Interview and Excerpt: BaSatai: Outside In by Suzan Battah
Thank you to Suzan Battah for stopping by with a Q&A and an excerpt from BaSatai: Outside In! Please check out her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more details!
**Interview**
When did you know writing was for you?I was about 14 or 15 years old and loved being in libraries and adored bookstores. I was caught reading the ending of a book, which I was so embarrassed about but I wanted to know whether the ending was going to be good enough to read the whole 400 pages, it was. I knew I wanted to be a writer since I spent endless hours creating stories and characters.
How would you describe your books?Armani is plagued by a curse in her blood. She's remained hidden on earth with her human adoptive father for 17 years but everything is about to change when she turns 18 and the curse matures in her blood making her an open target. Her Guardian and Elite BaSatai Warriors have come to train her and cross her over for better protection but Armani isn't ready to leave earth. She doesn't believe she's the one cursed. BaSatai: Outside In takes a look at the same YA issues teenagers face such as bullying and image insecurity with a Supernatural twist and problems.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?Being a self published writer the hardest process is marketing and finding the time and money to market my books. I love writing and don't regret my decision to self publish. The publishing market is so different now. There is lots of talent out there and lots of crap as well. But every reader has a right to make their own decisions on what they love and what they don't.
What are your favorite genres to read?I love to read Regency Romance, YA Paranormals and Contemporary Romance.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?I'd really love for readers to understand that we are not all the same and it's okay to be different and unique in our own ways. Stand up for each other and don't let bullying be apart of our society.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?Extremely important. Social media is a way to get a message across the world digitally without time restraints. Authors should be using it to reach out to readers, fans and networking with other writers. I find it difficult to maintain it sometimes because of fulltime work commitments but I'm getting there I hope.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?Keep Writing! Laugh lots, have fun, practice your craft, study your craft, use a good editor, don't take criticism to heart, not every reader will love your work, keep writing and write because you love to write not because you think you're going to make it big.
**Excerpt - BaSatai: Outside In**
“What the… ” Armani trailed off, surprised by another new face, another BaSatai; this one with a serious look on his face. The difference between this guy and Karhl was obvious in the way her heart pounded a thousand times a minute. Warmth spread in her insides when he looked at her. No, no, no! Why now? Her emotions, too fragile from two shock arrivals, were making her giddy; it wasn’t really her heart responding to his smile. Jet-black hair stood on end like Karhl’s, with similar track patterns on the sides. They were complete opposites. In her view, Karhl’s golden appearance paled in comparison to the olive-tanned skin, dark chocolate eyes, and lean solid build of the BaSatai waiting for her to take his hand. Armani’s heart tripped and fell – just at the wrong time. He waited for her to take his hand. She took in a refreshing breath, allowing the cool scent of him to overwhelm her senses in a most enjoyable way. She slipped her hand into his. Their first touch sparkled with fuzzy warmth. His eyes brightened. He pulled her up as if she were weightless. The closer she stood to him, the more nervous she got. Taking a step back, she braced one hand against his chest and backed against the wall. Her fingers skimmed across the fabric of his t-shirt and jeans, amazingly soft and warm before her hand dropped away. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice smooth and deep. She nodded, speechless again in a different way. The accent in his English wasn’t as obvious as Karhl’s, but it was still there. He lifted a hand as if to touch her cheek, but instead he dropped it back down. The energy was there again, quivering beneath the surface, stronger, more intimate than the connection with Karhl.
**Everyone who leaves a comment on Suzan's tour page will be entered in the BaSatai giveaway! You can win: 1) a $30 Amazon gift card 2) a $25 JC Penny's gift card, or 3) 5 winners will receive an eBook copy of BaSatai: Outside In. If you purchase your copy of BaSatai before June 25 and send your receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, you will get five bonus entries!***
**Interview**
When did you know writing was for you?I was about 14 or 15 years old and loved being in libraries and adored bookstores. I was caught reading the ending of a book, which I was so embarrassed about but I wanted to know whether the ending was going to be good enough to read the whole 400 pages, it was. I knew I wanted to be a writer since I spent endless hours creating stories and characters.How would you describe your books?Armani is plagued by a curse in her blood. She's remained hidden on earth with her human adoptive father for 17 years but everything is about to change when she turns 18 and the curse matures in her blood making her an open target. Her Guardian and Elite BaSatai Warriors have come to train her and cross her over for better protection but Armani isn't ready to leave earth. She doesn't believe she's the one cursed. BaSatai: Outside In takes a look at the same YA issues teenagers face such as bullying and image insecurity with a Supernatural twist and problems.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?Being a self published writer the hardest process is marketing and finding the time and money to market my books. I love writing and don't regret my decision to self publish. The publishing market is so different now. There is lots of talent out there and lots of crap as well. But every reader has a right to make their own decisions on what they love and what they don't.
What are your favorite genres to read?I love to read Regency Romance, YA Paranormals and Contemporary Romance.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?I'd really love for readers to understand that we are not all the same and it's okay to be different and unique in our own ways. Stand up for each other and don't let bullying be apart of our society.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?Extremely important. Social media is a way to get a message across the world digitally without time restraints. Authors should be using it to reach out to readers, fans and networking with other writers. I find it difficult to maintain it sometimes because of fulltime work commitments but I'm getting there I hope.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?Keep Writing! Laugh lots, have fun, practice your craft, study your craft, use a good editor, don't take criticism to heart, not every reader will love your work, keep writing and write because you love to write not because you think you're going to make it big.
**Excerpt - BaSatai: Outside In**“What the… ” Armani trailed off, surprised by another new face, another BaSatai; this one with a serious look on his face. The difference between this guy and Karhl was obvious in the way her heart pounded a thousand times a minute. Warmth spread in her insides when he looked at her. No, no, no! Why now? Her emotions, too fragile from two shock arrivals, were making her giddy; it wasn’t really her heart responding to his smile. Jet-black hair stood on end like Karhl’s, with similar track patterns on the sides. They were complete opposites. In her view, Karhl’s golden appearance paled in comparison to the olive-tanned skin, dark chocolate eyes, and lean solid build of the BaSatai waiting for her to take his hand. Armani’s heart tripped and fell – just at the wrong time. He waited for her to take his hand. She took in a refreshing breath, allowing the cool scent of him to overwhelm her senses in a most enjoyable way. She slipped her hand into his. Their first touch sparkled with fuzzy warmth. His eyes brightened. He pulled her up as if she were weightless. The closer she stood to him, the more nervous she got. Taking a step back, she braced one hand against his chest and backed against the wall. Her fingers skimmed across the fabric of his t-shirt and jeans, amazingly soft and warm before her hand dropped away. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice smooth and deep. She nodded, speechless again in a different way. The accent in his English wasn’t as obvious as Karhl’s, but it was still there. He lifted a hand as if to touch her cheek, but instead he dropped it back down. The energy was there again, quivering beneath the surface, stronger, more intimate than the connection with Karhl.
**Everyone who leaves a comment on Suzan's tour page will be entered in the BaSatai giveaway! You can win: 1) a $30 Amazon gift card 2) a $25 JC Penny's gift card, or 3) 5 winners will receive an eBook copy of BaSatai: Outside In. If you purchase your copy of BaSatai before June 25 and send your receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, you will get five bonus entries!***
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