Monday 17 November 2014

Meet Natasha Brown - Author of YA Paranormal Romance Series 'The Shapshifter Chronicles'


Busy mother of two, Natasha Brown is anything but just a writer. Taking time when she can to write the conclusion to 'The Shapeshifter Chronicles', you may find Natasha hiding out in the back of her car or locked away in her room. However, when she is not hard at work on her projects she is most likely to be hanging out with her fave peeps... her family. Natasha tells us about her writing routine, her difficulties with working on the final book in her series and her love for history and myths...

Natasha was born in Nevada City, California. Being an only child, she resorted to using her imagination while exploring the forest surrounding her home (a nasty habit she hasn't been able to break). Her natural interest in fantasy ignited when her parents read The Hobbit to her as a youth, and from then on anything seemed possible. Once awarded with a Hershey's bar 'the size of a Buick' in her high school English class for creative writing, her passion and interest in literature has never dimmed.
She now lives in Littleton, Colorado with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Hi Natasha, I'm so pleased you could join me. I hear you keep yourself very busy, what is it that you do with yourself?
I am an elementary school teacher’s assistant and I’m also a very busy book cover designer as well. I absolutely love ALL of my jobs, but I do wish I had more time in the day to do more writing. As it is, I write during the weekend and strive to hit my 3k word count to ensure I produce books quickly enough for my fans.

If only there were more hours in the day... hohum... So what are you working on right now?
I’m writing the fourth book in The Shapeshifter Chronicles now, which I expect is the conclusion for the series. I may write more in the world I created, but for now I’m ending the storyline for Chance and Ana, my protagonists. I am wracking my brain to make sure every little question is answered and I’m conscious about ensuring that my readers will feel satisfied with the ending. A lot is riding on my shoulders and I don’t want to disappoint my fan base. 

Good for you! The end of a series is so important. What is your writing routine then?
Every weekend I take time out to write. I have to write in silence, without distractions from kids, music or television. I usually wind up in my bedroom with the door shut, although I take advantage of quiet moments. For instance, today I wrote in the backseat of my car while my daughter was at a birthday party. 

Haha! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who writes in the car while waiting on kids! What do you do when you find yourself with writers block?
I talk with my husband. When I feel stuck in the plot I feel the need to explore characters and what needs to happen next in the story. I find this is far more important now that I’m writing the last book in my series. The need to connect everything so it makes sense is challenging, and this is the best way I’ve found to resolve issues. Talking it out seems to work for me. 

It is great to have someone to bounce ideas off. Have you used any real events or places as inspiration for your writing? 
I absolutely LOVE researching history and myths. When I find something that fits into my storyline I get so excited. There are many cultural myths, periods in history and real places that I bring into The Shapeshifter Chronicles series. I hope that my excitement over these elements translate and can be felt in the books.
 
I love that you do that. What song would you choose as the theme song of your book?
I recently heard the song, FixYou by Coldplay and felt it fit perfectly with my most recent release, Emergent.
 
That song has fantastic lyrics! Who would you choose to read your audiobook?
I’m very excited because I recently hired a voice actor to record, Fledgling: The Shapeshifter Chronicles, Book 1. It should be completed in the next couple weeks on Audible or Amazon.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
I enjoy hanging out with my family; going to the movies, snuggling up on the couch after a long day and playing games.

Do you prefer ebook or hardcopy?
Ebook is so much easier to prep for release, make changes to or update as necessary.

It sure is. 
You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be? 
I may love fantasy, but I also love historical romance. I mean the classics. I would probably want to see what it was like to be Anne Elliot from Jane Austen’s, Persuasion. 

Who doesn't love a classic? I so need to tee you up with this weeks New Release from Wendy Van Camp who has written a prequel to Persuasion... more about that, later this week.

Thanks Natasha, It's been great getting to know you and your books better. 
Natasha's 'The Shapeshifter Chronicles' books are available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble... see links below.



·      Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal Romance
·      Synopsis:

When eighteen-year-old Chance Morgan kills another shapeshifter to save his girlfriend, Ana Hughes, he contracts a dangerous shapeshifting sickness that makes him crave power uncontrollably—and without restraint he’s a threat to the person he loves most. Desperate to keep Ana safe from harm and to find a cure for himself, he abandons her in the Yucatan and escapes into the wilderness. Violent memories and voices surface in his head, creating a dangerous tug-of-war between good and evil.

Companionless and alone, Ana meets a woman who claims to have the same shapeshifting and healing abilities as her and vows to teach Ana the skills to help Chance, but as weeks pass she begins to question if her new mentor truly intends to keep her promise.

With time running out, Ana must find the power within herself to heal Chance before he loses his battle against the powerful voices inside his head.

·      Publish date: June 15th 2014

 


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