Author Interview & Book Giveaway: Rae of Hope by W.J. May

Welcome to Author W.J. May


Bio:

WJ May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy.
The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister -- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.
At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump. She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.
But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m (5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occasion. She's represented Canada at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the travelling around the world and the opportunity to read - her favourite past time.
Life continued with her husband (a distance runner from Liverpool, UK, who she met at KSU) and then their first, then second and finally third child. Their house became full of more imagination and stories.
Wanita and her husband run an online business, dealing in antiques and collectables - particularly jewelry and porcelain (one of the business' website: www.wadeincanada.com ).

After her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off.
Her first book, Rae of Hope - from the Chronicles of Kerrigan - will be available October 2011 by kNight Romance Publishing.
She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. WJ May is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.

Website: http://www.wanitamay.yolasite.com/
Blog: http://www.wanitajump.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/wanitajump

Interview:
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future? 
PAST - dont want to see what my future is until I get to live every moment :)

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
Internet access, a laptop, and cell to call home and come get me when Ive had enough! ha ha

What is one book everyone should read? 
the Bible :)

If you were a superhero what would your name be? 
Great question - I'd love to be a superhero, but I'd have to go to Xavier's School for the gifted and let them come up with a name for me. I got nothing

If you could have any superpower what would you choose? 
Rae's - from my book! ability to copy other peoples superpowers!

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? 
Mint Chocolate Chip

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose? 
My Dad (miss him everyday)

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? 
Husband's Omletes

Night owl, or early bird? 
Night Owl - used to be both, but getting up at 7 is beginning to feel like a chore :)

One food you would never eat? 
Wassabi :) (especially like Mator in Cars 2)

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. 
Because the sins of the father are the sins of the son, or in this case the daughter. The stuff is REALLY going to hit the fan here :)

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? 
The Chronicles of Kerrigan (Rae of Hope being the first book, is a four book contract with Mitchell Morris Publishing). I also have two other MS with my agent. Look forward to getting them out early into the new year.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. 
Strangers telling you how much the enjoyed your book. Teenagers LOVING it and being able to relate or step right into Rae's world and get lost for just a little while (and then bugging that they want the second book - that's SO awesome)

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be? 
NARNIA and if I can't get in there, I have to admit, Twilight's world would be fun... just a shame both Edward and Jacob are taken in their world :)

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen? 
Everything

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? 
Write what you love to write about and throw in some of what you hate - it makes for a fascinating story. Join a critique group to learn as much as you can from others. I joined www.critiquecircle.com when I started and am still a member. It's fantastic

What is your favorite Quote? 
"The heights of great men were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night? author unknown

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"? 
An Olympian (made World Champions, but not the Olympics :)

Can you see yourself in any of your characters? 
A bit of Molly is like me - her continuous energy. She doesn't always clue in that it can actually be annoying to others :)

Favorite Food? 
Chicken Currie

Favorite Candy? 
Dropjes (Dutch parents - it's salted black licorice... SOOO yummy!)

What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year? 
The Hunger Games, and I just saw the trailer for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - looks awesome. A final Underworld is coming out as well and I hear another Wolverine movie is in the making... going to be a busy year! I love watching movies, and reading.

What was your favorite children's book? 
Green Eggs and Ham

What do you do in your free time? 
Play with my kids and hang with the hubby.

What's your favorite season/weather? 
All. I live in Canada where we get all four seasons to their fullest. It's fantastic and each one makes me think they are my favourite season.

Who or what inspired you to become an author? 
My Dad. Before he passed away (Rae of Hope is dedicated to him btw), we were lying on his bed talking and he gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me after he passed and made me realize I wanted to write a story. I didn't write Rae of Hope with the intentions of being published, I wrote it because I wanted to do it. I'd always wanted to write, but never thought of it as an occupation when I was younger. My dad told me to do things I most want to and not to wait; life flies by in the blink of an eye. So i wrote :) and now, here I am - nd ahere we are :)

Favorite sport? 
Athletics - the Olympics especially High Jump

If you had 24 hours alone how would you spend it? 
Writing :) then maybe clean the house up a bit so get rid of the guilty feeling :)

TV or Movies? 
Movies

Hot or Cold? 
Hot

Black or White? 
White

Print or Ebook?
print (something about holding the book in your hands... its awesome to read that way)

Chocolate or Vanilla? 
Chocolate

Regular or Diet? 
Regular (though it should be diet :)

Coke or Pepsi? 
Pepsi

Horror or Romance? 
Romance - can't stand the scary stuff.

Action or Drama?
Action

Pizza or Pasta? 
Pizza :)

Sweet or Salty? 
both - who says you can't have both at the same time!

Summer or Winter? 
Both

City or Country? 
Little City

Harry Potter or Twilight? 
tough - I like both.

Gum or Breath Mints?
Gum (dont like hard candy)

Spontaneity or Planning Ahead? 
Spontaneity

PC or Mac? 
PC

Beach or Pool? 
Pool

Shoes or Sandals? 
Sandals

Cat or Dog? 
Dog

Apples or Oranges? 
Apples

Cause or Effect? 
how about: Cause AND Effect

Heads or Tails? 
heads

Facebook or Twitter? 
Facebook

Truth or Dare? 
Dare!

Text or Talk? 
Text (so I can do two things at once)

What is you favorite way to spend a rainy day? 
Playing with my kids inside or out in the rain. And if they are busy playing - then reading a book by the fireplace

What is something people would be surprised to know about you? 
I'm 5'7" and jumped 6'3 1/2" inches in High Jump. Ummm... I hold the Canadian Junior Record for Highjump (1.92cm - 6 3 1/2)

Rae of Hope

How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth about the past?
Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is an exclusive, gifted school. Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her.

She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become inked with a unique tattoo (tatu) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatu enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their ink-art. Both of her parents where inked, though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young. Learning about her family's past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope in her own life.

Giveaway Details:
1 paperback copy open to US & Canada
1 ebook open Internationally
Ends 1/5/12

WINNERS:
Ebook: Karen Christiansen
Paperback: Tara Turner