feeling to be stuck inside a different body.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, it would be a real shocker, that's for sure. Maybe that's why babies cry so much.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also think that writers should read the classics.

    It sounds like you've had an adventurous life...especially diving with great white sharks. Scary!
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Parts of my adventures were scary. I've had serious concerns I might die on several occasions. First time I parachuted, my left toggle was tangled which meant I couldn't steer myself to the landing sight. So the first thing I had to do was quickly untangle it. Fortunately, I didn't panic. It was so incredibly peaceful floating up there, that I calmly fixed my toggle so I could land on target unharmed.

      Delete
  5. I would freak out if I was in someone else's body.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, and if tell anyone what's really happened, you'll get to freak out in a mental asylum. Thus Cass had no choice but to make the best of the situation and take on her new life.

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  6. I think I should have started writing my stories down earlier. I've had characters in my head for as long as I can remember. Took years for me to finally let them out on paper. The only problem is, new ones keep appearing. LOL

    All the best with your tour, Liza!
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a massive wip folder with hundreds of idea. Several are there because the main character would not reveal his name.

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  7. Thanks for the interview! I have a similar story about telling other kids stories. I used to insist that a skeleton lived in my attic and that he broke out at night and haunted our subdivision...told everyone that it was true and I had seen him myself lol

    andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, but did you lose your friends over it? I hope not.

      My friends' parents failed to realize they had a budding author in their midst. I was probably a traveling bard in some prior life who was stoned by villagers who didn't like my stories because they challenged the status quo.

      Delete
  8. I would freak floating down tangelt up in the parachute or just falling down, I'm afraid of heights.

    anzuazura at yahoo dot de

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Honestly, I couldn't wait to jump out of the plane. The stall alarm kept going off and as a pilot, I knew the plane was overloaded and we were are risk of stalling out and crashing. So I volunteered to jump first.

      However, the utter calmness I felt once the parachute opened stunned me. I have never felt such peace and calmness anywhere or time in my life.

      Delete
  9. You must love the risk, it's not a situation I would remain calm. What do you parents and family think of your hobbies?

    shadowrunner1987(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My older sister insists I email every day and provide proof of life. My parents are gone, so I've no idea what they think. My dad was fearless, so he's probably fine with it. (I would follow him about, being fearless as well.) My mother was very theatrical so she's probably fainting. (I spent much of my childhood on stage as well, but never fainting.)

      Delete
  10. I enjoyed the interview

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete