Interview With Authoress Anika Joy

   So you really know my brain is fried when I misread the date on which I'm supposed to post for a blog tour. I feel like a terrible human bean, but I suppose it happens to the best of us. (why has my brain been fried, you ask? Because I've been all wrapped up in the Indie E-Con that's going on - go check it out! There's still two days left of it)

   Anyways - today I'm interviewing Anika Joy as part of the blog tour for her new book, Penny's New Beginning, a mermaid story geared towards ages 6-12. On to the interview that should have been posted yesterday ...

Savannah: When did you get the idea for this book?

Anika: I really loved the movie The Little Mermaid when I was 9, and I wanted to write something like that for my first story. I can't remember where I got the idea for the plot or the characters, but it was a while ago... :)

  

Savannah: How long did it take you to write the first draft?

 

Anika: Somewhere around 2 months. I was a slow writer back then (and I kinda still am). :P

Savannah: Why did you decide to self-publish?

Anika: I chose self publishing because I wanted to publish it fast and without a lot of hassle. I think it is a little bit easier. :D 

Savannah: What do you think are the pros and cons of self publishing?

Anika: Pros: You get to pick your own deadline, have everything in your control, and it's really independent.

Cons: It's very independent. You need to do everything yourself and figure things out yourself. It can get really hard to do.

Savannah: What do you hope to do with your writings from here? Do you plan to publish more books? 

Anika: Yes, I do plan to publish more books. I am in the middle of rewriting the MG book I wrote when I was 10, and I believe that I would like to send that in to a traditional publisher. I already have an agent in mind (Tess Emily Hall) and am so excited to finish editing this novella. :D

Savannah: Sounds awesome! I think it's really cool that you're already publishing when you're so young. It was fun to have you here! 

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Can they save Utopia?

Nine-year-old Penny Hearting has just moved to Nassau with her family, and is completely convinced that a mermaid rescued her from drowning, but no one believes her. So, she takes matters into her own hands and goes on a search for the mermaid that rescued her.

Ten-year-old Emmy is the princess of Utopia, an underwater city populated by mermaids. But, when her evil aunt, Cassandra, takes the city from her father, the King, her only option is to seek help from the girl who she rescued from drowning.

When these two lives collide, can they and another friend save their homes from disaster?

Goodreads - Amazon
 

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   Anika Joy is a daughter, sister, and child of the one true King. She loves to write books, sing in choir, and bake treats for her family.  At the age of 4 she taught herself to read and wrote her first short story when she was 8. That story was later published in a kid’s magazine when she was 11, which sparked her dream of becoming a published author. She is now very happy to see that dream come true.

   Anika currently lives with her two sisters, two brothers, and parents in North Dakota, and feels very blessed to be awaiting the arrival of another little sister.

Blog ~ Author Site ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest  ~ Twitter

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   Anika's book, Penny's New Beginning, is geared towards ages 6-12, so do go check it out if you have younger siblings that might enjoy it ;). I hope you guys enjoyed the interview! Sorry for neglecting my poor blog during this last week - I'll try to catch up :D.

~ Savannah Grace

    What do you think are the pros and cons of self vs. traditional publishing?

The Tag Pool - In Which I Catch Up

   So ... I slacked on tags. I love doing tags, but sometimes they get pushed onto the back burner when I have other posts scheduled. But today I'm fixing that by pooling questions from some of the tags and doing them all together ;). Thank you to Shantelle, Evangeline, Madeline, Brianna, and Skylar (private blog) - for tagging me for these. 

What is a movie that inspires you?

   Oh, dear me - inspires me in what way? I guess The Hobbit has always inspired me to write epic adventures, seeing as the whole trilogy is an epic adventure. I've watched those movies far too much xD.  And Pete's Dragon (the new, live-action one) inspired me to write characters with more depth. I LOVE how each character in that movie had a purpose and different goals.

What is a song that makes you happy?

   A legit, already-out-in-the-world song? (sadly the songs my sister has written don't fit into this category but they always make me happy) Definitely Long Live, by For King And Country - even if it is only one out of many ;). My favorite song changes everyday, but this one has been on repeat lately.

What is a book that made you cry?

   I have never cried over a book. If I can ever find a book that makes me cry literal tears, I will applaud the author and promote the thing. I need to find a book that can legit make me cry, you guys xD. 

What is a book that you read a lot when you were younger?

   Younger-me probably didn't read as many books as older-me, but I still read a lot. And one of the ones that I specifically remember is Strange Birds, by Judith Heide Gilliland. I don't know of a single person who has heard of this book, but I read it so many times when I was younger. Sometimes I still pick it up, just because it's fun remembering reading it for the first time ;).

 What is a movie that kept you on the edge of your seat?

    Here is where we run into a problem. A lot of my favorite movies are movies based off of books, which means that I know what will happen next xD. I guess I would have to say Battle Of The Five Armies, since they were SO DIFFERENT from the book that I wasn't entirely sure what would happen ;).

What is a book that left you breathless?

   I've read a lot of books that have me turning pages so fast that my eyes cross, but only a few books make me walk away going 'I literally feel winded'. Thing is, my goldfish brain refuses to remember what those 'few books' were xD. I'd bet that it was probably a Harry Potter or a Hunger Games book, though.

Who are three of your favorite screen characters? 

   Three of my favorite screen characters, not my top three. That would be way too hard, even if I don't watch that many movies xD. I'd have to say (and these are only from movies I've watched more recently) ...  Bilbo, Lucy, and ... probably Elliot.

via Google Images

    Do not question why only one character on my list is human. I don't have an answer xD.  

What are two life lessons you've learned from a fantasy book/movie? 

   One lesson I've learned is that the pen is indeed sharper than the sword. A sword has the power to hurt you physically and mostly momentarily - a pen has the power to write a book that lasts through decades and can change lives. A pen has the power to hurt you emotionally. Also, I wasn't chased into the writing life by a sword. I was chased by an ink-filled pen xD.

   The second lesson is that love is a more powerful asset than we think it is - and I'm pretty sure that the Harry Potter series taught me this. We see the affects of Lily Potter's sacrifice so many times, and it always reminds me that love is sometimes more powerful than anything else.

Who are the 5 people that have influenced you the most (good or bad)?

   We're going with people who have been good influence. That seems better to me. Obviously my parents and siblings have had some of the biggest influences - but if I listed all my family members, I would definitely go over the '5 people' limit. So we're not doing that xD.

   My friends, Becca and Hanna, have influenced me in both my Christian walk and my writer-ly passions. Anne Elisabeth Stengl (though she doesn't know it) gave me a gift in her books. I would never have pursued writing the way I am now without The Tales Of Goldstone Wood, trust me. And then there's all you writers out there who inspire me to keep writing even when it's hard. You guys are the bomb ;).  

   ... guess that kind of exceeded the five people limit anyways, huh? Well, I suppose we'll just end there then xD.

How would you describe yourself (personality and appearance)?

   Savannah is a 5' 2" girl who wishes she was taller so she could reach the books on the highest library shelves. She has thick, dark hair that's terribly unruly, but most of the time she doesn't care. She's one third Koren and proud of it - partially because of her great love for many Korean foods. She's either a very hyper ball of energy, or very quiet. This probably means that she's pondering something, and there's a good chance that it's her stories. And she's ISTP - which means she's an introvert, but trust me, she gets louder once you really know her.
   Do not interrupt her when she's writing. She may or may not be part dragon.   

   WHOA so there's a little third-person jaunt for you today. You're welcome xD. 

How would a family member or friend describe you?

   Oh dear. *hands the computer to my sister*

   Ariel: HEY THERE PEEPS. *rubs hands together and cackles evilly* Savannah isn't even watching over my shoulder, so I can say WHATEVER I WANT. xD Kidding, kidding....she's pretty awesome, so let's see what sort of rambling I can do...
    I would describe her personality as quiet and mature when she is in a group of people she is not super familiar with...she really is never the center of attention and is content to sit in the back round and chat with some people like a mature and proper young lady while I am running around on the play-ground with the five and six year olds. ;)
     You really get to see Savannah's best side when she's hanging with her sisters. Because THEN *points up* she does get louder when you really get to know her. Trust me, I've been living with her for all fifteen of my living years, and I can vouch. If you only saw her when she was with her siblings, you might peg her as an extrovert. *cue astonished gasps*
      She's SUPER competitive. She wins a lot of games. Against me.
      And she is so pretty too. Complexion is perfect (unlike mine... *sheepish laugh*) and her HAIR. My land, it's just so pwettyyyyy....
      Anywho, those are my ramblings about this lovely sister of mine. Until next time, God bless all you awesome human beans!! *disappears in a puff of smoke* 

   *Savannah snatches computer back* OH GRACIOUS that was the sweetest - thanks, girl! <3

Night-owl or Morning-Human?

   BOTH. I love getting up early in the morning and writing for an hour or so before the family wakes up - but I get my best ideas at night (most of the time). So let's say that I live on a little less sleep than the rest of my siblings do xD.

What are three of your favorite quotes?

   So I think I'm a little bit more on track where tags are concerned - I hope you enjoyed this! I'm not tagging anyone (... seeing as this was basically a mash up of multiple tags ...) but do check out the blogs of the people who tagged me! Maybe they'll let you steal them ;).

~ Savannah Grace 
 

   So, now I'm curious - do you have a favorite screen character? What's one of your favorite quotes?

One Year Of Killing Snow

   I would say something along the lines of 'wow, has it really been a year since I started Killing Snow? I can hardly believe it!' but ... yeah, I can believe it. All the ink stains on my hands, twenty full documents, and scribbled-in notebooks attest to it.

   My friend Rachael Steele (who was also the alpha reader for novella Killing Snow, so obviously she's awesome) created a linkup of sorts for Camp NaNoWriMo prep, and just in time to save you guys from me randomly rambling about how this book is killing me. Now you get a fairly put-together post all about Killing Snow - which I am, in fact, writing for Camp in April. I'll be using some of Rach's questions, making up some of my own, and throwing snippets to you at random intervals

   Honestly, it's confusing. Killing Snow is currently a fifth-draft novella that will be turned into a first-draft novel during Camp NaNoWrimo. Go ahead and try to wrap your head around that. Or just enjoy the post xD. I'll be using some of Rach's questions (and inserting two of my own), and throwing snippets to you at the end (consider it your reward for making it through this massive post). Let's see how this goes ... 

What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea? 

   Seems I've had the idea for a year! And the way I got inspired for this idea is only as interesting as saying 'I had the idea', but I'll share it anyways. I wrote my first retelling in 2015 (for the Rooglewood writing contest), and learned that I loved them. So I went on a random kick of writing down ideas for different retellings - I had whole pages in my diary dedicated to think of multiple ideas for retellings. This one wouldn't let go. I'd give you the raw brainstorming, but it's full of spoilers and terribly choppy to read. Anyways, all that being said, I've been writing for six years and Killing Snow is the only story that I've worked this hard on. 

1. What is the genre/setting/world like?

   Killing Snow is YA sci-fi dystopian - and the whole story takes place in a flying city. Basically, it's a massive (think twenty-mile radius) airship that has been turned into a city. Technically you could say it takes place in our world, but it's more in outer space. If a city can fly to the stars, then why not?  

2. What is the plot about?

   An evil Snow White and her seven assassins. A girl who wants to see home again. Sarcasm. Guns and daggers. An airship that's also a city. A forbidden Library and a gated Palace. Secrets and friendships. Forgiveness - of self and others. Labyrinth alleyways and a city in shambles. 

   You can see a little more about it on my Writings page ;). 

3. Who is the main character, and who is the supporting cast?

   The main character is Raven Gale, who never meant to be living her life the way she is. All she wants to do is go home and see her brother again. And then there's the supporting cast - Elyse Marie Grace, a peppy optimist who has no problem believing that 'the sun will come out tomorrow'. Fagin Tarrok, who's like a father to Elyse and Raven. Cerulean Kane, who definitely knows more than he's saying. Snow White, whom many call insane - but only in whispers. And there are a lot of others that I can't tell you about right now. But I can show you a picture, no? ;)   

4. What are you most excited about in this story?

   The characters. I'm always the most excited about characters. But I'm having fun with the plot, too. Kind of. Honestly, the plot been really annoying and I don't know where it wants to go anymore - so I'm trying to untangle it while keeping my lovely characters from killing each other, while praying that it will somehow turn out in the end. Because I'm kind of hating the thing right now and it all feels very flat and boring and pointless to me *rant over*. I'm sure I'll love it again once I'm not killing myself to write a thousand words of it a day xD. 

5. Tell us about your OTP/Friendship in the story!

   Uh, OTP? I don't think I have one (though that could end up changing at some point in the novel. What can I say - my characters change the story however they want to) Friendships are definitely there though - probably my favorite being between Elyse (dubbed the optimist by her friend) and Raven (a self-proclaimed realist). They're lots of fun. Sometimes they annoy each other, but they're practically as close as sisters. 

6. What is the theme or point of the story?

   Not telling, and not telling. But one of the themes is forgiveness (lets say that one of the characters has a tough past), but I don't think it's prominent enough to count is as the book's "theme". I'm terrible at theme, so that's definitely something that still needs to be worked on.

7. Post some pictures from your storyboard!

   Oh, dear me. Well, you asked for it ...

   I tried to limit myself, so you're only getting eleven pictures out of many xD.

8. Do you have a cover for your book, or main picture?

   Alea Harper made the most amazing mock cover in all the universes for Killing Snow, and I love it to death. It always inspires me to write more of my story, even when I feel like throwing it in a blazing fire and watching it burn to ashes (... like right about now ...).

   So, what are you going to do with your novel from here?

   I could ramble on for ages about what I have planned to come for this story - but I literally wrote out a month by month plan for it, so I'll just give you that organized little thing, no? It's very subject to change - seeing as this could take longer than I suppose - but then, everything I told you about in this post is very subject to change xD.

March: finish writing some scenes for the novel
April: finish the scenes that still need writing, then piece together the first draft over the rest of the month
May: take a short break, then edits
June: send to alpha(s)
July: receive info from alpha(s) and work on editing that
August: send to betas
September (or October): receive info from betas and work on editing that
October (or November): last brush up, then send to an editor

   ... so there's that. Definitely subject to change, but I hope to have everything completely finished up by January 1st, 2018 ;).

Okay - we made it through the post. Give us snippets. 

    Gracious, fine! None of them are really edited (these are bits for the novel), but I'll let you take a peek anyways.

   ALSO - the first draft of the novella (not the novel - like I said, that's going to get written in April) is only partially edited (and most of it will probably be scrapped during the novel rewrite) ... but if you want to read the first chapter of that, here it is ;). 

~ Savannah Grace

   So, there's your peek at Killing Snow - what do you think? Are you doing Camp NaNoWriMo this April (what's your username? I'd love to stalk your stats!)? What novel are you working on?