Interview & Excerpt - Vivid by Andrea Murray

When did you know writing was for you?

 Well, I've always loved literature, which is why I chose to teach English (to the disappointment of my math teacher).  I think writing is a natural extension of that, but I never thought seriously about writing a novel until last spring. My fifth hour class was made up almost entirely of girls, and they were avid readers.  I was reading at least a novel per week to recommend new books to them.  Most of those novels were young adult, paranormal romances.  Some were great, others not so much.  I caught myself complaining to them about weak characters and confusing narration, and since I've always been a big believer in "put your money where your mouth is," I decided to give it a try!
I wanted to create a female protagonist those girls could look up to, someone strong and independent who saves the day.  I wanted to give them a female, teenage hero.
 How would you describe your books?
As far as categories go, it is a paranormal romance, but there's a lot of realism to it as well.  I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but I wanted to keep elements of it as realistic as possible.  I wanted Vivian to be unsure of herself at times, to feel awkward like most teenage girls.  She has this awesome power, but she can't pick out an outfit for her first date. She's smart but doesn't want to show how smart because that would draw too much attention.  She likes a gorgeous boy, who likes her, too, but she worries about how someone like him could like someone like her.I also wanted the high school to be as realistic as possible.  Trista, the diva/minivillian, bullies Vivian and Abby, her friend.  Trista's the top of the food chain, and she want everyone to know it.  THAT is reality.  As much as we do to stop bullying in schools, the truth is it still exists.  But come on, who doesn't want to see the underdog win?
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Publishing. Storytelling is something I've always done but just recently began writing down.  But publishing is a whole other beast!  I find it discouraging and tedious to send query letters and browse literary agency sites.  In fact, I think it sucks the joy out of the writing. You pour the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears into a work only to be told how 'it's just not what we're looking for' or 'I just couldn't connect to your story'.  That is why I decided to e-publish.  Life is too short to wait six months to hear back from agents who are overworked and overwhelmed by their slush piles.  What are your favorite genres to read?
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal.  Becca Fitzpatrick, Bree Despain, Sophie Jordan, Rick Riordan, Lauren Kate, Kresley Cole, and Gena Showalter are some of my favorite authors.
I usually have to force myself to read any other genre, but I do like historical romance and some realistic, too.  Simone Elkeles, Gail Giles, and Roland Smith are great realistic authors.
To be honest, I wish I enjoyed realistic fiction more.  It seems like everyone is writing paranormal romance, but alas, it is my first love.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
I want the readers to see a strong, independent teenage girl. In so many paranormal romances, the female character, while typically the narrator, is not the supernaturally powerful character.  She waits for her brooding, Byronic hero, who happens to be a vampire, werewolf, angel, demon--take your pick--to rescue her from some terrifying situation that is usually the result of her bad boy syndrome!  I didn't want that for Vivian.  I want readers to see that she takes care of herself (and anyone else when she needs to).  
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
Social media is extremely important.  I never had a Facebook account until I published, but that is the easiest, fastest way to get the word out about your work.  This blog tour, for example, is an amazing opportunity to connect with people worldwide!  I've spoken to bloggers from England and Ireland, and I would never have thought that was possible a few years ago.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Interesting that you ask this because just last month I had to speak at Career Day in the junior high school where I teach.  The counselor asked me to speak not as a fifteen-year veteran of teaching but as an author.  I felt like a total phony!  What do I know about writing?  I've written one novel that I e-published!  When I said this very thing to my nephew, he said, "Have people bought your book and told you they enjoyed it?" When I answered that they have, his reply was, "Then you're an author."   So, when I spoke to this group of eager faces, I tried to remember that, and the one thing I stressed was DON'T GIVE UP!  If an agent rejects you, if you can't get your format just right for some site you're trying to upload to, or if your computer crashes right before you publish (and yes, that did happen), don't stop.  Sounds like a cheap inspirational poster, but it is 100 percent true. Believe in yourself, even when you want to give up.    **Excerpt - Vivid** “Stop!  What are you doin’ to me?”  On her face is a look of both panic and pain.  I maintain constant eye contact with her; I can’t do otherwise.  For these few seconds, we are totally connected.  I can actually hear her thoughts and see into her mind, and she is afraid, very afraid.  This girl has never been truly afraid until now.  She is petrified, more of her failure to intimidate me than of the actual pain she is feeling.  I can feel her fear in every cell of my body, and though it scares me to admit it, I think I like knowing she is scared of me.  This is a power I haven’t let myself experience in so long, and it feels exhilarating.  There will be repercussions, but right now, I don’t care!  I am standing between her and the majority of the gawking student body.  I lean down into her face just as she had done to me earlier and force her arm to bend, so that it is between my body and hers.“Your eyes . . . what the hell are you?!”  Her arm is beginning to smoke slightly beneath my fingers, and I can smell burning hair.  I jerk her right into my chest, as though she weighs nothing, crushing her arm and the smoking skin between us.  I put my mouth close beside her ear.  “Haven’t you heard?  I don’t play well with others,” I whisper, and my voice sounds strange, tense, stretched tight like a rubber band.  Finally, my brain takes control again, and I release her, pushing her away from me.  She lands on her back and quickly sits up.  She clasps her wrist to her chest, now in the same position as Abby.The girl lets go of her wrist to assess her injury, and I see dark red marks shaped like fingers, my fingers, maybe even a blister or two around the edges.  I look at my own hand where, in the center, a jagged line glows blue, snaking down my palm like lightning.  I squeeze my hand and eyes closed, and when I look again, the mark is gone, my palm my own again.  Then I turn to face the aftermath.   Author Bio:

Andrea Murray has been teaching English for longer than most of her students have been alive.  She has taught everything from junior high language arts to concurrent credit freshman composition. She lives in a very small town in Arkansas with her precocious daughter, energetic son, and racecar-driving husband.  When she isn't writing or reading novels for her students, she's probably watching reality television or cheesy science fiction movies.  In addition to Vivid, Andrea has also written Vicious, the sequel to her first novel.    Buy the Book! http://www.amazon.com/Vivid-The-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B006M5L7EK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335996082&sr=8-1 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vivid-andrea-murray/1108019987?ean=2940013881563 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/144332 http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5418176.Andrea_Murray/blog?format=rss