Today I'm turning my blog over to Crista McHugh, who I interviewed about her latest novel "Tangled Web," which is the 1st book in The Deizian Empire Series!!ALSO -- Be sure to check out Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post to be able to sign up for this blog stop's GIVEAWAY!! [Blog Tour will run from October 11 - 17, 2012]
My Q&A with Crista McHugh :
Jess : Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Crista : In real life, I’m a doctor and a mother of 2 small children (which may explain some of my insanity). I refer to writing as “therapy”. In the past, I’ve some odd jobs like being a morgue attendant and autopsy assistant. I’ve also been a contestant on Jeopardy!
Jess : What books did you enjoy reading while growing up?
Crista : I had the entire series of the Babysitters Club. I also enjoyed reading Sunfire books (historical romance for teens looong before it was known as YA historical). And I loved Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series.
Jess : Which of your characters would you most & least to invite to dinner, from which book and why?
Crista : The answer to both questions would be Loku, the disembodied chaos god from my Soulbearer series. He’s fun, snarky, and bit unpredictable, which would either mean a lively dinner or a complete disaster.Jess : Please describe your hero, from "Tangled Web," in one to two sentences.
Crista : Titus is an idealist, a man of philosophy and letters rather than swords and warcraft, but don’t underestimate him. Underneath those deep thought thoughts is a man with an iron will and the strength to make his dreams a reality.
Jess : What sparked the idea for The Deizian Empire series?
Crista : A switch of the channel. I watching Stargate and changed the channel to a documentary on the emperors of Ancient Rome (I happened to catch them just as they were transitioning to the reign of Caligula). I thought it would be cool to create a world loosely based on Ancient Rome where an alien race with “magic” (technology) enslaved the sentient races, and thus, the Deizien Empire was born.Jess : If "Tangled Web" were to be made into a film, who do you see playing the main characters and why?
Crista : I’d love to see Freida Pinto playing Azurha.
As for Titus, I’d probably go for Jeremy Renner or Sam Worthington.
or 
Jess : Out of all of the secondary characters within your The Deizian Empire series, do you have one or two favorites so far? If so, who are they and can you tell us why?
Crista : Actually, I was so intrigued with Galerius and Claudia that I’ve already given them a story (it’ll be out next year). They are both characters with tortured pasts and seem to be slaves to their roles in society. Marcus is another character I’m toying with. He’s got it really bad for a woman named Sexta, and I’m still trying to give them a good story worthy of a HEA.
Jess : When writing "Tangled Web" did you listen to a certain song list/playlist that you could share with us?Crista : I hate to admit it, but I didn’t have any musical inspiration with this book. Usually, there’s a song that fits a scene or two in something I’m writing, but not this time.
Jess : In regards to "Tangled Web," if you could write it all over again, would you change anything about it?
Crista : There was a scene I was forced to delete because it didn’t fit the character arcs for Azurha and Titus. I’d love to find a way to incorporate it into the story, but maybe I’ll save it for another book.
Jess : Which usually comes first for you, the character(s) story or the idea for the novel?
Crista : It’s almost always characters. I get a glimpse of a person or hear the sound of their voice, and I’m furiously trying to take notes on all the ideas running through my mind.
Jess : How many books have you written? Which is your favorite and why?Crista : Which is your favorite and why? I’ve written 10 novels (3 that will never see the light of day and 1 that needs some serious reworking), 6 of which have already been published or contracted, along with a handful of novellas and short stories. "Tangled Web" is one of my favorites because of the complexity of the characters, closely followed by "A Soul For Chaos."
Jess : Do you have any other projects in the works? If so, can you share a little of your current work with us?
Crista : I’m taking a break from writing for a month after writing two books (and having a baby) so far this year. "A Soul For Vengeance" is next on my plate, which will wrap up the Soulbearer Trilogy. After that, I’ll be working on the sequel to "The Tears of Elios" (or Marcus’s story, if I can ever get that hammered out to something I like).Jess : Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?
Crista : Usually, there’s no point because the hubby is still sleeping in it. He’s nocturnal, so he’s rarely out of bed before noon.
Jess : If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
Crista : LOL – probably, "I Dare You To..." since most of the important things in my life are the result of a dare or challenge.
Jess : What book are you reading now or have recently finished? How do/did you like it?
Crista : Right now, I’m reading "Fortune’s Hero" by Jenna Bennett and loving it!
Thanks for having me over!
-C.
Jess : YOU'RE WELCOME!! Thanks being here!! =0)
About the Author :
Crista McHugh is a multiple award-winning author of fantasy and paranormal romance. Her latest book, "A SOUL FOR TROUBLE," received 4 1/2 STARS (a keeper rating) from RT Book Reviews.Growing up in small town Alabama, Crista relied on story-telling as a natural way for her to pass the time and keep her two younger sisters entertained.
She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and daughter, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.
Just for laughs, here are some of the jobs she's had in the past to pay the bills: barista, bartender, sommelier, stagehand, actress, morgue attendant, and autopsy assistant.
And she's also a recovering LARPer. (She blames it on her crazy college days)
To be the first to know about her latest releases or to be entered into exclusive contests, please sign up for her newsletter using the contact form on her webpage, www.cristamchugh.com.
- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Paperback - Pages: 317 | Expected Release Date: October 9, 2012 | Publisher: Entangled Publishing : Select | Obtained: Entangled Publishing"Tangled Web" [The Deizian Empire Series, Book 1] by Crista McHugh
My Book Summary : Within the past seven years, Azurha has become a freed slave but also a deadly assassin known as the Rabbit. She has built a reputation for herself. In addition, she hopes that after she completes, and gets the payment for, her latest job she will have solidified her reputation and made enough money for her to retire and live a peaceful life. However, as soon as her latest job begins, killing Titus Sergius Flavus (Titus)--the newest emperor, she realizes that it'll be harder to achieve then any assassinations in her past. This is because not only is Titus the most attractive man she has ever met and the nicest, he also seems to have a thoroughly planned out agenda to redeem his ancestors and bring the empire into a new and better age for everyone.
Therefore, as Azurha's time with Titus turns from days into a week and longer she knows her time with him to either kill him or just spend time in his arms is coming to an end soon. Will she be able to follow through with her original plans? Or will she protect Titus against the ones who hired her? Furthermore, will she be able to admit the truth of herself to Titus before everything becomes too late for both of them?
My Book Review : 4 out of 5 stars!! This one intriguing sci-fi-ish novel will keep you tangled in its web until the very end! It's like an alien-type of ancient Rome mixed with the political agendas of the "Game of Thrones" which is what creates the backdrop for this fascinating new series!! I LOVED the characters, especially Titus & Azurha!! So much so, that I wish this novel had an epilogue so I could find out what happened not long after the last scene. However, since it doesn't I'm hoping that book 2 of this series will be able to keep us readers updated with their antics!
The only flaw I found in this novel was how long Azurha pushed off informing Titus of who she was. I mean I understand why she did it, and I liked the way everything played out within the novel. Nevertheless, it made me not like Azurha a bit, because of how she acted. But oh wells ... everything turns out for the best. =0)
I recommend this series and novel to anyone who likes sci-fi/fantasy romances!
My Previous Review(s) for this Author : A Waltz at Midnight
Author's Book Trailer :
Book Teaser(s) :
“Are you telling me the truth?”
“Why would I lie about something like that?”
Disgust filled his eyes, and her own stung. Yes, that’s right. Think of me as a common whore. Used goods. Sullied to the point where you never want to touch me again. It will make killing you that much easier.
Instead of shoving her to the floor and ordering her out of his presence, he flipped her hand over and delicately traced the lines on her palm. Then he covered her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “I know you said you were bound to no one,” he said quietly, “but as long as you reside in my palace, I will never share you with another man.”
When he possessively squeezed her hand, a gasp broke free from her. Her mouth went dry. Could he possibly mean what he said? ~ within Chapter 8
“If you wanted that kind of entertainment, I would have happily supplied it.”For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Cari, then please check out her website.
It would be all too easy to snap his neck. In any other situation, she would have made him pay for his insult. Instead, she bit her tongue and focused on appearing demure while she let his words roll off her like water on glass.
“Be careful what you say, Rutilius.” Titus moved between her and their host. “Insulting her means you insult me.”
Part of her wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to come to her defense, but her heart melted at the sight of the muscle rippling along his jaw and the rigid way his body shielded her. ~ within Chapter 14
My Giveaway!! :
- An ARC e-book copy of "Tangled Web" to one randomly drawn person from Rafflecopter
- This contest ends on October 17th 2012.
- This contest is International!!
- You must be 18 years-old or older!!
- It's the author/publisher's responsibility to ensure that the winner gets "Tangled Web," not mine.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Find Crista McHugh :
What a great post Jess. I learned a few more things about Crista.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting! Glad you liked the interview! If you are interested in winning this novel please be sure to sign up using the rafflecopter box! =0)
DeleteOh, Roman-esque Future Empires are always awesome. :D I like that your main character is more about thinking than just brute force. :D
ReplyDelete