Author Lori Pescatore Interview + Book Giveaway

I had the pleasure of interviewing Lori Pescatore, the author of Human Blend. Human Blend is her first book in the Human Blend trilogy. My review of Human Blend can be found here.

Here is what Lori had to say in her interview:

Tell us five interesting facts about yourself.

1. I've been a Preschool Teacher for over 15 years. 14 of those years at one school.
2. I've been married for 28 years to the same man, we met on a blind date when I was 18 years old.
3. In 2008 my husband gifted me with my dream car, a black Ford Mustang.
4. I have two precious sons who are now grown men.
5. In 2010 I published my first novel, Human Blend.

Which five words best describe Human Blend?

Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure and Original

Were you always interested in becoming a writer? Well, I have always been a writer. Mostly I wrote fan fiction for friends and family long before the internet came along and then continued it there for a while. I always created characters in my head. Writing was just the next step in the process

Can you tell us about your journey to publication?

Well once my novel was written, I went the usual route and wrote a query letter and submitted my work to agents and publishers. I got the usual rejection letters: "It is not a good fit for us. We are not accepting new authors at this time" and yada yada yada. I looked into self publishing and decided to go with Amazon Kindle for the e-book and Create Space for the print version. I've also submitted my books to other various e-book vendors. My favorite part of this journey was holding my print book in my hand for the first time. I worked hard on creating the cover and it was amazing to hold it in my hands. The next step was promoting and setting up my first book signing. Promoting was a lesson in marketing but one I was happy to explore. My book signing was an amazing night for me and I cannot wait to do another one. I also entered contests and won a spot in a nationwide television commercial for an up and coming website that publishes e-books and novels. The commercial is set to air in January featuring my book as well as two other authors works.

Are there any advantages to self publication?

The advantages are you control the content and rights. You also make a bigger commission because your expenses are only the set-up and actual print cost. There are no publishers, editors and agents to pay a percentage to.

How did you come up with the concept for your book Human Blend?

The concept itself came from my characters. I had an idea about a girl on the run from something. Once she was introduced, her story was told by her and as other characters began to appear and the story developed from them. Human Blend is a character driven novel.

In Human Blend, Julie (Laney) has special abilities. If you could have any paranormal ability, which would you choose and why?

I like my character Julie's healing ability. To be able to heal people from illness would be a wonderful ability to have.

Human Blend is the first book in a trilogy. Can you tell us a little bit about the other books in the series? When will they be published?

In Human Blend a very unique fantasy creature is introduced and in book two you will find out more about how and why they were created as well as what happens next with the main characters from book one. Book two in the series is set for an April 2011 publication. Book three will be set for an April 2012 publication. The titles for these books have yet to be determined.

Will you be working on any more books after the Human Blend trilogy?

Yes, In between book 2 and 3 of the Blend Series, I have another paranormal novel, called Spirit Key, about a spirit crosser and a demon hunter that will be hopefully finished by December 2011 if not sooner.

What advice would you give to people who want to become a young adult author?

I love the young adult genre because when writing about young adult characters the sky is the limit. Most young adults are adventurous and curious enough to get themselves into situations that most adults might not venture into. So when writing in this genre, I recommend that you keep your characters true to the age that they are and have fun. Also keep in mind the age group you are marketing too. My novel is to the older young adult group ages 15 + whereas the young adult ages can be from 13+.

How can readers learn more about you and your book Human Blend?

I can be followed on Twitter as @preteach99 and on facebook under Lori Pescatore Author.

And where can your book be purchased?
Human Blend can be purchased in print and on Kindle from Amazon.com.
Click Here For Amazon Purchase Link.
For all other readers, go to smashwords:
Click Here For Smashwords Purchase Link.


Thank you for this wonderful interview! Happy reading!

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HUMAN BLEND GIVEAWAY:

Lori Pescatore has kindly offered one of my followers a signed paperback copy of her book, Human Blend.



SYNOPSIS (From Goodreads): Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her. A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own. Laney's budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed.


RULES:
Giveaway is International
Must be a GFC follower
Ends 1/17/11

Update - After 1/14/11: TO ENTER: FILL OUT THIS FORM (CLICK LINK)

TO ENTER:

In ONE COMMENT below, tell me you are a GFC follower and leave your email. If you decide to do any extra entries, make sure they are listed in the SAME comment.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

+1 Become an email subscriber.
+1 For Each Way: Spread the word about this giveaway (leave link: blog post or sidebar, leave name: twitter, facebook)

+1 Leave a comment about the interview with Lori Pescatore (see interview above).
+1 Leave a comment on my Human Blend review by clicking HERE.

+1 Follow Lori Pescatore on Facebook by clicking the "Like" Button HERE.
+1 Follow Lori Pescatore on Twitter by clicking HERE.
+20 Purchase Human Blend on Amazon by clicking HERE. or on Smashwords by clicking HERE.
(Email me Human Blend purchase confirmation to bookishdelightsblog at gmail dot com)