Crystal in Bookland : Wednesday Watch (4) & GIVEAWAY with Megan Curd

Every Wednesday I'm going to be featuring an author that I think you should be watching. I hope to be able to snag an interview with them as well. :)

This week my guest author is Megan Curd. I'm talking to her about her new book Steel Lily, and have an excerpt from the second installment of The Periodic Series, Iron Pendulum. I recently read Steel Lily and you can click the link below to go check it out. :)

I also have a giveaway attached to the bottom of this post so make sure to enter to win your own ebook copy of Steel Lily!

Steel Lily

Here is a little info about Megan you can find on Goodreads:

"Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college.

When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Traveling and snowboarding are hobbies she loves, and doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.

Megan currently resides in Kentucky with her husband, son, and Great Dane named Dozer."

Q: Do you remember the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

A: Well, truly The Harry Potter series was amazing for me, but before they released, I loved reading the Animorphs by K.A. Applegate in elementary school. Those books made me think anythings was possible, and they definitely cemented my love for fantasy.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A: Definitely not! I have always loved reading, but a friend in college encouraged me to try my hand at writing. I really fell in love with it, and here we are now. I hope I'll always continue to learn and grow in the craft, and it's definitely all because my friend told me to try it out.

Q: What books do you currently have in the works?

A: I'm currently writing Steel Lily's sequel, Iron Pendulum. There is one other NA Fantasy that I have, but it's not far in and it would be a long while before I really devoted much time on it. I want to finish The Periodic Series before the end of June of 2014 if all happens the way it's supposed to, so I guess we'll just have to see how everything shakes out! :)

Q: What is the biggest distraction or hurdle you have to get past when writing?

A: MYSELF! ha, I love Twitter and Facebook far too much. When I really want to get writing done, I have to block all those out and focus solely on writing. Actually, this week is going to be a week I try to finish quite a bit of Iron Pendulum, so I'm hoping I can stick to writing and get the first draft done. Twitter is just so enticing, though… :)

Q: What was the inspiration for Steel Lily?

A: There was a lot on the news about nuclear weapons becoming an issue in other countries, and it really got me to thinking about how we would respond as the human race if something actually happened and we ruined our earth. I wondered if we would almost revert to a simpler life, in the fact that we wouldn't have the resources to use things like electricity, so that's how the dystopian steampunk mashup came to life. :)

Q: Who is your favorite character from Steel Lily?

A: I really, truly loved SO MANY characters from Steel Lily. I feel attached to all of them in one way or another. I feel like I really enjoyed Sari's part in all of it, and you'll see her getting into shenanigans again in the second book. I also really like a new character in Iron Pendulum, but I won't say who it is…you'll just have to wait and find out. :)

Q: Were Riggs and Xander's roles hard to write since there was so much to their characters?

A: They were and they weren't. I really thought they would go one way, and they went another…so their development was something that I really enjoyed seeing evolve throughout the book. I'm really looking forward to seeing them both develop more…and I have ideas to build more on them in the future as spin-offs. There's a lot of possibilities with many different characters, which I really enjoy. I have whole backstories laid out for most of the main characters that obviously won't be touched on the main books, but I think it helps me as a writer know and understand them and their motives more. I feel like writing their backstories helps me understand where they might go in the future.

Q: What is your favorite thing about Avery?

A: That she really doesn't have a problem speaking her mind. She has a very clear idea of what she finds to be right and wrong, and even if she's misguided, she's going to tell you what she thinks. She's stubborn, but when presented with a legit, logical reason, she's going to accept it and develop from it. I like that she's not willing to back down. She's the type of person I would like as a friend in real life.

Q: Facebook or Twitter?

A: Depends. Usually Facebook…because I'm a writer and 140 characters is TOUGH! :-P

Q: Hardcover or Paperback?

A: Hardcover…every time!

Q: Mountains or Beach?

A: Mountains. I snowboard, and also have a massive aversion to bathing suits lol.

Q: Bad boy or Sweet guy (fictional)? *this is my favorite question because I suffer from badboy syndrome with characters*

A: Can I get an in-the-middle? Like Damon off TVD when he's trying so hard to be good, but we all know he's bad? Yeah, that right there. :)

Here is a little excerpt from the second installment of The Periodic Series, Iron Pendulum

I knocked on the door lightly.

“Dana, you there? Dana, it’s me, Avery.”

There was the clink of china hitting a table, then heavy footsteps. At least five chains were unlocked and unbolted, and within seconds, the massive frame of my old nanny and most trusted confidant shadowed me.

“My lands,” Dana said, her brilliant white teeth bright even in the darkness. “Baby girl, where you been, darlin’? Word on the street was you got snatched like yo’ mama and daddy! I’ve been prayin’ for you, I have, and here you are.”

“Here I am,” I said, letting her pull me in for a bear hug. I got lost in her bosom, and counted a couple Mississippis before she let me go. “Dana, I have a favor to ask of you, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t dangerous.”

Her hearty laugh put me at ease. “Baby girl, you know I’d fetch you the moon and tie a string to it if I could. What you need, darlin’?”

“I have a couple friends with me, and we need a place to crash until tomorrow morning.”

Her eyebrows rose, and she peered out into the darkness. “They can’t stay with you? I ain’t seen nobody with you. These ain’t shady folk, are they?” She leaned into me. “You ain’t in any kind of trouble you can’t get yourself out of, are ya?”

Yes, I wanted to say.

“No, they’re good people. We just…we just need to regroup and figure out our next steps.”

Dana’s smile was wry and I could practically see steam coming out of her ears as she tried to decipher what I meant. “Right. So you was just meanderin’ ‘round the Traditional housing with these friends of yours for the past three weeks? Just managin’ to slip past folk when the Polatzi was searchin’ every house high and low for you? For some reason, I don’t think even you’s capable of pullin’ off a stunt like that. You’ve been outta the Dome.”

I had to look like a fish out of water. In my defense, I tried to formulate a response. There were excuses, all of them half-cocked and each one more unlikely than the next, but before I could convey any of them, Dana held up a hand.

“Baby girl, you know I love a good story, and you know this ain’t the first time you’ve caused me grief. Get your friends in here, and have ‘em pull up some chairs. I’ve got tea and all the time in the world.” She stepped back and gave me room to enter, but then held up a hand. “But you know the rules on bein’ in the house with the babies. You wake ‘em, you take ‘em. I ain’t runnin’ no hotel, and if you’re stayin’ with me, you’re helping me. That goes for your friends, too. They good with that?”

Jaxon stepped into the dim light that crept into the alleyway from Dana’s house, his expression wary. “When you say helping…”

Dana looked him up and down, a mischievous grin creeping over her face. She pretended to fan herself. “Oh honey, you already helping by standing there, lookin’ like a tall glass of chocolate milk. Get in here and let me drink you up.”

I couldn’t help but grin and wonder if Jaxon would try to give Dana a five-minute oogling allotment like he’d given me.

Make sure to follow Megan on Twitter and Facebook:
@MeganCurd
Like on FB

Thanks so much Megan for the interview!! Now for the giveaway. Remember that you can tweet once a day for extra entries. If any form of trying to "cheat the system" is caught you will be disqualified. You have 1 week to respond to the Winner's email then I will choose a different winner. The ebook will be given through Amazon or B&N to please make sure you are able to access one of these. :)

Good Luck