COURTNEY VAIL writes totally twisted YA and adult suspense. She enjoys braiding mystery, suspense & romance with some kind of weirdness. Her addictions to crazy coffee concoctions, Funny Bones, Ben & Jerry's, and bacon keep her running and writing. She currently lives in New England with a comedian stud and a wild gang of kidlets.
Links:
Site: www.courtneyvail.com
Blog: http://gottahaveya.blogspot.com
Twitter @cvwriter http://www.twitter.com/cvwriter
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kingsandqueensnovel
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4744654.Courtney_Vail
Q&A WITH COURTNEY VAIL
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to
the past or into the future?
Back
to the past. I’d love to visit with people I’ve lost along the way.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I
love Phish Food or anything chocolate based. Black raspberry is also super
yummy.
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
A
blueberry bagel with cream cheese, or butter and sugar, depending on mood, and
coffee.
Night owl, or early bird?
Both.
I could stay up really late or get up early. Though sometimes I get late night
highs and giggles, I’m not exactly chipper in the morning, but I can get up
fine.
One food you would never eat?
Squirming
squid. Or any squid really, yeah, that even means calamari. But the thought of
lunch wiggling its way down my throat makes me so ill.
Pet Peeves?
Drivers
gunning out in front of me to cut me off—even though there’s no one behind
me!—and acting like they’re gonna rip pavement all the way to their
destination, only to drop it down to 30 or LESS.
Skittles or M&Ms?
M&Ms
definitely. Not a fan of Skittles. I like the taste, but I really hate sticky,
chewy things getting stuck in my teeth. I generally avoid anything in the vein,
like the caramel Russel Stovers.
What is your dream cast for your book?
Majesty: It’s hard to pick Majesty, but on my website I picked Lucy
Hale. I could see her in a more kick-butt, tomboy role, just to break out of
the type she normally plays. She’s so pretty and she’s usually glammed up on Pretty Little Liars, but I’ll bet she
can also rock a more low-maintenance style too and look really girl-next-door.
Derek: So easy. No contest.
Matt Lanter. Back when I was still editing the book, I saw him on this episode
of CSI, and that was way before his
more notable roles in 90210 and Vampires Suck, and I was like, uh, Oh!
My! Gosh! That’s him! That is totally Derek!
I didn’t know his name and had never seen him before, so I had to hunt
down the episode and I finally found his name. There were some pics of him
already in IMBD and I was nodding and nodding. I’m like, yes, that is Derek all
the way.
Alec: Tim Urban. Yes, the American Idol contestant who got trashed
at nearly every turn, but is actually very talented, in case you don’t know.
You must check out his youtube channel: timothyjurban to see what I mean. He is too flippin’
adorable and his cover tunes on iTunes are meltalicious. Not only does this
dude look like Alec, his personality is an exact match. It’s very creepy. Alec
has golden brown hair, and that’s really the only difference. But, the charm,
the smile, the muscles, the sweetness … that’s Alec in the flesh.
Preston: I have Erik von
Detten on my site. He’s too tall in reality, but if we’re going on face looks
and body, yeah, him. I think Erik is a good match for the needed swing between
jerk and sweetie, so no one is really sure on which side he’ll ultimately land.
Blake: I’m going to go with
Kellan Lutz. He has the steely eyes. I don’t really describe Blake more than
that, but he’s a close match to what I see in my mind’s eye.
Warren: It’s hard to find a goth who is cool, intense and nerd all
at the same time, but I think Michael Pitt is a pretty good combination of
that.
Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your
book or any of your characters?
Breath by Breaking Benjamin. It sums up Majesty’s plight and represents the plot pretty well.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read
your book.
There’s
nothing else like Kings & Queens,
so if you’re hoping for a read that’s different, twisted and quirky, this is
it. And the eBook is currently on sale for $0.99, so you can check it out now
and save $3 off the regular price.
What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Get
some feedback from critters/beta readers. The honest opinions of others can
help you look at your work more objectively and make the adjustments to make it
shine. Not every piece of advice you get is right for your story though, so
keep studying the craft and know what you want readers to come away with, and
you can confidently shape your work.
If you could be one of the Greek Gods, which would it be and why?
I’d
like to be Cupid, or take over for the dude anyway. Sometimes I think he’s totally
clueless.
Favorite music?
Favorite music?
Anything guitar-based and real. I loathe fake music where
the percussion, bass, guitars are all tracked down on a keyboard to hug the
lyrics sung by some mediocre singer who needs to be auto-tuned.
Favorite sport?
Hard
to pick because I’m a sports nut, but I’m gonna go with football.
Coke or Pepsi?
Whatever
is cheapest that week.
Horror or Romance?
A
combination is best.
Best way to spend a rainy day?
Running,
watching whatever sport is on, taking a nap. If I can check off all three on said
rainy day, it’s a pretty awesome one.
What is your favorite Quote?
“Cowboy
Up!” ~ Kevin Millar.
Those are the most awesome words
I’ve ever heard. And they’re from a self-ascribed Idiot. 2004 World Series
Champs, yeah, baby! It about sums up what everyone’s aim in life should be.
When everything seems hopeless, when the odds are stacked against you, there’s
always something to fight for, there’s still a reason to hope and believe and
to give the battle your all.
Any other books in the works? Goals for future
projects?
I’m wrapping up the edits for Sapphire
Reign, the sequel to Kings &
Queens, and I’m working on three more YA novels. All my books are weird.
Two of my novels are urban fantasy and one is horror.
Thanks so much for having me! I had
a blast.
Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father's fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek...or, no...maybe Alec...maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him again.
All her desires get sidelined, though, when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre. She doubts cops will follow up on her tip since they're sick of her coming around with notions of possible crimes-in-the-works. And it's not like she cries wolf. Not really. They'd be freaked too, but they're not the ones suffering from bloody dreams that hint at disaster like some crazy, street guy forecasting the Apocalypse. So, she does what any habitual winner with zero cred would do...try to I.D. the nutjobs before they act.
But, when their agenda turns out to be far bigger than she ever assumed, and even friends start looking suspect, the truth and her actions threaten to haunt her forever, especially since she's left with blood on her hands, the blood of someone she loves.
GIVEAWAY
Courtney Vail will be
giving away two signed paperbacks Kings
& Queens to US and Canada
residents only, and 2 eBooks for international residents only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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