Friday 17 July 2015

Love Spell by Mia Kerick: Interview + Giveaway

 

Love Spell
by Mia Kerick

Genre: YA LGBTQ, Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing
Number of pages: 123
Cover Artist: Louis C Harris

Strutting his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug orange tuxedo as this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon feels so very right to Chance César, and yet he knows it should feel so very wrong.

As far back as he can remember, Chance has been “caught between genders.” (It’s quite a touchy subject; so don’t ask him about it.) However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness—he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as “girl-boy.”

But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make “Jazz” Donahue his man.

An article in an online women’s magazine, Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You (and a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.



Available at Amazon

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, CoolDudes Publishing, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

www.miakerick.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474518.Mia.Kerick

http://www.amazon.com/Mia-Kerick/e/B009KSTG9E/ 
 

Q & A with Mia Kerick

Q:  Tell us a little bit about your main characters.
The main character in Love Spell by Mia Kerick is Chance César, a 17-year-old boy, who struggles with gender identity confusion. He identifies closely with both girls and boys. Chance is an extremely colorful character—he is direct, a bit obsessive, eclectic, snarky, and a bit over-the-top with regard to his personal style. (You will have a blast getting to know him!) He is also gay and falls for a boy who is very different from him. Jasper (Jazz) Donahue, also a 17-year-old senior, but is quiet and calm, highly challenged by school. He is a steady and dependable caretaker of his younger sister, JoJo. (You might just fall for him too!) Emily Benson is Chance’s best friend. She is the perfect match for Chance as she is vibrant and creative and marches to the beat of her own drummer.


Q: 
Describe your ideal writing spot.

I write quite often in m yBoston Red Sox-themed family room, which, in my opinion is the perfect place for writing. There is incredible inspiration on the walls, and I get to stare at a full-wall mural of the Green Monster when I need to step back and get some perspective. And it is not too far from the kitchen where I can make a cup of tea or coffee on those very late writing nights when my characters won’t let me sleep.


Q:  
Who designed the covers for your book and what was that process like for you as the author?

I have had different cover artists for my different books, but for Love Spell the cover artist was Louis C Harris. I love working with Louis because I can be myself with him. I start out by telling him all the ideas I currently have for the cover and I even show him the model who I imagine him resembling my main character. Then Louis works on it for a while and presents me with a draft. I can offer any suggestions I want to improve the cover, and Louis adds and changes per my requests, as many times as necessary, until it is perfect. And I end up with is a cover that is better than what I dreamed of. Don’t you think the cover of Love Spell is adorbs?


Q: 
How do you keep busy when you're not writing?

I love to watch my four kids do their activities—tennis, dance, basketball, track, soccer etc. I enjoy attending concerts at Meadowbrook, the local outdoor venue for live music, and I love to read. But the bulk of my “hobby” time is spent researching, writing, and promoting my novels.


Q: 
Which do you prefer: hard/paperbacks or ebooks?

I like to hold a paperback book and read it especially if it is long, so I can know where I am and so I can easily look back to check for a piece of information I missed. But in the interest of space for storage, I appreciate my Kindle.


Q: 
What book are you reading now?

I have two books on my TBR list, but I have been so busy with writing, promoting and editing an upcoming release that I have not had a lot of time to read. One of the books is Catnip by J.S. Frankel and Almost Perfect, by Brian catcher, both LGBTQ YA novels.

 



July 13 Interview
ARe Cafe
www.arecafe.com

July 13 Spotlight
Lisa's World of Books
www.lisasworldofbooks.net

July 14 Interview
Author Karen Swart
www.authorkarenswart.blogspot.com

July 14 Spotlight
Zenny's Awesome Reviews
https://zennysawesomebookreviews.wordpress.com/

July 15 Character Interview
Eclipse Reviews
www.totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com

July 15 Review
Mommies Point of View
http://www.MommiesPointofView.blogspot.com

July 16 Guest blog
Roxanne's Realm
www.roxannerhoads.com

July 16 Guest blog
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com

July 17 Interview
Shut Up and Read
http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/

July 17 Spotlight
Books and Tales
http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/

July 20 Guest blog
Clarissa Johal, Author
http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/

July 20 Review
BFD Book Blog
http://bfdbookblog.net/


4 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting me on your blog today! Great interview questions!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I was happy to be part of your tour :)

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  2. Great questions and answers! Love the cover for this book. It really fits.

    juliesmall2016(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for the amazing giveaway!😀 I love mia's books ❤❤ dale.earnhardt03@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete