Author Bio
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Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn¹t entirely convinced which takes more guts. She received a bachelor¹s degree from Colby College in Maine in International Studies and French, and a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. She currently resides in New York with her husband and three children.She is the author of The Aquarathi series from Harlequin TEEN (Waterfell and Oceanborn), The Almost Girl from Strange Chemistry, Alpha Goddess from Sky Pony Press, and Bloodspell from Langdon Street Press. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency. Visit her at www.amaliehoward.com.
Favorites
1. What is your favorite color? Red
2. Favorite food? Medium-rare filet mignon
3. Favorite movie of all time? The Fifth Element
4. Favorite song? Favorite song of the moment is Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey
5. Favorite book of all time? Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
All about Writing
1. How did your interest in writing originated?
A voracious reader from a young age, I began writing when I started reading on my own, probably around six. I was always scribbling some story or another into a journal. I had my first poem published when I was 12 and I won an award in a global youth writing competition when I was 15. That said, I did take a bit of a circuitous route after college to pursue a successful sales career in global telecommunications for thirteen years, and I got to travel the world during that career, which I loved. But now I’m all about the writing.
2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I try to write everyday. A word count goal is always useful because if you treat it like something you have to do, then you get into the habit of writing something daily. And when you start to deal with writing deadlines, you’ll be grateful for that habit. That said, when I’m inspired, that can totally change. If I’m on a roll, I just go. It really depends on when those creative juices get going. Lately, with book promotion taking up so much of my time, I’ve had to allocate specific time for working on my WIP. I think structure is important; otherwise I’d be on social media all day long. Admittedly, I have procrastination issues.
3. Do you work with outline or just write?
I am a bit of a pantser by nature (I write by the seat of my pants) and my books tend to be very character driven as a result. I enjoy letting my characters take me on their journey, instead of forcing them on a path that I’ve pre-mapped out for them. I like to be surprised when something happens that I don’t expect. In general, I do write a skeleton-type outline just to keep track of my overall story arc, but I do not write detailed outlines. Unless, of course, I owe a contracted synopsis to my editor, which is an entirely different story.
4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?
In The Almost Girl, the hardest was to get the ins and outs of jumping between universes just right. Readers are such savvy creatures, and a loose end or implausible plot-hole can unravel your entire story. Pushing the boundaries of possibility still requires tethering to an explainable reality. The easiest part was the fight scenes. They were so fun to write. Riven in The Almost Girl is so kickass that I get a total adrenaline rush when writing any scene where she takes out the bad guys. She’s fierce. And I haven’t even mentioned the swords …
5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I read, and I indulge my love for good food. I also enjoy ocean surfing or any outdoor sports, and I’m addicted to movies. I also like spending time with my family.
Finish the sentence
1. The difference between fiction and reality is whatever you want it to be.
2. Research is what I'm doing when I buy twin swords at Comic Con inNew York City just because they look like Riven’s ninjata swords in The Almost Girl.
3. I can write better when I have my headphones in, listening to a rocking playlist.
4. Sleep is an excellent way to dream up more story ideas.
5. A room without a book is definitely not one in my house
Books
Title: The Almost Girl
Genre/s: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Released Date: January 4, 2014
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Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows. Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.Faced with hideous reanimated Vector soldiers from her own world with agendas of their own, as well as an unexpected reunion with a sister who despises her, it is a race against time to bring Caden back to Neospes. But things aren’t always as they seem, and Riven will have to search for truth. Family betrayals and royal coups are only the tip of the iceberg. Will Riven be able to find the strength to defy her very nature? Or will she become the monstrous soldier she was designed to be?
Giveaway !!!The Rules:
- Open Internationally
- Must be 13+ to enter
- Winners will be notified via email
- A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
- Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
- Contest ends January 4, 2014 (Release Date)
