Interview & Giveaway: Mesmerize by Artist Arthur

Welcome to Author Artist Arthur

I am the first born and only girl in my family, and six and nine years separate me and my two brothers. Needless to say, I was alone quite a bit. But being alone gave me plenty of time to indulge my imagination in the world of books. One of the first novels I read was a young adult series that traced the lives of two teenagers in high school, Sweet Valley High. Reading those novels I thought I could do better, and so my quest to write entertaining stories began.

Being an introvert, it took me a long time to feel comfortable enough to let others read my work. How long? Well, the first person to read a story I wrote was my husband. Since then, I’ve been writing professionally for almost nine years now. But it was my daughter who encouraged me to write a book for teens—just one of the reasons I love her so dearly.

I live in Maryland with my husband and three children. If you take away the opinionated teenagers, family drama, overflowing bookshelves and DVDs, my life is pretty boring. But don’t take those things away, since they’re my inspiration.

LINKS:
https://twitter.com/#!/yabyartist
http://artistarthurbooks.com/

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

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Scrambled Eggs w/cheese

Night owl, or early bird?
Definitely an early bird

Skittles or M&Ms?
Plain dark chocolate M&Ms

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
Working on a new YA told from the male POV. He’s a bad boy who has fallen for a good girl, in cruel, twisted world.

What inspired you to want to become a writer?
Reading was my inspiration. I figured if I could read a book and come up with alternate scenarios for the characters, then I should write my own book.

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?
The Sweet Valley High Series by Francine Pascal

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters? 
Enchanted by Taylor Swift

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Never give up. Keep writing the stories that are within you.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?
A secretary

What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
Insurgent by Veronica Roth

What was your favorite children's book?
Walt Disney’s Aladin

How do you react to a bad review?
I don’t react personally, I show it to my daughters and they do all the reacting for me. Afterwards I’m so busy laughing at them I’ve forgotten the review and move on to the next thing.

Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.
I usually wake up really early to write, around 3am. I get my kids up at 6 and we’re out of the house by 7:15. I work as a paralegal in our local courthouse until 5. Dinner, homework and family time until 8, because I usually cannot keep my eyes open much longer than that.

What's your favorite season/weather?
Fall, because it’s not too cold and it’s not too hot. And my birthday is in the fall. J

Mesmerize (Mystyx #4)

You can’t move forward until you deal with the past…

Starting over is nothing new to diplomat’s daughter Lindsey Yi. She’s grown up changing schools the way other girls change clothes. Still, moving to Lincoln, Connecticut, is different. Although she’s still reeling from the loss of her parents in an accident, Lindsey is finally in a place that feels like home. Because here, Lindsey’s ability to read other people’s thoughts doesn’t make her weird. It makes her one of the Mystyx.

When Dylan Murphy—hot, popular and a senior—starts to notice her, things get serious, fast. But even as she’s figuring out how she really feels, the Mystyx realize that they’re not the only supernaturals in town. There
are other gifted teens who have different motives. And they are hoping to get close enough to the Mystyx to convert them—and the world—to Darkness…

Giveaway Details:
Your choice of any one of the books from the Mystyx Series
Open Internationally
Ends 2/20/12





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