MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 514

An Interview with author Leah Crichton

Welcome to Meet The Author! Today Leah Crichton has stopped by to give us a little insight into her life and her books.  So let’s get started.
Please tell us a little about yourself.I’m 32 and married with children. By day, I work in GIS (I make maps), by night aspiring YA author and best seller hopeful. I love music almost as much as I love writing. I’m slightly addicted to various flavors of lip gloss and have a massive coffee habit.

When did you start writing?Does Kindergarten count? I’ve always written. My dad is an author as well and growing up I thought it was “normal” for people to write books. The younger years were filled with great imaginative stories, whilst my teen years are mostly documented with angst-ridden poetry.

What projects have been published?Only one.  Amaranthine. But I have my second novel completed (it’s out with Beta readers now) and the third one on the go.

Tell us about Amaranthine.Amaranthine is the story of a young girl who is involved in a life-changing moment (a car accident) that leaves her questioning what is important and what is not. It deals with mortality and the realization that life is too short to take for granted. Add a swoon-worthy boy and an out of this world twist and that’s the book in a nutshell.

How did you select the title of your novel?Brace yourself for the most unoriginal answer in existence. A thesaurus. Amaranthine means everlasting, eternal, unfading, undying. It’s also a flower. I needed something that meant forever.

What was your inspiration?For the actual story itself it was two songs that played back to back on my iPod. The lyrics sparked the idea and I went home that night to begin writing.

What are you currently working on?Book two of my first ever series! The series is about a rock boy band who hit the big time. Each band member has a story to tell so I figure I should be able to pump out four novels for it.

What are you reading at the moment?City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare.

What do you like to do in your free time when you're not reading or writing?I have kids. I don’t know what this “free time” you speak of is.  But I do enjoy photography, concert going, warm places, and socializing with friends.

Do you have any advice for other authors?Write something every day. Even when you don’t want to. Even when you’re tired/achy/sick/bored. It’s important. If you can get at least a paragraph or two written in a day at least you’re keeping those cogs inside your brain working.

And finally, can you tell us some fun facts about yourself, such as crossed skydiving off my bucket list.I have too many things on my bucket list---I’ll never get them all done. If a personality could be physically seen, you’d probably never catch mine. I’m constantly on go mode. I paint my house like every six months or rearrange the furniture because I get bored. My hair has been black, blonde, brown, red, pink, purple, because I don’t like “normal” and I get sick of looking the same way for too long. I love huge clunky jewelry (especially bracelets), tattoos, and my iPod. I suffer from insomnia because I can never seem to stop thinking.  None of that is all too interesting but there you have it—me—in a nutshell.

  To find out more about Leah, visit: Website: www.leah-crichton.comTwitter: @LDCrichton; http://twitter.com/ldcrichtonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leah-Crichton/118346848194655
To purchase Leah’s books: Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Amaranthine-Leah-Crichton/dp/098782340X Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amaranthine-leah-crichton/1037944728

19th of August 1504 - The Battle of Knockdoe

Loud blares the trumpet, the field is set. Loud blares the trumpet, the foe men are met. Steep slopes the hill, at Knockdoe in the West. There stood in Battle, the South at its best. Hi Manny O'Kelly, with the Burkes is at War, and Clanrickard has gathered his friends from afar. Kildare he advances like the fox that doth stalk, O'Kelly sweeps down with the speed of a hawk. Loud sounds the trumpet, the sunset is fair. Hi Manny triumphant. The Earl of Kildare.
(Local folklore has it that the above poem was found in the pocket of a slain soldier.)

History Trivia

On August 19

480 BC Spartan soldiers made an heroic last stand against the Persians at the pass at Thermopylae.

43 BC Octavian, later known as Augustus, compelled the Roman Senate to elect him Consul.
14 Roman emperor Augustus Caesar, first Roman Emperor, died at Nola at age 76 after a 41-year reign.
 312 Roman emperor Constantine the Great supposedly saw a vision of a cross and the words, "In this sign conquer," which caused him to eventually embrace Christianity. 
1274 Edward I was crowned King of England. 
1493 Maximilian succeeded his father, Frederick III, as Holy Roman Emperor. 
1561 An 18-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland after spending 13 years in France.

Jenna Elizabeth Johnson: Author Spotlight: Interview with Mary Ann Bernal

Jenna Elizabeth Johnson: Author Spotlight: Interview with Mary Ann Bernal: 1. Quickly, give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline: “The Briton and the Dane” trilogy Historical Fiction...

Kindle edition of The Briton and the Dane: Birthright free this weekend

The Briton and the Dane: Birthright is free this weekend (8/18-8/19/12) in the Kindle Store:

US
http://www.amazon.com/The-Briton-Dane-Birthright-ebook/dp/B005C5TAEU/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345291085&sr=1-3&keywords=Mary+Ann+Bernal

UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Briton-Dane-Birthright-ebook/dp/B005C5TAEU/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345291123&sr=1-4

History Trivia

On August 18

293 BC The oldest known Roman temple to Venus was founded, starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica (festival sacred to Jupiter).

328 Saint Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, died at age 82.

410 King Alarik I, King of the Visigoths, occupied and plundered Rome, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire.




1201 The city of Riga (Baltics) was founded, and became a thriving center of Viking trade.

1227 Genghis Khan, the great Mongol conqueror, died at age 60.

Go Indie -- Discover Indie Authors: Summer of Indie Talks With Amanda Young

Go Indie -- Discover Indie Authors: Summer of Indie Talks With Amanda Young: Summer of Indie's next guest author writes under two different names: A.D. McLain and Amanda Young. Amanda writes paranormal romances and ...

The Wizard's Cauldron: An Interview with Leah Crichton

The Wizard's Cauldron: An Interview with Leah Crichton: Earlier last week, I expressed a wish to an old friend of mine, an emigre to Canada, to interview a Canadian writer.  Like many people, ...

Go Indie -- Discover Indie Authors: Summer of Indie Discovers "The Dirty Secret" With ...

Go Indie -- Discover Indie Authors: Summer of Indie Discovers "The Dirty Secret" With ...: Today Summer of Indie welcomed our latest guest, Brent Wolfingbarger. Brent is the author of legal/political thriller The Dirty Secret...

History Trivia

On August 17 
682  Pope Leo II began his reign; he was known as an eloquent preacher who was interested in music, and was noted for his charity to the poor. 
986 A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Samuel and Aron. The Byzantine emperor Basil II narrowly escaped. The Battle of the Gates of Trajan only postponed the fall of Bulgaria, which occurred in 1018.
1498 Cardinal Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei, renounced his vows and office so that he might marry a French princess.
1510 Edmund Dudley was executed for treason under Henry VIII. While waiting for his execution he wrote The Tree of Commonwealth, a treatise in support of absolute monarchy; Dudley hoped to gain the favor of Henry VIII, but there is no evidence that Henry ever saw the document.