REBEKAH PURDY'S IN THE HOUSE!

I'm so honored and happy to have Rebekah visiting my blog today to talk about her new release.

Thank you so much, Rebekah.

First, how does it feel to be a first time author? Fabulous! All I talk about is my book (LOL).

Would you tell us a little bit about yourself? I work for the court system by day, and write pretty much any opportunity I can. I’m an avid reader, and LOVE Star Wars (Posting an interview I am, yes). Yeah, that was my Yoda impression. Oh, and I also have 6 kids, which is loads of fun!

Did you always want to be an author? Oh yeah. It started in 4^th grade, when my then teacher, Mr. McGrath introduced us to a little book called “Where the Red Fern Grows.” And from that sprung my love for the written word.

How did you find Astraea Press? Actually, my sister (R.M. Gilbert) knew the editor/owner from a critique group and found out they were looking for Young Adult submissions. She immediately contacted me to let me know they wanted sweeter type stories. So I emailed Stephanie, and here I am (smiles).

What can the readers expect from your work? Fun! I love to write humor, so you’ll always find some crazy things in my story. When I sit down to write, I think “hmmm…what can my character get into next?”

Tell us a little bit about your book. Sixteen year old Ima Berry (pronounced I’m a) leads anything but a normal life. For starters, the ridiculous name her eccentric dad gave her is always the opening for a good joke. Not to mention the fact he makes his living as a supernatural investigator, which has them moving around every few months. It’s hard to hang out with new friends when she spends all her time trying to prove the existence of Bigfoot, ghosts, fairies and any other number of paranormal creatures. Unfortunately, the cases always end in disaster. That is until now.

On a whim, Ima’s father decides to move them to Point Hope, Alaska. Here, he plans to investigate the possibility of shifters amongst the Inuit tribes. Ima isn’t thrilled with the move, until she meets an Inuit guy named Carsen. Not only is he hot, but he’s also a star basketball player, and he’s interested in her. Too bad his best friend, Talon, doesn’t like her and takes every opportunity he can to discourage the relationship. Ima has no idea what she’s done to make him mad, but there’s no denying the strange connection between them.

As things grow more serious with Carsen, Ima uncovers a secret about him and some of the residents of Point Hope. A secret that will force her to choose between her father’s already dwindling career and her new found love. And with the knowledge of this secret comes danger…a danger that could cost them their lives.

Would you give us your links so we can find you on the web? Of course, my website will launch right before my book comes out it’s a joint effort with my little sister, who also writes YA.

My website: http://www.wix.com/sisterswhowrite/sww 

My blog: http://rebekahlpurdy.wordpress.com/ 

Oh, and I’ll be running a contest during the 1^st 2 weeks of February to win a copy of my e-book as well as a $10.00 gift card to Barnes & Noble, so make sure to drop by for your chance to win!               

We’d love to read an excerpt. 

Keetah sniffed the air then peered back with a growl. His glowing eyes focused on something in the distance.

“What is it, boy?” My paranoia made me shiver. Every shadow started to look like a hungry beast out to get us. Keetah bristled then started to bark.

“Hang on,” Matt said in a hushed voice. We halted and stood quiet. “It sounds like something’s behind us.”

My teeth grazed my bottom lip, my adrenaline kicking up like a racecar engine.

“It’s coming from the brush.” Brady pointed his light to our left and I turned the thermal imaging camera toward the foliage.

A huge, red form appeared on the screen. “There’s something here—it’s moving,” I said.

Brady and I leapt forward with Matt close behind. We fought to keep our footing as we wove in and out of branches, ferns, and thicket. The flashlights did little to light our path as we pushed through the brush, Keetah in the lead.

Who in their right mind actually chased after the monster? Blood pounded in my ears as fear set in. I mean, what would I do if Bigfoot suddenly stepped in front of me? Ask him if he could pose for a picture? Run? Wet myself? Or D, all of the above? I pushed the panicked thoughts from my mind and scrambled after the others.

Tell us how your book came into existence: Actually my MC’s (main character’s) dad is loosely based on my husband. He used to take our kids and their friends out on Bigfoot hunts, ghost hunts etc. So I thought, hey, what if I had a character whose dad was a paranormal investigator, and what if they were on a reality show. Throw into the mix a little forbidden romance and wah-la! A story was born!

Tell us about your writing routine: Most of my writing time is done during my lunch breaks at work. And since I have a government job, I also use my government holidays to work on stories.

What inspires you? Music, pictures, being out in nature (like lakes/rivers/woods).

How do you get through writer's block? I force myself to write. For me it’s all about getting words down on paper. Even if that means only 50 words. My philosophy, any word count is better than no word count.

Do you have any themes you write around? I write a lot of Fantasy/Paranormal Romance stories, and one reoccurring theme tends to be the good vs evil. I blame it on my Star Wars obsession (LOL).

What are you working on next? It’s TOP SECRET (LOL). All I can tell you is that I’m ½ through writing it. It’s a YA Fantasy/Fairytale type story, with lots of humor. It has to do with happily-ever-afters, wishes, and well my MC inheriting a job that she might not be cut out to do!

Tell us one thing about you that your readers would never suspect: I can’t cook! LOL. My hubby does pretty much all the cooking in our house. Although, I do make a mean grilled cheese and tuna casserole. But yeah, I’m so NOT Betty Crocker! You’re talking to the girl who broiled frozen pizza (maybe that’s why it burned). To make matters worse, I only eat white meat, which means we normally have two pans of any dishes made…

What character(s) do you like the most and why? This is hard because there are a few characters I love. But I’d say Ima, talon, and Matt. Ima because she’s funny and you feel bad that she has to move around all the time. Talon, well, he’s a bad boy, but he has a tortured soul so it’s like you really want to root for him. And Matt, he’s Ima’s best friend. He would do anything to keep her safe.

What are your favorite books? And is there any book in particular that made you want to become a writer? This answer might get long (LOL). I LOVE so many stories. But, here are some of my favorites: Forbidden Game Series (L.J. Smith), Secret Circle (L. J. Smith), The Hunger Games Trilogy (Suzanne Collins), How I Live Now (Meg Rosoff), Fever Series (Karen Marie Moning), Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Chronicles of Faerie (O.R. Melling), Sunshine (Robin McKinley), Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead), Twilight Series (Stephenie Meyer), Green Ride Series (Kristen Britain). And the list could go on (LOL). The book that made me want to write, though, was Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. My fourth grade teacher, Mr. McGrath, read it to us and from there I fell in love with reading/writing.

What’s the one thing you can’t live without while writing? Music/bottled water. Oh, and my notebooks.

Reality or Fantasy? Fantasy. I get to live reality every day, so it’s nice to have an escape…

Your favorite snack? Chocolate (LOL). Seriously, I love chocolate. If my arm was covered in it, I’d likely chew it off. Oh, and I  REALLY LOVE cheesecake too!

Lastly, what’s your favorite season? I absolutely LOVE the autumn. It’s beautiful. The changing leaves, the crisp air. And it’s also when I get my best/most writing done.

Rebekah, it's been so awesome having you here. I wish you great success! Remember to hop over to Rebekah's blog for a chance to win a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card and a copy of her new release. Also, leave a comment here for a chance to win a signed, first edition copy of Janet Evanovich's NAUGHTY NEIGHBOR!

Also, click on the link below to see Rebekah's book trailer!
 http://www.youtube.com/user/SistersWhoWrite?feature=mhum